I chucked out some old cassette tapes today, and will prob get rid of most latter. But those with printed inlays and label that were bought already are there for anyone who wants them. I would only play them in car and already have enough for that, and tend just like listening to Radio 1 in car. I listen to Radio 4 more in house.

Cassettes on offer (now under offer – hopefully shortly to be taken):
Asia – Asia
Yes – 90125
Yes – Close to the edge
Yes – Yesshows
Judas Priest – Turbo
Nirvana – Insecticide
Army Of Lovers – Crucified
Various Artists – Lambada
SL2 – DJs Take Control & Way in My Brain
Quadrophonia – Cozmic Jam
Narciso Yeps plays Spanish Guitar Music
Cocteau Twins – Sunburst & Snowblind Head over Heels
Belinda Carlisle
Pink Floyd – The Wall
Pink Floyd – A Saucerful of secrets
Pink Floyd – Relics
Pink Floyd – Animals
Patti Smith – Dream of Life.
Joe Jackson – Body & Soul
Joe Jackson – Big World
Paul Simon – Graceland
Eric Clapton – The Cream of
Laibach – Let it be + Opus Dei
Laiback – Kapital
The The – Mind Bomb
The The – Soul Mining
Technotronic – Pump Up The Jam
Technotronic – Body to Body

and several more..

Also:
The Lord of Rings by J.R.R.Tolkien
13 cassettes tapes in Box
Prepared for BBC radio 13 episodes by Brain Sibley.
Adapted by by Brian Sibley and Michael Bakewell.

Episode 9 is missing paper cassette cover, but all tapes.
The covers are golden in colour.
Also include card with cast details and a map of ‘Middle Earth’.

review: http://www.istad.org/tolkien/sibley.html

I can probably retrieve much stuff from ‘the cloud’ if find need in future. The mix tapes I am looking up listings on the net and seeing what is there. I wonder if any stuff rare and won’t be found, but more so for ephemera.
It is a pity our scanner not working at moment, but not really got time to scan stuff, and lots already gone.
I managed to sell 3 DVDs on ebay, but often seems more hassle than worth and others will go to charity shops.
Plenty of plain DVD cases if any one wants them including some never used still in wrap.

VHS Videos:
Eyes Wide Shut (Cruise / Kidman / Kubrick)

I have not found time to post more of what is to to go on Freeagle but here a list of some things available has been updated on previous blog entry repeated here:

• Old Apple Mac computer monitor (if you have Apple mac from 1990s)
• RAM PC100 & PC133 (256MB & 128MB)
• 370W low noise power units for tower pcs (2)
• Ethernet Cards (5)
• Several Ethernet Cat5 Cables with standard RJ45 connectors, of various lengths, mostly in red and grey.
• Kettle style mains electric leads (including a few German plug versions), mainly of use for computer monitors or printers.
• Various Computer speakers including 5 surround sound, in need of clean up: dust etc.
• old analogue to digital video capture card
• HDI SCSI/DOCK Adapter (previous used with Zip Disk)
• SAGEM Phone Charger Model 18 805 593 -9 4.5V
• Motorolla Phone Charger SPN4604A 4.4V.
• DIN to AV leads
• SCART to AV leads
• various other chargers, leads etc.
• Mains power Twin & Earth Cable 6242YH to BS 6004 2.5mm max rating at 240 volts 23amps²
• Two LDPE Waste water kitchen sink 90 degree Bend 40mm (1 & half “) compression waste system Marley product code KMB 2XR (still in packaging unused)
• Washing Machine W/M Valve Tee 15x15mm C x 3/4 Robimatic Code V354 – EN 1254-2 on compression bolt ends (still in packaging unused), both blue & red valve levers to swap as required
• Duracell Plus Battery Size D (MN 1300 LR20) Alkaline 1.5V
• ‘Butane Battery’ type – D4 BS 0044 Net 460g Standard screw thread EN417. Self sealing when removed from appliance. Gas type: butane propane mix added propane for consistent gas pressure and cold weather use. Note: I will only give this item to someone who has a corresponding appliance it can be used with. 5 060006 140044
• Ordnance Survey map of Stirling & The Trossachs Landranger 57 1:50000 2002
• Street Map of Prague (2) and many other European city maps.
• XL Brown leather Belt 39-41 Inch 99-104 cm unused

We already had big trip to charity shops with lots of books.

I gave away lots of old GNU/Linux mags but have found a few more to go. Still some tech books to go.

As well as computer stuff above I am giving away a very old working laptop that is only good for dial up internet access, basic email and really slow web browsing, use until recently by a friend of mine who said served her well, but she now has laptop with wireless broadband access. It will take a little while to re-configure the dial up access, I likely do this when collected by arrangement, it may take a few minutes. It runs Vector GNU/Linux operating system. If you have never used GNU/Linux you will need to spare time to be shown basics. If you don’t have time then don’t take it. I really only give it to some willing to use it with GNU/Linux on as it, it is not worth running anything other than lightweight Linux distro on.

I also recently checked out the lightweight Linux desktop called LXDE is what I have installed on old tower pc and worked really well, until the pc just broke (zapped it with static I think when cleaning)

A path from the Muirhouse Linear Park to them has just been opened up which saves me a bit of time going to work on my bike. I added that too.

Google Maps and multimap have only part of roads.

Before I added page to my webserver which pulls over tiles from open street map for my area:
http://map.movingpages.org/
I want to play more with openlayer and OSM, and changing how displayed. Next step maybe being to creat custom tiles on my server.

http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archive/2008/03/12/the-story-of-the-ribbon.aspx

At work we have Office 2003 and at home I only use Koffice or OpenOffice.org but I find how they got to the new ribbon in Office 207 quite interesting, the stats of how commands used in office that they fed into design are interesting.

The idea of letting people have a sense of mastery over the software is good and how this put into practice with design.

It has got me thinking more about other applications which I allready had views on how needed to change.

I noticed bbc’s iPM is looking at using Coca Cola distribution network to carry aid. This would add cost to their process and so would any engraving process or changing in molds of the large batches of bottles. But their is benefit of good image to Coca Cola.

The Machine that Changed the World – How Lean Production Revolutionized the Global Car Wars

which I wanted to read after being fascinated by what I learned when I read Lean Thinking.

I also got Lean Performance ERP Project Management which is not as readable but contains valuable insights.

I got Rip Off! which is book done before Plundering the Public Sector.
They are both a good read and useful.

I also am reading stuff by Julie Burchill.

One could make a good set of check lists for those in organisation that are undergoing process/organisation and information system changes, from examples featured in this book.

An interesting source of maps is the Maps done by USSR of whole world including Britain.

Utilites keeps record of pipes or cables managed often kept on a mapping system (GIS). When someone wants a new connection they send in scale plans if a new build, which merged with existing records which recorded on mapbase from ordnance survey. The new connection is then designed on top of the merged image to give a quote based on lengths, size and type of materials needed. An ‘Aslaid Template’ of the combined map is also produced so contractor can record what they actually put in the ground, and this is in turn used to update the GIS record with the pipes or cables and any new build building, roads and pavements.
Generally get scaled plans are still submitted as paper maps. But sometimes as PDF, or DWG or DXF. In an area I know PDFs are converted to raster png files with PDFcreator which has option to save a png. DWG is able to be opened in Autodesk Trueview 2007 and then turn off layers we done need and that often create congestion in route of new service. The new build image is merged with existing mapbase with pipe routes using the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It seems a pity to convert vector infomation into raster information for this then to be recorded back in vector format on mapping system.
But in case I know of with gas pipes the output of GIS system is only in raster format. And as the complete route of pipe is hand drawn onto the aslaid, the new build details are added from it at same time as aslaid route of new pipe. I wonder if the new build could be added to mapbase at first and then template created. In fact it would be good if architects could add there plans to open mapbase that was used, so the same activity of adding there plans to OS mapbase done in each utility is saved. One could have a distributed system which pulling in distributed data based on web of trust.

The future of recording under ground assets if being looked into by linked projects:

Mapping the Underworld (as reported by BBC)

Another MTU website

Vista DTI Project

Digital Framework (for swapping map data)

One to check out is: UKFSN (http://ukfsn.org/) who give some of the proceeds to free software development.

See write-ups of various providers at:

http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/

One thing is there is going to be consolidation as so many providers so don’t get too use to a nice set up one provider has in way of control panel etc.

One provider that can’t be bought up by another is the Phone Coop as it is owned by it’s customers.

http://www.thephone.coop/receive.htm?name=Agent_483&name2=index.html

One thing with the Phone Coop is to take in account on price that one can become a member once a customer and get a quite significant dividend. And it is less likely to go bust as not borrowing from Banks in same way. So over long term may end up actually cheap by price.

Like many others one can switch Phone line rental to them (but there is a breakout fee if had line with BT less than six months), the only reason I can see to stay with BT is if one makes few phone calls and used free caller ID from BT. Remember to resetup premium rate call barring etc if you do switch.

The Phone Co-op provides ADSL at the Indymedia / Free Software Lab in Basement below the Forest Cafe:

http://www.infoseed.org/

It used to used Andrews and Arnold before but they were too expensive as unlike Phone Co-op did not treat small orgs same as residential customers.

The FAQ from one company that supplies ADSL has some interesting info:

http://portal.metronet.co.uk/support/broadband/adsl.shtml

The Register an Online newspaper with interest article concerning ASDL providers: http://www.theregister.co.uk/ (but be carefull as they tend to repeat gossip).

In fact they had an article on Metronet been bought up by another company, as is the trend I pointed out that all the companies will not be around and some consolidation will go on:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/28/plusnet_metronet/

LinuxUK:

http://www.uklinuxadsl.net

This one that Jason who does UKFSN used to work for, but left a while ago due to him think they were not handling money to good cause as well as they should, so as I say I would treat them just as any other company on weighting them up.

http://www.jasonclifford.com/uklinux.html (now via web archive)

But they did win an award from some magazines for being a good ISP for what it is worth. But as I said as they are resellers often at mercy of what BT (or Openreach) do as can see in metronet FAQ.

One thing don’t be taken in by free modem offers these are usually low end usb adsl modems, which often don’t work with Linux. I would suggest buying a combined ADSL modem with router if you have more than one computer and with wireless if you have a Laptop.

I am recommending to everyone who uses Internet in uk takes a look at:

http://www.getsafeonline.org/

as there is some good advice there, that echo stuff I say to people.