The mobile operators need a wrap on the knuckles!

Adverts witrh claims of "Unlimited data" should mean exactly that!

They should be legally bound to inform potential customers of a monthly MB allowance (if one exists). Fees for additional data should be set at much lower rates too. That way, people would be more likely to use the service and the telcos would get their revenue that way.

When the allowance is used up, the operator should send an SMS to warn users of pending additional charges and how much they will be.

They should also do the same for call and text allowances.

A user should be able to dial up and find out their current data usage at any time.

If any usage goes significantly above normal levels, they should be calling to ask why (like a credit card company does when you spend high sums all of a sudden). If the user can't provide security answers, all non-emergency outgoing calls should be suspended.

Verbal contracts should not be permissable either. A written and signed agreement by both parties should be mandatory before a contract comes into effect.

Variations in pricing throughout the life of the contract should be provided clearly in writing and if excessive, the customer should have the absolute right to cease the agreement without penalty.

So far, the mobile telcos have been acting like a bunch of downmarket secondhand car dealers! This shabby practice should be tightened up, sharpish!

A Miele with a HEPA filter is the ultimate IMO. I have two Miele vacs. One 18 yrs old and the other about 7, but we bought the second just for the HEPA filter (my then 5yr old daughter had bad asthma).

Neither have ever broken, they run very quiet, have variable suction and a host of attachments that just work (without breaking). An understated design which is a triumph in ergonmics and durability.

Dyson's however don't seem to last and are therefore contributing to uneccessary landfill. I hate short life products, they are the scourge of western consumerism. We shoudld value resources and make tangible products, not flush it all away!! I know a few people who have had Dysons and blindly swear by them, but are on their second or third units – good business for Charles Dyson!! Baffles me why they keep going back for more! How much do a few vac bags set you back?!? The bagless cyclone concept is appealing, but the suction with these vacs has been proven to be inferior to Miele. The Dysons I have used have been bloody noisy and the hose that is part of the handle is an example of fashion winning out over function – clunky and awkard to use. There is no auto-recoil for the power lead and to use the unwieldy hose attachment, you have to completely unwind the power chord. Just a faff.

The Henry is a great utility vac. Not quiet in operation, but a workhorse all the same. Built to last and a 1st choice if you are on a budget.

For small vacuuming jobs, I have recently become aware of the great performance of a small handheld rechargeable by Philps. This great little vac really works (unlike other cordless units i've used before which don't have enough suction to pick much up). I can easily do a staircase and landing on a single charge. It has no bag, so there's no other cost apart from recharging. A great quick and convenient tool that i have found very useful, saving the faff of getting the big machine out for small jobs and it's ideal on stairs. I can do mine in 2 mins easily.

Wow, I didn't realize what a vacuuming annorak I was!! 😆

Reminds me of the wreck we came across in the 90's, whilst hoofing it across the peat bogs in the hills to the East of Manchester. Apparetntly it was an American bomber bound for Woodford aerodrome, but got a bit lost in the fog and just ploughed into the hillside. Nobody survived.

What we saw were some bits of undercarriage, engine and the odd bit fuselage/wings. Some of the stainelss steel bits looked like they had been there a week, not 50 years!

The considered opinion was to leave it exactly as one found it out of respect for the dead. I concur with this thinking still!

A rather sophisticated woman who expertly concealed her most fabulously large assets! Yeah, I know she didn't need to use her arsenal of upper body weaponry because she was naturally talented at her job.

Dunno, but the latest code for my 5800 makes it a very different bit of kit to the thing I first purchased 16 months ago.

I think Nokia launched their first touchscreen with a few too many bugs, although mine wasn't troublesome like some units which people have complained about.

Whilst the looks are a bit clunky, the handset is just fantastic. Still one of only a few handsets that supports full function BBC iPlayer. For the money it's hard to beat, but is a bit dated now. Trailing edge technology is always much better value and with all the kinks ironed out, but we all want the latest gadget.

I'm looking forward to the N8

Sleek looks, pinch zoom, HD output.

Where will it all end? lol

I use a Netgear RedyNAS Duo and a Logitech Squeezebox Duet. It's a powerful combo that doesn't rely on a PC being up and running. I would check your manuals to see if you can do the same with your Philips. NAS boxes have many good uses as well as running server software and I chose my NAS based on Squeezebox forums and evidence of strong support for the unit on Logitech's website. So what deos Philips recommend?

In respect of finding stations with the SB, there are various search criteria and I would imagine you'll have the same with your box (genre, region etc). You can save the ones you like to your favourites making recall a simple task.

If you want UK stations and your box takes stadard URL's, http://www.radiofeeds.co.uk is a pretty good place to start. Make sure you pick a stream format compatible with your streaming device however.

I they were them crazy Cravendale cows!

I love a bit of light hearted banter now and then!

I might have known you were a bloody Guardian reader!!! 😆

ernie_lynch – Member

Why did you open the thread then? Surely the title would have warned you off

I don't know the reason why cynic-al opened the thread, but I opened it because the title lured me irresistibly with promises of a classic Spongebob witless observation.

I was not disappointed

Had the tread being started by anyone else, I might have suspected trolling. But I am comfortably confident that in this case the OP was completely serious. STW is becoming as entertaining and amusing to read as the Sun

We aim to please little ernie!

Unfortunately, I don't think the Cons will do a better job but they couldn't do worse!

Not even Mr Blobby could do worse than Gordon Brown!

they only pay your entitlements from when you contact them.

Not true! You can currently get 3 month's worth back paid, but Cameron said the other day that the government will reduce this to 1 month. The forms for this are unbelievable.

Signing on is a not fun! You have to go every two weeks to sign a bit of paper. I suppose it's to stop immigrants signing on, then going back to their home country. I haven't had any useful help or advice from these charmless people yet and they declined my application for jobseekers. They advised me incorrectly on which benefit to apply for, but either way I don't qualify. I have a partner earning etc.

You need to apply for "contributions based" job seekers allowance if you have been full time employed and have been paying class 1 national insurance contributions. (I was self-employed paying class 2 which won't qualify).

There are a raft of other benefits to which you may be entitled and the questions you answer when you call the jobseeker's line will determine what you might get.

My firm advice is: Find a job, any job, then think about holidays!

Sorry to hear your story! All too common these days – firms selling out on UK people in the pursuit of cheaper labour and lower costs elsewhere in the world.

I blame banks for lending too much and inflating prices here. I also blame governments for their incompetence in controlling the banks and big business! And for the ludicrous bureaucracy and taxes on UK businesses! I'm sure the welfare system and overbloated public sector is placing a big burden on the tax system. Shame so many people can't see the need to reduce this.

Big business began to manufacture in China a few decades ago, so we simply can't compete unless we have high import duties. As the world is a now a global village, we UK workers will have to find non-expendable occupations that cannot be exported to the third world!

Personally, I would go all out to find a job utilizing your skills and experience and not waste a moment.

Good luck!

Did someone say get a sling for the first 3-6 months? Best then factor in a few trips to the physio for the bad back you will get as a result!

Don't get drawn into buying the most expensive buggy, pram convertible whojamaflit thingy!

We had Mamma's and Pappas stuff and it was mediocre, but expensive (£500 15 years ago).

I'd go for a three wheeled offroady looking thing that folds down small.

Another thing we found useful for getting baby off to sleep was a cheap baby rocker (a bit like this[/url]. but not in pukey pink). Great device! Put whingy baby in it, and actuate gently with foot whilst watching TV, or whatever. Worked a treat! 😀

You aimed to buy a bike from Halfords???

Don't use eBay unless you are going to make significantly more than other means! A next best solution is no not accept Paypal, but this will limit your number of potential buyers.

In the interests of "security", Paypal may withold payment until you have sent your item and the buyer has left feedback (transactions over £50). The buyer may not leave feedback and in this case you will have to wait at least 30 days after they have recieved the item. It then goes to a Paypal dispute process. Stuff that!

It the buyer decides they don't want the item or finds a non-existent problem, you will have forked out for shipping and listing fees. You might even have to pay to get your item back (an possibly damaged to boot).

The problem of fees being withheld happened to me, but fortunately the buyer left feedback immediately. This delayed me sending the item and i had to speak to the buyer to gauge whether I trusted them or not. I was really miffed and concerned about shipping valuables before recieving any money and Paypal were completely useless at understanding my point of view. Damn it, I was their customer!!

Paypal do this to save them any trouble with unscrupulous sellers, but at the time I had a 4 year unblemished selling record with many transactions. Paypal didn't seem to think 80 odd transactions was sufficient!

Their policy has nothing to do with seller protection, in fact the opposite effect is true.

Add the 14% combined fees and eBay looks like a waste of time.

I would use one of these companies that buy up mobiles. After you factor in eBay and Paypal fees, postage, these companies work out to be an attractive alternative.

Oh and don't forget to make sure you have the free satnav upgrade for Nokia Maps and don't forget to download the maps you need too.

Get OVI on your PC nad do all the checks for the latest code too.

Download Nokia sports tracker (free) and buy viewranger (£15-20 starting price).

There's one that turns the camera into a useful torch (free)

Accu Weather (free)

There are upteen free apps, games etc via "OVI".

Don't know about cases.

Sounds like a bunch of very sexy stuff ian!

Makes me want to rebuild another bike!

What did you buy?

Right, i'm now going to watch the game proper. Expect a goal soon. 😆

You are talking a long long schlepp to the Alps and with a preggers wife! She must be very dedicated to want to go camping in her condition!

Dijon is where we'd usually break the journey, but it ain't what i'd call nice.

Maybe you could do 4/5 hours and have a couple of hours stop to restm then carry on.

If you can do it, i'd recommend a stop near Annecy by the lake. That's a lovely spot.

All depends on where the "Mega" actually is really.

The vast outdoors and access to some awesome skiing, cheap fuel, your missus is already there. Tell me what's scary about that?

Do you like the depressing daily news reel or something?

Been busy posting and just realized it's half time. Did i miss anything?

Guy gets on a transatlantic flight and by chance gets to sit next to a really hot chick. They get talking and end up drinking a whole bottle of brandy together. Later on they have a snog and a cuddle etc under their travel blankets.

Next day, bloke tells his mate about the encounter and their high consumption of alcohol.

Mate asks; "You lucky baxxard! Any signs of deep vein thrombosis?"

Bloke says; "No, I didn't give her one"

(p.s. this is a true story – really!)

Bravo CountZero! Bravo!

Posting on STW takes away some of the pain watching footy!

While the video buying public has become High Def obsessed (and questionably so), why is it that they are so happy to flush away High Def. sound??

The reason why I say the pursuit of HD video is questionable because of the scarcity of broadcast HD media. The time one spends watching a BlueRay, or DVD is negligible. Conversely, high quality digital audio recordings have been available in overwhelming volume for at least 20 years. With music, you do listen for a considerable percentage of your time to audio recordings, rather than compressed FM/DAB radio (the latter being a bigger disappointment at 128kbps).

SACD sounded like an interesting development, but the media was virtually unobtainable. The CD through a decent system was/is jaw droppingly good, so I think the format didn't need much improving. What is so disappointing is when a great band use a uselss recording studio, thus turning out audio mediocrity. Anyone with a good hifi will totally understand what i'm getting at! The meduim of CD is not a problem, just the will and ability of the record producers to make a good master copy.

Sorry if I sould like i'm banging on about sound. I love music, but it is ten times, a hundred times better when it's well recorded and reproduced.

The situation with regard to the decline in sales of decent audio quality recordings is totally exasperating!

Basically, those who know no better, or who are just lazy, or impatient are creating a situation where the CD will no longer be viable. Then we'll be left with no source of decent recordings!

What a depressing thought!

The saving grace will be when the industry wakes up to the commercial opportunity to market HD Audio. I bet this is on the cards now since the cost and size of storage has shrunk dramatically.

Buzzlightyear – Member

Listen to them on a decent hi-fi system instead of the low-fi copies on a crappy portable with in-ear phones. You'll be amazed how much we've compromised quality for convenience.

Listen to them, the music will come to life again.

+1!!

Also, when you get high quality streaming technology, you will find you need to re-rip in lossless. Impossible without your original discs.

What if you loose your copy on HDD for whatever reason?

Get some cardboad boxes and put them in your loft/cupboards and regard these as your master archive, unless of corse, you decide to get a proper hifi.

If you have a coupleof hundred quid to spare, consider adding a Cambridge Audio DacMagic DAC. This can run off a PC or accept TOSLINK feeds. Either way, you will hear the best of your digital music collection.

The guy who works out a use for all old tyres would become incredibly rich.

It doesn't play CD's until you upgrade it. You can add a DVD or BlueRay ROM drive to make this a DVD/BlueRay/CD player.

It is a device which enables you to stream internet TV to your TV upscaling over it's HDMI output. There are a range of internet channels you can watch from a preconfigured menu and as internet TV is on the up, Syabas (the manufacturer), will be periodically modifying this menu.

It can accept a streaming feeds from a NAS or PC, but will take it's own HDD to store media.

So it will store your music and video in pretty much any non-DRM format and pictures of course.

It's a cheap alternative to an Home Theatre PC.

There are some reviews online and there's some stuff on Youtube.

Up 7% in one day today, but bear in mind oil is set to double in price in the next few years.

I bet the uber-critical "puffed up shirts" in America today will capitulate, becoming hyporits, when the thirst to aquire more crude causes them to sanction further risky deep water exploration as the price burgeons.

Yep, i'd say BP stocks, long term, is safer than houses!

Nobody? Really?

Coz they are chavs!

BTW Freesat channels are broadcast from a completely different satellite to Sky's (albeit very close to Sky's satellites' geostationary positions). In fact, there are several satellites in this area and the broadcasters periodically shift channels between satellites after moving them around.

The channel lists are not hugely different between Freesat and FTA Sky and there's a slightly bigger choice than Freeview (if ulike utter rubbish such as shopping channels!) 😀

It amazes me that this technology even works given that the transmissions are a staggering 22000 miles above the Earth's surface!

My mum was a Sky customer for many years, paying over £40 a month. She paid £199 to get a Sky + upgrade years ago (that was the the only way to get the box).

She cancelled recently and now gets free to air channels, however Sky, the tight bastards, disabled the recording capability of the unit!!

Now is it me, or is this bang out of order, given that she paid for the Sky plus box?

I'm getting her a Freesat HD PVR and the Sky+ will go on the kitchen telly.

Me?I would never pay for subscription TV coz I know what Sky are like. Plus I don't see why I should have to pay a monthly subscription to get bombarded with commercials on dozens of channels!

I'd definitely pay for high definition, commercial free, on demand movie streaming though.

Now I don't like footy and i'm only half watching (gotta keep the rest of the family happy), but there's a certain satisfaction seeing France loose.

Does that make me a bad person? 😆

Aren't Santander having a spot of bother in Spain?

Are you handy with joinery, upholstery, wiring etc etc? A DIY conversion, but make sure your insurer knows about the modifications.

Actually, video on disc is becoming old hat. The future is for downloads/streaming over the internet – video on demand.

So a PVR for timeshifting live TV is still a must and ideally one with network streaming capability, so if you want to offload and archive any content on it's hard drive elsehwere, you can copy the files off to a storage device which can stream to any one of your media streamers located around the house (or beyond). An internet and local media streamer such as this.

Some DVD recorders have the abilty to record onto removable discs, live TV content from their built in tuner. The ones i've seen are only single tuner, so once you start recording, you can't watch a different broadcast channel – you'll need another source. You can also get a unit that has a hard drive as well.

BTW, BlueRay is the newfangled media, not DVD (which is now old hat).

An hometheatre PC will offer total flexibility, but with that box comes complexity and higher cost.