[Dave Rice]

Happy Birthday JC, mine next I think.

[Dave Rice]

For very serious long term storage a Synology NAS with an Intel CPU allows you to implement BTRFS volumes that stop bit rot.

“Btrfs provides checksums for data and metadata, generates two copies of metadata, and then verifies the checksums during each read process. Once discovering a mismatch (silent data corruption), the Btrfs file system is able to auto-detect corrupted files (silent data corruption) with mirrored metadata, and recover broken data using the supported RAID volumes, including RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10, F1, and SHR“.

SHR is Synology’s own Hybrid RAID system which makes using mismatched drives sizes more efficient. Really comes into it’s own with >dual slot chassis. It’s a lot easier to add drives and expand volumes than traditional RAID.

[Dave Rice]

Photo Station is the app for the server, allows you to create albums, organise and share them.

DS photo for android or iOS which can be set to auto backup (wait for WiFi) on the device the same as Google photos. Also allows you to view albums etc.

Synology C2 Backup is built in as a target in HyperBackup. €10 p.a. for 100GB, €25 for 300GB, €60 for 1TB

DS and Google Photos sit together quite happily on my phone. Together with a Panasonic app that allows me to access my camera from my phone or iPad, I use a mixture of all three on my travels. Google photo is great for quick and dirty stuff, the Synology for long term albums.

[Dave Rice]

Use your Synology. There are apps to do exactly what you want to do.

[Dave Rice]

Disconnect the spinner for safety’s sake. Then there can be no accidents.

You can sort out the dvd and spinners drive letters later if you want to.

[Dave Rice]

USB mice will usually light up with power being supplied but PC turned off.

+1 to swapping reset and power buttons

[Dave Rice]

There’s a big annual event at Weston-Super-Mare where they build massive dunes. It’s not so much a race as an endurance event and getting back on when (not if) you fall off isn’t simple. My mate takes part every year and it’s totally nuts.

[Dave Rice]

Drezha, unlimited sims are available for business at the same sort of cost

[Dave Rice]

Now Len McCluskey is distancing himself Corbyn won’t last long. It’ll be a woman next that’s for sure and probably from north of Watford too.

Boris had better remember who got him there. There will be no excuses accepted.

[Dave Rice]

Probably good news she’s gone too. Both the Lib Dems and Brexit Party got an over inflated idea of themselves from the Euro election protest votes.

Once Boris got “his” deal (actually a reheated May reject) that was it. All people could see was MPs voting against everything and for nothing. There was no Remain alliance as Labour wanted to run with the hare and the hounds. Automatic revoke was a step too much. So where do you go?

All I’m hearing on the TV is Corbynistas in total denial. If Corbyn isn’t gone by the end of the week they can forget it. But with the modern trend for those in power to cling to it no matter what he probably won’t. It may well be full out civil war this time.

[Dave Rice]

In Amsterdam I was consistently getting 80mbps+ In Paris it was 20 – 30. All still faster than the hotels WiFi so I was phone hot-spotting the iPad for managing the photos and FB. Worked a treat.

The trains were as dire as ours are. Eurostar do tell you it’s 4G based so don’t expect too much. No idea if it works in the tunnel as I’d given up by then.

I think that “through the air” BB is the future, however it’s going to take 5G to do it right. In the meantime for me and a lot of people and small businesses it’s good enough speed and reliability wise at a decent price.

[Dave Rice]

Well who saw that coming? I nearly did a Blacklion but decided I needed to vote so ended up voting against those I liked least but talk about holding your nose!

The only thing I got right was the Brexit Party gaining nothing. I believe they may have queered the pitch in a few seats but that’s all. But how does such a small increase in the popular vote = so many seats? The system really is broken but turkeys aren’t going to vote for Christmas.

I see the Corbynistas are blaming Brexit not Corbyn the man or the policies. If it wasn’t for Brexit we’d have cut through, the policies are popular, etc. Bollocks. Also who decided Labour’s Brexit policy anyway? Sit on the fence until it breaks.

At least Farage should be buggering off to America soon.

 

[Dave Rice]

I think it will be a hung parliament. TBH any small majority will be too as minority interests will be able to hijack the agenda as they have the last 3 years. They may all have “signed up” before the election (or been purged) but after tomorrow that means nothing.

Taking bets on when Diane Abbott, Marc Francois, Jacob Rees-Mogg, etc. will be allowed to reappear. In a weird way I’ve missed them all 😀

[Dave Rice]

+1 to the aerial. It may be worth looking at Freesat if you need a new aerial anyway. I have Freesat and the channels are pretty much the same, but like Steve I’m find we’re streaming more and more. If I stream Seven Worlds One Planet from iPlayer I get it in 4K and it’s stunning.

[Dave Rice]

Dan, with my daughter being in Bangor I know those trips down the borders well. The Manchester to Cardiff train is positively luxurious compared to the direct ones that run up through Hereford, Shrewsbury and Chester. You get a massive discount from Transport for Wales traveling via Hereford on their cattle trucks – £56 compared to £107 on a single. Perversely there’s not much difference on a return, go figure.

The problem is going you only get 5 minutes to change at Newport, which is nowhere near enough if you have to get to platform 1 from 3, and the borders train is only every 2 hours. If you miss the connection it’s a 30 minute wait followed by a 2 or 3 change job; your Manchester train to change at Shrewsbury (another 30 mins plus wait) then often another change at Chester too. I’ve managed to dodge the bus connection between Newport and Cwmbran though.

Sometimes I just say sod the expense and get the train to Birmingham New Street then the Holyhead connection. That’s the same rolling stock as yours but at least they put on more than the 2 carriages of the borders trains! I do get to the other end with a bit more life left in me. Coming back from Rhyl a few weeks ago I was almost brain dead and that journey went OK. It’s the no mobile signal and nothing to look at in the dark that’s the killer, along with playing sardines after Chester.

[Dave Rice]

Why the Europeans can make it work and we can’t is always beyond me.

[Dave Rice]

It needs sorting, Boris has seen the need to get it sorted too but in a different way (and I don’t mean HS2).

Due to my particular disability I use public transport a lot and it’s atrocious in this country. If you’re in London it’s a totally different world but why the rest of us are not allowed to use that model is beyond me. Mind you it keeps the shareholders of First happy.

[Dave Rice]

Just checked my Humax remote and there is no Netflix (it may be available on the GUI however) and it’s not that old. Must be a recent addition.

[Dave Rice]

I have the answer to fidelity issues, too many Motorhead concerts in your youth.

Saved me a fortune on posh kit.

[Dave Rice]

You’re quite right Bob, Netflix is on there. I never noticed, probably because the kitchen TV is smart in itself and has Netflix in it’s own right.

[Author]

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