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Apple Fans – Stop Worrying!

October 31st, 2011 . Posted in In The News | No Comments »

I don’t get the fuss about the new iPhone 4S. No matter who you talk to, everyone who likes tech seems to have an opinion. I don’t particularly care how good a certain Apple product is – all I want to know is whether it’s the best phone on the market at the moment. If it is then I’ll buy it, if not then I’ll get another phone.

The last phone I bought was the HTC Desire, and I’ve been more than happy with it. The BlackBerry Torch 9810 (there are some good contracts on that link that I almost bought) was one that I almost bought, but as handsets go I didn’t think it was as good as others, even though I do like BlackBerry. The problem with the 4S is that it doesn’t really offer anything new. If the Apple phone isn’t as good as the HTC phone, I’ll always go for the HTC simply because it runs on a more open platform with far fewer restrictions.

Maybe this was actually just a marketing ploy to make the iPhone 5 seem even more incredible? I’m guessing that Apple will need to release something special by then. Not only because their phones may start to get bored without some innovation, but also to prove that even without Steve Jobs they are still an innovative company with good ideas.

I don’t think everything at Apple was down to Steve Jobs – I’m sure that he had a great team behind him – but there doesn’t seem to be any doubt that he was the driving force behind many of their best products. He also was a major part of making Apple into a company that people seem to worship – even if that seems very strange to everyone else. It’ll be interesting to see what they come out with next. I hope that they continue to produce high quality and different products. Even If I don’t buy them all, a strong Apple helps to drive forward the rest of the industry and forces everyone to innovate in order to stay competitive. That’s definitely a good thing for people who love technology.

Fake Omega Watches And How To Avoid Them

February 4th, 2011 . Posted in Life | No Comments »
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I’ve always had a fascination with watches, every since I bought a nice looking (but cheap) Seiko wrist watch for my sixteenth birthday. Since then I’ve collected a few down the years, but my favorite is the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean. I get frustrated when I hear of people getting scammed into buying counterfeit Omega watches though, so I thought I’d write a post on how to avoid being caught out. The internet makes it a lot easier to buy vintage watches, but the chances of coming across a fake are vastly increased.

The problem with counterfeit watches is that they can be hard to identify online. If you’re buying from eBay or somewhere similar, make sure you visit a site like Chronocentric before you bid. That particular site deals specifically with Omega watches, but there are a variety of others for different brands. It has a buyer’s guide, as well as galleries of watches.

The more information you can about a model of watch the less likely it is that you’ll get scammed. Another good site is Vintage Watch Brands, which has listings of all the top manufacturers, as well as details about individual collections and timepieces. If, for example, you wanted to buy a pre owned Omega Planet Ocean, then compare images from Chronocentric and look up the details and specifications on Vintage Watch Brands. When dealing with resellers of used or preowned watches, make sure you ask to view images of the movement as well.

Don’t get too scared of counterfeit watches though – just make sure you’re aware of them! There’s nothing more exciting than buying a new watch you’ve always wanted. I’m a fan of sports watches, especially diver’s, so I regularly look through the timepieces at OceanicTime to see what’s available. It’s another useful site for getting an overview of certain models, and it’s regularly updated.

The NHS and Budget Cuts

October 19th, 2010 . Posted in In The News | No Comments »
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The budget cuts are going to affect lots of people badly, but they need to be done unfortunately. If the government weren’t to cut things now, then we would be faced with even bigger problems down the line. With that said, I don’t know whether they are going about it the right way – only time will be able to tell.

One thing I don’t think should be cut is NHS budgets. It worries me that doctors are going to be in charge of their own medication budgets now, as the amount of times I’ve heard people say they’ve been turned away only to find out later that the GP was wrong is astonishing. I fear for anyone who doesn’t have private medical insurance if the GPs have complete say over where the budgets are spent. Especially for non-life threatening, but still difficult, problems such as muscle and tendon injuries.

Don’t get me wrong, I think the vast majority of GPs do a great job. The problem is, they are too general and hence it’s very difficult for them to make a specific diagnosis in most cases. The consequence of them knowing a little about everything is that mistakes are often made. GPs should be a gateway to seeing the right specialist in my opinion, as this would provide the best care for the patient.

It will be interesting to see how the budget cuts effect our lives over the next few years. My guess is that they won’t have the huge impact that many people are expecting, but I’m sure most of us will see some sort of difference.

Is Silvio Berlusconi That Bad?

October 11th, 2010 . Posted in In The News | No Comments »

There has been a lot of press over the last couple of weeks about Silvio Berlusconi space the Italian prime minister. He has been lampooned for several months now, but his most recent comments seem to have landed him in even more hot water. He has even come in for criticism from the Pope over his apparently blasphemous and anti-Semitic comments.

Whilst I have no sympathy for Silvio Berlusconi it does strike me that in this day and age it doesn’t really matter what you do, it’s all about PR, spin and press management.

After all Silvio Berlusconi has not started any illegal wars has the? There are a great number of politicians in the West with blood on their hands who seem completely immune from any kind of criticism via the media. These people present a rosy and politically correct image. They are very careful not to make comments which offend or lose them votes.

They are adept at avoiding scandal, answering difficult questions and inept when it comes to decision-making.

I really think people need to focus less on the image created for politicians by the media and focus more on what they actually do. I’m sure that Silvio Berlusconi has done some dastardly deeds in his time but I’m equally sure that he is by no means the greatest villain in European politics. space the Italian prime minister. He has been lampooned for several months now, but his most recent comments seem to have landed him in even more hot water. He has even come in for criticism from the Pope over his apparently blasphemous and anti-Semitic comments.

Whilst I have no sympathy for Silvio Berlusconi it does strike me that in this day and age it doesn’t really matter what you do, it’s all about PR, spin and press management.

After all Silvio Berlusconi has not started any illegal wars has the? There are a great number of politicians in the West with blood on their hands who seem completely immune from any kind of criticism via the media. These people present a rosy and politically correct image. They are very careful not to make comments which offend or lose them votes.

They are adept at avoiding scandal, answering difficult questions and inept when it comes to decision-making.

I really think people need to focus less on the image created for politicians by the media and focus more on what they actually do. I’m sure that Silvio Berlusconi has done some dastardly deeds in his time but I’m equally sure that he is by no means the greatest villain in European politics.

My New Henry

October 11th, 2010 . Posted in Life | No Comments »

Well I’ve done it! I’ve gone out and bought one! It’s been around the block a few times, and is a little the worse for wear, but it’s a fine example.

But what do I speak? My new hound that’s what!

Since I was a kid I’ve always had a soft spot of the boxers. Boxers as in the dog breed that is. I remember when I was younger having some kind of collectors cards given to me with dog breeds on them. Each card had a picture of the dog and some information on the breed. I don’t know what happened to that card that I can remember the picture quite vividly and remember boxers being described as very loyal, good guard dogs and good with kids.

A lot of people seem to think of boxes are aggressive due to their mastiff like appearance, when in actual fact nothing could be further from the truth.

Boxers are actually very even tempered which is why they are said to be good with children. On that note I would never advocate any dog be left alone with the child, you can never completely trust a dog especially with kids. You never know what their child may do, for example sticking something in a dogs ear is sure to get an unwelcome response.

Anyway I didn’t want to get a puppy knowing that there are so many rescue dogs in need of a good home, but I really did want to get a boxer. Boxers are quite an expensive breed and so puppy don’t tend to end up in rescue centres very often which meant I ended up getting a two year old dog.

I named him Henry which I think is a suitable name for a hound of his stature. He is a red boxer with white paws and a white chest. Just like the one in that postcard I mentioned I had as a kid. Unfortunately he has a few behavioural problems which I guess is Harry ended up in the pound, but I’m sure with a little TLC he will come round to my way of doing things (i.e. do not destroy the house).

Aside from his destructive tendencies he is the perfect dog. Very friendly and boisterous, just what I wanted, and active dog you can really have fun with. Henry is always looking for fun and adventure and has a real lust for life. I’m very glad I found him and I’m looking forward to taking him campaign in a couple of weeks.