posted by admin on May 28

Some Facts About The New MacBook

We’ve all seen the hype for this new ‘amazingly thin’ new notebook, and I’m not going to go over the detailed descriptions again here for you – I’ve just got 6 questions and answers to those nagging doubts you may still have:

How small is it really?
Well, the stats are as follows – 32.5cms wide and 22.7cm depth so it would appear about the same size as a simple 4-ring A4 folder on your desk. Like the folder, it is also wedge-shaped so is thinner at the front end, but with the back being less than 2cm anyway (about as thick as a Palm Treo) and the front tapering down to an almost ridiculous 0.4cm at the front (which is as high as the letter ‘l’ here) they have every right to call it ‘small’.

What about it’s overall weight?
In weight terms it is only 1.36kg (about the same as 2 pints of milk). The older MacBook weighed in at 2.27kg and the MacBook Pro at 2.45kg so they have nearly halved the weight.

How do they get around not having an optical drive?
Well, seeing as most people have another computer around the house, they thought they would save on the weight of this extra component so installed the smaller Remote Disc software instead. Basically, this allows you to use the disc drive of other computers to run those images as your own, however you cannot use the Remote Disc to watch DVD’s.

What about Ethernet connectivity?
This feature is not included as part of the MacBook Air, but for around $40/£20 you can buy their adaptor which fits into the USB port to achieve the connection.

What kind of storage does it have?
Technically – it comes with a 1.8in, 80GB, 4,200rpm Parallel ATA hard drive (with the ability to upgrade to a 64GB solid-state drive for faster access – but less storage – at a hefty $1280/£635).

Does it have a mini keyboard?
No – it has a full-size MacBook-style keyboard – complete with the standard black key caps – although as with the others in the range, it doesn’t come with the numeric keypad. The keyboard is back-lit and varies brightness in accordance with the environment it is being used in.

Facts courtesy of MacWorld

posted by admin on May 24

With not quite the most child-friendly title, this console game is sure to be a huge hit for the ‘generation 30′ population.

We all remember when the first film came out with squeaky receptionist Janine, and Sigourney Weavers giant hair – and when Bill Murray got totally ‘slimed’. We also (sadly) remember the platform game that came out shortly afterwards where you drove their contraption-filled ‘ambulance’ around the streets for what seemed like ‘forever’.

Well this is certainly going to be different!

Apparently Dan Aykroyd is heavily involved with the design and layout of the game, and thinks that this is almost like the third film in the series. But why make a game instead of another film? He said he just liked the idea of the look, and the way is referred back to the first film and had that ‘classic look’.

Available for xBox – PS3 – PS2 – Wii – DS and for the PC – the story details for the game are under tight wraps say TotalFilm, who got an inside interview – but it isn’t due to hit the shops until Christmas 2008.

They did, however, manage to gather the following details:

Rule Number 1 – Don’t cross the streams!!!

• Your character joins the GhostBusters as a rookie in New York
• The first scene is against an old lady in the library
• You get to battle Slimer in the hotel – just like the original movie
• End of section fight out with Mr StayPuft

Go to www.ghostbustersgame.com for some insight graphics from the opening and more details – this includes getting slimed yourself!!!

posted by admin on May 20

Imagine huge tracts of purple flowers growing in neat rows across the countryside, brightening up the farmland as you walk by.

Imagine the intense colour of the flowers catching your eye at the florist, the beautiful fragrant aroma wafting past you on a breeze, setting your eyes off in search of it’s source.

Imagine sitting in the park eating your picnic and tasting lavender in your slice of cheese…..

Hold on! Not quite what you’d imagine as tasty? How about Lavender Short-breads, or Lavender Ice-cream?

But Lavender is a smell, it’s a scent isn’t it?

Well according to much literature from the past, we know that Lavender was used in foods way back in medieval times – since then though, our perception has gradually changed. Lavender was then specifically bred for it’s strong and instantly identifiable scent, rather than it’s taste, and so it fell out of fashion for food.

Now, at Castle Farm in Kent, a group of artisans and hops farmers have got together to create a new brand of Lavender essence that can (and already is) widely used in a range of edible treats that they produce and sell themselves.

Their first product they tried was in-fact the Lavender Ice-Cream – which they took to a show to test the public reaction – and it was sold out by the end of the day! They knew they were on to something after that, and now produce over 16 types of lavender-based produce, including jams, jellies, chutneys, cakes and fudges!

Different Lavender Products: 
The Lavender plants that produce the culinary essence are of a different species to those used for flower harvests, so the crops are grown and maintained differently on their land – and they are currently the 2nd largest Lavender grower in the UK as a result.

They also still supply the standard, more well-known products including lavender oils, lavender water and soaps and both dried and fresh flowers as part of their business using these different strains.

Their current website (www.hopshop.co.uk) contains information about their ranges, including recipes, cooking tips, and all about their farms and sales.

Their site also has tips on other cookery uses – like dried flowers on beef joints, as a marinade for lamb or a garnish – basically used in a very similar way to Rosemary – which also has a very strong smell.

And their new products in the making include Lemon and Lavender Mayonnaise and Apple and Lavender Juice Drink.

posted by admin on May 17

Ever wanted to know what bird that is singing in the trees? Ever wondered where that amazing bird call is coming from in the bushes? Well now you can have your answer instantly with the Bird Voice (BV) Pen.

This new product is a clever extension of the new world of MP3 and flash technology, as it harnesses recorded sounds for instant recall.

How It Works:
Basically it stores the sounds of over 270 bird calls and songs (as well as further habitat information etc) on the ‘pen’, with room to spare for music tracks or further bird sounds.

This pen however, is nothing special on it’s own really (apart from it’s use as an MP3 player) – and of no use to you in the field – but this is where the clever part steps in.

This company have developed a picture set of common British Birds and assigned a ‘code’ to each picture. This is activated by the Bird Voice pen passing over it – a bit like a bar-code and associated reader – but rather than the bird flashing up a price – the BV pen instantly plays the song of that bird to you.

Whether you buy their waterproof field guide (with just basic pictures) or their entire organiser of birds with habitat icons, distributions maps and much more, you will have instant access to 270 bird calls at the swipe of your hand.

As this company know that most birders will already have their own field guides and reference books and know their way round them very well, they have also come up with stickers of their bird calls, that you can peel off and place on your own guides rather than having to learn the layout of a new book.

The Company: 
Their website is rather plain and basic (www.birdvoice.co.uk), but it does allow you to listen to some of the calls before you buy, and shows you a list of all the birds on the recordings. It covers all the details of each item including sizes, organisation of species, special features and costs.

The most expensive item is, of course, the BV pen full of all the data (currently £99.95), and this pen doesn’t work without the field guides (£15 and £35) or stickers (£15), so expected costs will be over £115 for the bird songs to come to life.

It is however, a fantastic concept and makes tracking bird calls very easy in the field – and instantly. There’s no messing around, searching for the right sounds amongst everything else – they can be listened to straight away. Something that was impossible before.

Of course, it can also be used at home like any other recorded bird song software or Cd’s so you can practice identifying common calls before setting off into the woods……

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posted by admin on May 15

Believe it or not – the Guinness World record holder for the Worlds Heaviest Man is now trying to break the record for the worlds ‘greatest weight loss’.

Obviously, the prerequisite for winning this award means that you need to weigh more than 52.5 stone in the first place, plus a normal body weight on top! This was the amount of weight lost by the current weight-loss world record holder Rosalie Bradford from the US, who lost her humongous amount of weight in the 1990′s.

To beat her – the world’s heaviest man (Snr Manuel Uribe from Mexico) is hoping to lose a staggering 68 stone to reach his target weight of just 20!

Since starting his diet in 2006 – with free medical help offered by Dr Barry Sears form the US – he has lost an amazing 37 stone already (that’s 4 whole me’s!).

They chose to follow a sensible diet that wouldn’t affect his health by losing the weight too fast and selected the Zone Diet, which is high in protein and low in carbohydrates, including fish, chicken, egg-white only omelets, plenty of vegetables – and weirdly – peanuts!

Manuel Uribe currently lives in Mexico with his mother and is dieting while confined to a reinforced bed that he has been unable to leave for the past six years! It is not reported at what weight he will need to reach in order to be able to walk again.

The 42-year-old – who still weighs in at more than 51 stone – hopes to achieve his massive weight loss by the year 2010. This means that he would have lost 68 stone in 4 years – that’s around 17 stone a year – so that’s a whole Victoria Beckham every 6 months.

Although he was recorded as the World’s Heaviest Man in the 2008 edition of the Guinness World Records (and this was after 2 years of dieting don’t forget), it is possible he could lose that title for 2009 with other grossly over-weight, bed-ridden individuals vyeing for his title!

So if you are either the 2nd or 3rd heaviest mean in the world – start eating more now so you can be crowned in 2009 before the other one beats you – or Manuel gives up the diet! It’s worth a shot to get into the Guinness record books isn’t it? Unless you have plans to grow the Worlds largest turnip instead……