Category: Everything else

I think I’m going to host a Linux aficionados group. At the same place as the WordPress meetup group met last, not the local uni like last time, but a prototype production lab and meeting hub in Blackburn, Lancashire that’s open to the public weekly, Wednesday evenings for clubs and Friday and Saturday for technically minded folk.

So I’ve registered the domain linuxlearnerslancs.co.uk and plonked WP on it. And maybe in just under 3 weeks time, I’ll have a club. I’d be its leader?? Quote the obvious Groucho Marx witticism.

I like IT. A lot. I like computer games. I like PCs and websites and networking and wireless, processors, GPUs. But I love Linux.

It ain’t perfect (what is?) but it has its strengths. Here’s not the place to extol its virtues, though. The point I am making is that it exists. I’m glad you can choose to run your hardware with an operating system comprised of the efforts of multinational corporations and hobbyists. I’m glad that it is ubiquitous, even though users don’t see it on their android phones, viewing websites hosted on Linux servers, watching Netflix on Smart TVs.

I feel a little bit chuffed every time someone comes over. Where I work, supporting home users, I occasionally make the suggestion if they’re wondering what to do with older equipment, but my most eager convert is a blind user in her fifties.

It’s not my first choice for operating system and the only reason for that is Gaming.

Jelly Comb (a.k.a. Joy Comb) tri-fold bluetooth keyboardI’ve been looking for a portable, occasional use keyboard to work with my fiancé’s Nexus 10 tablet. This dinky little thing fits the bill perfectly and with the touchpad mouse, is quite an unusual but effective addition to android. In terminal it produces all desired special characters such as # ~ \ | / `¬¦ which can be difficult as these essential geek keys are often missed, or fiddly to produce on a keyboard that (unlike this one) is missing the nuances and subtleties of the British lay-out.

 

It is of solid build, and I find the keys to be unusual but pleasant to use, even if I have to change my tempo and technique, which I think I have to do for all keyboards I use regularly. At the moment, I’m not pressing or I’m double-pressing keys occasionally while typing.

This guy has written a good review.

The manufacturer’s product page is here with links to international Amazon stores.

Buy it on Amazon UK for whatever they feel like charging today. Seriously, it says on Amazon, price £39.99, sale price £19.99 and three days ago, I got it for £17.99, so what gives?*

It doesn’t bother me that it is flexible and without a locking-open mechanism because it can’t flop open any more than 180 degrees – I can rest the middle of the keyboard against my lap and type no problem (not quickly, but not uncomfortably either).

It isn’t quite awesome for two reasons, in my opinion. It isn’t clear if it connects to more than one device, and after getting it on the tablet, it wouldn’t connect to a Microsoft PC. Other reason is you can’t disable the touchpad. But other than that, I really like it!

See ya!

* Six days later, it had gone up another quid.