Layout change again

I've changed the layout again, any comments?

TechOnline and Lenten Update

I decided to sign up for a few different newsletters like Embedded Systems Design from TechInsights. I got an email from them about a week ago and they'd linked a site from TechOnline with a load of free online courses. These are incredible. I recommend anyone who's into hardware engineering in anyway to check it out.

Here's the link: TechOnline Free Online Courses
The courses are presented by representatives that have been in the industry for a long time and from the big companies like Intel, Texas Instruments, Analog Devices and International Rectifier to name but a few.

So far, I've already watched the Fundamentals to FPGA's and the Fundamentals of x86 Architechture. I was very impressed by both and it's really helped me understand more of what I'm doing here in work.

Lent
So far so good. I haven't played any games or had any chocolate. I'm missing the games big time though and I'm going a little mad, especially since Bioshock 2 was released there last week. That game truly looks amazing. Even though I've also heard that it doesn't quite live up to the first game. Either way, I'd love to play it.

Take it easy guys, feel free to comment your thoughts below or if there's anything you'd like me to cover.

Lent and giving up stuff

So it's Lent now. Since I enjoyed Pancake Tuesday so thoroughly with the expense of not going to the member's information evening for Engineer's Ireland. I forgot that Lent starts the next day on Ash Wednesday. Needless to say I didn't get my forehead smudged with ash, not that I would have made any effort to have got it done anyway. I figured I may as well do something christian and productive and I've decided with my girlfriend that I'm going to give up a few things. I haven't decided what I'm going to take up as well now, but here's what I'm giving up.

1. Chocolate (the sweet lady here is going to be so upset and probably put out of business here)
2. Smoking (I know, you thought I'd given up, but I keep doing it when I have a few pints!)
3. Playing games (this is the hardest of them all, I love my games, I don't know if I can really give this one up, it's just too hard and I've too many to finish!)

So that's the deal. It's going to be a hard 40 days!

BEWARE: Halifax Account Phishing

Just got a phishing email from the following:

http://itpec.org/itpeccx7direct2h%60alifax.ie/Login.aspx.htm?login.online.halifax.ie/Login.aspx

Does this mean that the ITPEC organisation in Asia is responsible?
I dunno, but whatever you do, DO NOT enter your details into this FAKE login page!!

The day after Pancake Tuesday

Right, well I was supposed to go to the Engineer's Ireland member's information meeting yesterday. Needless to say I didn't go. I had a chat with a colleague here in work, he informed me that Engineer's Ireland is geared more towards civil and constructional engineering rather than Electronic Engineering. I don't think I want to pay for membership to receive periodicals on how to mix cement and lay tarmacadam. When will I ever use that?

So instead, I went home, made pancakes and read my VHDL book. Much more productive I think. See my recipe blog at Pyrolith's Recipes!

I've decided I'm going to join the American IEEE instead. They seem more geared to my industry and they have a lot more information and benefits for joining. All I hope I can do now is get the company to pay for my subscription. Now that'd be nice alright.

Pancake Tuesday

Yay Pancakes!
I hope I get a chance to eat some pancakes today. Busy day today.

Heading to the Engineer's Ireland Information meeting tonight. I'm looking to find out what are the advantages of being a member.

When:	16/02/2010 From 6.00 PM until 8.00 PM
Where:	Engineers Ireland 22 Clyde Road Ballsbridge Dublin 4 Ireland

For more information regarding this event please visit:
http://members.engineersireland.ie/events/event_details.asp?id=93192


By the way, lemon and sugar pancakes all the way!!

AdSense gone, blog writing for company

I've removed AdSense after reading in an article about blogging. Apparently the whole adverts on your blog make it look tacky, unappealing and cheap. Never thought of it like that, on a second look though, my page looked like all those without the ads in the first place. So I figured, remove it, give the page a chance.

I'm currently writing up some draft information for writing for my companies blog site. We've currently got nothing at the moment. Hopefully I can write enough information each week to keep any readers that we may get interested. My only worry is the sensitive nature of writing a company blog. Can't go saying anything that could harm our reputation, while at the same time, not making blatant lies about how amazing we are. There's nothing wrong with a few delightful adjectives around the place, in moderation of course. Will post up the link here if I get it and my proposal is accepted and when it is posted up online.

Hopefully I'll get more readers and experience in this whole blogging phenomena and may even do this blog up properly as well. Sure we'll see what happens.

Take it easy out there in the blogosphere ;)