Gripes and grumbles

Well, there I was just a few moments ago ready, willing and (shall we say) able to upload my latest blog.
And then 'it' happened. You know what that 'it' is. The 'it' was, as a matter of fact, the copy previously known as your homework, your letter to the bank manager, your application form, your 700 word blog update...
Within the space of just a few seconds, all the hard work is gone... it's vanished... it is now known as the file which 'used to be' your work.
That situation is one of my gripes with the world-wide web. You can work all you like tip-tapping away and then, when you click the 'ok', 'attach' or 'publish' button it ceases to exist.
You 'refresh', click 'back', hit 'F5' or just curse and swear at the screen for a few seconds but you just know all efforts are in vain.
You've lost the work and there's nothing you can do about it. In a desparate attempt to reclaim what was once yours, you click the screen icon which tells you that your drafts have been saved and guess what...? For some reason unbeknown to man, the task failed.
Computer 1 - Human user nil. Gutted.
Personally I might be a tad more positive if I knew exactly why 'it' happens.
Was it something I said or wrote? Was it something I DIDN'T say or write?
In retrospect though it's given me inspiration. Yes, ok, I've wasted twice the amount of time I should have, but then again maybe this grumble (and it is SOOOOOO a grumble. Soz) is actually better than my original blog entry. In fact, maybe I should admit it is because you guys will never know!
Whatever. The fact that it has happened has given me ammunition for an idea for a new new blog entry. And here it is, and besides... that's what blogs should be about right? Gripes and grumbles.
Now, you'll have to excuse me while I go and fetch a tool so I can exact my revenge on this lesser (computer) being.

It's life Jim... but not as we know it

Whether it's a touching story of love, or a futuristic sci-fi set in 2050, films put the viewer in an alternative world where their imagination can run wild.

I've often wondered whether the hi-tech gadgets that I've seen in films, would actually one day make it onto the open market.

I'm sure that fans of the Star Trek films thought the same when they saw Kirk using his flip communicators. You only have to look in any of our high street mobile phone shops now to see the cooler equivalent.

But I have to admit, never did I imagine that something like the security system in Tom Cruise's epic futuristic flick 'Minority Report' (in which police arrest the perpetrators of future crimes predicted by psychics) would ever become part of our unassuming world.

Such a system is currently being developed in the US to remotely screen air passengers who might be considering a terrorist attack.

The aim of Project Hostile Intent (PHI) is to find a way of catching would-be terrorists when they are just thinking of committing a crime.

A battery of lasers, cameras, eye trackers and microphones would be used to spot tiny changes in facial expression, pulse, perspiration, and gait that give away "current or future hostile intentions".

After tests at a handful of air and sea ports and border checkpoints the system could be deployed at all US entry points by 2012.

But critics claim Project Hostile Intent is unworkable.

The system is being developed by scientists working for the US Department of Homeland Security, New Scientist magazine has reported.

It would employ some of the techniques already used in polygraph lie detectors and by security staff trained in recognising body language.

But PHI would have to operate remotely, screening thousands of passengers having their bags checked or waiting to show their passports, most of whom will be innocent.

Computers would be used to carry out a rapid assessment of all the data received. Identified individuals would be apprehended and led off to be interviewed by security officers.

Since 2003, a system called Screening Passengers through Observation Techniques (Spot) has already been used at airports in the US. It uses trained "behaviour detection officers" who have been taught how to recognise suspicious "micro-expressions" in people milling around airports that may signify guilt or deception.

Spot has had some success and ensnared drug dealers, money launderers and one double murderer.

However it is expensive, labour intensive and time consuming. PHI is intended to automate Spot while at the same time increasing the number of signals that can be investigated.

Other experts pointed out that airports are high-stress places filled with people who are bored, tired, saying goodbye to loved ones, carrying upset children, late for flights or perhaps scared of flying. Any system that flagged up signs of stress was likely to target innocent people.

Hmmm... the mind boggles.

Other ideas generated in 'Minority Report' have also been adopted by the likes of technology giant Microsoft.

Microsoft Surface uses the same idea of dragging files around either a vertical or horizontal screen. To transfer files between mobile phones, all users have to do is place them on the table-style screen and drag (using your finger) photos, music or video files or files in text format between the phones.

By placing a digital camera or video camera on the screen it does the same, bringing up all the images and files for the viewer to see.

Microsoft Surface boasts to being the future. In a Microsoft world people will be able to pay for their restaurant or bar bill by simply placing their credit cards on the screen and rotating a circular icon up or down to decide how much of a tip to leave. To order more food or drinks you would simply touch an icon on the screen.

Visit: http://www.microsoft.com/surface/. Impressed? You should be.

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Oh, before I forget... welcome to Game On's new look page. Pretty funky ain't it?! Any ideas for features, reviews, competitions or anything else for that matter, drop me an email at tnichols@eveningherald.co.uk.

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Here's this week's best games:

Title: Guitar Hero: Rock the 80's

Platform: Sony PS2

RRP: £39.99

Hit count: 4/5

Guitar Hero is undoubtedly one of the best ideas for a video game in recent years. While the concept of the Wii is spot on with its interaction, there's something ultimately a lot cooler about wielding an 'axe' rather than a box controller.

This latest version sees you perform countless hits from the age that brought us luminous socks and Madonna.

While there's no doubt that the children of the eighties will love this, those that find it difficult to appreciate the likes of 'Flock of Seagulls' and 'Asia' will be hard-pressed to appreciate this.

While I can wholly support rocking out to the likes of Alice Cooper or ACDC in the original Guitar Hero version, this just doesn't feel quite right.

Title: Bioshock

Platform: Xbox 360

RRP: £49.99

Hit count: 5/5

It's always hard to review a game having already a review with it being given 10/10 on all counts. I almost feel a necessity to mark it down just for it being so darn good... but sadly I can't.

Bioshock is what a fast-paced all action shooter should be. Full of weapons, Doom-like playability, creepy music and sound recordings and, well, action.

The Bioshock plot places the player in Rapture, a world deep underwater where scientists were supposed to create a new and improved world for human kind.

As is always the case, something went wrong along the way and it's the main character's bag to fix it.

This is an awesome game worthy of the top marks. Buy it NOW.

August 1

It's a good feeling knowing you're doing your bit to save the planet by changing a few things in your world.

So am I recycling more...? No, not a lot.

Am I changing my lightbulbs to energy saving ones...? Sure, maybe a couple.



Have I ditched the car and bought a push bike? Not on your nelly.

But what I have done is stopped using Google as my search engine in favour of a new greener well, blacker, alternative.

'Blackle' (www.blackle.com) was created earlier this year by Heap Media in a bid to save energy.

With its searches powered by Google Custom Search, Blackle saves energy because the screen is predominantly black.

As it states on its 'About Blackle' link: "In January 2007 a blog post titled Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year proposed the theory that a black version of the Google search engine would save a fair bit of energy due to the popularity of the search engine.

"Since then there has been skepticism about the significance of the energy savings that can be achieved and the cost in terms of readability of black web pages.

"We believe that there is value in the concept because even if the energy savings are small, they all add up.

"Secondly we feel that seeing Blackle every time we load our web browser reminds us that we need to keep taking small steps to save energy."

Those nice people at Blackle claim that if computer users set the search page as their home page, they will save a little bit of energy everytime they connect to the internet.

By the time that I came across it a counter stated that 125,281.348 Watt hours had been saved.

While Blackle doesn't offer the same options for searching images, maps or news, it's surely only a matter of time before it begins developing the search engine to compete with the Google giant.

While I can only apologise for my lack of blog activity lately (Been busy buying a house see...) at least I can boast I have been helping to save the planet. Albeit in small steps.



(Rather hypocritically) here are the latest games reviews:

Title: Transformers: The Game

Platform: Xbox 360

RRP: £29.99

Hit count: 4/5

At last... a game that packs the punches of its movie franchise! And how long have we been waiting for Transformers to come to the consoles...? Too long that's how long.

In Tranformers: The Game you can choose which team you want to be on: The nicey nicey Autobots, or the cooler than cool Decepticons.

Like the movie it is difficult to tell one end of a robot from the other due to the detail of the graphics and the colours used, but the action scenes are fun and the array of weapons is awesome!

Smash, blast and wreck your way through the various levels... or simply smash up everything in your path be it buildings, cars or lamp posts. Oh, and the coolest but? You get to transform as often as you like into helicopters, planes cars or trucks!

For me the only snag to the game is the sometimes confusing graphics and the shortage of characters. While the good old Transformers comics and the series boasted bloody loads, the game and latest movie sadly boast around 10.

Still when you're having this much fun... who cares about the cast?



Title: Big Brain Academy

Platform: Nintendo Wii

RRP: £39.99

Hit count: 2/5

Yawn... I'm sorry but if I spend money on a game I expect action and adventure, and to be taken to a magical place removed from my old school classroom.

But with this game I find myself back there testing my memory and numeracy skills.

While I can appreciate that it might be fun for a family with small children eager to strengthen their brain power, I found this all rather dull. The Wii is a great fun console, but this is rather bland.