swinny.net

Finance

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 15:36:39 +0000

Personal Finance We've never been in financial trouble or hardship, but have picked up some useful pointers in a few specialised areas. Money Transfers One of these is How to Wire Money Across the Atlantic

Barclays Pingit enables mobile-to-mobile payments

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 15:36:39 +0000

One day, we'll be wondering how we ever managed to pay for things without our mobile phones. Right now, however, Barclays Bank is taking

Easy Access Childrens Accounts

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:23:57 +0000

NB: This is about bank accounts that children can use themselves, not long-termsaving vehicles for babies, etc. Let's look

My Solar PV

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:20:21 +0000

I Generate Solar Electricity!

Solar PV Readings for Cherwell, south-facing

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:20:21 +0000

Solar PV Readings for Cherwell, east-facing

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:06:06 +0000

Solar Readings for NR28 0JG

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:30:45 +0000

Solar PV Electricity

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:43:33 +0000

Solar Electricity (PV Technology) Solar electricity (generated by the Sun's rays) has to be a key part of the energy mix as we move into a new era of electricity generation. If you are interested in becoming a micro-generator (for...

Feed-in Tariffs explained

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:43:33 +0000

Homeowners with spare cash and a desire to help meet UK carbon emission targets have been through some tumultuous times. As with all new

UK Government backtracking on FiT cuts?

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:58:20 +0000

Has the Government backed down on its feed-in tariff cut? On 29 December 2011 it published a report (for the benefit of the EU) entitled

Could oil be the magic ingredient for solar power?

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:02:21 +0000

In what seems to be an ironic twist of fate for that environment bad-boy, oil, the next big thing in solar cell production may depend on

Solar PV Spreadsheet

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:32:13 +0000

Here we investigate how to work out the economics of the returns you might get from a domestic solar photovoltaic installation.

Checklist for a Solar PV Installation

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:11:39 +0000

Getting a solar electricity system installed in the UK is a fantastic idea, but there are many things you need to be aware of. Here is

About Us: Julii & John Swindells

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:02:28 +0000

Some Background Information Swinny.net is a family-run web site. It is engineered, written and edited by Julii and John Swindells. We run advertising on certain sections of the site. To find out more about what this means to

Internet Access

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:14:08 +0000

Internet Access What do we need to get access to the Internet nowadays? The hardest part is choosing an access provider (otherwise known as an ISP), but it certainly isn't hard to get cheap internet access any more. Once upon

Dodgy connection? Don't just blame your ISP

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:14:08 +0000

ADSL is a proven, reliable technology, and on the whole it delivers a decent service for its users almost all of the time. When things

Your wireless router may be vulnerable!

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:15:19 +0000

Does your wireless router have PIN technology? This is where you can connect your computer to the router by pressing a button on the router

The State of UK Broadband

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:10:46 +0000

As part of the Digital Economy Act 2010, Ofcom has a duty to report on the state of the UK's telecoms infrastructure every three years. Consequently it has now published the UK Communications Infrastructure Report 2011 that reports on...

Domestic Heating Oil Prices: Know the Market!

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:07:41 +0000

Domestic Heating Oil Prices I want to help you make the most of your heating oil, and also pay less! Here you will find information on heating oil prices, with tips on efficiency and getting a decent service at a reasonable price. The...

Cold weather alerts: be prepared!

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:07:41 +0000

Do you know what to do if your local weather forecast is predicting a spell of cold weather? The Met Office has issued a "100% probability

Cats

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:58:55 +0000

Our Little Cat Family We have brought two little black cats into our chaotic family, so here you will find lots of pictures (not too blurry) and experiences, plus a free tips that we pick up along the way. Their names are Claudius

How to make a cat tree

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:58:55 +0000

Making a cat tree is fun and easy, as long as you have a few basic DIY skills and tools. The only tools you need are a saw, drill, screwdriver

Kittens in pose mode

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:07:45 +0000

Here are a few pictures of the kittens relaxing and sitting to attention. Despite being very playful, they are capable of sitting around

Let the kittens play!

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:45:05 +0000

The kittens (Nero and Claudius) are very good at playing with each other, but that doesn't stop the kids trying to join in!

First day in a new home

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:07:11 +0000

Here are a few pictures of Nero and Claudius as they check out their new home and figure out their new housemates!

The Social Web

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:36:28 +0000

The Social Web

Be careful what you view on Facebook

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:36:28 +0000

I'm not one to complain about a free service like Facebook, especially when it works so well at keeping people in touch, but... I was very

Cycling

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:43:41 +0000

There is now a growing section on bike maintenance. Elsewhere you can have your say on being a dedicated cyclist! I cover many aspects

22 January 2012: Mistley Cross

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:43:41 +0000

Unseasonably warm weather again greeted us at Mistley, although this time the ground was much more moist and tree roots were exposed. A

VO2 max results for child athlete

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:52:39 +0000

(Daniel, age 12+2 months) and his dad John (age 37). On stationary exercise bikes, Tested by the

18 December 2011: Broome Heath Scramble

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:47:22 +0000

Snow was settled on the ground for the Broome Heath Scramble at Ditchingham, although not as much as in last year's event. Spectators, marshals and competitors were out in force and doing lots of work to keep warm in the freezing...

Waterproof clothing and Biological detergents

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:20:44 +0000

One of John's cycling jackets says "Do not wash in biological detergents." Why? The jacket is a soft polyester fleece that has

26 November 2011: Redgrave Cross

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:39:45 +0000

The cyclo-cross course at Redgrave (near Diss, Suffolk) was very flat and exposed, and a strong breeze made some sections quite a slog. The lack of hills was compensated for by a great many technical sections, including a steep 2-metre...

My Bike Miles

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:22:34 +0000

My Bike Miles

Bike Mileage Readings for John's Cyclocross Rides

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:22:34 +0000

Bike Mileage Readings for John's training rides

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:49:04 +0000

Sports Gear: Under Test

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:48:00 +0000

Sports Gear: Under Test Let's look at what cycle gear really passes the test of time. Do you have a piece of cycling equipment that has stood the test of time, or has let you down badly? Think of wheels, bike brakes, bike stands, pumps

Mavic Ksyrium SL Wheels

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:48:00 +0000

These are very nice wheels indeed. If you have a bit of cash to spare they might not initially catch the eye, as they aren't deep section

Park Tool Mini Chain Tool

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:15:54 +0000

Codenamed CT-5, this chain tool is really quite small (weighing 77g) so shouldn't cause problems fitting it in any size of saddle bag. You

Road Safety and Motoring

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:00:16 +0000

Road Safety

Child Killer Cars

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:00:16 +0000

The car buying public has been gradually getting conned into a size war on the roads. At the same time as advertising how green things

Photography

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 11:42:07 +0000

Photography: Getting reasonable results on a budget Find out what we think of the Minolta Dimage digital cameras, and the analogue cameras we still use.

Panasonic DMC-FT2: shockproof, waterproof camera

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 11:42:07 +0000

This camera epitomises the "just work" requirement for digital cameras. It has quite a modest feature list - no wireless interface, no

Information

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:13:18 +0000

Computing

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:28:21 +0000

Computer Corner Real-world Computer and Internet Access issues are addressed here. Please

PC Upgrade on a budget

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:28:21 +0000

Our lounge PC - used as a media centre and for gaming - was due for an upgrade. It consisted of an AMD Althlon X64 system in an ancient

Fun Stuff

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:36:23 +0000

Fun Stuff This is all the silly stuff we like to play with!

Noisy combine harvester

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:36:23 +0000

This is a really noisy combine harvester, filmed for the benefit of Michael (aged 2 at the time):

Why I Hate Tombolas

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:34:32 +0000

Apparently Tombola games are an Italian invention (some history

Web Hosting

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:01:31 +0000

Web Hosting Various aspects of hosting for the web are discussed here, from shared to VPS to dedicated (and multi-server dedicated).

Cloudflare for Better Web Performance?

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:01:31 +0000

There is a company that offers a firewall service fir your web hosting, and it does this using the so-called 'cloud'. Furthermore, its starter

Kids on Bikes

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:18:52 +0000

Kids on Bikes

Islabike Prices on Ebay

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:18:52 +0000

What prices do second-hand Islabikes fetch? Julii is keeping a database.

My House

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:03:13 +0000

My House: Measured

House Measurements for NR28 0JG

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:03:13 +0000

My Weather

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:58:19 +0000

My Weather Measurements

Weather chart for NR28 0JG

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:58:19 +0000

TeaRooms

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 15:04:06 +0000

Clickable Map of Norfolk

Showcase

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:36:13 +0000

My Showcase This is a place where I try out new things and see just what's possible on a web page. For example, Here's a referral link to jon Blurtit!

Capturing selected text in Javascript

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:36:13 +0000

Here's how to immediately capture the text on your web page that a visitor has highlighted with their mouse. Select some text on this page

SEO - Search Engine Optimization

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:36:38 +0000

SEO - Search Engine Optimization

Get your Content Labelled!

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:36:38 +0000

It's time to start labelling your content. If you're one of those web publishers who spends a lot of time writing (or sourcing) decent

Child Help

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:33:23 +0000

Advice and Tips for baby stuff Here are a few nuggets of information that you might find useful if you're starting a new family or having troubles with the young'uns.

Ruf's Levels of Giftedness are Creepy

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:33:23 +0000

I don't mean to slag off Deboarah L. Ruf personally. I haven't even read her original research or book, and plenty of what she says is

Piano for the Amateur

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:32:46 +0000

Piano-Playing for the Amateur

Piano tips for beginners

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:32:46 +0000

I have been self-teaching myself piano since mid-2006. One thing I've learnt from browsing the fora for beginners is that there is no one

Family Car

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:15:47 +0000

Resigned to Domestication: Buying a Family Car It's no easy decision handing over thousands of pounds of hard-earned cash for a large hunk of metal on wheels. We want to try and collate some information on the models that can be had...

Car Running Costs: Kia Sedona

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:15:47 +0000

Below are our fuel costs for the 2002 Kia Sedona (2.9L diesel), showing the miles per gallon and cost per mile (fuel only). Read more about the mismatch between published and real mpg figures.

North Walsham

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 23:26:49 +0000

North Walsham: Some pointers This is where we moved to in the Summer of 2004. So much for the big city life! Find B&B information here. Of particular interest to us are the

Wind Turbines

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:05:17 +0000

Wind Turbines This is all about harnessing wind energy, with

House and Home

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:59:35 +0000

Information and Advice on Housing and Living With the essentials costing more and more each year, it is no longer good enough just to buy fuel and home furnishings without any thought. Here is some information and advice we have collected

Measure

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:20:34 +0000

Making measurements

Book Reviews

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:22:55 +0000

Books that We've Read: The Good and the Bad

Norfolk

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 20:10:46 +0100

Cycling in Norfolk

KidSpeak

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:37:30 +0100

Kids Speak All about children and the things they say.

Professional Development

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:55:42 +0100

Continuing Professional Development It is important for anyone who takes their work seriously to maintain competence in their profession; this is the foundation of Continuing Professional Development (CPD). If you are in the process

Simple Programming Exercises

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:31:16 +0100

Simple Programming Exercises

Model Railways

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:16:20 +0100

00-Guage Model Railways I had a dabble in N-gauge model railways as a child, and found the scale just too fiddly. Almost 20 years later, I'm a Dad and have resurrected the hobby in OO/HO guage (00-gauge to be precise). This is largely...

The Brainard Name

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:05:33 +0100

The Brainard Family Name Links: Cecilia Brainard on Wikipedia, and her profile on

Web Programming

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 23:05:11 +0100

Web Programming This section is all about web development, helping programmers to develop the best sites possible. The key elements of successful web development: Performance - Interface

2011 Time Trial Reports

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 13:09:38 +0100

2011 Time Trial Reports By John 2011 has been a very late season for me. Having spent a lot of time with Great Yarmouth CC as they helped eldest son Dan to develop his bike racing skills, I(& family) became a club member

Animals

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:54:12 +0100

Animals A small cluster of animal pictures, including horse galloping!

The Bacon Family History

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 21:30:10 +0100

The Bacon Family History

Bikes

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 12:44:54 +0100

Bikes We have lots of bikes in our family, ranging from a turquoise bike with stabilisers, through childback tandem, to BMX and time-trial bikes.

The Developer's Apple Mac

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:31:19 +0100

The Developer's Apple Mac Everybody knows that Mac OS/X is essentially Linux under the hood, but how does it stack up as a development platform? Does it make up for the scripting and package limitations of Microsoft Windows, or are all

Great Days Out

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:03:47 +0100

Great Days Out

iPhone 4

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 22:31:52 +0100

The iPhone 4 Do you own a phone that doesn't do much (except make calls), but would find sat-nav (GPS), social networking and email capabilities useful? If so then you should seriously consider getting an iPhone. Not necessarily an...

Swindells Family Photos

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:17:18 +0100

Swindells Family Photos

Twitter

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:04:33 +0100

Bike Shelters

Sun, 22 May 2011 20:10:04 +0100

Bike Shelters This is all about improving the lot of the child that has to brave the elements on his or her bike. Cycle shelters, or bicycle shelters, are also otherwise referred to as weather shelters or fiberglass shelters.

Influencers

Sat, 21 May 2011 12:45:19 +0100

Influencers in the Computing Industry