JohnS' Random Rants

I'd never come across Groupon before, but someone on PH pointed me towards this deal:
http://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/birmingham?nlp=&CID=UK_CRM_45_0_0_0&utm_source=Deal_general_newsletter&utm_medium=All_Cities&utm_content=Initial_Version&utm_campaign=Varies

£60 for a half day rally course is very cheap indeed, so I've ordered one for me and one for the missus, and figured I'd share it here.

I have been invited to go and play with some fast Lexuses (Lexii?) this friday, and have space for a +1. You'll need to be at Hagley Hall for midday-ish, and it's 2-3 hours long. Let me know if you fancy it. I'm happy to collect, if you are near the route from Studley to HH.

I need assistance from someone who understands the iPhone better than I. I've got myself an app that alerts me when I am driving towards a pesky speed camera. This app also allows me to play music at the same time, and displays my current location on google maps - so kinda like sat nav lite. I'm hooking it up with a 3.5m
jack to jack cable into my stereo aux input. Everything works ok, and I'm a happy boy.

There is however a predictable fly in my proverbial. The app chews power cos it's using the gps a lot, but when I plug my charger in, the sound stops. I presume that this is cos the phone thinks it's been docked and is trying to play the music through the cigarette lighter. This has never been a problem with my iPod classic when used with the same set up. The charger is a basic Logic3 jobby.

Any ideas how to solve this?

So, I have finally succumbed to the Jobsian mind control, and am exchanging my LG stupidname phone for an Apple equallystupidname iPhone. Despite the usual victory of money over good sense when it comes to tech, I have actually stayed my geekiness, and am getting a 3G rather than a 3GS (a price difference of £300 being key to the decision). It's due to arrive tomorrow, and I find myself thinking a bit about accessories.

Obviously I'll need a case... does anyone have any experience of any decent cases? The range is somewhat baffling - I'd prefer something that doesn't bulk the already large phone too much, and beyond that I don't really mind. What about other accessories? I've got a car charger and a plug in charger, so should be ok for those. And I'm pretty much sorted for a dock too!

Oh, and any apps that class as must haves?

Thanks!

Lots going on the past few days, not all of it good, but pretty much all chronicled by november_girl on her journal. Aside from work... which is filled with the leaden sound of impending deadlines. Sucky.

Anyway, I'm on the scrounge again, and figured that I'd try here before adjourning to Ebay. I'm looking for a 15" TFT monitor to use at home as my second screen. It doesn't need to be anything particularly complicated, but does need to be in decent working order and capable of 1024x768 resolution. If it was black that would be nice. Unfortunately, CRTs are no good, due to a paucity of desk space.

I'm happy to throw a little money at it, say about £20, but don't have much more than that to spend.

Anyway, here's hoping someone can help out.

Another call for more pariticpants in our rock and roll football league.

Sign up at http://rocknrollfootball.fantasyleague.com/ and once you have the team sorted join the league under pin 513.

It's free to play, and no experience or understanding of football is really required (given my past experience of these things, a chimpanzee could do better than I usually do). Simple, straightforward and a bit of fun.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/8077101.stm

Politics needs more low-level swear words.

More on the freaky hooded dudes later, once I have the rest of my holiday photos flickrised.

However, in the meantime, it's the great easter giveaway! We're clearing out our spare room, in anticipation of filling it full of baby crap clothing and accessories. And we've got some stuff that no longer has a home here. All of it free to a good home.

If you'd like any of it, please shout here or via my mobile. We'd much rather that it went this weekend, but can deliver locally if we have to. If we get no takers by later in the weekend, we'll probably have to freecycle it.

Anyway - on with the list of swag.

1 Surround sound system. It's a slightly elderly, but astonishingly good, Sony 5:1 system, with processing box. You plugs your telly and DVD and video (anyone still got one?) into it and it makes them sound 50 times as good. It comes with a freestanding subwoofer and remote control. It's really good and I'm sad to part with it, but november_girl doesn't like it so rather than have it gather dust...

1 DVD player. Cheap, korean (I suspect) but entirely functional. Plays DVDs. Nuff Said.

1 Telly. Goodmans 21" CRT. Big, heavy, old, but in good working order. It's not going to win any awards for design or beauty, but it allows you to watch telly.

A bunch of Myth and Magic figures. november_girl is giving up her collection of myth and magic figures to any good home that'd like them. Usual drill, pewter figures of dragons and wizards and ting, with crystals glued on any flat surface.

Lastly, and I'm not sure that anyone will want this, is my old motorcycle helmet. It was second hand when I got it, from Roj (sans LJ). I trust him enough that i was prepared to believe that when he said it'd had never been dropped or crashed I believed him. I have never dropped or crashed it either. I know that you are not supposed to use second hand lids, but I thought I'd offer it in case someone can find a use. It's a 55cm Shoei affair, white with red and purple flashes.

So there we go. Oh, and if anyone is desperate we have a bunch of bedroom furniture going spare, but it absolutely has to be out of the house asap, and they'd need a van or similar to transport it (and someone strong to help me move it).

So, I have now bought myself a ticket for the Sonisphere festival in August.

http://www.sonispherefestivals.com/uk has all the details, and if any of you fancy coming and joining me that'd be great.

Edited to add: Any of you who might find the £150 a bit hard to find all in one go should have a peer at the deposit scheme which looks like a fine idea.