"Sontar-Ha!"

It's May 1st and I need to select a winner for the mimico-sponsored 'give-away' competition! There can only be 1 mimobot Boba Fett winner! The tension is mounting, but I'll announce the winner on May 4th!

Missed out? Don't worry! I'll be running further 'give-away' contests throughout the spring and summer! Fancy winning a copy of AVPR: Aliens Vs Predator - Requiem on DVD? Then enter this competition over at horrorshare.co.uk (unless otherwise stated, I accept no responsibility for the content of any other web site, including any site which may link to or from this site).

The month of May heralds the fourth anniversary of my blogging career! And I can't think of a more auspicious way to mark this milestone than with the most recent Google PageRank algorithm update! This blog is now the beneficiary of a PR5! Absolutely awesome.

Did you enjoy Saturday's Sontaran yarn? It was good fun, and most humorous to see the diminutive potato-headed clones back in full force! The tech noir trappings of The Sontaran Stratagem were most becoming! Can't wait for the action figures!

Temposhark 'give-away' competition

Temposhark are an English electronic rock band, formed in London by singer and songwriter Robert Diament with programmer Luke Busby. Temposhark are best known for their songs Joy, It’s Better To Have Loved and Not That Big, a duet with singer Imogen Heap, which features on their 2008 debut album The Invisible Line.

Here's what the press has to say about Temposhark:

“The excellent Temposhark have been causing a stir with their gritty synth lyrics in electrotrashy nights across town. Ace newcomers.” – Time Out London

“The Invisible Line fades back and forth between interesting and extraordinary.”
– Rhadish.com / The Y! Radish

“Hipsters will be sinking their teeth into UK electronic act Temposhark.” – Next

“The group delivers its material with precision and passion and Diament's crystal clear voice effortlessly segues from a pleading quiver to an angry snarl” – Textura

A torrent of accolades has rained down on Temposhark's new album The Invisible Line:

- Came in at #16 most added on CMJ’s in their first week
- Debuted in their second week at #172 on CMJ’s Top 200
- Got 7 out of 10 stars in an NME review “…they could be your favorite band” – NME
- Hit number 20 on iTunes top 100 electronic albums
- Had prominent placement in it’s first week of release on iTunes, Zune, MSN, Spinner, Rhapsody, Napster, Walmart (I know, they aren’t so cool, but…) and InSound.

Robert from Temposhark was invited by iTunes USA to create his very own 'artist playlist', 18 of his favourite songs that have inspired him including artists like Tori Amos, The Cardigans, Pet Shop Boys and Kate Bush. Check it out now to find out more about the artists that influenced the Temposhark sound.

On April 16th Temposhark embarked on a US tour! To celebrate this momentous event I'm running another 'give-away' contest that includes t-shirts, stickers, buttons, and albums!

To enter for a chance of winning these really cool prizes, please leave a comment on this post. The competition closes May 31st 2008 and 5 winners will be randomly selected by me. My decision will be final! Good luck.

Special thanks to Two Sheps That Pass for supplying the competition prizes.

You can buy The Invisible Line from iTunes, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com today.

For further information:

www.temposhark.com
www.myspace.com/temposhark
www.bebo.com/Temposhark
www.last.fm/music/Temposhark
“Crime” (download link)

If you enjoyed reading this post subscribe by RSS! I'll be running further 'give-away' contests throughout the spring and summer.

PLAYSTATION®Home opens in the Fall

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF CLOSED BETA TESTING FOR PLAYSTATION®HOME IN SUMMER 2008

Opening Of The Service Scheduled For Fall 2008

Tokyo, April 22, 2008 – Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) announced today that it will expand the Closed Beta testing for PLAYSTATION®Home in Summer 2008, inviting a further number of registrants from the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3®) users. Following completion of the Expanded Closed Beta test, the PLAYSTATION Home Open Beta service will commence in Fall 2008.

“We understand that we are asking PS3 and prospective PS3 users to wait a bit longer, but we have come to the conclusion that we need more time to refine the service to ensure a more focused gaming entertainment experience than what it is today,” said Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “Our overarching objective is to provide users with new gaming experiences that are available only on PLAYSTATION Home. Spending more time on the development and on the Closed Beta testing reaffirms our commitment to bringing a quality service, maintaining the PlayStation® tradition.”

The PLAYSTATION Home Open Beta service that will become available in Fall 2008 will be built around providing new and fun community gaming experiences, such as connecting PlayStation games with Home and providing places and items from the games.

Details of the Closed Beta testing features, registration for the test and the opening of the service will be announced as they become available.

E=MC² is a formula for single success

The sequel to Mariah Carey's multi-platinum album The Emancipation of Mimi, E=MC², may become the diva's most successful release to date!

Mariah Carey's 11th studio album is front-loaded with a dazzling array of potential singles and not at the expense of musical integrity! Following the coy Touch My Body, I'm That Chick is a cool cut that borrows heavily from '70s disco and even goes as far as directly quoting from the zenith of the era - Michael Jackson's celebrated Off The Wall album! Mariah's introspective dissertation on her failed marriage to Tommy Mottola, Side Effects, is another standout and evokes the paranoia of Michael Jackson's best material! For the Record is mesmeric, replete with Mariah's trademark vocal pyrotechnics.

E=MC² closes with I Wish You Well. With its haunting gospel overtones, the song sounds incongruous against what has proceeded it! That said, it's a beautiful and rare opportunity to hear Mariah Carey's voice emote a cappella.

I've been a fan of Mariah Carey since Vision of Love and it's fair to say that her formula had become homogenised, self-parody (a point that Mariah lampoons on the brilliant album opener Migrate) and, frankly, dull towards the end of the '90s! It's ironic that whilst she has stuck to that commercial formula sans glitter - so successfully brewed by the alchemists at Sony BMG Music and perfected on Emancipation - E=MC² sounds flirtatious, fresh and fun! Mariah Carey is at the top of her gorgeous game!

Now we simply await the return of Madonna with Hard Candy! Pop music lovers are sure to be in for a treat over the coming weeks and months. Bring on the soundtracks to the summer!

Moshi Monsters MoPods launch 'give-away'

Moshi Monsters launches and brings a virtual world of adoptable pet monsters to life

Mind Candy, the award-winning creators of global Alternate Reality Game game Perplex City, this week launch Moshi Monsters, their brand new virtual world for little kids and big kids alike. After 4 months in private beta, Moshi Monsters is opening up to everyone for free on April 16th at http://www.moshimonsters.com



Players adopt their own Monster and keep it happy by solving the daily puzzles that it sends them. Monster owners can interact with their pets in a wide variety of ways such as tickling, playing games, shopping, designing their rooms, and dressing up (coming soon). One of the core elements of Moshi Monsters is the emotional bond created between the user and their Monster which is achieved through sophisticated flash animations and a complex behavioural engine. Over time the Monsters develop their own unique personalities depending on how well, or badly, they've been treated.

There are many ways players can connect and communicate with others such as the Friends tree, visiting other Monster's rooms, and leaving customised Pinboard messages. During development child safety online has been kept at the forefront of the Moshi experience.

The more attention a Monster gets from it's owner and their friends, the higher its Monstar status rises. All Monsters start as Z-Listers and can rise through the ranks to become A-List Monstars.

Moshi Monsters is played in the browser and requires no download. The game is free to play, although a subscription feature for premium elements will launch in the future, as well a range of offline products.

Michael Acton Smith, CEO of Mind Candy said, “Playing games and chatting to friends are two of the most popular activities for children online. Moshi Monsters provides these experiences in a safe environment while also helping children learn through the puzzle games and educational elements”.

I was lucky enough to receive an adoption code, ahead of the public launch, and created my very own Moshi Monster! Meet iBoggy, named after The Legend of Boggy Creek (Wikipedia)! He's one cool monster with added Web 2.0 style: you can add your Moshi Monster to Facebook and bebo!

To mark the launch of Moshi Monsters, my fantastic friends at Mind Candy are offering readers a chance of winning three full sets (of six Monsters) of Moshi MoPods!



To enter for a chance of winning these really cool prizes, please leave a comment on this post. The competition closes May 31st 2008 and the winners will be randomly selected by me. My decision will be final! Good luck.

Special thanks to Mind Candy for supplying the competition prizes.

If you enjoyed reading this post subscribe by RSS! I'll be running further 'give-away' contests throughout the spring and summer.

Super Glau

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is to be renewed!

The Sarah Connor Chronicles mines the rich seams of Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (eschewing Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, which is notable for its brave Planet of the Apes ending).

Although the series, currently airing on Virgin 1 in the UK, has yet to truly capitivate me in the manner of Lost or The Big Bang Theory. The ever-enigmatic Summer Glau (best known as River from Firefly/Serenity) is a revelation as a Terminator! Her otherworldy performance, as Cameron, is pitch perfect and scene stealing! The fight scenes are more than a match for the franchises big screen origins!

The intrinsic potential is there, but in the absence of James Cameron and Linda Hamilton...

Mothering Sunday

This is the first ever Mothering Sunday sans my mum! She died, last summer (link to obituary notice), under most tragic circumstances culminating in an out of court settlement with the RD&E NHS Foundation Trust Hospital! The Chief Executive apologised for any deficiencies in my mother's care! My father and myself consented to samples of my mother's brain and lungs being retained for teaching and medical purposes. This post will not address medico-legal matters - they were reported, independently, in the online and offline press - but, instead, concentrates on my mother's enduring legacy...



What follows is a transcript of my article, written for Lucerne House's The Home Front newsletter, regarding the inception of my mother's computer-based memorial (funded by donations from family, friends and business acquaintances).

Margaret’s Memorial
Written by John Hood

At the start of January, Paul wrote to Robin, my dad, and me with the excellent suggestion that the donations, made to Lucerne House Care Centre, in memory of Margaret, my mum, be used to fund equipment for the computer room on Alphinbrook Unit!

In view of my computer expertise, not only will I be able to provide input, with Paul’s support, on suggested computer peripherals to provide assistive technology for residents. But, I will also be able to offer bespoke training to each resident, who wishes to use the computer (including setting up e-mail addresses, etc), over the coming weeks and months… I’ll speak to each resident, individually, about this.

Dad and I have already donated a 22” Samsung widescreen monitor, which I installed in January, with Les’ help, and this can be viewed on Alphinbrook! I’m most certain that Rona - Resident Roving Reporter - will be more than delighted to show-off her superlative Solitaire and creative visual skills on the big screen!

Stay tuned for further updates, regarding the computer-based memorial, in future issues of The Home Front!

I will continue to post further newsletter transcripts. It is my intention to broach the subject of my mother's memorial, at Lucerne House, to the local press, in the hope that they may wish to report on it!

In addition to the memorial. We're also donating a Nintendo Wii to the Young People with Disabilities (YPD) unit! Broadly speaking, Nintendo's interface paradigm opens up a galaxy of interactivity to individuals whom, otherwise, could be precluded from positive gaming experiences.

Skins

Skins – Series 1

3-disc set released by 4DVD on Monday 24th September 2007

“It’s Official: We’re addicted to Skins.” Heat

“This is TV at its best: feisty, polarising & compelling.” The Times

“Funny, pacey and authentic.” Daily Mirror

From the makers of the multi award-winning show Shameless comes Skins, the critically-acclaimed hit comedy drama series about the lives and loves of a diverse group of Bristol teenagers who get high, get drunk, get laid and get up for their A-levels. These kids really grab life by the balls and then give it a twirl.

A ratings smash that has been recomissioned for a second season, Series 1 of Skins is released for the first time ever on DVD on Monday 24th September courtesy of 4DVD. The brainchild of a young team of writers with an average age of just 22, including Josie Long (newcomer 2006, Edinburgh Comedy Festival), Jack Thorne (Shameless), Simon Amstell (Never Mind the Buzzcocks), The Dawson Brothers (Balls of Steel, Dirty Tricks), and 20-something newcomers, Ben Schiffer and Jamie Brittain, with creator and executive producer Bryan Elsley (The Young Person’s Guide To Becoming a Rock Star, 40, The Crow Road).

The Skins DVD is packed with extras, including an ancillary story line for each episode, video diaries from the main characters, the director’s cut trailer, and a music video for Gossip’s ‘Standing in the Way of Control.’

At the centre of the Bristol teenage scene is Tony (About a Boy’s Nicholas Hoult), the most popular boy in school with a manipulative streak a mile wide. Everything he touches turns to gold, but this philosophy-reading hedonist uses his charm more often for evil than good. Caught in Tony’s web is his best friend Sid (Mike Bailey), an unconfident virgin who is often verbally abused by Tony, but sticks around because he is in love with Tony’s gorgeous girlfriend Michelle (April Pearson).

Joining the love triangle is kooky Cassie (Hannah Murray), who struggles with severe eating problems; Chris (Joe Dempsie), the resident party animal with a thing for his psychology teacher; Michelle’s best friend Jal (Larissa Wilson), a no-nonsense person with serious ambitions about her clarinet playing; Anwar (Dev Patel), a Muslim boy who finds that the Koran and his pleasure-seeking lifestyle do not mix well; Maxxie (Mitch Hewer), the only gay boy in the group; and Tony’s mysterious younger sister Effy (Kaya Scodelario), the only person Tony truly cares about.

Except for the premier and final episodes, which are ensemble cast pieces, each of the nine 60-minute episodes are named after a different central character, which the episode then focuses on. However, overarching plot lines run throughout the entire series, such as Tony’s tumultuous relationship with his girlfriend Michelle, and Sid’s quest to lose his virginity to escape Tony’s taunting.

Made by Company Pictures for E4, Skins is created by Bryan Elsley (The Young Person’s Guide to Becoming a Rock Star) and Jamie Brittain, executive produced by Charles Pattinson, George Faber (Shameless), and Bryan Elsley, and produced by Chris Clough (Trial and Retribution).

After a hugely successful premier run on E4, Skins series 1 comes to Channel 4 on 21st August, and Series 2 began filming this summer on location in Bristol.

Lookout for my Skins Series 1 DVD review.

DS Deal

Amazon.co.uk is running an unmissable late summer DS deal! Buy a Black, White or Pink console and a top game for only £109.99 GBP! This discount runs until December 31st, 2007. Don't forget to pre-order The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, considered by some gaming critics as the best entry in the franchise! And Heroes of Mana.

Coke, Cannes and free iTunes

I'd meant to comment on the latest Coca-Cola announcement, but have been preoccupied with traveling arrangements for Sunday's Conference "play-off" final between Exeter City FC and Morecombe at the new Wembley Stadium! I'll be posting photos, on Flickr, for those of you who are interested.

Coca-Cola, not content with Nintendo's Get Up and Play bling-bling, is running another Coke+iTunes promotion this summer for all of us lucky Europeans!

As part of the promotion, Coke and iTunes will give away songs from the iTunes Store in over 2 billion promotional packs of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero this summer. The on-pack promotion will also offer customers the chance to win free iPods and attend some of the 100-plus Coke and iTunes sponsored summer concerts across Europe. The promotion will be launched at the Cannes Film Festival with a special live performance from Faithless, who have recorded an exclusive track for Coke and iTunes and collaborated with designers Paranoid on a limited-edition, aluminium Coke bottle.

"Coca-Cola has a long and rich heritage in music, from memorable advertising tracks to grassroots support to big live events. In Summer 2006 we started an innovative new partnership with iTunes," said Chris R. Burggraeve, group marketing director for the European Union Group. "Coke+iTunes aims to reinvent the ways young people create, listen to, and experience music every day. Thanks to Coke+iTunes, European youth will enjoy this Summer 2007 the biggest pan European music experience ever. And what better way to build bridges among European cultures than through music?"

"iTunes is the world's most popular online music store selling 58 songs every second at a rate of 5 million tracks a day," said Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of iTunes. "We've already had great success working with Coca-Cola over the past year and this new pan-European initiative gives music fans across Europe the ability to download free music all summer long."

American readers you'll have to write Pepsi!

While Wii Wait

Despite the continued supply chain difficulties and assurances to the contrary (has anyone seen a Wii in-store in the UK?), Nintendo officially states that the following games will be coming out for Wii in Japan in 2007:

Donkey Kong Taru Jet Race (DK Jet or DK Bongo Blast, US) - June 28, 2007
Wii Health Pack -- 2007
Disaster: Day of Crisis - 2007
Mario Party 8 - 2007
Project H.A.M.M.E.R. - 2007
Wii Music - 2007
Super Mario Galaxy - 2007
Super Smash Bros. Brawl - 2007
Battalion Wars II - 2007
Forever Blue - 2007
Mario Strikers Charged - 2007
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - 2007
Mario and Sonic at the Olympics - 2007

There's no official word on PAL release dates. However, the likes of Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Strikers Charged should reach European shores sometime this summer, if major online retailers are to be believed.

Who Wants to Be a Superhero?

“Surprisingly sparkly, like a summertime comic book… it’s hard not to get caught up in all the inner-child fun.”
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

“There’s no shortage of fun… you have to tune in to believe it in this entertaining series.”
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

“This funny show is a nice surprise. 4 Stars ****”
PEOPLE MAGAZINE

“A summer pleasure.... this is summer camp!”
USA TODAY

“The SCI FI Channel outdoes itself...”
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

“Amid all the laughs there’s a feel-good element to ‘Superhero.’ The show proves that the Stan Lee generation has finally taken over the universe....Genuine cast makes ‘Superhero’ superior.”
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

UK PREMIERE - SERIES
WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO? BANK HOLIDAY SPECIAL
SATURDAY 5, SUNDAY 6 AND MONDAY 7 MAY FROM 7PM

If you think you’ve seen every possible reality TV show known to man, think again… you haven’t seen anything quite like this before. From the production stable of legendary comic-book writer, editor and creator STAN LEE (SPIDER-MAN, HULK, THE FANTASTIC FOUR, X-MEN) comes this smash hit, six-episode competition reality series that allows ordinary folk to become superheroes! And the prize for such an incredible deed? Something equally remarkable… immortality!

Fed up of creating fictional superheroes, STAN LEE embarks on a quest to find a real-life character who can save the day. But this is no easy task. Featuring a hilarious, X-FACTOR-style audition process, each contestant begins with an original idea for a superhero, a self-made costume, and their best superhero mojo. From thousands of hopefuls, STAN LEE chooses 11 lucky finalists who move together into a secret lair. There they begin their transformations — and the competition to become a real-life superhero.

In each episode, the aspiring hopefuls are faced with a series of challenges that are designed to reveal their true natures. With their mettle tested to the max, the contestants try to overcome their limitations, and do what it takes to prove that they are truly super. How? Well, forget feats of impossible strength… the modern-day saviour needs to display courage, integrity, self-sacrifice, compassion, and resourcefulness — traits that every true superhero must possess.

With contestants ranging from the scantily-clad Monkey Girl (“ooh ohh, ah ah”), to the unashamedly bold Fat Momma (who wears a belt of Krispy Kreme doughnuts for whenever she needs a sugar rush of super-human ability), these superheroes are surprising to say the least. But don’t count them out just yet. In the end, one lucky finalist will have the inner strength and nobility to open the gates to immortality, in a new comic book developed with Stan Lee. And that's not all — the winning character will also appear in an original SCI FI Channel movie!

Now onto its second series in the USA, something tells us that the world is going to be a far safer place if STAN LEE continues to churn out real-life superheroes. But don’t just take our word for it: tune in every day over the bank holiday weekend at 7pm and see for yourself WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO?

DID YOU KNOW?

* STAN LEE makes a cameo appearance in a forthcoming episode of HEROES (Mondays at 10pm on SCI FI) – as a bus driver. The episode, titled UNEXPECTED, will receive its UK premiere on May 28.

* Movie sequels SPIDER-MAN 3 and FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER are both scheduled for UK release later this year.

* Rumours currently circulating around Hollywood are tipping BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN star JAKE GYLLENHAAL to play Captain Marvel in New Line’s potential movie, SHAZAM! The studio is reportedly looking to bid on a big franchise along the lines of BATMAN and SUPERMAN and think the DC comics character is the perfect project.

Black Box

Microsoft Unveils Xbox 360 Elite

Premium black console includes 120GB hard drive and line of new accessories.

REDMOND, Wash. - March 27, 2007 - Microsoft Corp. today announced the upcoming availability of Xbox 360™ Elite, a new model of the video game and entertainment system that will include a 120GB hard drive, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a high-definition cable, and a premium black finish for the console, wireless controller and Xbox LIVE® headset. Xbox 360 Elite has enough space for a library of Xbox LIVE Arcade games and thousands of songs, as well as downloadable high-definition TV shows and movies available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The new 120GB hard drive also will be sold as a stand-alone accessory to give current Xbox 360 owners greater choice and flexibility in their games and entertainment experience. Additional Xbox 360 Elite accessories, such as the black Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit and the Xbox 360 rechargeable battery, will be available separately. The Xbox 360 Elite and its accessories are expected to begin arriving in U.S. stores on April 29.

"Today's games and entertainment enthusiast has an insatiable appetite for digital high-definition content," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. "Xbox 360 Elite's larger hard drive and premium accessories will allow our community to enjoy all that the next generation of entertainment has to offer."

Distinguished by its black finish and signature metallic detailing, Xbox 360 Elite will have an estimated retail price1 of $479.99 (U.S.)/479.99 euros/349.99 pounds, and will come packed with components and accessories for the ultimate high-definition entertainment experience.

· Xbox 360 Elite console. The console is equipped with a premium black finish and three powerful core processors capable of producing the best in HD entertainment (up to 1080p), 16:9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound, HDMI output and DVD playback with upscaling capabilities right out of the box.

· Xbox 360 120GB hard drive. The 120GB detachable hard drive allows gamers to save their games and store television shows, movies, music, pictures, trailers, levels, demos and other content available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.3 The hard drive is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $179.99 (U.S.)/179.99 euros/119.99 pounds.

· Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (black). This award-winning, high-performance wireless controller, now in black, features the Xbox® Guide Button for quick, in-game access to friends and music. It has a range of up to 30 feet and a battery life of 30 hours on two AA batteries. It is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $49.99 (U.S.)/44.99 euros/32.99 pounds.

· Xbox 360 headset (black). Now available in black, the headset lets gamers strategize or trade taunts while playing games and send voice messages to friends on Xbox LIVE.

· Xbox 360 HDMI cable. New to Xbox 360, HDMI allows consumers to get HD video (up to 1080p) and multichannel surround sound, all from one cable.

· Xbox LIVE Silver Membership. With this, gamers can chat with friends online, collect achievements and gamerscores, send and receive voice and text messages, and access Xbox LIVE Marketplace content such as game demos, HD movies and TV, as well as the best in downloadable games from Xbox LIVE Arcade.

· One-month subscription to Xbox LIVE Gold. An Xbox LIVE Gold Membership provides a complete online entertainment experience. Those who subscribe to this premium service can engage in competitive online multiplayer matches, tailor their matchmaking via feedback and accomplishments, chat with more than one person at a time, and take advantage of unique privileges in the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and Xbox LIVE Arcade.

The following accessories for the Xbox 360 Elite console will only be sold separately:

· Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit. Complete with a charging cable and a black rechargeable battery pack, the Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit allows gamers to recharge their Xbox 360 Wireless Controller without interrupting their gameplay. it is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $19.99 (U.S.)/19.99 euros/14.99 pounds.

· Xbox 360 rechargeable battery (black). The rechargeable battery pack provides more than 25 hours of gameplay per charge. It is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $11.99 (U.S.)/11.99 euros/9.99 pounds.

About Xbox 360

Xbox 360 is the most powerful video game and entertainment system, delivering the best games, the next generation of the premier Xbox LIVE online gaming network and unique digital entertainment experiences that revolve around gamers. Xbox 360 has a catalog of more than 160 high-definition games and is available in 37 countries. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/xbox360.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

The Xbox 360 Elite should appear on European retail shelves as early as the summer.

Electric Youth

This morning's spring cleaning unearthed unexpected gems! I found an old Exeter College magazine, which I contributed articles to (these won't be republished here due to the naivety of prose). A review of, or more like rave about, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker (1988) and Gloria Estefan's Homecoming Concert video. This elicited a train of thought that arrived at Debbie Gibson (there's a connection with Michael Jackson as you'll see)!

Please indulge my adoration of Americana and enjoy the following camp/nostalgic clips featuring singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson at her precocious best!

This first clip was taken from Debbie Gibson's "Out of the Blue" concert tour (1988). The concert was shown on Channel Four in the summer of 1989 prior to Bros' "Bros into Summer" concert at Wembley Stadium (first shown on Sky One and I still have a copy of the concert and documentary on VHS), where Debbie was a support act. The song, Foolish Beat, is a guilty pleasure and evokes cherished teenage memories.



Can't ignore Debbie's clarion call. Electric Youth '89...



How jazzed was I when she appeared in Michael Jackson's video for Liberian Girl and sang several notes?



Expect to see and read about more youthful crushes/aspirations in the coming weeks.

Message to Ben Amos, if you ever read this, Steps Posse Forever!?!

All Good Things

This blog started in May 2004 when The OC debuted on UK television screens. Starved of Roswell, Buffy and Dawson's Creek. Orange County provided plenty of laughs, thrills and geeky amusement! Seth's comic book obsession and penchant for perky brunettes parallels my own!

No sooner am I up-to-date with Apple Inc kit; as depicted in The OC. The OC ends! Hot damn!



It's time to say goodbye to the first family of Orange County. In Season Four, high school seems like a distant memory for the young graduates, who have been thrust into adulthood after the death of their beloved friend Marissa. The Cohens struggle to keep Ryan focused on the future, fighting the forces that threaten to pull him back into his old life. Having left Orange County, Summer attends Brown University in Rhode Island, where she has reinvented herself as a left-leaning, tree-hugging activist. And, lonely in Orange County, Seth works at a local comic book store.

So long Sandy, Seth, Summer and co. It was fun and I'll miss seeing you on my Sony Plasma! Perhaps The Real OC will show up on Joost™ as part of the Viacom deal?

Kylie La La La

I've followed Kylie Minogue's career since Neighbours and developed an adolescent crush, on her, when she embarked on a pop path that has confounded and delighted critics in equal measure! Incidentally, the album Kylie was my first ever CD purchase after buying a Sony Discman D-88 in the summer of 1988.

Further to the above. I read with unfetered interest that Kylie begins her Homecoming Tour later this year! Must secure seats at Wembley Arena for her January 2007 concert dates.

When "Kylie - Showgirl; The Greatest Hits Tour", her sold out world tour, opened in Scotland in March 2005, it was her most ambitious show yet. The show itself was a triumph and represented Kylie's finest moments in music, performance and style and is an homage to the showgirl, one of the most exotic, decadent and sensual icons of our times. Inspiration came from the Moulin Rouge to the Folies Bergere, from the Doris Girls of the Paris Lido to the entertainment palaces of Las Vegas, from the underground burlesque bars of Soho to the Busby Berkeley musicals of the 1930s. Kylie's show pays tribute to the showgirl in all her forms and guises.

King of the Castles

In the summer of 2004 Bournemouth University's Alumni Association interviewed me for a special magazine feature focusing on graduates who are now successfully working in the media industry. The article was published in The Talbot (Summer 2004) magazine. Download the PDF (13.9MB).

Too Low For Zero

With the FIFA World Cup coverage now at saturation point! I'm inspired to impart the following football anecdote, which first appeared here.

In the summer of 1989 Dad, Uncle Allan, Mike and me watched Torquay United play Bolton Wanderers at Wembley Stadium. We'd secured VIP tickets and therefore were able to park in the VIP car park.

The guest of honor, Sir Elton John (obese, bold, pallid and dressed in what can only be described as Parson's attire), arrived in his signature black Bentley! His driver was promptly told not to park in the private members area! His royal highness, Sir Elton John, stepped out of the car. But, security were nonplussed and reiterated, to the driver (whose protestations had incensed security), to move the car or it would be towed away!!!

Whilst this was going on, I took the opportunity to ask Sir Elton for an autograph? His driver informed me that Mr Elton wasn't signing today, before returning to argue with security! Nice. I couldn't resist telling Sir Elton that I was a Michael Jackson fan! And the car was driven away!

So, there you have it, unequivocal proof that Sir Elton John is an incorrigible diva! Can't wait to meet Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carey one day!

Tron Scherzo

The release of PIXAR's Cars has prompted me to reprint an article that I wrote, for my online portfolio, a few years ago.

An interest and appreciation of CGI began, like many of my contemporaries, with watching the movies 'Tron' (1982), 'The Last Starfighter' (1984) and playing video games at arcades and on consoles - from the Atari VCS CX2600 to Sega Genesis/Mega Drive - in the 1980s.

In the summer of 2000 I began reading 3Dworld. The inclusion of Bryce, a 3-D landscape generation application, reignited further self development within this flourishing arena.

Off-the-shelf software, such as the Academy Award®-winning Maya and Shake, had developed to the point where many of the DTP (Desk Top Publishing) skills for fine art and graphic design can now be successfully transferred to a 3D context without exhaustingly steep learning curves! The artist can now focus on issues of composition - colour, movement through the frame et al - without trying to reconcile with an alienating UI (User Interface).

Alias' decision to provide Personal Learning Editions (PLE) of Maya and now MotionBuilder (from its purchase of Kaydara) is fostering consumer loyalty. Using their free FBX Converter I'm now able to import older projects into Alias applications for future enhancement. The FBX SDK will be worth investigating.

This is a sample collection of original 3-Dimensional images created using Bryce, Corel Photo-Paint, Maya 6 PLE, Painter and Poser (and retouched in Photoshop).

Now you can add Google SketchUp to the Mac OS X application honor roll!

Springer

Today is the first day of Spring and British Summer Time starts next weekend! One hour less in bed.

If the phrase "More Than Meets The Eye" resonates, you'll be pleased to read that I'm currently watching Transformers Season 1 DVD. The review will be posted over on Cloister Bell.

The new blog allows me to indulge in further toy recollections! So, expect to see Masters of the Universe, G.I. Joe (Action Force in the UK), Thundercats and Zoids making special guest appearances.