Ski/Snowboard Holiday

Here's a copy of an email I just sent round to my girlfriend's mates. I'm looking to organize a ski/snowboard holiday for a few beginners. Anyone who wants to come along is more than welcome.

Ok guys and girls,

Here's some information and a few basic figures to get the ball rolling and get people interested.

Looking just at DirectSki.com (a great snow holiday company, have used them many times before). Andorra will be the cheapest place to go, mid february we should be good for a load of snow as well and it's also a great place for beginners with lots of easy runs and plenty of places to go for the more adventurous. Chamonix and Meribel in France are great places to go as well, Chamonix is more for the advanced but beginners will enjoy themselves there too. With Mt. Blanc towering over the town of Chamonix, it truly is a beautiful place. I haven't been to Meribel or Livigno yet but they are top class resorts as well with plenty of opportunity for beginners and better levels as well. Andorra is the cheapest with regards drinking, socialising and going out for food. Meribel and Livigno would be the most expensive of the bunch.

My preference would be Andorra for most people to start, it's easy going relaxed and it won't break the bank. The prices I've quoted below are a guideline for the moment and are based on 10 people going travelling. If we have more the price goes down, if we have less the price goes up, so keep this in mind and help get the ball rolling on this. I can also work a deal with DirectSki as well as I've worked with them before.

I can also look into getting a chalet all to ourselves for the ultimate in Ski Holiday fun, a wooden house all to ourselves with our own chef, jacuzzi, sauna and other awesome perks. Let me know if you're interested.

If you could email either Ciara or myself and let us know what you honestly think about price, place and what you want out of this holiday and I'll do my best to sort it out and get you involved as best I can.

1)
Location: Frontera Blanca, Pas de la Casa, Andorra (Self-catering)
Date: 19/2/2011
Based on 10 people
Flights, Accom and transfers: €519
All Inclusive (beginners only): Learn to ski pack (Beginner Lift Pass Equipment and School): €265
All Inclusive (intermediate): Ski Pack Intermediate (Area Lift Pass Standard Equipment and School): €280 (OPTIONAL)
Total: €784 (€799 intermediate)
Website: http://tinyurl.com/AndorraFB


2)
Location: Residence Les Balcons d'Anaite, Chamnix, France (Self-catering)
Date: 19/2/2011
Based on 10 people
Flights, Accom and transfers: €569
Ski Stuff: Standard Ski and Boots (6 days): €80
Lift Pass: Chamonix Local Pass (Chamonix Valley Argentier and Les Praz only) (6 days): €205
Lift Pass: Mont-Blanc Unlimited (Area) (6 days): €250 (OPTIONAL)
School: Ski School (Half Day) (6 days): €190 (OPTIONAL)
School: Ski School (Half Day) (4 days): €145
Total: €999 (€1044 with unlimited access to Mont-Blanc area)
Website: http://tinyurl.com/ChamonixRLBA1


3)
Location: Le Grand Chalet, Meribel, France (Self-catering)
Date: 19/2/2011
Based on 10 people
Flights, Accom and transfers: €569
Lift Pass: 3 Vallees Area Pass (6 days): €235 (OPTIONAL)
Lift Pass: Meribel Local Pass (6 days): €191
Ski Stuff: Standard Ski and Boots (6 days): €80
School: Ski School Mornings (5 days): €156
Total: €1096 (€1140 with unlimited access to Mont-Blanc area)
Website: http://tinyurl.com/MeribelLGC


4)
Location: Casa Pozzi, Livigno, Italy(Self-catering)
Date: 19/2/2011
Based on 10 people
Flights, Accom and transfers: €679
Lift Pass: Livigno Area Ski Pass (6 days): €190
School: Ski School Beginners only 3 Hours per day (6 days): €112
Ski Stuff: Ski and Boot Hire Standard (6 days): €86
Total: €1067
Website: http://tinyurl.com/LivignoCP



Here's a little about me, I've been on 12 Ski holidays since 2001, I've snowboarded in many resorts, including St. Anton (Austria), Chamonix (France), Morzine (France), Les Deux Alpes (France), Alps D'Huez (France), Pas de la Casa, (Andorra), Soldeu El Tartar (Andorra) and Pal Arinsal (Andorra). I know majority of the resorts inside and out, both on-piste and off-piste. Have helped create, market and run the Snowboarding Club in DCU for many years organising more than 70 people each year on one huge holiday to various resorts. So hopefully I'll be able to make sure you have the best time either as your first time or return to the slopes.

If requested, I can get results from Panorama, HighLife, RudeChalets, CrystalSki, TopFlight to compare. I can also look into going to Austria, Switzerland (very expensive!!) and Bulgaria (expensive flights over, but food and drink is cheaper!)

Hope that helps, let me know what you think.


Mike P. O'Keeffe BEng

Handy Decoupling Design Tools

Found these tools from manufacturer's websites regarding capacitor choice and getting their respective ESR, ESL and other necessary values.

Check out Murata's Chip S-parameter & Impedance Library
http://www.murata.com/products/capacitor/design_support/index.html

Check out Kemet's Spice software
http://www.kemet.com/kemet/web/homepage/kechome.nsf/weben/kemsoft

AVX have their own site as well, but the programs aren't as good
http://www.avx.com/SpiApps/default.asp

Yageo (acquired Phycomp in 2000) have their own version as well, this gives a lot more information
http://www.yageo.com/?mid=40029

Of all of them, I found Murata's tools to be the easiest to use, find and download. Kemet's are good as well and I found AVX's software tools to be a little harder to use than the others. Murata's tool allows you to enter a valid order code and you can extract details from that straight away, very handy indeed.

If anyone knows of any other manufacturer's that have these tools available online, please let me know, am trying to build up a helpful and handy database.

Take it easy.

LightPeak

Just found this article on Light Peak from Intel, looks pretty cool. Sounds like Intel are holding back on the whole upgrading to USB 3.0 as they claim when LightPeak comes along, it can operate over the same USB port, but operating over 10Gbps over fibre optic cables. Now that'll kick the copper cables outta here.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/15/intel-says-light-peak-coming-next-year-can-and-will-coexist-wit/

Cycled to work again today

I cycled for the second time into work today. I've got to admit this time wasn't half as hard as the first time. I think I still have a few more adjustments to the bike to make it easier and more comfortable.

I bought a gel seat cover and it made some difference, my butt isn't as sore, but it still hurts a little. I'm slowly getting fitter. I figured I had to cycle today after my poor attempt at the gym, last night. I showed, got to the changing rooms and then went straight for the jacuzzi, steam room, then home again. It was nice and relaxing and I had a good think about this whole going back to college thing.

I have a better idea of what I want to learn now. I'd like to focus more on Linux and Windows programming in the following languages C, C++ and Visual Basic(optional). Maybe throw some assembly in there. Basically more of what I did in college.

I had a look at some of the courses that DCU, ITB, DIT and other colleges offered and they have a load of modules that just wouldn't interest me or aren't focusing on the right areas for me.

Anyways, enough from me. Back to work, take it easy and have a good weekend everyone :D

Up to my tonsils

Sorry I haven't been blogging in a while, I'm still alive and well and trying to blog more. Quick update on everything at the moment.

Had a savage party last week in our place in Donabate, it was pissing rain and windy, but we still camped in the garden, had the bbq, had a few drinks and loads of people showed up, it was amazing. Thanks to everyone who came.

I finally got in on the Cycle to Work scheme and I'm currently awaiting my voucher so I can go and collect my bike. Will let you all know how that goes.

Currently, I'm looking into doing a post-grad course, not sure if I want to try get into Computer Science conversion course or enhance my skills in the electronics side.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention I've moved out to Donabate and I'm loving it. So glad I'm out of Ballymun, I'm glad we experienced it and I'm glad I'm finished with it now. Onwards and upwards.

I'm heading to Glasgow next weekend with my good mate Padraig. We're going paintballing in a seriously cool looking place, check it out http://www.prozone.org.uk/

Until I get more time to blog properly, laters.

Phoenix EBSF training completed

I'm now fully trained to work on Phoenix Technologies Embedded BIOS with StrongFrame Technology. I just finished the short two day course in which myself and two other colleagues learnt all about writing, creating and debugging our very own embedded BIOS program. It seemed very straightforward and in theory a simplistic and well laid out method for customising a BIOS for an embedded system. There is of course limited functionality compared to the SecureCore Tiano, but there is still plenty of functionality and enough for what embedded space is looking for. I think there's a couple of hundred different modules that can be incorporated in the embedded space whereas SecureCore covers a couple of thousand modules and a much stronger BIOS.

I've already worked on two of my own BIOS's for customers but after this training I should be able to complete my work much faster and in a much more controlled and more efficient manner. I'm currently looking into Microsoft's Simple Boot Flag for a project I'm working on. Basically this flag forces the BIOS splash screen on the video output until Windows sets this flag. This can be useful in a number of different situations.

The course covered some PCI architecture, memory mapping, e820 tables, a brief introduction to ACPI and the various methods for debugging the board. With regards debugging there is a lot of functionality and various outputs to help get a board working to meet the customers requirements.

I look forward to working on more Embedded BIOS now as I can practice my new-found skills.

Phoenix Embedded BIOS Training

I've just finished preparing for my Embedded BIOS Training which starts on Monday. It's a two day advanced training course which will allow me to succesfully create, debug and modify BIOS code.

I've done some work with embedded BIOS before but it was only very basic stuff, so I'm hoping to improve my skill set and learn more things here, which will make me more useful and less expendable to the company.

Will tell you more shortly about how it's going.