Yup... I'm getting the Nokia N97. I've just pre-ordered it from the Nokia website and it should arrive some time next month. I'm not exactly sure when it will come out because I've heard so many different dates from different sources.
Some sources have said that the release date in Europe will be 23rd June, Play.com have the phone pinned for a 27th June release, O2 stores have bragged about getting the phone released on the 15th June, and people in the States are suggesting they're going to get it on 2nd June!
Now, if history has taught me anything, it's that Nokia have almost always released their phones in Europe first before sending them to the States. If that's the case, and the yanks are right about their date, I should have the phone within the next week!
However, I doubt that will happen. I think it'll be on the 23rd June, just before my week off with the folks on their fishing holiday. I certainly would be getting it on, or before, O2 stores start stocking them because I'm getting the phone straight from the makers themselves and not via any other sources.
Now for the long and impatient wait. At least if I was upgrading my PC, I'd only have to wait for the parts to arrive because they're already out. Still, once I notice the money leave my bank account, I'll know its on its way
Note: All dates stated were correct at time of writing.
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This "Phone or PC" debate has been pissing me right off, because I can't decide on which one to go for. So, tonight I thought I would do what I could with my PC to see if I can speed it up without spending a penny. This is what I've done:
Overclocked the CPU
It has been said that the motherboard I have has excellent overclocking potential, but I've had the set up for about three years or so and never overclocked it... ever! So I've been tweaking it tonight, and managed to get another 500Mhz out of it! Now, each core of the CPU is running at 2.25Ghz and is nice and stable.Added half a gig of RAM
I had a look in my old server computer casing and discovered that it ran on DDR RAM... 1Gb of it to be exact! There was one 512Mb stick, and two 256Mb sticks, so I took the biggest one and put it in my PC, increasing the RAM to 2.5Gb. I also gave my folks a call to see if they had any DDR RAM lying around that they weren't using (because their computers have DDR2, they can't use it) and they said they had 2x 1Gb of it they could give me. Because of the RAM that I have already (1x 1Gb and 3x 512Mb), this will give me another 1Gb of RAM to work with because they'd be replacing 512Mb ones. I'll be getting these from my folks in a little over a month.Uninstalled unnecessary programs
There were a few programs I had installed that I don't use anymore. I got shot of them!Disabled the on-board graphics
Since I have a dedicated graphics card, the on-board one was just sat there doing nothing, taking up memory and other system resources. After disabling it, I noticed that 5-10% more of my RAM was available to me.Defragged all the hard drives
I couldn't remember the last time I properly defragged the hard drives, so I left it overnight last night to do it's work. The fragmentation has decreased by about 45% so that should be worth something.Installed MaxMem
I used to have an application installed on my old laptop many years ago that freed up RAM that was taken up by programs no longer using it. MaxMem does a similar job. Every time I run it, I get about 15-20% of my RAM back that was otherwise taken up.So has this made a difference?
Actually, yes it has! The computer boots a bit faster and applications load up faster and run smoother. Also the Windows Experience Index for my Processor, Memory, and HDD access have all gone up by 0.1. I know, that's not a lot but it seems to make a difference nonetheless. Also, taking into consideration that my RAM will go up yet another Gigabyte in a month (thanks to my folks), I think I'm starting to sway towards a new mobile phone now.
Still, it's early days. I need to test out the system to see if it really is stable...
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I don't believe it! I just don't believe it! I've hit my next target! When I worked out my average weight for this week, I was shocked to find that it was:
21.99 BMI
This is amazing! I can't be far away from hitting my final target! I had five days out of seven this week where I was 22 BMI and below, so I haven't hit it this week, but it could happen any week now.
Time to tick it off and move onto the last one!
| • Reach 22 BMI or below |  |
| • Get a weekly average of 22 BMI or below | |
| • Get 7 consecutive days of 22 BMI or below |  |
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I'm in quite a pickle at the moment. I've been saving up to get something that I really want (because I should be allowed to treat myself) but I don't know what to go for: a new phone, or a new PC?
Here's my arguments for both...
Phone
Nokia N97
"From the desktop to the laptop and now to your pocket, the Nokia N97 is the most powerful, multi-sensory mobile computer in existence," said Jonas Geust, a vice president at Nokia. "The Nokia N97 mobile computer adjusts to the world around us, helping stay connected to the people and things that matter most."Pros
- Responsive touch screen and full QWERTY keyboard, taking me, in part, back to the days of the Communicator
- Can browse websites properly while on the move
- Huge 32Gb internal memory
- Bragging rights; Will put iPhone users in their place, more so than current phone
- Current phone has broken flash and volume control
Cons
- Current phone, albeit with broken volume and flash, still works
- New OS will mean current phone software will not work on it
- Because it's brand new to the market, may not get mature firmware until a few months from now
- Possibility Nokia will release a different (possibly better) version within the next year, like with the N95 and N95 8Gb
- If it breaks, would have to send back to Nokia for repair instead of a local shop
PC
AMD Phenom II Quad-core 3.2Ghz
"Live your life in HD. AMD Phenom™ II is for high definition entertainment, gaming, creativity, and beyond. With AMD Phenom™ II processors as the foundation, you'll enjoy a new level of responsiveness and visual intensity. AMD puts high definition computing within everyone’s reach."Pros
- Bundle would include new processor, motherboard, and RAM
- Would increase my PC performance by 2.5 times
- Encode videos and perform other tasks quicker and more productively
- First step towards having HD at home; will easily support an internal Blu Ray drive
- Old PC setup could be used to make media box in the front room
Cons
- May need a new PSU and case, which would bump the costs up
- Don't play games on PC so might not get all the use out of it
- Already have enough parts for a Media box for front room, minus a HDD
- Current setup still has potential
- Can upgrade bit by bit; don't have to get it all at once.
So yes... a difficult decision, to say the least. I've tried to enlist the help of others to make a choice, but almost no one cared one iota, and those who did didn't really help as much as we'd all hoped as the tally of votes were tied.
So it seems the decision is all down to me, since barely anyone gave a shit. Hmm, difficult...
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Just a quick post. Today, I have successfully hit the first of my last three targets! I weighed in at:
21.97 BMI
and I'm well chuffed! This means that I am now officially 11 stone!
Time to tick it off and move onto the next one...
| • Reach 22 BMI or below | |
| • Get a weekly average of 22 BMI or below | |
| • Get 7 consecutive days of 22 BMI or below | |
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One year ago today, I moved into the flat!
One year ago today, I started living the life that I know and love today!
One year ago today, I became completely independent!
So here's to me, kid!
;)
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It was a year ago today that I bought Wii Fit after hunting all around the shops in Middlesbrough, only to find it in the very last shop I was going to check (Argos). Now, a year later, how have I done?
My BMI when I first bought it was at 25.47, slightly overweight. Now, let's be honest, I barely used the Wii Fit when I first got it. It was only every couple of days that I fired it up and did anything even as small as just weighing myself. It only came into it's stride when I decided to do something about my weight (again) four months later, at which point it became a valuable asset.
365 days after buying it, my BMI has dropped to 22.16, which is 23lbs lighter than I was when I bought it!! 23lbs!!?? That is fantastic news!! What this doesn't tell you though, is that my weight loss is even more of an achievement because I'd put on weight between the day I bought this and the day I decided to go back on the diet. However, I've found this to be an excellent tool for my diet today, and I can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment when I look at my weight on a line graph spanning over the last eight months.
One thing that disappointed me a little was that the game didn't make a fuss over having being played with for a year. It celebrates when it's your birthday, and when it's Christmas and New Year, but not when you've spent an entire year standing on what is currently the most expensive controller ever made. Surely it could've said something like "Hey, we've known each other for a year now. How have you done since we first met?" and then display the difference in weight between now and then.
I don't think I'll have done as well on my diet as I have done if it weren't for easy access to an accurate piece of kit, even if my proper use for it was somewhat delayed.
So for all of you out there who have parted with £70 to get Wii Fit and feel bad for not using it as much as you should... don't worry. It will come into it's own when you need it the most!
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There've been two issues I've had since I moved into the flat:
- The early morning sun shines in my face, which isn't good... especially after a night out on the lash
- If I'm on the computer and the room seems stuffy, opening the window takes a while to freshen it up because the desk is in the far corner
So today I decided to kill two birds with one stone... I've swapped the bed and desk around in my bedroom! My bed's out of the direct sunlight now, and my computer desk is right by the window. The moment I open the window, I immediately feel the fresh air come in. It was also a good thing too that I moved the PC, because it made me see how much dust will still in the machine when I moved. *Blows dust out* *coughs* *splutters* There... that should help keep the temperature down.
As you can see, there's not a lot to report right now, but I have a feeling there will be soon...
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Oh my god! This advert is awesome!
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