As I have been getting to know my Squeezebox, I have also set up accounts on Live 365 and Last.fm. The first is an Internet Radio service, in which DJs, amateur and professional, in the USA (licence and copyright rules restrict broadcasting to here) can set up playlists for webcasting. I’ve found a number of interesting stations, including Classic Church Music, which has a good playlist for Lent and Holy Week. It set me thinking that I had a lot of music on iTunes that might be hidden away, so I set off exploring and creating my own Lenten playlist. It’s been a good exercise to remind me of many tracks that I had forgotten about; I then set the playlist to random/scramble, and can play it on the Squeezebox (often to send me to sleep!) or via computer.
This playlist can also scrobble, or submit what’s been played to Last.fm, which aims to build up my listening habits and statistics, recommend similar new music and do some basic social networking should I wish it. It will also make a record of recently played tracks- see above- so the world can see what’s in my Lenten playlist- I’ve yet to get it to scrobble my iPod, but I’m sure there is a way!

As I had to head towards Coventry to exchange a faulty hard drive at PC World and experience their famous ‘Customer Service’ (or rather lack of it!), I took the chance to visit the new IKEA store in the heart of the city, next to the SkyDome, the Swedish company’s first ever city centre store. It opened in December, but I hadn’t had the chance to visit before today, and it made a rather shorter journey than to the previously nearest store, near Nottingham.
From its own parking, large lifts take you up to the showroom level to walk the winding route through the room displays and furniture section. The floor below is the marketplace, with smaller items to pick up and buy, before a three level flat escalator- magnetic so the trollies stick to it like glue- takes you down to the furniture collection hall and payment desks, from where a lift takes you back quickly to the car park. I came away with some cutlery, a tray, and an anglepoise lamp- though their room planning software looks useful.