Friday 28 November 2008

PlayStation Home Beta & GO!VIEW on PSP

Black Friday is not short of surprises! Not only have I received an exclusive invitation to join the PlayStation Home Beta (PlayStation Home is a 3D, interactive, evolving service, exclusive to PS3™). But, a PSP Slim & Lite has arrived!

Kings of Portables

Looking forward to exploring PlayStation Home and reviewing GO!VIEW on PSP during December. Incidentally, I'll be comparing and contrasting the PSP Slim & Lite against the iPod touch to see which (if any) is the new king of portables!

Wednesday 26 November 2008

Black Friday or VAT Monday?

Mark your calendars. And start your research now by browsing my shops to find iPod, PSP, and Blu-ray gifts for everyone on your holiday shopping list.

Unlike bricks-and-mortar, my online stores are open 24/7:

Apple Shop
Blu-ray Shop
Bratz Shop
DS Lite Shop
PlayStation Shop
Wii Shop
Xbox 360 Shop

Buy gadgets, toys, computer and video game hardware, software, and accessories under one roof and be assured of excellent order fulfilment (provided by Amazon). At the same time you're supporting my blogging at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you.

Monday 24 November 2008

Download Darkville on iTunes

"Within the depths of insanity, a castle composed of intricate illusion. Within its grounds there lived an alien hero, forgotten in the chaos of madness and confusion..." - Darkville

Darkville (iTunes) was inspired by the works of Tim Burton with the intention of being developed as a unique multimedia intellectual property (IP) - traversing comic books, film, music, toys and more!

However, Darkville, due to innumerable reasons, did not progress much beyond what you see here! The creative ideas it spawned bled through into December Duet (iTunes)...

This teaser trailer formed part of my A-Level Media Studies showreel at Exeter College.

The incidental music was composed and performed by Michael Williams and myself! The poem was written by me and performed by Michael Williams!

Subscribe to my podcast in iTunes and download it directly onto your iPhone and iPod touch (requires software update 2.2 or later)!

Thursday 20 November 2008

Wii Speak

December sees the launch of Nintendo's Wii Speak peripheral, which coincides with the release of Animal Crossing: Let's Go To The City!

Wii Speak is a microphone accessory for Nintendo's Wii video game console. Connected to the console via USB, the device can be placed near the video display, allowing voice chat to be conducted with the entire room. The device features an LED to indicate when the microphone is active.

According to Miyamoto, the microphone is designed to "clearly capture many different voices being spoken in a room at the same time and convey that over the Internet." Addressing concerns over background noise due to the placement of the microphone near a television set, Animal Crossing: Let's Go To The City producer Katsuya Eguchi states that the device is designed to filter out video game sound from the audio speakers. Miyamoto notes that the quality of the noise filtering functionality in the Wii Speak is "very good", which may be contributing to the cost of the device. In an IGN product interview, the microphone was rated excellent.

You can purchase Animal Crossing: Let's Go To The City with Wii Speak!

Tuesday 18 November 2008

Ray Harryhausen signing at Forbidden Planet

Forbidden Planet is pleased to announce that Ray Harryhausen and his co-author Tony Dalton will be signing A Century of Model Animation at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR, on Saturday 22nd November 2008.

Inspired at 13 years old by seeing King Kong, Ray knew his future lay in special effects. Following on from his mentor Willis O'Brien, creator of Kong, Ray took the art of stop-motion animation one step further, weaving his magic on every concept from dinosaur to alien. Probably the single best-known name in special effects, Ray Harryhausen is both visionary and artist and has written two previous and very successful books on the subject.

A Century of Model Animation traces the history of the genre from its earliest days, through movies like Jurassic Park right up to Aardman Animation. Readers receive a fascinating insight into the patience and ingenuity of the animators, discover the development and refinement of the technology, and are treated to tantalising glimpses of the many abandoned projects. Lavishly illustrated with stills, this is the ultimate glossy guide to the special effects industry.

Forbidden Planet is the largest store of its kind in the world. Some of the biggest names in Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comics and Cult Entertainment have come to our London Megastore for signing events, including: Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Simon Pegg, William Gibson, Mark Millar, Guillermo Del Toro, Brian Froud and Stephen King.

For more news about signings, please go to: http://www.forbiddenplanet.com/Signings.html

Monday 17 November 2008

Subscribe by RSS (it's free you know)

If you subscribe to this blog by RSS, please make sure you update the RSS feed to the new address - I have implemented 30 day redirection! If you're not already a subscriber, subscribing won't cost you a thing and you'll never miss another blog post again! I even include my Flickr photostream and podcasts too!



Although you can subscribe to this blog using feed readers such as Google Reader, My Yahoo! or Newsgator. Why not subscribe by email or Mac OS X Dashboard Widget?

Sunday 16 November 2008

Scoop: Star Wars Holiday Special

Canson sent over the following press release, which I'm sure Star Wars fans will want to read!

Monday, November 17th will be the 30th Anniversary of the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. To commemorate this auspicious day, RiffTrax will be featuring their Riff of the Holiday Special, along with their other Star Wars work.

RiffTrax is the internet continuation of the cult-hit TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000. At the end of the show's television run, star Mike Nelson and his comedic cohorts (Satellite of Love partners Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot) reunited to 'riff' (comedic commentary made during a film) the latest and greatest Hollywood blockbusters and duds, including most of the Star Wars lexicon (Episodes I-II-III). This is accomplished through the release of MP3 tracks (the RiffTrax) that synchronize with the playback of a given film to reproduce the MST3K experience. We've also developed a free software player that makes synchronization effortless. True to MST3K form, these riffs add endless hilarity and value to even the worst of films. Put another way, we're so bad it's good.

The Holiday Special can be currently found here, with a preview clip available on YouTube.

If you're interested in our other Star Wars stuff, see below:

Episode I
http://www.rifftrax.com/rifftrax/star-wars-episode-i-phantom-menace

Episode II
http://www.rifftrax.com/rifftrax/star-wars-episode-ii-attack-clones

Episode III
http://www.rifftrax.com/rifftrax/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-sith

Don't let people forget about Life Day, celebrate with us!

Tuesday 11 November 2008

Simplify Digital

Last night's edition of The Gadget Show featured Jon Bentley's guide to the best broadband deals on the market! The presenter suggested using Simplify Digital (The UK's leading digital TV, broadband and home phone comparison service. Free and impartial consultation accredited by Ofcom).

During The Gadget Show I tweeted that I was about to contact Virgin Media cancellations and investigate switching to an O2 or sky broadband package! Simplify Digital (Twitter link) followed me and sent a most helpful follow-up DM!

I was so impressed with Simplify Digital's friendly advice, that it was my duty to inform readers of this excellent service. You may wish to subscribe to the Simplify Digital Blog!

Again, Twitter proves itself invaluable.

Now, back to calling Virgin Media in the hopes of negotiating a faster broadband connection at no extra cost!

You should follow me on twitter here.

Wednesday 5 November 2008

Lise Mhyre signing at Forbidden Planet



Forbidden Planet is pleased to announce that Lise Mhyre will be signing Nemi Volume 2 at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR, on Thursday 13th November 2008.

Lise Myhre is the artist and writer of the Metro’s savvy cartoon-strip Nemi, named after the famous Italian lake and Inigo Montoya, a character in Myhre’s favourite film, The Princess Bride. She also designs CD covers and clothing and illustrates books. She lives in her native Norway.

Featuring an exclusive introduction by singer-songwriter Tori Amos, this brand new hardback collection gathers together some of the hilarious highs of the Nemi strip. Hang out with Nemi and her mates, including her best friend, the blue-haired Cyan, as they deal with love, friendship, inebriation, sex…and the other really important things in life!

Forbidden Planet is the largest store of its kind in the world. Some of the biggest names in Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comics and Cult Entertainment have come to our London Megastore for signing events, including: Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Simon Pegg, William Gibson, Mark Millar, Guillermo Del Toro, Brian Froud and Stephen King.

For more news about signings, please go to: http://www.forbiddenplanet.com/Signings.html

Monday 3 November 2008

Album Review: Girls Aloud - Out of Control



A deluge of artists are releasing albums annually! Sugababes, Britney and Girls Aloud! There are no signs of quality control issues with these prolific pop stars!

"The Promise" opens Out of Control with aplomb and benefits from an extended mix. "The Loving Kind" evokes the electro-pop brilliance of the Pet Shop Boys; whom collaborate on the sensational "Love Is Pain"! "Turn to Stone" is a synthesised tour de force that Gary Numan would be proud of!

This is the band's fifth studio album. There's a melancholia that punctuates Out of Control and it's all the better for it! Critics may argue that Out of Control can't match Chemistry or Tangled Up for sheer experimentation! Indeed the production, at times, is akin to a Tangled Up mashup! However, I'd suggest that no other band, in recent times, in any genre, is as eclectic, or adventurous, as Girls Aloud!

Girls Aloud is a manufactured band that has transcended its origins and produced some of the best music of the last decade! Out of Control crystallises that enviable reputation.

**** out of *****

Girls Aloud release Tangled Up Live from the O2 (Blu-ray) this month!

Sunday 2 November 2008

Britney's Circus is Coming to Town

Billed as one of the all-time comeback pop albums, and accorded the pomp and circumstance of Michael Jackson's Dangerous (1991), Britney's Circus, the follow-up to last year's stunning Blackout (2007), comes to town this upcoming holiday season.



The complete track listing:

1. "Womanizer"
2. "Circus"
3. "Out from Under"
4. "Kill the Lights"
5. "Shattered Glass"
6. "If U Seek Amy"
7. "Unusual You"
8. "Blur"
9. "Mmm Papi"
10. "Mannequin"
11. "Lace and Leather"
12. "My Baby"
Bonus track
13. "Radar"
Additional bonus tracks for international release
14. "Rock Me In"
15. "Phonography"

"Womanizer" was one of the first music videos I downloaded, from iTunes, onto my iPod touch 32GB! The single failed to impress me upon first listen! However, the promo video changed that and "Womanizer" is a contender for pop single of the year along with The Saturdays' "Up" and Girls Aloud's "Promise"!

Zomba Label Group has revealed that Circus' title track will be the next single released to whet your appetite for the main event. I'll be reviewing the album soon.

Saturday 1 November 2008

Tank Girl at Forbidden Planet

Danie Ware, one of my awesome Twitter peeps and social media marketing guru par excellence for Forbidden Planet, sent over the following press release, which I wanted to share with readers.



Forbidden Planet is pleased to announce a signing with Alan Martin and Rufus Dayglo. They will be signing The Cream Of Tank Girl and Visions Of Booga at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR, on Saturday 8th November 1-2pm

The Cream Of Tank Girl: Alan Martin and artist Jamie Hewlett created Tank Girl in 1988 for Deadline magazine. Their anarchic heroine is now a cult icon which has produced 41 strips, 8 monthly comics, 6 graphic novels, one prose novel, and a Hollywood movie! Now, from the depths of the outback she sits astride her fabulous tank to celebrate her 20th anniversary with this hardback, collectors edition of everything Tank Girl. It also includes unseen art-work and exclusive new commentary.

Visions Of Booga: Hot British artist Rufus Dayglo joins Alan Martin for a riotous new tale about Tank Girl. Following a bungled train heist and a shoot out in an outback petrol station, Tank Girl and Booga (the kangaroo) go on the run with the only copy of the great lost ‘Book of Hipster Gold’, which just happens to hold the secret to ending all wars and suffering. With Mafia dons, henchmen, a crooked cop and half the Australian constabulary hot on their tails, it’s one long frenzied chase to the sanctuary of Booga’s long-lost little brother’s vast business empire – and maybe world peace.

Forbidden Planet is the largest store of its kind in the world. Some of the biggest names in Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comics and Cult Entertainment have come to our London Megastore for signing events, including: Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Simon Pegg, William Gibson, Mark Millar, Guillermo Del Toro, Brian Froud and Stephen King.

For more news about our signings please go to: http://www.forbiddenplanet.com/Signings.html