Mobility…

Warning: this post may leave you yawning.

Graham has posted an article about his mobile phone and Internet solution.

After Tweeting back and forth with him about it a little I decided that I would just post something a little longer form.

I'm currently using a Nokia C5—a 3G handset—for my phone and SMS needs. It's on a Vodafone PAYG account. It's fine. The call quality is good. Sending SMSes is painful. This phone hosts my primary contact number, I barely ever make calls so PAYG is a good cost option.

I'm using a Vodafone account because the mobile coverage at iNDUSTRY workspace is pants. Vodafone is the only UK mobile outfit that I know of that offers a femtocell—a miniature cell tower—that sits on one's desk and provides a 3G connection using your own Internet connection for backhaul. There are two of us at iNDUSTRY using my Sure Signal. Calls are crystal clear. It requires a 3G handset else I'd be using the C1-02 (a 2G only Nokia) that I bought for this purpose originally.

For mobile Internet I've bought myself an iPhone 4GS. It's lovely. It's on a GiffGaff PAYG SIM so £10/mo gets me unlimited data w/ one of their Goody Bag deals. It's awesome. I hide my phone number on that phone lest it bleed out a second point of contact.

When computing on the move I use 3 Mifi, the new high speed kind, with a 3 PAYG plan. I've had it unlocked so I can use it with other networks when abroad. It's great for train journeys and hotel rooms.

I've cobbled together a solution that works for me and is (somewhat) cost effective.

But ideally…

Ideally Vodafone would have reasonable data prices that allow me to use them for my iPhone and for tethering on that device. That would allow me to overcome the connectivity problems posed by my location and get rid of two devices and two additional suppliers.

On coffee

Now that I'm working in the office at Well Informed Limited World Headquarters in Hackney I've received training in the all important Henry Dillon Special Patented Coffee Making Method™.

You'll need: good coffee beans, a filter cone, unbleached filters, a burr grinder, a temperature control kettle and a digital scale.

Put your kettle on at 95°C.

Grind 20g of locally roasted Climpson beans. We use a hand grinder like this one.

Rinse your paper filter and pre-heat your cup with hot water.

Add your coffee to the filter and create a divot in the centre.

Now, let the coffee bloom by pouring no more than 50g of water at 95°C over the grind. You want to soak the coffee but not so much that it starts to drip. Give the coffee a moment to soak up the water.

Pour another 250g or so of hot water into the coffee in order to bring the total up to 300g.

I was quite sceptical about going through all this nonsense for a cup of coffee but now I'm not sure I'd go back. It makes a consistently fine cup o' joe.

Good customer service is still a feature

This sort of feedback makes me happy.

Anyway, thank you for rekindling my belief in humanity that there are still a few good souls out there who believe in doing the right thing, no matter how small, for the right reason. If I run across anyone wanting or needing to establish a website, trust me, you guys will be the first name out of my mouth!

http://writersresidence.com

A week without Twitter…

Deleted Twitter for iPhone and Tweetie. Never really visit the website anyway. Haven't felt like I've been missing anything. Reconnected with Google Reader a little. Nice because I have friend's Flickr streams in there. Occasional strong urges to share something lovely that I found on the web. So here you go: My little piece of privacy. Lovely.

WIN