Monday, April 14, 2014

Peppa Pig Cake



The key to getting the cake look right and getting Peppa looking somewhat like Peppa should is getting the scale and dimensioning correct. To achieve this I put a template together from various Peppa Pig images. I then printed the template to the correct scale. We then traced the various shapes onto baking paper, cut out the baking paper shapes, which we could then use to form pieces of icing ready to place on the cake.
In the final version, we made some modifications. We ran out of time to make flowers so made do with just butterflies.
Here is our finished product:



Sunday, January 5, 2014

My History of Mobile Phones


Nokia 2270 (October 2002 - 2005)


This was my first phone. This Nokia 2270 was a 17th birthday present and connected to the Telstra CDMA network in Australia on a pre-paid account. This was clearly a Golden Age for Nokia. This phone worked flawlessly and still started up like it was brand new years after its useful life.

Nokia 6230i (2005 - 2006)


The Nokia 6230i was purchased on a plan with Telstra. Within 12 months of using this phone it bricked itself. The phone was returned and exchanged under warranty for the newer Nokia 6233.

Nokia 6233 (2006 - December 2008)

The Nokia 6233 ran a version of the Symbian operating system and was edging very closely to a running like a smartphone. It had an app store and supported smartphone features like email and music playback. This phone still started up like new until I recently sent it away for recycling.

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic (December 2008 - February 2010)


My first touch screen phone featured a resistive touch screen an extensive app store for the time, high quality and durable build and screen. User friendly and effective version of the Symbian operating system which was the trademark of nokia phones at the time. It was very capable competitor to the new iPhone which was simply dominating the high end of the market at the time.

The Nokia 5800 featured front and rear cameras, SMS, email, FM radio, GPS, expandable memory, and wifi. It also featured Nokia maps which was the pinnacle of mobile phone maps for the time.

After a solid year with the phone the screen started to fail for no obvious reason. The screen would randomly go black for some time, with a restart restoring the screen. The times that the screen would go black gradually became longer and eventually, restarting the phone did not restore the screen. Some research at the time found that this was a common problem with this model.

A temporary fix was to insert a strong magnet under the front case at a certain location towards the top of the phone.This fix was very much temporary as the magnet only seemed to last for so long and jamming the magnet under the front case resulted in an outward bump in an otherwise flat front surface.

Motorola Milestone (February 2010 - February 2012)


The Motorola Milestone was purchased outright and imported from the UK. I simply had to have this Android flagship. In Australia this phone was compatible with the Optus network. The phone featured excellent build quality and included the popular Corning Gorilla Glass protecting the screen from scratches.

There was a freakish incident with a small amount of coffee spilling into the headphone port. The phone was dead immediately. I quickly opened up the rear casing, separated the battery, and submerged the whole lot in dry rice overnight. The phone did survive, but just wasn't the same for a while. I then ordered the Samsung Galaxy S.

A few weeks later I tested my Motorola Milestone to find it was working as new again. Maybe there was still some moisture deep within the phone, or some dried coffee residue eventually freed itself from the phones internals. Whatever it was when I on-sold the phone it was still in great condition with only minor dents and scrapes around the corners.

The physical keyboard was great and I still miss having a physical keyboard sometimes. A physical keyboard is brilliant for gaming and typing extended emails. It's a shame the keyboard makes the phone so bulky otherwise we could be seeing many more phones with this form factor in modern smart phones.

Samsung Galaxy S (October 2010 - January 2013)


Bought with a plan with Optus. Was rooted and custom rom'ed countless times. Keeping it up to date with the latest version of Android. By the time I was just about done with this phone I dropped it onto some brick pavers, cracking the screen quite badly. It was still usable, although occasionally small shards of glass would splinter off between the cracks.

LG Optumus L3 E400 (January 2013 - March 2013)


I wanted to switch back to the Telstra network at this time, but was awaiting the release of the next Nexus phone from Google. The LG E400 was bought outright as a prepaid phone from Telstra. With rooting and romming this phone served as an adequate stop-gap while awaiting the new release of Nexus phones.

The LG E400 was cheap, but ran the latest version of android with the help of a Cyanogenmod. The screen was poor quality and  low resolution and the camera was terrible, but it worked as a smartphone and fulfilled all other functions quite well.

LG Nexus 4 (March 2013 - January 2014)


My LG Nexus 4 was purchased outright from Google Play. It is compatible with every Australian network. This phone was recently updated to the latest version of Android, 4.4 KitKat. A flawless phone and I am enjoying the Google Android experience.

It dropped to the concrete driveway when getting out of the car and cracked the front screen. In that instant the device was rendered useless as the touchscreen would not repond to any touches or gestures. Although I remained unaffected for nearly a year, a common complaint of this phone was its fragility. Many users reported cracked front and rear glass panels due to impact from day one.

I temporarily switched back to my LG Optumus L3 E400 while my Nexus 5 is on the way.

One tricky part of switching back to the L3 E400 from the Nexus 4 was the sim card sizing. The Nexus 4 takes a micro-sim, so when setting up this phone I had my mini-sim cut down to size by my local Telstra shop. A problem arises when wanting to switch back to the mini-sim size.

Of course the electronics and functionality of the sim cards of mini or micro size are identical. Only the physical shape and size of the card matters and how that fits into the intended phone. Hence, I was presented with a problem: how do I use this too-small micro-sim in a sim card slot designed for a larger mini-sim card?

My solution was to construct a case of sorts to fit around the micro-sim, essentially making it physically larger and the same shape of a mini-sim. I took an old and no longer used mini-sim and cut a hole in it with a stanley knife/box cutter using my micro-sim as a stencil.

After some very careful cutting I had a mini-sim which my micro-sim could fit snugly into. A perfect fit was then achieved by carefully shaving the new hole's internal edges with the stanley knife/box cutter. I did not use anything apart of the sim's own edges and then the phone's sim tray to hold the two pieces together in the phone. And it worked perfectly.

LG Nexus 5 (January 2014 - )


...

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Fluffy Dimension!

If you had been playing Quantum Conundrum just like I have, you would get this.
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Saturday, June 9, 2012

Kogan Agora Android Tablet USB charger

I have successfully introduced a USB charger to my 10" inch Kogan Agora Android tablet. The tablet comes with only a 240V wall outlet charger. Obviously I wanted a USB charger as well.

I have found a USB charger and can confirm that it works just as you might expect.

My tablet was purchased direct from Kogan on 5 April 2012. I understand Kogan tend to release variants to their Android tablets over time. So individual models may vary depending on purchase date.

USB-A 5v to→ DC plug 1.35mm /3.5mm power adapter cable lead 100cm (1m).
Any USB to DC should work, just make sure the DC connection is 1.35mm/3.5mm. This seems to be the non-standard format so slightly harder to find.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/250993939851? ssPageName=STRK: MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

This USB charger works fine. Much more convenient to now be able to charge the tablet from a computer, car, or any USB port.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Baldur's Gate Alignments

Thinking back to the old alignments of Baldur's Gate. Somehow it seems there is a lot of reality in these alignments. After enduring all the corporatised psuedo-psychologists pidgeon holing people based on answers to behavioural quizzes; the Baldur's Gate alignments make as much if not more sense than the high priced scams.
http://www.planetbaldursgate.com/pst/character/alignments/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FGA1US/

*Alignments*
Alignment is a guide to a character’s basic moral and ethical attitudes toward others, society, good, evil, and the forces of the universe in general. The chosen alignment is a guide of how the character will handle moral dilemmas. Although alignment defines general attitudes, it certainly doesn’t prevent a character from changing his beliefs, acting irrationally, or behaving out of character. Alignment is divided into two sets of attitudes. Order and Chaos, and Good and Evil. Combining the different variations in the sets, nine alignments are created.
*Lawful Good*
Characters of this alignment believe that an orderly, strong society with a well-organized government can work to make life better for the majority of the people. To ensure the quality of life, laws must be created and obeyed. When people respect the laws and try to help one another, society as a whole prospers. Therefore, Lawful Good characters strive for those things that will bring the greatest benefit to the most people and cause the least harm. An honest and hard-working farmer, a kindly and wise king, or a stern but forthright minister of justice are all examples of Lawful Good people.
*Lawful Neutral*
Order and organization are of paramount importance. They believe in a strong, well-ordered government, whether that government is a tyranny or benevolent democracy. The benefits of organization and regimentation outweigh any moral questions raised by their actions. An inquisitor determined to ferret out traitors at any cost or a soldier who never questions his orders are examples of Lawful Neutral behavior.
*Lawful Evil*
These characters believe in using society and its laws to benefit themselves. Structure and organization elevate those who deserve to rule as well as provide a clearly defined hierarchy between master and servant. To this end, Lawful Evil characters support laws and societies that protect their own concerns. If someone is hurt or suffers because of a law that benefits Lawful Evil characters, too bad. Lawful Evil characters obey laws out of fear of punishment. Because they may be forced to honor an unfavorable contract or oath they have made, Lawful Evil characters are usually very careful about giving their word. Once given, they break their word only if their can find a way to do it legally, within the laws of the society. An iron-fisted tyrant and a devious, greedy merchant are examples of Lawful Evil beings.
*Neutral Good*
These characters believe that a balance of forces is important, but that the concerns of law and chaos do not moderate the need for good. Since the universe is vast and contains many creatures striving for different goals, a determined pursuit of good will not upset the balance; it may even maintain it. If fostering good means supporting organized society, then that is what must be done. If good can only come about through the overthrow of existing social order, so be it. Social structure itself has no innate value to them. A baron who violates the orders of his king to destroy something he sees as evil is an example of a Neutral Good character.
*True Neutral*
True Neutral characters believe in the ultimate balance of forces, and they refuse to see actions as good or evil. Since the majority of people in the world make judgements, True Neutral characters are extremely rare. True Neutrals do their best to avoid siding with the forces of either good or evil, law or chaos. It is their duty to see that all of these forces remain in balanced contention. True Neutral characters sometimes find themselves forced into rather peculiar alliances. To a great extent, they are compelled to side with the underdog in any given situation, sometimes even changing sides, as the previous loser becomes the winner. A True Neutral druid might join the local barony to put down a tribe of evil gnolls, only to drop out or switch sides when the gnolls were brought to the brink of destruction. He would seek to prevent either side from becoming too powerful. Clearly, there are very few True Neutral characters in the world.
*Neutral Evil*
Neutral Evil characters are primarily concerned with themselves and their own advancement. They have no particular objection to working with others or, for that matter, doing it on their own. Their only interest is in getting ahead. If there is a quick and easy way to gain a profit, whether it is legal, questionable, or obviously illegal, they take advantage of it. Although Neutral Evil characters do not have the "every man for himself" attitude of chaotic characters, they have no qualms about betraying their friends and companions for personal gain. They typically base their allegiance on power and money, which makes them quite receptive to bribes. An unscrupulous mercenary, a common thief, and a double-crossing informer who betrays people to the authorities to protect and advance himself are typical examples of Neutral Evil characters.
*Chaotic Good*
Chaotic Good characters are strong individualists marked by a streak of kindness and benevolence. They believe in all the virtues of goodness and right, but they have little use for laws and regulations. They have no use for people who "try to push others around and tell them what to do". Their actions are guided by their own moral compass which, although good, may not always be in perfect agreement with the rest of society. A brave frontiersman forever moving on as settlers follow in his wake is an example of a Chaotic Good character.
*Chaotic Neutral*
Chaotic Neutral characters believe that there is no order to anything, including their own actions. With this as a guiding principle, they tend to follow whatever whim strikes them at the moment. Good and evil are irrelevant when making a decision. Chaotic Neutral characters are extremely difficult to deal with. Such characters have been known to cheerfully and for no apparent reason purposely gamble away everything they have on the roll of a single die. They are almost totally unreliable. In fact, the only reliable thing about them is that they cannot be relied upon! This alignment is perhaps the most difficult to play. Lunatics and madmen tend toward Chaotic Neutral behavior.
*Chaotic Evil*
These characters are the bane of all that is good and organized. Chaotic Evil characters are motivated by the desire for personal gain and pleasure. They see absolutely nothing wrong with taking whatever they want by whatever mean possible. Laws and governments are the tools of weaklings unable to fend for themselves. The strong have the right to take whatever they want, and the weak are there to be exploited. When Chaotic Evil characters band together, they are not motivated by a desire to cooperate, but rather to oppose powerful enemies. Such a group can be held together only by a strong leader capable of bullying his underlings into obedience. Since leadership is based on raw power, a leader is likely to be replaced at the first sign of weakness by anyone who can take his position away from him by any method. Bloodthirsty buccaneers and monsters of low intelligence are fine examples of Chaotic Evil personalities.
http://www.planetbaldursgate.com/pst/character/alignments/

Saturday, February 25, 2012

The joy of the universal remote

Over the course of the past 48 hrs I've setup a new Logitech Harmony One universal remote for my media centre. Not a task for the faint of heart. Well at least not if your home media setup is even slightly complicated (like mine).
Now that the remote is totally configured and replacing 4 remote controls with 1 there is distinct sense of satisfaction. I highly recommend it.
Do yourself a favour. Get a fully customisable universal remote.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Twitter / LCoxmachine

Twitter / LCoxmachine

Link to Twitter / LCoxmachine

LCoxmachine: I finally got the time and courage to flash a custom rom onto my Samsung Galaxy S. Darky's Rom. Easy to do and much smoother than default.

Posted: 04 Jun 2011 05:32 PM PDT

LCoxmachine: I finally got the time and courage to flash a custom rom onto my Samsung Galaxy S. Darky's Rom. Easy to do and much smoother than default.