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New Google Groups New features

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2011/07/20/new-google-groups-new-features

New Google Groups New featuresSome important changes coming to Google Groups:• Spam improvements • Support for more [40!] languages • Topic starring • Simplified discussion interfaceNew Google Groups has been around since last year, as a preview.Suggestions:https://www.google.com/moderator/?icon&expr#16/e=a42e8Thanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogNew Google Groups New featuresRelated posts:Flickr Groups – Is there really a community?When will Google+ allow people to add their own feeds?Google+ Asymmetric Sharing

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July 20 2011, 6:29am | Comments »

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Upload your music onto Spotify

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2011/07/16/upload-your-music-onto-spotify

Dear Artists,First of all; we are really glad to hear that you are interested in getting your music onto Spotfiy. We appreciate your patience since you signed up to the Spotify Artist and Label list. The reason why we haven’t gotten back to you earlier is that we haven´t been ready to launch our own uploading-platform. Our time and energy has gone into uploading thousands of tracks every day from our existing partners which is a continuous process. However, getting independent artists music onto Spotify is important to us so we’re working on various solutions to assist artists.The current solutions we offer indie artists offer are CDBaby,Ditto Music and Record Union. They are artist- aggregators, who we’ve recently made an agreement with, and we highly recommend to you as a method to get your music onto Spotify. With them you can create a standard agreement and upload your music onto Spotify as well as deliver your music to other great services such as 7digital and Amazon. So if you want to join Spotify as soon as possible we strongly recommend you to go one of the following sites:http://cdbaby.com/ http://www.dittomusic.com/ http://www.recordunion.com/ We’re really looking forward to having your music on Spotify soon!Regards,The music team at SpotifyThanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogUpload your music onto SpotifyRelated posts:Spotify to halve free music allowanceMusic business models for internet artistsEmbedded music player from last.fm

July 16 2011, 12:59am | Comments »

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Good Morning Sunshine in the Valley

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2011/07/13/good-morning-sunshine-in-the-valley

Andy Roberts http://distributedresearch.net/blogvia posterousThanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogGood Morning Sunshine in the ValleyRelated posts:I think this is the best so farThere is a MoleThe tide is in

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July 13 2011, 3:00am | Comments »

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I think this is the best so far

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2011/07/12/i-think-this-is-the-best-so-far

High tide from the point, 340 degrees. Andy Roberts http://distributedresearch.net/blogvia posterousThanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogI think this is the best so farRelated posts:The tide is inThere is a MoleThe point

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July 12 2011, 8:42am | Comments »

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The point

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2011/07/12/the-point

I created this panorama of the Point at Penpol. Andy Roberts http://distributedresearch.net/blogvia posterousThanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogThe pointRelated posts:The tide is inPhotosynth PanoramaThe symbol and the thing

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July 11 2011, 11:49pm | Comments »

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The tide is in

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2011/07/12/the-tide-is-in

I created this panorama when the tide was in on my iOS device. The point is here. Andy Roberts http://distributedresearch.net/blogvia posterousThanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogThe tide is inRelated posts:Photosynth PanoramaHigh Tide dareComment

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July 11 2011, 11:47pm | Comments »

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Network Rail – Welcome & Information Requests

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2011/07/11/network-rail-welcome-information-requests

Hi 2011 intake! It was really good to meet those of you who were able to come along to our Welcome Days on Wednesday 18th May and Wednesday 6th July. I would like to take this opportunity again to welcome and congratulate you on your appointment on Network Rail’s graduate engineering programme. For those of you who were unable to make it the reason for my email is to introduce myself and run through what was covered on the day. We had a number of speakers and current graduates covering a variety of elements but I need to focus with you my session from that day. I support Nigel Ward, Professional Development Manager who will be your line manager for the duration of your scheme. One of my responsibilities will be managing the on-boarding of you all and assisting Nigel with your development when you join us in September. As part of the planning process for this, there are a number of initiatives that we are working on to ensure your smooth transition into the business. You will shortly be receiving joining instructions from me for our induction event which will commence on Sunday 4th September at our residential training centre in Coventry. You will be there for the whole week and on the Friday (9th Sept) all of the 2011 intake will then be transported to our technical training centre at HMS Sultan in Gosport. I have to stress to those of you who missed the event at Westwood that you will be required to stay the middle weekends of the three week induction. Accommodation and full board will be provided for the duration of the induction event and whilst at Gosport you will be working the Saturday mornings. You will, however, have free time on the Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday. You will leave Gosport on Friday 23rd September. On your fourth week you will spend this with your buddy and the other graduates who are based in your ‘home’ location. This is to familiarise you with the relevant offices/areas that you will be based at. One of my first priorities is to look at your initial placement following on from your induction programme. All of the 2011 cohort will start the initial training with a 20 week (approx) placement in one of our maintenance delivery units. We have a number of these around the country and it is my plan to try and place you in one that is nearest, not only to your place of work e.g. Swindon, but also where you are living if that is possible. In order for me to look at the range of locations vs the delivery units, I would be grateful if you could complete the attached information form (if you haven’t done that) to update me on your contact details. I appreciate that you may be planning on moving over the summer but if you can give me an indication on where you are likely to be living when you commence employment with us that will assist me greatly. Please note the broadness of London as an area as this covers Sussex, Wessex, Anglia & Kent. Once I have all these forms returned I will be able to confirm where you will be based for that placement. After your initial maintenance placement you will then start your formal 6-9 month placements which will be outlined to you during the induction period. If you are unclear about any of this please don’t hesitate to contact either myself or Nigel for clarification. Again, don’t worry too much about this as we will discuss this with you during your induction event. A second initiative that I am working on is getting our graduates from 2010 to contact you to invite you into the location where you will be working i.e. if you are based in Glasgow you will be invited to meet the previous grads at the office in Buchanan House in Glasgow! This will be over the next few weeks. I will assume that by your completion and return of that document you are happy for me to pass these details to our grads so they can contact you and arrange a suitable date to bring you in to meet them along with the other grads who are joining that location. Full joining instructions for your three week induction programme will be sent out over the next couple of weeks. All travel arrangements and tickets will be organised for you and I attach the form that you need to complete and return to me so that I can arrange this for you. As part of your training you will be required to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Attached is a form that you need to complete with the size that is relevant to you. Please can you return the Graduate Information Form, Ticket Request Form and PPE form to me (if you haven’t already done so) by Wednesday 20th July at the latest. Important Information Required : for those of you who couldn’t make the welcome events and those of you on the 18th May event I need you to complete the attached security clearance form for your stay at HMS Sultan. The forms that were included in the packs I issued to those who did attend on the 18th May were incorrect so please can you complete the one that is attached and send to Lesley Harding (along with the necessary ID forms) asap. Those of you who were on the 6th July event are ok as you received the correct version of the form. If you have any concerns or want to chat through any issues please don’t hesitate to contact myself or Nigel either by phone or by email. Kind regards Janice Bridgeland Professional Development Assistant Engineering (Graduates) Network Rail 40 Melton Street London NW1 2EE Tel: 020 7557 8858 Mobile: 07825 376901 Information Form.doc Download this file On-Boarding Presentation.ppt Download this file PPE Order Form.doc Download this file Ticket Request.doc Download this file Basic Check Application Form.doc Download this filevia posterousThanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogNetwork Rail – Welcome & Information RequestsRelated posts:Information overload? Time to relax thenAre junk information diets killing us?Requests

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July 11 2011, 7:51am | Comments »

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140 Curlews

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2011/07/10/140-curlews

I counted 140 Curlews on two mudbanks in the estuary near Devoran today. That’s a huge increase on recent years, and suggests the curlew population, and that of other wader birds, are well on the way to fully recovering after the wildlife disaster that followed the closing of the tin mine inland. The curlwes were mostly resting, but some were feeding on small molluscs in the mud. Their downward curved beaks are proportionately probably longer than that of a pelican, but narrow. In order to swallow or crush the little periwinkle type univalves, they were having to manipute the shell whole, right down the beak almost to the head in order to get enough leverage. We also saw two grey herons fighting over a small piece of fishing territory, flocks of oystercatcher, redshanks and a family of buzzards overhead.via posterousThanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blog140 CurlewsNo related posts.

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July 10 2011, 5:53pm | Comments »

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Photosynth Panorama

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2011/07/10/photosynth-panorama

I created this panorama on my iOS device with the Photosynth app, http://www.photosynth.net. Andy Roberts http://distributedresearch.net/blogvia posterousThanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogPhotosynth PanoramaRelated posts:How to join Photos to make a PanoramaCommentThere is a Mole

July 10 2011, 1:33pm | Comments »

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The App Store Turns Three After A Number Of Recent Milestones

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2011/07/10/the-app-store-turns-three-after-a-number-of-recent-milestones

’Just in the past week, Apple revealed that there had been 15 billion apps downloaded from the App Store. Recently it was also revealed that there are now over 500,000 apps available in the App Store (100,000 of which are iPad apps) ‘Huge numbers reported for the ipad apps store. But will it become saturated with cr@pps after a short while?The App Store Turns Three After A Number Of Recent MilestonesMacStoriesToday marks the third anniversary of the launch of the (iPhone) App Store which launched on July 10, 2008. It launched simultaneously with what was then called the iPhone OS 2.0 software (now dubbed iOS 2.0) and was subsequently followed by the release of the iPhone 3G the next day, which came with iOS 2.0 and thus the App Store pre-installed.The availability of third-party applications and an ‘App Store’ on the iPhone was certainly one of the most demanded features of the iPhone after it was revealed and launched in 2007. Whilst it hasn’t been revealed when exactly Apple decided to open up the iPhone to third-party apps (or if they had always planned for it), Steve Jobs was quoted in the New York Times shortly after revealing the iPhone in January 2007, as saying:We define everything that is on the phone. You don’t want your phone to be like a PC. The last thing you want is to have loaded three apps on your phone and then you go to make a call and it doesn’t work anymore. These are more like iPods than they are like computers.Since the launch of App Store, it has become one of the defining successes for the iPhone and Apple more broadly – becoming a cornerstone feature being used in a number of advertising campaigns. Most notable is the ‘There’s an App for that’ ad campaign which highlighted the wide array of apps available to consumers (jump the break to relive the first of those).Over the past few months, the App Store has hit a number of milestones that reveals how successful it has been over the past three years. Just in the past week, Apple revealed that there had been 15 billion apps downloaded from the App Store. Recently it was also revealed that there are now over 500,000 apps available in the App Store (100,000 of which are iPad apps) – virtually a hundred-fold increase from the 500 apps that were available at the launch of the App Store in July of 2008. Apple has also been very keen to note at their WWDC conferences that they are paying out significant amounts of money to developers; at last count it was over $2.5 billion. The question is, where will the App Store be in a year from now, let-alone another three years? The pace at which it has grown is truly mind-boggling.[Sources: New York Times, TechCrunch, Engadget, Wikipedia] Sent with ReederAndy Robertshttp://distributedresearch.net/blogvia posterousThanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogThe App Store Turns Three After A Number Of Recent MilestonesRelated posts:My Snapshot Statigr.amParisian store to close for safety refitApple’s slice makes the iPad a bad deal for newspapers

July 10 2011, 1:24pm | Comments »

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When will Google+ allow people to add their own feeds?

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2011/07/07/when-will-google-allow-rss-feeds

When if at all, will Google+ allow people to add their own RSS feeds?Friendfeed took off when rooms were added, harnessing the power of the so-called social interest graph, but it started to lose appeal again when they allowed the automated inclusion of rss feeds into those rooms by the room owners, slowly drowning out the interesting and genuine conversations.Facebook allows the automated inclusion of feeds via 3rd party apps, but between the Facebook users and Facebook themselves, they have managed to deprecate content from feeds so that original content and human shares take priority over feeds.Now some Google+ users are clamouring for the ability to be able to add their own streams from elsewhere directly into their own circles, which would amount to the same mistake as Friendfeed made. But Google+ hasn’t even enabled some kind of groups, rooms or interests yet, either because they still don’t understand the dynamics of social networks, or because they are rolling out such features in waves, and this one hasn’t arrived yet.Google’s record with groups isn’t a good one. They bought Dejanews, the web interface for usenet newsgroups, one of the original computer facilitated social networks, and did nothing much with it for nearly a decade. Thanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogWhen will Google+ allow people to add their own feeds?Related posts:Friendfeed for microblogging – a screencast videoReclaim your lifestream feeds with SweetCron softwareFriendfeed and Social Objects

July 7 2011, 1:21pm | Comments »

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Björk: ‘Manchester is the prototype’

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2011/07/05/bjork-manchester-is-the-prototype

Björk, the Icelandic singer’s Biophilia project incorporates handmade instruments, iPad apps, David Attenborough’s nature films and an album too – and she’s showcasing it all at Manchester international festival.“There will be an album in September, with an app to go with each of the 10 songs“.Extraordinary.This article titled “Björk: ‘Manchester is the prototype’” was written by Alex Needham, for The Guardian on Monday 4th July 2011 19.00 UTCOriginally formulated by scientist Edward O Wilson, the biophilia hypothesis suggests that human beings have an innate affinity with the natural world – plants, animals or even the weather. Yet it’s not biophilia but good old-fashioned fandom that has drawn a small band of Björk obsessives to queue outside Manchester’s Campfield Market Hall since 10am this morning. Not that there’s anything old-fashioned about the woman they are here to see. Biophilia is the Icelandic singer’s new project – the word means “love of living things” – and promises to push the envelope so far you’ll need the Hubble telescope to see it.A collection of journalists have already had a preview at a press conference in the Museum of Science and Industry over the road. Björk is absent, preparing for tonight’s live show, her first in the UK for over three years, which will open the Manchester international festival. Instead, artist and app developer Scott Snibbe, musicologist Nikki Dibben and project co-ordinator James Merry talk through Biophilia’s many layers. There will be an album in September, with an app to go with each of the 10 songs. There will be an education project, designed to teach children about nature, music and technology – some local kids will embark on it next week. There will be a documentary. And then there will be tonight’s show, performed in the round to a 2,000-strong crowd including journalists representing publications from New Scientist to the New York Times, as well as the diehard fans waiting outside. One, 20-year-old Nick from London, is a classical violinist who has loved Björk since the age of 14. “I wasn’t really into pop at all until I heard Medúlla,” he says, citing her most challenging album. “It was like a gateway drug from me liking difficult 20th-century western art music to liking pop.”It’s a journey in the opposite direction from the one most music fans make, and one which speaks volumes about the complexity of Björk’s work. “More classical musicians respect Björk than any other pop star,” he adds.At the museum, Snibbe is demonstrating the apps. The app that goes with the first single, Crystalline, includes a game in which you collect crystals in a tunnel, through which process you alter and customise the music. The app also includes an abstract version of the musical score; and an essay by Dibben that explains, in this case, how the structures of crystals relate to the musical structure of the song. The app for another song, Cosmogony, presents a 3D cosmos you can navigate. Each app has been created by a different – often rival – developer. “To me, it feels like the birth of opera or the birth of cinema,” says Snibbe.Yet Björk didn’t have such lofty aspirations in creating the project. “My main aim is to not get too bored myself,” she says, via email (she rests her voice between shows). “I feel that if I’m curious and excited there is a bigger chance the listener might be. At the end of the day, it’s more about the feeling of an adventure rather than the details of the adventure itself. So in short: whatever turns you on.”That said, the change from a passive to an active listening experience is a radical one. “The apps are mostly made for headphones and a private experience,” says Björk. “What you see live is only us playing our version. You can play a totally different versions at home.” If you’ve no desire to do that, Merry is at pains to point out that Biophilia will still exist as a CD or download – and indeed only those with access to an iPad or iPhone can experience the apps. So far, the project has been too expensive to adapt to other handheld devices.At the show venue, the journalists are being given a tour of the new instruments that have been specially built for the project. One contraption looks like a giant silver mangle decorated with two massive ear trumpets, but is called a sharpsichord. There are two giant pendulums, which have strings plucked by a plectrum as they swing past. There’s a Tesla coil that descends in a cage from the ceiling; two prongs that emit purple flashes of lightning – and, with it, sound. There’s also a celeste, which has been gutted and fitted with the pipes of a gamelan. These fantastical devices are controlled by an iPad. Above the performance space is a circle of screens that show the apps for each new song; moving tectonic plates for Mutual Core; invading pink cells for Virus (“Like a virus needs a body, as soft tissue feeds on blood, I will find you, the urge is here,” go the lyrics).It must be one of the most complex pop shows ever, and according to Björk, it could have been more elaborate still. “Manchester is the prototype,” she says. “We had to leave many things out because of budget and time and stuff.” As it is, the whole project has taken three years and cost so much money she told Rolling Stone that “we’ll be lucky if we earn zero”.Yet, on purely artistic grounds, it’s hard to regard Biophilia as anything other than a success. As the lights go down, Björk’s childhood hero David Attenborough’s unmistakable voice, recorded just that day, fills the room to explain the songs. The show includes Björk’s favourite footage from BBC nature documentaries playing when she performs older songs. Hidden Place is illustrated by a beautiful but disturbing clip from Attenborough’s Life – of a seal’s corpse being devoured by psychedelically coloured worms and starfish. All 10 tracks from the new album are played. Such an onslaught of new material would try the patience of most audiences, but this one is rapt – no one even goes to the bar.Much of this is due to the sensory bombardment of music, images and costumes – not least Björk’s bright orange wig, which a comment on the Guardian’s review says makes her resemble a tamarin monkey. Her decision to ban cameras and other recording equipment from the venue has also played its part. “I feel since everyone has made such an effort to be there all together at the same place and time, we might as well go for it,” she says. “It can be hard to play music for people who are filming you for Twitter or whatever. It’s like going to a restaurant with someone who keeps texting their friends while you are speaking to them – hard to concentrate.”Then there’s Björk’s extraordinary voice, once compared by Bono to an icepick, and still imperishable at 45. “My voice has changed,” she says. “I thought it had gone a little deeper. On my last tour I got nodules [on the vocal cords] but managed to stretch it out with three years of vocal work, so I’m back to my old range now.” Björk “adores” a whole range of singers: “Chaka Khan, Beyoncé, Antony” – the latter being Antony Hegarty, a former collaborator who is here in the audience – though her “favourite singer alive today” is Azerbaijani devotional singer Alim Qasimov. She is accompanied by a 24-piece Icelandic choir she discovered on YouTube.After spending so long meticulously making Biophilia, performance feels liberating. Live shows and making an album are, says Björk, “extreme opposites. After noodling for ever on an album, gathering together the best moments, it’s refreshing and healthy to have to do it all in one whack. Then you sort of have to take real life into it and accept that you only have whatever you have that day – and that is enough.”Right now Björk is at the intersection of music, nature and technology, exploring how the three together might help build a more sustainable future. But is it still pop? “Yes, absolutely!” Björk claims. (Dibben, who wrote a book about Björk, says the singer is wary of having her music hived off into the rarified world of the academy.) “Or perhaps I would rather call it folk music – folk music of our time. I was never too much into Warhol and the whole pop thing – it felt a bit superficial. I prefer folk. People. Humans.”• Bjork plays Manchester international festival on 7, 10, 13 and 16 July. Biophilia is released in September <a href=”http://oas.guardian.co.uk/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/guardianapis.com/music/oas.html/@Bottom” _mce_href=”http://oas.guardian.co.uk/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/guardianapis.com/music/oas.html/@Bottom” rel=”nofollow”> <img src=”http://oas.guardian.co.uk/RealMedia/ads/adstream_nx.ads/guardianapis.com/music/oas.html/@Bottom” _mce_src=”http://oas.guardian.co.uk/RealMedia/ads/adstream_nx.ads/guardianapis.com/music/oas.html/@Bottom” alt=”Ads by The Guardian”></img> </a> guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010Published via the Guardian News Feed plugin for WordPress.Thanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogBjörk: ‘Manchester is the prototype’Related posts:who is itExclusive Radiohead artwork plus The King of Limbs album streamCanterbury Cathederal

July 5 2011, 8:45am | Comments »

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Google+ Asymmetric Sharing

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2011/07/05/google-asymmetric-sharing

Ross Mayfield attempts to explain the features benefits and disadvantages of the asymmetric sharing model used by the new Google+ network. Visual Guide to Circles in Google+ by @ross View more presentations from Ross MayfieldView more presentations from Ross MayfieldI’m beginning to feel that Google+ is going to become a step up for those who prefer networks, but a further departure for those who prefer groups. It all depends what features they bring in later.My own profile is at http://gplus.to/andyroberts using the vanity url creator at http://gplus.to/Thanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogGoogle+ Asymmetric SharingRelated posts:Google+ for MobileGoogle cheat sheet – embedded pdf viewer from edocrSearchWiki from Google is LIVE

July 5 2011, 5:19am | Comments »

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Google+ for Mobile

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2011/07/01/google-for-mobile

I’m liking what I’ve seen so far of Google+ or Google plus, particularly the mobile version which seems like a good place to quickly catch up on a lot of stuff all in one place. roll on the iPad app for it. The “nearby” feature should be really interesting on occasion, but not until a few more people are on there in my local area, which ought to be teeming really.The big questions are who what and whyWho is going to settle in at Google+ not just to take a look around but to make it a home page that is checked often? Just the early adopter drive-by users or a more stable community of normal people?What are we going to do or talk about on Google+ that’s innovative and original?Why would anybody try to migrate all of their friends over to Google+ if they are already ensconced at other social networks?The thing is, it’s all going to change anyway.Add me as aroberts@gmail.com or possibly “+Andy Roberts”Photos - Google+Thanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogGoogle+ for MobileRelated posts:I Declare Google Reader BankruptcyOpen Social Objects?SearchWiki from Google is LIVE

July 1 2011, 4:47am | Comments »

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Homebrew from the hedgerow

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2011/06/30/homebrew-from-the-hedgerow

River Cottage forager and keen homebrewer John Wright explains how to make a quick, simple nettle beer. Nettle beer and homemade cider can help to keep costs down for the rural drinker. This article titled “Homebrew from the hedgerow” was written by John Wright, for guardian.co.uk on Wednesday 18th May 2011 13.15 UTCAs an enthusiastic forager who enjoys a tipple it was perhaps inevitable that I would become a homebrewer. Not that my path to alcoholic excellence has been a straight one. Back in the early 1980s, while living in a remote farmhouse surrounded by hedgerow delights of every kind, I became rather obsessive and brewed everything that would stand still for long enough. After a few disasters and the uncomfortable observation that friends (who had over the years been plied with various concoctions of questionable virtue) were finding imaginative reasons for not visiting me, I hung up my demijohns and retired hurt for many years. Then a huge haul of cherry plums one July tempted me to resume my chequered career and now the house is again filled with bottles and tubes and buckets and potions.There is a deep satisfaction to be gained from taking a plant from the garden or the hedgerow, exploring new tastes and making a palatable drink. The colourful demijohns, bubbling gently away on the shelf look lovely and, of course, homebrewing costs little.Well, it can be cheap but I’m a sucker for “kit” and now own every bit of equipment the home-brewing shop is prepared to sell me. From sugar refractometer to cider apple press, pH titration kit to thermostatically controlled brewing cabinet, I have the lot. I guess it’s a boy thing. But (despite what I have told my wife) you really don’t need all this stuff – just some buckets, demijohns, bubble-traps, plastic tubing and bottles. Below is a recipe which requires little more than can be found in the kitchen.Homebrewing was once, back in the 1970s and 80s, if not exactly fashionable then certainly popular. Then, I suspect, many people hit the roadblocks I encountered and it became a minority sport. Homebrewing kits, however, are still used by many and are generally very good, but there is little sense of “ownership” in brewing this way.I like the interesting recipes and novel tastes that can be enjoyed using the totally DIY approach. And do not be cowed by the notion that homemade wines, for example, are inferior to “proper” wine – they are just different. Over the next few weeks I will be relating my experiences, both good and bad, as a homebrewer. I hope you will join me in this little enterprise; perhaps suggesting plants and recipes I may not have tried, perhaps relating your triumphs and disasters. I trust you will enjoy the journey. Nettle beerI use nettles a lot. I have made nettle pasta, nettle pakoras and, best of all, nettle soup. But it will also make a good beer. Nettle hunting can be a painful experience unless you go equipped. Thick clothing, rubber gloves and good footwear are essential, but the blasted things will always get you somewhere. Last week, despite extensive precautions, one managed to go straight up my trouser-leg. I am thinking of buying some bee-keeper’s clothing for next time.It’s getting towards the end of the main nettle season but a shady area should still provide a good supply of young nettles tops (those that have not shown their dangling flower spikes) and a cut-down nettle patch will provide a second crop later in the year. The older leaves are rather bitter so just collect the half-dozen or so at the top.This simple brew is easy to make but rather treacherous. The flavour is pleasant, if unsophisticated, and a pint of the stuff has the same effect on one’s equilibrium as downing a pint of champagne would have.IngredientsA couple of the ingredients are worthy of note: “Copper finings” are not a scary as they sound. The name is a reference to a brewing vessel, not what they contain. The seaweed “caragheen”, also known as “Irish moss”, is the most commonly used – its purpose is to prevent the “haze” of protein that will otherwise spoil the beer’s appearance.1kg nettle tops (approximately one carrier bag stuffed to bursting) 5 litres water 450g sugar Juice of two lemons 50g cream of tartar Copper finings (Irish moss) Not absolutely essential. If used, follow the instructions on the packet A sachet of beer yeastBoil the nettles with the finings for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain through a colander or sieve into a sterilised (rinse with Campden tablet solution then boiled water) food-grade plastic bucket.Stir in the sugar until dissolved. Leave to cool to room temperature. Add the lemon juice and the yeast. You will probably need to “activate” the yeast first – it will tell you on the sachet. Cover and leave for three days.Siphon into sterilised swing-top bottles making sure not to disturb the sediment that will have accumulated at the bottom of the bucket. The beer will continue to ferment, gradually building up a head of steam, and is ready to drink in a week, though longer will be better.Gently release the pressure on one of the bottles every now and then to check that the “steam” isn’t building up too much. Despite the finings this beer can sometimes be a little cloudy – remember that this is a homebrew, so it is simply considered as character. And do not concern yourself about a little sediment at the bottom of the bottle – just pour carefully! guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010Published via the Guardian News Feed plugin for WordPress.Thanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogHomebrew from the hedgerowRelated posts:Free BeerNain’s bara brith recipeHow to make a log pile wildlife habitat

June 30 2011, 1:11pm | Comments »

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British Airways sends test flight into volcanic ash cloud zone

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2011/06/30/british-airways-sends-test-flight-into-volcanic-ash-cloud-zone

British Airways jet plane crewed by two BA pilots and two engineers flew through the ‘red-zone’ hanging above Scotland during the volcanic ash cloud period as a test. This article titled “British Airways sends test flight into volcanic ash cloud zone” was written by Dan Milmo, for The Guardian on Wednesday 25th May 2011 20.25 UTCBritish Airways flight 9271E had an unconventional cargo and destination. There were no passengers on the A320 aeroplane, which took off on Tuesday evening and flew north through a swath of UK airspace that contained, according to Met Office forecasts, a high density of volcanic ash.Crewed by two BA pilots and a pair of observers from the airline’s engineering department, the jet flew at various altitudes through a “red-zone” that hung above much of Scotland and had grounded thousands of travellers beneath it. There was no special monitoring equipment onboard, except for two cameras that were brought to record evidence of ash clouds but were in the end not needed.“We did not have any specialist equipment, hence the observers to put some additional eyeballs onboard with the ability to walk up and down the cabin in case we smelled anything,” said Garry Copeland, BA’s director of engineering who was on the flight.Copeland said there was no evidence of volcanic pollution throughout a 45-minute trip that charted a course from Manchester to Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh and London Heathrow, flying through the red zone much of the time.Asked if he was apprehensive while the plane waited to be cleared for take-off, Copeland said: “Not at all. We took it very seriously but not in terms of any safety concerns. We were very confident that we were not going to encounter any heavy ash.”After the flight the A320′s twin engines, equipped with new filters, were inspected with the type of telescopic video camera that is also used in pinhole surgery, again finding no evidence of contamination.BA had scrutinised weather maps from various forecasting organisations and was sure that there would be no ash, despite different predictions from the Met Office’s Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) in Exeter.“As an engineer, my way of doing business is to make sure we use all the tools available,” said Copeland, adding that BA was not disregarding the VAAC model but wanted to include other forecasts. Under the current guidelines, UK airlines must abide by VAAC forecasts whereas US and Middle Eastern airlines use predictions by forecaster WSI, which pointed to lower densities of ash.“We wanted to fly in an area of forecast heavy ash to ensure that our procedures for avoiding dense ash were resilient,” he added. The flight had been cleared by the Civil Aviation Authority, the UK’s aviation safety regulator. Copeland added that BA pilots are well-versed in avoiding ash because their aircraft often fly routes where volcanic eruptions are a potential hazard. “The primary guidance is to avoid flying in visible ash, which shows up as a dark cloud. In times when it is not visible, such as in the dark, you can sense a sulphuric smell or see indications of static electricity, like a bluish glow,” he said.BA hopes that the verification flight will define high-density zones more closely, allowing airlines to fly through areas that are, in fact, uncontaminated. “The intention is to find safe ways of continuing operations,” said Copeland. “As engineers we are hard-wired to do that.” <a href=”http://oas.guardian.co.uk/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/guardianapis.com/world/oas.html/@Bottom” _mce_href=”http://oas.guardian.co.uk/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/guardianapis.com/world/oas.html/@Bottom” rel=”nofollow”> <img src=”http://oas.guardian.co.uk/RealMedia/ads/adstream_nx.ads/guardianapis.com/world/oas.html/@Bottom” _mce_src=”http://oas.guardian.co.uk/RealMedia/ads/adstream_nx.ads/guardianapis.com/world/oas.html/@Bottom” alt=”Ads by The Guardian”></img> </a> guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010Published via the Guardian News Feed plugin for WordPress.Thanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogBritish Airways sends test flight into volcanic ash cloud zoneRelated posts:Ash cloud moves towards UK airspaceFlybe profit warning sends share price crashing downThe fatally flawed logic of a no-fly zone

June 30 2011, 1:06pm | Comments »

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June 22 2011, 3:23am | Comments »

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