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  • Pwnage Walkthrough - Unlocked iPhone 2G

    After helpingRussell I've decided to upload a couple of photo sets showing what I think are the best options to Jailbreak and/or Unlock an iPhone using Pwnage

    This first photoset shows the options needed to create a custom restore bundle that will unlock and activate an original generation iPhone.

    iPhone 2G Unlock

    Disclaimer: DO NOT FOLLOW THESE STEPS FOR IPHONE 3G, THERE IS NO UNLOCK FOR IT YET

    → 11:00 PM, Jul 29
  • Wordpress for iPhone

    [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="203" caption="Burning Blackberries"]Burning Blackberries[/caption]I've been nearly two weeks since the arrival of my iPhone 3G, signified by the burning of effigies of blackberries throughout the country. And since that time I've been patiently waiting for a native Wordpress application that would rival the TypePad app; yesterday was to be that day, or was it. Although not quite as disappointed with it as @cimota, there still are bugs to be worked out, like why I had to reinstall my blog to get it to work. I'm also concerned with my comment on the support site is still unapproved, are they trying to hide their bugs?

    Regardless I'll stick with it for a while yet, I'm hoping for a quantum leap in features for version 1.1, in the way that Facebook 1.1 improved on it's initial false start.

    Andrew

    → 11:00 PM, Jul 22
  • Credit Crunch Coffee




    Coffee on the cheap

    Coffee on the cheap,
    originally uploaded by colonelgrib.


    I know the title of this post sounds like a new Starbucks' special, but it's really about saving money (not buying in Starbucks would be a good start) :-) At the moment there seems to be a lot less money to go around. Does that mean a lot less money to spend on "unnecesary luxuries" like a good cup of coffee?

    Not so, making good coffee doesn't have to cost the earth, use a lot of electricity on fancy equipment or even create a mess. When we take coffee brewing back to its most simple form, you not only save money but you might actually find it tastes better too!

    The photo attached shows you everything you need for a simple cup of "pour over" coffee; standard kitchen funnel, filter paper (or a mesh filter from a home coffee machine), coffee in an air tight container and a mug, all you need to add is hot water.

    For one cup of coffee all you need is a desert spoon's worth of coarsely ground coffee (remember to only grind what you need, or use fresh pre-ground), put the paper filter in the funnel, add coffee and pour in your hot water, stir the grounds and add hot water until there is enough in your cup an thats it!

    And it doesn't end there, anything left in the filter can be poured down the sink, helping keep your drain clear (yes coffee grounds are actually good for your pipes!) and the filter paper can be added to you compost pile if you have one. So there you go, you get a nice cup of coffee, save money, time and effort and help the environment too, what better way to start the day?

    Andrew

    → 11:00 PM, Jul 14
  • The stars are going out



    Reality is having it tough lately, be it Dalek invasions or backwards temporal ripples from the CERN LHC test next month, but the worst disturbance of all, is the disturbing of my reality caused by another coffee shop closure in Belfast.

    According to this blog post Espresso Soul in Belfast, has ceased to trade. I'm not sure of the details but I can say that Espresso Soul offered some of the best coffee in Belfast and the only reason there is no review here is that their coffee was so good I only drank espresso, poured from their beautiful lever machine, they will be missed.

    Regardless of Espresso Soul's situation, it is very increasingly hard to operate any sort of business based on quality and passion rather than quantity and making a fast buck.

    Andrew

    → 11:00 PM, Jul 7
  • The Parallel World of Speciality Coffee

    Over the coming weeks I hope to serialise a talk I recently gave at BarCamp Belfast. In this way and without the time constraint I hope to develop each point fully.

    The Parallel World of Speciality Coffee
    The terms startup, venture capital, blog and podcast are familiar to all that are involved in the IT world and the online community that they have created. However to say that these things only apply to IT companies is akin to looking through a telescope. In a world not too far removed from that of IT, young men and women who dare to be different are bringing innovation, energy and ethics to a centuries old industry, the Speciality Coffee Industry.

    Over the next few weeks, I'll be lifting the lid on the speciality coffee industry, showing you that its not just caffeine that drives us and how the IT and coffee worlds overlapping has brought innovation.

    → 11:00 PM, Jun 24
  • The Big Coffee Comparison Pt 2

    AKA - I can’t cup to save my life (Although that would be an interesting situation to be in, all the same)
    The weekend has come and gone and as promised I have the results of my “great experiment” which were slightly different than I expected; I discovered a complete inability to distinguish any flavours when cupping! I’m not panickng yet though, I have a very good sense of smell and taste and I find it very unlikely that this would happen, unless the taste was incredibly over/under powering, which would happen if my grind was incorrect.


    Not to be defeated and not wanting to waste any more precious coffee, I moved to my espresso maker and set to work over-caffeinating my family. The result being that I ended up pulling drinks WBC style, in batches of four, both espresso and cappuccino and having three members of the family evaluate, based on body, flavour, sweetness, acidity etc. I drank the remaining drinks, so they wouldn’t go to waste -)


    We sampled Coffee Collective’s Espresso Blend, Ristretto Coffee’s Espresso Blend, Has Bean’s El Salvador Finca La Siberia and my “Proletariat Blend.” In hindsight, I wish I’d ordered Has Bean’s Espresso Blend, to make this a fair test; the La Siberia is in a league of its own as far as I’m concerned, it’s a wonderful example of a single-origin espresso and stood out to all the family as something different, although some noted it may actually have been too sweet and bright for cappuccino.


    I won’t get into specifics, although I know that’s what you all want, but I was pleased to find my blend could almost hold its own against the pros, even after roasting the Sumatran component too dark. No surprise that The Coffee Collective came out on top, these guys have created a wonderfully balanced and sweet blend that lends itself to milk drinks. Ristretto are locally based and are making serious inroads into the stagnant Northern Ireland coffee industry, their blend itself is very Northern Irish, quite a heavy body with a touch of sweetness, its much closer to the expected “coffee taste” than something like the La Siberia. My blend, needs work, that’s the main point of this test. I feel the proportions are right and the choice to halve the Monsooned Malabar a few months back has allowed the fruity flavours in the other beans to come through, its also quite well balanced as a straight espresso. In the next few weeks, look out for part 3, where I’ll be running the same test on some high end commercial machines to see the difference in taste.


    Andrew

    → 11:00 PM, May 28
  • birdfeedr beta






    birdfeedr beta, originally uploaded by colonelgrib.



    Here's a first look at my new iPhone web app, called birdfeedr. It pulls your friends updates from facebook, tweets from twitter and comments from your wordpress blogs, into one time ordered list. From the same interface you also update your own status, so even on the move you're in the loop.

    Expect the closed beta to be released by the weekend (that means you Russell) so get your iPhone's ready.

    Andrew

    PS The FREE Apple iPhone SDK comes with the iPhone emulator I've used for this screenshot.

    → 11:00 PM, Apr 8
  • Stick 'em up, or the plectrum gets it!

    You know who I'm talking to!
    Mr pic

    → 11:00 PM, Apr 7
  • What Coffee Should Look Like


    IMG_0010

    IMG_0010,
    originally uploaded by colonelgrib.


    This is a triple ristretto, do you notice that it's not black? That's because this is what fresh coffee should look like!

    Grib

    → 11:00 PM, Mar 30
  • Call Me Cynical

    NI

    Just a little something I made...

    Andrew

    → 12:00 AM, Feb 1
  • You Sneaky Little Company

    New iPod ShuffleOne day, two surprises, but their showman ship is never in question. Without hype or fanfare Apple have released 4 new colours in the iPod Shuffle range (starting at the bargain price of £55) and my personal favourite, UK & Ireland specific Mac Ads, starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb, two UK comedians known for Peep Show, who I never found funny until now.

    The original "Mac & PC" Ads are usually pretty witty, but these are outright hilarious (in a good British sort of way).
    If you don't know what I'm talking about, then click here to watch, you won't be disappointed!

    Andrew

    → 12:00 AM, Jan 30
  • 562

    Thats how many days are left until Lila and I get married, wow seems really close doesn't it?! As the stack of bridal magazines and cutouts grow I have to wonder why the groom is traditionally sidelined in wedding planning; I certainly know why I am, as we all know what would happen, but I can't believe that all grooms are full of hot air (Sorry!)

    Weddings when men are involved?

    Magazine racks are filled with Men's magazines filled with grooming and syle advice, so why are men's roles in weddings (according to the media) relegated to a few pages on speech making and photos of nice shoes to wear?


    I don't have an answer to this one, just wondering...

    Andrew

    → 12:00 AM, Jan 25
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