So I want to ask anyone out there, which one is better…Skype or Google Talk?

When I started using Skype back in 2006 I had similar curiosities and tried out various bits of software. Of course, the problem is that once you commit to one piece of software, you need other people to use that software too in order to get the best from it. During the early days it was all MSN Messenger. This worked OK but the bandwidth just wasn’t available back then to do anything more than chat and codecs weren’t as optimised as they are now.

When first comparing Skype with Google Talk, there was little in it really. I liked the simple interface of Google Talk but the actual audio performance of the two was both OK. This, however, was when Skype was still using the SVOPC codec which limited the audio to 8KHz. When they introduced the SILK codec, the frequency response was bumped up to 12KHz. If you compare 8KHz and 12KHz on a good microphone, there is a huge difference. 12Khz allows fine details to be transmitted to really give the sense that the person is there with you. Mouse clicks, pen clicks, sibilence made with the lips…it is a vast difference. So, all of a sudden Skype was winning hands down.

They changed the layout of the program back in 2008 or so which, compared to the older version is really horrible (I’m all for changing things but not just for the sake of it or to appeal to the masses). I never went back to Google Talk though because Skype had my friends on it and worked just fine.

So how about now? How does Google Talk compare? Which do you prefer and why? What better alternatives are there?

Wish List

These are a few of the things I would love to see in Skype.

• ASIO Support (essential when using good audio equipment)
• Full Audio & Video Quality Control (to reduce quality when on SIM card connections etc.)
• Built In Call Recording (nice to record audio and video of family calls)
• Free Video Conferencing (even if only limited to 4 at once, this shouldn’t be a Premium feature)

Back at the end of 2010 we decided that music had had such a massive impact on our life and we had been exposed to so much new material (some old and some brand new) that we would sit down and think of 40 songs that undoubtedly got more play than any others. Thinking of 40 songs in a particular category on the spot might sound quite difficult but once you get going it soon becomes a case of having too many and having to decide which ones can be removed. I guess the hardest part is not just thinking of the ones around right now and trying to give equal consideration to the songs from January or February.

Below is the new CruiseOne Top40 for 2011. The rules are simple. The song doesn’t have to be from 2011 but it had to be new to us in 2011 and, for whatever reason, had to have had a big impact on us during that year. Artists could feature twice or more and the chart is in no particular order. Please do listen to some of this music. It’s amazing.

CruiseOne Top 40 of 2011

Back at the end of 2010 we decided that music had had such a massive impact on our life and we had been exposed to so much new material (some old and some brand new) that we would sit down and think of 40 songs that undoubtedly got more play than any others. Thinking of 40 songs in a particular category on the spot might sound quite difficult but once you get going it soon becomes a case of having too many and having to decide which ones can be removed. I guess the hardest part is not just thinking of the ones around right now and trying to give equal consideration to the songs from January or February.

Below is the CruiseOne Top40 for 2010. The rules were simple. The song didn’t have to be from 2010 but it had to be new to us in 2010 and, for whatever reason, had to have had a big impact on us during that year. The Top40 for 2011 will be released at the end of the year.

CruiseOne Top 40 of 2010

“When you look around, do you continuously look for and try to see a good picture opportunity and, if so, don’t you get fed up of it?”

If you read that, it might sound a little boastful and like a theatre type saying, “oh, you have to look for the art in everything darling.” It’s not. I don’t claim to be the best photographer in the world but I do claim to have a passion and interest in what I do. If you are a photographer…and by photographer I mean anyone who possibly considers stuff like light, colour and composition before taking a picture (regardless of equipment), the answer to this question is most likely, “yes!” It certainly is for me.

Obviously here I’m talking about times when you’re just out walking, sightseeing or with friends etc. If you’re on a dedicated project to take pictures, it would be a bit restrictive to have a burden like this hanging around your neck!

Whenever I have a camera with me, there is always part of my mind that is engaged in looking for something nice, something different, something special. Does it get annoying? Possibly……no, I’ll go with probably for people with me and maybe it does at times. You spot something and end up torn between stopping and getting the camera out. If it’s already out, you will have stopped listening properly to the person / people you’re with and will be setting up for a picture. It makes things a bit anto-social I suppose.

So what’s the solution? I will personally be selecting times to simply not take my cameras with me. There is always that fear that you might miss the best picture ever. It might happen but it’s not the end of the world. There will always be other times and probably better pictures to take in the future.

This is particularly true for music gigs. A new year resolution for 2012 is to not take a camera of any kind to at least some of the gigs I go to. The world is full of cameras of all shapes and sizes and, unless you’re incredibly well setup for it (which is unlikely unless you have the job of taking picutures for the band or shooting video with proper lighting and properly setup cameras at multiple locations) the results will be poor at best.

Everyone is clambering to try and get some footage of their favourite band to show off at some point. It looks dreadful, sounds even worse and the price you pay in not actually getting into the music and gig itself and concentrating on the camera means you don’t even have a good memory of the band and the event.

Honestly, I think there is something to be said for a band saying at the start of a gig, “put you’re cameras away and just enjoy the gig.”…..or words to that effect. Maybe it would be too much to ban it :) but certainly try to disuade it. I was at an Athlete ‘Stripped Back’ event in July and the lead singer did exactly that. He argued similar points to those above and since then it did make me think. I was at an Elbow concert in Cardiff in early 2011 and had a superb spot a few meters from some of the main performance (there was part of the stage that came out like a catwalk and was used by the band on certain songs…great idea BTW). I didn’t have any video or camera gear with me. I could have got some amazing pictures on a 50mm open lens. I am positive, however, that not having any tech with me has left me with a far better memory of an amazing night. No constant thoughts or worries about how the last picture came out or what ISO to use….just enjoy the band!!!

You get the idea. Oh, the video above is when the lead singer of Athlete told everyone to put their cameras away. He was a bit drunk after an afternoon on the whisky so he didn’t really care either way ;-) (his words, not mine). Good on him…it made for a better time.

These are just my opinions but I’m interested to know what anyone thinks…either on the cameras at gigs or the seeing everything as a photo opportunity. It makes some sense in practice but I’ve just checked the Athlete site to find their URL for the credits bit and seen some excellent SLR pics from a gig…oh, it’s so tempting to try and do better!! So it ultimately comes down to a question of what happens to the footage or pictures once they are taken. Are they ever looked at again? I know with gig footage for me, usually not. I just listen to the music again. Surely that’s how it should be?

References, credits and external links:

Just a few places to reference. The Thekla is a music venue and bar on a boat on the waterfront in Bristol. The Cardiff Arena is actually known as the Motorpoint Arena and can be found online here.

The bands I have referred to in this post were ‘Elbow’ and ‘Athlete’.

The picture used for the post is a photo of me taking a photo. It was shot by Rod Allsopp.

I have just and finally ordered a new walking jacket. I say finally because it was actually a Christmas present from my parents last year. They gave me some money to buy one but I never did and the money probably got spent on fuel or something exceptionally dull like that. So we did manage the whole of 2011 without a good jacket and kept more to being ‘fair weather’ walkers.

Now that’s all about to change. Bring in the Berghaus Mera Peak! I just had the email from the online store saying it has been despatched so it should be with me tomorrow. That will be sure to bring on a pleasant weekend weather wise negating any need for such a wonderful piece of walking technology!

The Mera Peak is the one shown here on the left. They do a variety of colours but, despite visibility being an advantage when out in the middle of no-where, I found the black one the only one that wasn’t offensive. It also means that I might actually wear it at other times.

The reviews seem to be excellent (4.6 / 5 on the Berghaus site and voted in the top 10 walking jackets for 2011) but the proof will be when I first wear it walking and especially in bad weather. Apparently there is some issue with the fastening mechanism on the cuffs and they keep coming undone but I will need to check that out for myself. Surely a company like Berghaus would pickup on that and correct it fairly quickly?!

The picture on the left is a bit odd. It’s the same with all unmodeled photos like this. They always look a little bit spooky because the jacket is standing as though it has an invisible man in it :-). The general overview of the jacket and the tech specs are below but I will add my own thoughts when I have actually used it. Having never owned a decent jacket of this type, my opinion is really just that as I have little to compare it against.

“The Berghaus Mera Peak is one of the most sought after waterproof jackets in Berghaus’ range due to it’s great use of GORE-TEX technology that keeps the user dry and comfortable without any fuss or excess bulk. The 2-layer GORE-TEX® fabric is mesh lined and very breathable, great for high energy activities and adventures- locking in heat and drawing away moisture. 

The Berghaus Mera Peak also has a hood with a peak that can protect your face and eyes from the elements while being easily stowed and packed away in the hood compartment when the weather takes a turn for the better. Four external pockets and an internal map pocket makes sure you’ve got enough room to store your accessories such as gloves, compass, maps and all the things you need for a day in the outdoors.

The Berghaus Mera Peak is the complete wet weather jacket that can shut out the rain and wind via a drawcord waist and hem, so whether it’s rain or shine, you wont be blue!”

So, let’s throw a Berghaus logo in below to make this look all official and then I am out. I’ll add a follow up post letting you know what I think after I have driven 100 miles to Coventry to pick it up. I’m not mad, I have to go to work too and it just happens to be getting delivered there tomorrow. Glad I don’t have to wait until Monday. Oh, if you’re wondering about the price, I paid 170.00GBP (free delivery as it was over 100 quid) which seemed to be a very good deal. The RRP is 250.00GBP and most sites seem to sell in for the 215-225 mark.

Good night. Wish me luck with the awful weather at 0600hrs tomorrow morning.

Update on 19th December

Well, the weather wasn’t as predicted after all. The weather forecast is so frequently way off the mark.They usually get it right…’ish. The problem is that when it’s better than forecasted, no-one usually notices the error. Anyway, I was extremely grateful to have an easy drive to work.

More importantly, the jacket was delivered on time with an overall superb price and service from White & Bishop. They informed me when my order despatched, when it was out for delivery from the courier and again when it was delivered. I don’t generally have many problems with online shopping but this was excellent. The Interlink courier service provided an hour window for delivery and they were 10 minutes into that hour. The goods (there was a second jacket for my partner) were well packaged and in perfect condition.

As I expected, the purchase of such a ‘competent’ waterproof has meant pretty much nothing but sunshine in the south-west since. I did however decide to model the jacket yesterday in Leigh Woods.

Sorry about the fuzzy hair. It was cold. Who needs hair product when it’s cold and you’re walking?

While it hasn’t had a worthy test, the jacket is well made and extremely well thought out. The hood is stiffened to aid keeping water from trickling onto your forehead and face (that is such a depressing feeling when walking) and covers a good amount when fully fastened (see the picture below from inside our flat).

The picture above, however, shows how neatly the hood stows away through the use of 4 plastic popper fasteners. You couldn’t do this with the jacket on very easily but it only takes a moment with it off or you can get someone else to do it.

Above I mentioned that people had complained about the method of holding the wrists tight. It seems Berghaus have already listened and replaced these with standard material and velcro. It is very easy to open and re-fasten. Nothing complicated but effective all the same.

The main zip requires a slow fasten because it is a sealed zip backed with two pieces of material (one yellow on one side and one red on the other) which kind of overlap behind the zip (basically storm flaps for those who are familiar with this term). This means that, as the zip is pulled up, you need to maintain this arrangement behind the zip…hence taking more care that normal.

The fit of the jacket is snug. I would not class myself as an extremely large person (judge yourself from the pictures).

The LARGE size that I ordered for my 42″ chest is perfect length on the arm and jacket but it is a well fitted jacket. If you prefer something looser or are uncomfortable with fitted clothing, I would er on the side of the next size up. You might prefer this extra slack. Then again, you’ll probably end up with arms that are just a bit too long! It’s hard to say but be warned all the same. If you can try it on somewhere first, I would maybe recommend that.

Pocket wise, excellent. Two very large left and right lower ‘hand’ pockets. Two large pockets around the chest (which are clearly visible on the pictures and are big enough for OS maps) and another totally sealed pocket in the mesh lining inside the jacket. I really don’t see that you would want any more.

Again, I can’t comment on how waterproof it is because I haven’t had chance to test it yes, short of getting in the shower and trying it out but it is extremely comfortable and very light. I love the idea of being able to keep such a superb piece of walking equipment easily stored away in a bag to be used when needed. If you live in the UK, you might not want to wear this all the time…but you would definitely want to have it with you.

Finally a note on style.It’s not essential when walking but, be honest…if you’re reading this and you’re still under 45, it probably helps and is something you considered. When you’re wearing a recognised name like Berghaus, most people know that you’re not dressed to go out for the night. As such, you can get away with looking a bit more practical than stylish. I have to say though, I genuinely think this jacket looks great. Black is always pretty safe, but I really like the slight hint of colour added on the interior of the hood and the flaps behind the zip. The coat also has some well placed reflective surfaces that are reminiscent of the Nike tick. Of course, it has the fact that it’s GORE-TEX Performance Shell on the arm…but we’ll let them get away with a bit of blatent promotion!

I will use and abuse this for a few months over the UK winter and report back at a later time. Either way, I hope you find this article useful advice. I do not work for Berghaus and am not affiliated with them in any way. I am just a photographer / walker in need of a good jacket. I think I found one.

Thanks to Forestry Commission / The National Trust / White & Bishop / Canon

I’ll be honest, unless you are massively and intimately familiar with the sound of the station, you’re unlikely to notice the slightest bit of difference but I know there are those people out there who do pay attention to this sort of stuff. So this news update is for you! :-)

I’ve made a couple of changes to the main page to increase mobile usability.

• Updated the jquery script to 1.7.1.
• Neatened up all CSS margins and padding.
• Changed back and previous icons for carousel and placed them over the images to keep everything within the 950px width.
• Changed slider width and height to allow for the 12px of margin.
• Changed carousel images to properly match the 16:9 aspect ratio of their video content.

Easy as that. However, a lot of the time there will be a directory within your main directory that you want to exclude because it contains a large amount of data (e.g. photos) that you don’t want to add to this backup every time. Excluding a directory is also straightforward but the simple structure of the command changes slightly…

If you want to exclude multiple directories, just add an additional exclude string to the end…

Simple enough and an extremely handy command to produce fast efficient backups from the command line.