Musings on shifting my apps to Google.

Okay, this is really just a quick dump of my info to make sure I don’t forget it.  It probably won’t be a well written post  ( No surprise there!) but it’s my blog so….

Right I need to shift my php app to Google App Services for a few reasons.

I’ll probably shift it into Java as rather than bluff my way totally like PHP, I at least I’ve just forgotten it all

http://code.google.com/appengine/docs/java/gettingstarted/installing.html

http://code.google.com/p/googleappengine/wiki/SdkForJavaReleaseNotes

The GAE also has a scheduler which I need to look into

http://code.google.com/appengine/docs/java/config/cron.html

This blog has run PHP on Java if I need a backup plan

http://www.webdigi.co.uk/blog/2009/run-php-on-the-google-app-engine/

Watch this space…….

Fixing my Golf

It always rains when I need to fix my car and today is no exception.  Result though – new brake light switch fitted and working

You can see how here

Stuffed Pork Tenderloins

Today I had the chance to cook one of my favorite dishes at the moment – pork tenderloins stuffed with fruit mincemeat and sausage and hazelnuts.  The rich flavours in this work really well together (especially topped off with cinnamon gravy made from the juices) but it’s so easy to change them around to match the seasons.  It takes a bit of preparation to butterfly out the fillets and to tie it all back together for roasting but the results really are mouthwatering and it looks spectacular carving it at the table.

I originally picked up this dish from Hugh F-W River Cottage Meat book but if your interested then drop me a line or goggle for lots of alternatives on the theme.  Enjoy!

The Roastmaster? – Spring Lamb

I thought it was time to blog some more about food as cooking is certainly one of my passions and one of the hobbies I manage to fit into family life.  This weekend I was dispatched to do the shopping which is no bad thing as it means I get to buy all the stuff I want to cook and eat   So I popped over to Bridgnorth this morning as it offers better shops than our village and it’s got some soul.  We had plans for the afternoon so I had to be quick – you can see some photos in my photo stream —>

Top of my list was a visit to Beamans which is a great butchers.  Reassuringly, they don’t have a website so here is a link so you can find them on the high street ( great window display) and they are also alongside the river with a convenient driveby stop-in-shop.  They stock local produce with lots of the less popular cuts made available so you can have the indulgent great quality fresh local cuts alongside the cheaper alternatives.  Today I picked up a leg of bridgnorth spring lamb amongst other items ( Becca loves the BBQ ribs – is that normal for a toddler? ) and I’m planning on cooking it tomorrow.  We like it medium/rare with rosemary, garlic and a hint of lemon which I picked up from one of the Jamie Oliver books but Hugh F-W covers it well also.  This link gives a reasonable overview but don’t overcook it!   I also picked up a piece of belly pork which is really cheap but fantastic as a chinese style cut.  I picked it up from Rick Stein here.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

p.s there is also a great cheese shop which sells the local cave aged cheddar which is fantastically favoured.

Nintendo DS stuff

NDS

Recently I’ve been playing around with my nintendo DS again and it really is a great gadget.  For a child targetted  console it really has a number of cool apps to make it worth a bit of attention.

First up get a multi card adapter – I have a CycloDS evolution but there are lots of online forums which cover this type of device.  Obviously, only backup the games you own to the card but you can carry a lot around as it uses a microSD card for storage.  I find a 2GB card okay but a 4GB or 8GB would be better if you want video as well.  It also supports the Moonshell application which can run multimedia and I’ll focus on using that here.

The latest firmware for cycloDS and Moonshell is available here.    The best thing I’ve done recently, and spent a long time on forums figuring out, is how to play my DVD’s on my DS.   We are planning some driving holidays this year so having some of Becca’s favorites with us might just help us out

The NDS plays back a DPG format which I wasn’t familiar with but read on to find out how to convert movies to it using Freeware tools!

First up get a product which will copy your DVD’s to your computer Hard Drive.  I use DVDFab which is free and seems to do a good job as it allow you to select the audio required and if you only want the main movie.  You can buy a license to do more with it.

The output from DVD fab includes a VIDEO_TS folder with a few VOBs in it depending upon the size of the DVD y0u are reading.

Next you need to stitch them together for conversion to DPG format.  To do this I use DVD Shrink but ensure you set the options/preferences correctly (it’s a bit hidden) as you need a single VOB output for the next step.

Now you should have a single VOB file for your DVD ready for conversion.  Next up is a great product called super which took me ages to find but fronts some very powerful command-line driven video conversion freeware tools.  Install it and follow the instructions to convert your VOB to a DPG file.  It also supports many other conversions which I’ll leave to your exploration.   Simply copy this DPG file to your MicroSD card which is inserted into your CycloDS evolution Card.  Power up your DS  and select Moonshell (or equvalent) to play it back.

Good Luck and I hope this has saved you the few hours I spent figuring this out!   Obviously this is all at your own risk but give me a shout if you have any questions.

Jon

p.s. The NDS will be even better when there is a version of fring which will allow skype calls over WLAN on it.

Fresh Air, Deer and Gadgets

Attingham Snowdrops

We had a great day out today at Attingham Park in Shrewsbury today as the weather finally seems to be breaking into sping.  The snowdrops were all out and Becca was riding in her new backpack.  It almost makes carrying her a pleasure .

Checkout photos on the right or here and sportstracker report here.   Sportstracker is a really cool app which should really give you a feel for what we did today.

Jon

p.s Read on for gadget report:-

<gadgetmode>

I also managed to bring it together with my gadget fetish and used the new nokia sportstracker on my nokia e71.  I know many people are persevering with the touchscreen models which are flooding the market but this phone is the best I have ever had – great for calls and lots of gadgets to add too – I’ll post about them soon.  I’ve also updated the firmware which makes it much quicker to get and keep GPS lock.

</gadgetmode>

Gadgets

Okay,

I have to admit it I am now officially a gadget fan.  I’ve been building steadily in the last couple of years but it’s my Nokia e71 which has finally convinced me.  It just does everything I want brilliantly. Plain. Simple.  Easy.

All gadgets should be like this.   I’d write more but I’m busy finding more symbian apps for it……

Still, you should see the photos ——————>

Smile

I just got my first big, beaming, joyful smile from my daughter and it made my heart melt.

Ripples

Something happened today to make me think about our impact on others in this life. Our time on this earth with others can be so short and interrupted without the slightest notice.

Think about what your doing, do what you love, love those who matter unconditionally and remember that each moment you only get once, so make it count.
When a stone hits the water it has an impact and creates the most beautiful waves.

I think it’s important for us to make and leave ripples, and make sure you leave the ones you want to.

Cookies

Encouraged by the supplement in the weekend paper, I made cookies for the first time this week. They were amazing – even if I do say so myself! However it is difficult to go wrong with big chocolate chunks in them! If you’ve never tried it I suggest you give it a go – here is a link to the guide I used and specifically the cookies.

I am yet to find a problem which doesn’t look easier to solve after one of these

In fact the guides are all pretty great so check them out here

p.s They were fair-trade so you can even feel good about eating them

p.p.s Thanks to Nikki for stopping me from cooking them to a crisp!