Birthday wishlist

I've narrowed down some items which are affordable, some items are less than half the others, and things I really want and would enjoy mostly. Without much further ado:

Vox headphone guitar amp: Comes in AC30, rock, or metal. Features an aux connection, this is the smallest guitar amp I could find and plugs right into your guitar. From videos on Youtube, I can only assume there is 

a headphone jack for private jamming whoo. Only catch is lack of controls which translates to buying a different type for the type of genre you're going after. Which brings me to the next item on my list.

Marshall mini amp: A miniature version of a full size Marshall amp with overdrive, tone and volume controls. Last I read somewhere online, it is powered by 9V battery or AC adapter and clips on with a belt clip. For private sessions a headphone jack is present. This is a serious contender on the list.


Starcraft 2, Wings of Liberty: Followup to the uber successful and arguably the longest running and most popular RTS, Starcraft. The original game which broke the mould with three races of varying strengths, weaknesses and strategies to employ has stood the test of time. This time around with improved graphics, units and a story line that picks up from where BroodWar left off. This is the one of three releases and focuses on the Terran episode. A personal personal favourite this title has single handedly reignited my passion for Starcraft, and gaming in general, and has started the embers glowing for a new laptop on which to play this incredible game.

The Starcraft Archive: An Anthology: A series of sci-fi going indepth view of almost everything that occurs between Starcraft and Starcraft 2. Each one delving into the different characters, eras, histories and complex interplay between warring political factions human Terrans, the technologically advanced Psi and warp capable Protoss and the terrifying, vicious onslaught of space traversing zerg. This anthology contains four titles that prime the reader for the Starcraft universe.

Starbucks Travel Mug: More of a necessity than brand statement, personal opinions this item at a 50/50 rating from friends who own it. A neat little thermal sealed mug that keeps heat or cold in and apparently is leak proof. Bonus. 

Blogging Tools

Image via CrunchBase

I’ve come to use a few tools when it comes to the task of blogging. It’s not usually hard to find information online when it comes to most anything but one thing that happens is loss of focus when dealing with the topic you might be free-writing or incubating. 

There are a plethora of tool available as add-ons for firefox that enable many features. The problem is just that, there are countless add-ons. Finding one that adds just the right type of functionality  to improve productivity or increase information or aesthetics without overwhelming features or crowding is crucial for me.

With that in mind Zemanta, is such a tool that helps to add a bit of colour to any blog. It scours sources of images which are usually available freely without licensing issues to insert into your blog. This is done on the fly and presents images in relation to the content being typed. Another feature is text links which you can select as well as tags based on content. Usually the links are a bit too much, highlighting almost every other word which Zemanta deems pertinent. Otherwise it offers a very simple system to link to other sources that might be of interest.

It is available for blogs as well as email and I’ve only used it on Firefox but it’s available on other browsers as well.

disclaimer: previously posted on my other blog.

Wireless Keyboard and Mouse - PCLINE PCL-WOD1

Purely from a review perspective - On the PCLINE PCL-WOD1 wireless keyboard and mouse, while both devices were working, the keyboard wasn't as responsive as with some keys just failing to register while typing and having to retype it. The optical mouse didn't have the smoothest tracking, but, was adequate enough for average use.

Everything was fine at the get go but after a day the keyboard stopped working and I had to resort to my wired keyboard for a while. Nothing much occurred except a drop from a very low height of the keyboard since the purchase, and, I don't know if that was the reason it stopped working or not. Then again, it stopped working a day after that incident. I tried changing batteries, although I'm not sure the pack I had with me was that fresh or
not.

I was almost ready to take it back when I took it back out, put in the batteries I had in when it stopped working, and it started working perfectly. Just to note, the mouse had been working without a hitch all this while.

While searching online for anything to help I came across this resource about the same device. And other searches for a website for the company only turned up a portal for driver downloads. There weren't any drivers available for this particular device. Whilst this post was up, the keyboard has failed again so after much hunting and running around for proof of payment I got it replaced for the same model. 

And after just under a month and half, the keyboard has stopped working again. I've taken it back for a refund, and, at this very moment, I'm back to my old wired keyboard and mouse. I highly suggest to anyone looking at this model not to purchase it and pay the extra € 15-25 for trusted brand name devices.I opted for a Logitech.

HTML Dog: The Best-Practice Guide to XHTML and CSS

This is more relevant and applicable than most XHTML and CSS books. A somewhat more comprehensive beginners book would be advised to someone not quite familiar with the basics, as this deals with more practical issues, such as margin collapsing, cross browser issues, etc. however, it is still adequate for someone starting out.

The level is novice to intermediate level. The companion site provides almost all the same content and live examples, handy references to almost any XHTML/CSS query, as well as links to other sources. A definite read for anyone who would like reinforce and improve their XHTML/CSS knowledge.

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One Deadly Summer, by Sebastien Japrisot

An engrossing story about deception and revenge. A vicious cycle of events set in motion by egregious misdeeds of a few. The story is told from the vantage of 4-5 characters. The author has a gift of candidly, yet elegantly, portraying human nature and sexuality.

The many angled narrative is compelling, and the raw sensuality of the protagonist tantalizing, adding to the beauty of the plot. One of my favorite reads. A must read for anyone who is into intrigue and suspense.

Wireless Keyboard and Mouse

After having missed a chance at buying what seemed to be a really good wireless keyboard and mouse from Lidl, I managed to get another equally good bargain. This time it was from merging sales of PC World and Currys in Blanchardstown. I'm not sure what brand the Lidl offering was, although a little shout out to my neighbour, who bought it, would reveal it.They are both € 20, although the one from PC World was marked down from € 24.

I am currently using it as we speak, so to speak. Not too bad a response from the keyboard and mouse, however, I have yet to change any settings on the system apart from the mouse sensitivity. The sensitivity was way higher than my wired mouse.

There is an option of setting the resolution lower on the mouse although I might not try it unless there is significant battery savings. The keyboard has useful keys such as volume mute and up/down which is highly warranted for me as I use a laptop on a table near the couch.The single USB connection saves on an extra USB port and the wireless nature offers a lot less clutter and tangle.

I had used a wireless keyboard and mouse from Microsoft 5-6 years ago. The experience wasn't too great, and I couldn't justify owning something for that price so I decided to sell it. It wasn't the same usb stick type base. More like a chunky thing that sat there and took up space. Things have improved since then, noticeably the usb connections and the battery life. Something i'd really like to own was the Logitech keyboard and mouse combo for at home or just the Logitech wireless laser mouse with nano unifying USB receiver if I'm using a netbook or smaller laptop on the go. Although the PC Line wireless keyboard and mouse I have at the moment doesn't have extra buttons or features, I will be happy with it for a while to come yet. Read this for my further usage experiences.

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