NoFakie

SIM free is when you buy a phone, without a contract from a phone company. You buy just the phone, no SIM card. At this point the phone is useless as a phone, until you put a SIM card in it can't connect to the network and make calls. There are a number of reasons to do this, 1. You own the phone, so can move between phone companies if you get contract from the company that doesn't tie you to a fixed period. 2. The phones come unlocked, so can be used on different networks. 3. Reduces the monthly cost of your phone bill because you are not paying off the phone, although you do have to pay

It sounds like it's basically a garmin type exercise watch and a second screen for an Iphone. In terms of "Hey man! The Future!" points, it's not quite Google Glass, is it.

I mean, who gives a feck about the size of the screen? What matters is whether you can make sweet sweet music on it!

I just had a weird problem in windows. You can recreate it easy enough by pressing ctrl-alt and the left arrow. I didn't know what the hell I'd done, and had to do some well weird mousing to get into my browser and google the remedy, which I found on the first hit. You fix it with ctrl-alt and the up arrow. Lots of potential hijinx if your office has a Gareth in it!

I've had six cans of Akiaji and it seemed like it's lost its aura as the most interesting regular price Japanese beer. I suspect it may not be as good this year, but I'm also sure the competition around it is getting better. fwiw, the Seiyu cheap Spitfire is now a goner, but they still do an a Shepherd Neame organic IPA at 290 yen for a 500ml bottle, so you get a decent British ale for standard Japanese lager price. The Spitfire was happo-shu price.

Hey Tkl, I ordered one myself earlier today, off that Crooomba website. A Thule one that holds 450L in there, so that should take care of the beer! It's 230cm by 70cm by 40cm, but the postage from Nagoya is under 5000 yen, so nice one Up Garage! They must have a special deal with the delivery people. With Kuroneko, something that big will get you onto their furniture delivery service which costs much more.

The government have just offered more incentives for people to vote No, even though its illegal under the law relating to the referendum to do it this late. The north of England will lose a valuable ally in counteracting London and the South East if Scotland goes independent, but good luck to them. I reckon there are plenty of scare tactics to come though, and enough timid types fearing disaster will vote No to stop it.

The biggest difference I guess is that in the northern part of Japan, mixed onsens are not uncommon, but they are in the middle of Honshu. You've generally got to look for one and go out of your way if you want to go in with your missus (and other people). I like outdoor ones and generally have to be wet or cold or something to want to pay to go in an indoor one. We have an onsen style bath at home, so I like people getting money from me to outdo that. Its like paying a restaurant for food you can make better yourself. I'm not a massive fan of the free ones at Nozawa because most of th

Lovely spot! I've been, but only the once and it was in winter. I think we went to the onsen, car camped nearby and drove along the road that goes round the lake. We had some vague plans to do a camping trip in Hokkaido this summer but my missus got a full-time job and it ended up a non-starter. With the weather this year, it wouldn't have been such good timing to do it anyway.

Yeah, Up garage is the one I've been looking at, via that website crooooba? or however you spell it. Their stores are spread out around here, so I'll have to give them a ring and see what the score is about getting one from another branch. It would be great if that's a goer.

Its not as cool as the real one, but the spirit of the 70s is still there in full effect! Here's the theme, which is pretty fun to play. I never knew it was by Tom Scott. Tom Scott is possibly best known now for the big sax sample on that "they reminisce over you" hip hop tune by Pete Rock. http://www.onlinesheetmusic.com/gotcha-theme-from-starsky-hutch-b-flat-lead-sheet-p355608.aspx

I think we're closing in on the right answer here. Q. What car should I buy? A. Two cars!

Oh yes, hope. The big hope at Newcastle is that Pardew headbutts someone and excuse maker no. 1 can finally get the sack. The bookies have him second favourite as next to go, so there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

Let's create a new position for a woman! I know, cleaning up! :grandpa:

It was in the paper the other day, but apparently Hakuba got 40% of the average amount of sunshine in August. The amount of rain was up too, but not as dramatically as that. Its been the worst summer I can remember anyway.

My family used to do that. I can remember it from when I was a kid. This is what my old man used to drive. A green Vauxhall Cavalier. The shape is a bit more Starsky and Hutch than I remember.

Thanks for the comments fellas! The "official" roof rack positions on the older model Alphards are 70cm apart. Assuming the racks are in the same place in the pictured newer model, that box doesn't look like one of the bigger ones that go up to 250 in length. Its cool that it matches the car though. Very chic. For gg's question, basically the box gets bolted onto two bars spanning the roof. Japanese call this a "base carrier" and its sold as bars, legs of a certain height that hold the bars, and hooks that are specific to the body work shape and hold the legs. The legs and bars should

Has anyone got any recommendations about roof boxes to stick on top of the car? I see plenty of skiing folks with them. Anything in particular to look for? Its to go on a big people carrier called an Alphard. I want something to carry camping/sleep-in-the-car gear as well, so I'm not so interested in just a ski/board carrier. I'll be buying s/h but in a shop this time because they are oversized and the postage on them is killer.

GG I can only take one football highlight video a week! The music on them is always terrible. With Falcao, it sounds like you want him to come in and recreate his Athletico form, not so much the Monaco form from last year. If van Persie is looking at possible injury problems, its a risky move to shift two forwards out (both of whom were seen as good enough for CL clubs) and get only one in, who is himself coming off an injury. A bit like going for a three center-half formation without much depth in that position.

Full marks to the Everton fan with the dildo on Sky Sports News! Quality entertainment!

Long-term replacement for Barry maybe? Fwiw Barry was lampooned on a similar level to Cleverly when Ozil pissed past him in 2010, but he's been a good signing for Everton.

To be fair, Martinez had him on loan for a season at Wigan. I reckon he'll go to Everton on a Bosman next year. As a free transfer, his agent will get him a million or two for signing the deal. He's only a couple of injuries from starting at Man U, so he'd be silly to go somewhere now. Wait, get paid, maybe play a bit, and then get a nice fat envelope to sign for someone else. I had a look at a Falcao at Monaco vid, but it seemed like half his goals were penalties.

With my daughter, I just carried her up a small slope with a piggyback till she could do falling leaf on her heel edge. It was much easier than unstrapping. After that, we went on the lift and did the same down a course. It didn't take long. The first slope we used was the unofficial sledging area past the base building on the Iimori side of Goryu. Special kids areas with magic carpets etc. are good with skis but a waste of time with snowboards because of the unstrapping. For kids Burton gear in Japan, you're looking at 40,000-45,000 yen for board boots and bindings. Its a lot to pay. The

I had to look it up, but yeah, its just before Yahiko going from Niigata City. Teradomari on the other side of Yahiko has a beach too, but we've only been to the touristy row of seafood places at the port there. A little google came up with this place called Sasagawa up by Murakami. The scenery looks pretty good!

I had a look and there is an ongoing free week if you sign up, but there is also a campaign where it looks like you get free month for filling in a questionnaire by Sep 15. http://www.jsports.co.jp/football/premier/campaign/index.html The Jsports site seems to be devoid of image quality info, and just says it will set the quality of the stream in keeping with your connection. The games are already on hikari TV, so there is no reason it shouldn't be good. If I could get games on demand off a site with no spoilers and play them back with a workable fast forward, that would be well tasty.