Announcing The T2 Rally
May 20, 2008
I'm pleased to announce the launch of the all new T2 Rally, and it's website T2Rally.com
This rally was started by the group that left The Africa Rally, and I have to say - we've received nothing but good praise since we launched the website on Saturday. We're all very excited about this, next year we hope to make the rally open to everybody.
Head on over to the website and take a look, why not sign up for the email updates?
Update: The Adventurists Africa Rally
May 20, 2008
Big news, this. I (along with a few others) have pulled out of The Africa Rally.
Differences of opinions between the participants (the customers) and the organisers (the vendors) as to what it meant to be selling a product or service have led to this. However - I'm still preparing the jeep, and still going away - but now under my own terms, and on my own adventure 
Introducing Photos365.com
May 6, 2008
One of my long term projects has been a photo sharing service similar to Flickr and SmugMug, it's called Photos365 - and I'm hoping that it will be ready for initial Beta release sometime in July.
There's a few cool things about it that differentiate it from it's competition, but I'm not going to let the cat out of the bag just yet - you'll have to wait and see 
I've just launched a logo design contest on 99Designs, so if you're interested in designing a logo for the site, then head on over and take a look.
Also, if you'd like to get notified of when the beta site is launched, leave a comment here and I'll be sure to send you an invite.
Update : Suzuki SJ410
April 27, 2008
It's been a while since I last updated, so here is an update on the SJ410. I haven't had much chance to do any work on it, I've treated some of the rust and had the rollcage welded back on. It's been transported to my garage, where it's now safe and dry.Next job is to locate the VIN and engine numbers and then apply for a V5. I'm not sure if this means I'll get a new registration number or not. I've found one of the missing rear windows, so now it's only missing the rear windscreen. I'm going to order to piece of 3mm polycarbonate and cut this to size... the rear screen isn't curved or anything, so a polycarbonate replacement will be cheaper (about 15 GBP), stronger and lighter than replacing with the real part. I'll also be able to fit that myself using silicone sealant instead of needing to get AutoGlass or similar to fit glass.I need a new passenger side headlight, and possibly a passenger side front wing... although I'm going to try and take it off and beat/bend it back into a reasonable shape... if I can get rid of any sharp edges it should pass the MOT. Other than that, it seems pretty much OK. A few small things need doing - oil, oil filter, air filter, brake fluid, spark plugs and the throttle needs adjusting.Once that's done I'll get it booked in for an MOT and get the garage to check the brake pads/shoes and replace if necessary before they do the actual MOT. I need to get all of that done by June 21st - that's the offroad practice weekend for people going on the rally :)
Project update: Suzuki SJ410
March 30, 2008
I've added some more photos of my Suzuki SJ410 that I'm preparing for The Africa rally.
You can see that it's in a bit of a state, the rollcage is being held on by a rope - but there's a nice man coming to weld it back on for me next week. It's also missing most of the glass in the rear - I have the rear windscreen, and the rubber surround - but no idea how to fit it. Can anybody offer instructions?
Other than that, It's already had the starter motor replaced, it needs cleaning both inside and out, and a reasonable amount of bodywork - mainly the passenger side front wing and all of the wheel arches.
HackBook: Sold
March 26, 2008
It's true - I sold the HackBook. I've replaced it with a 15" MacBook Pro that I picked up on Ebay - it's much more suited to the work I'm doing a the moment. It also has 4GB RAM
As for a solid-state ultra portable for travelling - I've ordered an Asus EEE 701, the 4GB model that I intend to upgrade to at least 1GB RAM (it supports 2GB).
Once it's arrived I'll take some photos, play around with it and write a review.
I also had an OLPC for an evening last week - a review is currently in the works.
New Project: Suzuki SJ413
March 12, 2008
This is the Suzuki SJ413 that I'll be using in the B2 Rally (Budapest-Bamako). I'm collecting it this weekend, so this is how it looks right now, before I pull it apart and generally do whatever a mechanical idiot does to a vehicle to make it no longer function. Read more
New Project: Suzuki SJ410
March 12, 2008
There she is - the Suzuki SJ410 that I'll be taking on The Adventurists Africa Rally. I'm picking her up this weekend... that's how it looks at the moment, before I've been let loose on it with a pair of spanners and a few cans of spray paint Read more
HackBook Pro - For Sale
March 8, 2008
Yep, my HackBook Pro is for sale on Ebay.
Why am I selling it? Simply - it doesn't have enough RAM. The Vaio is limited to 2GB, I'm constantly reaching it's limitations with the work that I do (software development, running multiple VM's), and so it makes sense to get a new machine that can accommodate 4GB. I'll likely buy the lowest configuration MacBook and pimp it with 4GB RAM and a 320GB drive.
If anybody reading this buys my laptop and wants OS X installed - I'm happy to do that, but it's for evaluation purposes only, not licensed etc etc.
Go have a bid, it's a great machine - just wish it wasn't limited to 2GB.
To all ‘Guitar Heroes’
March 5, 2008
There is a name for a guitar that small : ukulele.
