JJC Wireless Shutter Release

One of the least explored mysteries of modern life is why a £30 digital picture frame comes complete with a multi-featured remote control while a digital camera costing thousands of pounds doesn't.

Most of the time you can use the self-timer to fire the shutter remotely, but this limits you to one shot at a time and the focus is locked once you start the timer, so if the subject moves, the shot can be ruined.

Most camera manufacturers offer a 'wired' remote control as an optional extra. For my Panasonic G1, this will cost me £60, and means I can't move more than 2.5 metres from the camera.

For $40 you can purchase wireless controllers from eBay that allows you to operate the shutter up to 100 metres from the camera. The one I ordered arrived within a week, came complete with batteries and works just fine.
------------

Solid state hard drive prices falling

Crucial has released a fast, 256GB SSD for £435. With conventional 250GB hard drives retailing at £60 it is not going to be an 'impulse purchase', but it does indicate how SSD prices are plummeting. Just a few months ago a similarly specced 250GB SSD would have set you back over £1,000.

For a full review click here
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BumpTop

BumpTop.com reports: [edited]

BumpTop is a fun, intuitive 3D desktop that keeps you organized and makes you more productive. Like a real desk, but better. Now with awesome mouse and multi-touch gestures.

- - - - -

Brett's 2p'orth: This is an exciting looking project. Shame it is PC-only, I would like to give it a try.

Thanks to Conrad for the link
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Lego as pixels

4 minutes of stop-motion brilliance, set to a superb 8-bit tune.

For more info click here

The MP3 is available from Amazon.co.uk
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Carbonite

Carbonite reports: [edited]

Carbonite installs a small software program on your computer (PC or Mac) that works in the background looking for new and changed files to back up.

When your computer is idle, Carbonite automatically backs up new and changed files.

If you accidentally delete or otherwise lose some of your files, it takes just a few clicks from your desktop to get them back. If your computer is damaged, stolen or dies and you lose all your files, you can restore them to a new computer.

Carbonite costs $54.95 per year but at the moment they are offering a free trial.
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Helvetica or Arial?

IronicSans.com is hosting a (surprisingly difficult) multiple-choice quiz in which 20 logos employing Helvetica are juxtaposed with Arial-substituted facsimiles. Modesty forbids that I reveal my score, but if you've got a couple of minutes spare, click here.
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World's first 12 megapixel, 3x optical zoom mobile phone

unwiredview.com reports: [edited]

The Samsung SCH-W880 M9820 has been announced in Korea, becoming the world’s first phone to have a 12MP camera with a 3x optical zoom.

It also features image stabilization, touch auto focus, face detection, Xenon flash and 720p video recording at 30fps.

Other known features of the phone include a 3.3 inch AMOLED WVGA touchscreen display and 4GB of internal memory.

- - - - -

Brett's 2p'orth: This is a compact camera with a SIM. To see how the mobile phone/camera distinctions are blurring click here
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For the idiot who has everything

Register Hardware reports: [edited]

Ultra-expensive mobile phone manufacturer Vertu is back with its latest credit crunch-defying handset - Ayxta.

Designed to attract 'discerning global citizens searching for a high quality product to assist in maintaining their standard of living wherever they may be throughout the world', Ayxta offers one-button access to a Vertu butler-esque telephone service through which the owner’s every whim will be catered for – day or night.

Vertu phones are all about the styling, though, so Ayxta has a stainless steel body, aluminium and leather detailing, and a sapphire crystal screen.

Prices start at £4491.
------------

Honda U3-X Unicycle

Register Hardware reports: [edited]

Honda has created a high-tech unicycle, which the firm’s claimed boasts the world’s first drive system with 360° movement.

The U3-X, described by Honda as an experimental personal mobility service, apparently fits comfortably between the rider’s legs to provide 360° motorised movement. To adjust the U3-X’s speed or direction, all the user has to do is shift their upper bodyweight.

A collection of small-diameter motorised wheels connected in-line to form a single large-diameter wheel allow the U3-X to make 360° movements. The small wheels control side-to-side movements, while the large wheel controls forward and back motions. A combination of both allows the U3-X to move diagonally.

When atop the 315 x 160 x 650mm U3-X, the rider is apparently at 'roughly' the same eye level as pedestrians. The seat, footrests and body cover all fold away into the device’s 10kg body.

The U3-X is powered by a lithium-ion battery, which is good for 60 minutes worth of travel.
------------

Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR

Digital Photography Review reports: [edited]

Fujifilm has introduced the FinePix F70EXR featuring a new half-inch 10 megapixel Super CCD EXR sensor. It has a 10x image-stabilized (27 - 270mm 35mm equiv.) zoom and a 2.7 inch LCD screen. The EXR technology uses the sensor in three different ways to optimize resolution, dynamic range or low-light performance. The camera features a new Pro-Focus and a Pro-Low light mode which use multiple exposures in an attempt to mimic DSLR depth-of-field and low light performance.

- - - - -

Brett's 2p'orth: Weighing 180g, and measuring just 99 x 59 x 23mm, this is the lightest, slimmest 10x zoom compact on the market. Digital Photography Review have recently published a gallery of images taken with the camera, and the quality is impressive.
------------

Kim Cogan

Kim Cogan's oil paintings of cities and people are inspired by the works of artists including Edward Hopper and Richard Diebenkorn, fusing abstract and representational styles with broad brush strokes and a simplified colour palette.

To view more examples of his work, click here

Thanks to Daren Pearson for the link
------------

Final Fantasy VII, Advent Children - Blu-ray

I blogged on this movie in 2006. It has recently been re-released in Blu-ray format.

26 minutes longer than the original, the Blu-ray version has been completely remastered and re-rendered in 1080p, using an AVC, 20Mbps codec. Detail is stunning, especially in dark areas and the characters' hair (one of the Square Enix team's specialities) is exquisite.

The sound quality is equally excellent, with detailed (but not intrusive) separation, clear vocals and subtle surround-sound effects. The range of sounds is very wide, with the high-end occasionally causing 'popping' sounds from my non-DTS approved tweeters.

If you've never seen this before, enjoy the anime genre, and have a decent AV system, this is worth buying. If you enjoyed this on DVD and possess a decent AV system, it's worth renting.
------------

Living with the iPhone 3GS: Super Monkey Ball

One of the first games ported to the iPhone, Super Monkey Ball (SMB) is derived from Sega's identically titled release for the Nintendo’s GameCube console.

SMB features monkeys inside transparent balls that race on suspended tracks. You tilt the iPhone to make your monkey move. The more you tilt, the faster the ball rolls.

The levels move from easy to *$!*@ impossible, with five different worlds to explore. Graphics are smooth, and the sounds are cute and surprisingly unirritating.

One annoyance is that although you can pause a game, if you move to another program, you go back to where you've started.

If you have an iPhone (or an iPod Touch) this is £2.39 (while the 'sale' lasts) extremely well-spent.
------------

AMD/OTOY bringing high-end gaming to the iPhone?

Ars Technica reports: [edited]

AMD unveiled its next-generation GPU architecture at an event today aboard the USS Hornet. 2.5 teraFLOPS of floating-point power, or well over twice the company's current high-end cards.

While AMD gave a number of very impressive demos of their next-generation DirectX 11 part OTOY's demo of Crysis running on an iPhone was probably the most intriguing use of AMD's upcoming GPU that I saw all evening.

OTOY claims to be able to deliver 3D games in real-time over the Internet, so that you can play, say, Crysis by using a remote render farm as a kind of terminal server that pushes out frames to a thin client that just does display and user input.

First, the game is rendered on the server machine, where frames from it are grabbed by the OTOY server-side software. Next, these frames are compressed and sent out over the network to the client, which decompresses them using a very small chunk of code (about 780K, hence the iPhone demo) and displays them in a window. User input is sent back to the server over UDP because it's tolerant of packet loss, so you don't add to latency by resending dropped packets.

The demos of Bioshock, Grand Theft Auto, and World of Warcraft were surprisingly responsive, despite the fact that the games were being served up by machines in Los Angeles. There was some discernible lag, but not much worse than what I was comfortable with in my Quake deathmatch days.

The iPhone's screen was small enough that I couldn't discern any compression artifacts, and the gameplay was smooth and responsive. Aside from the half-baked control scheme, which was apparently hacked together at the last minute, this really was Crysis running on an iPhone.
------------

iPhone/iPod touch paper stand

dessinemoiunobjet.com has designed a 'cut-and-fold' template to construct a stand for your iPhone or iPod touch.

More pictures, a downloadable PDF and instructional video (which, ironically, won't play on an iPhone) are all available on the site.

- - - - -

Brett's 2p'orth: I found the original model a too narrow, and the 'lip' a little shallow. My modified version can be downloaded here.

Thanks to Conrad for the link
------------

Christmas is coming

crunchgear.com reports: [edited]

Japan has its good share of Hello Kitty-branded computers. So it’s only fair that it’s not Japan but Korea that gets a special version of the MiNEW A10, most probably the cutest Hello Kitty computer out there. It’s made by Korean PC maker Moneual.

The hardware isn’t that spectacular spec-wise (Atom CPU, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD), but that’s not really what you’re looking for when you buy this computer, is it?
------------

Sink or Swim - Bad Lieutenant

Bernard Sumner (Joy Division, New Order, Electronic...) has formed a new band, Bad Lieutenant. He is accompanied by New Order bandmates Stephen Morris and Phil Cunningham, as well as Blur's Alex James.

The group are giving away the jangly first single 'Sink Or Swim' at Snob Music.

- - - - -

Brett's 2p'orth: The track doesn't arrive with a 'cover artwork'. For a 600x600 pixel artwork, click here
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Letters of Note

Letters of Note is:

"an attempt to gather and sort fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams, faxes, and even emails. Scans/photos where possible. Fakes will be sneered at. Updated weekdays."

via Kottke
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Snow Leopard: First impressions

Pros:
- Reclaimed 10GB of disk space
- Safari much faster
- Finder much snappier
- SBBOD™ rarely appears

Cons:
- Adobe GoLive CS2 menus changed to a dark grey
- Epson Stylus C82 wireless printing broken
- Not much else really
------------

iPod Nano 5G

Cult of Mac have published an extensive and overwhelmingly positive review (with plenty of images and example videos) of Apple's latest iPod Nano.

Excerpts follow:

"It can record video, play movies, store weeks’ worth of music, wake you in the morning, remind you of a dental appointment, record how many steps you walked to work, and how long it took you. It remembers all your contacts, records voice memos, stores your shopping lists and plays a bunch of games that are controlled by tipping and tilting the beautiful little device."

"The nano is a slick piece of hardware. The colored aluminum shell is bright and shiny. It’s extremely well made. There are no gaps or seams or flimsy tabs that might fall off. It feels solid and expensive, but also very small and light."

"Video recording is the blockbuster new feature. The video is bright, sharp and detailed, even if it is only VGA (640 x 480). The camera transitions well between sunlight and indoors, and the microphone picks up sound well."

"The effects are fun. In the past I’ve found effects gimmicky, but here they make perfect sense."

"Video playback is fantastic. The nano’s screen is really sharp and detailed. So much so, it’s almost hallucinatory. I watched a couple of videos, and they looked trippy sharp. Maybe it’s the small screen."

"Watching a movie or TV show on this device is no problem. Holding an iPhone to watch a movie can be tiring on your arms, but the nano is so small and light, I didn’t have a problem."

"The built-in FM radio is slick, and a welcome addition. Live Pause allows you to stop the audio for up to 15 minutes and pick up later where you left off. And Song Tagging lets you tag songs, which are added to a list in iTunes when you sync."

"Music on the nano works great. I really enjoy Cover Flow, which I hate on the computer. Tilt the nano sideways, and it displays thumbnails of all the songs or albums, which are easily browsed by turning the scroll wheel."

"The bad: Almost too small and light for clumsy middle-aged fingers. No still pictures. The tinny little speaker is so weak, it’ll waken only the lightest sleepers."

- - - - -

Brett's 2p'orth: How long can it be before Apple adds a SIM card to this?
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BBC iPlayer now on PS3

The latest software upgrade to the Sony Playstation 3 has added BBC's iPlayer to its list of options. It all works smoothly and while the picture and sound quality is significantly poorer than its Freeview equivalent, it does mean that you can watch the latest episode of Shooting Stars or Top Gear just about any time you like, from your sofa rather than your home-office chair.
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Surrogates

Apple Trailers reports: [edited]

FBI agents (Bruce Willis and Radha Mitchell) investigate the mysterious murder of a college student linked to the man who helped create a high-tech surrogate phenomenon that allows people to purchase unflawed robotic versions of themselves - fit, good looking remotely-controlled machines that assume their life roles - enabling people to experience life vicariously from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
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Dollar bill origami

10 excellent examples here.
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Dean Spanley

Toa Fraser's adaption of Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett's 'My Talks With Dean Spanley' is one of those movies that is both whimsical and profound. Set in post-Boer War England, it blends the mundane and the mystical to produce a heart-warming and thought-provoking movie.

Peter O'Toole is superb as Fisk Senior, a self-contained, arrogant old man.

Sam Neill portrays the eccentric Rev Spanley with rare conviction and dignity as a man who reverts to his former life as a dog after a couple of glasses of his favourite tipple.

Jeremy Northam, who plays Fisk Senior's long-suffering son, is an excellent everyman, aware of his father's failings but determined to remain in contact with him.

The pace of the film borders on ponderous, relying on the superb acting of its cast to drag you from scene to scene.

I find the concept of reincarnation baffling and repugnant, and yet still found the film intriguing and illuminating. If you can contemplate a film bereft of naked bodies, guns, car-chases and profanity, this is definitely one I would recommend.

- - - - -

Not a lot of people know this but (NALOPKTB™)... Plunkett's 'The King of Elfland's Daughter' inspired the film Stardust.
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Sinzano

If you want an 'old-school' hand-lettered look as used on film credits for 1950s films, Sinzano allows you to do it without a lot of work.

It has over 400 OpenType interlocks which intelligently' replace the letter combinations you type. It works very well, and at just $8.95 from My Fonts it won't bankrupt you either.
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iPhone mums

TwinCities.com reports: [edited]

When Laurie Jesch-Kulseth gets a craving for fennel while at the supermarket with her two young kids, she doesn't just grab a batch of the tasty herb and head for the register.

She whips out her iPhone, searches the Web for a good recipe incorporating fennel, fetches the extra ingredients and has a family dinner on the table within hours.

Women now account for nearly 40 percent of iPhone users, according to the ComScore market research firm.

For iPhone moms, an Internet-connected handset with a wide variety of downloadable applications acts as a weather watcher, a price researcher, an address locator, a schedule reminder, an isolation destroyer, an e-book reader and much more.

Jesch-Kulseth and her husband, Radd Kulseth, recently popped for his-and-hers handsets. While Kulseth, an attorney, largely uses his iPhone for work, his wife uses hers to keep a handle on the home front.

She never wonders which fruits and vegetables are in season, for instance, because her Locavore application tells her. It even links her to Epicurious, a Web-based recipe database, for tips on how to use those fruits and veggies.

Jesch-Kulseth keeps shopping lists in her note-taking app. She uses a nutrition app to calculate how many calories she burns on walks with her 10-month-old daughter. When her 3-year-old son gets antsy, she lets him use a light saber app.

While at a park near her home, she uses a National Public Radio app for a bit of audio enlightenment and cruises news sites for the latest headlines. A Facebook app keeps her in touch with friends and family.
------------

District 9

I was going to wait until this came out on DVD, but my two sons encouraged me to go with them to see it at the cinema. And I'm very glad I did.

Just in case you've managed to avoid the blanket viral advertising campaign, District 9 is based in an alternative 'now' where twenty years ago an enormous alien spaceship came to a halt above the city of Johannesburg.

The million-or-so almost-dead crew (nicknamed 'Prawns' because of their crustacean-like bodies) are 're-housed' in a slum in the city below.

The film starts with a documentary-style introduction, moving seamlessly into a more conventional 'Alien 2'-style action film.

To explain the film is to spoil it. What I can say is that despite plot-holes the size of an alien spaceship, it managed to intrigue, shock and entertain Zak, Brook and myself throughout its 2-hour running time.
------------

Samsung WB5000

Digital Photography Review reports: [edited]

Samsung has released the WB5000 with 24x optical zoom. A variant of other recently launched superzooms, the camera offers a field of view of 26-624mm equivalent, 3.0 inch LCD and a 12.47 MP sensor. It features 720p HD video, RAW format shooting, Image Stabilization, P/A/S/M shooting modes and enhanced Face Recognition.
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Living with the iPhone 3GS: Tube Deluxe & London Bus

If you use the London public transport system, these two Malcolm Barclay-produced Apps are indispensable.

Tube Deluxe (59p) provides regularly updated service details on all London Underground tube lines with a full map of the Underground and station finder. You can use the iPhone's 'locate' service to find the closest station.

London Bus (59p) allows you to plan a journey using London Transport from just about anywhere, to just about anywhere. Type in your postcode, and the postcode you're trying to get to, and London Bus will do its best to work out a route.

Oh, and if you're wondering why he doesn't merge the two Apps, click here.
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$1,000,000 wine book

luxuo.com reports: [edited]

A $1 million wine book, weighing 30kg, is set to be released in the Spring of 2010. The Wine Opus will list the world’s top 100 wineries. Every purchaser of the book will also receive a six-bottle case of wine from every one of the 100 wineries listed.

The book is published by Kraken Opus, which has previously launched extravagant works on fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, Indian cricket ace Sachin Tendulkar and Argentine footballer Diego Maradona.

Only 100 copies of the book will be made – 25 have already been pre-ordered, with a number of copies set aside for auction.

via Kottke
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Living with the iPhone 3GS: Instapaper

The iPhone owes its success to a clever melding of elegant design and an intuitive operating system. Unlike most mobile phones, people are able to work out the basics of how to use an iPhone simply by playing with it.

The included 'Apps' (Mail, Safari, Phone, iPod, Maps...) are enough to keep most people happy for a long time. But the fast-growing (with a turnover estimated at around $2.4 billion this year) App Store is providing iPhone users with a wide range of useful (and not-so-useful) programs.

Over the coming weeks I will be reviewing the ones that I have found the most useful/enjoyable.

Instapaper ticks both boxes.

I regularly come across a web article that looks intriguing, but is too lengthy to read at that moment. Instapaper allows you to drag it to a bookmark in your browser's toolbar, which distills a text-only version, optimised for viewing on your iPhone. This is sent to Instapaper's server, and the next time you synchronise your iPhone, it gets uploaded, ready to be viewed when you have the time.

You can try it for free, by visiting Instapaper.com. And the full version is excellent value at just $5.

Thanks to Conrad for introducing me to Instapaper.
------------

Mythical creatures venn diagram

Genius. For larger images, click here.

via Kottke
------------

Motorola S9 headset

I'm not known for being an overly sensitive person. But my skin is. I don't like wearing jewellery, and the majority of my clothes are made of natural fibres. For that reason, I have always disliked conventional headsets, as I am constantly aware of the wires snagging and tugging my skin/clothing.

So when I was looking for a Bluetooth stereo headset for my iPhone 3GS, I was dismayed to find that most 'wireless' stereo headsets still have wires!

The S9 does not, however comments following online reviews of the unit regularly mention:

1. The intermittent Bluetooth connection.

2. Its susceptibility to sweat.

3. The lack of compatibility with the iPhone.

4. Its poor microphone.

However, I saw a pair of them online for less than £30, so I took the plunge. The set I received contained a charger, a nylon carry bag and an armband that holds my iPhone and a house-key for when I go out running.

Pairing it with my iPhone was simple. The volume and play/pause buttons work fine, but not the next track/last track buttons. I have yet to received a phone call while wearing them, so can't speak for that function, nor have I got them wet.

It is a one-piece unit that loops behind your neck, clamping the earpieces into your lugholes. On a baldy like me the appearance is faintly comical, as if someone has fitted me with a grabhandle. But they sit comfortably enough, WITH NO WIRES!

Build-quality is generally good, but the flap that covers the charger socket fits poorly.

The sound quality is OK, probably on a par with the 'standard' wired iPhone headsets, with slightly stronger, less-controlled bass.

Sound dropouts do occur, especially if you are holding the iPhone in your hand. It seems to be better when the headset and transmitter are kept at a constant distance, as when I leave the iPhone in my backpack, or in the supplied armband.

Overall, I am happy with my purchase. Motorola has released an 'HD' version of the headset in the US which is identical in shape, but with 'SRS WOW HD technology, better background noise isolation and new side control buttons with improved moisture protection' which I will be checking-out when it become available in this country. For a review of the HD unit visit blog.treonauts.com.
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Twisted

Excellent picture from JD Hancock.

Thanks to Conrad for the link
------------

Living with the iPhone 3GS: First Impressions

Since its launch in June 2007, I have wanted an iPhone. However, my dislike of its 'tied-in-to-a contractnessness'™, low storage capacity and the lack of Bluetooth stereo support kept me from making the jump from my Nokia E65. However, when the iPhone 3GS was announced, I finally gave in and placed my order.

- It is a beautiful piece of engineering, lovely to look at, hold and use. My only mechanical gripe is the ring/silent switch which has sharp edges and sits just a little too proud from the casing, meaning that it sometimes gets switched to silent when being slid into its case.

- Weight and bulk are bearable, but you do notice its 'pocket-presence'.

- Set-up was fast and painless, apart from the migration of my mobile no. from Vodafone to O2, not sure whose fault it was, but it took 3 days of constant phone calls before I could get reliable mobile internet access.

- The onscreen keyboard is much easier to use than I thought it would be.

- Battery life is an issue. If used fairly constantly, you're looking at a maximum of 7 hours between charges.

- Web-browsing is excellent. Pages load fast and text and images are beautifully rendered.

- The GPS and Maps 'app' work very well indeed. I use them when walking around London, and it came in very handy when returning to my car on a recent visit to Lincoln town centre.

- I don't do many phone calls, but the sound quality is natural and clear.

- The camera's image quality is similar to that of a Pentax Optio S camera I owned in 2003. OK for quick snaps, but not much more.
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Typedia

Typedia reports: [edited]

Typedia is a community website to classify typefaces and educate people about them. Think of it like a mix between IMDb and Wikipedia, but just for type. Anyone can join, add, and edit pages for typefaces or for the people behind the type.

We love type, and we have a burning desire to learn as much as possible about typefaces: where they come from, who made them, and why they look the way they do. We want everyone to be able to share in that rich knowledge and enjoy the art and artists of type design. Over time, we think Typedia could grow into a great educational resource for people to learn about their favorite typefaces and discover new ones.
------------

FreeAgent Go for Mac

Seagate have made backing up, storing and transporting digital data a lot more convenient for Mac users with their latest range of external drives.


— Mac formatted and TimeMachine-ready
— FireWire 800 and USB interfaces
— Support for for FireWire 400
— Desktop dock
— Carrying case and compact cables
— Range of colours
— Up to 500GB capacity
— 1.75 x 8.0 x 13.72cm
— 220g
— £120 for 500GB from Amazon


------------

London-Lincoln-London, 20-08-09

Audacity of Huge - Simian Mobile Disco
Replica - Sonata Arctica
Wild Young Hearts (Edit) - Noisettes
Whoo! Alright - Yeah... Uh Huh. - The Rapture
Bonkers (Radio Edit) - Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden
Dilemma - Nelly feat. Kelly Rowland
Borderline - Madonna
What's New Pussycat? - Tom Jones
Infinity 2008 (Klaas Vocal Edit) - Guru Josh Project
Golden Recruit - Panama Kings
Babylon - David Gray
Broken Wings - Mr Mister
Take Me Back to Your House (feat. martina sorbara) - Basement Jaxx
Staring at the Sun - The Offspring
Arrows of Eros (Single Version) - Golden Silvers
The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani
Over the Hill - Alessi's Ark
Hasta Manana Monsieur - Sparks
Inaugural Trams - Super Furry Animals
Hey Joni - Spek
Ladyflash - The Go! Team
New In Town (album version) - Little Boots
Lucille - Little Richard
The Most Beautiful Girl [In The Room] - Flight Of The Conchords
It Feels So Good (Dance Mix) - Sonique
Unpack Your Adjectives - Schoolhouse Rock
True Romance (True No. 9 Blues) - Golden Silvers
Something Good Can Work - Two Door Cinema Club
Kids - MGMT
Smells Like Billie Jean - Michael Jackson vs Nirvana
Daniel - Bat For Lashes
Back of The Van - Ladyhawke
Hold It In - Jukebox The Ghost
Evacuate The Dancefloor - Cascada
French Navy - Camera Obscura
Something Is Squeezing My Skull - Morrissey
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham!
Jump In the Pool (single) - Friendly Fires
Pirouette - Stickboy (UK)
Dance Me In (Edwyn Collins Version) - Sons And Daughters
Big Yellow Taxi (featuring Vanessa Carlton) - Counting Crows
Potential Breakup Song - Aly & A.J.
Don't Walk Away - The Four Tops
Inner City Pressure - Flight Of The Conchords
Wake Up Little Susie - Everly Brothers
Independent Love Song - Scarlet
Motorbike Beat - The Revillos
School of Rock - School Of Rock
Girlie Girlie - Sophia George
Daydream In Blue (alt) - I Monster
Please Don't Touch   - Polly Scattergood
The Fear (clean version) - Lily Allen
In My Arms - Mylo
More Than A Woman - Bee Gees
Farewell to the Fairground (Single Mix) - White Lies
Kilometer (Aeroplane Radio Mix) - Sébastien Tellier
Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) - Florence + The Machine
So Human - Lady Sovereign
Walking On A Dream - Empire Of The Sun
Shock Horror - The View
Nutrocker - B. Bumble And The Stingers
She's A Lady - Tom Jones
Cry Just A Little Bit - Shakin' Stevens
Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros - Flight Of The Conchords
Feel the Beat - Darude
Ray Of Light - Madonna
The Joker (ext) - Fatboy Slim
Claudia - Martina Sorbara
Heart of Glass - The Puppini Sisters
Applejack - Dolly Parton
The Love Cats - Paul Anka
Alcoholics Unanimous - Art Brut
Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) (bootleg?) - Frank Wilson
Toy Boy - Sinitta
Sense - Lightning Seeds
------------

London-Somerset-London, 17-08-09 & 18-08-09

I Bet You They Won't Play This Song on the Radio - Monty Python
Last Night - Vitamin C
3 Little Words (single) - FrankMusik
Exceeder (Original Mix) - Mason
Summer Girls - LFO
You Make My Dreams - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Sick Muse - Metric
Silence Is Talking - Reverend And The Makers
New York Groove - Hello
Can You Give It - The Maccabees
Showing Out (get fresh at the weekend) - Mel & Kim
Telephone Man - Meri Wilson
Uprising - Muse
Twins - Paul Evans
Never Leave You (Single Version) - Tinchy Stryder & Amelle
Pepperpots - Monty Python
Red Lipstick (Radio Edit) - Skint & Demoralised
Give A Little Bit - Goo Goo Dolls
You Don't Love Me - The Kooks
Suspicious Minds - Fine Young Cannibals
She's Fallen In Love With A Monster Man - The Rezillos
Sisters - The Puppini Sisters
I Like Chinese - Monty Python
Tokyo Girls - Matinee Club
I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas
The Last of the Famous International Playboys - Morrissey
Ready for the Weekend - Calvin Harris
Junior's Farm (DJ Edit) - Paul McCartney & Wings
Fidelity - Regina Spektor
Numb - Linkin Park
When I Grow Up - Garbage
Knock Knock Who's There - Mary Hopkin
Du Hast - Rammstein
Rocks - Primal Scream
Get Low - Flo Rida
One Week of Danger - The Virgins
Otto's Journey - Mylo
Kyrie - Mr Mister
Reason 45 - Apples
Sweets for My Sweet - C.J. Lewis
Snoopy vs The Red Baron - Royal Guardsmen
All Day And All Of The Night - The Kinks
Dance - ESG
When You Were Young - The Killers
Munich - Editors
Rock With You - Michael Jackson
Ice Cream - New Young Pony Club
So Good (radio edit) - Rachel Stevens
Beat Surrender - The Jam
Apply Some Pressure (Radio Edit) - Maximo Park
Alternative Baby - Reel Big Fish
Sing It Back - Moloko
Better Off As Two (single) - FrankMusik
Invaders Must Die - The Prodigy
Flying Saucer Attack - The Rezillos
Jilted John [LP Version] - Jilted John
Mean Eyed Cat - Johnny Cash
Das Testament Des Dr Mabuse (13th Life Mix) - Propaganda
A Noun is a Person, Place or Thing - Grammar Rock
Blue (Da Ba Dee) - Eiffel 65
That Great Love Sound - The Raveonettes
Jerk It Out - Caesars
Babylon's Burning The Ghetto - Lethal Bizzle
Back Of My Hand - Jags
Staring At The Rude Boys - The Ruts
Joy! - Gay Dad
What Ifs And Maybes - Bromheads Jacket
I'm Finding It Harder To Be A Gentleman - The White Stripes
Moonlight shadow (trance remix - Mike Oldfield
(Is This The Way To) Amarillo - Tony Christie
How Do You Do - Roxette
A Glass Of Champagne - Sailor
National Express - The Divine Comedy
John, I'm Only Dancing - David Bowie
girls - moments & whatnauts
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
Really Free - John Otway
On The Radio - Regina Spektor
Shiver - Natalie Imbruglia
Freaky Friday - Aqua
Push the Button - Sugababes
Big In Japan - Alphaville
I Love You Always Forever - Donna Lewis
Relax, Take It Easy (single) - Mika
Dance Hall Days - Wang Chung
I Love You 'Cause I Have To - Dogs Die In Hot Cars
We're All Gonna Die Someday - Kasey Chambers
We Will Become Silhouettes - The Postal Service
Sugar Pie Honey Bunch - The Temptations
Rich Girl - Gwen Stefani Feat. Eve
Destination Venus - The Rezillos
I'm Gonna Love You Too - Blondie
Mr Vain - Culture Beat
Good Grief Christina - Chicory Tip
Who put the bomp - Viscounts
Love Action (I Believe In Love) - Human League
Belle - Beauty and the Beast
I Wish - Skee Lo
Bring Back That Leroy Brown - Queen
Time Stands Still - The All-American Rejects
Out Of Space - The Prodigy
Baggy Trousers - Madness
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - Bachman Turner Overdrive
Solsbury Hill - Erasure
Dignity - Bob Dylan
Rhythm of the Night - DeBarge
Harper Valley PTA - Jeannie C. Riley
Do Ya Think I'm Sexy (feat. Rod Stewart) - N-Trance
Camaro - Kings Of Leon
Walking With a Ghost - Tegan & Sara
Deep Inside of You - Third Eye Blind
Confusion Girl (single) - Frankmusik
Kiss me - Stephen 'Tin Tin' Duffy
Creepin Up the Backstairs - The Fratellis
Sat In Your Lap - Kate Bush
You're Unbelievable - EMF
Wasted Time - Kings Of Leon
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Samsung ST500 & ST550

Register Hardware reports: [edited]

Taking self-portraits using a compact camera can be tricky: extending your arms far enough so that your nose doesn’t fill the shot, for example. But Samsung may have solved the problem by building a user-facing screen onto it two latest models.

In addition to the ST500’s 3in rear-mounted screen and the ST550’s slightly larger, 3.5in main display, both models have a 1.5in LCD on the front which should help ensure self-portraits are always perfectly framed.
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Sony Party-shot IPT-DS1

Register Hardware reports: [edited]

The Japanese electronics giant’s Party-shot personal photographer – also known as the IPT-DS1 – is essentially a self-rotating camera dock that snaps pictures of its surroundings.

Simply dock your camera onto Party-shot and it will pan 360° and tilt 24°, automatically detecting faces, adjusting the image composition and, of course, taking photos of you when you’re least aware.

You’ll have to own a Sony compact camera in order to use the robotic docking station, which currently is only compatible with the WX1 and DSC-TX1 Cyber-shot cameras.

Party-shot can be mounted on almost any tripod, Sony stressed, so you’ll be able to enjoy lots of varied photographic heights and angles. The dock is powered by two AA batteries, which will keep it going for up to 11 hours.

Sony’s Party-shot dock will be available in September, priced around £88.
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Gran Torino

I've never watched a Dirty Harry movie. But I know who Dirty Harry is, Clint Eastwood playing a 1970s macho, pragmatic cop with very little respect for petty rules and regulations who has a habit of getting results. Without him there would be no Jack Bauer.

Clint Eastwood (now 78-years-old) has said that Gran Torino is the last film he will act in. And it could have been called 'Redeeming Dirty Harry'.

Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a curmudgeonly, racist, working-class Korean war veteran. The film opens with the funeral of his wife. The camera pans around the church, showing Walt's grief mingled with his obvious lack of respect for many in the congregation.

And from there it moves into what could easily have become a Dirty Harry movie for pensioners. The fact that Clint Eastwood manages to fashion it into a film that champions honour, rough justice, atonement and community is remarkable and heart-warming.

The cast is solid, with special mention going to Christopher Carley as the young, determined Roman Catholic priest who has been given the unenviable task (by Walt's wife) of extracting a confession from Walt.

Choua Kue (Youa) also provides us with an excellent performance as the neighbour who sees that Walt is an honourable, hurting old man, and works very hard to befriend him.

The film is gripping througout, with an ending that is as satisfying as it is unexpected. If this is Mr Eastwood's last movie role, he will have exited with dignity and honour.
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Nikon unveils world's first projector camera

Digital Photography Review reports: [edited]

Nikon has unveiled the world's first compact camera with a built-in projector. The S1000pj projects images up to 40 inches in size with a VGA resolution and a maximum distance of 2 meters. The camera is supplied with a remote control and stand for ease of use. It features an optically stabilized wide angle 5x zoom lens (28-140mm equiv.), 2.7 inch LCD and a 12.1MP sensor.
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The Iron Giant

Wired has published an excellent piece to mark the 10th anniversary of one of my favourite animated films.

If you haven't seen it yet, the 'special edition' DVD is available for a few pennies short of a fiver from Amazon.co.uk
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Rocket-powered BMX

Oh! Gizmo reports: [edited]

The BMX bike’s heyday may have ended back in the 80s, but Rintendo+ has found a way to make me want one again. They’re currently selling this little contraption known as the Fire Trick Bob which appears to be a rocket-powered bicycle.

According to their site (Google translation) the turbine engine spins at a rate of 120,000 RPM and produces the equivalent of 4.4 horsepower. The 1 litre fuel tank is good for about 7 minutes of continual thrust, and you’ll probably want to be careful about where you’re riding this thing since the exhaust can reach about 700 degrees.

So is it dangerous? Yes. But is it worth 1,000,000 Yen or about $10,000? Double yes!
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Meantime Coffee Porter

I think I have finally found a drink that my daughters will hate even more than beer... it's a 6% proof porter-style beer with coffee flavours!

I found it an enjoyable enough brew, the coffee taste is prominent, but not overpowering. It might have just been the bottle I purchased, but there was no discernable 'head' to the beer, and it was a little too 'flat' (bubble-less) for my taste.

According to the Meantime website: [edited]

"Our Coffee Beer is made with real coffee and has a caffeine hit to match. The natural flavours of the beans selected and hand roasted by our friends at the Union Coffee Roasters go well with the roast barley in the beer to give a silky-smooth drink with distinct chocolate and vanilla notes."

"Our first formulation of this beer was the first UK brewed beer to carry the Fairtrade logo, and, although we have reformulated it to create an even better blend of malt and roast coffee flavours, we can no longer get enough coffee in each bottle to qualify for Fairtrade status. However we are still using the same Faitrade Araba Bourbon beans from Rwanda’s Abuhuzamugambi Bakawa Co-operative."
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LG-BL40

Register Hardware reports: [edited]

The LG-BL40, the second-generation 'chocolate' candybar, sports an 800 x 345 pixel, 4in display. The screen’s 21:9 aspect ratio is, according to LG, perfect for “panoramic, cinema-like quality” viewing.

The display’s also overlaid with curved tempered glass, LG said, that’s supposedly seamlessly encased within a gloss-black body featuring “iconic red highlights”.

LG’s yet to say much about the phone’s features, aside from confirming that the phone will run a “Dual Screen UI” enabling you to display two different types of content simultaneously.

The images reveal the presence of a rear-mounted 5Mp camera.

LG has promised that the LG-BL40 will be available in 54 countries at the beginning of Q3. A price hasn’t been released.
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Mobile reminder

You've got a mobile phone with a 'wallpaper' function.

You want to remember something.

Make a note.

Take a picture of the note with your phone.

Make that picture your 'wallpaper'.

Now, every time you look at your phone you'll be 'rememberated™'.

Photoshop Top 40

Imaging expert and author Deke McClelland is presenting his list of what he considers the top 40 features in Photoshop.

If you use Photoshop CS3 or CS4 and you can cope with Deke's bombastic presentation style, this page is worth bookmarking.
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Vicky Christina Barcelona

Woody Allen is someone I know more by reputation than experience. I have still to watch any of his earlier critically acclaimed films (Manhattan, Annie Hall, Crimes & Misdemeanours…) and probably know him better for his stand-up comedy and 'complicated' personal life.

Vicky Christina Barcelona is a superbly acted film, Javier Bardem is like a young, Spanish hybrid of Robert Downey Jr and George Clooney, honest, warm and vulnerable. Rebecca Hall plays her intelligent, uptight character with just the right amount of unease to make her subsequent actions believable without being inevitable. And Scarlett Johansson is far less annoying than she has been in a lot of her recent work.

Kevin Dunn, Chris Messina, Pablo Schreiber and Patricia Clarkson play their parts with aplomb, but the (intentional) star of the show is Penelope Cruz. Gorgeous, dishevelled and mad as a box of frogs, her character is pivotal to the film, fascinating and exasperating by turns.

To talk about the plot of the film would be to ruin it. Instead, put aside 96 minutes of your life and enjoy an example of narrative film-making at its best.
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