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ArcGIS
Jul 7th
ArcGIS is an application from ESRI, made for the iPhone. It sports a fantastic looking interface, and maps are pretty quick to load up. And there are a pile of different map views you can shoose from – including various topographic maps, satellite views, hybrid maps, and more. There’s even a Canada 1:20K Basemap.
ESRI has also built an online application that lets you create your own custom map views
And it’s free!
Get ArcGIS from the iTunes AppStore | ArcGIS Explorer Online
Here are a couple screenshots:
Popularity: 1% [?]
waffle maker d.o.a. :(
Apr 26th
Well, not too impressed with that Waring WMK300 waffle maker that I bought. 3-4 months past its 1 year warranty, it died.
Opening it up, I discovered melted wire insulation, and scorch marks on the bottom stainless steel cover. Although this waffle maker made great waffles, it was a potential fire hazard that put my family and my home at risk!.
I went to do a review and report this on amazon, and came across another review where someone mentioned that the problem was with a thermal fuse. Figured what the heck – spent a couple bucks and tried to get it working, and with the help of a freind with some extra heat proof wire shielding, and my father-in-law, the waffle maker was producing heat again. Unfortunately, not enough heat, and no audible tones from the cooking timer.
So, this door stop of a waffle iron will be trashed, and we’ll replace it with another one. Definitely not a Waring! I wrote up a review that I posted to epinions.com about this experience as well.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Ripple base tampers by Reg Barber
Jul 27th
I was in Transcend yesterday picking up my weekly supply of beans, and was admiring a couple RB tampers with the Transcend logo on them. Then, while Andrew was preparing a couple of iced lattes for my daughter and I, he showed us a prototype tamper that Reg Barber gave him this past week while he was in Victoria. The rippled base is supposed to eliminate channeling issues due to an increased surface area. Hmmm… one of those bases with one of the Transcend logo handles would sure be nice in sitting in Coffee Nirvana – and eliminate channeling issues? That would sure please the wife – no more coffee all over the place when I’m preparing my double triple shots each morning before work.
Surfing this morning, and it turns out that Reg Barber has 2 different ripple bases :
I’ll see if I can wait to see what Andrew’s impressions are with the new base (he has the ripple base) – hopefully he gets a chance to put it through the paces soon! 
Popularity: 1% [?]
digital weigh scale
Feb 29th
In my attempts towards maximum consistency between shots, I ordered a digital weigh scale today. I plan on using it to try and calibrate the doser on my grinder, as well as determining (and controlling) exactly how much coffee I’m loading up into my portafilters.
The scale that I ordered is from http://www.dealextreme.com – I’m certainly not expecting great things for the whopping $11.00 that the scale is priced at, and I don’t anticipate using the scale for a very long time. Any digital scales that I’ve been able to locate around town have been anywhere from around $40 to $100.
Will post here how it works once I receive it (be interesting to see how long it takes – they also had a really cheap fm transmitter that I ordered as well).
Popularity: 1% [?]
getting closer!
Feb 1st
Well, my package arrived today – containing a new tamper, and frothing pitcher. After getting things washed up (and also thawed out – the box probably sat outside for at least a couple hours in -25C), I had to give the pitcher a try - and I was thoroughly impressed! The claims were very true indeed. Perfectly microfoamed milk! I’ll add some pictures in the coming days.
The tamper is a welcome addition as well – I think that I’ve probably been packing my coffee with 50 or more pounds… 30 pounds of packing force isn’t much! I think that it will definitely bring greater consistency to my shots!
Popularity: 1% [?]
