LouderVoice Reviews by Conor O'Neill

The Boot's Specialities

2007-02-13T15:13:09Z

rating: 5
A treasure trove of proper Italian food at great prices

Au Petit Riche Restaurant

2007-03-07T11:12:01Z

rating: 4
Ancient Parisian restaurant still serving great food at amazing prices

Comic Relief does The Apprentice

2007-03-16T00:23:48Z

rating: 5
Best TV programme so far in 2007. Wonderful comedy

The Old Post Inn

2007-03-21T08:51:25Z

rating: 5
Considered by many to be one of the best restaurants in Ulster. Correctly.

The Side Door Restaurant

2007-03-22T11:49:14Z

rating: 3
Solid middle of the road fare. Big portions and good value.

The Departed

2007-03-25T20:31:31Z

rating: 4
Great acting, great story, Scorcese is back, even it it is a remake

The Apprentice UK TV Show

2007-04-01T12:30:37Z

rating: 5
Nothing better than a room of combined arrogance and stupidity. Sugar in top form.

Casino Royale (2006) Movie

2007-04-03T09:23:32Z

rating: 4
Best Bond since Goldfinger. Great plot, good acting, actually exciting stunts.

Anthony Bourdain Decoding Ferran Adria

2007-04-26T13:15:41Z

rating: 5
Best programme about food I've seen in over a year. What makes the guy from El Bulli tick?

Capote (Movie)

2007-05-07T13:52:28Z

rating: 5
Superb acting and gripping story. Now have to go out and buy “In Cold Blood”

The Tipping Point

2007-06-03T10:36:44Z

rating: 5
This book is seven years old but still a zinger. Read it on plane to Amsterdam and back. Loved every page.

Tesco Online Shopping

2007-06-07T08:27:14Z

rating: 1
This started well but has gone all to hell recently. 2 hours late last night and missing tons of stuff

JACQUES Restaurant

2007-06-10T23:30:38Z

rating: 3
Despite many recommendations, we were left underwhelmed by this Cork institution

RSSBandit

2007-06-12T20:22:56Z

rating: 4
A great desktop feedreader particularly for protected feeds but chews 100% CPU when busy. Great for tweet tracking too!

The Regex Coach

2007-06-13T00:05:35Z

rating: 4
A fantastic utility for learning about and figuring out regular expressions. Interactive as you type. Recommended

MOO Cards

2007-06-13T15:02:34Z

rating: 5
Impossible to criticize this wonderful product. Just got my second batch. Will never use crappy pricey printers again.

The Apprentice UK Final

2007-06-14T09:10:37Z

rating: 4
Whilst the result was pants, the editing of this show was excellent, mis-directing us at every step!

Permission Marketing

2007-06-14T09:53:19Z

rating: 2
Seth Godin's worst book? Most examples given now bankrupt! Has aged very badly since 1999. Good for a laugh.

www.mahalo.com

2007-06-14T13:05:32Z

rating: 1
I really really don't get the point of this site. See no value-add e.g. the LEGO link. Now paying? Million monkeys

Celebrity Masterchef

2007-06-14T13:51:44Z

rating: 2
This series repeats so much material each day they are down to 10 minutes of new stuff. Getting very boring.

Gubbeen Extra Mature Cheese

2007-06-15T13:31:57Z

rating: 5
Far superior to their normal soft cheese. This is crumbly fabulous deliciousness. A perfect lunch.

Hosting365 web hosting

2007-06-15T13:34:58Z

rating: 1
No point being ok when everything is fine, you need to excel under duress. They fail this basic test.

Softlayer web hosting

2007-06-15T13:36:22Z

rating: 5
Superb service, amazing connectivity, great value. I'll be using them for all my dedicated server needs.

Gubbeen Smoked Streaky Rashers

2007-06-15T19:40:37Z

rating: 5
Only Ummera comes close to these guys. The best rashers in Ireland. This is how bacon should smell

Doctor Who Utopia

2007-06-16T20:01:01Z

rating: 3
Very run of mill initially with Darth Maul types. But end was superb with arrival of The Master. Part 2 to come

The Fast and The Furious Tokyo Drift

2007-06-17T01:00:00Z

rating: 4
God help me I loved this movie. Japan, cars, hotties. drifting. What's not to like? Perfect.

Ning Facebook integration

2007-06-17T13:06:50Z

rating: 2
This looked exciting until I tried it. Only works for built-in Ning audio/video/pic apps. Big let down.

Cork Coffee Roaster's Morning Growl

2007-06-17T13:25:09Z

rating: 4
Good cuppa joe. Dark roast but not bitter. Nicely rounded. Lacks a bit of depth. Recommended.

Rosemount Shiraz 2005

2007-06-18T12:07:25Z

rating: 4
The Budweiser of red wine. Easy drinking, food or not. Softer than many Shiraz. Bargain too. OK on head.

Twitter4Skype

2007-06-19T15:16:40Z

rating: 2
Doing my nut flashing the Skype window every time there is a new tweet. Giving me ADHD. Tweetr better or just RSS.

RSSBandit

2007-06-21T10:13:36Z

rating: 3
Loaded full of features and free. I use it for protected feeds. Hits 100% CPU on every refresh which is unacceptable

Blogbridge RSS Reader

2007-06-23T16:37:29Z

rating: 4
Improving all the time. Java. Less features than RSSBandit, more reliable. Would like poll period per feed.

Doctor Who, the Sound of Drums

2007-06-24T11:29:55Z

rating: 2
Part 2 of 3, really not impressing. More sonic nonsense. Saxon just annoying. Part 3 any good?

Tycoon

2007-06-26T21:02:00Z

rating: 4
Sure it's an Apprentice rip-off but they are building real companies. The "Sugar" is the tech guy from Drangon's Den. Good

Cafe Rouge Heathrow T1

2007-06-28T12:38:18Z

rating: 4
Shockingly not bad for airport food. Soup, duck, pint, £20. Microwaved but tasty and flavoursome. Fast too

My Name is Earl

2007-06-29T14:17:03Z

rating: 5
Dammit I love this TV series. Jason Lee is awesome and Catalina dancing to "Jump Around" was comedy perfection.

Presenting to Win

2007-06-29T14:22:15Z

rating: 4
The bible. Got half way through before event. Solid common sense, great tips. Some padding but recommended.

Kings of Leon, Fans

2007-06-29T15:38:54Z

rating: 5
A perfect rock song. Finest piece of music I have heard in six months.

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

2007-06-30T08:41:17Z

rating: 1
A new low. A robot, a bimbo and a junkie as his guests. Next week Bernard Manning's corpse.

Doctor Who, The Last of The Time Lords

2007-06-30T23:21:57Z

rating: 4
Thoroughly enjoyable, great fun, lots of nice twists. Less sure about hippy "karma" crap

GEPA Premium Bio Noir Mint

2007-07-01T09:21:48Z

rating: 2
Proves that Fair Trade not necessarily good. Chocolate where mint filling oozed all over packet. Avoid

MailScanner

2007-07-01T10:58:59Z

rating: 5
Trivial to install and config on Fedora FC6. Great wrapper on SpamAssassin and anti-virus. Solved all our mail hell.

Lucky Number Slevin

2007-07-02T11:26:07Z

rating: 3
Not as smart as it thinks. Shouldn't have to explain itself. Hate Josh Hartnett but not bad. By the numbers.

Flock 0.9

2007-07-03T20:09:38Z

rating: 3
Coming along nicely, supports my fave webapps, looks lovely. Still don't see the point. Handy for testing tho.

Jaipur

2007-07-03T20:12:06Z

rating: 5
Everyone says it is the best Indian in Dublin. Looks like they are right. Superbly flavoured tasty food, great service.

Apollo Stunt King Kid's Bike

2007-07-05T13:42:13Z

rating: 5

Palm Tungsten T

2007-07-05T14:04:37Z

rating: 4
How many years old now and still great! If it had more memory to run Java/Opera I'd still use it every day.

Smyth's Toys

2007-07-05T14:50:22Z

rating: 1
Morons lost a sale. They refused to take trike out of box to see if kid would fit on it. ToysRUs please kill them.

Safari Windows

2007-07-05T16:43:18Z

rating: 1
Utter junk. Beta 3 my ass. Alpha -4. JS broken, tons of connection errors, looks like crap. Even Netscape 9 better

Oxegen buzz

2007-07-05T19:01:49Z

rating: 5
Looks like they have recovered from last years controversy and the excitement is building.

Steorn Orbo

2007-07-07T17:37:11Z

rating: 5
Awesome in action. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q_ESdiF2wM

Steorn Orbo

2007-07-07T18:28:57Z

rating: 5
This super device which breaks fundamental laws of physics is sure to be a huge success with those who give their bank details to strangers

Roary The Racing Car

2007-07-08T06:56:25Z

rating: 5
Wonderful kids programme. Set in Silverhatch and voice-over by Stirling Moss. PC people probably hate it.

Jonathan Ross series finale

2007-07-08T07:57:52Z

rating: 4
Wanted to hate. Didn't. Gok Wan spot on. Bob Hoskins top geezer and Mrs Harry Potter not bad. Phew.

SeaMonkey 1.1.2

2007-07-08T14:18:34Z

rating: 3
Sad to see this once great suite fall so far behind. Looks exactly the same as it did in 1999. Any point?

Pidgin 2.0.2

2007-07-08T14:25:55Z

rating: 4
Best multi-protocol IM client. Rough around edges and mail count always wrong but light and powerful. Use every day.

Pelan Bellevue Bordeaux 1998

2007-07-08T18:11:29Z

rating: 4
A lovely light red wine that began a bit insipid but improved hugely with air. Good value online

Flock 0.9

2007-07-09T12:23:50Z

rating: 3
Audio: http://tinyurl.com/2c2sew

Realtek Universal Audio Jack (UAJ)

2007-07-09T18:16:15Z

rating: 1
Avoid on motherboards. Detects wrongly and breaks totally if you install NVidia drivers.

Realtek Universal Audio Jack (UAJ)

2007-07-09T18:26:35Z

rating: 1
Audio: http://tinyurl.com/2fqhge

The New Adventures of Old Christine

2007-07-09T22:31:28Z

rating: 1
Dire. Canned laughter unbearable. Gave up after five minutes. Not one funny line. Avoid.

Indian Food Made Easy

2007-07-09T22:39:53Z

rating: 3
Food good apart from egg/cheese in tikka! But too like Indian Nigella. No not the seeds. BBC2 Mon 8.30pm.

Marks and Spencer Swiss Chocolate

2007-07-10T13:15:38Z

rating: 5
Mmmmmmmmm. Silky, smooth milk chocolate. Best in ages. Perfect with tea after lunch

Mercury Cafe Sandyford

2007-07-12T08:27:57Z

rating: 4
Great Sambos and tea/coffee. Beats O'Briens. Lots of condiments and bread choices. Poor Balally.

Galaxy Caramel

2007-07-13T14:18:01Z

rating: 5
Cheap generic confectionery like this shouldn't taste so good. Want another one already. Must contain crack.

Goodfellas Deeply Delicious Cheese

2007-07-14T09:41:41Z

rating: 1
Bargain basement pizza, cheese burns in oven. Was sick all night after eating one. Avoid

Clonakilty Sausages

2007-07-14T09:42:57Z

rating: 4
Our Saturday morning staple. Not too peppery, had gristle problems in past but solved, good value. Cook well

aerlingus.com

2007-07-14T10:12:49Z

rating: 1
Designed and run by fucktards. Max 6 people in a booking. This is why RyanAir kick their asses. 2.5 bit arithmetic?

Aer Lingus Customer Service

2007-07-14T10:15:02Z

rating: 1
Bare faced liars. Said group=6+ but actually group=10+. Told to write or fax complaints. Cretins.

Westland Cocoa Shell Mulch

2007-07-14T11:39:05Z

rating: 4
Impossible to get last year. Now common. Much nicer look than mini-chips. Use with fleece. Eco-miles?

Wagamama Cork

2007-07-14T21:44:53Z

rating: 4
Kids loved noodles and juice. Good simple food. Great service. Child friendly.

Iki beer

2007-07-14T21:50:39Z

rating: 5
Lovely japanese brew. Light with fruit and tea aromatics.

Boqueria Cork

2007-07-15T06:44:51Z

rating: 4
Still a great tapas place. Love the simple ones like membrillo and manchego. Service patchy at best. Good drink too

Wagamama

2007-07-15T19:35:07Z

rating: 4
Very enjoyable family meal with fantastic kid-centered service. Highly recommended.

You, Me and Dupree

2007-07-15T23:25:23Z

rating: 2
Owen Wilson and gang on cruise control. By the numbers, single joke comedy about slacker living with newlyweds

Tana Ramsey's Cheese and Ham Muffins

2007-07-17T14:39:31Z

rating: 4
Tasty, healthy snack desinged for kids but loved by adults. More mustard to make perfect.

Colman's Mild American Mustard

2007-07-19T09:33:30Z

rating: 4
In a cool squeezy bottle. Spicier than French's bright yellow one. A fine condiment for summer.

Glubble Beta

2007-07-19T10:38:45Z

rating: 3
FF kid protector. Like idea but far too intrusive. Could not figure out how to OK a site. What hope non-techies?

FONtenna

2007-07-20T13:15:07Z

rating: 4
Much more powerful antenna for FON. Big improvement inside. Long cable. Too bulky. Range of fixings. Dirt cheap. Good.

Abbeydale Chive and Onion Cheese

2007-07-20T16:06:23Z

rating: 3
Strikes me that chives added to mediocre cheese to give some flavour. No taste of cheese!

Cafe Paradiso Cork

2007-07-22T06:47:53Z

rating: 3
Vegetarian food still wonderful, service now incompetent. Squeezed into tiny table too. Victim of own success?

www.buseireann.ie

2007-07-22T06:50:07Z

rating: 1
Timetable wrong, utterly. Numbskulls. Shows IP address for URL in browser. More semi-state stupidity. Shut em.

www.badscience.net

2007-07-22T06:54:54Z

rating: 5
Ben Goldacre's blog is a must read if quackery drives you nuts. Make mandatory for all "health" journalists.

Miro

2007-07-22T21:07:19Z

rating: 1
What sort of assholes call themselves "The Participatory Culture Foundation"? Software refuses to launch. Pointless. Gone.

Handbrake Video Encoder

2007-07-22T21:16:16Z

rating: 4
Convert DVDs to MP4 for iPod or Nokia N770. Easy to use. Reasonably fast. Great quality. Movie=640MB.

Sopranos Finale

2007-07-23T00:02:47Z

rating: 5
Sod everyone else. I loved this. Will deeply miss Paulie and the title music and every bloody bit. End of an era.

Fota Wildlife Park

2007-07-24T14:25:37Z

rating: 4
Wonderful day out for family. Needs more picnic facilities and a revamp. Kids loved it.

Dexter

2007-07-25T21:49:11Z

rating: 4
Not sure if this is going to get repetitive but serial killer who catches serial killers is a nice twist. On FX cahnnel.

Hairy Baby Hoodie

2007-07-27T08:34:16Z

rating: 5
These new hoodies with customised art-work are a brilliant progression from their super t-shirts. Sister loved her birthday present.

Roxio Easy Media Creator 8

2007-07-27T17:54:52Z

rating: 1
Install this, cripple your PC. Utter rubbish. Nothing works properly. More bugs than features. Avoid.

Sxipper

2007-07-28T10:48:44Z

rating: 3
Too intrusive. FF password-remembering plus eWallet just as efficient and more controllable. OpenID a red herring here.

Sage Quickpay 7

2007-07-28T23:57:58Z

rating: 1
How can such simple software cause so much pain? UI from Windows 3.1, Installer from MSDOS 3 era. Dire. Avoid.

Last King of Scotland

2007-07-29T23:13:13Z

rating: 5
Totally compelling. Wonderful acting. Many memories of Amin growing up. 30 years later, any better? TIA.

Robert Robert's Java

2007-07-30T20:27:39Z

rating: 3
They rate this as max strength on their scale. I found it weak and insipid. Almost American. Not impressed.

Kettyle Rib-Eye Steak

2007-07-31T17:19:48Z

rating: 4
Interesting product from Dunnes Stores. Decent meat and an unusual cut from an Irish Supermarket

House MD

2007-07-31T18:16:00Z

rating: 5
I've said it before and I'll say it again - this is fabulous TV.

Nokia N770

2007-08-01T18:03:20Z

rating: 4
This older internet tablet fulfills most mobile internet needs. Great screen, lots of apps. Bit slow. No FF or Flash9

Ma.gnolia.com

2007-08-04T08:57:52Z

rating: 4
Less popular than del.icio.us. More features, more beautiful but slower to get things done. Good with Jaiku, FB etc

Tayto Snax

2007-08-04T20:06:11Z

rating: 3
Fond memories of this "potato" snack from childhood. Turned out to be rose tinted spectacles. Can't touch Walkers.

Conrad Hilton Dublin foyer

2007-08-07T17:18:44Z

rating: 5
Great coffee, really friendly staff, underground parking and free wifi. Perfect location for meetings.

Tesco Java ground coffee

2007-08-07T17:23:02Z

rating: 3
I like strong coffee but this is tar. Too bitter and required lots of milk and sugar to make palatable.

Farmers Kitchen Wexford

2007-08-07T19:48:06Z

rating: 4
Has been up and down. Solid simple fare. Great steak and chips. €54 for two. In Drinagh Court Hotel.

Lidl Rashers

2007-08-08T11:17:33Z

rating: 4
Very thin, not too much injected saline. Crisp up beautifully. Wish streaky came non-smoked. Another sambo winner.

Trudies Potato Salad

2007-08-08T12:57:58Z

rating: 4
Available in Wexford. Pureed type rather than lumpy. Tasty. Found out she is my cousin's daughter in law

Futiro Luna Skype Phone

2007-08-09T20:32:22Z

rating: 4
USB. Incredibly sexy. Black, heavy, shiny. Great voice quality and keypad. Very expensive! Not mine :-(

Eddie Rockets Cork

2007-08-11T11:06:46Z

rating: 2
New, terrible. Dreadful service. Kids food shockingly awful. Adults ok. Not cheap. McDonald's now better. Sad.

Kagu Media Player N770/N800

2007-08-11T12:45:31Z

rating: 3
Does album art but not random access within tracks. Can't see the point. Does have scrobbling tho.

Nokia MOSH

2007-08-11T18:16:01Z

rating: 2
First impression is "what is this for?". Very clunky. Should be wired into LifeBlog. Isn't. Ditto Jaiku. Ditto Shozu.

Cook Yourself Thin

2007-08-13T22:52:50Z

rating: 1
This is garbage Channel 4 TV at its very worst. Make a roast beef dinner lower in calories, use chicken. Duh!

Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escapes

2007-08-13T23:05:05Z

rating: 3
Not classic Rick. Lacks passion, seems tired. Corsica not inviting, Sardinia more appealing.

Tangler

2007-08-15T07:31:02Z

rating: 3
Not as good as Basecamp so why bother? Instant notifier should just use Jabber,I don't need yet another desktop install.

Scrybe Beta

2007-08-15T11:17:40Z

rating: 1
Can't get past the signup screen. Beta information only as PDFs! Site may have potential but impossible to tell.

Noble House Chinese Bandon

2007-08-18T20:51:35Z

rating: 3
Solid takeaway fare. No real clangers. €50 for 6 good value.

The Simpsons Movie

2007-08-19T23:50:20Z

rating: 3
Laughed a lot but no more than usual. Bloody Leprechaun. Missed Burns. No flow. Not a classic. Kids happy.

Top Chef Series 2

2007-08-19T23:57:30Z

rating: 5
It's baaaaack. Knocks anything Ramsey does into a cocked hat. Food and psychos - the perfect mix. Living TV rox

Florentin Organic Wasabi Hummus

2007-08-21T17:53:06Z

rating: 4
A nice kick to this. Could do with more garlic/oil but a useful variation on a sandwich filler.

The Enemies of Reason

2007-08-22T10:40:04Z

rating: 5
Dawkins plays nice and is more effective. Spikes loons left and right. I want my 24 Atlantis DNA strands.

Pwytter

2007-08-22T13:21:32Z

rating: 2
Python/Tk Twitter client. Useless and slow, freezes. Friend-adding spammers too. Gets 2 due to Python usage.

Flores Spiced Tomato Chutney

2007-08-22T18:29:40Z

rating: 4
From Farmer's Markets in Cork. Good taste, a smidge runny, works well on plate or in a sauce.

Maro Pierre White web-sites

2007-08-22T18:36:15Z

rating: 1
Utter disasters. Menus as XLS or DOC. Main site is a flash animation with no links to restaurants!

Cappuccino Bistro Bandon

2007-08-24T19:24:21Z

rating: 3
Good solid MOR food. From thai curry to burgers. Sis like sole n chips, I liked stroganoff. Nice staff.

Must Love Dogs

2007-08-26T07:20:32Z

rating: 4
Surprisingly funny romcom with Diane Lane and John Cusack. Good supporting cast. Mock Irish accents grated. Enjoy.

Dunne's Stores Garden Set

2007-08-26T10:54:36Z

rating: 5
This is a steal at €69. 4 web-backed chairs, glass topped table and parasol. Grey. Solid. Need big car.

House Series 3 Finale

2007-08-28T22:58:34Z

rating: 4
A fine end to a great season. Loses his entire team, not bovvered. Cannot wait for US Fall season to begin.

Folláin Irish Tomato Relish

2007-08-29T15:19:35Z

rating: 4
Good non-runny relish. Simple ingredients, not overly spicy. Works perfectly in roast pork sandwich.

Maxthon 2

2007-08-30T13:25:32Z

rating: 4
This uber-IE7 browser is very impressive. Fast and resource light. Some JS bugs and RSS reader poor. Miss FF add-ons

Sage Instant Accounting v12.00

2007-09-02T12:41:47Z

rating: 2
Lipstick on a pig. A makeover on the same Windows 3.1 functionality. €99 forced upgrade. Move.

McCarthy's Maize Maze

2007-09-02T13:21:20Z

rating: 5
A wonderful way to spend a few hours with the kids when the weather is good. Enjoyable for young and old, local or tourist.

McCain Crinkle Oven Chips

2007-09-02T19:25:57Z

rating: 4
The best oven chip I've ever tasted. Crispy on outside, fluffy on inside. No need for chipper again.

Eurora 8 beta

2007-09-04T10:26:29Z

rating: 2
What a joke. Just Thunderbird with a different theme. Are there still people hankering after those awful icons?

Hell's Kitchen

2007-09-05T07:47:10Z

rating: 4
Marco Pierre White is a legend! Makes Ramsey look like a boot-boy. Usual loser "celebs". Angus as annoying as ever

Nigella Express

2007-09-11T22:51:33Z

rating: 2
After the Christmas debacle I didn't think Nigella Lawson could sink any lower. I was wrong.

hosting365 sales

2007-09-13T23:26:05Z

rating: 4
A compelling

Tesco Wild & Whippy

2007-09-14T13:07:18Z

rating: 4
A perfect clone of Milky Way with a far cooler more adult name!

Zumo Smoothies

2007-09-16T09:37:09Z

rating: 4
Wonderful to find when travelling and you are tired, cranky, dehydrated and sick of coffee. Perfect perk-up.

Comfort Inn on Polk, San Francisco

2007-09-18T01:32:42Z

rating: 4
A hidden gem. Great rooms and facilities. Top value. Roughish area but ok.

Hell's Kitchen USA

2007-10-04T21:12:49Z

rating: 1
Why am I still watching this? Each week they manage to sink lower. Next week - Red team must sleep with Blues.

The Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain

2007-10-06T15:08:33Z

rating: 5
A fine collection of articles he has written over the past few years on all things food and restaurant related. A great food writer.

Top Gear Autumn 2007

2007-10-08T07:29:03Z

rating: 3
First episode felt flat. Trip in supercars to find best driving road a bit boring. Lambo-Golf mental.

Petrus

2007-10-16T08:45:20Z

rating: 5
The dining experience of a lifetime. Just as we thought it couldn't get any better, we were given a tour of the kitchen and met Marcus Wareing.

Locanda Locatelli

2007-10-21T06:55:45Z

rating: 2
Good Italian food ruined by some of the worst service I've had in a restaurant in years. These people need to learn some manners and learn how to smile.

Heston Blumenthal - In Search of Perfection - BBC2

2007-10-21T07:15:56Z

rating: 5
This second series by one of the world's most cutting edge chefs is as whacky and entertaining as the first but the chicken tikka masala did not impress

M&S Thin Streaky Bacon

2007-10-21T08:07:18Z

rating: 4
Perfect American style crispy bacon with this Irish product. Makes a great BLT and cooks without ooze.

M&S Bocconcini Mozzarella with Tomatoes

2007-10-24T15:00:12Z

rating: 2
The toms are fine but the mozzarella consists of horrible dried balls of tasteless ick

Roma Semi Dried Tomatoes

2007-11-03T16:35:41Z

rating: 2
Yeuch. If you are expecting sun blush, you'll be sorely disappointed. Stale squidgey small balls.

Weeds (Season 1)

2007-11-04T08:48:16Z

rating: 5
Only just discovered this awesome series. Hilariously funny but with depth. About far more than skank. Love it.

Adrigole

2007-11-06T20:40:24Z

rating: 5
A stunningly beautiful spot in deepest West Cork. A perfect bay, wonderful mountains and perfect drive. Minimal mobile coverage tho!

Filezilla 3.x

2007-11-10T18:49:54Z

rating: 4
This total rewrite of my fave FTP client is a mixed bag. Tabs make it hard to see what has failed. Still best tho!

RocketDock

2007-11-14T16:42:49Z

rating: 4
Windows appbar/toolbar like Mac. Very sexy animation and big improvement over basic XP one. Free and compatible with Objectdock. Good fun.

Montana Sauvignon Blanc 2007

2007-11-16T12:35:19Z

rating: 4
Previously our fave Marlborough but now beaten by Villa Maria. Still excellent example of the type but some reduction in complexity. Screwcap of course.

www.trycktill.com

2007-11-16T16:26:07Z

rating: 4
A free site for unlocking your non-S60 mobile. Has worked for me on both an O2 and Voda locked Nokia 6230. Instructions fiddly.

Plantronics Audio 550 DSP Headset

2007-11-16T20:15:37Z

rating: 3
Full sized headphones and mic with USB. Very bulky (as is adapter). Not convinced sound quality that awesome. Pricey

Maxtor Hard Disks

2007-11-19T11:46:57Z

rating: 1
Utter rubbish. Avoid he you value your data. Rarely last more than two years. Have had three die on me in the last six months. Hitachi/IBM far superior and roughly same price.

Ubuntu 7.10 install

2007-11-20T12:54:50Z

rating: 2
In theory it is slick with live cd but it got stuck at 90% on first go and had to re do from scratch. It did work second time!

Gran Sangre de Toro

2007-11-20T16:00:36Z

rating: 4
One of my favourite red wines from spain. A mix of Garnacha, carinena and syrah. Fruity, spicy and oaky.

alleyinsider.com

2007-11-26T13:37:08Z

rating: 5
Only discovered recently. Brilliant financial analyses by the disgraced Blodget and others. Daily must read!

dell.ie

2007-11-29T12:46:38Z

rating: 5
Still ultra-slick way to buy online. Prices incredible and machine arrived three days early. Dell Hell finally over?

McDonald's Big Tasty w Bacon

2007-11-29T19:44:57Z

rating: 3
Looks great but not very distinctive taste. A Whopper knock-off? Bacon stringy not crispy. OK tho.

Baking Emporium Spelt Bread

2007-11-30T14:47:57Z

rating: 5
another winner from the germans in west cork. Nutty, dark, full of flavour. The dense texture makes for amazing sandwiches. And it's good for you too!

Casio Waveceptor Watch

2007-12-01T11:33:23Z

rating: 1
Good when it worked. Returned 4 times to be fixed. It died last night. No P&P refund either. Save yourself hassle and avoid.

Sea Salt and Dulse

2007-12-01T17:24:00Z

rating: 1
This mix of salt and seaweed sounded interesting. They recommend putting in cakes. Tastes of stale fish. Really not nice at all.

Fedora Core 8

2007-12-01T19:26:02Z

rating: 1
Was going to write full review but can't get past first install screen on Dell Vostro 200. The quality of the FC releases keeps dropping

Party Bob, Cork

2007-12-02T19:19:12Z

rating: 5
Brilliant kids entertainer. Takes no crap. Awesome scary puppet show. Funny magic and jokes for many ages. Does 1.5 hours. 087-2483750

La Strada Palo Alto

2007-12-03T17:08:57Z

rating: 3
Nice local Italian downtown. Food nothing to write home about but tasty and not pricey. Friendly staff too.

Hanover Tyres, Cork

2007-12-03T18:43:56Z

rating: 4
These guys changed four tyres for me with no delay. They have branches in Cork and Bandon. Prices as good as any we checked.

Global Kitchen, Kent Station, Cork

2007-12-04T12:25:58Z

rating: 2
Monkeys could do a better job. They screw up every time i go. Ran out of baguettes by midday. What about lunch time? Is this the best they could source? How about something that reflects Cork's gourmet reputation rather than old rubbish Ireland?

Luas trams, Dublin

2007-12-04T18:54:12Z

rating: 4
My first trip ever. Brilliant. Far more efficient and regular than buses. Pity so few and sweaty when full. Need to connect lines together. The transport of the past is now the future.

Supermacs, Heuston, Dublin

2007-12-04T18:58:28Z

rating: 3
Looks dirty but actually ok. Smokey Bacon Burger decent with crispy bacon. Garlic and Cheese Fries good. Self serve latte not the worst either. Have they upped their game?

Roma Semi foo

2007-12-07T16:09:40Z

rating: 2
Yeuch. If you are expecting sun blush, you'll be sorely disappointed. Stale squidgey small balls.

Aldi Feta Cheese

2007-12-08T10:29:33Z

rating: 4
As good as any branded version. Genuine Greek. Has that tang which is important. Not too crumbly. Bargain.

Tapenade Bistro on N7/N8

2007-12-09T01:02:27Z

rating: 4
This newish place is in the Midway FoodCourt, Portlaoise and is nearly successful in its attempt to do something a bit different. I had to drive up to Dublin recently (having become over-used to the train) and stopped at Midway on the N7/N8 interchange...

Le Web 3 2007 Food

2007-12-11T12:44:41Z

rating: 5
I love finger food like this. No queues, just grazing amazing nibbles including fois gras!

Le Web 3 2007

2007-12-11T13:45:52Z

rating: 5
a superb conference with a great mix of speakers and attendees. The three different rooms are perfect and the start up room is really impressing. Food top class with poor wifi being the only drawback.

Mercure Ibis, Montmartre, Paris

2007-12-11T16:54:00Z

rating: 4
Very good rooms. Decent breakfast. Got special €100 rate. Wifi pricy and no room kettle.

Buddha Bar, Paris

2007-12-12T02:03:07Z

rating: 1
Rude staff, €12 beers. 35 minute wait. Left before menus arrived. Worst restaurant in Europe? For idiots only.

Science Museum London

2007-12-16T09:44:33Z

rating: 5
You need two days to do this properly. I felt like a small child runnning around looking at some of the incredible displays.

Curb Your Enthusiasm S05

2007-12-17T14:43:51Z

rating: 5
I was sure the quality would suffer but the ski lift episode had me doubled over. Larry is a genius!

Kyte.tv

2007-12-17T19:51:38Z

rating: 4
I think I have found the video site for me. Trivial to use, videos available immediately and a really great mobile app for the N95. Forget YouTube, forget Seesmic, forget the rest, this is where I'll be broadcasting from now on.

N95 Lightsabre

2007-12-19T02:08:12Z

rating: 3
Disappointed that no beam of light came out of phone. Sluggish to respond to movement too. Like dark-side feature.

Pownce

2007-12-20T09:27:32Z

rating: 4
Even though usage seems to have tanked, they are adding features bit by bit. They finally have RSS for my public posts so we can now support them in LouderVoice.

Nokia Maps N95

2007-12-20T10:09:25Z

rating: 5
Still in shock over how awesome this is with the navigation feature. I was taken door to door over 100km by my phone which is simply mind-boggling. It does download maps dynamically over 3G so you need connectivity but still amazing. Full phone review coming!

eRightSoft Super

2007-12-22T11:59:56Z

rating: 4
This brilliant GUI on top of mplayer etc can convert to/from most audio/video formats. Perfect for BBC ra to mp3

Kyte Mobile N95

2007-12-24T01:32:39Z

rating: 3
Good-looking app but ouput is pixellated garbage and can only record a few seconds of video. I've given up on it.

The Holiday Movie

2007-12-24T14:41:17Z

rating: 1
I stabbed myself in all my orifices to stop the horror. Drains all the life from you. As romantic as ebola.

Sally The Sunflower

2007-12-25T07:46:42Z

rating: 1
Rubbish kid's toy. False advertising? Wobbly crap masquerading as a feature. Will be in bin by the new year.

Innocent Smoothies for Kids

2007-12-26T05:48:25Z

rating: 5
Fantastic mini smoothies in tetrapak. No bits and quite "liquid". My kids love them and I had two!

The Big Nothing movie

2007-12-26T13:35:36Z

rating: 1
Utter garbage. Why did Simon Pegg sign up for this jumble of nonsense. Not funny, not interesting. Avoid.

Robot Bank

2007-12-29T10:11:17Z

rating: 4
Counts money as it is entered. Funky lights, moving arms, motion sensors and clock. Can get confused and paper done manually.

Doctor Who Christmas Special 2007

2007-12-29T10:16:29Z

rating: 3
Very predictable but good tension and characters. Strong vibe of 2000AD comic. Kylie poor tho.

Wii Attack of the Toybots

2007-12-29T10:29:13Z

rating: 3
Not impressed by this. Branding over game play and gfx. Expect short lifetime with our kids.

Wii Mario Party 8

2007-12-29T10:35:53Z

rating: 3
A strange jumble of mini games and platform stuff. Only 8 year old son can figure out or likes. Youngers avoid it.

Wii Raving Rabbids 2

2007-12-29T10:40:04Z

rating: 2
Discarded quickly on christmas day. Kiddy Doom where you shoot stuff with plungers. Supposed to be more variety later but none of kids care.

Wii Sports

2007-12-29T10:46:37Z

rating: 5
Console game of a generation. Up there with Space Invaders and Doom. Adored by kids from 2 to 70!

Wii Mario and Sonic Olympics

2007-12-29T11:00:09Z

rating: 4
Large selection of games. Some fun and easy like running. Many too hard for youngers to master so always come last. Nunchuck great here.

DS Spectrobes

2007-12-29T11:36:51Z

rating: 2
Incredibly complex, very 'japanese' game. For RPG, Pokemon or Warhammer fanatics only. Terrible gfx, assume great depth.

Draper Foot Pump

2007-12-29T18:40:21Z

rating: 2
Fine for bicycles but useless for inflatable beds etc due to wrong sized connectors. Paint also rubs off on carpet!

Sancerre Les Caillotes 2005

2007-12-29T22:02:17Z

rating: 3
Not very good wine at all. This Sauvignon Blanc is bitter with a slightly stale finish. Thin without any of the depth of an NZ equivalent. Won't be buying again.

Terry's Chocolate Orange Sensations

2007-12-30T12:34:07Z

rating: 2
Too much for one person to eat in a sitting. Many of varieties miss the mark. Original is best

Vodafone Mobile TV

2007-12-31T01:24:56Z

rating: 1
It's quite simple, this doesn't work. At all. Ever. They give first week free. I bet no-one pays after that.

New Year's Eve TV

2007-12-31T11:28:42Z

rating: 1
It gets worse and worse every year. Even Sky+ isn't saving us in 2007. I know we'll end up watching CSI.

Perfume, The Story of a Murderer

2007-12-31T16:35:53Z

rating: 5
Wow, we actually sat down and enjoyed an arty film. Really really good. Want the murderer to win!

Wordpress Automatic Upgrade

2008-01-01T04:52:56Z

rating: 5
How did I survive without this plugin before? Upgrade in 30 seconds to latest! Awesome.

To the Manor Born (2007)

2008-01-01T15:09:09Z

rating: 1
I thought a 25 year anniversary episode was a good idea. It wasn't. Awful old fashioned punning. V poor.

Jam and Jerusalem (Series 2)

2008-01-01T15:18:57Z

rating: 3
Quaint, gentle, comedy drama. I like it more than I should but not must-see TV. A grower. Try it.

Polycell Expanding Foam

2008-01-02T09:35:39Z

rating: 5
One of the all time great DIY tools along with WD-40 and Duck Tape. Fill any big gap in seconds. Sticky!

Wii Weather

2008-01-05T10:43:03Z

rating: 5
Reason enough to get a Wii. Best weather app ever. Imagine Google Maps for weather. Awesome. Kids unimpressed tho.

EasyCap video capture

2008-01-06T07:07:10Z

rating: 2
El cheapo USB device from eBay. Was going to use to hook N95 up to laptop for demo at Le Web 3 but didn't get chance. Same interlace tearing as so many other cheap devices which makes it useless for almost everything. At least drivers less buggy than Hauppauge.

Derailed movie

2008-01-06T13:04:41Z

rating: 2
Gave up after about an hour. Thought it was going to be an action movie. Wasn't. Anniston as annoying as ever. Poor

Weeds (Season 3)

2008-01-06T15:28:25Z

rating: 3
Not enjoying this as much as first two. Very dark, mopey and messagey. Lightness gone. Doug still hilarious.

Buddha Bar

2008-01-06T16:10:33Z

rating: 1
The worst service I have had in 39 years on this earth. Avoid this obnoxious hellhole at all costs.

Hashtags on Twitter

2008-01-07T04:59:28Z

rating: 4
This neat idea proposed by #FactoryJoe seems to be gaining legs. We now support them. #hashtags #twitter #geek

Rossini's, Cork

2008-01-08T01:03:17Z

rating: 4
Good Irish-Italian food. Heavy on the sauces with huge portions. Small wine list. Great atmosphere. Will be back.

Casio 19662144

2008-01-08T23:51:59Z

rating: 4
This is a basic digital watch with resin strap, good light, stopwatch and 100m water resist. Nothing special but does what you need. Assume it'll be more reliable than the Waveceptor garbage I returned four times and which broke again recently.

Screenshot S60

2008-01-09T00:07:23Z

rating: 5
Awesome app to capture screenshots from your mobile phone display. No more reflections trying to use another camera

Poacher's Inn, Bandon

2008-01-09T04:33:43Z

rating: 4
Great pub food in a comfy setting. Hot tiger prawn salad huge and tasty. Great service. Decent prices. Try!

Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave

2008-01-09T19:21:03Z

rating: 4
A good but pricey combo (€119 PC World). Mouse is symmetrical so works well in either hand. KB is curved with soft wrist rest for comfort. USB adapter tiny compared to MSFT. Extra buttons crappy tho and left Shift too small. Vista-ready. MSFT Desktop 5000 is €50 less and seems better value.

Hairy Baby t-shirts

2008-01-09T21:44:44Z

rating: 5
my favourite t's on the planet. Fantastic quality with some of the funniest messages and logos you'll ever see. I have a collection of them!

Google Mail for Mobile

2008-01-10T07:48:14Z

rating: 5
This now works with GoogApps accounts. Great java app and shockingly works with Vodafone Live. N95 loves it

Guerilla Gourmet

2008-01-11T11:53:31Z

rating: 1
More gimmicky rubbish from RTE. Meal in a boxing club. Cringing. Poor Ballybeg childer.

Jamie's Fowl Dinners

2008-01-11T12:41:56Z

rating: 4
Well intentioned, good shock factor. Prefer Hugh's less sensational approach. Hope it works!

O'Donovan's of Cork, Sausages

2008-01-12T08:32:52Z

rating: 4
A fine small saturday banger. 80% meat content and they brown well. Might prefer a bit more pepper.

Skype on Linux

2008-01-13T08:18:02Z

rating: 1
Garbage. Refuses to run due to idiotic library API mismatches on Ubuntu 7.10. Zero useful workarounds. Makes me wonder if Linux will ever grow beyond the geek brigade. Deeply disappointed.

Ubuntu 7.10

2008-01-13T08:35:00Z

rating: 3
I want to love it but too much pain. - http://seesmic.com/CDPWbdGxdz

Hugh's Chicken Run

2008-01-13T10:42:33Z

rating: 5
An important TV programme and one that will hopefully be a milestone in the transformation of the production of chicken in Europe.

Louis Theroux Behind Bars

2008-01-13T14:11:29Z

rating: 5
Brilliant TV. Informative, witty, touching. Transformed my view of prison and those in them. Must wi ...

Blue Dragon Chow Mein Sauce

2008-01-13T22:15:00Z

rating: 3
Big fan of their sweet n sour but this doesn't compare. Overwhelming flavour of ginger. Not an "authentic" takeaway chinese flavour. Kids unimpressed too. Will just make it from scratch in future.

BT Ireland

2008-01-14T06:08:43Z

rating: 3
Sure they have good prices and 3Mbs DSL when Eircom only offers 2Mbs but god forbid you have a billing enquiry. I think billing is outsourced to a donkey reservation. Multiple attempts to get a refund when they charged us for Broadband after we cancelled. Still getting bills. Avoid avoid. #broadband #telephone

Masterchef 2007

2008-01-14T12:36:57Z

rating: 3
The quality of the candidates is higher than last year but still only 12 usable minutes per episode. %tv %cookery

World Trade Center

2008-01-14T15:20:35Z

rating: 3
Disappointed to have Stone make such a by-the-numbers movie. Far more possible.%movie

Viking Direct

2008-01-14T20:17:08Z

rating: 4
Not the cheapest but huge range of office supplies. Fast free delivery over approx 75 euro. Online site good. No quibble returns policy too. Awful junk mailers tho! #office #shop

Grinderman

2008-01-14T20:30:28Z

rating: 4
Debut album of the same name is just fabulous. The name tells you the sound! Nick Cave awesome. Lots of noisy guitars and shouting with sticky lyrics. #music

Je t'aime chutney

2008-01-14T20:46:52Z

rating: 4
Got a set of these small taster pots from australia. Nice variety from fruity to spicy. Good on sandwiches and as a dip for sausages. Not sure where to buy in Europe.

Magnusson Snap-Off Craft Knife

2008-01-14T21:01:12Z

rating: 4
This B& Q item is metal and of high quality. Holds multiple snap-off blades. Many uses around the house. Pricey. #diy

Cubic Phone

2008-01-16T00:35:00Z

rating: 4
Sure it's a basic phone but having a Dublin number to which I can forward my mobile calls and then answer via Wifi/SIP is just wonderful. Vodafone blackhole is no longer a problem. Voice quality superior to GSM. They need to fix the predictive text tho!

SourceGear DiffMerge

2008-01-16T05:57:12Z

rating: 4
Needed a tool to compare two directory trees but neither TkDiff nor ediff on XEmacs were useful. This works really well drilling down and finding all the dissimilar files. Onley buglet was that it crashes on Ubuntu 7.10 without a small tweak.

"Logitech Wave"

2008-01-16T23:20:16Z

rating: 4
I've had this KB/Mouse combo for >3 weeks now and so far I'm pleased. Works well with Ubuntu and helping my RSI. Mouse is symmetrical so works in both hands. USB adapter nice and small. Only gripe is price which was over 100 Euro in PC World. Equivalent from Microsoft is cheaper.

The Poacher's Inn

2008-01-19T15:25:56Z

rating: 4
This pub+restaurant has come on hugely since the new owners took over. I love having a great local place so near to us that understands seafood.