Stuff for Dads

  Credit Rating Info

Last week, I got sent some PR material to tell you all how to improve your credit rating. Unfortunately, it's quite long and is somewhat lacking in the whole jokes/kids/explosions department. (It's also discretely endorsed by a 'higher interest' credit card.) If I stuck it up here, it would simply give the wrong impression. This is a place for time-travelling killer robots and slagging frustrating toys which have limited volume control.

On the other hand, all my credit cards and household bills are in my wife's name - if anything happens to her, I know I'm going to be needing some credit rating information in a bit of a hurry. This being the case, I've hurled it back through time and hidden it in among November's posts where it's out of the way but still accessible.

(If you're interested, better head there now before the killer robots get to it...)

Labels: service

 
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  Dubit Family Panel

Dubit have asked me to let you know that they're currently looking for parents to join their Family Panel.

Dubit is a UK youth marketing agency that started out as a Young Enterprise company 10 years ago, created by 13- to 15-year-olds who wanted to improve the way young people are marketed to. It's grown from there but the idea is still the same - people are more likely to buy something if it's recommended to them by a friend or presented to them in the right way.

Members of the Family Panel team work on promotional campaigns, raising awareness about products, brands and services. Rewards can include cheques, vouchers and free merchandise. There's also a regular newsletter with offers and exclusive competitions.

Dubit are looking to recruit parents onto the Family Panel to promote only brands they love. Campaigns can last from one week to three weeks and generally consist of offline work (for example, handing out samples to friends who are parents) or online work (sharing opinions with friends via email and social networking sites).

For more info and to register, visit Dubitfamilypanel.com. If you have any questions, you can email Rachel at Dubit.

Obviously, I haven't tried it myself yet but I'm off to sign up. I'm actually a bit miffed I missed their recent Cheestrings promotion. My kids love the things and Sprog1 can take half an hour eating one. I could have kept him quiet for weeks with the free samples and got paid for it into the bargain. Drat.

Never mind, I'll see what they hook me up with and keep you posted...

Labels: service, website review

 
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  Relate for Parents - Text and web chat services

Not so much a review today, more a public service announcement:

The forums at Homedad are the best UK web resource for finding other housedads and getting practical advice on fatherhood. Sometimes, though, you might not want to share your problems with the entire internet. Handily, Relate for Parents has recently launched a couple of new services offering support and information - Live Talk and SMS Text messaging.

Live Talk enables parents to pose questions and explore parenting difficulties in a live web chat. Consultants offer empathy and understanding, along with suggestions and other sources of support. Parents using SMS Text send their parenting issue or query, such as how to defuse a row or where to find local counselling, to 60616 and get an answer straight to their mobile. Both services are free and offer personally tailored responses.

The operating hours are 9-5 weekdays and 7-9 Monday, Wednesday and Sunday evenings, so this is an avenue for considered questions rather than late night emergencies. Nonetheless, the services are certainly a good first port of call if you want some help on relationship issues. In particular, it's hard to think where else there is to go when dealing with teenagers or grown-up kids.

The website itself features articles on such issues as divorce, self harm, stress and eating disorders. There are also links to various parental support groups.

Worth checking out.

(Back to films with explosions next week...)

Labels: service, website review

 
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  3 Pay-As-You-Go mobile broadband

What is it?: A little gadget which plugs into a USB port of your laptop, allowing internet access at broadband speeds anywhere you go. (Well, anywhere covered by 3's new high speed network and not in a basement or with thick walls. Probably best not to stand next to a tree, either...)

Price: £50 for a pack containing a USB modem, SIM card and USB wires. Top-ups must then be purchased to pay in advance for the amount of data downloaded:

• 1 GB - £10.
• 2GB - £15.
• 7GB - £25.

Once activated, the top-ups are only valid for 30 days, whether the data allowance is used or not.

How does it work?

1. You simply pick up a modem from any electronics store, put in the SIM card and plug it into your computer.
2. The software installs automatically from the device itself.
3. You are painlessly connected to the internet.
4. It turns out you're only connected to 3's site and you need to buy a top-up.
5. You register your credit card, only to discover that it takes seven days to be authorised. £10 is taken from it but you can't buy a top-up yet. Meanwhile, you start getting charged £1 PER MEGABYTE because you haven't bought a top-up yet.
6. You go to Tesco and buy a top-up from the checkout.
7. You trek back home in the rain.
8. You log on, activate the top-up and get to keep up-to-date with all your favourite blogs for a month, even while on holiday (as long as you don't stand next to a tree in a basement).

(Some of these steps may not be entirely necessary.)

Comments: When Sprog1 was born, we didn't even have internet at home. When we finally got dial-up, I went online a handful of times a week. Then came broadband, wi-fi and this website. Now I start feeling unwell if I haven't checked my email for a couple of hours. The thought of being disconnected for a fortnight when we went on holiday this summer brought cold sweats and a rash.

After a bit of hunting around, 3 seemed the best (i.e. cheapest) option to provide mobile internet for a few days every so often. I suppose, technically, going to internet cafés would have been cheaper but it would have been far less convenient and secure. Also, I'd probably have lost out overall through stuffing myself with premium-priced coffee and cake.

There are subscription packages if you want to use mobile broadband all the time. You get the modem 'free' but you're tied in for eighteen months. The Pay-As-You-Go is more flexible. The main downside to the PAYG is that, although you pay for a certain amount of download capacity, you only get 30 days to use it. This is irritating but, if you simply look at it as a month of surfing for a tenner, it's still perfectly reasonable. (We didn't get through half our Gigabyte top-up in a fortnight.) You can now also buy the modem in a selection of starter packages where it comes pre-loaded with some download capacity. The time-limit for using this capacity varies, so they might be worth looking into, depending on your needs.

After a few initial teething difficulties (see above), the modem worked smoothly and without much faffing about. Speed wasn't quite on a par with our 2Mb home connection but this was seldom noticeable during normal surfing. Unfortunately, switching users in Windows Vista seemed to confuse the modem, causing some plugging and unplugging, coupled with a touch of frustrated muttering. This was nothing compared with the muttering that would have resulted from trekking to an internet café in the rain, though.

Having to pay for the amount of data downloaded rather than the amount of time spent online took some getting used to. It was pretty handy as I sat staring at a blank screen in Blogger, thinking of a hundred ways to describe gnomes, however.

The only question mark over the modem is signal strength. It's possible to check network coverage on a postcode by postcode basis but it's worth taking this information with a pinch of salt. We had better reception in a top floor flat in St Andrews than on the ground floor in central Edinburgh. When we next visit my parents in rural Norfolk, there's a good chance I'll have to climb a water tower to update this review.

Conclusion: Mobile broadband without a subscription. Great for staying online if you're taking a holiday in the UK. You'll want to examine network coverage carefully, though.

Pros:

• Relatively cheap.
• Flexible pricing system.
• Easy to use (provided you don't totally ignore the instructions like me).
• Allows you to keep up with DadsDinner wherever you go.

Cons:

• Not so useful if you're going to be using it all the time...
• ...or for a day or two every so often.
• Quite a large amount of money to pay up-front if you're not certain about coverage.
• Could go badly if you're hoping to use it in a basement in the middle of a forest.

Rating: 4/5.

Labels: service

 
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8:30 AM - Permanent Link - 2 comments - Post comment - Links to this post

  LOVEFiLM

DadsDinner.com Review Updated 14/05/08

DadsDinner.com features reviews of films and videogames of particular interest to fathers of young children, alongside useful tips on how to survive everything from potty training to zombie invasion. A dad's freetime is precious, limited and liable to be cut short in an extremely messy fashion at any moment -- why waste it on a game that won't let you save when you need to or a movie with substandard explosions? Providing guidance and entertainment, Dadsdinner.com proves that leaving a man in charge of children doesn't always mean a dog's breakfast.

What is LOVEFiLM? An online rental service for games and DVDs.

Price: Subscription plans include:

• £7.99 - 2 DVDs at a time, up to 4 rentals a month
• £12.99 - 2 DVDs at a time, unlimited rentals
• £15.99 - 3 DVDs at a time, unlimited rentals
• £14.99 - 2 DVDs/games at a time, unlimited rentals
• £18.99 - 3 DVDs/games at a time, unlimited rentals

Subscriptions are paid monthly. If you sign up for six months in advance, however, there is a discount equivalent to one month free.

How does it work?

1. You pay a monthly subscription based on the number of discs you can have on loan at a time.


2. Via LOVEFiLM's website, you create a list of films/games you'd like to rent. You look through the online catalogue, click on the ones you want and give them a high, medium or low priority according to how desperate you are to receive them. You can choose any game from any console that they stock.


3. LOVEFiLM sends the discs nearest to the top of your list that they have available.


4. You watch/play them and then send them back in individual, pre-paid envelopes when you're done. You can keep discs as long as you like.


5. When LOVEFiLM gets a disc back, they send another from your list.

A new pay-as-you-go service allows you to buy a block of rental credits that are valid for six months. Everything works as normal but each time a disc is sent out, it costs you a credit (around £2). You still get to keep discs as long as you like (provided you keep your credits topped up). It's a good way to rent movies if you're only going to be watching them every so often. There's no pressure to watch things as soon as they arrive in order to get your money's worth as there is with a subscription.

Items stocked: LOVEFiLM's DVD collection is vast and comprehensive. Their range of Blu-ray discs is growing rapidly as more are released. An HD DVD selection remains for the time being.

Along with films and TV series, LOVEFiLM also stocks PS2, PS3, PSP, DS, GameCube, Wii, Xbox and Xbox 360 games. Older games may not be available and certain games which require extra controllers, like Guitar Hero, can't be rented.

Comments: I've covered the basics of online games rental elsewhere. I even did a mini-review of LOVEFiLM. A couple of things have changed since then, however:

1. LOVEFiLM's selection of games has vastly improved. Pretty much all new releases on current consoles are now available. Supply seems to be good, too. I've received popular titles like Crackdown, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror and God of War II as soon as I've put them to the top of my list. Even Grand Theft Auto IV only took a couple of tries.


2. Multiple lists are in operation. It's possible to have more than one rental list and specify which list your next rental is to be selected from. You could have lists for action films, comedy, TV series, etc, and closely manage what you get to watch. Personally, just being able to differentiate between games and films is all I need - it means I don't have to have a separate subscription with a games rental company any more.
   
   On my package, I can have three discs out on rental at once. I've got a list for games and a list for films. At the moment, I have two discs from the films list and one from the games list. If I send back a film, I get a film in return. If I send back a game, I get a game in return. A quick click on the website is all that's required, however, to make sure that the next time I return a film, I'll get a game back (or vice versa).

LOVEFiLM has always been a solid choice for DVD rental. Discs are sent out six days a week and turn-around time is speedy (although the end of Sunday collections by the Royal Mail is a real drag. If you watch a film on Saturday, you can't possibly get another one back before Wednesday now.) Customer service responds quickly to emails and deals with common problems effectively. (Geeky suggestions and queries may confuse them, though... (Don't ask.)) Prices are competitive, particularly if you sign up for six months at a time.

Combining this experience and competence with the new improvements means that LOVEFiLM is now also a serious consideration when looking for a games rental service. The choice of games is there and it's at last possible to guarantee the ratio of games to DVDs received, rather than just shoving games to the top of the queue and hoping.

Conclusion: Finally, a combined online DVD and game rental service which is both easy to use and at a reasonable price.

Pros:

• Very efficient.
• Good customer service.
• Decent price.
• Excellent DVD selection.
• Wide choice of games.
• Combined game/DVD packages offer great flexibility.

Cons:

• No GBA games.
• The usual online rental quibbles - you don't have exact control over what you're going to get and you're at the mercy of the Royal Mail.

Rating: 5/5.

(Also, check out my tips on how to get the most from online rental).

Conflict of interest warning!: Click through from the ad below and take up a free trial with LOVEFiLM and I'll earn some money, which doesn't make this an entirely disinterested review. On the flip side, however, LOVEFiLM is the rental service I use myself, the trial is free, so is this site, LOVEFiLM is actually good and I have overheads, you know. So don't complain too much. (You can always type the domain name into your browser just to spite me, if you really want.)

Labels: computer games, rental, service

 
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9:30 PM - Permanent Link - 3 comments - Post comment - Links to this post

  Frankie & Benny's children's meal

Price: £3.95 (service not included).

Age restriction: Available for children up to the age of 11.

Contents:

• Main course. Options available include: Margherita pizza, pasta, jacket potato or sausage and mash.
• Small bowl of vegetables or side salad (without dressing or onion).
• Dessert. (Ice-cream, fruit salad or banana & custard.)
• Unlimited soft drinks (including milk!).

A Junior Meal is also available for £6.25 with similar contents but larger portions and a more grown up selection of main courses.

The full menus are available online, complete with pictures.

Comments: I've been to plenty of restaurants where the kid's menu has pretty much been a choice between burger, sausage or chicken nuggets, all with chips and beans, and the waiter has sighed deeply when I've tried requesting three glasses of milk. I've felt tolerated rather than welcomed.

I was thus very pleased when we wandered into Franky & Benny's at the weekend and got the impression that they're actively trying to attract families with young children. The kid's meals have plenty of healthy options and the food is presented in such a way that children will actually eat it. For instance, the fruit salad was simply some large bits of chopped up fruit without sauce or slime. The portions were also remarkably large - the pizzas were thin but the size of an adult plate.

Each of our kids was given a fun pack containing an activity book, a magnetic jigsaw and an eleven-in-one crayon where different colours can be cycled through by pulling out the current tip and shoving it in the other end to propel the next colour into place. The crayons alone kept them busy until the food arrived.

The service was good - I didn't even have to ask for straws. The design of the restaurant itself wasn't great, however. The walls were decorated drably with old photos. The kitchen was open to view, which was all very well, but extremely noisy.

As far as I was concerned, the adult food was tasty. I'm not much of a foodie, though. In my first term at university, everyone else in my hall of residence lost weight because they couldn't stomach the catering. I put on a stone. Still, everyone in our group at Frankie & Benny's enjoyed their meal, while the kids ate well and were kept entertained. This made me happy.

Conclusion: From now on, if I have the kids with me, my vote is going to be for Frankie & Benny's every time.

Pros:

• Exceptional value.
• Excellent selection.
• Relatively healthy.
• Simple presentation.
• Free refills.
• It's like the whole concept was devised by someone with children or something freaky like that.

Cons:

• The high-chairs don't look fantastic.
• Decor is dull.
• Lots of background noise (but if your children have a tendency to scream embarrassingly, this might not be such a bad thing...)

Rating: 5/5.

Labels: service

 
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9:30 AM - Permanent Link - 0 comments - Post comment - Links to this post

  Rentokil Residential Pest Control (Mice)

Service: Guaranteed eradication of the infestation by a trained technician using techniques tailored to your situation. (Translation: a guy comes round and puts down some poison and then comes back a couple of times to check it's been eaten).

Price: £180. (Yeah, I know...)

Comments: I caught five mice in a week using standard, Tom & Jerry-style traps and there were more still scampering along the worktops and doing acrobatics down the stairs. Believing things to be out of hand, I phoned Rentokil and got them to deal with the problem. I'm not sure what I was expecting but, for £180, I was kind of hoping it would involve a little robot mouse with lipstick, a skirt and a cargo of TNT.

More fool me.

The guy who came out was friendly enough and gave some decent advice but then proceeded to put a dozen child-proof poison traps round the house. He gave the impression that this was what he always did. So much for tailored service. He came back a week later to check them and not one had been touched. He moved them around and came back after another week. They still hadn't been touched. This was apparently because I'd called him in too late and I'd obviously dealt with the problem myself. I pointed out that there were still mice about. He muttered that I'd already had three visits but agreed to come back after a fortnight. By then, the poison had been nibbled a bit and there'd been no sign of mice for a while.

After the fourth visit, he said he'd give me a call in a week or two to see how things were going. He didn't. A couple of months later, the mice came back. I just moved the poison around a little and they went away again.

Worth £180? Debatable.

The next step would have been sticky boards. The mice run on, they get stuck, someone hits them over the head with a trowel. Since the guy was only turning up once a week, I'm guessing that that someone would have been me. Lovely.


A poison trap. The Rentokil man's most impressive gadget was a metal stick with a hook on the end for reaching under cupboards to put these in place.

The best advice I got was to plug up cracks and gaps in the house with wire-wool (available in B&Q). If mice can get their head through a gap, then they can get the rest of themselves through. The ones I caught had heads about the size of an almond which means they could slip under doors and through pretty insignificant cracks. Knowing this, I seem to have been able to keep them off the worktops since. There's other information on the Rentokil website.

Thanks to everyone at HomeDad for tips as well.

Conclusion: Reassuring but expensive. Next time, I'll do it myself.

Pros:

• Guaranteed to make the problem go away.
• Useful advice.
• It's nice to know the problem's being dealt with by a professional, especially if you're squeamish.

Cons:

• How exactly can you be sure the problem's actually gone away?
• Expensive, unless you're at the stage where the mice are brazenly stealing electronics.
• You're better off doing the job yourself or maybe calling the council.
• Doesn't involve explosive robots, deadly lasers or the Kill-a-Tron 3000.
• May involve a trowel.

Rating: 2/5.

Labels: service

 
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9:30 AM - Permanent Link - 7 comments - Post comment - Links to this post

  Iceland Home Delivery

The problem

My household goes through fourteen litres of milk a week. That's approximately twenty-five pints. Which is four enormous plastic bottles. Which is a lot of milk - an entire buggyful of the stuff. Milk is heavy. We don't have a car. I don't want to have to go to the shops every day.

The solution

Iceland home delivery! If you spend over £25 in one go, they'll pack your shopping for you and cart the whole lot round to your house for free.

I've tried internet shopping but it did my head in trying to hunt down bargains while the kids rampaged around me. I was clicking all over the place. This way I can take them on an expedition, tire them out pushing the trolley and avoid RSI at the same time. Since Iceland is just round the corner, it's actually quicker than going online as well.

Sure, the choice of fresh food isn't vast but it's not like I have time to cook anyway. Iceland is better than almost anywhere for stocking the freezer and there's a decent selection of things like bread, tins, cereal, alcohol and biscuits. With all that dealt with, it's easy enough to nip somewhere else for the unusual things and little extras.

How it works

1. Go round the shop filling your trolley.
2. Take it to the checkout.
3. Assistants pack your shopping into plastic bags according to category (frozen, refrigerated or general groceries).
4. You pay for it and arrange a two hour delivery slot (nearly always the same day provided you shop before lunch, the van isn't broken and it's not December).
5. You go home.
6. The bags get labelled and then stored at the correct temperature.
7. Your shopping is brought to your door even if you live at the top of a tenement. (Although the driver will look happier if you don't).

The shopping gets manhandled a fair amount so I usually take easily crushed stuff home with me myself - eggs, fresh fruit, salad and yogurts. Everything else is fine.

Reliability

I have had well over two hundred deliveries and I can only think of about four occasions when the delivery slot was missed. Two of those occasions were only by a few minutes and the other two involved the delivery being cancelled and re-scheduled for the following day. I've had a bag of shopping go temporarily missing once and received a bag of someone else's shopping once. One time a bag full of jars split halfway up the tenement stairs. (The driver really didn't look happy). That's a pretty stonking success rate overall.

Pros

You get to choose your own shopping...
...but it gets delivered to the house...
...like magic!
Cheap.
Great choice of frozen food.

Cons

Limited (but adequate) choice of everything else.
Uses lots of plastic bags.
The bags have '...because Mums are heroes!' printed on them. (Grrr...)

Conclusion: Would struggle to live without it.

Rating: 5/5

Labels: service

 
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