I am Ashley Elsdon

someone who's doing some things

Category: Stuff

Stuff

It’s not about the numbers

Posted by on in Stuff

When I was writing Palm Sounds I took the decision, or rather the intention not to use analytics like google analytics as I realised that if you’re writing about something you love then why are you looking at the numbers all the time?

When google put an analytics module into blogger I lapsed a little and couldn’t help myself in checking the stats, but it didn’t tell me anything I didn’t really know intuitively myself. I think that unless you’re running a business of some kind those stat counters do nothing but discourage you or make you wonder who is reading and why.

I’m trying hard not to look at the stats on this site as for the most part I have no interest in them.

So if you’re reading this then please enjoy the site. I’ve no idea that you’re here.

Will it snow?

Posted by on in Stuff

Everyone says it’s going to snow this weekend and to be fair we haven’t had the heavy snow like last year so perhaps it is overdue.

However, having checked the met office web site several times there no heavy snow predicted so I do wonder what all the fuss is about.

I guess people just love the whole thing of talking about it and anticipating it.

Well that didn’t work then did it

Posted by on in Stuff, Tech

I thought it would a great idea to get an old bluetooth keyboard running on my Axim, but this one doesn’t seem to want to even switch on as yet! Just my luck. Trying to get text into a windows mobile keyboard using a stylus is no fun at all!

Goodbye January

Posted by on in Stuff

Seems odd that January is over already. It seemed to go very quick, and I’m not sure that I got nearly as much done in it as I had intended to. Still, I think on the whole it wasn’t too bad. February looks like it might be quite cold if the last few days are anything to go by. I wonder how 2012 will pan out.

One day at a time I guess.

3 weeks without an iPad

Posted by on in Stuff, Tech

Since the shattering of the screen on my iPad 2 I haven’t used it, that is, I’ve hardly used it. It does still work, but parts of the screen aren’t too nice to touch as the glass is broken. Hence, I haven’t used it. My plan was (is) to put a screen protector on it to effectively protect my fingers from the sharp edges, but actually getting hold of a screen protector has been amazingly difficult.

Anyway, what’s been interesting has been not using it. I do miss it. That’s for sure. But  not nearly as much as I thought I would miss it. In fact, what I miss most are the ideas / experiments that I had planned that involved it that I can’t now carry out. Although hopefully I will be able to very soon.

It has also made me question getting an Android tablet. I’d almost decided on an Android 3.2 tablet, but then didn’t buy it. I couldn’t decide what I would actually do with it, which was a problem really, and it doesn’t make too much sense to spend a few hundred pounds on something you’re not sure you’ll use. So I didn’t buy it, and I’m not sure that I will at all now.

In some ways it’s made me reassess a lot of tech and my wishlist for gadgets too. However, that may change when I get it workable again, or indeed if the iPad 3 comes out any time soon.

4th Doctor: Destination Nerva

Posted by on in Stuff

What a great story to start off the 4th Doctor on Big Finish. I really enjoyed this story. A good solid episode which delivered just what I was after. Excellent stuff Big Finish. This is exactly what Doctor Who is all about.

Getting into ‘if this then that’

Posted by on in Stuff, Tech

If you don’t know ‘if this then that’ then you should. It’s an amazing way to automate services on the internet.  For example, you might want certain items matching a specific search criteria from an RSS feed to always end up in your ReadItLater items. No problem. You can automate that using ITTT (if this then that) and it will check the feed every 15 minutes and drop items straight into RIL for you.

ITTT can connect to a whole host of services that are brilliant when put together. I’m only just starting to get into it at the moment, but I can see it being really useful. You can try it out here.

2011 ended with a real smash!

Posted by on in Stuff

Sadly it was the screen of my iPad 2 that was smashed! Not a great way to end the year, but on the up side it means I have an excellent excuse to buy an iPad 3 when they come out this year!

What’s on your wish list?

Posted by on in Stuff

Well it’s nearly Christmas and I’m finally feeling a bit more in the Christmas spirit at last. There’s always so much to do and get through, but this year what I’m looking forward to most is just having some time to catch up with myself and tinker with things that I’ve been meaning to tinker with for ages.