Monday 31 October 2011

Tips on jetlag

Vegas is 7 hours behind us the UK during the summer... On getting to Vegas, we stayed awake until 18.00 when we went to bed. Which is 1.00am back home.

It seemed like a good idea, but I then woke up at 21.30 and every two hours afterwards until 3.30am when none of us could get back to sleep. So we had to wake up, and then stayed awake until 3.30am the next morning.

So mistake one was to go to bed at 18.00.... I think I should have stayed awake until 22.00 or later - 5.00am back home. Then I would have slept more appropriately....

Then for the next 4 days I stayed awake in the day and wasn't getting much sleep at night, then on Wednesday I crashed and ended up nappimg early evening, and then going to bed at 22.00 for 12 hours.

Tip 2 is to have an hours kip in the afternoon everday - which I did after Wednesday and I felt much better.

In coming back I changed my clock to UK time when I boarded the plane, so suddenly it was 1.00am, then I tried to sleep, and I slept on and off for the next 6-10 hours. So when I got to UK I stayed up for the rest of the day and got an early night.

Unfortunately I was at work the next day and had to be up at 7.00am. Tip 3 would be to have the day off after returning home, in order to get enough sleep for the rest of the week - as I couldn't wake up the rest of the week, after lying in the following weekend my sleeping patterns are back to normal, phew.


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Saturday 29 October 2011

Mayorships in Foursquare

After much persuasion from a friend I am back on Foursquare. 2 weeks ago I had no mayorships, now I've got 9. Awesome! I'm addicted.






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iOS 5 next steps

So I'm on GM for iOS 5, I need to work out how to get to the actual full release version, as the software update, over the air does not give me the possibility to upgrade. I also need to find out when betageddon will happen for the GM; I can't just stay on it.

So newsstand doesn't work on GM so I want to upgrade for that reason too.

As far as MobileMe and iCloud is concerned - I need to upgrade Mac OS X on my MacBook Pro, I need to upgrade to iOS5 on my iPad, and I need to migrate my mobile me account to iCloud. Fingers crossed this all goes smoothly. I only want to upgrade to iOS 5 on my iPad if all the multitask gestures are still there (that were removed from the last release, which I avoided upgrading to).

Also I have duplicates of all my contacts on the iPhone, due to trying to fix the contacts deletion that happened with one of the beta upgrades. I need to work out how to get rid of the duplicates, should I try and do it before or after? I think I should probably try and do it after, but will google for some advice.


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Anki for learning stuff

Anki is one of the best apps I've ever bought. I'm using it to learn German vocab, but it can be used to learn any kind of set of facts and any other languages.

What it gives you is flash cards, and once flipped you need to answer when you should be tested on that card again. Soon mrans you don't know it or got it wrong, then it will say in 1, 2, 3 days or more. As you learn the facts/words you can get them repeated further and further in the future.










It's also very easy to add new cards/facts.






Note there is a central repository of sets of cards that people have added on all different subjects, which you can easily download.

Over time you will be tested on cards as they are repeated after an appropriate duration, and you can customise how many new cards you get per day.

There is an app for iPad and iPhone and a website, all the cards and sets of cards are stored on the website and sync with your devices. The app is quite expensive - about £16 but it is absolutely brilliant, the website is free.

I'm using it for vocabulary building and it's really working. The important thing is that you do it little and often - so I have a recurring task every day to spend at least 10 minutes testing myself on those cards for the day.

Only problem is when I went on holiday I ended up with a backlog of 100-200+ cards to test for each set. To avoid this, before taking a break, you could turn down the number of new cards per day to zero.

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My cat's on Facebook!

In Vegas we had an idea, a Facebook page for my cat. So last night I set one up.


First I had to find an alternative email address to use. And then it blocked the name "Sassy"... So I had to use the name "Sassee" instead, which is close enough :-)

Now Sassy is going to be able post comments about her cushty life to Facebook :-)

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Wednesday 26 October 2011

I didn't enjoy driving this evening

I didn't enjoy driving this evening. When I came onto the A127 london bound the traffic on the slip road suddenly dropped its speed from 50 to 30 as I was looking over my shoulder at the blind spot. I had to swerve and emergency break in order to avoid an accident.

Then as I was driving by a parking pay someone opened their door and I very nearly hit the door.

And then on the A127 southend bound, coming off at Basildon the traffic dramatically came to a stand still, I reacted okay and slowed in time, the van next to me didn't and hit the car in front. It was horrible watching it! Not a heavy collision, but both vehicles are going to need work :-(

Omg, and 3 lots of ambulances passed me at different times on different roads. Yep, problems on the roads tonight, I'm a bit nervous about driving tonight, but luckly no issues for me, touch wood.


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Monday 24 October 2011

The Keevan (me) list - Vegas challenge

The brief, starting at 8.00pm at the main entrance of Paris casino carry out the below challenges within 2 hours, returning to the start point and providing the necessary evidence. As an incentive my mate Dave wagered if I did it he'd give me $100 to play on black.

1 - Botanical gardens at Bellagio
2 - Eiffel Tower (go to the top) at Paris
3 - drink at Duelling Pianos in Paris
4 - get a chip from Planet Hollywood
5 - Take a picture of the 777 burger on a menu near Paris
6 - watch the fountains at Bellagio from outside and tell us what song played
7 - find the massive bell with the crack in the Bellagio
8 - find the toilets in Paris that have the French chat up lines
9 - find a picture of you in front of jubilee poster in Ballys
10 - a tacky French sovenier from Paris

Solution / How I did it (1hour 55min) - spoiler alert!

Straight to the entrance to the Eiffel Tower restaurant to ask how to get to the top, they directed me to the escalator directly across, the lady at the escalator told me I needed a ticket from the gift shop, so enter I do and purchase a $15.50 standard ticket, she tells me there will be a 30min wait, eek.

So a big hint is to get this out of the way early on; so I queued. Whilst waiting I thought I'd ask others in the queue if they knew when the duelling pianos was going to be on, they didn't know. So I asked the lift attendant and she said open from 9pm in Napolean's and gave me the general directions from the balcony.

Eventually, after 1/2 hour I got the lift up, took some shots up there, looking really worried, and headed for the lift back down.


But holy crap, if there's a queue to go up, then there's going to be a queue to go down, argh!! So I had to wait 25 minutes in the queue, holding on to the railing for dear life, whilst not looking down, and the horizon starting to bob up and down, whilst chanting in my head "it's safer than a helicopter, it's safer than a helicopter" :-) I also passed the time asking other queuees about the Bellagio fountain, and they told me the music is always different. I didn't appreciate the guy behind me's detailed description of the Tower of Terror ride at Disney Land!!! Then I rode the lift down, so number 2 DONE.

On reaching the bottom I needed a loo break, so could I get lucky with number 8? No. Off to the Bellagio, I couldn't tell where I was in Paris, or where the Ballagio bridge was, so I bolted to the nearest exit, and had to wait for 5 minutes for the traffic lights to let me cross (I was now running everywhere Challenge Anneker style!) Right perfect timing for Bellagio fountain to start, wow it looked spectacular, but what the hell was the song? Asking two other fellow foutain watchers the conclusion was that it was "some symthony", probably from Fantasia. I got a video of it, but would my friends be happy with that evidence, I was going to have to catch the next performace.

So I needed to be quick in order to find the botancial gardens and the bell before the next fountain performance in about 15 minutes.

Before the foutain show ended I realised there was an awful lot of people in the small walkway between me and the Bellagio!!! So run I did again, and I made it there just before it finished, phew. Into the Bellagio, where on earth is the botancial gardens and the bell? Well I got lucky again, a head of me was a wonderful fairytale inside garden feature surrounded by shops, with spectacular lighting, called the conservatory. But was this the botanical gardens? I needed proof, I found a shop with a unbusy shopkeeper and asked, she kindly pointed out when I asked if it was the botanical gardens that "Darlin' you're here", and I double checked there was definitely nowhere else in the Bellagio that could be called "the botanical" gardens. A few pictures and number 1 DONE!


And where the hell is the bell? Off I went to find one of the concierge staff to find out. " Sir, we rotate the displays in the Bellagio, that is no longer displayed". Okay, Dave had already foresaw this happening and told me the giant vase was sufficient proof. We'd walked past that in the morning, so I knew where that was! A few snaps and number 7 DONE!



Out the Bellagio, there's a bridge to Bally's, whoop - perfect! And a view of the Fountain display, and it's just starting. This time it's playing "Hey Big Spenda", no mistakes this time, number 6 DONE! You can see the video here; Bellagio Foutain Video on YouTube

Across the bridge there is a can-can dancer poster, but it doesn't say "Jubilee". Damn. Right time for more Anneka running along the escalator walkway, and a lot of "excuse me"s to the people in front. At the end of the escalator is a Jubilee poster, brilliant. But the front facing camera exposes me wrongly and doesn't get enough of the poster in, I managed to convince a fellow tourist to stop and take my picture. This involved coaching the fella how to take a picture on the iPhone, but number 9 DONE!


Now back to Paris ASAP! Run, run, run. Into Paris I know the duelling pianos started at 9, so I must find them, I don't know how long I've got! I know the general direction from earlier, run, run, run - are you allowed to run in a casino? Entering an arcade of shops, quick shop break to ask where the piano bar / Napoleans is. She didn't speak good english! But I managed to get directions. Run, run, run. Found it! The pianos are playing! I order a Budweiser, not cheap, take a photo...damn exposure is wrong, you can't see the bottle. I look for a lighter part of the bar and employ some flash. Time for a well deserved 10 minute break for a beer and to enjoy the pianos.


Number 3 DONE!

Now to get the chip from Planet Hollywood, am I nearby? Better ask. No I'm not near by. Run, run, run. Back to the strip, and onto Planet hollywood, avoiding the street dancers, tick-tick guys, nightclub promoters and large amount of crowds. Right there's a big 6 wheel; perfect. $5 dollars please; five $1s. "ID please". ID?! But I've got no passport!! Only my drivers license, and they didn't accept that in one place. Hmm she wasn't liking it, I asked her to ask her boss, so he came over and he was fine with it. Phew!! 4 $1s on a few bets, but sadly no dice :-( Number 4 DONE!


Right, back to Paris. Two left; 777 burger and chat up lines toilet. I'm heading to the Eiffel Tower restaurant lift in order to get my barings, then I realise I've actually got 3 left! I'd forgot about the tacky present and I've only got 15 minutes left!!! Okay, get the souvenir job 1. I ask the nearest dealer where is the nearest casino - "off by the escalator over there" entering the gift shop there's a massive queue, back out and there's another gift shop with no queue, phew. Omg none of the souvenirs are tacky!! Panicing now, then by the till, a tacky pink vegas paris eiffel tower pen, perfect!!


Number 10 DONE! 2 left.

Over to the Eiffel tower entrance, I'm sure I saw an ad here, but no ad... I ask the greeter and he is brilliant, he know's about the burger, doesn't think he's seen an ad, and gives me directions to the Burger Brasserie restaurant selling it - but it's back at Bally's, argh!! He's so helpful I ask about the toilet with the chat up lines, he gives me directions and says it might not be turned on, and that I should check with the toilet assistant. I get there. There are no chat up lines, but it's the right toilet - they're not turned on.


Then I take a picture outside the toilet, and get some questions from a couple asking why the hell I'm photographing a toilet, after explaining the challenge they still look a bit confused. Number 8 DONE. Now off to Bally's to find that burber... Last challenge!

I find the Burger Brasserie restaurant. No burger ads. I ask the greeter, she confirms no ads and no pictures on the menu. I ask to photograph the menu text, but she says it's not written on the menu, even though you can order it. Right, how am I going to get evidence? I ask her to write it on a napkin; details of the 777 burger - she's somewhat apprehensive, lucky a colleague come's over and she is much more accommodating, I explain the challenge, and she encourages the greeter to write the details on a beer matt. I also use my persuasive powers to get her to write that it is not available on the menu.





So number 5 DONE! No more challenges left, so with 5 minutes to spare I made it to the meeting point, with all the evidence. Damn I did it Dave thought, and he handed over the $100 bill. I placed it on black and it came in ;-)



A crazy, fun and stressful way to kill 2 hours in Vegas, and get a load of sightseeing done!


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Location:Vegas

Friday 14 October 2011

Virgin Premium lounge at Gatwick

I'm sitting in the premium lounge at Gatwick airport, the Virgin Clubhouse, in advance of my flight. And its really good, a much nicer way of waiting for the plane.

So I have had a club breakfast, which was a lovely cooked english breakfast - very nice. Drinks, lattes and even a bellini. Also I had a fruit salad.

They've got free wifi which is excellent, plus the staff are very good; extremely professional and friendly too.

I am flying with Virgin economy, but for £45 I got access, and everything is inclusive. Which is wonderful. You can even get your back massaged, and I got my shoes cleaned!

Yes, a very nice way to start the plane journey!


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Location:Queen's Gate Rd,Crawley,United Kingdom

Saturday 8 October 2011

X Factor

The new format is getting on my wick, for the auditions you can go 10-15 min with ONE audition, and then an ad break! I wish they'd cut down on the back stories and sob stories. I don't care. Its even worse when after the auditions they've obviously gone to their house and recorded some of their back story.

Can we have less fake crying from the judges as well please?; it's obvious that eye drops have been used as the tears are coming from the middle of the eye and not the corners.

Anyway despite the programme making me angry I can't stop watching it, its one of the shows I have to watch.

I'm so into it I've setup an X Factor sweepstake at work, the winner gets £16! I've got Sami, so I think I stand a chance. I'm a little concerned about the "big twist" this week... I hope they don't have a mass voting off in the first week. Other guesses are, Simon Cowell or Sheryl Cole coming back, or the categories are swapped so all the judges get one from each category. We'll see. If its a mass voting off I'll have some very unhappy colleagues in the sweepstake at work!

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Wednesday 5 October 2011

iPhone prediction

So to one of my mates at work I made a prediction about the iphone 5... ahem... iPhone 4S. Look how close I was;

Gordon, Kevin (K.) [13:44]:
1. iOS 5; Already announced
2. Larger screen (same resolution); No
3. Intelligent bevel/home button; No
4. No redesign - looks the same as iPhone 4 (so its a 4S); Spot on!
5. 8 megapixel camera; Yes!
6. Assistent / text input that hasn't yet been part of ios beta; Siri, Yes!
7. Faster processor; Yes!
8. 64gig option; Yes!
9. No wires (doesn't need itunes); Already announced as part of iCloud.
10. iCloud; Already announced


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Tuesday 4 October 2011

No iPhone 5; iPhone 4S opinion

It felt like an anti-climax that there was no iPhone 5, but the 4S is in fact quite awesome;

- Siri looks simply amazing - a voice controlled assistant that seems extremely powerful
- Much faster cpu
- Amazingly faster graphics performance
- Amazingly better camera - 8mega pixel, better lens and lighting, facial recognition, rapid snap speed, access to camera from locked screen, physical shutter button (volume +)
- Records 1080p video
- Better antenae and wireless to allow faster download speed and up to double theoretical upload speed
- No wires required to setup or sync
- iCloud - so cloud backup, wireless syncing of media, find my phone, image streaming, documents syncing
- Reminders - brill, it was the missing app and it can remind you based on arriving and leaving a location, not just time based
- Notifications centre and widgets and banners - This is simply superb, makes it a pleasure to use and when you've got multiple email, texts, tweets and Facebook messages it makes handling the incoming tide great fun!
- Notifications on the lock screen, very useful for seeing you're latest messages and such without unlocking the phone
- Twitter integration - very nice to allow easily tweeting links, photos and locations
- Reader in Safari - store webpages up for reading later, might be useful
- Cards - create and send cards to people around the world at a reasonable price. Interesting but a card shop usually works for me fine...
- Find My Friends -Keep track of friends locations (who share it with you) just like a very useful app by my friend David de Niese
- Enhanced game centre - I don't really use this much so I probably won't notice these enhancements too much.
- Newsstand - Download newspapers and magazines - I'm looking forward to this.

I was initially disappointed I didn't see an iPhone 5 with larger screen and NFC. But the combination of hardware and software improvements is an awesome proposition. If you're on anything earlier than an iPhone 4 I highly recommend buying this.


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