Now You Can Listen To The Posts
Yep you read that right. I’ve signed up to a service (free) that automatically turns my written word into an audio podcast. So not got time to read my crap, down load the audio file and listen to it down the gym, in your car. Well basically anywhere where you listen to stuff already. Heck you can even subscribe to it in iTunes.
This will only really be available on new posts, and maybe one or two of the recent ones. The service doesn’t go through all my old posts sadly. But hey it’s free so what have I got to complain about?
I’ve had a listen and for machine generated audio it’s not bad. So I hope you find it useful.
New Look
What can I say, I’ve been thinking about a new look for the blog for a while. 
Guess what? I found a theme I liked the look of, and that is what you are seeing now.
Let’s face it the old look (which I can switch back to very quickly) has been with us for two years now. Well since the blog was moved over from the old Microsoft Live Spaces (well I’ve not missed that place).
Hopefully you will agree with me that this gives a new fresh feel to the place.
I still have some tweaking to do, like get it so the default pictures that rotate in the header get replaced with mine. So if you spot something that isn’t right let me know so I can fix it.
In the meantime I will leave you with a couple of photos once more taken with the iPhone while out with the dogs. The first is a startled Moorhen in flight, and the second me trying to be arty again.
You can see more iPhone photos taken by me on My The Best Camera Page. You will see there some familiar photos and some that you won’t of seen before (unless you have joined me on Facebook and/or Twitter). For those interested when you view the pictures it also gives you the recipe for any effects applied to the photo. Which won’t mean a lot to those not using the The Best Camera app on the iPhone.
Spot 2.0 This Autumn In The US of A
Spot are showing off version 2.0 of their Spot device at the Outdoor Retailers Summer 09 show that is happening over in the US of A.
So let’s get straight down to what has changed in this update.
I’ve taken the following off their press release, so the Spot 2.0 is:
- 30% smaller and lighter than the original model at 5.2 ounces
- New enhanced satellite antenna for improved performance in foliage or canopied environments
- Advanced GPS performance chipset
- GPS Acquisition light
- “Message Sending” indicator light
- Dedicated GPS Tracking button
- New, dedicated pre-programmable Custom Message button
- Protective covers over S.O.S and Help button to prevent inadvertent message transmission
- Illuminated buttons
- Choice of orange or silver
- Included case and neoprene fastening band
- globally recognized symbols for its message buttons to accommodate use in international markets and stimulate distribution to a growing customer base in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
So that last point does it mean that there are US symbols that are different? Or is that just a bit of marketing sales speak that basically means nothing?
The six function buttons of the new SPOT 2.0 allows it to transmit the following activated messages:
- OK/Check in lets contacts know where you are and that you’re okay
- Track Progress sends and saves your location and allows contacts to track your progress in real-time using Google Maps™
- Help notifies your contacts or SPOT Assist professional services of your GPS location and need for assistance
- SOS/9-1-1 Alert notifies an emergency rescue coordination center of your GPS location
- Custom Message button sends a pre-programmed message to your personal contacts
I like the fact that they have added a custom message facility, and that they are making the device smaller and lighter. I will have to check up to see if they insist on forcing you to use their site to host the Google Map or if you can embed it in your own site instead.
Interestingly in the official press release Spot provide some stats that may be of interest to folks:
- initiated more than 250 rescues.
- sent over 10 million peace-of-mind and track-me messages around the world.
- As of March 31, 2009 the Company had received orders to ship more than 120,000 units.
- more than 8,000 points of distribution.
Well you know all about one of those rescues if you read the papers last year while the Challenge was on. Plus some of those 10 million messages were used to track Challengers this year and last year.
Read the official press release here and you can see photos of it on this blog post.
PS I’m calling it the Spot 2.0 that is not their name for it. I just wanted a way to get across that I was talking about the new model and not the old.
So Who Won The WhiteBox Solo And Kettle?
I was gobsmacked with the number of entries that this competition had. In the end there were 101 entries.
Well I’ve been over to www.random.org and used their random number generator to chose who the winner of the competition is.
Entry number 10 is Alan Sloman. Apparently he never wins anything and wouldn’t know what to do with this prize! Alan big clue look at the video I did 
Anyway as Alan starts down that slippery path of lightweight gear, I say congratulation on winning.
Competition Reminder
Fancy winning one of these GSI Kettles (Picture on left taken from Backpackinglight.co.uk)? Well you can along with one of the new Whitebox Solo stoves.
So what do you have to do to win these fabulous prizes?
It’s simple really pop on over to the original competition post HERE and leave a comment. That’s it you are entered in the competition. It couldn’t be easier than that.
You will find on the competition post the rules. Remember the competition closes on the 30th June 2009 at midnight GMT.
Now With Added Facebook Fan Page Power!
I’ve decided in a rash moment to start a Facebook Fan Page for this blog!
Why? Who knows, not sure myself yet. But it seemed a good idea this morning. Anyway for those that have won the competitions in the past and have any photos of themselves using the prizes I’d love it if you could post a picture on the fan page.
whitespider1066.com’s Facebook Page 
Freedom2Surf Feck Up Again
I should of posted this yesterday, but wanted to give my ISP a chance. As a part of Freedom2Surfs continuing attempt to provide a crap service I currently have no email. It’s been down since the early hours of yesterday (so over 24 hours now). It has had one or two emails through in that time. But ones I know I should have, have not come through. Like the email alerts I get when folks comment on here, or when a friend makes a comment on my Facebook page.
I could moan how the quality of service has just gone down hill with them since they were bought out. Especially in the last 3 months. Which in that time they have had more email outages and lose of ADSL than all of the 11 years or so that I have been with them put together. So something has changed at my ISP, and it’s not for the better that is for sure.
So if you have sent me an email and I haven’t replied in the last 24 hours, there is a good chance my ISP (Freedom2Surf) has fecked up delivering it to me.
Oooops
Some of you may of noticed that my blog was down for a couple of hours this evening (or last night if you are reading this the next day). I wish I could say it was due to the blog being so popular that it exceeded the bandwidth quota for the month. But sadly this is not the case, it was due to one of the plugins I use thrashing the mysql database (sorry geek talk there). So naturally the only solution for my hosting service was to de-activate my account!!!!
Hopefully I have disabled the offending plugin (I suspect it was one of the stat ones I use) and normal service has been resumed.
Sorry folks for the inconvenience.
Bargain Hunting Post Updated
Done some tinkering to the side bars of the blog. See if you can spot what has changed.
In the meantime I’ll get to the point of this posting, which is to say that I did a minor update to my Bargain Hunting posting I did a little while ago.
This is a great little posting for those wanting pointers on how to find bargains to kit themselves out in these difficult economic times.
The update I did I’m ashamed I forgot to add at the time. But better late than never I say.
Another Prize Added To Birthday Competition
With the Birthday Competition closing tomorrow at midnight GMT, there has been a late addition to the prizes to be won.
The new prize is a years membership to The John Muir Trust.
The prize has been donated by some-one who wishes to remain anonymous, which I will respect. But at the same time will say a big thank you for the generosity of donating the prize.
Enter the very simple to enter competition HERE.
Don’t forget to remind folks that the competition ends tomorrow. So they don’t have long to enter. Unless those that entered are trying to keep it a secret to increase their chances of winning! Which are still pretty good.
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