Author Archives: Barrie

About Barrie

Digital Storyteller, Media Trainer, Hill Walker, Cyclist, Husband, Father, Grandad, Christian, Blogger, Writer, Baby Boomer, Mac Head, Photographer

Whose side is the ref on?

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I support Man U. We have just been knocked out of the FA Cup by the REF! Portsmouth played really well, so well that the ref failed to see the most obvious penalty against Ronaldo and then later awarded a penalty against our goalie and sent him off when he’d done nothing more than go for the ball and get kicked in the head.
I know we missed a few shots we should have sent home, but without those two clear mistakes from the ref Portsmouth would not have been the winners this afternoon.
So I hope Harry Rednap’s going to sign him up for the next match – and then we’ll all know who’s side he’s on.

SOS Response – Bicycle thieves stopped in their tracks

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As a cyclist, I rarely leave my bike locked up for more than a few minutes because I know that determined thieves can smash their way through almost any lock in moments. So this security system being trialed in Portsmouth looks really interesting.

SOS Response – Bicycle thieves stopped in their tracks
When the bicycle owner locks up their bicycle they send a text to a security office to trigger the system to guard it.
Wasp Logo
If someone then moves or tries to move the bicycle a sensor in the lock emits a silent alarm which triggers a CCTV camera to zoom in and take a picture.

The sensor also sends an alarm to security staff and flashes up live images from the camera on to their monitors.

A security guard can then be sent to investigate.

I know it only works on a place like a university campus where security staff are on duty 24/7, but couldn’t traffic wardens be redeployed into something useful to make it work everywhere?

BBC iPlayer On iPhone: Behind The Scenes

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It looks really good too.

BBC Internet Blog – BBC iPlayer On iPhone: Behind The Scenes
Today was a big day for BBC iPlayer: its the day that it first became available on a portable device. BBCiPlayer is now available on iPhone and iPod touch.

If you’re a bit techie like me, it’s worth reading the whole article.

Mike Hurley RIP

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You either loved it or hated it. Mike Hurley’s Saturday morning show, Hurley Burley, divided the audience. Mike was loud, witty, angry, funny, sarcastic, talented – very talented. His show worked by ridiculing the medium in which he worked and the audience which was his lifeblood. Local Radio in his mind was trivial, incompetent, staffed by idiots and listened to by people who had nothing better to do. 

He mocked Commercial Local Radio even though his voiceovers were heard daily on radio commercials. If ever there was a society for biting the hand that feeds you and getting away with it, Mike Hurley could have been its president. Or perhaps that position should have been given to Bill Bore, a character he created to rant about things a BBC  presenter couldn’t say in his own skin. Continue reading →

Could a Coffee Maker Be Worth $11,000?

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I love my coffee – and this would be a very high price to pay, but this article explores aspects of coffee brewing completely new to me.

How the Clover could change the way we think about coffee. – By Paul Adams – Slate Magazine
Could a Coffee Maker Be Worth $11,000?