Latest Inventions

posted by admin on Aug 30

Sony’s Playstation has a long and illustrious history. I remember buying my first Playstation 1 back in roughly 1997 and it was cutting edge at the time. The graphics and gameplay were nothing short of amazing. Anyone remember “Abe’s Oddysey”?!

Of course, since then things have moved on. Firstly the Playstation 2 and then even the Playstation 3. Of course the PS3 was a tremendously impressive piece of kit, but was hardly cheap.

Now it seems that Sony are relaunching the PS3, much like they did with the PS1 some years ago, and based on what we’ve seen it looks like the new machine is going to be a run away success.

It seems that Sony have really put some thought into making the PS3 the “must have” gadget for Christmas 2009 having expanded it from just a games console to now being your entertainment center.

Now of course it does play games. And HD games at that for an amazing gaming experience. But plug your PS3 into your broadband connection and suddenly it becomes so much more than just a games system. Thanks to Sony’s “Playstation Network” you can now access a world of new entertainment.

For example, you can play demos of new games to see what you think before actually buying them. And if you like them, you can download the game straight into your PS3 rather than having to go out and buy a disc. Cold, wet winters day? No problem! Just try out the latest games and purchase the one that looks best then get on with playing. What could be easier?

Of course it’s not just games you can access on the network. You will also be able to rent or buy movies and music too, and even surf the internet. Oh, and don’t worry about all the hard drive space because Sony have increased the drive space from 80gig to an impressive 120gig to give you plenty of space for all your media.

Games, movies, music and internet - all on one device and accessable from the comfort of your couch? Sounds pretty good to me.

And just to top it off, Sony have reduced the size of the PS3 by around a third, and have dropped the price too making this piece of kit even more affordable than ever before.

One final point worth making before you dash out for your game system is the newly released Playstation Eye, which is a motion sensitive camera that will attach to the PS3. It can act as a web cam if you desire or best of all, it will allow you to play motion sensitive games thus challenging the Nintendo Wii for functionality.

It should be interesting to see how Nintendo respond to this onslaught to their realm…

posted by admin on Jul 16

Hello and welcome to another great Latest Inventions Carnival.

This month we have quite a selection of everything really - with a few odd ones in amongst them.

So to start, Margaret Garcia offers some tips for space lovers with her best 100 Amazing Online Tools to Learn About Outer Space!

Then we hop to an interview with an inventor! 00FF00 takes us off for an Interview with Tom Lawton, inventor of the Firewinder! Maybe some great tips there for budding newbies.

Rod Presnell next with his take on the Best Fishing Net Born Of Frustration - another great inventor?

A light-hearted look here at some weird takes on the standard keyboard. I’ve seen a few ‘different’ versions but switch2life goes into more detail with some great images of Strange Keyboard Designs.

GrrlScientist to follow with some amazing advances in science with an interview with a scientist - TEDTalks: Robert Full Tells Us What He Learned from the Gecko’s Tail.

Ishan @ ILoveFreeSoftware makes it all sound so easy with simple directions on How to Setup Virtual Fax Machine for Free

followed by the final entry this month from Steve Faber. He tells us all about a new remote control with his article Crestron Set to Release New Remote - the TPMC-3X

Happy reading! And see you next time.

posted by admin on May 12

My little nephew has taught me something great about his new DSi!

I recently wrote about the new Nintendo DSi and how my little nephew was addicted to the thing!  Playing Pokemon games even when he was asleep!

Anyway, I was watching him playing one game (which I couldn’t quite understand) when he suddenly started playing a completely different one with just a few bangs of his stylus! 

How on earth??

Well, it turned out he had heard about the r4i adaptor card and was taking full advantage!

So, what’s the r4i adapter card then I hear you ask?  Well, it’s a modified flash memory card that is exactly the same shape and size as a normal DSi games cartridge - but it can hold more than just the one game!

Basically you can use it as a sort of memory stick.  You can download games that you have already brought from sites on the Internet for free - this way, you are getting a ‘back-up copy’ of your favourite game.  So, if you damage your original cartridge, you don’t have to buy a whole new one - just stick in the r4i adaptor cartridge and carry on playing.

Is that all?
Well, no.  The thing is that the r4i adaptor can hold more than the one game - therefore allowing you to download copies of all the games you already own into one cartridge - and as my nephew had just done - switch from one game to the next without having to swap cartridges - or spend 20 minutes trying to wrestle the other game off of his younger brother!

The technology is so simple that my nephew was downloading files himself from his Mac - it was basically using drag-and-drop technology to move the files across!

And, further to the whole games concept - the r4i adaptor can also hold anything else you fancy from your computer.  For example, you can download movies onto it to watch on your DSi, or music to play when you are supposed to be brushing your teeth!

It also allows you to perform other simple functions from your media, including browsing through your favorite photos with family, reading e-books about tips for your new games and you can read your own downloaded computer files including birthday lists (with more games on it) or boring work documents!

The r4i cartridges can hold up to 32gb of memory - so there will be plenty of space for a bit of everything inside!

What’s the catch?
To be honest - there isn’t one!  It does exactly what it says on the packet.  It is a cartridge-shaped flash memory ’stick’ that works with the new Nintendo DSi.

There is a separate r4 adaptor you can buy that works with the original DS, as these cannot be used for the new version, and vice versa.  That way, which ever console you choose to use - you just need the one cartridge!

Both the original r4 cards and the new r4i cards are readily available from www.gamesbackup.co.uk - so you can start moving your games across and enjoy your games and personal media files in a whole new way!

But, please remember- you need to have originally brought each game before you can legally download it from the Internet to make sure you stay within the bounds of copyright law.  These files are only meant to be an online back-up for damaged cartridges or to move your favourite games into a new media format - i.e. - onto the r4 cards!

posted by admin on Mar 1

I want to get fit with Wii Fit, and I burnt a lot of calories trying to find it!!!

I don’t know what it is about high street retail at the moment, but they never seem to have what they should or they have a display model but no actual stock!

I have been in and out of a variety of stores who should have had games for sale, but have returned home after a whole days shopping with nothing to show for it other than a grumpy other half who would rather have gone walking in the woods rather than up and down a bus lane, past hundreds of dithering old people and families who appear to be in town only to buy some fast food or a coffee!

Hello Internet!
I know that ordering on the Internet can be easy, but I have still got that little part of me that wants to hold something in my hand before buying it - but this is seemingly getting harder and harder to achieve.

You would think in today’s financial climate, that high street retailers would be clambering over themselves to stock the items people want to buy and stop wasting time and money showing customers display models of products they have no intention of ever selling you.

Well, I soon got what I wanted: My Wii Fit game - with no hassles from Game Stock Online.   The game was showing on the website, it had a picture, it had the price and it told me who actually had Wii Fit in stock! It was sooooo easy - Sold!!!!!! They got my money because they had what I wanted!!

This price comparison site says it is constantly updated with details about stockists and prices without the wasted hassle of the high street brigade! You can even subscribe to email alerts to find the best deal or another product you fancy.

So put your coat back in the closet, make a nice coffee and wait for the game to find you rather than the other way around!!

posted by admin on Oct 25

Some Apple iPhone Applications

If you’ve got your new iPhone, but have been showing it off to everyone that you haven’t had time to see what it can actually do, here are some simple and fun applications to get you started:

1) Crash Bandicoot Nitro (£6)
A silly but addictive version of MarioCart with a bandicoot instead. Great fun.

2) Truphone VoIP (Free)
Free calls to other Truphone users and great international rates.

3) Brain Challenge (£6)
A slightly cheeky take on a popular game, but just as fun.

4) Pennies (£1.80)
An income tracker that allows you (if you have the time) to track what you spend on what and how much you have left!

5) BeatNaker (£12)
This application allows you to make your own music using simple musical components but can be a bit fiddly to get used to.