Super Princess Peach
Posted at 13:09
Probably the cutest Mario related platform I have ever played (excluding Yoshi's Island), a short review is available from Fidget here.Labels: DS, fidget, nintendo, review, super princess peach
Oh, Smeg!
Posted at 17:28
If you are as huge a Red Dwarf fan as I am, you should check out my 10 favourite episodes as displayed on Den of Geek.
Photography
Posted at 23:40
Hidden within the disturbing depths of my weird and wonderful interests (Tudor history books or Death Note cosplay anyone?!) lies a love of visuals, colour and anything that stands still. I am no photographer, but I enjoy sharing pretty things.
Labels: flower festival, london, photography
London
Posted at 19:20
My first memory of London came courtesy of a Tourette's sufferer bawling "CHEESE" a few feet behind me, as I struggled out of a strange tube station named Walthamstow Central with an over-packed suitcase, dubious face and '999' poised on my mobile phone. My second memory was WiFi.The Sleeping Beauty Motel, chosen by myself because it sounded like a Disney film and was cheap as chips, turned out to offer free WiFi to all its inhabitants, as well as harbouring an anomalous lockable fridge and wide open window that would make The HASAW Act 1974 weep in despair.
The one surprising feature of the motel (with exception of the grand total of four mirrors I counted in my room) was the Internet access. In fact I am using it now as I write this very blog, whilst loading BBC iPlayer and pretending to understand a grossly huge Wikipedia article on King Henry VIII (what can I say, I'm a geek).
The point of this blog is...well, I haven't decided yet. I think the lesson is that free WiFi is fantastic. Oh, and also never trust a hotel with no bath plugs.
Labels: bath plugs, hotel, london, wifi
MicroMart
Posted at 15:50
My first published review is available now in MicroMart, issue 999. I love this magazine; the articles are in depth, accurate and interesting. And what's more, it retails at a mere £2, well worth every penny.Labels: circus empire, magazine, micro mart, pc, review
Animal Crossing -- Wild World
Posted at 16:58
Animal Crossing is a fantastic franchise. The DS version, Wild World, has been available for a while now. However due to my retro-favouring tendencies, I am only just getting around to the delights the pocket-size gem has to offer.
Take a look at my review of said game at Fidget, Scotland's up-and-coming computer games rendezvous. Click here to read.
Take a look at my review of said game at Fidget, Scotland's up-and-coming computer games rendezvous. Click here to read.
Labels: animal crossing, computer games, DS, fidget, nintendo, review, rpg, wild world
When Bebo Goes Bad
Posted at 16:02
“I dropped a box of eggs off the top shelf onto a customer. Luckily my badge fell off and he never seen my name, score.”As a result of similar situations, companies are wising up to the slapdash habits of its employees. You can be guaranteed a brand spanking new clause in your contract forbidding you to disclose unsuitable or confidential work-related information on the Internet, something that can't come quickly enough for the unfortunate yolk-covered customers of Tesco Belhaven. Has it put me off shopping there? You bet it has. Then again I was already put off by its huge imposing presence, sucking away the smaller supermarkets and livelihood of an already deteriorating town centre, not to mention the small number of aforementioned staff who are quite obviously dedicated to customer service. It is fair to say I am over-reacting; then again if I had ever seen a derogatory comment directed at me, it wouldn't be long before I was the one egg-pelting the shiny new windows of the supermarket elite.
Lets just hope these mindless fools are dismissed for their mindless pap, replaced by people who actually know that "every little helps".
A similar rant has been posted via the Destructoid community.
Labels: bebo, internet group, news, social networking, tesco, the sun, wishaw, wishaw press
Den of Geek
Posted at 11:27
If you have not yet embraced the Mecca of geek, then you should. Right now. Den of Geek is a fantastic testament to all things awesome, from television shows to videogames, and a lot more in between. It makes for fantastic reading, there's something for everyone. Bookmark and enjoy :D
Is this "The One"?
Posted at 09:45
For those oblivious to the recent e-hype developing frenzied opinion on forums, blogs and technology sites, where have you been?!?
The Elonex One (shown above) is the main talk of this frenzied opinion, and the latest in a string of budget-priced sub-notebooks to be debuted, with primary interest in the NLI programme. So what makes the One stand out from the EeePC, OLPC, Cloudbook and PixelQi? Originally presented at the Education Show in Birmingham (and captured in action by the BBC), the One is a "sub £100 laptop that gives wireless access to the Internet, e-mail, word processing and spreadsheets", according to their press release. It is this "sub-£100" that is getting most people excited, as none of the above have so far had a price tag to match.
For techno-geeks, the official specs (taken from the Elonex website) are: 7" TFT LCD display; 800x480pix Widescreen, W22cm x L15cm x H3cm; Weight 0.95kg; 300MHz Processor; 128MB memory; Linux OS (Linos 2.6.21); 1GB internal storage; Wi-Fi 802.11b/g; Ethernet, 2x USB 2.0 ports; audio in and headphone jacks; approx 4 hours battery usage.
The weight, size and durability (tough outer shell, splashproofkeyboard) compliment the target audience of not just children and the education sector in general, but "adult learners, business users, people who are constantly mobile, elderly people and first time Internet users".
A distinguishable feature concerns the "removable keyboard" which allows a tablet-style usage, albeit without a touchscreen mode which would have inevitably driven up the price. A mouse emulator is located on the back of the screen (along with most of the other components, thus achieving the 'top-heavy' status), to allow navigation in this case.
The main problems arising for the Elonex One have more to do with aesthetic looks than actual performance, if most comments are to be believed. Indeed there is no shortage of web surfers getting their knickers in a twist over the top-heavy design and "fugly looks" (to quote a few forum responses). This is when I start to boil a little and get tetchy; you can bet your school-boots most of the individuals commenting on the design side of things are not over-spoiled children huffing over what may be this years birthday present. In fact, a lot (of males, I can only presume) are having more fun declaring a war between Blonde vs Brunette, comparing the two models who are photographed advertising the Asus and Elonex notebooks respectively. I can respect the good humour behind it, but really, do these people forget that female geekery exists too? Trying to find a legitimate comment concerning the specs, future plans or accessories proved the needle-in-a-haystack theory yet again, as I waded through masses of "no SHE'S more hot" tripe. Please remember that female geekery does exist!
Although the One bravely states its place in society as 'more than a device for children', one must remember it's primary sector is aimed at...well, primary children! And conversely to what those fashion-conscious business travelers and no-life geeks may think as they scoff at looks which apparently would put them off displaying said goods on public transport (as if the general public really care what gadgetry they submit on a train), I think the portability, price and convenience should over-ride any false conceptions that a less-than-traditional design is automatically an eyesore. Presumably these thoughts are similar to the sorts of no-brain numbskulls I encounter frequently who ask silly questions such as "what's that stud under your lip?" and "did it hurt to have a huge injection followed by a huge silver bar plunged through your tongue?". Just because they cannot understand the beauty behind a piercing does not mean I enjoy the usual mass-fashion that society seems to thrive on, and the same views stand for technology.
However, for all who criticise and praise the Elonex One, only time will tell whether the goods live up to the hype. Of course, I've already placed a deposit on mine - at £99, you can't really go far wrong for a device which is not only going to save my main notebook from scratches and bumps, but rescue my shoulders from the heavy strain of carrying a 15.4" widescreen on my poor back.
The Elonex One is due for release in June 2008, so expect a first-hand review upon delivery. And to those who are still in doubt, remember: don't judge a laptop by its cover!
The Elonex One (shown above) is the main talk of this frenzied opinion, and the latest in a string of budget-priced sub-notebooks to be debuted, with primary interest in the NLI programme. So what makes the One stand out from the EeePC, OLPC, Cloudbook and PixelQi? Originally presented at the Education Show in Birmingham (and captured in action by the BBC), the One is a "sub £100 laptop that gives wireless access to the Internet, e-mail, word processing and spreadsheets", according to their press release. It is this "sub-£100" that is getting most people excited, as none of the above have so far had a price tag to match.
For techno-geeks, the official specs (taken from the Elonex website) are: 7" TFT LCD display; 800x480pix Widescreen, W22cm x L15cm x H3cm; Weight 0.95kg; 300MHz Processor; 128MB memory; Linux OS (Linos 2.6.21); 1GB internal storage; Wi-Fi 802.11b/g; Ethernet, 2x USB 2.0 ports; audio in and headphone jacks; approx 4 hours battery usage.
The weight, size and durability (tough outer shell, splashproofkeyboard) compliment the target audience of not just children and the education sector in general, but "adult learners, business users, people who are constantly mobile, elderly people and first time Internet users".
A distinguishable feature concerns the "removable keyboard" which allows a tablet-style usage, albeit without a touchscreen mode which would have inevitably driven up the price. A mouse emulator is located on the back of the screen (along with most of the other components, thus achieving the 'top-heavy' status), to allow navigation in this case.
The main problems arising for the Elonex One have more to do with aesthetic looks than actual performance, if most comments are to be believed. Indeed there is no shortage of web surfers getting their knickers in a twist over the top-heavy design and "fugly looks" (to quote a few forum responses). This is when I start to boil a little and get tetchy; you can bet your school-boots most of the individuals commenting on the design side of things are not over-spoiled children huffing over what may be this years birthday present. In fact, a lot (of males, I can only presume) are having more fun declaring a war between Blonde vs Brunette, comparing the two models who are photographed advertising the Asus and Elonex notebooks respectively. I can respect the good humour behind it, but really, do these people forget that female geekery exists too? Trying to find a legitimate comment concerning the specs, future plans or accessories proved the needle-in-a-haystack theory yet again, as I waded through masses of "no SHE'S more hot" tripe. Please remember that female geekery does exist!
Although the One bravely states its place in society as 'more than a device for children', one must remember it's primary sector is aimed at...well, primary children! And conversely to what those fashion-conscious business travelers and no-life geeks may think as they scoff at looks which apparently would put them off displaying said goods on public transport (as if the general public really care what gadgetry they submit on a train), I think the portability, price and convenience should over-ride any false conceptions that a less-than-traditional design is automatically an eyesore. Presumably these thoughts are similar to the sorts of no-brain numbskulls I encounter frequently who ask silly questions such as "what's that stud under your lip?" and "did it hurt to have a huge injection followed by a huge silver bar plunged through your tongue?". Just because they cannot understand the beauty behind a piercing does not mean I enjoy the usual mass-fashion that society seems to thrive on, and the same views stand for technology.
However, for all who criticise and praise the Elonex One, only time will tell whether the goods live up to the hype. Of course, I've already placed a deposit on mine - at £99, you can't really go far wrong for a device which is not only going to save my main notebook from scratches and bumps, but rescue my shoulders from the heavy strain of carrying a 15.4" widescreen on my poor back.
The Elonex One is due for release in June 2008, so expect a first-hand review upon delivery. And to those who are still in doubt, remember: don't judge a laptop by its cover!
Labels: asus eee pc, budget laptop, education show, elonex, elonex one, gadgets, laptop, nli, notebook, olpc, one laptop per child, pixel qi, technology
Social Networking
Posted at 09:20
My first blog for lifestyle blogging site CollegeCandy.com has just been published. It concerns the influential side of social networking websites, and is available to view by clicking here.
Labels: bebo, college candy, facebook, internet, lifestyle, myspace, social, social networking, teen, web, youth