Latest Inventions

posted by admin on Aug 31

I recently went to watch the much-talked-about Expendables movie - and was it as good as they say?

Well, the only reason I am writing this review is to stop anyone else paying to see it when it’s really best to wait until it comes out on DVD if I’m honest!

I only went to see it due to the 2 magic words: ‘Bruce’ and ‘Willis’.  And however sexy he looked in his little suit - he was barely a cameo role - as was Arnie who was in the film even less than Mr Willis!

I loved all the action-hero films of the 80’s and 90’s - so was drawn to this film due to all the old favourites in there from Die Hard, Commando and Rocky - as well as the new kid on the block; Jason Statham.  However, this was a disappointment.

The Plot:
I can’t say it any other way than the storyline was terrible.  There were several characters who weren’t even famous to begin with which seemed a bit weird as the others were all such long-termers in the movie world.

All of the baddies were ‘movie nobodies’ and even 2 of the ‘good guys’ were so un-important that they may as well have been acted by the same person - nobody would have really noticed!

Dolph’s character had a pointless role of ‘loose cannon turned baddie turned goodie again’ with really only the slimmest of connections to the main story - which itself was rather predictable and flimsy!

Basically these guys are a gang of heavies who go in and get things (like hostage situations) sorted asap - and that’s how the film opens.  They then get propositioned by the very handsome Bruce Willis to help out with a problem on an imaginary Central or South American Island - which they turn down - but then go and do anyway after the ’sexy’ Governors daughter helps them out.

Needless to say the bad guys all die and the good guys get barely a scratch after lots of explosions and fights (and a few corny gags).

The Good Bits:
Some of the fight scenes did have me on the edge of my seat, however.  I was so involved with the fighting and watching the really ‘nice’ injuries (like heads totally blown off, arms hacked off, etc) that the film went really quickly and it all made up for the fact that I couldn’t really hear what a lot of the characters said (but then that was always a problem with Stallone anyway!).

Conclusion:
Wait for the DVD release so you can fast-forward all the terrible biker/tattoo den scenes and the equally terrible airplane CGI effects - and then put the subtitles on so you actually know what they are saying!

My cinema viewing took place in a room with less than 100 seats and there were barely 20 or us in there on a Friday night!  I can’t believe its a Number 1 Box Office Hit! 

Go watch Scott Pilgrim vs The World insteadand add this to your Love Film listings! 

posted by admin on Apr 25

Fancy your skills in the forensic department?  Well, why not prove it for real without all the training.

It looks as though there is currently a hybrid between a high tech fairground ride and a science event - where you spend the day following in the footsteps of a police detective to solve a ‘real’ crime.

Now, I don’t know about you - but I am really looking forward to this experience, and it really takes ‘rides’ to a whole new level, so much better than a ghost train……

The Experience:
Apparently you get to choose which of the 3 ‘incidents’ you want to investigate - whether it’s a car in a living room, a back alley murder or a buried skeleton found in the desert, and then start picking up the clues.

This includes reading lab results, checking murder scenes and getting to use the most advanced scientific technologies to solve the crime - including DNA fingerprinting, firearms identification and blood splatter analysis!

The layout of the ‘experience’ allows for 3 crime scene rooms (you get to pick between them), 2 labs, a briefing room, and an autopsy department where you can gather your initial theory, all the artifacts from the scene including rubbish, food and clothing.  The finer details and the body itself can be analysed under the microscope along with cutting edge scientific factors that can help solve a crime today, like your pets fur or the pollen you have in your car!

And of course - there is also Grissom’s Office,  where you end up and get to offer up your suspect to the boss! 

The Details:
The CSI: The Experience is currently running in the UK at the Birmingham Bullring until May 31st - and that is every day up until then.

Tickets cost £9.75 for adults and £7.00 for 5-17 year olds (with under 5’s free).

Go to CSI: The Experience for more details and to see an online map and videos of each section.

posted by admin on Apr 16

You will probably be reading this in the sunshine at last - and maybe a little sunburned like me!

We have plenty of articles from our readers this month regarding latest inventions, new products and technology - so lets get straight to it; the first article this April is from Suhani.

This is for all the ladies out there who want to find their best look without using bag after bag of cotton balls! Take a look at the video in this article for a great new software application: Digital Cosmetic Mirror – the future of beauty treatments. It could also be seen as a ‘green’ invention too for all the make-up it could save!

The next article is a nice short summary of some of the newest (and most lifelike) robots that have been invented recently - with a few snaps too, so join Ava Jones for her article on the 10 Real-Life Robots You Won’t Believe Exist!

Staying with technology, Steve Patterson short article brings to my attention the ‘Nook’, a Kindle-like gadget that is apparently kicking up a bit of a storm! So take a quick look at Nook Production Increased to Meet Demand for more info.

For those of you who like to stay at home and enjoy the best home theater systems, then maybe have a look at Steve Faber’s post about the New TiVO Premier XL DVR Gives Even More of Everything.

Health is the issue for Delmy Martin, who lists many gadgets that can help you to eat better, get healthy, keep fit and generally have fun doing it! So take a look at some of the links in 25 Fitness Gadgets that Can Improve Your Health, and maybe try a few yourself!

Whereas Madeleine Begun Kane is becoming distracted by the whole ‘must know’ nature of the internet at the moment - and I have included her little limerick because it sums up what the internet means to a lot of people these days! Feed Needs. Whereas Heather Sanders wants us to learn more about the newest social site, with her The Educator’s Guide to Using Google Buzz.

And finally, the obligatory ‘apps’ post - but this one from Allisin Jonanson has a twist: its not about the iPhone! Take a look at her 25 Essential Android Apps for Science Nuts.

Now, get back out there into the sunshine!

posted by admin on Jan 3

There is lots of speculation - but nothing confirmed?

Seeing as the netbook niche has been so popular - and people aren’t put off by the size of the iPhone, it seems as though Apple are going to merge the 2 ideas and create a giant version of the iPhone - about the size of a closed netbook!

The iSlate seems to be the name in the media at the moment - and apparently Apple have already brought the domain name iSlate.com - so are they right?

Apparently Apple have recently released the patent details for such a gadget, but still the details are not certain. 

The ‘Facts’
Well, a 10.1 inch touchscreen display seems to be the most talked about quality of this new gadget, (or possibly a 7 inch smaller version) but writers are also speculating about it having an embedded front facing webcam as well - which would certainly be a nice touch.

The keyboard would be on the screen itself, with the potential for slightly raised areas within the screen to identify where certain ‘home keys’ are if not all keys having raised lips.

Also, it would have internet access - probably wi-fi - with access to iTunes as well as films, TV and books - making it a huge ebook reader!

Apparently rumoured to run on the iPhone OS software, this tablet computer should have all the standard features of any other laptop or netbook.

It is also rumoured that an industry insider reported that Apple are already in the process of making up to 10 million iSlate tablet computers for release this year; 2010.

The Idea:
Some of the mock-up images of the iSlate look amazing with a magazine front cover on it, or some photo’s of friends, but how will you carry it around?  Yeah, ladies can put it in their purse - but it won’t be fitting in any-one’s jean pocket - so will it be as social as the iPhone currently is?

Without a ‘lid’ so to speak - will it be practical for use and transporting around between meetings or when on vacation?  The screen could be up for a real hard time - unless it stays at home like a coffee table ‘book’ used for parties, get-togethers or instead of the TV!

And the cost will certainly be around the same as a small netbook as well - or more for all the Apple specific features - so people are guessing at around $800 to $1000 for an estimated price.

The Launch:
Apple have apparently rented a stage at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco for an announcement about a ’major product launch’ on January 26th, 2010.

And there is apparently an artists impression of a possible Apple Tablet computer on a Clearwire site showing all the other Apple gadgets! Interesting indeed.

See you at the end of the month!

posted by admin on Sep 4

Fancy a top of the range new MP3 players with everything included?

There are still a variety of MP3 players coming onto the market that now include almost everything you could need in a personal music-playing gadget.

I have chosen just the Creative Zen X-Fi2, one of the latest sound systems and video experts many mp3 players available today to represent all that is now available at the touch of a button!

The Creative Zen X-Fi2:
We are now at the stage where there is almost every gadget possible on your MP3 players apart from wind turbine and a microwave!

The new Zen X-Fi2 from Creative systems is one such player - and it looks stylish too.

Basically the features go way beyond playing your favorite tracks and the radio at the touch of a button, and now include photos and video and integrated recorder - to save forever those fantastic live summer concerts or boring morning lectures at uni!

Displayed on it’s 3″ LCD touchscreen are a whole host of easy-to-use icons that open up into files of music, videos and even your RSS feed reader (you connect via your USB). You can even forget that screen when you are indoors and connect it up to your huge widescreen TV indoors - or at your friends - via the AV cable! You can now share those videos and photos life-size without having to burn them onto a disc first!

Space-wise you can have either the 8, 16 or 32GB - but it doesn’t really matter that much as it has a microSD memory card slot for extra capacity! So you can have all your live music on one card, all your lectures on another and keep the main machine for great tunes!

The Creative Zen MP3 players also come with some EP-630 in-ear earphones which apparently send the music away from your ears creating a ‘room sound’ in a new concept. They also restrict the maximum volume to prevent ear damage when using long term! Nice.

And, weighing in at only 75g, this little nifty gadget also plans your life - containing a calender, and alarm, tasks and a contacts list!

All you need to do is switch it on and away you go…..

Try the MP3 Expert website for the best prices for Creative Zens.