Category: Tech
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Heat Pump, Take Three
Radiators filled. System pressurised. And action! It was almost destined not to happen, but after months of pain, disruption, and switching companies, the air source heat pump (ASHP for those in the know, or if you want to be pretentious) installation is finally happening. Octopus Energy is the force behind it, and they have been…
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Get Pumped! (Air Source Heat Pump Edition)
The title says it all. Actually, it says a bit of it. The story is a little more complex than originally planned. Welcome to what was originally dubbed “Pump Week”. Welcome to the future! The latest air source heat pumps are quiet. Energy efficient. Stylish. Wireless? Pipe-less…cable-less? Yes, it’s a heat pump but not one…
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Out of the Ashes
Welcome to Phoenix One, the new Ordinary Decent Laptop Eighteen days after the Great Fire of Plymouth (not to be confused with the fire of 1902), I am typing on my brand new Dell Inspiron 16, and what a computer it is. The specifications roughly matched my old laptop, but were updated, and the only…
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The Aftermath
The smouldering remains of my Inspiron 15 7000 are making their way to the Republic of Ireland. After the drama of last week, things have settled down considerably. Dell have collected my damaged laptop and promised a replacement system in the next ten days or so, although what form that computer will take is anyone’s…
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Fire! Fire! Help me!
The title says it all. A mid-to-late 2000s reference any Graham Linehan fan will be familiar with. On the long list of things we weren’t expecting on a normal Sunday, fire was towards the bottom, but there it was. A scary occurence, but I’m here with the story, after the lithium has settled. Prime Suspect…
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DI-Why? Because I want to
I’ve been back in the groove recently, and have a grim sort of determination to get this office together. It will be done in Plymouth as it is online… Like almost every job I undertake, this one spiralled out of control. What began with me tearing out the bookcases in the spare room resulted in…
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Elden Ring or “How to die with style”
It compels me. Not the pursuit of the Elden shards, but the game itself… It is time for Elden Ring. I’m only three months late, but this game taken the world by storm and there’s no shortage of coverage this long after launch. It’s an incredibly expansive and compelling adventure of your own making. Want…
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Are you Board yet?
A week of yet more exam preparation while embracing the whiteboard life. Time to get organised! VanMoof-ing Nowhere? That subtitle is a little bit of an exaggeration, although it serves to illustrate the continuing issues with my VanMoof S3. It has completely changed the way I get to work for the better, and saved me…
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A Simpler Time (Sort of)
This is odd. Every time I sit down to write, the situation has escalated. 2020 will be henceforth known as the year that was cancelled. Bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants, gyms, cinemas, cafés, concerts, events, conferences closed or cancelled. In what would be a hugely important year for Plymouth, the 400th year anniversary of the sailing…
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Car Fun – Fitting an Android Radio
Operation “New Car Radio” is go! Since getting the Skoda Fabia from my parents (it was previously my grandfather’s) the radio has bothered me. It’s fine and all, but being stuck with a very limited selection of FM radio stations (during what can be a protracted commute) was driving me a bit mad. Caution, any…
Ordinary Decent Gamer 