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Saturday 8 November 2014

My Obituary to the iPod Classic

It was with great sadness that I learnt about the passing of the iPod Classic. This amazing product was quietly removed from sale at Apple and other retailers last month, shortly after the Apple October Event.



They have now become collectors items and are retailing on Ebay and Amazon from private sellers for £300-£400.

I for one will mourn its passing. The iPod classic has had good life, its been with us for about thirteen years, and it has revolutionised the way we listen to and even purchase music. Over this time the design has stayed much the same, the circular clicker being an iconic feature. Over the last couple of years, nothing much has changed with this iconic device, maybe the amount of memory has increased  and a colour screen has been added, but not much else. I wonder why bluetooth connectivity wasn't added, many sound docks allow connection in this way. To me it seems Apple have treated this device as a forgotten and embarrassing relative, and have now retired it.

Now for my little rant, I have  rather large music collection, and I've collected music since my early teens. I'm forty five now, so that's a lot of albums. The new generation devices produced by Apple don't really have enough storage for me, take my iPhone 8 GB storage, my music collection is 40GB, not really enough is it! Apparently there is an iPod touch with 64GB storage that may keep me going for a while but where then?

Personally I prefer a dedicated music player, I don't need the other features of an iPod touch, my iPad and phone cover those requirements, but thats me. Hopefully one day the ipod classic or stand alone music player will return.

So hopefully my current classic will keep going for a while and I won't have to ponder this scenario!




Wednesday 5 November 2014

November is Mouth Cancer Awareness Month




What is mouth cancer?



Mouth cancer is cancer that affects the lips, cheek, tongue and throat. 



Who can be affected by mouth cancer?

Mouth cancer can affect anyone, it is most common in people over 40, particularly men.

However, research has shown that mouth cancer is becoming more common in younger patients and women.

Do people die of mouth cancer?

Yes, on average over 1800 people die of mouth cancer in the UK each year. That’s about 6 people each day! Many of these deaths could be prevented if the cancer was caught at an early stage.

What are the signs of mouth cancer?

Mouth cancer can appear in different forms and can affect all parts of the mouth, tongue and lips.
Mouth cancer can appear as a painless mouth ulcer that does not heal normally. A white or red patch in the mouth can also develop into a cancer. It is really important to visit your dentist if these areas do not heal within three weeks.
What causes mouth cancer?

Most cases of mouth cancer are linked to alcohol and tobacco consumption. Regular smoking and drinking greatly increases your risk of getting mouth cancer. Over-exposure to sunlight can also increase the risk of cancer of the lips.
Many recent reports have linked mouth cancer to the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the major cause of cervical cancer and affects the skin that lines the moist areas of the body.

HPV can be spread through oral sex, and research now suggests that it could soon rival smoking and drinking as one of the main causes of mouth cancer.
For more information visit the mouth cancer action website

You can also get involved with the blue lip selfie campaign.




At every dental health check at the Spicer Road Dental Practice we carry a mouth cancer check. To book your dental health check visit our website here or contact our reception team on 01392 272408.