With now less than two years to go before the official 'switch on' of digital television in the region, it's now worth considering what options are available and how to go about setting yourself up for the digital revolution.
First off here's some quick fire dos and don'ts.
DOS:
a). Take a breath and don't panic - it's really not as complicated as it might seem;
b). Investigate either buying a digital set top box or renting one through the likes of Virgin Media or Sky;
DON'TS
a). Freak out - it's really really not that bad or complicated.
b). Throw out your televisions believing they are no good.
The biggest single fact that people get confused about is this. There is NO NEED to buy a new television in order to get digital TV.
On the contrary, virtually every set can be converted for digital, even black and white ones.
Many televisions now boast a built-in digital service which offers all the channels and features that a set top box would. However, the far cheaper alternative is to simply buy a set top 'digi' box.
It's as easy as this. Buy a set top box from Tesco for around £20. Plug in set top box to wall socket, connect analogue or HDMI cable to pack of TV, switch on and... welcome to the digital age. That's all it is. Easy huh?
People often get confused that it's all down to the television but it's not. It is how you receive the signal that matters.
So here's the technical bit that should now make sense: "With digital TV, sound and pictures from the broadcaster are converted into ‘bits’ of information and sent through an aerial, satellite, telephone line or cable.
This digital signal is then turned back into pictures and sound by a digital box or a digital TV set."
Starting in 2008 and ending in 2012, TV services in the UK will go completely digital, TV region by TV region. This process is called digital switchover.
"The UK's old television broadcast signal (known as 'analogue') is being switched off and replaced with a 'digital' signal.
Any TV set or video recorder that’s not converted to digital when the switchover takes place will no longer receive TV programmes."
Right, back to the fun stuff that most people WILL be interested in... digital television means MORE CHANNELS! Woo hoo!
Yep, I'm talking ITV2 with its much-improved football coverage; FilmFour with its, um, films; and Sky Sports News for its fab Soccer Saturday show.
So if you haven't already done so now is the time to 'switch on' to the fact that digital television is coming.
In a bid to aid people in the West Country with the switchover to digital television, a new online Postcode Checker has been launched to provide people with essential information on what will happen and when.
Digital UK, the organisation leading the change across the region, is providing people in the Plymouth with a new service which gives the low down on when they switch, whether the channels will be good quality or not, what digital platforms there are on offer, what digital services they may already be able to receive or what they are likely to receive – right down to their own address.
The new online service can be found at www.digitaluk.co.uk.
The West Country TV region covers all of Cornwall and Devon, as well as parts of Somerset and Dorset and will be one of the first parts of the country to switch to digital in 2009.
Latest research from Digital UK and Ofcom shows that only 22 per cent of TV viewers in the West Country know when they will need to make the switch.
The new Postcode Checker will be an important resource to help people prepare in time, particularly as the process will happen transmitter by transmitter, with two separate switchover dates within the West Country.
Plymouth television viewers may receive their TV pictures from the Caradon Hill transmitters which will switch in the third quarter of 2009.
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Meanwhile, have you downloaded the latest Radiohead album yet and helped make history?
In an idea which screams self promotion and brilliance at the same time, the alt-rockers are offering fans the chance to download their latest studio album 'In Rainbows' for whatever price they wish.
The website (www.inrainbows.com) is quirky and very easy to use and has been set up completely separate to Radiohead's main site.
All users have to do is go through the site, add the album to the their 'basket' and type in how much they'd like to pay. (It's worth noting that users can type in £0.00 and still receive the download).
Oh, it's also worth mentioning that the album is AMAZING!
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Too much for the brain? Why not simmer down and have a blast at these new titles:
Title: Stranglehold.
Platform: Xbox 360.
RRP: £49.99.
Hit count: 4/5.
Review: Remember how action packed and fab the film Face Off was?
You know, the one starring John Travolta and Nic Cage where they swap each other's faces...? (I knew you sickos would remember it for that!).
So yeh, the man behind all the action was a certain John Woo who has just had a mighty hand in the sequences for the above title. Mr Woo is simply, Mr Wow.
Imagine a gun man running across a room and jumping onto a trolley continuing to fire as he shoots across the room and you will get the picture.
Stranglehold is much like that, brimming with gun shots with more action than you could shake a martial arts expert's stick at.
Graphically it's not the best of the best, but the playability and style makes up for it.
A sure fire winner on all platforms.
Title: Skate.
Platform: Xbox 360.
RRP: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5.
Review: At last, a skating game that has the balls to take on the might of Tony Hawk and his gaming empire.
Though the audacity to do such a thing deserves top rating alone, the title itself scores highly on the gaming front.
The graphics are as smooth as you like which make grinding the sh*t out of your deck a pure delight.
What's best about the game though is the gameplay itself.
The manufacturers describe the game as the "closest thing to skateboarding without actually putting your feet on a board," and by and large they are right.
The innovative controls take full advantage of the dual analog sticks with gamers able to sculpt and craft tricks that define their own individual style.
It means that no two tricks will ever be the same!I'm shocked to say 'move over Tony, there's a new kid on the block'.
Title: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08.
Platform: Sony PSP.
RRP: £34.99.
Hit count: 2/5.
Review: The thing that immediately put me off this, the latest in the Tiger video game series, was the television advert.
I mean I can understand the developers placing a computer animated character alongside a real life actor to show off the realistic graphics, but surely you actually need GOOD graphics to really pull off the stunt.
Tiger and the other characters just appear slightly unreal. It's like taking a PS1 game and playing it on a PS3 or Xbox 360.
While graphically it is ultimately better on the next generation consoles, the poorness shows on the lesser platforms.
The gameplay is ok, with a new 'shot confidence' feature which lasts throughout career mode and ultimately shows you how to improve things.
The title also boasts the largest ever number of courses to choose from which is a bonus.
With this one you can't help but think that the developers really are riding on Tiger's success... which, it has to be said, appears to be swaying slightly.
Friday, 19 October 2007
Monday, 8 October 2007
Abbreviation for the nation
Being a born and bred Plymothian I cannot hark on too much about my use of 'proper' English.
I'll openly admit that a few 'eres' and 'wheres it toos' have slipped out on drunken nights out.
I'll even openly admit to referring to the city's new super-club as being 'Shannas' as opposed to its correct name of 'Oceana'.
So in saying this I'm hoping I'll be excused from insulting half the mobile-using population of the world (or so it seems).
You wanna know the one thing that really REALLY gets my goat about text messaging...? 'LOL'....No three letters have ever infuriated me more.
For those who have been locked away for the past couple of years, 'LOL' stands for 'Laugh Out Loud' and is now commonly used by half the illiterate population.
'LOL' stands for everything I hate. It's not what it stands for so much, it's its use in a text message or email.
Roughly translated (to me) it means that the person sending the text or email does not have the capability or capacity to express what they are saying.
I mean, do comediennes have clap placards raised when they tell a joke to an audience?! I think not.
I have to admit that anyone who sends me a Facebook or Myspace friend request will be immediately thrown out of the friends list if they even dare mention those three unassuming letters.
Sadly, it doesn't end there. There are now countless websites dedicated to text abbreviations.
One of which is http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp which seems to have ALL of them.
Now it's not just me.... when I pointed her to the above website, my esteemed colleague - and next door desk neighbour - Hannah Wood, reacted with: "What the hell?! I've never heard of half of these!"
While some can be excused, such as 'l8r' for later or even 'ha ha' to exemplify joking, others simply cannot.
Here are some more examples from the website:
'Leet' - meaning 'Leet, meaning Elite'.
'LGH' - meaning 'Let's Get High'.
'AAK' - meaning 'Asleep At Keyboard'.
'BFG' - meaning... no not Big Friendly Giant, but 'Big Freaking Grin'.
'SNERT' - meaning 'Snot Nosed Egotistical Rude Teenager'.
'YBIC' - meaning 'Your Brother In Christ.
I mean, what the hell?!
It's like I've fallen asleep and woken up in a strange new world. I'm 29 years of age and I know I'm not as young as I used to be but things haven't changed THAT much surely?
Teenagers remember how much it is for a bottle of White Lightning cider and that's about it... not a completely new dictionary!
And news just in...
Sony’s game unit said today it will cut the prices of its next generation PlayStation 3 game consoles in Japan next week, and offer a new low-range model in November.
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc will cut the price of its model with 20 gigabytes of hard disk memory by about 10% to 44,980 yen (384 US dollars, £188) from the current 49,980 yen (427 dollars, £209), with effect from October 17, the company said in a statement posted on its website.
The price of its 60GB model, which has no suggested retail price, will be reduced to about 54,980 yen (470 dollar, £230).
The company also said a new lower-tier 40GB model will hit Japanese stores on November 11 at a suggested retail price of 39,980 yen (342 dollars, £168).
The company has globally sold more than 5 million units of the PlayStation 3 since it went on sale late last year in Japan and the US, and in March in Europe.
Sony once dominated the gaming industry with PlayStation 2, predecessor for the PS3, but it now faces intense competition from Microsoft and Nintendo.
Microsoft has sold 11.6 million Xbox 360 machines in the last two years, and Nintendo has sold 9.3 million of its popular Wii since late last year.
Anyway, apologies for the lack of blog last week.
You see, those nice people at Microsoft sent me a copy of Halo 3 on the 360. B*ggers!
They knew I wouldn't do much else with that in my home!
So, here's that review and another...
Title: Halo 3.
Platform: Xbox 360.
RRP: £49.99.
Hit count: 5/5.
Review: What can you say that hasn't been said already?
This game rocks my world... and it will rock your world! It's bigger, badder and ultimately more brutal with games to rival that of any hit title, playability with flair and, more importantly, an array of weapons to make Bond green with envy.
Rarely does a title live up to such expectation, but this game does so with ease.
In all honesty this is the first Halo game I have ever played.
Do I care what happened before? No. Do I care about the storyline up to this point? No. All I care about is blowing things to pieces with a fantastically awesome array of weapons!
As one reviewer put it: "The Halo games were always the best reason to by an Xbox and now the final part in the initial trilogy of ground breaking first person shooters is set to raise the bar for all Xbox 360 games."
Title: Fifa 08.
Platform: PS2.
RRP: £39.99.
Hit count: 3/5.
Review: The one problem I have with the Fifa series is simple. It's not Pro Evo.
I'm sorry but I sit on side of the fence and I always have done. My boots sit firmly in the PES camp.
Saying that I can still appreciate what the Fifa boys have done to up the game.
They've improved the graphics and animation and added some uber hi-tech '35 point decision engine'.
What exactly this means I am unsure of, but the gist of it is that every player on the pitch is aware of every other and moves and reacts to the play.
The other noticeable improved feature is the shooting. Players now move much more fluidly when attacking and players can shoot from various angles of the pitch.
Like I said, while I can appreciate what Fifa has done, it still isn't quite there.
The gap has been closed though.
I'll openly admit that a few 'eres' and 'wheres it toos' have slipped out on drunken nights out.
I'll even openly admit to referring to the city's new super-club as being 'Shannas' as opposed to its correct name of 'Oceana'.
So in saying this I'm hoping I'll be excused from insulting half the mobile-using population of the world (or so it seems).
You wanna know the one thing that really REALLY gets my goat about text messaging...? 'LOL'....No three letters have ever infuriated me more.
For those who have been locked away for the past couple of years, 'LOL' stands for 'Laugh Out Loud' and is now commonly used by half the illiterate population.
'LOL' stands for everything I hate. It's not what it stands for so much, it's its use in a text message or email.
Roughly translated (to me) it means that the person sending the text or email does not have the capability or capacity to express what they are saying.
I mean, do comediennes have clap placards raised when they tell a joke to an audience?! I think not.
I have to admit that anyone who sends me a Facebook or Myspace friend request will be immediately thrown out of the friends list if they even dare mention those three unassuming letters.
Sadly, it doesn't end there. There are now countless websites dedicated to text abbreviations.
One of which is http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp which seems to have ALL of them.
Now it's not just me.... when I pointed her to the above website, my esteemed colleague - and next door desk neighbour - Hannah Wood, reacted with: "What the hell?! I've never heard of half of these!"
While some can be excused, such as 'l8r' for later or even 'ha ha' to exemplify joking, others simply cannot.
Here are some more examples from the website:
'Leet' - meaning 'Leet, meaning Elite'.
'LGH' - meaning 'Let's Get High'.
'AAK' - meaning 'Asleep At Keyboard'.
'BFG' - meaning... no not Big Friendly Giant, but 'Big Freaking Grin'.
'SNERT' - meaning 'Snot Nosed Egotistical Rude Teenager'.
'YBIC' - meaning 'Your Brother In Christ.
I mean, what the hell?!
It's like I've fallen asleep and woken up in a strange new world. I'm 29 years of age and I know I'm not as young as I used to be but things haven't changed THAT much surely?
Teenagers remember how much it is for a bottle of White Lightning cider and that's about it... not a completely new dictionary!
And news just in...
Sony’s game unit said today it will cut the prices of its next generation PlayStation 3 game consoles in Japan next week, and offer a new low-range model in November.
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc will cut the price of its model with 20 gigabytes of hard disk memory by about 10% to 44,980 yen (384 US dollars, £188) from the current 49,980 yen (427 dollars, £209), with effect from October 17, the company said in a statement posted on its website.
The price of its 60GB model, which has no suggested retail price, will be reduced to about 54,980 yen (470 dollar, £230).
The company also said a new lower-tier 40GB model will hit Japanese stores on November 11 at a suggested retail price of 39,980 yen (342 dollars, £168).
The company has globally sold more than 5 million units of the PlayStation 3 since it went on sale late last year in Japan and the US, and in March in Europe.
Sony once dominated the gaming industry with PlayStation 2, predecessor for the PS3, but it now faces intense competition from Microsoft and Nintendo.
Microsoft has sold 11.6 million Xbox 360 machines in the last two years, and Nintendo has sold 9.3 million of its popular Wii since late last year.
Anyway, apologies for the lack of blog last week.
You see, those nice people at Microsoft sent me a copy of Halo 3 on the 360. B*ggers!
They knew I wouldn't do much else with that in my home!
So, here's that review and another...
Title: Halo 3.
Platform: Xbox 360.
RRP: £49.99.
Hit count: 5/5.
Review: What can you say that hasn't been said already?
This game rocks my world... and it will rock your world! It's bigger, badder and ultimately more brutal with games to rival that of any hit title, playability with flair and, more importantly, an array of weapons to make Bond green with envy.
Rarely does a title live up to such expectation, but this game does so with ease.
In all honesty this is the first Halo game I have ever played.
Do I care what happened before? No. Do I care about the storyline up to this point? No. All I care about is blowing things to pieces with a fantastically awesome array of weapons!
As one reviewer put it: "The Halo games were always the best reason to by an Xbox and now the final part in the initial trilogy of ground breaking first person shooters is set to raise the bar for all Xbox 360 games."
Title: Fifa 08.
Platform: PS2.
RRP: £39.99.
Hit count: 3/5.
Review: The one problem I have with the Fifa series is simple. It's not Pro Evo.
I'm sorry but I sit on side of the fence and I always have done. My boots sit firmly in the PES camp.
Saying that I can still appreciate what the Fifa boys have done to up the game.
They've improved the graphics and animation and added some uber hi-tech '35 point decision engine'.
What exactly this means I am unsure of, but the gist of it is that every player on the pitch is aware of every other and moves and reacts to the play.
The other noticeable improved feature is the shooting. Players now move much more fluidly when attacking and players can shoot from various angles of the pitch.
Like I said, while I can appreciate what Fifa has done, it still isn't quite there.
The gap has been closed though.
Wednesday, 26 September 2007
Internet tools for the job
While this won't come as a surprise to most people, my Do-It-Yourself abilities rival that of a very wet flannel.
People can point out the handy 25-step assembly instruction guide, but still sadly I find a way to screw something in upside down, nail two pieces of something very wrong together, or glue myself to something rather than what was originally intended.
In short I am useless. And having just bought myself my first (and probably last) house, I have only reinforced that (dis)belief in myself.
With my parents out of the country on holiday and thus uncontactable, and my brother and friends (with the exception of Tim) being just as inept, I found myself guessing how to drill into a solid brick wall.
It wasn't the actual 'drilling' part I faltered on, it was more the 'what size drill bit', 'what size raw plug' and 'what size screw' issues that confused me.
For a short while I was playing a game of trial and error with my most expensive purchase in my 29 years of life.
Until of course I took a step back and considered that I am not the only person in the world with such lack of skills.
With that I ventured upstairs, switched on the PC and surfed the web tapping in sentences like 'how to screw into concrete' in the Blackle search engine.
Within seconds I was as knowledgable as my father. Within minutes I was easily as capable (or so I thought), and within hours I had something that kinda resembled what I had hoped to achieve.
Seriously though, the search engine saved me, both mentally, no doubt physically, and financially.
Now I know this sounds rather gay, but it also helped me erect my trellis and plant my three climber plants. (Note: Street cred count fading fast).
Not only is the internet good for learning how to carry out home improvements including gardening (check out the BBC's gardening pages), but it is also useful when you have lost the instructions to, say, the oven.
By tapping in the make and model of my oven into Blackle I was able not only to find out how to operate the thing, but also to download a pdf of the actual instruction booklet. Handy huh?
Of course everyone also knows that items online are cheaper than most high street retailers. If you haven't already check out http://www.kelkoo.com/.
Kelkoo is a price comparison website that allows you to compare prices of an item or product with dozens of website stores.
When buying an expensive piece of home furniture like a three-piece suite or a fridge freezer you can't go wrong.
Reviews:
Title: Dirt
Platform: Sony PS3
RRP: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5
Vroom! Rarely... no, in fact, very rarely does a game come into the office deserving the red carpet treatment. Then of course there's the late Colin McCrae's Dirt.
Dirt is gritty, awesomely fun and downright fab by all margins. It's the first title that, for me, proves the PS3's superior capability as a platform.
The intricate detail and playability - not only of the game itself but also menus - deserve awards. The soundtrack also gets you all fired up and the step-bystep audio instructions allow for an easy ride.
The actual game itself asks you to pit your wits against any number of challengers in arcade, championship and career modes. As you progress through the levels winning races, you can buy and change cars and build them up to provide you with the best chance of becoming overall champion.
The individual landscapes' graphics are unlike anything I've seen on the platform. Imagine MotoStorm but 10 times as good.
It's a pity that Mr McCrae himself is not around to take a bow.
Title: Guild Wars - Eye of The North
Platform: PC
RRP: £24.99
Hit count: 3/5
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Tyria it all kicks off again in spectacular fashion. This expansion pack allows players to embark on further adventures on the battle-scarred continent. Join up with old heroes, meet new ones, battle ferocious things and avoid earthquakes which continue to rip apart the once peaceful plain.
This new title allows players the choice of exploring overground or underground with a unique sprawling underground complex of caverns that span the entire continent.
In total there are 18 multi-level dungeons filled with traps, puzzles and secret passages to explore which add a new dimension to an already successful title.
It all leads up to a face-off with a menace so great it threatens the very existence of the people of Tyria.
People can point out the handy 25-step assembly instruction guide, but still sadly I find a way to screw something in upside down, nail two pieces of something very wrong together, or glue myself to something rather than what was originally intended.
In short I am useless. And having just bought myself my first (and probably last) house, I have only reinforced that (dis)belief in myself.
With my parents out of the country on holiday and thus uncontactable, and my brother and friends (with the exception of Tim) being just as inept, I found myself guessing how to drill into a solid brick wall.
It wasn't the actual 'drilling' part I faltered on, it was more the 'what size drill bit', 'what size raw plug' and 'what size screw' issues that confused me.
For a short while I was playing a game of trial and error with my most expensive purchase in my 29 years of life.
Until of course I took a step back and considered that I am not the only person in the world with such lack of skills.
With that I ventured upstairs, switched on the PC and surfed the web tapping in sentences like 'how to screw into concrete' in the Blackle search engine.
Within seconds I was as knowledgable as my father. Within minutes I was easily as capable (or so I thought), and within hours I had something that kinda resembled what I had hoped to achieve.
Seriously though, the search engine saved me, both mentally, no doubt physically, and financially.
Now I know this sounds rather gay, but it also helped me erect my trellis and plant my three climber plants. (Note: Street cred count fading fast).
Not only is the internet good for learning how to carry out home improvements including gardening (check out the BBC's gardening pages), but it is also useful when you have lost the instructions to, say, the oven.
By tapping in the make and model of my oven into Blackle I was able not only to find out how to operate the thing, but also to download a pdf of the actual instruction booklet. Handy huh?
Of course everyone also knows that items online are cheaper than most high street retailers. If you haven't already check out http://www.kelkoo.com/.
Kelkoo is a price comparison website that allows you to compare prices of an item or product with dozens of website stores.
When buying an expensive piece of home furniture like a three-piece suite or a fridge freezer you can't go wrong.
Reviews:
Title: Dirt
Platform: Sony PS3
RRP: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5
Vroom! Rarely... no, in fact, very rarely does a game come into the office deserving the red carpet treatment. Then of course there's the late Colin McCrae's Dirt.
Dirt is gritty, awesomely fun and downright fab by all margins. It's the first title that, for me, proves the PS3's superior capability as a platform.
The intricate detail and playability - not only of the game itself but also menus - deserve awards. The soundtrack also gets you all fired up and the step-bystep audio instructions allow for an easy ride.
The actual game itself asks you to pit your wits against any number of challengers in arcade, championship and career modes. As you progress through the levels winning races, you can buy and change cars and build them up to provide you with the best chance of becoming overall champion.
The individual landscapes' graphics are unlike anything I've seen on the platform. Imagine MotoStorm but 10 times as good.
It's a pity that Mr McCrae himself is not around to take a bow.
Title: Guild Wars - Eye of The North
Platform: PC
RRP: £24.99
Hit count: 3/5
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Tyria it all kicks off again in spectacular fashion. This expansion pack allows players to embark on further adventures on the battle-scarred continent. Join up with old heroes, meet new ones, battle ferocious things and avoid earthquakes which continue to rip apart the once peaceful plain.
This new title allows players the choice of exploring overground or underground with a unique sprawling underground complex of caverns that span the entire continent.
In total there are 18 multi-level dungeons filled with traps, puzzles and secret passages to explore which add a new dimension to an already successful title.
It all leads up to a face-off with a menace so great it threatens the very existence of the people of Tyria.
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
Communication for the nation
It's likely to pose one of the biggest dilemmas in recent years for company bosses.
Now I'm not talking about the headache of trying to adopt a greener policy or office wage structure... I'm referring to the decision to allow or disallow employees to use facebook during work time.
In little over 12 months the popularity of the social networking website has spread like wild fire.
So addictive is the web craze that businesses and organisations are having to adopt new policies to tackle the problem of employees using work hours to chat to friends.
The Medway NHS Trust based in Kent has become the latest organisation to ban workers from accessing the social networking websites.
A Trust spokesman said the IT department monitored internet usage and found a high volume of employees were regularly logging on to Facebook.
The Trust fears Facebook is damaging employee's productivity.
Now, I'm sorry if I burst the trust's bubble here, but so frikkin what if employees want to network while at work?
What next? Ban talking in office time about anything other than work matters?!
Now I realise that certain professions do not warrant the use of the internet or indeed social network sites, (such as coal miners, burger flippers or driving instructors), but for some it is seen as a valuable work tool.
For us writers it offers another communicative tool in tracking people down and contacting them.
For us bloggers it also offers food for thought, and ultimately something to write about!
The problem with this world nowadays is that people don't talk to each other enough.
Could we have resolved the situation with the Iraqis had we accepted a Myspace friend request from the country's great and good?
Probably not, but what I'm getting at is knowledge is power, and conversations - whether spoken or written - lead to debates and debates lead to change.
Banning people from communicating is a crime against humanity.
The row at Midway has led to 75 of the Trust’s 3,550 employees forming an online protest group called getfacebookbackatmedway.
"No fun allowed here" is one complaint posted on the group’s Facebook page.
I sympathise with them. Sadly I think it's only matter of time before the supposed great and good of Northcliffe's IT army ban us from using it.
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It's a nice thought isn't it... knowing that the entire universe is right outside your window waiting to be discovered.
However it kind of makes you feel a bit small and minute doesn't it?
Even more so when you can actually see the clusters of stars, distant swirling galaxies and clouds of space dust that hang above our heads.
Google has just launched a new add-on service to Google Earth (the unique web-mapping of the globe) in the form of Google Sky.
Google Sky lets you see close up views of the cosmos above any postal area in the world.
All users have to do is tap in their postal address to see what is directly over their house. It's like having your own super-telescope with a zoom lense to the stars.
Visit http://www.google.com/, download Google Earth and add on Google Sky.
Oh, and while we're on the subject of Google... did anyone read about the super sleuth web users who were using Google Earth to help the authorities in their search for the missing adventurer Steve Fossett?
Record-breaker Fossett went missing on September 3 in the Nevada desert after signal was lost with the one-man plane he was flying.
Little did the would-be rescuers know that the images on Google Earth are not 'live images'. They are static images and were taken anything up to a couple of years ago. Ten out of ten for trying though...
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Reviews:
Title: Two WorldsPlatform: Xbox 360
RRP: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Thrown into the very heart of a dynamic, breathing world poised on the brink of an apocalypse, players of Two Worlds will be excused for thinking they woke up in certain areas of Plymouth.
Sadly Two Worlds is not set in Jannerland, but actually a made-up world full of epic quests and challenges.
Refreshingly this role player game allows unprecendented levels of player freedom. Every decision and action the player makes will directly influence the world around them and the people that inhabit it.
Personally the best bit for me is the ability to pick up dozens of weapons, with the ability to combine them together to create an awesome artillery.
Graphically it's alright with detail not only on the characters, but also the landscapes (think Return to Monkey Island).
The game's PR boldly state that Two Worlds will become the RPG game of the year on Xbox 360 and PC. Whether it will or not I don't know, but it stands a good chance.
Now I'm not talking about the headache of trying to adopt a greener policy or office wage structure... I'm referring to the decision to allow or disallow employees to use facebook during work time.
In little over 12 months the popularity of the social networking website has spread like wild fire.
So addictive is the web craze that businesses and organisations are having to adopt new policies to tackle the problem of employees using work hours to chat to friends.
The Medway NHS Trust based in Kent has become the latest organisation to ban workers from accessing the social networking websites.
A Trust spokesman said the IT department monitored internet usage and found a high volume of employees were regularly logging on to Facebook.
The Trust fears Facebook is damaging employee's productivity.
Now, I'm sorry if I burst the trust's bubble here, but so frikkin what if employees want to network while at work?
What next? Ban talking in office time about anything other than work matters?!
Now I realise that certain professions do not warrant the use of the internet or indeed social network sites, (such as coal miners, burger flippers or driving instructors), but for some it is seen as a valuable work tool.
For us writers it offers another communicative tool in tracking people down and contacting them.
For us bloggers it also offers food for thought, and ultimately something to write about!
The problem with this world nowadays is that people don't talk to each other enough.
Could we have resolved the situation with the Iraqis had we accepted a Myspace friend request from the country's great and good?
Probably not, but what I'm getting at is knowledge is power, and conversations - whether spoken or written - lead to debates and debates lead to change.
Banning people from communicating is a crime against humanity.
The row at Midway has led to 75 of the Trust’s 3,550 employees forming an online protest group called getfacebookbackatmedway.
"No fun allowed here" is one complaint posted on the group’s Facebook page.
I sympathise with them. Sadly I think it's only matter of time before the supposed great and good of Northcliffe's IT army ban us from using it.
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It's a nice thought isn't it... knowing that the entire universe is right outside your window waiting to be discovered.
However it kind of makes you feel a bit small and minute doesn't it?
Even more so when you can actually see the clusters of stars, distant swirling galaxies and clouds of space dust that hang above our heads.
Google has just launched a new add-on service to Google Earth (the unique web-mapping of the globe) in the form of Google Sky.
Google Sky lets you see close up views of the cosmos above any postal area in the world.
All users have to do is tap in their postal address to see what is directly over their house. It's like having your own super-telescope with a zoom lense to the stars.
Visit http://www.google.com/, download Google Earth and add on Google Sky.
Oh, and while we're on the subject of Google... did anyone read about the super sleuth web users who were using Google Earth to help the authorities in their search for the missing adventurer Steve Fossett?
Record-breaker Fossett went missing on September 3 in the Nevada desert after signal was lost with the one-man plane he was flying.
Little did the would-be rescuers know that the images on Google Earth are not 'live images'. They are static images and were taken anything up to a couple of years ago. Ten out of ten for trying though...
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Reviews:
Title: Two WorldsPlatform: Xbox 360
RRP: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Thrown into the very heart of a dynamic, breathing world poised on the brink of an apocalypse, players of Two Worlds will be excused for thinking they woke up in certain areas of Plymouth.
Sadly Two Worlds is not set in Jannerland, but actually a made-up world full of epic quests and challenges.
Refreshingly this role player game allows unprecendented levels of player freedom. Every decision and action the player makes will directly influence the world around them and the people that inhabit it.
Personally the best bit for me is the ability to pick up dozens of weapons, with the ability to combine them together to create an awesome artillery.
Graphically it's alright with detail not only on the characters, but also the landscapes (think Return to Monkey Island).
The game's PR boldly state that Two Worlds will become the RPG game of the year on Xbox 360 and PC. Whether it will or not I don't know, but it stands a good chance.
Thursday, 23 August 2007
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.
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.
Friday, 17 August 2007
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.
Wednesday, 1 August 2007
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.
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.
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