Search

Friday, 23 March 2012

Postcode demographic profiling - CheckMyArea.com

Postcode based information for all postcodes free – any UK post code area described

Hmmm, looks pretty interesting, trying to derive one of the 54 standard geodemographic information about the area, based on postcode, credit and other sources.

List of sources mentioned are:
Census
Register of court judgements
Insolvency records
Lifestyle information collected from questionnaires
Credit scores

It makes for some interesting reading, especially what assumptions are made from the census.

Tuesday, 13 March 2012

Netgear WGR614 v6 DSL (cable) Wireless Router

For sale: my Netgear router, £10 from Warrington (pickup) - surplus to requirements as I've moved, and I'm not on cable anymore.

My Netgear WGR614 v6 DSL Wireless router (cable router suitable for VIRGIN cable internet):

Key Features
Wireless Technology: Wireless G
Wireless Speed: 54 Mbps
Port Speed: 10/100
DLNA Certified: No
USB for File Sharing: No
Built in Modem: No
Connectivity: Wired & Wireless

Netgear WGR614 v6

Netgear WGR614 v6

Netgear WGR614 v6

Friday, 9 March 2012

BMI Body Mass Index reference chart

I've just come across a quick lookup chart for the BMI (body mass index)

BMI Chart

The traditional way of calculating it is:


English BMI Formula
BMI = ( Weight in Pounds / ( Height in inches x Height in inches ) ) x 703

Metric BMI Formula
BMI = ( Weight in Kilograms / ( Height in Meters x Height in Meters ) )

Tuesday, 6 March 2012

Skoda Fabia Brake Disc and Brake Pads change


Skoda Fabia Brake disc and pad change.

A recent much needed brake disc and brake pad change, and a dry day gave me the chance for a spot of motor DIY.





Front brake pad comparison

My EBC brake pads from Brakes4u.co.uk

(Ultimax)

New pad (left) vs old pad (right).

Skoda Fabia Brake change




These pads were sooo thin, and brittle, they flaked off once removed.

Skoda Fabia Brake change


Skoda Fabia Brake change




Front disc comparison.

(might aswell change the disc and pads as a complete job)

Skoda Fabia Brake change


Skoda Fabia Brake change





Front discs fitted.

Skoda Fabia Brake change


Skoda Fabia Brake change




Rear brake pads.

New pad (left) vs old pad (right)

Skoda Fabia Brake change




Rear disc fitted.

Skoda Fabia Brake change




Here's a picture of the old parts.

Skoda Fabia Brake change




The discs had plenty of "meat" on them, but the pads were completely shot.


Lightroom 4, now available

Adobe download link

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 Create amazing images that inspire, inform, and delight. From first look to final image, Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 4 software provides powerfully simple one-click tools and cutting-edge advanced controls for every step. Easily organize, perfect, and share all your photographs.

It’s significantly cheaper than prior versions: the full program costs just $149, while the upgrade costs $79.


Wednesday, 22 February 2012

SUBARU BRZ, and TOYOTA GT 86 (Hachi-Roku)


Subaru BRZ 2L Turbo

SUBARU BRZ

The 2013 SUBARU BRZ PREMIUM at roughly $24,000 comes with
  • 2 litre flat 4 boxer engine
  • 200 hp and 151 lb ft of torque
  • Torsen limited-slip differential
  • 17-inch alloy wheels
  • Tilt-telescope leather-wrapped steering wheel
  • Leather shift knob and handbrake
  • Six-speed manual transmission
  • Aluminum pedal pads
  • Eight-speaker sound system
  • Standard Navigation
  • Curb weight of 2689 lbs, 1220kg


The $27,000 SUBARU BRZ Limited has in addition:
  • Leather Alcantara upholstery
  • Rear lip spoiler
  • Front foglights
and more.



Read more via MotorTrend

SUBARU BRZ specifications

2013 Subaru BRZ - U.S. Model Features

Body Style 2-door Coupe
Drive Type Rear wheel drive
Grade Premium Limited
Engine 2.0L DOHC flat-4 with D-4S port/direct injection
Transmission 6MT 6AT 6MT 6AT
Exterior Head Lamp High intensity discharge
Front Fog Lamp n/a Standard
Door outer handle Body color
Door outer mirror Body color Body color w/ mirror heater
Rear garnish Body color
Rear spoiler n/a Standard
Windshield glass Green laminate with top shade
Wiper Designed blade
Tire size/type 215/45R17 Summer 215/45R17 Summer
Wheels 17-in. aluminum 17-in. aluminum
Interior Instrument Panel & upper dash surface Soft touch composite
IP center cluster Black Silver
Leather-wrapped steering wheel, shift knob and parking brake lever Standard
Pedal pad Aluminum
Door inner handle Chrome
Seat material Fabric Alcantara + Leather
Air conditioner Manual Auto 2-zone control
Tilt and telescopic steering wheel Standard
Gauge cluster Analog speedo and tach, digital speedometer with red illumination on a black panel with silver rings
Audio/Nav 8 speaker audio system Standard
Navigation Standard
Roof Antenna FM/AM/XM
Safety VDC Standard
Brake (front/rear) 11.6-in Vented Disc/11.4-in Vented Disc 11.6-in Vented Disc/11.4-in Vented Disc
Side and curtain airbags Standard
Fun to Drive Paddle shift (sport shift) n/a std n/a std
LSD Standard
Front/rear stabilizer Standard
Other Front seat heater n/a std
Smart start/entry (keyless go) n/a std
Anti-theft sys Immobilizer Immobilizer w/alarm
Spare tire T135/80D16
Cruise Control Standard


A view of the Toyota Subaru engine is:





TOYOTA GT 86

While I was looking around on the net, it occured to me that this engine bay looked very familiar.

I then looked up the TOYOTA GT 86.

TOYOTA GT 86


The MotoTrend.com Roadtest of Toyota GT 86 quickly confirmed what I thought



.... they share the same engine.

Sunday, 12 February 2012

Skoda Fabia Brake discs and pads information


Skoda Fabia Brake parts information, Brakes, prices, buying cheap

prices correct as of 12th February 2012



Skoda Fabia vRS

Front Brake Discs


Solid or Vented: V

No of Holes/Bolts: 5

Diameter (mm): 288

Height (mm): 34

Thickness New/Min (mm): 25 -- 23

Rear Brake Discs


Solid or Vented: S

No of Holes/Bolts: 5

Diameter (mm): 232, 233

Height (mm): 40

Thickness New/Min (mm): 09--07


Front brake Pads (image from Brakes4u (DP1479)

DP1479 : FRONT Ultimax pads - Lucas Calipers

DP1479


Rear brake Pads (image from Brakes4u (DP1497)

DP1497 : REAR Ultimax pads

DP1479



Brakes4u Skoda Fabia Brake Parts

Model Year Front Original Quality Front Upgrade Quality More Front Front Shoes Rear Original Quality Rear Upgrade Quality More Rear Rear Shoes
1.9 TD 2000->2010


DP1329



DP21329


DP1497


DP21497
1.9 TD VRS (130) 2003->2007

DP1479


DP21479

DP1497

DP21497




Ebay brake sets



Reference Information

http://www.vwspares.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=101
288x25mm (1LN/1LP) (for Lucas caliper) - these are the ones for Fabia vRS
without pad wear indicator

62.6mm x 131.4mm x 18.8mm VWSpares Fabia vRS FRONT BRAKE PADS


http://www.vwspares.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=360
52.9mm x 87mm x 17mm - these are the ones for Fabia vRS
VWSpares Fabia vRS REAR BRAKE PADS


http://www.vwspares.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=99
256x22mm (1LQ/1LR) (for FSIII caliper)
without pad wear indicator



http://www.vwspares.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=97
239x18mm (1LB/1LM) (for Bosch caliper)
without pad wear indicator

Saturday, 28 January 2012

Roast crispy pork belly with egg fried rice

Information from BBC SATURDAY MORNING KITCHEN with KEN HOM

Ken Hom



Overnight preparation time

Over 2 hourscooking time

Serves 4-6 people

 

Ken Hom's classic crispy pork takes time to prepare but demands no great skill.

Egg fried rice is a great way to use up leftover rice.

 

Ingredients

For the pork

  • 1.5 kg/3lb 5oz boneless pork belly, with rind
  • 4 tbsp coarse sea salt
  • 2 tbsp ground roasted Sichuan peppercorns
  • 2 tsp freshly ground white pepper
  • 2 tbsp five-spice powder
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar

 

For the egg fried rice

  • 400g/14oz long-grain rice, cooked according to the packet instructions, drained and chilled
  • 2 free-range eggs, beaten
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp spring onions, finely chopped

 

Preparation method

  1. For the pork, pierce the rind side of pork with a sharp fork or knife until the skin is covered with fine holes. Insert a meat hook into the meat to secure it.
  2. Bring a large pan of water to a boil and, using a large ladle, pour the hot water over the rind side of the pork several times. This is best done suspending the pork above the sink. Set the pork belly aside.
  3. Heat a wok until it is hot, then add the salt, both peppers, five spice powder and sugar and stir-fry the mixture for three minutes. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
  4. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, rub it into the flesh side of the pork. Hang the meat to dry for eight hours or overnight in a cool place or in front of a fan. Alternatively, place the meat on a wire rack set above a roasting tin.
  5. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Place the pork on a wire rack, rind side up, over a deep roasting pan filled about one third with water and roast for 20 minutes.
  6. Reduce the heat to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and continue to roast for two hours. Turn the oven back up to 230C/450F/Gas 8 and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the meat from the oven and allow the pork to cool.
  7. For the fried rice, mix the eggs, sesame oil and a pinch of the salt in a small bowl and set aside.
  8. Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat until it is hot. Add the groundnut or vegetable oil and when it is very hot and slightly smoking add the cooked rice and stir-fry for three minutes or until it is thoroughly warmed through.
  9. Drizzle the egg mixture over the rice and continue to stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until eggs have set and the mixture is dried. Add the remaining salt and pepper, continue to stir-fry for two minutes then toss in the spring onions. Stir several times and turn onto a serving dish. Carve the pork into bite-size pieces, arrange on a platter and serve immediately with the rice alongside.

Wednesday, 7 December 2011

Hey Jude - Beatles

A great easy tip to help remember the lyrics of the classic song from the Beatles!


Revo VAGCOM Butt Dyno dynoplot6 dynoplot4

I've jsut come across a spreadhseet created by the guys over at Ross-Tech

The spreadsheet plots theoretical horse power (hp) and torque (tq)



A link to their spreadsheet - often referred to as the "Butt Dyno" is:

Butt Dyno, http://www.ross-tech.net/vag-com/examples/dynoplot6.xls

Wednesday, 9 November 2011

Sensible Soccer Nostalgia - A great game from the past, not forgotten

A friend of mine mentioned a football computer game that we used to play from our younger days, Sensible Soccer on the Amiga.

The sense of nostalgia, and fond memories that even the name brings back are immense.

I can't remember playing any other football game that comes close to the balance of simplicity, intuitive controls, and un-capped levels of fun and laughter when playing against your friends when they all join in for the impromptu "world cup tournaments" that we'd host in each of our homes.

Fantastic memories !

And to top it all off - it looks like you can play it online ?!?? !



www.sensiblesoccer.de
Sensible Soccer


Sensible Soccer

Friday, 14 October 2011

Confessions of an Aca/Fan: Transmedia Storytelling 101

Confessions of an Aca/Fan: Transmedia Storytelling 101

I've just read a Henry Jenkins article, as suggested by PHONAR, discussing Transmedia.
A very interesting and insightful article, mentioning how the art of story telling and involving the reader in more than one way through different entry points in media.

It mentions Star Wars and The Matrix as fine examples of transmedia.

Excellent !!!

Tuesday, 23 August 2011

Luke Schneider Photography: Head shots: What I've Learned (A long post,but wor...

Link back to http://lukeschneiderphotography.blogspot.com/2011/07/head-shots-what-ive-learned-long.html

Head shots, while seemingly simple, can be quite difficult depending on the person being photographed.

Head shots have the power to get people very interested in what someone has to say or offer, or quickly turn someone away based on the quality of this one "simple" photograph. If you haven't seen truly amazing headshot work, do your self a favour and take a look at Peter Hurley's Portfolio.



Luke Schneider Photography: Head shots: What I've Learned (A long post,but wor...
:      

Monday, 25 July 2011

Capital cities of the world

I've been playing Google's app "Beat The Buzz", and one of the challenges is to type as fast as possible, the Capital Cities of the World.

I've googled and found via http://geographyfieldwork.com/WorldCapitalCities.htm a list of 200.


Capital City Country
Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates
Abuja Nigeria
Accra Ghana
Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Algiers Algeria
Amman Jordan
Andorra la Vella Andorra
Ankara Turkey
Antananarivo Madagascar
Apia Samoa
Ashgabat Turkmenistan
Asmara Eritrea
Astana Kazakhstan
Asuncion Paraguay
Athens Greece
Baku Azerbaijan
Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei
Baghdad Iraq
Bamako Mali
Bangkok Thailand
Bangui Central African Republic
Banjul Gambia
Basseterre Saint Kitts and Nevis
Beijing China
Beirut Lebanon
Belgrade Serbia
Belmopan Belize
Belfast Northern Ireland
Berlin Germany
Bern Switzerland
Bishkek Kyrgyzstan
Bissau Guinea-Bissau
Bogota Colombia
Brasilia Brazil
Bratislava Slovakia
Brazzaville Congo, Republic of the
Bridgetown Barbados
Brussels Belgium
Budapest Hungary
Bucharest Romania
Buenos Aires Argentina
Bujumbura Burundi
Cairo Egypt
Canberra Australia
Caracas Venezuela
Cardiff Wales
Castries Saint Lucia
Cayenne French Guiana
Chisinau Moldova
Colombo Sri Lanka
Conakry Guinea
Copenhagen Denmark
Dakar Senegal
Damascus Syria
Dhaka Bangladesh
Dar es Salaam Tanzania
Dili East Timor
Djibouti Djibouti
Doha Qatar
Dublin Ireland
Dushanbe Tajikistan
Edinburgh Scotland
Freetown Sierra Leone
Gaborone Botswana
Georgetown Guyana
Guatemala City Guatemala
Hanoi Vietnam
Harare Zimbabwe
Havana Cuba
Helsinki Finland
Honiara Solomon Islands
Islamabad Pakistan
Jakarta Indonesia
Juba South Sudan
Kabul Afghanistan
Kathmandu Nepal
Kampala Uganda
Khartoum Sudan
Kiev Ukraine
Kigali Rwanda
Kingston Jamaica
Kingstown Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Kinshasa Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Kuwait City Kuwait
La Paz Bolivia
Libreville Gabon
Lilongwe Malawi
Lima Peru
Lisbon Portugal
Ljubljana Slovenia
Lome Togo
London England
London United Kingdom
Luanda Angola
Lusaka Zambia
Luxembourg Luxembourg
Madrid Spain
Majuro Marshall Islands
Malabo Equatorial Guinea
Male Maldives
Managua Nicaragua
Manama Bahrain
Manila Philippines
Maputo Mozambique
Maseru Lesotho
Mbabana Swaziland
Melekeok Palau
Mexico City Mexico
Minsk Belarus
Mogadishu Somalia
Monaco Monaco
Monrovia Liberia
Montevideo Uruguay
Moroni Comoros
Moscow Russia
Muscat Oman
Nairobi Kenya
Nassau Bahamas
N'Djamena Chad
New Delhi India
Niamey Niger
Nicosia Cyprus
Nouakchott Mauritania
Nuku'alofa Tonga
Ouagadougou Burkina Faso
Oslo Norway
Ottawa Canada
Palikir Federated States of Micronesia
Panama City Panama
Paramaribo Suriname
Paris France
Phnom Penh Cambodia
Podgorica Montenegro
Port au Prince Haiti
Port Louis Mauritius
Port Moresby Papua New Guinea
Port of Spain Trinidad and Tobago
Port Vila Vanuatu
Porto Novo Benin
Prague Czech Republic
Praia Cape Verde
Pretoria South Africa
Pristina Kosovo
Pyongyang North Korea
Quito Ecuador
Rabat Morocco
Rangoon (Yangon) Myanmar (Burma)
Reykjavik Iceland
Riga Latvia
Riyadh Saudi Arabia
Rome Italy
Roseau Dominica
Saint George's Grenada
Saint John's Antigua and Barbuda
San Jose Costa Rica
San Marino San Marino
San Salvador El Salvador
Sanaa Yemen
Santiago Chile
Santo Domingo Dominican Republic
Sao Tome Sao Tome and Principe
Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina
Seoul South Korea
Singapore Singapore
Skopje Macedonia
Sofia Bulgaria
Stockholm Sweden
Suva Fiji
Taipei Taiwan
Tallinn Estonia
Tarawa Atoll Kiribati
Tashkent Uzbekistan
Tbilisi Georgia
Tegucigalpa Honduras
Tehran Iran
Tel Aviv Israel
Amsterdam Netherlands
Thimphu Bhutan
Tirane Albania
Tokyo Japan
Tripoli Libya
Tunis Tunisia
Ulaanbaatar Mongolia
Vaduz Liechtenstein
Vaiaku village Tuvalu
Valletta Malta
Vatican City Vatican City
Victoria Seychelles
Vienna Austria
Vientiane Laos
Vilnius Lithuania
Warsaw Poland
Washington D.C. United States
Wellington New Zealand
Windhoek Namibia
Yamoussoukro Cote d'Ivoire
Yaounde Cameroon
Yerevan Armenia
No official capital Nauru
Zagreb Croatia

To type out a few cities the quickest, it's probably best to type cities with the fewest number of letters...

Capital City Country
ApiaSamoa
BakuAzerbaijan
BernSwitzerland
DiliEast Timor
DohaQatar
JubaSouth Sudan
KievUkraine
LimaPeru
LomeTogo
MaleMaldives

Thursday, 16 June 2011

SSRS Date format expressions

Information gleamed from http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic290724-150-3.aspx

The Format function is locale aware and can be used as follows [not the case senstivity]
Set Language=User!language in the Report properties and use the Format function with the following codes:

Standard Format Specifiers for Dates and Times:
The table below shows the standard date and time formatters.
d Short Date
D Long date
f long date & short time
F long date and long time
g short date and short time
G short date and long time
M or m month and day
Y or y year and month
t short time
T long time
s displays in ISO 8601 format using local time
u displays in ISO 8601 format using universal time
U date and time in unversal time
R or r displays in RFC 1123 format

Custom formatting sequences:
There are also specific character sequences that can be used to achieve custom formatting of dates and times.

Format Description
d day of month (1 or 2 digits as required)
dd day of month (always 2 digits, with a leading 0 if needed)
ddd day of week (3 letter abbreviation)
dddd day of week (full name)
M month number (1 or 2 digits as required)
MM month number (always 2 digits, with a leading 0 if needed)
MMM month name (3 letter abbreviation)
MMMM month name (full name)
y year ( last 1 or 2 digits, no leading 0)
yy year (last 2 digits)
yyyy year (4 digits)
H hour in 24-hour format (1 or 2 digits as required)
HH hour in 24-hour format (always 2 digits, with a leading 0 if needed)
h hour in 12-hour format (1 or 2 digits as required)
hh hour in 12 hour format
m minutes (1 or 2 digits as required)
mm minutes (always 2 digits, with a leading 0 if needed)
s seconds (1 or 2 digits as required)
ss seconds
t first character in the am/pm designator
tt am/pm designator
z time zone offset, hour only (1 or 2 digits as required)
zz time zone offset, hour only (always 2 digits, with a leading 0 if needed)
zzz time zone offset, hour and minute
/ default date separator
: default time separator
\ escape characters

Tuesday, 14 June 2011

SSIS : connection to ssis service failed. access denied

SSIS : connection to ssis service failed. access denied


http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic311706-146-1.aspx

A few things to check:

If you have a firewall between the developer and the sql server:

  • open a port for SSIS on the firewall (3882 and an additional port for the return traffic)
  • switch from using a dynamic return port to a static port:

    1. hkey_classes_root\appid\{F38B7F09-979B-4241-80D9-2EADED02954F}
    2. new reg_mutlistring
    3. Key=Endpoints
    4. Value=ncacn_ip_tcp,0,port#

      (port# is the port you have open on your firewall for SSIS)

    Check MsDtsServer in Component Services:

    1. add all permissions for msdtsserver for the developer account
    2. component services > My computer properties > MSDTC > Security Configuration > Network DTC Access > Allow Remote clients
    3. COM Security > Access permissions > Edit Limits
    4. add all permissions for msdtsserver for the developer account
    5. COM Security > Launch and activation permissions > Edit Limits
    6. add all permissions for msdtsserver for the developer account
    7. Allow inbound
    8. allow outbound
    9. restart MSDTC
    10. restart SSIS
    If this does not fix the problem, make sure you have build 2153:
    select @@version
    Microsoft SQL Server 2005 - 9.00.2153.00

    If you do not have that build, apply SP1 and then the post SP1 rollup in the correct order (apply all six patches in the order listed in the aticle below):

    SP1 - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=cb6c71ea-d649-47ff-9176-e7cac58fd4bc&DisplayLang=en
    rollup - http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?id=918222

    If you still can't connect to SSIS, you need to check other things like DNS and account permissions.

    Or - as per the forum thread, try
    "The user's Windows account needed to be in the Distributed COM Users group on the server."
  • Thursday, 2 June 2011

    SQL Setting Up Windows Service Accounts

    Setting Up Windows Service Accounts


    http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143504.aspx

    Each service in SQL Server represents a process or a set of processes to manage authentication of SQL Server operations with Windows. This topic describes the default configuration of services in this release of SQL Server, and configuration options for SQL Server services that you can set during SQL Server installation.

    Depending on the components that you decide to install, SQL Server Setup installs the following services:

  • SQL Server Database Services - The service for the SQL Server relational Database Engine.

  • SQL Server Agent - Executes jobs, monitors SQL Server, fires alerts, and enables automation of some administrative tasks.

    Note
    For SQL Server and SQL Server Agent to run as services in Windows, SQL Server and SQL Server Agent must be assigned a Windows user account. For more information about how to customize account information for each service, see How to: Install SQL Server 2008 R2 (Setup).


  • Analysis Services - Provides online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining functionality for business intelligence applications.

  • Reporting Services - Manages, executes, creates, schedules, and delivers reports.

    Integration Services - Provides management support for Integration Services package storage and execution.

    SQL Server Browser - The name resolution service that provides SQL Server connection information for client computers.

    Full-text search - Quickly creates full-text indexes on content and properties of structured and semistructured data to provide document filtering and word-breaking for SQL Server.

    SQL Server Active Directory Helper - Publishes and manages SQL Server services in Active Directory.

    SQL Writer - Allows backup and restore applications to operate in the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) framework.

    Important
    Always use SQL Server tools such as SQL Server Configuration Manager to change the account used by the SQL Server or SQL Server Agent services, or to change the password for the account. In addition to changing the account name, SQL Server Configuration Manager performs additional configuration such as setting permissions in the Windows Registry so that the new account can read the SQL Server settings. Other tools such as the Windows Services Control Manager can change the account name but do not change associated settings. If the service cannot access the SQL Server portion of the registry, the service may not start properly.

    Important
    For Analysis Services instances that you deploy in a SharePoint farm, always use SharePoint Central Administration to change the server accounts for PowerPivot service applications and the Analysis Services service. Associated settings and permissions are updated to use the new account information when you use Central Administration.

    http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143504.aspx