Customising my Strat
29/12/10 22:53
I hope everybody enjoyed their festive break 
I certainly enjoyed (and am still enjoying!) mine.
I’ve decided to treat my favourite guitar to a little more gentle customisation. She’s a 2008 American Stratocaster in Candy Cola and she already has a set of single coil sized humbuckers fitted, the Seymour Duncan ‘Everything Axe’. She sounds superb but the one Volume and two Tone control layout of a Strat is something I have never liked.
Therefore I intend to get a custom pickguard made which will allow me to get rid of the Tone controls totally, move the Volume down and out of the way and re-position the five way pickup selector.
Here is the design I have decided on and which I have sent to Greasy Groove in the states to see if they will do it for me. The scorpion is one of their designs, but I need to confirm they will alter the control layout to my specification.
I certainly enjoyed (and am still enjoying!) mine. I’ve decided to treat my favourite guitar to a little more gentle customisation. She’s a 2008 American Stratocaster in Candy Cola and she already has a set of single coil sized humbuckers fitted, the Seymour Duncan ‘Everything Axe’. She sounds superb but the one Volume and two Tone control layout of a Strat is something I have never liked.
Therefore I intend to get a custom pickguard made which will allow me to get rid of the Tone controls totally, move the Volume down and out of the way and re-position the five way pickup selector.
Here is the design I have decided on and which I have sent to Greasy Groove in the states to see if they will do it for me. The scorpion is one of their designs, but I need to confirm they will alter the control layout to my specification.
I’m looking forward to them getting back to me in the affirmative
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Snow Again ...
22/12/10 09:49
The view from one of my home security cameras. Guess who got rid of his 4x4 last week ... that’s right, the same person who is staying home today !
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Arten Science Update
20/12/10 21:58
My company, Arten Science, released an update to our ContaxCRM software today. More information over on the Arten Science blog:
http://www.artenscience.com/artenscience/Blog/files/ccrm215.php
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http://www.artenscience.com/artenscience/Blog/files/ccrm215.php
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The Beatles In Stereo
06/12/10 22:36
My edition of The Beatles (2009 Stereo Remaster) Box Set finally arrived. Here it is safely ripped into iTunes in all it’s glory
View From My Window
01/12/10 08:45
My Amazon Wishlist
29/11/10 23:08
Due to increasing public demand I have now made available my
Amazon Wishlist. You can see it by clicking the image below, or the one in the sidebar to the right.
To be honest it’s not so much public demand, more like my family and friends. Well, a couple of them anyway, and they weren’t very demanding actually, they just kinda mentioned did I have anything in mind for Christmas. Maybe I’ve over-reacted slightly ? Still feel free to send me a gift if you’d like to, just click and pay and it’ll be on it’s way to Derbyshire before you know it. Share the love, you know you want to, go on give in to your inner gift giver. Peace Out.
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R10Cipher Reviewers Choice
29/11/10 18:44
My flagship Cross Platform Encryption Software,
R10Cipher, has been recognised on Linux It’s been reviewed favourably on Mac OSX and Windows many times but it’s never had much attention on Linux.
I know what you are thinking - ‘Yeh, so what ?’. All I can say is that it’s been a tough day and a little good news is better than any quantity of bad news. My cup is always half full
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Matias Tactile Pro
17/11/10 11:50
A Mechanic will buy the best quality tools he can, as will a Carpenter or any other craftsmen for that matter. Developers should be no different, that’s why I use a Mac ... However even a Mac can be improved by the simple edition of a great keyboard. Mac keyboards are sleek, sexy and reliable - however for bashing out acres of code or prose there is a keyboard out there that eats the others for breakfast.
A It’s one of the best purchases I’ve made in my quest for the Note: It is however quite noisy. It’s therefore best purchased along with the incredible Rush DVD,
Music to Code By
05/11/10 15:43
Rush R30. Stick this DVD into a TV in the corner of the office and experience coding nirvana. Some types of content can affect your work negatively, but some makes you feel better, makes your thinking clearer and basically stimulates and invigorates you.
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Music by
Rush comes into the second category.If you have a boss who refuses to understand the benefit of certain kinds of audible or visual stimulation to knowledge workers then you need to get a new boss, or become your own boss.
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ContaxCRM Suite Final USA Box Design
02/11/10 12:06
These are the final designs for the
ContaxCRM Suite box, as it will be distributed in North America. The button has been pushed and they are in production right now
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MonitorMyMac Sale Today Only
02/11/10 11:50
MonitorMyMac is on sale at Mac Software Spotlight today. Normal price £9.99 - today only £4.
MonitorMyMac takes timed snapshots of your computer Screen(s) and / or takes snapshots from your connected Webcam. These images are stored locally (or remotely) and are also optionally uploaded to your FTP server or MobileMe Account meaning they can they be accessed from anywhere via Webpage Bookmarks - View your Computer / Webcam from Your iPhone or Netbook or any Web Enabled Device.
http://www.macsoftwarespotlight.com/
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If you have a Mac but don’t have
MonitorMyMac then ... well ... you shouldMonitorMyMac takes timed snapshots of your computer Screen(s) and / or takes snapshots from your connected Webcam. These images are stored locally (or remotely) and are also optionally uploaded to your FTP server or MobileMe Account meaning they can they be accessed from anywhere via Webpage Bookmarks - View your Computer / Webcam from Your iPhone or Netbook or any Web Enabled Device.
http://www.macsoftwarespotlight.com/
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RIP Most Haunted
31/10/10 13:37
I’ve been a fan of the Living TV show
Most Haunted since the first series in 2002. Starting as a (semi) serious attempt at Paranormal Investigation through to the entertainment / comedy show it became in recent years, I stuck by it and for the most part enjoyed it. Yes, we all knew that 99% wasn’t real - but the other 1% ... was intriguing and exciting and I was always left with the feeling that there might be something in it. Halloween = Most Haunted Live.
Therefore it was an incredible disappointment to find out that from July this year Most Haunted is no longer an active show and instead this Halloween we have
I was not impressed by the first episode of PIL. It was dismal. I hope tonight it picks up a bit but I don’t hold out much hope. RIP Most Haunted, we loved you, warts and all.
New Name, New Look
31/10/10 13:12
This blog has been renamed and re-designed. It’s now simply
stevencholerton.com.I hope you like the new look and watch out for more content with some interesting new articles waiting to be published.
Happy halloween
Too Little, Too Late
28/10/10 14:10
Four years ago when the iPhone was released Apple got lots of criticism for not including copy and paste. Microsoft have just released a new smartphone platform, Windows Phone 7, and guess what ... no copy and paste.
Microsoft took their eye off the ball after Windows XP, through the Zune and Vista fiasco, they picked up the ball again for Windows 7 which is good enough but could have been (should have been) awesome, and their new smartphone platform looks good but it way too little, way too late.
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Are You Lonely ?
28/10/10 00:14
Whew ! Time to Slow Down a Little...
26/10/10 13:37
The last few weeks have been very intense, getting
ContaxCRM 2.0 ready for launch, getting the Suite put together, working with distributors in different time zones, oh - and earning a living with three fairly large projects, one of which is finished and two that are in progress and about to get the additional attention they deserve.
In addition I have been doing a lot of learning, Internet Marketing and iPhone Programming in particular. There are so many good books and resources out there. For iPhone Development, I’ve also re-arranged my workspace. A new 25’’ Monitor, an old Apple Wired Keyboard and a new Microsoft Wired Mouse, all connected through a
OSX Lion. Can't Wait !
22/10/10 12:16
OSX Lion. The future is bright. The future is
Lion. That is all.
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The BEST Reason to Travel 1st Class
12/10/10 13:20
It’s the last bit to sink and they make more of an effort to rescue you !
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The Coolest Business Card Ever
26/09/10 18:48
This is the coolest business card ever.
It belongs to ‘the other Steve’ of Apple Computer.
Steve Wozniak is the unsung hero and engineering genius behind the early Apple computers.RSS Feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/stevencholerton
Nottingham Council Want Photos of Dog Poo
26/09/10 12:28
You need to read this blog post:
Basically Nottingham City Council have developed an iPhone app which you can use to photograph dog turds and other undesirable things you see and send the picture to the council who will then swoop out of nowhere to deal with the problem. Great. What’s wrong with that ?
I think the idea is well intentioned and was definitely an easy sell for the IT company who sold them the idea, but the reality is far from that.
This is going to encourage every nosey busybody with time on their hands into photographing everything they don't agree with and sending it into the council.
In the UK we are already the most heavily monitored nation in the world and that includes China, make of that what you will ... rather that people using old fashioned common sense to deal with issues we are creating a nation of 'snitches' who rather that pick up that big pile of dog turd in the kids playground are going to take great pleasure in photographing it and waiting to see if someone from the council comes to sort it.
The council and the government are not our parents - we are adults, let us act like, and be treated like adults. The nanny state that the Blair / Brown government left us with has a lot to answer for.
As someone who has worked in tech and software development for well over 20 years I know the best answer is not always a technological one. This is a case of a solution looking for a problem.
Besides, you know and I know it won't work. Remember the 'Cone Hotline'.
Lots of Windows Updates ...
24/09/10 22:12
This screenshot was taken during the reboot of a Windows 7 Virtual Machine which hadn’t been used or updated since April. This is a serious amount of updates ... Thankfully it didn’t take too long !
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Mac Software Spotlight
21/09/10 10:32
This looks to be an interesting site. Check it out
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REALStudio Web Edition
16/09/10 23:29
It looks like Web Development just got a whole lot easier ...
Internet Pond Life Scumbags
16/09/10 14:32
Well, it’s my product and my screenshot but I never gave permission for these people to put it on their site and then completely mangle the product description. It looks like they translated it from the native English to another language and then ran it through
Babelfish or something to translate it back to English ?They even have the nerve to put their logo over MY screenshot as if they have some kind of ownership over what they have stolen from my site. They’ve even shown a picture of the Mac Edition below the text that tells you what versions of Windows is required ...
Their business model is simple. Create websites, put lots of popular stuff on there so that they get page hits and try and make money off advertising. They win, Google wins - but at the expense of my product and others being crudely and illegally represented.
It does me no favours having things like this out there, but there is very little I can do to stop it 
Internet Pond Life !
Blast from the Past
14/09/10 12:55
My IT Department, circa 2007. Good lads all of them, the best IT Department around
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Encryption and The Data Protection Act
10/09/10 11:24
Under the Data Protection Act 1998 data controllers are required to take 'appropriate technical and organisational measures against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data'. In practice information that is transported or sent via email in an unencrypted format goes against this directive. A number of high profile companies have received enforcement notices which specifically detail a failure to encrypt as being a breach of the Data Protection act and Data Protection principles. Although there is currently no strict legal obligation to encrypt personal data, this can only be a matter of time. Encryption is important, very. When your encryption solution is as easy to use as The Data Protection Act 1998 regulates how organisations should handle personal data that relates to a living individual who can be identified. Organisations processing personal data must do so in accordance with eight core principles. Principle 7: Technical and organisational measures should be taken to prevent unauthorised and unlawful processing, loss or damage to personal data. Encryption is not specifically mentioned, but is one of the best ways of complying with Principle 7. With R10Cipher compliance is easy, simple and inexpensive
How Important is Encryption and Why Should I Bother ?
The Data Protection Act
Car Porn Spotted in Lincolnshire
04/09/10 23:31
At last count I had owned four Jaguars over the years, I love Jaguars. Unfortunately the budget never stretched this far ... Probably the most beautiful vehicle ever made ...
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Russia In Colour 100 Years Ago
02/09/10 12:10
Fabulous article and some gorgeous photographs:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/08/russia_in_color_a_century_ago.html?ref=nf
Here’s one of the photos - beautiful and dramatic - I love it
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Generating Perfect Passwords
30/08/10 19:18
Generating secure passwords is a subject that many people struggle with. For generating passwords for services that you don’t need to re-enter often, for example Wireless Network WPA2 passwords, you should check out
this page from world renowned security expert Steve Gibson.Steve’s page generates these passwords for you as well as educating you in the process should you wish.
Interesting, and useful Stuff.
ZT Club Guitar Amplifier
29/08/10 12:07
Maybe I should get out more. I have been told that. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the design of the new
ZT Club Guitar Amplifier is stunningly beautiful in it’s simplicity. If Apple designed Guitar Amps ...
This would make an incredible amp used in conjunction with my
Boss GT-8 ... I almost *need* this amp ...
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Consumer Rights Advice (UK)
25/08/10 09:55
I subscribe to a newsletter from Martin Lewis, a TV Celebrity and Money Saving Expert. It’s send out weekly and is always full of interesting and potentially money saving ideas. This week there is an awesome printable / foldable ‘Guide to Consumer Rights’ that everyone (in the UK!) could benefit from.
Have a look at it here:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/consumer-rights-wallet-printI love the graphic as well
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Dolphins, Blue Sea, the Med and a Yacht
17/08/10 17:46
Friends of mine over at
Tailored Marine Bedding were out on the Med in the company yacht a couple of weeks ago and managed to get this awesome footage of dolphins swimming alongside the yacht. Fantastic !To view the movies, select the Movie tab at the top of the page.
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Arten Science New Product Pricing
02/08/10 15:19
I’ve announced new pricing for most of our products. More information
here:
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Native Apps vs Web Apps, No Contest !
29/07/10 10:34
The last decade saw many people in my profession predicting the end of the desktop application. The web was the way forward they cried. Forget C and BASIC and embrace JavaScript ! It didn’t happen in the last decade and it won’t happen in this one either, the same as it didn’t happen in the 90’s with the ‘Network Computer’.
Some of us have instinctively known this and carried on developing native desktop applications regardless.
For me what finally proved the point beyond all doubt was the success of the
Apple App Store. Here we have a store full of thousands of native applications, written in a proprietary object oriented version of the C language using proprietary libraries, for the iPhone and the iPad. iOS has come from nowhere to become a major new platform.The app store gives extremely easy access to the purchase and installation of applications. This is one of the reasons for it’s success. I believe that ease of access and minimum installation hassles were the reason that web applications were, and in some cases are, so popular.
I believe people do not actually want to use a web application with all it’s inherent limitations; security, performance, interface, compatibility etc., but they are prepared to accept that rather than go through the tedious install and setup routines associated with so many native desktop applications.
My take on this simple. People like their computer with it’s speed and graphics, they would rather not run applications in a browser if it can be avoided. Give them powerful, Cross Platform, native desktop applications. Put the application locally and the data in ‘the cloud’.
Data belongs in the cloud, applications do not. The browser is not an attractive or appropriate environment in which to run software.
When I started
Arten Science I decided that none of my software would need an installer. None of my software would modify the registry or otherwise mess with the configuration or internals of the operating system. You would be able to ‘install’ my software using drag and drop and you would be able to ‘uninstall’ it just as easily, by dragging it to the Trash.There are many companies working on their own version of the app store, for example
Bodega, which is great, but ease of purchase is just one reason for the success of the Apple app store. Ease of installation is the other. How many companies are working on that ?My opinions are possibly controversial. However only through controversy and argument and discussion are barriers broken, standards changed and the future forged.
I welcome all feedback whether you support my argument or whether you think I’m nuts
Next Generation CRM for Mac and Windows
23/07/10 14:02
New
ContaxCRM Release Here
1.9.9
- Further User Interface Tweaks. Attempting to balance Ease of User, Simplicity and High Functionality, without Clutter
- The Default Charts have changed
- Mac Only: iCal Calendar Entries are now visible in the Tasks List in ContaxCRM for the appropriate Contact.
- When adding a new Contact the Detail / Primary tabs are now selected and the cursor is put into the title field
- Expanded View window is now sensitive to the size of the calling window and displays appropriately
- Tab Name Change: Primary is now Main
- Tab Name Change: Address is now Addr
- Tab Name Change: Secondary is now More, also this tab is now positioned next to Main
- History record count now shown
- Assorted Tweaks and Fixes
CRM for Mac and Windows: Updated 1.9.8
29/06/10 11:16
New
ContaxCRM Release Here
Version 1.9.8 Includes Audio Output of Contact Information, Notes, Documents and History on Mac OSX.
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Come On England ! Show Your Support
25/06/10 11:15
New ContaxCRM Release
20/06/10 18:51
New Arten Science Article
09/06/10 11:57
Here’s a new article I have written on the Arten Science Blog:
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Embrace the Danger
07/06/10 22:46
I don’t know where I found this quotation but I liked it so much I made it into a desktop background. I find it very thought provoking.
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Latest Advert for IT Consultancy Services
04/06/10 01:34
This is the latest advert for my Computer Consultancy Services with
Arten Science. It focuses on the professionalism that’s a given when dealing with a Chartered IT Professional.Click the Image to View Full Size
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Cold Steel Walkabout XL Walking Stick
02/06/10 12:01
I’ve just ordered this
Cold Steel Walkabout Walking Stick. It’s unusual, tough, hard wearing and if you have to use a stick then you may as well have something a bit different
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What is Social CRM and Social Media ?
27/05/10 11:11
Today I found
this blog post by someone well respected in the industry. His new product, once it’s released, is a possible competitor for my own ContaxCRM solution. This doesn’t stop me respecting, or sharing, what he has to say. Have a read.RSS Feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/Lonelyhacker
Beautiful Guitars from Hagstrom
25/05/10 11:39
I recently discovered this Swedish guitar manufacturer,
Hagstrom. They do some great looking gear. I have a particular soft spot for one of these:
Hagstrom Viking
and two is better than one, so I’d need one of these as well ...
Hagstrom Ultra Swede
So many guitars, so little cash
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Arten Science ContaxCRM Press Release
18/05/10 13:16
Press Release
Arten Science Releases Cross Platform Single and Multi User CRM Solution
Ripley, GB May 18, 2010
UK based Arten Science today announces ContaxCRM, their Multi-User MySQL based version of their popular Cross Platform CRM Solution. ContaxCRM will let you Store, View, Interact and Communicate with your Contacts, Customers, Prospects, Network and Suppliers more easily and efficiently than ever before. It features an elegant, intuitive user Interface and seamless integration with other Arten Science products. This latest version gives you a true shared Multi-User CRM solution.
[prMac.com] Derbyshire, UK - Arten Science today is pleased to announce their Multi-User MySQL based version of their popular Cross Platform CRM Solution, ContaxCRM. ContaxCRM focuses on ease of use and accessibility - Mixed Windows and Macintosh Network? No Problem - rather than an overkill of 'never-used' features cluttering the interface. This latest version of ContaxCRM goes beyond Single-User desktop CRM solutions and gives you a true shared Multi-User CRM solution.
ContaxCRM will let you Store, View, Interact and Communicate with your Contacts, Customers, Prospects, Network and Suppliers more easily and efficiently than ever before. It features an elegant, intuitive user Interface and seamless integration with other Arten Science products.
Who's it For?
For Individuals, Clubs and Businesses who wish to use their Contact or Membership database proactively. Ideal for Graphic Designers, Web Developers, Software Developers, Self Employed, Electricians, Plumbers, Consultants and any other Business or Individual.
Why Do I Need It?
Every individual, club or business needs a central repository for their contact data. ContaxCRM is the hub of the ContaxCRM Suite which means seamless integration with - R10Cipher for Encrypted Text and Email, R10BatchMail for Batch Email Sending and ooSooM for Task and Document Management.
** Future developments will include additional modules such as Order Processing and Inventory Management. In addition a ContaxCRM iPhone application is currently under development.
System Features:
* Supplied as a Universal Binary for Mac OSX including Snow Leopard
* Windows Version for XP, Vista, 2003 and 7
* Easy to use, Clean, Fast, Modern Interface
* Requires No Installation
* No Modifications made to your computer outside of the ContaxCRM folder
* To 'uninstall' - Just delete the ContaxCRM folder
* Requires no additional Runtime installation
* Can be run from a USB drive
* Online Help System
* One Click Support
* Approximately 32Mb
* Single-User: Sync the Database with iDisk, DropBox or Similar
* Multi-User: MySQL
Functionality:
* Store detailed information about your Contacts
* Fast Searching, Sorting and Filtering of Contact information
* Unique 'Connections' Feature - Show how your Contacts are linked
* TLRS - Traffic Light Rating System
* Mark your Contacts as Customers, Suppliers, Personal, Prospect, or Network
* Appropriate Icon for Contact Types shown on inbuilt Google Maps
* Icon on Google Map coloured appropriately according to your TLRS
* User defined Contact Categories and Classifications
* Specify the allowed method of communication - R10BatchMail will not send to contacts if 'Mail' is not selected
* Real-time Charting
* Geographical Mapping Information showing Physical Proximity between businesses
* History or Inserts, Imports and Edits
* Email a Contact by Clicking the Icon next to their Email Address
* Visit a Contacts Website by Clicking the Icon next to their Web Address
* Visit a Contacts Blog by Clicking the Icon next to their Blog
* Enter your own History against a Contact
* Store Facebook and LinkedIn Information
* Store up to five 'Tagged' Phone Numbers and Email Addresses
* Contact Template Facility
* Import Data from a Tab Delimited File
* Show several contacts on the enlarged Map, see Geographical relationships
* R10BatchMail can use your ContaxCRM data for bulk Email Marketing and Communication
* Shows Linked Tasks from ooSooM Todo Manager
* Shows Linked Documents from the Digital Vault
Minimum Requirements:
* Mac OS X Version 10.4 or higher
* Windows XP / Vista / Window 7
* Universal Binary for PowerPC and Intel
* G4 Processor, 1GHz or faster
* 100 MB Hard Drive space
Support:
* Online Manual
* Tutorial Movies
* Forum
* Email the Developer
* Telephone Support quoted for Separately
Pricing and Availability:
ContaxCRM is available now at 69 GBP ($99USD) per User. The Multi-User license and MySQL Setup Tools are £100. A Trial Version of ContaxCRM can be downloaded and used 20 times, it also features a nag screen. The Trial Version restrictions can be removed by purchasing a license from our website. Data entered into the Trial Version is kept when purchasing a Full Version. Data entered into the Single-User version can be transferred to the Multi-User version at the click of a single button.
Arten Science
ContaxCRM
Download ContaxCRM
Screenshot 1
Screenshot 2
App Icon
Arten Science was setup in 2007 to design, develop and market quality commercial software for the Apple Mac OSX and Microsoft Windows. Arten Science software is designed to be useable by all. Simple By Design. We also provide Bespoke Software Development and Technology/Database/Security Consultancy services. In addition to creating new solutions for our customers, all of our commercial products can also be tailored, modified and enhanced to suit your specific requirements. We can help you to use software to solve business problems and create business opportunities.
###
Steve Cholerton
Founder and Lead Developer
07525754153
United Kingdom
Busted Leg - The Verdict
13/05/10 11:43
I attended the Derby Royal Hospital again this morning, I had an appointment with my consultant to discuss the results of my MRI scan and what I can expect in the future concerning my leg following my motorcycle accident.
The good news is that the ligaments are intact. The bad news is that it is unlikely to get any better. I can only bend my leg 90 degrees at the knee and I will continue to need a stick to walk, almost certainly for the rest of my life. The pain may get less after the metal is removed from my leg at the next operation in six months or so, apparently some of the screws are responsible for some of the pain due to their proximity to ‘stuff’ (I’m no doctor )
In practical terms driving a manual car will continue to be impractical for any distance, motorcycles and maybe even quads will be out of the question, I might be able to use my mountain bike or road bike at some point though if I’m lucky.
Anyway, according to the surgeon I am lucky I didn’t lose the leg - it was a bit of a mess apparently. Life goes on so I’ll make the best of it, I must admit I never expected my life to turn out this way, but Sh1t happens and you can’t always see it coming.
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V-Picks Expensive but Awesome
10/05/10 14:40
Yep, I didn’t believe it at first either. A guitar pick that costs $4. Having bought some I can now confirm they are 100% awesome. See
the website for more details, then order in the UK from Madison and Fifth.
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Les Paul Guitar Restoration Project 3
07/05/10 17:59
I’ve nearly finished with my Les Paul (copy) Restoration project. I’ve gone for an Antique White finish with appropriate amounts of fake ageing and abuse. Underneath the top coat of Antique White is a coat of Bright White and underneath that is Dark Yellow and under that is Primer.
The back of the guitar I am fairly happy with, the front however, although it’s growing on me, is not really what I wanted. I can of course change that quite easily so I may well do that after I have given the guitar a few weeks to settle and for the paint to dry properly. I may also use the two extra wires on the pickup to install a Coil Tap ...
The only new piece of hardware (other than the front mounted Jack Socket) is the pickup. This is an
IronGear Rolling Mill pickup, a relatively inexpensive but very highly rated UK made pickup. It is a medium output pickup and has to be heard to be believed, it is bright and clear but very smooth and creamy ... My personally designed custom guitar of the future will feature this same pickup in the neck position !At the end of the day I have achieved what I wanted, the guitar is different and interesting again, it’s easier and more pleasant to play and sounds much better. Stripping the neck back to the wood and sanding it right down has made a fantastic difference. Overall I am very pleased with the project and enjoyed the challenge. I think one of my Strat’s is next ...
The guitar currently looks like this, but could and probably will change shortly. I think I have the custom DIY bug
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Found an Excellent Local Guitar Tech
06/05/10 16:50
I can solder. But perhaps I shouldn’t. Therefore the new switch for my
Crybaby Wah Pedal that has just landed from the States and my new Pickup Selector switch for my Washburn needed the help of a professional. To be honest I could have easily handled the pedal, but the thought of a hot soldering iron (wielded by me!) near my pride and joy Washburn was too much to bear. The problem is that I don’t know of any decent local Guitar Tech’s. Last time I looked I met with little success, so I tried again - Google is your friendI found this guy,
Andy Farrell. His works looks great, his website is interesting and informative, so I gave him a call. Suffice to say that I dropped the items off and picked them up again within 24 hours. The job was done well at a reasonable price. Andy is a friendly and knowledgeable guy whose workshop is pure porno to those of us who play guitar.
Andy will also build you a custom guitar designed to your own specification ... Let’s see the way the election and the economy goes over the short term, maybe Andy will build me one in the future ?
Washburn Customer Service Rocks
06/05/10 15:43
I
blogged recently about a superb Washburn Custom Shop guitar that I purchased. The guitar was ex-demonstration and obtained for a fantastic price. The only fault was that the pickup selector switch was very ‘loose’ and not positive at all. I wanted a replacement switch but was unsure where to get it, it’s slightly different to a Les Paul switch and it also needs to be Black ...An email to Washburn Customer Services was quickly answered by an employee called Ryan Struck. Ryan agreed to send me a switch over from the States, free of charge ! True to his word a week or so later the switch arrived.
This:
is for these guys:
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Infestation of White Audi TT's
05/05/10 08:46
On the school run this morning I spotted *five* White Audi TT coupes. I have noticed recently that there has been an increase in White Audi TT’s but *five* spotted in a Derbyshire town within a two mile radius ?
Ok, they are quite a good looking vehicle in a kind of ‘squashed VW Beetle’ way, but please, if you are male and bigger than a Jockey, or over 35, DO NOT APPLY
I don’t understand where all the White TT’s have all come from ? Are they breeding ? Have Audi UK flogged a load of them off cheap on Ebay or something ? Was there a cancelled order from the Police force ? Where will it end ?
If you want to look cool and individual and stand out from the crowd, buy a Ford or Vauxhall - they are rarer than Audi TT’s ...
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Election Posters - Not that Clever
29/04/10 17:25
I have been somewhere today and I have see the following quotes on two separate bill-boards, both from the Conservatives.
(Pic of Smug Looking Gordon Brown)
and
(Pic of Cameron) ‘I will cut Benefits for those that Refuse to Work’
Now ...
The hilarious thing is that in the town I drove through both of those phrases will have the opposite of the effect desired by the Conservative Spin Doctors and guarantee at least an 80% Labour majority
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Avatar on Blu-Ray. O.M.G.
29/04/10 09:57
If you ever needed an excuse to buy a Blu-Ray player or a PlayStation 3, here it is:
Avatar on Blu-Ray is stunning, epic and awesome. I loved it and so did the wife. It is my film of the year by a long way. James Cameron rocks
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Les Paul Guitar Restoration Project 2
28/04/10 10:26
Some more pictures of my Les Paul Restoration Project.
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Les Paul Guitar Restoration Project
24/04/10 23:54
In 2002 I finished a two year software development project. As a reward to myself I bought a Les Paul type guitar and had the members of my project team sign the back of it. For the next five years this guitar stayed in my office and was played nearly every morning for a few minutes before I started work. Since I left that company in 2007 it has been disregarded and forgotten in my attic.
Since my accident in October 2009 however I have had a renewed interest in guitars and I had my daughter venture into the attic and retrieve this guitar as I had decided to strip it down and rebuild it as a project. I’m normally fairly useless at practical skills but I intend to take my time and make a good job.
I started by stripping all the electrics out and I decided to build this guitar back with only a neck pickup connected straight through to the jack socket, with no tone or volume controls to affect the sound. I chose a neck pickup only as I intend to use this guitar for smooth leads and also some slide playing. The pictures show the state of the guitar at the moment after the pickup and control cavities have been filled but not yet sanded. I’ll update this blog with more pictures as the project continues.
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The Common Sense Party Manifesto
23/04/10 12:34
The CSP (The Common Sense Party) Manifesto.
This document is a work in progress and is Copyright Steve Cholerton 2010
Maintain an effective nuclear deterrent program.
Encourage and take part in Multi-lateral disarmament.
Raise the pay for soldiers serving in combat.
Look after disabled soldiers and their families.
Immigration
Completely overhaul the immigration system.
Illegal immigrants sent back immediately.
Crime and Punishment
Prisons to be made much tougher as befits a punishment.
Buy an island off the coast of Scotland and make that into one giant prison.
Prisoners to be kept with other similar types of prisoners.
Rapists to be castrated.
Soap on a rope for the showers ...
Police
Give the police greater powers but make them accountable for their actions.
Police to focus on reducing violent crime, all other metrics are expendable.
Speed cameras to be placed only in proven accident hotspots.
Justice
Standardised, much harsher sentencing.
Life means Life.
A man should have a right to defend himself, his family and property without fear of prosecution.
Drink drivers causing death should be treated as any other manslaughter.
Education
Remove some of the measurements and metrics and allow teachers to teach.
Give the teachers the power to discipline pupils.
Health Service
UK residents to be treated ahead of immigrants.
Remove some management layers from the NHS infrastructure.
Increase nurses pay and benefits.
Regulate doctors hours.
Europe
Be part of Europe but put the interests of the UK first.
The UK is nobody’s bitch.
Home
Allow discipline in the home.
Allow parents to be parents without fear of reprisals from authorities.
***
OK, some of the above is tongue in cheek and I don’t actually believe that the problems in society can be solved quite so simply ... it does however make you think that maybe our politicians should go back to basics and re-evaluate their goals after finding out what the man in the street actually wants from his Government and society. I’m sure everybody reading this agrees with some of it at least
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Unsupported SQLite Features
23/04/10 12:27
If you work with SQLite at all, this is a very useful page that tells you what features of SQL (SQL92) that SQLite DOES NOT support.
http://sqlite.org/omitted.html
UK Politics: The Common Sense Party
23/04/10 10:09
The CSP (The Common Sense Party)
We have a logo - now let’s draft a Manifesto
Designing a New Security / Access System
19/04/10 14:56
I have designed and written several Security and Access Control systems for various software products, for both in-house and commercial use. Each time I have done it differently and each one has been secure. For the Multi-User version of ContaxCRM I wanted to design a system that was not only secure bit also extremely simple.
The scenario I have looks like this: Each database user has available a list of actions that they can either be approved for, or not. See the screenshot below:
The question is where should I store this list of True / False fields ? For ContaxCRM what I have done is stored this data within a single VARCHAR field against the User record, in the Users table. I decided upon a format for the information as shown below:
A formal structure makes it easier for me to retrieve the data. The number following the ’s’ is the ID of the Security Question, the 0 or 1 represent False and True. You can see how this structure makes it easy for me to fill in the security list against each user with the correct True or False selection. The use of opening and closing tags just makes the list easy for me to Parse with existing ContaxCRM code, making development quicker and more reliable.
The final challenge is how to secure this data so that it cannot be seen and edited by anybody looking at the database with a query tool ... the answer of course is encryption. The above information when saved into the User record will look something like this:
Any questions or comments welcome. Cheers - Steve
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The scenario I have looks like this: Each database user has available a list of actions that they can either be approved for, or not. See the screenshot below:
The question is where should I store this list of True / False fields ? For ContaxCRM what I have done is stored this data within a single VARCHAR field against the User record, in the Users table. I decided upon a format for the information as shown below:
A formal structure makes it easier for me to retrieve the data. The number following the ’s’ is the ID of the Security Question, the 0 or 1 represent False and True. You can see how this structure makes it easy for me to fill in the security list against each user with the correct True or False selection. The use of opening and closing tags just makes the list easy for me to Parse with existing ContaxCRM code, making development quicker and more reliable.
The final challenge is how to secure this data so that it cannot be seen and edited by anybody looking at the database with a query tool ... the answer of course is encryption. The above information when saved into the User record will look something like this:
Any questions or comments welcome. Cheers - Steve
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cuteCipher New Cross Platform Encryption
14/04/10 11:55
Today I released a brand new Cross Platform (Windows and Mac OSX) software product. This product, cuteCipher, is the easiest way to Encrypt and Protect your documents and files.
Simply drag your files onto cuteCipher, enter a Shared Secret and click the Encrypt button. Decryption is just as straightforward.
Tested on Children, Parents, Elder Relatives and Other Innocents !
cuteCipher will be officially released later today with a Press Release and an offer to existing customers to obtain cuteCipher at a discount.
cuteCipher is based on and compatible with, the award winning Encryption and Security software R10Cipher.
Never before has encryption been this simple.
http://www.cutecipher.co.uk/
cuteCipher starts at £14 for a single user license with bulk purchase discounts dropping the price by up to 75%.
Disclaimer: No Parents, Children or OAP's were hurt during the testing of this software.
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Tailored Marine Supplies
06/04/10 17:30
One of my customers,
Tailored Marine Supplies in Malaga, Spain, are expanding their range into selected Yacht Brokers. They have designed and had manufactured a display stand to display their collection of styles and materials. It’s pretty nice, see the photo below:
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Washburn Idol Custom Shop USA
16/03/10 12:29
I
blogged recently about a fantastic new guitar I purchased. The most amazing thing about this guitar was the incredible value for money. The guitar was made in Indonesia and is astonishingly well made. It shows just what can be done.If
Washburn can manufacture a guitar this good in their factories abroad, imagine how good their American stuff is. In fact what about their Custom Shop ...Unable to resist finding out I took delivery of this beauty today, a USA Custom Shop Washburn WI566+MR, thanks to a very special deal courtesy of the awesome guys over at
Purple Turtle Music.
Words cannot explain the beauty and quality of this instrument. Carbon Fibre Fingerboard, Genuine Floyd Rose, Active EMG Pickups, Mahogany Body with Set Neck ... The specification goes on and on. This one is a keeper
Highlander - The iPhone App
16/03/10 11:41
One of the lads that used to work for me, Andrew Deacon, started out as an IT Junior. He very soon declared he was too smart to spend his time sorting printer jams and installing software and declared he wanted to do programming.
He was right. He has since become an excellent enterprise programmer and has just released his first iPhone application:
He’s come a long way from the long haired ‘Connor McCloud’ lookalike (from the movie
Highlander) that descended on my office for an interview not once but twice - after being told not to re-apply.
He did re-apply and got the job thanks mainly to another employee of mine at the time, Mike Haycox, who saw through the long hair, leather jacket and cocky attitude to the intelligent, reliable and loyal employee beneath.
Well done Connor
Personal Details Over the Phone - Again
10/03/10 12:03
I wrote a
blog post a few days ago about how companies should stop cold calling us and asking us for our date of birth and other personal information before they continue with the purpose for their call.The following day I was talking to a lady regarding security and she informed me that her company had been assured by the financial organisations that that practice is no longer used.
That is completely untrue, she was mis-informed.Before I wrote this post I double-checked with three organisations: HSBC, American Express and Barclaycard and all three confirmed that that is how it works and they are compelled to work in that fashion because of the ‘Data Protection Act’.
My advice remain unchanged. Do not comply with these requests. If we all do this then maybe their policies will be changed accordingly.
I suggest a ‘Shared Secret’ where the person making the call gives part of their part of the secret and in response you give your part of your part of the secret. That’s just one very simple idea, with more thought applied I’m sure this would be an easy problem to solve.
Fantastic Washburn WI200PROE Guitar
02/03/10 20:58
The picture below is the guitar I recently purchased. It was relatively inexpensive and is incredible to play.
The guitar is a Washburn WI200PROe. It is one of the Idol Range and unfortunately comes only in black. The shape is distinctive, the neck is the best I have played, better than the
Steve Vai Ibanez Jem 7V I used to own. The guitar is lightweight and perfect for playing when sitting down.The pickups are the Active EMG 81 / 85 as used by Zakk Wylde amongst others. They are my favourite pickups and a pair of them grace my
Flying V as well. They sound superb through the Blackstar HT-5.As you can probably tell, I am incredibly pleased and surprised by this guitar. It’s my new favourite
Downsizing, A Temporary Setback ...
02/03/10 14:02
I recently wrote a post discussing how I was downsizing my music equipment. Which was, is and still is, true. However I have now run into a temporary setback when this arrived earlier today:
That’s not bad though, at least it’s quite small and compact ... It is a Blackstar HT-5 Amplifier Head Unit, and to hear any sound you need these speaker cabs, which also arrived earlier today. You can see the combined effect below:
You can see my problem. However I must say that never have I turned on a new amplifier, plugged in a guitar and found so many excellent tones so quickly. This is one fabulous amp
STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP
25/02/10 11:25
’Ring Ring’
Me:
“hello, Steve speaking”Caller:
“Can I speak to Mr completely garbled version of my surname”Me:
“Yep, speaking” - followed by a sigh, I know what’s coming ...Caller:
“Before we continue, for security, I need your Date of Birth ...”Come on. This is complete bullshit. Somebody *rings me* and they need *me* to give *them* personal information about myself before they will speak to me ?
Never, Ever, Ever, Ever accept this. Tell the caller to go away and not call back. If you are feeling generous explain that you don’t give personal information out over the telephone to persons unknown.
Explain to them that their security policies suck like a Dyson and that their organisation should look at removing it’s CTO/CSO/CIO or whoever has bluffed their way into the job of being in charge of security whilst either having none to little knowledge of security or no power whatsoever to ensure a workable and secure security policy is in place.
Explain to them that as far as you are concerned they could be the bloke from the petrol station who make a note of your credit card when you paid for petrol and he now intends to commit fraud in your name by gathering additional personal information about you. Identity theft is *very* common.
If we all refuse to talk to these people then maybe, just maybe they will look at the situation again and come up with a better way of treating their customers. These people should know better, they are usually banks and financial institutions ... these people have control of our money ! It’s probably safer under the mattress.
Downsizing and De-Cluttering
24/02/10 07:25
I started my ‘downsizing and de-cluttering’ mission over a year ago, made a good start then got distracted and never continued.
Following my recent accident, and my lack of mobility, I have looked at this again and it now makes more sense than ever.
One area in which I have been making changes in in my music equipment. I have got rid of a Marshall Stack:
and replaced it with a Line 6 POD:
I am getting rid of two other large amplifiers and replacing them with ... the new Marshall Class 5. A small, all valve, Made In England, guitar amplifier.
This is not just a case of wanting some new kit, it is part of an ongoing mission to de-clutter, downsize and simplify my life.
If you need any help de-cluttering or organising your life and are not sure where to start, my friend Izi Dixon over at Well Organised (
http://www.wellorganised.org/) will be able to help you.RSS Feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/Lonelyhacker
Another Fantastic R10Cipher Review
22/02/10 19:30
Coals 2 Newcastle recently wrote this review of R10Cipher. It’s a fantastic review.
You can access the full review here:
http://blog.coals2newcastle.com/2010/02/review-r10cipher.html
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You can access the full review here:
http://blog.coals2newcastle.com/2010/02/review-r10cipher.html
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Honda. You Must Make This Bike.
21/02/10 20:04
I recently found this bike. Apparently it’s a Honda VTX Concept bike. OMG it’s fantastic. I LOVE this bike ....
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If I Ride Again ...
13/02/10 22:26
If my leg ever heals to the extent that I can again ride a motorcycle, I have a second hill to climb. Convincing my wife that I should ride again.
At the moment she is dead against the idea, but I’m hoping she will mellow with time. Given that I have been very dependent on her over the last few months, for sometimes quite basic things, I have to listen to and appreciate her point of view.
Maybe if I buy another Harley, a bike with a reputation for slow and steady cruising, she may be more amenable to the idea.
My last Harley was a Night Rod Special which was not a typical Harley (it was liquid cooled and fast, see picture above) but next time maybe I should try something like this:
This is a Harley Davidson Fatbob, a newish design from (I think) 2007. I think it looks great.
I did say I wouldn’t get another Harley given that you need to spend as much time cleaning them as you do riding, otherwise they soon show their aversion to UK weather ... Anyway I’ll wait and see which way the land lies if (when) my leg heals properly
MMM FREE for Parents
09/02/10 19:07
MonitorMyMac our software that produces Timed Screenshots and Webcam Images with FTP Upload, is now available Free of Charge for Parents. The official Press Release can be seen here: http://bit.ly/c66d2I
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MonitorMyMac takes timed snapshots of the computer Screen(s) and / or takes snapshots from the connected Webcam. These images are stored locally, or remotely, and are also optionally uploaded to your FTP server or MobileMe Account meaning they can they be accessed from anywhere via Webpage Bookmarks.
You can view the Computer / Webcam from Your iPhone, Netbook, Computer or any Web Enabled Device.
The reason I have done this is simple. If just one child is saved from abuse using technology I have developed then that’s fantastic. Making it free means that any parent who’s child has an Apple Computer can obtain the software quickly, easily and without cost. Introducing this extra element of security and safety may make all the difference.
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Thoughts on the iPad
04/02/10 11:22
This posting was prompted by a reply I made to a blog post recently. Besides, everybody else has published an opinion on the iPad and I don’t want to be left out
Photo Copyright Apple Computer Inc
The iPad is not a techie toy. There, I said it.
However I know 8 or 9 relatives or friends for whom it will be an excellent piece of kit, I believe the real magic happens when the developers get hold of it.
The young, the disabled, the keyboard shy, the ‘not interested in computers I just wanna browse Ebay’ and the learning challenged will all benefit from the simplicity and UI of this device. It won’t replace my iPhone or my Sony eBook Reader or my 17” MacBook, but I have some ideas that I think are crying out for a device such as the iPad.
There are omissions and limitations but nowadays release early is expected and necessary if you want to start ahead of the game.
Besides, the gauntlet has been thrown, let’s see what Google and Microsoft can do. If they can do better then I’ll buy theirs instead.
Looking forward to seeing how this pans out
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R10 iPhone Application Available Now
04/02/10 09:46
The
Arten Science Update and Information application is now available for free download in the iTunes store.http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/r10/id352832289?mt=8
Available for the iPhone R10 is an application which gives you the latest news from
Arten Science by giving you access to the both the Arten Science Blog as well as my Personal Blog (this one) for those who are interested in the person behind the company.
See the screenshots below:
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The Apple iPad. The Future Starts Here
30/01/10 13:27
In three years we will look back and acknowledge that January 27th was a turning point in technology development. Ignore the naysayers - this device is going to be ground-breaking.
The Steve Jobs Keynote
The iPad Video
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Rediscovering Black Sabbath
25/01/10 16:23
I’ve started to rediscover the
Black Sabbath back catalogue having finally got all the albums into iTunes. Below is the name and publishing date for each album:
And here they are looking great in iTunes showing the album artwork:
Here’s Tony Iommi - a ‘Guitar God’, and the father of Heavy Metal.
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Outlander ATV
16/01/10 22:37
The Outlander Max by
Can-Am.When two wheels are off the menu for a while, what you gonna do for fun ? Fun is always more intense when it has an engine
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Holly
14/01/10 11:28
No reason for this post except that I wanted to have a picture of Holly Willoughby on my blog
Beautiful, Classy, Intelligent.
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Beautiful, Classy, Intelligent.
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25% Off Coupon For Arten Science Products
13/01/10 09:36
To celebrate our move to
FastSpring as our e-Commerce provider (and lets be honest - to increase revenue) you can now use the following Coupon Code during January only to gain an extra 25% discount off Arten Science Products:ARTJAN25
The products that you can use this Coupon with are summarised below:
R10Office
R10Cipher
R10BatchMail
R10Clean
macVCR
MonitorMac
This code can be entered at the final stages of the Checkout process.
Happy Shopping
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Version Control Everything
10/01/10 15:40
Software Developers may be very familiar with Version Control Systems (VCS) but few other people are.
Basically a VCS allows you to IMPORT your documents or files into a managed repository. From this repository you can CHECK OUT the documents and files that you wish to work with. When you have completed your changes you COMMIT the changes back to the repository.
This gives you the ability to ROLLBACK to a previous version of a file or document should you need to. In addition when multiple people are working on the same project a VCS is invaluable due to the way in which changes can be MERGED.
I’ve been using
Cornerstone as my VCS for a while and I think it’s great. The complexity is hidden away, and lets face it, so it should be ! Cornerstone is a Client for the popular Subversion VCS. Subversion comes installed on Mac OSX but you can instead use the version that comes with Cornerstone.I now have *everything* (of importance) in my VCS repository. This includes all program code, documents, photographs and even databases. In addition to that my VCS Repository is syncronised via my
Dropbox account so that an offsite copy is kept automatically.I’ve never been happier about the security and safety of my code, documents and data. The tools are available, both inexpensive and easy to setup and use. There is no excuse for losing data anymore.
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Accident Update Jan 2010
08/01/10 13:59
I was at the hospital again yesterday for the triple thrill of Xray, Consultant and OT Splint appointments.
My consultant went to great lengths again to explain how serious the injury was and finished by telling me that another operation will definitely be necessary, but not until the healing has been completed, and that could be 1 to 2 years !
The problem is that the leg below the knee is held in place by ligaments, which in my case are shredded, this means that my leg has become bent quite significantly.
A new splint was created for me yesterday that puts the knee under stress so that it is once again aligned correctly with the top of my leg. This is quite painful and has meant my ability to move and drive has been put back a few weeks.
I have to now deal with the fact that the next couple of years will be tough. It will be an effort to walk, difficult to drive and impossible to ride my motorcycles. For anything other than the shortest of walks I will need to use my wheelchair.
Other than a (hopeful) reduction in pain, as I am now is how I am going to stay for the next couple of years. So I guess I’d better get used to it ...
Sh1t Happens
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PS3 Multmedia Centre, Sorted
05/01/10 19:16
I’ve just attached a 1TB drive to my
PS3 loaded with 300 or so of my favourite Movies and 500 or so Albums. This gives me access via the optional PS3 Remote to a complete Home Entertainment System that makes my AppleTV kinda redundant. There is no reason to leave my chair again. Ever.
The setup was simplicity itself:
1. Obtain an external, preferably large capacity, but quiet, USB 2 Drive
2. Format it as FAT32. (On the Mac use Disk Utility)
3. Create the Folder structure as shown below:
MUSIC
PICTURE
VIDEO
4. Copy your Music, Pictures and Movies to the drive using your computer.
5. Connect to your your PS3 using a USB2 cable.
One annoying thing that I noticed after browsing the drive from the PS3 is that the Mac has left a few of it’s hidden ‘dot’ files on there. The easiest way to get rid of them is to reconnect the drive to your Mac, load Terminal and execute the following command:
That’s it. The PS3 is highly recommended not only as a superb gaming machine but also as the hub of a HD Media Centre.
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A Snowy Break
02/01/10 15:11
We’ve just got back from a few days away in the caravan. 6 Days of nothing to do except read, listen to the radio, play cards, watch some tv, sleep, read and sleep some more. The snow made it quite precarious for me to get about with my leg still in the brace, but I thoroughly enjoyed the break. It was my birthday while we were away and I had an awesome ‘The Stig’ cake.
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