Category Archives: Technology

Volcanic Ash blowing over Lancashire

Posted on 15 April 2010 by Pete of MIP

Today, flights all over northern Britain have been grounded because of volcanic ash from Iceland. Quite a coincidence to have these northerly winds at the same time as a volcano erupts. Look out for bright sunsets. Many years ago a … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Technology | Comments Off on Volcanic Ash blowing over Lancashire

High Speed Rail from Manchester, not Preston, announced

Posted on 11 March 2010 by Pete of MIP

The government announced its proposed 250mph High Speed Rail link plan today with a Y shaped network. The line to Birmingham from Euston is to be first followed by a line to Manchester and a separate one from Birmingham to Sheffield … Continue reading →

Posted in Political, Rail, Technology | Comments Off on High Speed Rail from Manchester, not Preston, announced

Space Shuttle – International Space Station over Preston

Posted on 21 February 2010 by Pete of MIP

Missed it again.  Friday morning, 19th Feb,  at 5.26am the Space Shuttle, Endeavour, and the International Space Station flew over Preston before separating, it was 200 miles high at 36 degrees  above the horizon so not directly overhead. Very bright as well. Endeavour is … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Comments Off on Space Shuttle – International Space Station over Preston

Island of Preston

Posted on 29 January 2010 by Pete of MIP

The Coastal Management Plan for the next 100 years has been issued and the coast around the Ribble estuary is largely to be protected except for an area on the south bank that will be allowed to make a managed … Continue reading →

Posted in Political, Technology | Comments Off on Island of Preston

Combined Heat and Power from Baxi

Posted on 11 January 2010 by Pete of MIP

Baxi say they are geared up to deliver up to 20,000 combined heat and power units a year from their Preston, Bamber Bridge, plant.  The government is issuing contracts worth billions of pounds for green energy but the great majority of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Made in Preston, Technology | Comments Off on Combined Heat and Power from Baxi

High Speed Rail to miss Preston?

Posted on 31 December 2009 by Pete of MIP

The High Speed 2 Company submitted its plans to Lord Adonis who will declare the preferred routes in March 2010.  To date the proposal has shown a line up the west coast via Preston to Glasgow but yesterdays newspapers seemed cooler on this idea.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Political, Rail, Technology | Comments Off on High Speed Rail to miss Preston?

Digital Switchover Day – 2nd Dec 2009

Posted on 2 December 2009 by Pete of MIP

What a shock only a black and white fuzz on  TV.  After watching it for a while decided to tell my old aunt that the signal had gone off. It wasn’t the signal that bothered her though,  it was the … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Comments Off on Digital Switchover Day – 2nd Dec 2009

International Space Station over Preston

Posted on 25 November 2009 by Pete of MIP

The International Space Station with Space Shuttle Atlantis was visible from Preston yesterday morning (24th Nov) at 4.46 and it was very bright (if no clouds), I was in bed and it was probably raining. Atlantis undocked from the International … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, Uncategorized | Comments Off on International Space Station over Preston

Digital Switchover and further to HD

Posted on 21 November 2009 by Pete of MIP

Wednesday 2nd December the freeview digital changeover will be complete in the Granada region. Also the power at the transmitter becomes 10 times stronger. Wow does that make our aerial glow? Probably not, I’ll add just in case someone thinks it does. … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Comments Off on Digital Switchover and further to HD

Nuclear Irish Sea announced

Posted on 9 November 2009 by Pete of MIP

Today the government announced 5 new nuclear power stations on the shore of the Irish Sea. Three in Cumbria, 1 at Heysham, 1 in Anglesey. There are currently 3 that have limited life remaining. The government has also announced a … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Nuclear Irish Sea announced

Digital Switchover Day for BBC2

Posted on 5 November 2009 by Pete of MIP

Yesterday BBC2 went digital in the Granada region. The person managing the changeover said they’d only had 10,000 calls yesterday so it went well.  At the time I thought it sounds a lot as BBC2 doesn’t get a big audience. … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Comments Off on Digital Switchover Day for BBC2

Internet Explorer Version 8 and 10 minutes to get football results in the brave new digital TV world

Posted on 21 October 2009 by Pete of MIP

As a part-time web designer I find IE8 has gone from the extreme of earlier issues to the other extreme in terms of using web-standards. My web-design software puts special code into pages to allow for the foibles of earlier versions … Continue reading →

Posted in Not particularly Preston, Technology | Comments Off on Internet Explorer Version 8 and 10 minutes to get football results in the brave new digital TV world

Duke of Edinburgh’s wise words about TV technology

Posted on 10 October 2009 by Pete of MIP

The Duke of Edinburgh is reported as saying TV remotes are too complex.   I guess over 95% of the population are probably able to use them eventually without difficulty even if they don’t use all the functions. I have an elderly … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Comments Off on Duke of Edinburgh’s wise words about TV technology

Councillors Driver and Hudson man the barricades

Posted on 9 October 2009 by Pete of MIP

Two councillors, Geoff Driver of Lancashire County Council and Ken Hudson of Preston City Council have had a letter published in the Times (8th Oct)  defending the location of the National Football Museum in Preston.  This was after Matt Dickinson the Times … Continue reading →

Posted in Preston North End, Technology | 2 Comments

Preston FM your community radio

Posted on 6 October 2009 by Pete of MIP

Driving round Preston the other day a radio station I hadn’t heard of popped onto my radio. Preston FM 103.2MHz. Sounded a bit ‘localish’ although I’ve listened to a couple of their music programmes and they’re OK. So I’m giving … Continue reading →

Posted in Made in Preston, Technology | Comments Off on Preston FM your community radio

BAE SYSTEMS and SFO

Posted on 1 October 2009 by Pete of MIP

BAE SYSTEMS, the biggest high tech employer in Lancashire and the UK, is in the news today. The Serious Fraud Office are saying they will ask the Attorney General to press charges with a punitive £1000 million fine for offering … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Political, Technology | Comments Off on BAE SYSTEMS and SFO

Sustainable house standards – 2016 and all that

Posted on 21 September 2009 by Pete of MIP

There has been talk in the news recently about the standards for houses to meet ‘low carbon’ requirements. Developers say it will cost £30,000 to meet the 2016 ‘zero carbon’ standard. Although it is also said the cost is overstated … Continue reading →

Posted in Not particularly Preston, Technology, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Sustainable house standards – 2016 and all that

Smart Meters, any use?

Posted on 16 September 2009 by Pete of MIP

I was reading an article by Ed Milliband saying smart meters will give us a responsive more efficient electricity grid, enable billing without a meter reader and for consumers to be aware of what they using. All this at a cost … Continue reading →

Posted in Political, Technology | Comments Off on Smart Meters, any use?

Wind Turbine near Garstang

Posted on 16 July 2009 by Pete of MIP

A planning debate on a new Wind Turbine near Garstang has been on-going for nearly 2 years and it appears that the turbine is to be built after the local council was over-ridden by the Planning Inspectorate.  This is an … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Comments Off on Wind Turbine near Garstang

More on Digital Switchover

Posted on 21 June 2009 by Pete of MIP

Went on a visit to my old aunt south of Preston. She had a letter from an alleged Switchover Help Scheme saying the BBC can help you switch to digital TV. It mentioned a company called DSHS Ltd sounds a … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Comments Off on More on Digital Switchover