Friday, July 12, 2013

Aches, pains and automobiles

My posts are getting out of sequence and even I am getting confused about what pictures go with what rides. I have a stack of open tabs on my Chrome Browser of stuff that has caught my eye.

Further complications are that I have bought a Samsung Galaxy S4 to replace my old Nokia E66 (sterling service – it did what a phone is supposed to be very well). The complication is not that it is hard to use – far from it. It has opened up a world of Apps – and it is a bit like being a kids in a sweetshop. I have been playing with Cycle specific Apps – such as the Cyclestreets App.  I have been taking more pictures, partly to try out the phone and partly because, well I can. The phone’s camera app can do Panoramas, and HDRs and actions shots. What’s more there are other apps that will take pictures in special ways. Then of course there are the the editing/publishing apps.  The trouble is the App world is both interesting and chaotic. It all takes up time.

There are various other apps that allow me to check the weather (Met Office and BBC apps seem to be the best), monitor the barometric pressure and humidity and temperature. I have been playing with the GPS – it was great when I was caught up in problems with the rail network the other week and delayed for three hours. At least I could check to find out where I was.

I have also used the Phone to monitor sound levels – A14 – 83db pretty constant and got screen shots – the trouble is this

I have also been getting a bit more active with Twitter – which meant trying out various apps. What I want is to be able to open a tweet, take a picture (occasionally insert one from the gallery) and have it appear on the Tweet as a decent linked picture. (I have in mind to take pictures on various themes – #OffRoadCyclingCambridge and #PavementParking being two as I cycle around.

 

It turns out that my biggest problem is with the Cellular network. For the first three months my Cellular provider (Vodafone) are either being generous by allowing me 3 months of unlimited data – or they want me to get hooked – go figure. Well not all the places I cycle (or get stuck on trains) seem to be that well served by Basestations. I find that Tweets with pictures take ages, sometimes they fail and sometimes they fail without telling me. I also find that the various mapping apps also sometimes take ages to get a map to display. (Memo to self – check out off-line maps).

All this distraction and work and a dodgy mattress (I hope) and various kitchen appliances all failing at once and not so much cycling have led to various aches and pains – particularly of the back variety.

The good news is that a new mattress is being built as we speak I type, I hope. The even better news is that I have been out every day so far this week – starting Monday and and shortly off, for work purposes today. (I think I will have to cut the lawn tomorrow though.)

The cycling has definitely loosened things up as far as aches and pains - the sun has been fantastic – it has been lovely. I have even been upping my pace a tad.

Pictures will follow – although the Phone’s ability to automatically upload them means they are not following my usual process. So I am also having to sort that out as well. Ho hum.

All that will have to wait – I have a meeting to go to and the sun to cycle in!

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