I got a Plantronics .655 USB Headset mainly for the ability to do VOIP well. Those of you who come here often know I reviewed Sennheiser HD595 before, which is a headset built for the quality of reproduction (I use that one for music).

There’s not much you can say about a VOIP headset, so I am going to keep this short! The Plantronics .655 USB isn’t the most comfortable headset and the usb connection seemed like a plus as I’d never owned a USB headset. The mic quality is a lot better with the USB connection (though I am guessing 90% is down to the fact it’s directional and pointed at your mouth), but the sound won’t be.

I try to listen to as many podcasts (netcasts?) as I can. They fall in to two categories: Irish radio and technology. Luckily, there is so much competition in this space it’s hard to pick the best - so quality is high!

1. Tech News Today (TNT) by the TWiT Network

Regular and fills you right up to the minute with the latest tech news. Can replace RSS of many blogs (HUGE time saver) since lively debate of tech topics is the order of the day.

From one of the best TED talks I’ve seen:

I love the story about the jeans. I feel like that every time I buy shoes. Scary.

I’ve always wondered what would happen when we are gone - an inevitability judging by every known animal becoming extinct at some stage. Creepy but very interesting…

I had been applying for jobs since I started my last year in college and I am delighted to say even before I completed my final year, I have gained full time employment. I would say it is luck, but my family thinks it’s down to a lot of hard work and good grades! Either way, it’s a great feeling in probably the most competitive jobs market (for potential employees) in years.

As you read this, I have already embarked on an inter-railing trip around Europe. Some of the cities in the itinerary:

• Amsterdam
• Cologne
• Nürburgring (Rock Am Ring festival)
• Prague
• Bratislava

I’ll definitely post up some pictures when I get back. I planned this trip with a few classmates to coincide with the completion of our four year honours degree in Computer Science.

It has been a whirlwind four years, but this day marks the cessation of my full-time education for my honours degree. It is an overwhelming feeling of relief, joy, sadness and all of the emotions you feel when leaving an institution that has been a huge part of my life, if only for four short years.

The best part of my course has been without doubt, the friends for life I have made. I include everyone in my class in this, but some friends have been truly the best anyone could wish for. I dedicate this post to wishing all my classmates the very best in whatever they chose to do and hopefully we’ll all keep in touch!

This is an old box which contained a Nokia phone from a now defunct Esat Digifone. Irish Businessman Denis O’Brien started it and sold it to BT and made a fortune (and after got embroiled in a tribunal on accusations of impropriety). It is now called O2.I thought we got ripped off now with call charges now, how nostalgia can prove one wrong:

Took this picture while out walking my dogs. It was taken not far from Leixlip Louisa Bridge Railway Station, not far from Leixlip, Co. Kildare. It was taken with an iPhone 4 and edited in Instagram.

Below is a neat trick to clean out your Playstation 3’s fans if they become a bit noisy. Before I have used a can of compressed air, but this method is really neat and definitely lowered the fan sound emanating from my PS3.

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Thanks goes to my former classmate Alan Smith for alerting me to this, Thanks Al!