The original iPhone OS (firmware) didn't provide a facility to capture a screenshot of your iPhone desktop.
Now (since OS2), you can do so. How?
Well, you press the "Home" button and the "Sleep/Wake" (on/off) button on the top of your iPhone at the same time, et voila!
The iPhone device screen will then flash and capture the picture, which would be saved to your inbuilt Camera Roll or Photo Album folder. Luvly, juvly!
The funny thing is that I must have done this once, but I didn't work out how, as an image was stored in the album gallery, but I couldn't find out how I did it. Now I know - lol! It wasn't a miracle,it was real! Now you can do the same...
Well the iPhone 4 came out and I still have another year (until November 2011) before I can upgrade my iPhone 3GS.
BUT, they are releasing the IOS4 to the 3G and 3GS models at the same time. So if I perform the upgrade, I get the majority of the features of the iPhone 4 but on the 3GS.
Okay, I don't get the new HD screen, or HD video, or 5MB camera, or longer battery life, or front-loaded camera...or the other hardware bits and bobs - but I get the highlights of the software on my iPhone! Oh did I say IOS4 is great! :)
Anyway, I'm very content with the software upgrade now...just breathed new life into my iPhone 3GS :)
I'm actually very content (again). I know it's not the BEST phone on the market any longer, with the competitors taking strides into Apple's lead - notably the various Android hybrids, but I'm happy with it. The funny thing is that looking back over the last decade or so, I used to have an HP iPAQ PDA, a Mobile Phone and a iPod Classic. Overtime, I've managed to combine the PDA and Mobile Phone into the HTC phone, which was rebranded to the T-Mobile MDAs (Vario 1 and Vario 2's), and took the plunge in November 2009 to combine the MDA and the iPod together. That's the real achievement, one device that serves as a PDA, Mobile Phone and IPod! Brilliant :)
Anyway, that'll do for the next year at least...we'll see what gets released next year by Apple - lol!
A uni-mate of mind invited me to a Brewery Tour, and I must admit I couldn't resist. It was something I always wanted to do having walked past the Harvery's Brewery in Lewes for many years, and that whiff of fermenting hobs was weird and interesting at the same time. But I never got around to it.
So when this offer was made, I say a resounding yes! And I didn't regret it!
I didn't know anything or previously heard about "Dark Star Brewery", but I knew that there were various small breweries around the place.
We got picked up from Preston Park on Friday evening, and the drive up to the Business Park near Henfield took about 25mins or so.
Upon arriving, we had a few samples - well it was a Brewery after all. I had a few of the brew - and must admit it was growing on me. The "how we brew" explanations were quite fascinating - didn't realise the level of machinery involved. More interesting was that this particular "small brewery" (ala microbrewery) in a business warehouse - yep no joke...like those warehouse units you see out of town... Weird, hey! :) Just shows you can set up a brewery anywhere - lol!
We finished around 9ish and returned back to Preston Park where I then managed to get home safely! Oh - yes! A nice and pleasant evening! Would recommend a visit one day!
Well I've been preparing for the Cairo trip (that's Cairo, Egypt not Cairo, Illinois!), for about 2 weeks, and knew it was going to be a different type of trip.
This is because it is on a subject-area that, firstly, I don't have a lot of knowledge or experience on, but also that it was a not the type of site visit when I normally would contribute or really participate in. This one was more of a facilitation role, helping to plan and review working with another team representative who would lead the visit.
There was one other person going to the attend the visit with me - even though I felt it needed another SME to join us.
However, it doesn't come easy when I finalise the preparation, printed and bound the deck and arranged all of the transportation for the whole trip - only to find that I am going on my own!
The other person noted that he needed a Visa late on Saturday evening, and my taxi pick-up was at 10.30am on the Sunday morning. I only got word of this at 00.40 on the Sunday morning, and it was too late to change all of the plans last minute. As I could go out, I had to continue. But talk about out of my comfort zone. At least I survived and managed to progress this with facilitating all of the meetings and review sessions, I just need to write up the report now - lol!
Hey-ho, that's work for you...definitely an interesting experience, and hopefully I succeeded in the role, the best I could do!
Well there was a bed of activity wrt to Sat-Nav options for the iPhone over the last year or so...and all of the conventional big players are on-board now (Garmin, TomTom, etc) and a few surprise new names...
Make special note on the variants in the price for each iPhone App! I was recommended to get the N-Drive UK and Ireland when it was £9.99 - yep no-joke, it was £9.99 - compared with TomTom iPhone which was over £50!! Then N-Drive reduced it further to £4.99. BARGAIN!
Well, I am planning for a busy trip to Cairo, Egypt, in a few days time - for work, that is!
It's going to be a hard slog, going to be outside of my comfort zone a bit, but I was up for the challenge.
I am leaving on Sunday, 27th June - taxi pick-up at 10.30am for a 3pm afternoon flight...damn it, I forgot the England/Germany game starts then - grrr...that means I have 4 and a half hours of agony before I find out the game's final result!!! Arghhh!! I've sorted all of the pick-ups to the hotel, and from the hotel to the office, and so I think the logistics are all sorted! I then return back on the 10.30am flight on Wednesday, 29th June. Least I get a day in lieu for the weekend travel!
Hopefully I can try to get a Camel trip and/or some fun out of the trip too! Well work-life balance at the like!
A great friend of mine got married on the Summer Solstice...a find gentlemen, and fine lady indeedy! It was based on Sedgwick Park near Horsham.
The weather was amazing, the food was great (good choice with the Hog-Roast - nice little - well LARGE piggy there!), drink was amazing (thanks to Tesco France - luckily we went there before they closed!), good friends and entertainment and most importantly a luvly couple!
It was good seeing some good ol' uni mates - been a while meeting up with some of them, and it was a good crowd of people.
I decided to train it there, with the aim of training it back, but the late-night taxi's in Horsham were pretty crud - they told me I had to wait an hour and a half - no joke - to get a Taxi. So I could either way, and then risk missing the last-train back, or try to grab a lift from someone...which I eventually managed to do...Luckily, a nice couple were heading back to Brighton, so managed to go via Haywards Heath! Phew!
After my father first reporting the issues to Tiscali (now part of TalkTalk) on 11th March, and the complaint I sent to them on 12th April - the issue has been going round and round since then! Yep for a basic termination and explanation why they terminated the connection 5-days early, it took over 14 weeks to get redress!
This involved two support tickets to customer service, a complaint letter, escalation to OTELO (the OFCOM Ombudsperson), an email to the Chairman of TalkTalk/CarPhoneWarehouse group and my intervention! Ridiculous, hey?
Good Morning,
I have been forwarded a complaint email from the office of our CEO. I am very sorry that you are experiencing these issues.
One of my Team will be in touch shortly to investigate this matter further and bring it to a speedy resolution.
If in the meantime I can be of further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
Also I would be grateful if you could forward me some account details so I may look into this promptly.
I simply responded back very quickly, stating the following:
Dear Richard,
The details would be contained in the complaint letter published to Tiscali/TalkTalk in the attached file.
[website link now removed]
We are still looking at some level of compensation and more importantly ensuring that you call off the debt collection agency - who are awaiting an update from Tiscali - after you automatically passed the case to them, in error.
This matter has been extremely distressing to my father hence my intervention!
Richard then contacted me by phone, I put the case forward and requested £100 compensation on top of what they were offering, as follows:
Final Bill to be adjusted and published to my father - with the pro-rated amount. Amount to be written off (approx £18).
Mobile telephone cost of £24 to be refunded back, as part of compensation amount.
Investigation of the various communications and the numerous failures to delivery the customer service and support to my father and myself.
the debt collection case to be closed, with no further action (or letters) being take against my father.
and the £100 compensation as I referenced before. He originally offer £50, I said this remained insulting, and that I was after £100 (I originally referenced that we had calculated £25 per business day for the case, amounting to £1400 as of COB Friday, 18th June).
I also advised that the case remained at OTELO.
Just hope the actions by Richard will now close this matter for my father!!
Probably the last chance I get to get the Department of Transport to resolve my query in relation to the infamous Bonnet failure affecting the Renault Clio Mark-2 models. Here goes...
The outputs I am expecting is for a investigation (judicial review) of the performance and the way in which VOSA acted throughout the case, and why a formal recall was not instructed to the manufacturer and enforced by VOSA.
I sent this to a MP to request this review, so might as well address it to the department head, the Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP.
Dear Mr Hammond,
Further to my recent correspondence to the DoT, VOSA and your Ministerial colleagues in relation to the infamous Renault Clio Mark-2 Bonnet catch failures, this matter still has not been fully resolved to fully mitigate the safety risk to the UK (and Europe) roads.
Several thousand motorists have experienced this safety failure, and this number continues to grow. This is a significant volume of motorists for something that was originally classed as a “unique” case. It remains life-threatening; VOSA have admitted that they had to rely on the manufacture to drive the investigation, due to a lack of expertise. This is the context of VOSA’s impartial investigation.
VOSA has not inspected any “damaged” vehicles. Renault inspected my vehicle and reported that the catches were not broken. The principle here is that because a catch is not broken doesn’t mean that it functioned correctly. If a catch is stuck “open” then this means the core functionality of the safety mechanism has failed. This cannot and should not be permitted as part of a safety catch mechanism functionality, it calls into question its design and safety context.
This matters requires a Judicial Review, hence this letter to you as the Secretary of State for Transport.
By basis of the request is as follows:
My case originally occurred in March 2006, and in April became part of the BBC Watchdog program, where reports exceeding 2,000 were reported – I think the true amount is significantly greater – as through various mediums, cases continue to be reported as of today.
Renault completed their inspection on my vehicle in April 2006, upon my request.
VOSA commenced their investigation after I field a case to them in April 2006, and advised that they would complete an impartial investigation in conjunction with the manufacturer.
VOSA admitted that they did not have any technical expertises, and had to rely on the manufacture to supply the knowledge and investigation input. Is still impartial?
VOSA compiled a report (on 3 non-damaged vehicle spot-checks) but could not issue report this to me, as it was a Renault owned-investigation. Renault did not agree to share their report into my vehicle inspection to me or the public.
I requested a FoI request, and obtained copies of both report from VOSA.
VOSA have admitted that they have not inspected any vehicles were the bonnet catch has failed, and advised that any other inspections would not be documented. If fact, numerous processes have not been documented; meetings, inspections and any new cases filed.
The reports advised that the catch mechanism were not broken, but were functioning and required maintenance.
The issue is that the design and manufacturing specification were to treat the mechanism as “maintenance-free”. With this notion, this means that the functionality HAS failed, as the mechanism were prone to stuck in the open position or not engage fully. A complete failure in the original functionality and performance of the safety catch mechanism.
Through ongoing discussions with VOSA, this point was repeatedly raised for VOSA to consider, where a functionality and design / construction specification change has occurred.
I appreciate that maintenance is not part of the “Code of Practice of Safety Defects”, but this can only be the case when maintenance was a necessary requirement of a noted mechanism. In the case of the bonnet catch, they were maintenance-free, so maintenance cannot be used as a reason for “failure” without admitting that it has become a safety defect.
This means that a fault exists in the functionality of the mechanism, specifically the safety catch. It is not safe and fails its function; therefore it is defective.
VOSA reluctantly advised Renault to send two letters of invitation, in 2007 and 2008. However, these were not raised as part of the formal Recall system, including entering this into the EU RAPEX system. This is a significant process failure by VOSA.
There are potential fatalities linked to the bonnet catch failures, one in South Africa and two RTAs in the UK, VOSA were notified of this but did not investigate further.
VOSA confirmed that they would continue to monitor the situation based on any new evidence provided to it. However, any subsequent cases filed to it are not investigated, with the standard “no case to answer” response. This has been the case since 2006.
Renault have asserted that all cases are either down to lack of maintenance (which was Renault’s responsibility until the invitation letters were sent to the owner base) or the bonnet was not closed as prescribed (which is incorrect, as an owner cannot tell if the safety mechanism is fully engaged when the main catch is engaged (bonnet is flush)).
The dangers and safety risk to owners and the other road users are real and tangible. Cases continue to happen even after the rudimental notifications sent by Renault. VOSA have not acted in alignment to their Code of Practice of Safety Defects. Renault’s own investigations have indicated that the original “maintenance-free” stance has changed, and thus confirms that a change in the functionality, performance and design of the mechanism was necessary.
Why should owners be liable for something that was actually the manufactures liability, similar to the Toyota safety cases last year? The same principles are here for Renault, and thus the manufacture is fully liable and need to formally recall and resolve the safety risk (replace the parts). VOSA’s failure to drive to this principle means that it renders the agency unfit for purpose and gives the impression that is VOSA does not serve the road safety function that is was intended to govern.
VOSA should have ensured that the manufacture acts more responsibly to recall and replace the mechanism accordingly, and that periodic notifications are sent to the owner base until VOSA are satisfied that the safety risk is resolved.
It is very still shocking to think that I could have been killed by this incident 4 years ago, and I am disheartened to continue to hear cases continue to happen until this day for a known road-safety risk.
I look forward for your response and the appropriate Judicial Review into this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Aaron Brigatti
We'll see what the outcome is...if any! SHould I hold my breathe? Ummm...probably not!!
Well having my hearts set two-fold, on England and Italy (yep split allegiance there - more centred on Forza Azzurri though!), I am shocked by both team's performance so far!
It seems that the European teams are struggling, and only the German's on their first game really mustered together a team effort worth singing praises on, but they also lost their second game. Gosh, this is becoming a very open World Cup...maybe all of the teams will improve over time...or is it really an issue with the ball (?) - ha!)
Lets hope things improve...as whether you are following England, Italy, Germany, Spain or France - it's been a bit disappointing thus far!
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