I bought a Canon Pixma MP110 today - It’s an all-in-one printer/scanner/copier etc. It was given a really good review in a recent copy of MacWorld, so I decided that it would be a good investment. It has a more expensive brother - the MP130 - which has the advantage of an in-built card reader (something I’ll never use).

So far so good. The software for the Mac is good - not too intrusive. It’s very easy to produce borderless prints, copy documents and scan things. The speed of printing is also very good, much faster than my old HP printer. I’ve sourced some really cheap 6×4 photo paper on eBay, so that should enable me to make some cost-effective photo prints. The cartridges for the MP110 are also relatively inexpensive - between £6 and £11 for the genuine ones from Canon.

My experience of using printers with Apple rather than Windows has been a positive one. OSX has some great functionality built into it for managing ink levels, keeping track of a print cue etc. I remember the old days on XP when clicking ‘cancel job’ did absolutely nothing. The damn thing just kept on printing…

I’m sitting a nasty psychology exam today. It’s quite difficult, last two hours and involves two essays and a short question paper.

Wish me luck!

A Close-Up of the Plasticsmith mini Skirt glo

Plasticsmith have come into their own since the launch of the Mac Mini, developing accessories at an alarming rate, and offering some really original and funky ideas. These include a monitor stand to place your Mini underneath, a tower to support your Mac Mini vertically and the mini Skirt which I am going to review.

I want to put out of the way at this point that the item is not an essential buy. It doesn’t add any major functionality to your Mac Mini, and it is (lets face it) purely for aesthetic value. This is the case with many of Plasticsmith’s products. They are often space savers, or simply new ways to enjoy the look and feel of your Mac Mini (with the exception of their new USB hub). However, this product does what it was designed to very well indeed, and it I think it is a worthy addition to your Mac Mini.

Read the rest of my review over at The Apple Blog

I came across this on the internet yesterday. It is without a doubt one of the best spoof songs I have heard - with some great lyrics. It’s sung to a very accurate copy of the Backstreet Boys’ - “I want it that way”. Click the image to download it.

The “eBay song”

A used … pink bathrobe
A rare … mint snowglobe
A Smurf … TV tray
I bought on eBay
My house … is filled with this crap
Shows up in bubble wrap
Most every day
What I bought on eBay

Tell me why (I need another pet rock)
Tell me why (I got that Alf alarm clock)
Tell me why (I bid on Shatner’s old toupee)
They had it on eBay

I’ll buy … your knick-knack
Just check … my feedback
“A++!” they all say
They love me on eBay

Gonna buy (a slightly-damaged golf bag)
Gonna buy (some Beanie Babies, new with tag)
(From some guy) I’ve never met in Norway
Found him on eBay

I am the type who is liable to snipe you
With two seconds left to go, whoa
Got Paypal or Visa, what ever’ll please
As long as I’ve got the dough

I’ll buy … your tchotchkes
Sell me … your watch, please
I’ll buy (I’ll buy, I’ll buy, I’ll buy …)
I’m highest bidder now

(Junk keeps arriving in the mail)
(From that worldwide garage sale) (Dukes Of Hazzard ashtray)
(Hey! A Dukes Of Hazzard ashtray)
Oh yeah … (I bought it on eBay)

Wanna buy (a PacMan Fever lunchbox)
Wanna buy (a case off vintage tube socks)
Wanna buy (a Kleenex used by Dr. Dre, Dr. Dre)
(Found it on eBay)

Wanna buy (that Farrah Fawcett poster)
(Pez dispensers and a toaster)
(Don’t know why … the kind of stuff you’d throw away)
(I’ll buy on eBay)

What I bought on eBay-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y

I’m off this weekend with some friends and family on a parish weekend. It’s in Grange-Over-Sands (about 2 hours away from Halifax) and should be a good trip away. I’ve just broken up from college now for a month or so on exam leave. Hopefully I’ll be able to get some revision in over the weekend at some point. I’ll be posting again next week!

I went with quite a few friends to the (now yearly) Alton Towers music festival yesterday. It’s a Christian event, which combines the thrills of the theme park, with some fantastic music. The bands this year were Superchick, Rock n Roll Worship Circus and the Newsboys (by far my favourite).

The journey there went OK, despite some suspect navigation and confusing signposts. The park was absolutely packed though - which is a slight disappointment when you’ve paid £30 to get in. We spent a lot of time queing, and only really managed to get a place on 4 or 5 rides throughout the day. We did manage to go on the new ‘Rita’ ride, which was pretty spectacular (but far too short considering the two hour queue)!

The concert started at 5pm, we got there just after it had kicked off. The setup was pretty impressive - two large video screens (which worked on an intermittent basis…) and some really fantastic audio. We went into a merchandise tent at first, and found a great t-shirt company. They are called ‘Ipsuis’ and have a great website - check them out if you’re looking for some decent (fairly made) clothing.

As is always the case, some bands were better than others. Other than the Newsboys, I wasn’t all that impressed with the line-up. I didn’t go last year, but was told Delirious were excellent (I went to see them in Bradford recently). They played lots of their older songs, many of which I hadn’t heard. That said, it was a fantastic experience - to be around so many like-minded people is amazing.

I really would highly recommend the event, and will certainly be booking a slot for next year. We just need to try to arrive there a little earlier next time - beat the mad rush of thrill seekers!