Latest iPhone Backgrounds

These are my latest iPhone backgrounds. Many thanks to @Cmdr_Hadfield and his tweeting of pictures from the ISS!

Current lock screen:
Sunrise through the atmosphere.

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Current home screen:
The ISS solar panels.

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Upgrade

It’s coming up to the time when I can upgrade my phone. Upgrade is a curious term as essentially it means I sign up for two more years on an increased tariff. So although it sounds like I’m getting something for nothing it’s the mobile carrier that makes the money!

I need to get a phone with more memory. I don’t like having to delete apps because I want more music on my phone. My iPhone 4 has 32Gb of memory and it’s not enough. This means I have to go for a 64Gb phone. Also, as I have completely bought into the closed garden that is the App store and iTunes. I don’t want to have to spend a load of money re-buying all the apps I have for iOS on another OS. However, if the contract and phone is a ton cheaper that might be the most cost effective way to get what I want.

Anyway. In a few weeks I will trundle down to the Vodafone shop and sign up to spending a ton of money with them so I can have a phone that will fit all the stuff I have bought from Apple. The thing is that along with the new phone I need a case, screen protectors and new cables given that Apple have decided to “improve” their USB connector. That’s even more money. Is it worth it given that the network coverage in my house is rather shabby!

 

Network Coverage

IF Vodafone are willing to give me a Sure Signal box then I am going to stick with them. It’s a box that connects to my hub or switch and gives me a good signal throughout my house. At the moment if I am in the lounge then WW can’t get in touch although I guess she could call the home phone if I knew where that was!

If Vodafone can’t do the deal then come March I’m off to another carrier that has a good signal throught my entire house.

 

Bad App

Shocked

It’s not a strong enough word to describe my reaction the the ABC Animals app from the Apple App Store.
I looked for an alphabet app for #1 to play with as he is starting to learn to read. ABC Animals looked good and I was quite impressed with it.
You go through the alphabet and touch the screen and get a picture of an animal, that animal’s sound and the animal is aurally named.
There’s a crocodile for C:

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An elephant for E:

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A tiger for T:

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But hold on just a MF minute. WTF is this?.
There’s a UNICORN for the letter U:

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This is just utter ARSE. I am ashamed I ever even downloaded this app. It’s not like there’s a shortage of animals beginning with U.

  • Uakari
  • Umbrella bird
  • Urchin
  • Urutu
  • The app managed just fine to find the X-Ray Fish for the letter X so why are they messing around with a mythical animal for U?
    The app has been deleted.

    Shatoetry

    Just got the Shatoetry app. Been playing a bit but want to put some serious effort into re-creating some metal songs in Shatoetry. Shatner is a genius.

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    Here’s my first attempt:

    More to follow. Search this site for “Shatoetry”.

    One Night

    Over the last week I have “borrowed” the soundtrack to the Megadeth live DVD recorded in Buenos Aires – That One Night. Once the soundtrack was ripped I had to separate out the tracks so I could import the files into iTunes. This was rather fun and I enjoyed using Audacity.

    This process is now complete and I have a lovely album on my iPhone of Megadeth live. I have to say that the energy and quality of the music is brilliant. It really makes me want to listen to the original songs again.

    There were some issues. The orignal rip was rather quiet and I had to try and increase that within iTunes. Also I cut the tracks without always listening to them and I had two which had some acoustic impovisation in front (which would make sense watching the DVD but not when listening to the soundtrack) so I have gone back to my original recording and re-cut those tracks. Going to import them back into iTunes and onto my phone tonight. Love it all. :-)

    Long Time

    Continuing the iTunes and iPhone theme I have here a list of songs arranged by time (descending).

    iTunes sorted by length of song
    Long Songs

    I need to listen to most of these to check whether they are proper songs or just tricks that have lots of empty space. Time to melt by Lard definitely seems to be a proper song. Over time I will check these and get back to you. The list stands as follows:

    • Lard, Time To Melt – seems a proper song.
    • Therapy?, Sister – seems some parts of silence, cheats!
    • Combichrist, At The End Of It All
    • Senser, Weatherman
    • Lodestar, Iliac Crest
    • Nirvana, Something In The Way – gaps and silence.
    • Throbbing Gristle, After Cease To Exit

    Current Most Played

    Here’s my list of top played songs from my iPhone. Actually the first 5 were all children’s songs so I haven’t kept those in the picture.

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    As you would expect Combichrist are at the top as are some other Aggrotech or hellectro bands. Some might question Boston’s Foreplay/Longtime but I reckon if you listen to it you’ll realise it’s a very good song. Black Betty by Ram Jam is one that gets my children dancing so, although I appreciate it is a good song, without them it probably wouldn’t be in the top.
    It’d be very interesting to mine my mind for data about songs I have listened to in my lifetime as this list really only covers the last year since I rebuilt my iTunes library. AC/DC’s If You Want Blood and plenty of Iron Maiden and Megadeth would be in the list. Would there be some shocking surprises? Maybe some Prince!

    GTune5

    I’m happy.
    There’s a Gran Turismo application (or program to someone my age) for the iPhone. It’s called GTune5 and is an app that should make the tuning of cars easier.
    I think the idea is that it will give you settings based on a car set up you like and translate them to other cars. So, I like some oversteer in my cars and the app will allow me to recreate that in other cars once I enter the details for a car I can really handle well.
    Lovely. Now I just need some time to play the game!
    Find me on PSN as Kertz.