Motorcycling in France: Staying on the right side of the law. Très Important!

One of the ultimate thrills of motorcycling is taking a holiday somewhere on your bike. 

With the French road network stretching over one million kilometers through picturesque landscapes, it’s not surprising that France remains one of the most popular destinations for motorcycle touring.

French driving laws are the main topic of conversation for any motorist heading over the Channel. To help experience the joys of riding the continent without worrying about getting on the wrong side of the French police, Mark from Infinity Motorcycles has answered your commonly asked questions around French law and what it means for you.

www.infinitymotorcycles.com

How Kroll Ontrack Recovered Data From The Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster

1st Feb 2003, and after 17 days in space the Columbia space shuttle is scheduled to land at the Kennedy Space Centre at 9:16am, marking the end of the STS-107 mission. 

At approximately 9:00am disaster occurs; footage of the shuttle disintegrating above the state of Texas is broadcasting live on CNN. The origin of the disaster was later found to be a piece of thermal insulation foam that came off the shuttle, 80 seconds after take-off from Earth.

Six months after the crash, a charred and battered hard drive from the shuttle was found amongst other debris in a dried up lake bed. NASA entrusted this hard drive to Kroll Ontrack to recover as much data as possible...

Read more here: www.krollontrack.co.uk

If you have suffered data loss: Kroll Ontrack can help! 

Blade Runner 2049 - prequel short film: "Nexus: 2036". In a word: Stunning!

Collider is happy to exclusively premiere a Blade Runner 2049 prequel short film “in-world” piece that explains what happened in the world of Blade Runner between the first movie, set in 2019, and this sequel, set in 2049.

The short film "Nexus: 2036" takes place in the year 2036 and revolves around Jared Leto’s character, Niander Wallace. In this short, directed by Luke Scott (Morgan), Wallace introduces a new line of “perfected” replicants called the Nexus 9, seeking to get the prohibition on replicants repealed. This no doubt has serious ramifications that will be crucial to the plot of Blade Runner 2049.

www.youtube.com

Verse of the day: The Lord is God, come let us Worship!

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. 

Today, if only you would hear his voice...

Read all of Psalm 95 at Bible Gateway

CeX hit by hackers - possibly 2 million accounts compromised

Second-hand electronics dealership CeX says two million customers may have had their personal information swiped by hackers.

Personal details including first name, surname, address, email address and phone number had been illegally accessed, in some cases passwords were also stolen. The company says these were hashed, but warns - correctly - that weak passwords could still be cracked, so if you have reused one it's time to make some changes.

"We take the protection of customer data extremely seriously and have always had a robust security programme in place which we continually reviewed and updated to meet the latest online threats," CeX said in a statement.

www.theregister.co.uk

Thanks Natco & Curry For Change: what a fantastic prize!

The hamper of spicy goodness has arrived!

Now to plan the next Curry for Change night...

People have commented that I win a lot of competitions: what's my secret?

No secret: I enter a lot of competitions!

However we are always grateful when a lovely prize turns up.

Thanks & blessings to:

Curry For Change

Find Your Feet

Natco Foods

xxx

Waterlooville Events Team: Autumn Pop-Up Cinema. Some great movies on the way!

Exciting films coming for the Autumn: especially 'The Time Of Their Lives', some of which was filmed in Southsea.  Were you one of the film extras??

Support the Pop up cinema organised by Waterlooville Events team. 

Volunteers coming together for Waterlooville.

www.weteamuk.org.uk

Reading for today: If you want to get warm, stand near the fire!

Good things as well as bad, you know, are caught by a kind of infection. If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them. They are not a sort of prize which God could, if He chose, just hand out to anyone. They are a great fountain of energy and beauty spurting up at the very centre of reality. If you are close to it, the spray will wet you: if you are not, you will remain dry. Once a man is united to God, how could he not live forever?

By C.S. Lewis

From Mere Christianity

Compiled in Words to Live By

Facebook Messenger Spam Leads to Adware, Malicious Chrome Extensions

A virulent spam campaign has hit Facebook Messenger during the past few days, according to recent warnings issued by Avira, CSIS Security Group, and Kaspersky Lab.

The Facebook spam messages contain a link to what appears to be a video. The messages arrive from one of the user's friends, suggesting that person's account was also compromised.

The format of the spam message is the user's first name, the word video, and a bit.ly or t.cn short-link.

Users that click on the links are redirected to different pages based on their geographical location and the type of browser and operating system they use.

It's been reported that Firefox users on Windows and Mac are being redirected to a page offering a fake Flash Player installer. Kaspersky says this file installs adware on users' PCs.

On Chrome, the spam campaign redirects users to a fake YouTube page pushing a malicious extension. It is believed that crooks use this Chrome extension to push adware and collect credentials for new Facebook accounts, which they later use to push the spam messages to new users.

www.bleepingcomputer.com

More problems for Samsung: Smart TVs bricked after firmware update

Thousands of owners of high-end Samsung TVs have complained after a software update left their recently acquired £1,400 sets with blank, unusable screens.

The Guardian has been contacted by a number of owners complaining that the TVs they bought – in some cases just two weeks ago – have been rendered useless by an upgrade sent out by Samsung a week ago.

Others have been posting furious messages on the company’s community boards complaining that their new TVs are no longer working.

The company has told customers it is working to fix the problem but so far, seven days on, nothing has been forthcoming. The problem appears to affect the latest models as owners of older Samsung TVs are not reporting the issue.

www.theguardian.com

Audi is developing a “solar sun roof” to power your electric car

In 2017, Audi is one of the most cutting-edge brands in the EV space – and now it wants to push its technology even further. In an announcement yesterday, Audi announced it will be working to put solar panels on its electric cars – and it could make EVs even better for the environment.

Audi is working with Alta Devices – a subsidiary of the Chinese company Hanergy – to integrate super-thin solar cells into panoramic glass roofs. After that, they’ll work on integrating these solar panels into the entire roof of the car, increasing the amount of energy generated. Both companies say they will have completed a joint prototype of the solar-powered panoramic roof later this year – with more advanced designs covering the entire roof arriving after that.

The solar cells that will be used are more than 25% efficient, and they’re also very thin and flexible – ideal for the curves of car bodywork. What’s more, Audi says the cells are particularly good in low light and high temperatures, which means they’ll be suited to their new environment.

www.alphr.com

The League of Gentlemen to return to BBC Two!

The League of Gentlemen is to return to BBC Two for three special new episodes!

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the comedy, which began on BBC radio before moving to TV from 1999 to 2002.

Its comeback isn't a massive surprise - Mark Gatiss hinted at it last year. BBC Two controller Patrick Holland described it in Edinburgh on Wednesday as a "much anticipated return".

All four of The League of Gentlemen's original creators - Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, Jeremy Dyson, and Reece Shearsmith - will reunite for the new specials.

www.bbc.co.uk

1st look at SpaceX's new spacesuit - TNG astrowear!

If he's not tweeting about tunnels or killer robots, Elon Musk is giving fans a glimpse behind the scenes of SpaceX. After releasing an animation (it's awesome - watch it!) of what the Falcon Heavy launch will look like later this year, the billionaire has now revealed what astronauts on board future crewed flights will be wearing. 

In this Instagram post, Musk explains: "First picture of SpaceX spacesuit. More in days to follow. Worth noting that this actually works (not a mockup). Already tested to double vacuum pressure. Was incredibly hard to balance esthetics and function. Easy to do either separately." The design looks a lot less bulky than NASA's suits, for example, and feature the American flag on the arm. It appears that Musk himself has been placed inside the suit design as a model.  

www.alphr.com

Terminator 2:3D - about to hit a cinema near you soon!

TERMINATOR 2: 3D - only in Cinemas - 29th August 2017.

It has been 10 years since the events of Terminator. Sarah Connor’s ordeal is only just beginning as she struggles to protect her son John, the future leader of the human resistance against the machines, from a new Terminator, sent back in time to eliminate John Connor while he’s still a child.

Sarah and John don’t have to face this terrifying threat alone however. The human resistance have managed to send them an ally, a warrior from the future ordered to protect John Connor at any cost.

The battle for tomorrow has begun…

James Cameron’s masterpiece starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in his most iconic role, has been converted in immersive 3D by Cameron himself. First hitting our screens in 1991 with groundbreaking special effects, the 3D version will take the seminal blockbuster to the next level of effects and into the 21st century for the next generation of fans.

www.terminator2-3d.co.uk

Identity Thieves Hijack Cellphone Accounts to Go After Virtual Currency

Hackers have discovered that one of the most central elements of online security — the mobile phone number — is also one of the easiest to steal.

In a growing number of online attacks, hackers have been calling up Verizon, T-Mobile U.S., Sprint and AT&T and asking them to transfer control of a victim’s phone number to a device under the control of the hackers.

Once they get control of the phone number, they can reset the passwords on every account that uses the phone number as a security backup — as services like Google, Twitter and Facebook suggest. 

The attackers appear to be focusing on anyone who talks on social media about owning virtual currencies or anyone who is known to invest in virtual currency companies, such as venture capitalists. And virtual currency transactions are designed to be irreversible.

This is worrying. Don't know if hijacking phone numbers is only possible in the USA, or if this is also possible over here too? One to keep an eye on...

www.nytimes.com

Intego Mac Internet Security X9: now with 60% off!

Save 60% on Intego Mac Internet Security X9 and Protect your Apple Mac.

For one week only starting today, you can purchase Mac Internet Security X9 for 60% off MSRP.* 

Simply use coupon code STUDYSECURELY at checkout to get this exclusive deal!

Buy Now

*Discount only applies to households, limit 10 Macs per customer.

Regular renewal rates apply.

This offer expires Sunday, August 28 at 11:59PM PST.

www.intego.com

Microsoft’s speech recognition system hits a new accuracy milestone

Microsoft has announced that its conversational speech recognition system has reached a 5.1% error rate, its lowest so far. This surpasses the 5.9% error rate reached last year by a group of researchers from Microsoft Artificial Intelligence and Research and puts its accuracy on par with professional human transcribers who have advantages like the ability to listen to text several times.

Microsoft’s speech recognition system is used in services like Cortana, Presentation Translator and Microsoft Cognitive Services.

www.microsoft.com

Waterlooville Fete: 11am-3pm Sunday 20th Aug. Calli can't wait for the dog show!

Why not bring your dog along to the Dog show at 

Waterlooville Summer fete on Sunday 20 August in Jubilee Park.  

This event has been organised by Downland Veterinary Group, Denmead.

This is a fun event and the classes reflect this!

For more information on coming events in Waterlooville, be sure to follow:

weteamuk.blogspot.co.uk

Dust if you must...

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better

To paint a picture, or write a letter,

Bake a cake, or plant a seed;

Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time,

With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;

Music to hear, and books to read;

Friends to cherish, and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there

With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;

A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,

This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,

Old age will come and it's not kind.

And when you go (and go you must)

You, yourself, will make more dust.

Tidy is good, but life is full of chores.

Don't get consumed by them...

Life is more than existence: enjoy & cherish life!

Poem by Rose Milligan

At first I did not speak out...

Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) was a prominent Protestant pastor who emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps.

Niemöller is perhaps best remembered for the quotation:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -

Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out -

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me.

Don't Be a Sucker! is a short educational film produced by the U.S. War Department in 1943 and re-released in 1947. The film depicts the rise of Nazism in Germany and warns Americans against repeating the mistakes of intolerance made in Nazi Germany. It emphasizes that Americans will lose their country if they let themselves be turned into "suckers" by the forces of fanaticism and hatred. The film was made to make the case for the desegregation of the United States armed forces by simply revealing the connection between prejudice and fascism.

Denmead Activities and Bible School - it's this week!

What is DABS? Denmead Activities and Bible School - organised by the three Church communities of Denmead - has been running every summer for over 30 years.

Faith and Fun for children aged 5 to 11

Four days of fun for children of all ages - with games, craft, singing, Bible stories and much more - every August. There are crèche facilities for young children of helpers.

www.allsaintsdenmead.org.uk/dabs

When Playboys Ruled The World: James Hunt and Barry Sheene

When Playboys Ruled The World is a documentary about Barry Sheene and James Hunt – two of the most iconic racers of the ’70s and ’80s. Hunt was a Formula 1 driver and Barry Sheene was a grand prix motorcycle racer, both men became famous for their antics both on and off the asphalt with James Hunt’s name now being almost synonymous with the concept of a playboy.

In spite of (or perhaps because of) the two men’s extra curricular activities they were both staggeringly talented racers, both men would win world championships – which was wildly irritating to their slightly more serious peers.

The full documentary runs at about an hour long, it’s a fantastic bit of filmmaking and it’s a must watch for anyone interested in vintage motor racing.

www.silodrome.com

Helicopter Glamping - stay in a converted Sea King helicopter!

Welcome to Helicopter Glamping at Mains Farm, Thornhill, Stirling.

As featured on Channel 4's George Clarke's Amazing Spaces, Scotland's most unusual place to stay is now ready for take off!

Ever wonder what it would be like to sleep in a helicopter? Well now you can! 

We have transformed a Sea King helicopter into a stunning luxury overnight accommodation complete with mini kitchen and shower room.

Our helicopter takes glamping to a higher level, with fantastic original features, a quirky bed in the tail and a spectacular cockpit seating area with panoramic views over the Carse of Stirling. We think it's every child's (and big kid's) dream holiday home.

Be one of the first to 'fly' with us by booking now.

www.helicopterglamping.com

Thanks Curry for Change! Looks like I have won a hamper full of spicy goodness!

Kim & I are keen on supporting good causes where we can.

One of our favourites: Curry For Change have been running a competition.

Being a bit of a compo hound, I thought I'd give it a go.

Looks like I've won a hamper full of delicious Natco ingredients! 

There's gonna be some extra tasty nosh shortly in the Tocher household soon!

I'm so pleased & very thankful to:

Curry For Change

Find Your Feet

Natco Foods

xxx

Personal data belonging to up to 21,000 TalkTalk customers could have been used for scams and fraud

The Information Commissioner’s Office has fined TalkTalk Telecom Group PLC £100,000 after it failed to look after its customers’ data and risked it falling into the hands of scammers and fraudsters.

An ICO investigation found TalkTalk breached the Data Protection Act because it allowed staff to have access to large quantities of customers’ data. Its lack of adequate security measures left the data open to exploitation by rogue employees.

The breach came to light in September 2014 when TalkTalk started getting complaints from customers that they were receiving scam calls. Typically, the scammers pretended they were providing support for technical problems. They quoted customers’ addresses and TalkTalk account numbers.

The ICO launched an investigation into how customer details – names, addresses, phone numbers and account numbers - were compromised.

Still using TalkTalk? Had enough?

Contact Donline for a chat about a decent ISP: Utility Warehouse.

Read more at: Information Commissioner's Office

Have you made the switch yet? Ready for better service & smaller bills?

The number of customers switching electricity suppliers has risen 14% this year.

Over three million customers had already switched their electricity supplier by the end of July, according to the latest figures.

UK Energy, the trade association for the energy industry, said one in five had signed up to small or medium sized suppliers.

In July alone 385,000 customers switched, a 16% increase on July 2016.

Lawrence Slade, chief executive of Energy UK, said: "There are now over 50 suppliers to choose from, which is driving innovation, improvements to customer service and providing an incentive to keep prices competitive as suppliers fight to keep and attract customers."

Have you made the switch yet? Ready for better service & smaller bills?

Find out what Which have to say about The Utility Warehouse.

Contact Donline to find about the benefits of switching to The Utility Warehouse!

OK, I love Gin & Motorcyles, but SURELY this is too much?...

Taking Hipster to 11: Gin Made with Harley-Davidson Parts

While the stereotypical Harley rider is often characterized as a beer drinker, Uwe Ehinger (aka The Archaeologist) figured that the best way to preserve old Knucklehead parts was in gin. We're not entirely sure why.

But we’re not making this up: Ehinger's "The Archaeologist Premium Dry Gin" contains original Harley parts culled from bins and backwaters around the world. 

One may savor the flavor of a ’39 Flathead cam that was once rusting in a Mexican desert, or rocker arms from a ’62 Panhead from a village in South Korea, or screw-nuts from the final resting place of a ’47 Knucklehead in the mountains of Chile. 

Alternatively, let's not...

www.rideapart.com

Smashing Security: Passwords - and how to keep safe!

Passwords - everything you need to know about how to make them safer, and better secure your online accounts.

In this episode of the Smashing Security Podcast, regular hosts Graham Cluley, Carole Theriault and Vanja Svajcer discuss the perennial problem of passwords and offer some advice and tips for computer users.

www.smashingsecurity.com

Spoken Truth: Dai Woolridge. An amazing Gospel poet!

Today I have stumbled upon Dai Woolridge. I'm amazed at what he does - telling God's truth in video & verse. Do check his site out, I think you will love his work too!

For those of you who don’t know me, my name’s Dai Woolridge and I’ve come up with the concept of ‘Spoken Truth’; Gospel Truth through Spoken Word.

The heart behind ‘Spoken Truth’ is simple. To ‘speak’ what I believe to be ‘true’, and to speak it through the medium of ‘spoken word’. (Want to find out more about ‘Spoken Word’? This is my take on it.

On this site, you’ll find short films which are available to watch, share, download and be a resource. But the point isn’t you getting your ear talked off as I get up on my hobby horse, the point is to communicate a truth which far outranks any opinions that I may have.

My hope is that you will be engaged with the timeless truths of the Gospel; truths from the Bible, about Jesus and God’s rescue plan for the human race. The word ‘Gospel’ is a translation from the Greek and the root definition is ‘good news’. That’s the reason I want to share it – because it really is something worth sharing.

www.spoken-truth.com

iOS users beware: You're the biggest target for mobile phishing attacks

A new report from mobile security company Wandera is putting a new face on phishing, especially when it happens on mobile devices. Eighty-one percent of mobile phishing attacks happen outside of email, 63% happen on iOS devices, and 85% of organizations have been phished whether they know it or not.

Phishing attacks on mobile devices is becoming increasingly common, the report says, and may even be the most pressing security issue of 2017, bypassing ransomware and other serious threats.

Mobile phishing attacks are predominantly targeting iOS users—63% of attacks occur on iOS, compared to 37% on Android. That may come as surprise considering how prevalent Android malware is, but it may be precisely because Android malware is common that phishing dominates on iOS.

www.techrepublic.com

Deal of the Day: LG 43" Smart TV - under £400!

LG 43LJ624V - 43" Full HD Smart TV

Full HD

Smart TV

webOS 3.5

HDMI x3

Picture Mastering Engine

LG Smart TV with webOS: The award winning LG Smart TV with Freeview Play : Enjoy catch-up TV from BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 and Demand5, as well as movies and box sets on demand from Netflix, Amazon Video and NOW TV.

Was: £449.96

Offer Price: £399.99

Save £49.97

www.ebuyer.com

Motorcycle Live 2017 - tickets now on on sale!

Tickets for Motorcycle Live are now on sale, with prices frozen at 2016 rates. The UK’s biggest bike show will open its doors at The NEC, Birmingham from 18-26 November.

This year, the ticket price remains all-inclusive and advance buyers will not only benefit from significant savings in comparison to the on-the-door price, they will also be in with a chance of winning one of hundreds of on-the-spot prizes in the show’s 2017 Golden Ticket promotion.

Every one of the 17 live features and events at Motorcycle Live is absolutely FREE, so once inside the show, visitors of all ages can enjoy ten opportunities to ride a bike, plus non-stop interactive entertainment, celebrity appearances, classic, custom and special manufacturer displays and the awesome FMX Live presented by Arenacross.

But arguably the most popular attraction for the thousands of bike fans flooding through the doors every year is the chance to see the brand-new machinery from the world’s leading motorcycle manufacturers, on display in the UK for the very first time. There will be at least 38 manufacturers appearing at Motorcycle Live 2017 – that’s a whole lot of new metal for visitors to feast their eyes on.

Advance tickets go on sale on 1 August priced at just £19.50 per adult, £12 for Seniors, £1 for 11-16 year olds* and FREE for children aged ten and under (under 16s must be accompanied by a paying adult). There is also a £25 advance ticket, which includes entry to the show and a Spada Gonzo bag worth £29.99**.

I will be there with some pals. I go most years, MCL is great fun! Loads to see & do, strike a great bargain or two on kit. Hope to see you up there!

www.motorcyclelive.co.uk