Mutter Bundle #21: G for Glasgow, g for giffgaff, G for Green Mile
24 Jul 2025 07:55
Glasgow, Scotland.
29 Jul 2025 11:48
Uineer Bluetooth Mouse,[Upgraded] Multi-Device Wireless Mouse. First Impressions.
My rating: 5/5
As far as wireless mice under £20 go, my first impressions of this little beast were that paying £15.29 felt like daylight robbery, except I was the one getting away with it this time. I mean, it has a surprisingly comfy feel, the sensitivity is spot on (there's also a DPI toggle button right on top), and the scroll wheel and button responsiveness are just perfectly on point.
Thrown in are a couple of cute little gimmicks, like a battery indicator on top (though the fact that the battery is internal and non-replaceable is somewhat of a letdown, but hey, £15.29, remember?), plus two side buttons that mimic back and forward actions when browsing. Importantly, the mouse connects directly via Bluetooth, no dongle needed, but if you prefer using a dongle, it comes with one too.
So, yeah, methinks this mouse was indeed a pretty solid catch.
Meow.
Buy on https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DCVMN51Z.
02 Aug 2025 13:53
My giffgaff Community post (https://community.giffgaff.com/d/34375637-our-new-travel-data-add-ons-are-now-live/130) in which I compare new giffgaff travel data add-ons to similar offerings from Airalo, one of many travel eSIM providers.
Considering there’s no calls-and-texts allowance included, these add-ons directly compete against the various travel eSIMs that are now plentiful on the market.
Let’s see how they stack up. To save myself the faff of trawling through the whole maaaassive travel eSIM market jungle and its endless offerings, I’m just going to use Airalo as my benchmark.
So here we are:
(1) Switzerland
giffgaff – 1GB for £15, 5GB for £30, 10GB for £45.
Airalo (30 days – https://www.airalo.com/switzerland-esim) – 3GB for £8, 5GB for £11.15, 10GB for £18.50, 20GB for £29.50.
Clear winner: Airalo.
(2) China
giffgaff – 1GB for £15, 5GB for £30, 10GB for £45.
Airalo (30 days – https://www.airalo.com/china-esim) – 3GB for £9, 5GB for £12, 10GB for £20.50, 20GB for £31.
Clear winner: Airalo.
(3) Türkiye (Turkey)
giffgaff – 1GB for £6, 5GB for £12, 10GB for £18.
Airalo (30 days – https://www.airalo.com/turkey-esim) – 3GB for £5, 5GB for £8, 10GB for £12, 20GB for £17.50.
Clear winner: Airalo, with one caveat. Several articles (https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/turkeys-esim-ban-how-new-restrictions-are-impacting-travelers-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/, https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/travel/foreign-office-issues-warning-anyone-32158259, etc.) report that Turkey has apparently introduced restrictions, or even bans, on certain travel eSIM providers. For the sake of a quiet life, roaming via a “proper” UK provider like giffgaff is probably a safer bet. And given giffgaff’s prices here are not dramatically higher than Airalo’s, I’d probably play it safe and choose giffgaff in this case.
(4) USA
giffgaff – 1GB for £6, 5GB for £12, 10GB for £18.
Airalo (30 days – https://www.airalo.com/united-states-esim) – 3GB for £8.50, 5GB for £12.50, 10GB for £20, 20GB for £32.50.
Comparing like-for-like, giffgaff takes this one.
Summary:
giffgaff’s roaming data add-ons are fairly competitive for the USA and even Turkey (given the whole travel eSIM malarkey there). Unfortunately, for Switzerland or China, they frankly look a bit like daylight robbery compared to Airalo.
Ideally, you’d expect a full roaming add-on from your mobile provider (calls, texts, and data) as that would, in my view, be the real selling point when deciding whether to stick with your provider’s add-on or opt for a travel eSIM instead.
02 Aug 2025 22:01
Glasgow, Scotland.
12 Aug 2025 10:25
There’s this odd, darkly comic irony in finding myself here. A feeling that’s hard to pin down, as though I am willingly signing myself in for the Green Mile. “Yes, sir, your condemned prisoner so-and-so, reporting as ordered.” I know, I know, perhaps I’m being a touch melodramatic and exaggerative, and that metaphorical final Green Mile walk of mine is still far off. I suppose it’s simply that the whole thing is still keeping me unsettled and reflective, wrapped in a kind of dreamlike unreality.
