With NaNoWriMo successfully behind me, I’d better get on with some work.
Actually, the writing process for NaNoWriMo didn’t stop me working much per se at all, although it did play havoc with my evening recreation time. A Country Practice is still on the air, right?
While I work out what’s happened to Fatso The Wombat, you could keep yourself busy with this week’s Geekspeak:
Today might be boring, but it’s not the most boring day ever: “Need to know, for reasons that need not be specified, the name of the world’s largest
earthworm?”
And at CNET.com.au, there’s a whole smorgasbord of content for your perusal:
Canon PIXMA MG8150: “The Pixma MG8150 is the costly bigger brother of the excellent MG6150, but unless you’ve got a burning need for slide scanning, it’s difficult to justify the additional cost.”
Western Digital My Passport Essential USB 3.0 1TB: “Western Digital’s My Passport Essential USB 3.0 1TB is an adequate USB 3.0 drive, but it’s not the quickest drive on the market.”
Western Digital MyPassport AV 320GB: “Should you buy an AV-specific USB 2.0 external hard drive? In a word, no.”
Telstra Prepaid Mobile Broadband Hotspot: “It’s not as flashy as comparable portable devices, but Telstra’s prepaid mobile broadband hotspot delivers speed — at a price.”
PADACS Rubata Keyboard: “PADACS’ Rubata Keyboard is the best iPad keyboard we’ve seen yet. It’s not perfect, but if you’re after a productivity boost for the normally consumption-centric iPad, it’s a good option.”
As an example, this month’s PC User magazine has a lot of my content. I’ve tested twenty-five smartphones for the cover feature, ranging from the high end hero models right down to the entry level cheap and cheerful types. To compliment that, I’ve also done a run of testing the 3G networks that those same smartphones rely on, although via USB modems just to mix things up a bit. In standalone review spaces, I’ve also tested the Clickfree Transformer, Plantronics Gamecom 777 headphones, Aximcom MR102N portable 3G router and LG’s Optimus 7Q Windows 7 smartphone. Which means I’ve actually tested twenty six smartphones across the span of this issue. And there’s more to come next month…
Meanwhile, at PC Authority, I’ve contributed brief thoughts to the cover article there, dubbed “50 Expert Tips”. Which presumably means I should add “Expert” to my business cards the next time they’re reprinted. My particular expertise on call here is to do with Apple, and if you’ve ever wondered what I look like, there’s even an accompanying headshot to go with the tech tip. Although I’m not usually quite that blue-tinged in real life.
So far, so good. I’ve got a main character, a plot arc, the final chapter is at least sketched out, and I’ve variously researched models of Jaguar motor vehicle, UK Prime ministers of the 1950′s and exactly what makes up a mullioned window. I can also state with some certainty that the 18th of June 1963 was a Tuesday.