Wednesday 16 October 2013

NOW TV Box bundles available in-store for Christmas



Since the summer I've been evangelising the merits of owning a NOW TV Box to family and friends. I own two, myself.

From today consumers can purchase the NOW TV Box online and in-store from Argos, Currys and PC World, with John Lewis to follow. These include a range of bundled passes for Sky Movies and Sky Sports.

You'll be able to buy a NOW TV Box with a 24-hour Sky Sports Day Pass for £15 or you can opt for a bundled 3 month Sky Movies Pass for £25 - a saving of between £5 and £10 respectively.

“The NOW TV Box lets customers instantly transform their regular TV into a Smart TV and these brand new bundles make it even easier for people to access great live sport and the biggest and best movies on their main TV,” said Gidon Katz, Director of NOW TV. “With Christmas just around the corner, we believe that the NOW TV Box will be this year’s ultimate stocking filler.”

An in-store presence is an inspired move by Sky and steals a march on its rivals Netflix and LOVEFiLM.

You can read my five star review here.

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Star Wars: Tiny Death Star launches first in Oz



Disney has begun rolling out its first Star Wars game since acquiring Lucasfilm.

Tiny Death Star, by Tiny Tower developer Nimblebit, is available for Android and iOS devices in Australia. The game is similar to Tiny Tower in that you must earn coins (free-to-play with divisive, but optional, in-app purchases) in order to construct your very own Death Star as Darth Vader.

Hopefully it won't be too long before Tiny Death Star is launched internationally.

Wednesday 9 October 2013

Sony announces four official PS4 bundles for the UK



That's some sweet box art!

Sony has announced four official bundles for its upcoming PS4 console launch in the UK.

The first bundle is a basic package containing a PS4 and a DualShock 4 controller for £349.

The second and third bundles includes Killzone: Shadow Fall or Watch Dogs for £399.

The fourth bundle (pictured) includes two controllers, a copy of Killzone: Shadow Fall and a PlayStation Camera for £449. Sony previously stated the 'Mega Bundle' would match the Xbox One price of £429.

These are in addition to bespoke retailer bundles.

The PS4 will be released in the UK on November 29 and you can pre-order here.

Wednesday 2 October 2013

JJ Abrams apologizes for using lens flares



In an interview with Crave Online, director JJ Abrams admits his use of lens flare has become a problem.

"I know I get a lot of grief for that," Abrams said. "But I'll tell you, there are times when I'm working on a shot, I think, 'Oh this would be really cool ... with a lens flare.' But I know it's too much, and I apologize. I'm so aware of it now. I was showing my wife an early cut of 'Star Trek Into Darkness' and there was this one scene where she was literally like, 'I just can't see what's going on. I don't understand what that is.' I was like, 'Yeah, I went too nuts on this.'"

At one stage ILM had to remove lens flare from footage.

"This is how stupid it was," J.J. Abrams added. "I actually had to use ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) to remove lens flare in a couple of shots, which is, I know, moronic. But I think admitting you're an addict is the first step towards recovery."

Perhaps Abrams will take a more nuanced approach to the use of lens flare in Star Wars? Reserving it for the clash of lightsabers!

Tuesday 1 October 2013

Star Wars Reads Day II



This Saturday marks the second annual Star Wars Reads Day!

Thousands of young Jedis, as well as their parents, will celebrate the thrill of reading with Star Wars-related events and activities. To find or set up an event visit Star Wars Reads.

Last year more than 1,200 Star Wars Reads Day events took place across America. Ashley Eckstein (The Clone Wars) was interviewed by Geeks are Sexy.

If you're attending an event, please take a photo/video and send it over! Thanks.