Beer Festivals: A Photographic Comparison

The Hop Festival, Faversham, Kent, UK

Oktoberfest, Munich, Bavaria, Germany

(Images via The Telegraph and Uncoached)

Emoji and the iPhone: A Tutorial

So, another friend has recently got an iPhone, and one of the first things I tell them are about these funky Japanese emoticons, for every occasion, that are contained within in every iPhone. (So, if you don't have an iPhone you can just skip this post, and come back later today for something booze related.)

Now for some reason emoji's are contained within every iPhone, yet not activated. And in fact the option is hidden unless you happen to be using a Japanese iPhone on a Japanese network. Fortunately for us they don't have to remain that way. And so, ready for the next friend who buys an iPhone, I present to you these step by step instructions.

1. Download Spell Number from the AppStore. (There are plenty of £0.59p apps on the store purporting to give you emoji, but this one is free, activating the emoji is just an easter egg the dev put in.)
2. Open the app, and type 91929394.59 into the on screen calculator.
3. Go back to your iPhone homescreen and open settings.
4. In settings navigate to the following options General -> Keyboard -> International Keyboards -> Japanese
5. Slide the switch next to emoji to 'on'
6. ?
7. Profit! 

Emojis are now enabled, you can exit settings and delete Spell Number. Don't forget to rate it 5 stars, the dev's have just saved you £0.59p for no other reason than they're nice that way. Why not visit their apps on the AppStore, and see if there's anything else you need! Just try not to spam any reviews with too many smiling poos.

Summers here already?

Must be, because suddenly I really want a Corona.

(Image via Kelly Hall's Twitter)

White iPhone G4 is U.G.L.Y

So another string of leaks relating to the new iPhone coming out of China. This time relating to a white iPhone. Now a friend of mine has always favoured the white iPhone. "iPods we're white, the iPhone is the best iPod ever made, it should be white." And I could see his point.


Unfortunately, by making the front of the new iPhone white also, you're left with the same problem the white PSP had. Smooth white lines, big ugly black screen when the screen is off. Which certainly spoils the 2001-esque monolith look the new iPhone enjoys.


I really can't say it's a good look! although I'm sure people will disagree. I wonder though if the people buying the new white iphone (If released in its current leaked state.) would be buying it because they really honestly like the look, or just to be different from the pack.

iPad Prices Announced

Its a momentous day today in the UK. No, not the hung Parliament. Today Apple have announced the release date and prices for the iPad in the UK.

Pre-orders will start on the 10th of May, for the device to ship on Friday the 28th of May. Prices for the UK as confirmed by Apple below.

"iPad will be available in the UK for a suggested retail price of £429 (inc. VAT) for 16GB, £499 (inc. VAT) for 32GB, £599 (inc. VAT) for 64GB for Wi-Fi models and £529 (inc. VAT) for 16GB, £599 (inc. VAT) for 32GB and £699 (inc. VAT) for 64GB for Wi-Fi + 3G models."

I'm still not entirely convinced this is as an exciting release as it would've been had it been closer to the release date in the States. Nonetheless I will be pleased to get my hands on one of these at the local Apple Store.

UPDATE:
Of course already there has been some (much) discussion in the blogosphere of how much of a rip off those prices are. Alot of people struggle with maths, myself included. However, lets break it down.

Mid range Wi-Fi 32gb model

US $ - 599 (exc. Sales Tax) is £408.13 at current exchange rate
UK price £499 (inc. £87.32 VAT)

UK Price £411.68 ex VAT
US Price £408.13 ex sales tax

So for the middle range model its 3 pounds more than a straight US$-UK£ conversion. Not that much of a rip off.

Vengeance has been done at the Municipal Fortress of Justice

My apologies for the lack of any updates recently, to you, my dear readers. (both of you.) I was unfortunately required to fulfil my civic duty and complete a term of jury service. Fortunately, justice has now been done, and normal tech/drinking/breast related posts will be forthcoming.

After all there's a hell of a lot of waiting around when you do jury service, and not a lot of entertainment. its given me plenty of ideas.

If only Justice were actually this entertaining

Why I may not be buying an iPad come launch day.

I've been pretty damn excited by the launch of the iPad. Since it was announced I've known I would own one. There were several reasons for this, both pragmatic and sheer geekiness. My G4 iBook is both creaky and old (and rum soaked, another story.) All I use my iBook for is web browsing and, when on holiday, storing photos from my digital cameras. I had been looking at a new MacBook Pro to replace it, but an iPad actually does what I need at half the cost.

And I've always dreamed of playing Command & Conquer on a tablet. How much more sci-fi does it get than commanding an army of tanks on your lap with your fingers? Thanks to EA, the iPad does that! (Albeit at a cost.)

But the current announcement that the iPad will not ship until the end of May to international customers. And pricing in those regions will remain in the dark until May 10th... Well, I saw that coming. Apple had given no pricing details as of the 8th of April, for a device on sale only 3 weeks later, it was suspicious.

But the end of May? All bets are on Apple announcing a new iPhone G4 for release in June (following the pattern of the original iPhone and the iPhone 3GS) Considering that the iPad wont be running the newest version of iPhone OS 4.0 until the Autumn, why would I buy an iPad now? First gen adopters always get shafted, and now for those adopters outside the states, there's a much better feature enhanced O.S. due for release potentially as little as 4 weeks later. All wrapped up inside hardware likely to be much, much better than what is out there now from Apple.

The iPad has done exceptionally well in the states, and Apple blames its delay worldwide on the level of demand in the States. But really, were they not expecting this thing to sell like hot cakes? Why weren't there enough to go around?

My excitement for the iPad has died somewhat, because just round the corner, there will be the newer much more exciting iPhone 4.0 OS running on the new iPhone G4. What is the point in my buying the latest kit, only for my new iPhone to outshine it a mere 6 weeks later?

OpenTTD might swing it... But I doubt many people will be swung to the iPad based solely on a 15 year old DOS game. Pretty sure that's just me.

...

I loved that game. Why aren't we commuting to work on MagLevs already? The year 2000 was 10 years ago for chrissakes.