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" You know they are downloading and they are downloading a lot of data and where from but not actually what it is." HADOPI is capable of pinging individuals in their homes. If you query them as to what they thought you were doing they can tell you the time, date and the actual content " ie name of the film" you were illegally downloading.

Before you go to Windows 8, if you can, try Windows 7 Ultimate. I had the same problem with Vista and an Epson Printer. Upgraded to the Ultimate version and the problem went away. If you know someone with Ultimate already installed on their computer they may let you try to install.

Yes and HADAPI do monitor you and do send you a letter if they ping you! HMA, .NZBs and Sickbeard, thats the way to go!

The UK is not much better. Bought an UK Orange SIM card for my UK phone for a visit to the UK in May. Tried to create an online account but Orange did not recognise the phone number, despite them sending me texts to that phone number here in France. Numerous calls to help lines reveals its an ongoing problem and is beyond their ability to solve! Gave my credit card details to the Orange help line to get phone credit. Never arrived. Tried the Orange helpers on Facebook, same story. Credit card never debited (thank goodness). Orange solution was to ring 950 on my card to add credit. Cannot do that from France as insufficient credit on phone! Yet they continue to sell the cards.

I am on our local council and have seen through from beginning to end the installation of the new sewer system during the past 5 years. There was no EU money. Certain French Government grants were available, but we had to apply for them. We took out a 30 year loan for the balance which has to be paid back. Only the 80 houses in the village have to connect (500 for the right to connect, plus the work necessary to connect from the house etc). There is a standing charge of 80 per year, plus the increased water charges for those connected. I did ask what would happen if people reduced their water consumption as the cost increases (we have halved ours!). The answer was we will just increase the cubic meter cost, which we are doing year on year as people do reduce. So only the people who use the facility actually pay for it. Enforcing the SPANC for lower income is through a water board funded 60% grant. All council meetings are "open" and the minutes are available at the Mayors Office, so the locals can find out what is happening or planning to happen in their village.

http://www.thelocal.fr/page/view/breasts-better-off-without-bras-french-study#.UXztdYlBuUk Though what tool he used to do the measurements is not fully explained.

Another method if you do get a PAYG French data plan is to use a phone as a WiFi hot spot, if you get a good 3G /H signal at the house. This turns my Android phone into a wifi router and my HP Touchpad then locks onto the WiFi as normal without the need for cables. Used it on a campsite in Bordeaux where they wanted 3 euros a day to use their wifi. Worked fine for surfing/checking emails etc

For what its worth, have been involved in two blocked toilet issues that had nothing to do with the pipes. One, in a holiday home, was caused by the plastic clip from a toilet cleaning block that was trapped in the actual toilet bowl, round the bend. Rodding pushed the paper etc clear, but left the plastic clip. The second was caused by a chap who drained his cat food over the toilet. A tin lid fell in (!) and when he flushed it away it also lodged in the the back of the toilet. It operated as a "flap valve", sometimes wide open, somtimes half shut. When rodding the toilet, the bendy spring went either side of the "hinged" lid. Both problems were solved by actually removing the toilet bowl and manually removing the obstruction.

I got back into bikes about 3 years ago here in France, after a few years away. They also classed me as a "young driver" (despite me passing my test in the last century!) because I had no bike insurance history here. I ended up moving my car insurances to the same insurance company, They then did a better deal, you could try this. I pay about 280 for a TDM 900 fully comp, which I think is more expensive than in the UK.

Does a Gopro stuck on sticky thing painted silver a, keep the Gendarmes happy? b. destroy the integrity of my helmet safety?

http://www.opinion-assurances.fr/lire/amaguiz.html might interest you, I have no personal experience.

Bought a GoPro to strap to my self and my motorbike. It films at 120 fps, so tried some slo mo of the birds feeding at our window feeder. I know its not a photograph, but the pictures are pretty good considering the size of the camera. Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLckj3fBfIo&feature=youtu.be

I think, Cendrillon, you have hit the nail on the head here. Buy the real stuff, eat less of it and you kill two birds with one stone, the need to contaminate to keep the price down, and obesity!

As reported in the Independent, some of the horse meat may actually be Donkey. We are only told there is horse meat in the beef because that is what they are testing for. What else is there in the "meat" that they are not testing for. 100% beef only means that it comes from a cow, not necessarily muscle. MRM meat in sausages in the UK was cleaned from the bones of animals using high pressure water jet, then squeezed into that pink stuff in sausages. If they reduced the prices by half, people would still happily buy the products. They certainly cleaned the shelves of beef in Portsmouth when they reduced the price during the BSE scare! All the majority of people care about is getting stuff as cheaply as possible, otherwise they would not be buying the stuff in the first place (IMO).

We have lived in our current house in a village in Normandy for over 16 years. One of our two sons has just started University here, the second one is not far behind so a life style change beckons. Our jobs in the UK had us moving every two to three years, so this is the longest either of us have lived in one place since childhood. We have visited Bordeaux a couple of times, and are considering selling our house here and moving to an apartment in Bordeaux. We do rent out a flat we own in St Malo, so are familiar with the Syndics, charges, etc but ( and this is the rub) have only lived in it for 2 weeks whilst we renovated it. Neither of us has lived full time in an apartment block, but square meters for euros, a city apartment in Bordeaux is quite a bit less expensive than an equivalent surface area house. We worked and lived in London and hanker somewhat for the city life again. The ability to walk/tram/bus for day/night entertainment again is an attractive option. Is there anyone out there living in an apartment in Bordeaux that could offer an input?

Its great to have a robust discussion without descending into abuse and aggression. Thank you. I know what you mean about the French. When I was at sea in SMs, the sound shack said they could hear their SNLEs without using headsets! Apologies to the OP for going so far off topic!

Nowhere in either of my posts do I advocate NOT using a computer or information input device of any sort. I do point out that, with everything we do in life, there should be an assessment of risk over benefit. I also said that I had come across the quote in a specific book, not the era in which the original quote was made. The luddite comment I should perhaps point out, was meant as a joke. I fully embrace modern technology in many forms. I assemble computers and have repaired and helped several French families in our village with their computer problems. My wife tracks me on my phone when I go on motorbike tours, with live feed to this computer. I am aware of the risks and benefits and feel I have made a realistic assessment of the benefits it brings me against the risks. Many people don't/cannot. I have been to official presentations here with video projectors run off official computers and you can clearly see the Emule/Bittorrent icons and the folders for music and films on the home screen! I get official emails from the French Defense ministry which shows all the email addresses of the 75 odd people they have sent it to. I stand by my initial point that if you want 100% security then don't use a computer. If you want to use a computer, be aware of the risks, just like driving a car, taking a bus, jumping out of an airplane without a parachute etc...

[quote user="Quillan"] It is basically a silly statement (not you reading the book I mean) because nearly everything you use these days has some form of computer in it from a lift to a cooker and a washing machine. [/quote] We are all entitled to an opinion, silly or not and I would argue that yours just reinforces my point.  The signature is, to me, a  meditation on risk versus benefit.  It is an idea that we will never be fully secure. If you want to be fully secure, live by Morris's Three Golden Rules.  If not you must accept that you can never be fully  secure and tailor your life accordingly. I think it was the head of Mossad who said a few weeks ago, if man has made it, we can get inside it. Anyway, perhaps I am a luddite, the only thing that is attached to our cooker is my wife (or me if it needs cleaning!)

Came across this in a brilliant book I am reading by Daniel Suarez, though he did not coin it. Am using it as my signature!

Crikey! Are they running the NASA Space Programme? [:-))]

Interesting discussion. Our house is split into two, each about 120 m2. We live in the upstairs part. Heating is oil for 2 hours in the morning, then generally wood. Gas hob; electric oven/MWave, small A++ freezer and an A+ fridge. Water heating for one 200 litre and one 50 litre containers is electric. We have back up electric heating which the 2 boys use in their rooms when home. Several computers often all on, two with 500w transformers. From the EDF site, we used Dec 2011 to Dec 2012 7,311KWHs, most of that goes, I think, in heating the water tanks. Bills are received every 2 month, I put the readings direct on the EDF site and get an estimate of the bill within a day by email. These are still treated as "estimates" till the man (or lady) comes into the house to read the meter twice a year. That puts me in the middle of your range, but we have virtually no direct electric heating. All the bulbs are low energy and, being a Yorkshire man, usage of anything that costs money is rationed!! If you can see where its being wasted, let me know.

Cannot pass up the chance to join in on this, if its allowed! Cdiscount, great when they work. I am currently trying to take them to the courts through my Juridique Protection Insurance. Even they said that getting your money out of them is tough. The other group I would never touch again is Gross Bill. It cost me more to phone their "help" line than the defective goods were worth. Amazon are great (so far!)

Can I also suggest you look in the Forum under "Finding/Owning French Property" SPANC query. I put some info in here that may help with the funding aspect, depending on your area.

There is the usual haze of confusion over the SPANC money as, is usual, each area seems to make up its own rules. Here, there is no cap on the funds available (I have been told) and its the Syndic that is arranging all the works by competitive tender, not grants As the owner, you have nothing to pay until the work is done., and then only 40% if you accept their scheme. If I understand the rules correctly, everyone was expected to conform by end 2012, they won't even start work on this scheme until mid 2013! We helped people sell a house here that just had a hole in the garden as a fosse. As you say, they just reduced the price of the house to reflect this. The Notaire did not prevent the sale.

I am also on our local council in a canton in Normandy. I know in our area, if you have a Point Noir report for your SPANC report there is a very strong possibility that you will get a grant of up to 60% of the installation costs. I know this for a fact in our area as I took some Brits to the Syndic D'eau and sat down with them and the official responsible and filled in the paperwork. There are contditions; You have to sign to say you will accept an "etude" by an organisation nominated by the Syndic (250 - 300 Euros). Once the Syndic have got the tenders in for all the work to be done in the commune, you will be told how much the work will be. If you accept their quote, minus the 60%, then the initial inspection is also discounted by 60%. If you elect to have the work done by someone else, then you pay the full inspection charges, and do not get the 60% discount! I have been chasing this for 2 years, everyone has a different story, even our Mayor's office sent someone in the wrong direction. So if you have a "Black Spot" report, its well worth checking with your Syndic D'Eau office if there is a similar scheme in your area. As previous posts have said, a vast percentage of the local population cannot afford to fund the full installation costs.