Monday, November 30, 2009

iPhone 3GS 'Supreme'


stuarthughes.com reports: [edited]

Priced at £1.92 million, the casing was created with 271 grams of 22 carat gold. The front bezel houses 136 flawless diamonds, which total 68 carats.

The rear logo in solid gold has 53 flawless diamonds and the front navigation button is home to a single cut 7.1 carat diamond.

The chest which houses this unique handset is made from a single block of granite, lined with Nubuck top grain leather.
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Sunday, November 29, 2009

London-Lincoln-London 29-11-09


London to Lincoln
Litigation - Mariachi El Bronx
Creep - Radiohead
White man in Hammersmith Palais - The Clash
Debbie Loves Joey - Helen Love
Loco in Acapulco - The Four Tops
Eet - Regina Spektor
Embarrassment - Madness
Right Here, Right Now - Fat Boy Slim
Under the Sheets - Ellie Goulding
Konichiwa Bitches - Robyn
Revolution (in the summertime) - Cosmic Rough Riders
I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor/I Predict A Riot - Arctic Monkeys vs Kaiser Chiefs
Sgt. Rock (Is Going To Help Me) (edit) - XTC
Ariel - Dean Friedman
Always The Last To Know - Del Amitri
Annie I'm Not Your Daddy - Kid Creole and the Coconuts
Belfast (7" Version) - Orbital
True Faith '94 (single) - New Order
16th & Valencia Roxy Music - Devendra Banhart
Holy river - Prince
Love of An Orchestra - Noah and the Whale
Ain't No Other Man In My Arms - Christina Aguilera v. Mylo
Moonlight feels right - Starbuck
Free (Radio Edit) - Ultra Nate
Car Trouble - Adam & The Ants
Winter Winds - Mumford & Sons
Anchorage - Michelle Shocked
Start Me Up/Brown Sugar - Corcovado Frequency
Give It Away - Deepest Blue
Out Of Your Mind - Truesteppers & Dane Bowers
Driving Away From Home - It's Immaterial
Close To Me - The Cure
Inner Glow - Blue October
I got you - Split Enz
Beans For Breakfast - Johnny Cash
I Feel Lucky - Mary Chapin Carpenter
I don't want to wait - Paula Cole
The Man's Machine (Single Edit) - Jamie T
California - Semisonic
Oh Diane - Fleetwood Mac
Kill Your Television - Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Little miss - Edie Brickell
My Best Friend's Girl - The Cars
A Lancashire DJ (2009 Version) - The Lancashire Hotpots
Cash Machine - Hard-Fi

Lincoln to London
A Private Interlude - Groove Armada
I've Got A Pocketful Of Dreams/Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart/Painting The Clouds With Sunshine - The Mighty Wurlitzer
Evil And A Heathen - Franz Ferdinand
No Phone - Cake
Love Of Another Kind - Amy Grant
Whispering Pines - Dar Williams
Up Where We Belong - Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
Say Something - James
Listen - Lambchop
All I need - Air
The Island - Richard Shindell
Act Of The Apostle II - Belle & Sebastian
I Summon You - Spoon
I've Seen Such Things - Tony Dangerfield & Thrills
Where Did Our Lovin Go? - Alfie
Transformation Fantasy - Joy Zipper
Always Too Late - Annie
(Forever) Live And Die - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
If You Leave Me Now - Elkie Brooks
I Wish I Cared - a-ha
Bright Young Men - The Arm
The Last Will And Testament Of Jake Thakray - Jake Thackray
Regret - New Order
Each Night At Nine - Willie Nelson
I Hurt On The Other Side - Sidney Barnes
I Hate Candy - Lambchop
Worn Me Down (EP) - Rachael Yamagata
Desafinado - Stan Getz
Red Silk Five - Sam Phillips
Bad Boyfriend - Garbage
Genetic World - Télépopmusik
Fix You - Coldplay
One Last Kiss - The Other Two
Deep Wilson - Kristin Hersh
Starting A New Life - Van Morrison
Mr. Moto - The Duo Tones
Freddie's Dead - Curtis Mayfield
Hat And Feet - Fountains Of Wayne
Under My Skin - Rachael Yamagata
Happines Is Here - Tobi Lark
Cowboy Singer - Lucy Kaplansky
Old Soul Song (For the New World Order) - Bright Eyes
This World Is Crazy - Jessi Alexander
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Saturday, November 28, 2009

London-Lincoln-London 28-11-09


London to Lincoln
A Million Love Songs - Take That
The Wreck of Old 97 - Hank Snow
The Beautiful Sea (alt) - Hem
Fireflies - The Yards
What Do You Hear In These Sounds (live) - Dar Williams
Jacket Hangs - The Blue Aeroplanes
Roses - Catie Curtis
Gorgeous George - Edwyn Collins
George Set Me Strait - Moonshine Willy
Rock Island Line (original) - Lonnie Donegan
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Tyme - Simon & Garfunkel
Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) - The Offspring
Wassiye - Habib Koité
I Want A Warning - Idlewild
Human Touch - Elvis Costello
Kiss Chasing - The Chalets
Untitled - Rachael Yamagata
Somehow, Someday - Ryan Adams
Please Mr Postman - The Carpenters
Commandante - K-OS
Bulbs - Van Morrison
Vanlose Stairway - Van Morrison
Lover's Concerto - Toys
Looking For Atlantis - Prefab Sprout
Daylight Goes - Grand National
Dony - Big Star
Love Where Did You Go? - Dayna Kurtz
Road To Joy - Bright Eyes
Just Another Love Song - The Dead 60s
Billy Billy - After The Fire
Clean Cut Kid - Bob Dylan
I can't help falling in love - U2
Go Now - Jeff Plankenhorn
They Never Got You - Spoon
In The Days Of The Caveman - Crash Test Dummies
All Things Are Possible - Alabama Blind Boys and Clarence Fountain
Into The Heart - U2
Waterfalls (DJ Edit) - Paul McCartney & Wings
Inglan is a Bitch - Linton Kwesi Johnson
Your Winter Days - Jackie Leven
Mockingbird - Low Millions
Peach - Prince

Lincoln to London
Treat Her Like a Lady (Single Version) - The Temptations
My Delirium - Ladyhawke
White no sugar - Clint Boon Experience
Holiday - Madonna
Blitzkrieg Bop - Ramones
A Good Man Is Hard To Kill - Beulah
The Blues Are Still Blue - Belle & Sebastian
Susanna - Art Company
Blister in the Sun - Violent Femmes
australians-irish - Dara O'Briain, Edinburgh Fringe 2006
Never Can Say Goodbye - Communards
Paris sous la neige - Mellow
Kill the Director - The Wombats
Hunger - Frankie & The Heartstrings
Ooh Aah Just A Little Bit - The Wurzels
Little Secrets - Passion Pit
O Superman (For Massenet) - Laurie Anderson
Manic Monday - Bangles
This Is Love - George Harrison
Miss Williams' Guitar - The Jayhawks
Belle of Belfast City - Lick the Tins
Fade To Grey - Visage
Funeral for a friend/Love lies bleeding - Elton John
Mrs. Potter's Lullaby - Counting Crows
Baby Please Don't Go - Them
The Race - Yello
Tupelo Mississippi Flash - Jerry Reed
I'm Gonna Soothe You - Maria McKee
FNT (Fascinating New Thing) - Semisonic
Something Good - Utah Saints
Hoodoo Voodoo - Billy Bragg & Wilco
Radio Wall of Sound - Slade
Brown Skin (Radio Mix) - India Arie
Some Misunderstanding (feat. Mark Lanegan) - Soulsavers
Love Of The Common People - Paul Young
This World Of Water - New Musik
Made Up Love Song #43 - Guillemots
Funky Town - Lipps Inc
Lounger - Dogs Die In Hot Cars
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Friday, November 27, 2009

Living with the iPhone 3GS: Internet Radio Box


This 59p App simplifies the task of finding and listening to internet radio stations. Most importantly, it means I can listen to BBC 6 Music just about anywhere.

It provides a database of MP3 and WMA streaming stations, along with SHOUTcast and icecast directories. The program is highly configurable to allow for bandwidth use, and lets you browse the web while you're listening, using its own version of Safari.

For more information, visit eingrad.com
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Thursday, November 26, 2009

Bloodhound heads for 1000mph


BBC reports: [edited]

The UK team aiming to smash its own land speed record by driving a car beyond 1,000mph has settled on a final design for the vehicle. It calls for a major re-configuration of the vehicle's two power units, with a Eurofighter jet engine now being positioned above a hybrid rocket.

The car, known as Bloodhound, will be built in Bristol's docklands. The team expects to start running the vehicle on the Hakskeen Pan, Northern Cape Province, South Africa, in 2011.

Andy Green set the current World Land Speed Record in 1997 when he drove the Thrust SSC jet-powered vehicle at 763mph. The RAF pilot is now returning for a crack at his own mark in a project led by his old team principal, Richard Noble, himself a former land speed record holder.

Many of the original Thrust design and engineering staff are also involved.
The Bloodhound group hopes the quest to take a car through 1,000mph will be an inspirational venture, in particular to young children thinking of pursuing careers in science and technology.

Bloodhound now has more than 2,410 primary and secondary schools, 98 further education colleges and 33 universities signed up and using the Bloodhound education resources in their lessons.
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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Living with the iPhone 3GS: Awesome Note


The iPhone comes with a simple note-taking App which works well and allows you to sync notes with a Mac's Mail application.

Personally, I find it too simple, with the lack of ability to change the order of notes being particularly frustrating.

There are a number of capable alternatives to the Notes App, but my favourite is the £2.39 Awesome Note.

The interface is friendly without being too 'cutesy', and you can organise things in folders, or in 'all-notes-at-a-glance' panels. Notes can be displayed with different folder icons, colors, fonts and paper backgrounds.

You can password protect notes, and import/export into Google Docs.

For more information, and a link to the App Store, visit Bridworks.
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

27" Quad Core Mac review


ComputerWorld has reviewed Apple's fastest iMac yet, excerpts follow:

"...finally, the the Core i5 and Core i7 27-inch iMacs have arrived - and let me tell you, it was worth the wait."

"With the new 2.66GHz Core i5 iMac and the 2.8GHz Core i7 iMac, Apple has not only blurred the line between consumer and professional systems, it's darn near erased it."

"The 2.66GHz Core i5 iMac offers faster performance at most tasks than the 2.66GHz Quad-Core Mac Pro. The Core i5 iMac also has more memory and more storage space than the 2.66GHz Quad-Core Mac Pro, while being $500 less (plus you get a 27-inch screen with the iMac)."

"Unless you absolutely require additional PCI cards, multiple internal hard drives, or a lot of RAM, the Core i5 iMac makes a strong case for the being the go-to system for most Mac professionals."
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Monday, November 23, 2009

Free font - League Gothic


The League of Movable Type reports: [edited]

League Gothic is a revival of an old classic, and one of our favorite typefaces, Alternate Gothic No.1. It was originally designed by Morris Fuller Benton for the American Type Founders Company (ATF) in 1903. The company went bankrupt in 1993. And since the original typeface was created before 1923, the typeface is in the public domain.

We decided to make our own version, and contribute it to the Open Source Type Movement. It’s free, not only in price, but in freedom.
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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Broomfield-London 22-11-09


Jump Around - House of Pain
New Mistake - Jellyfish
Carbon Monoxide - Cake
Speak Slow - Tegan and Sara
Martha - Tom Waits
Something To Hold On To - Vigilantes Of Love
Standing In The Shadows Of Love - The Four Tops
One Of Us - Martyn Joseph
God - Joy Zipper
Moment In The Sun - Clem Snide
Locomotion (live) - Carole King
Sad Arse Strippa - Lady Sovereign
Truly Something Fine - Nanci Griffith
Promise - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
So In Love With You - Helen Love
Sunshine Of Your Love - Eric Clapton
Never, Never Gonna give you up - Barry White
Kill Your Television - Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Anyone Can Make A Mistake - The Wedding Present
The Phoenix (Original Version) - Judee Sill
Under Ice - Kate Bush
Long Legs - The Magic Numbers
Barstool Blues - Maria McKee
Santiago - Loreena McKennitt
Face - Pooka
Seconds - U2
The Madonna Trilogy - The Meat Purveyors
Cry Love - John Hiatt
Bare Bones - Adam Snyder
Don't Know Much (Featuring Aaron Neville) - Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville
Black Is Black - La Belle Epoque
Sad Songs And Waltzes - Cake
Ashes To Ashes - David Bowie
I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself - The White Stripes
On The Bus Mall - The Decemberists
Turn It On - Ladytron
Engine Joe - Slobberbone
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Friday, November 20, 2009

Skatebikes


Nakoi reports: [edited]

The SQRL (pr. 'squirrel) is a stylish action vehicle that enables you to move around by pedalling like a regular bicycle. However the steering is done by moving your upper body towards the desired direction.
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Thursday, November 19, 2009

Cannondale Dutchess


BikeBiz reports: [edited]

The Cannondale Dutchess is a result of the final year graduation project of Wytze van Mansum, from the Delft University of Technology.


"Designed for women keen to express their style amongst the fast paced and ever changing urban vibe, the Dutchess brings modern lines to the environmentally conscious whilst at the same time offering longevity and low maintenance," said a company statement.

The rear mudguard acts as a structural part of the frame, supporting the carrier with a load of up to 50kg. The arch connects the bicycle from the handlebars to the tail-light.


The hub brakes are self-adjusting to compensate brake pad wear and since the brake lines are integrated into the frame, they can act as wheel locks by folding the levers into the handlebars. Adjustable handlebars allow for different riding positions and can be folded together for easy storage or used for locking the bicycle securely to a fixed object.


The total weight would be kept under 14kg through the integration of parts and functions. Gearing and transmission are fully enclosed, allowing the bicycle to be ridden in normal clothing.

Although fully rideable, the project is currently only a prototype.

- - - - -

Pictures via Carlton Reid
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Quicksand - free font


Font Squirrel is hosting this Web 2.0-friendly 'soft-sans' in 3 weights (and faux italics) plus a quirky 'dashed' version.
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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

LogMeIn Free


LogMeIn reports: [edited]

LogMeIn Free gives you remote control of your PC or Mac from any other computer with an internet connection.

Install LogMeIn on the computer you want to access, log into your account from another computer and click the computer you want to control. You'll see its desktop and be able to use all the applications on your remote computer as if you were sitting in front of it.

- - - - -

Brett's 2p'orth: I've been using it for a while, and it works as advertised. I've also bought the iPhone App, which works just fine. If you want file transfer, remote sound, printing etc, LogMeIn Pro² is available for a free 30 day trial.
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Monday, November 16, 2009

Only in America...


Wired reports: [edited]

A California company has combined a Corvette with a luxury speedboat and thrown in some jet ski to create the WaterCar Python.

For around $170,000, you can pick up a Python rolling chassis and install a General Motors LS series engine of your choosing — from a used LS1 to the same mind-bendingly powerful LS9 found in the Corvette ZR1. Choose that level of insanity and WaterCar estimates the engine and transaxle installation should run an additional $30 to $50K.

Once installed, the Python will make short work of your trip to the boat launch with an average 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds. Once you get to the yacht club, stun your high society friends by driving the Python straight into the water, pressing one button to retract the wheels and another to start the jet. You’ll be gliding on a bright blue highway in seconds. Far from a glorified Amphicar, this baby can do 60 mph on the water.
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Sunday, November 15, 2009

London-Lincoln-London 15-11-09


London to Lincoln
My Way Or The Highway - Limp Bizkit
Prince of the rodeo - Turbonegro
Blue Savannah - Erasure
Digital Love - Daft Punk
Seven Days and One Week - BBE
Spanish Stroll - Mink DeVille
Annie, Let's Not Wait - Guillemots
River Deep, Mountain High - Tina Turner
Can't Get You To Shut Up (DJ DUBZ Mix) - The Black Eyed Peas vs Kylie Minogue
You Get What You Give - New Radicals
When the Sun Goes Down - Arctic Monkeys
DJ DJ - Transplants
Open Your Eyes - United State Of Electronica
Chinatown - Thin Lizzy
Hideaway - Delays
Jackie Jackson - Franz Ferdinand
The Coast Is Always Changing - Maximo Park
Sukie In The Graveyard - Belle & Sebastian
A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed - TheAudience
My Guy - Tracey Ullman
I Want Your Love - Transvision Vamp
What is Confusion? - Haddaway v. Genesis
The Great Escape - We Are Scientists
Hold Me In the River - Brakes
Hang Me Up to Dry - Cold War Kids
Little Girl - The Banned
Time Out From The World - Goldfrapp
Razor Blade - The Strokes
No More Mr. Nice Guy - The Who
This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us (Remix) - Sparks
Axel F (radio edit) - Crazy Frog
Ca Plane Pour Moi - Stella
Saturday Night - Bay City Rollers
God Bless the American Housewife - SHeDAISY
Roll On Down The Highway - Bachman Turner Overdrive
Cotton Eye Joe (remix) - Rednex
Love on a Farmboy's Wages - XTC
Sympathy - Goo Goo Dolls
Heaven - Basshunter
Pacific 707 (single) - 808 State
Street Corner Serenade - Wet Willie
Red Light Spells Danger - Billy Ocean
Hand Held in Black and White - Dollar
The Money Song (Hard-Fi vs. Red Hot Chili Peppers vs. Flying Lizards vs. Abba vs. Jay-Z) - team9
Good Enough - Dodgy
Golden Green - Wonder Stuff
Woman - Wolfmother
Speed - Bran Van 3000
Stop! - Erasure
I Like To Move It - Ali G
She's So Beautiful - Cliff Richard
A Little Respect - Björn Again

Lincoln to London
Only Dreaming - Yazbek
Atlantic City - Bruce Springsteen
Hurricane - Mindy Smith
Trampin' - Patti Smith
The Bible's Right - Sister O. M. Terrell
First-Time Mother's Joy (Flying) - Mercury Rev
Not Me - This Mortal Coil
Take It Up - World Party
Love's A Prima Donna. - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
Femme Fatale - The Velvet Underground
Crepuscule With Nellie - Thelonious Monk
Venus - The Chris Stamey Experience
Up - The Kleptones
Shattered - Linda Ronstadt
Cages - Baxter Dury
Suzieju - Lambchop
Experiment IV - Kate Bush
Aikea-Guinea - Cocteau Twins
The Outdoor Type - The Lemonheads
Build A Levee - Natalie Merchant
Female Of The Species - Space
I Don't Know Why You Keep Me On - Nick Lowe
Street Life - Randy Crawford
Alzheimers - Joy Zipper
Evil - Ladytron
Empire - Dar Williams
You Belong With Me - Tonio K
Absolute Beginners - The Jam
Hopeless Is As Hopeless Does - Vigilantes of Love
Meltdown - Ash
The Groom's Still Waiting At The Altar - Bob Dylan
Love train - O'Jays
Add It Up - Violent Femmes
Free Little Bird - Lisa Loeb and Elizabeth Mitchell
How Can You Refuse Him Now - Holly Williams
You're The Why - Ian Dury & The Blockheads
Didn't It Rain - Golden Gate Quartet
Crocketts Theme - Jan Hammer
Carry Me Home - Polly Paulusma
Everything Is Everything - Phoenix
There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World) - The Carpenters
So Complicated - Van Morrison
9 to 5 - Lady Sovereign feat Ordinary Boys
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Saturday, November 14, 2009

London-Lincoln-London 04-11-09


London to Lincoln
Who's Making Love - Johnnie Taylor
Change In The Weather - Steve Forbert
Later Monday - Jon Brion
Wintertime Blues - John Hiatt
I Love You Honey - John Lee Hooker
Calling all the heroes - It Bites
It Was Jesus - Johnny Cash
Red Clay Halo - Gillian Welch
More Than Useless - Relient K
Now Those Days Are Gone - Bucks Fizz
Ain't No Cure For Love - Aaron Neville
When It Don't Come Easy - Patty Griffin
New York Soul - Ray Barretto
If I Had Words - Scott Fitzgerald & Yvonne Keeley
Song to the Siren - This Mortal Coil
Walking On Sunshine - Rocker's Revenge
Silver Transparent - Bill Mallonee
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Claude Denjean
Here Comes The Rain Again - Eurythmics
Generation Landslide - Alice Cooper
Brian Wilson (a cappella) - Barenaked Ladies
If Not For You (alt) - Bob Dylan
There Goes Mavis - Richard Shindell
Come To Jesus - Mindy Smith
Jolene - Cake
Moody Blue - Elvis Presley
Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode
Reflecting Light - Sam Phillips
Check It Out - After The Fire
Talkin' To Myself Again - Shelby Lynne
Have A Good Time - Paul Simon
Linger - Jonatha Brooke
Stretch Out And Wait - The Smiths
Give It Away - Deepest Blue
Life's A Miracle - Prefab Sprout
White Shadows - Coldplay
Ashes - Embrace
I Will Follow - U2
Hey, Brother - Rip Slyme
Love Minus Zero/No Limit - Eliza Gilkyson
Proverbial Pants - Soulwax
Breath - Kathryn Williams
Say It Ain't So - Weezer
slight night shiver - m83

Lincoln to London

Hurt Feelings - Flight of the Conchords
Underdog - Kasabian
We Will Rock You - Queen
What A Day For A Daydream - Lovin' Spoonful
One vision - Queen
Tubthumping - Chumbawamba
I Am A Paleontologist - They Might Be Giants
The Walls Are Coming Down - Fanfarlo
Song Away - Hockey
Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
Pirate Girls Nine - They Might Be Giants
Beg Your Pardon - Kon Kan
Islands - The XX
Fill in the Blanks #1 - Sorry I Haven't a Clue
Poetry Of The Deed - Frank Turner
Undercover Of The Night - The Rolling Stones
Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz
Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You) - Shania Twain
Time To Pretend - MGMT
Can I Play With Madness - Iron Maiden
Cheat On Me - The Cribs
I Ain't Mad At Cha - Tupac (2pac)
Have I The Right - Dave Clark Five
Alcohol - CSS
Let's Go Surfing - The Drums
Adultery - Little Comets
Run to The Hills - Iron Maiden
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Theme - They Might Be Giants
Walking On Sunshine - Ghoti Hook
Reelin' & Rockin' - Chuck Berry
Spin the Black Circle - Pearl Jam
Somebody to Love - Queen & George Michael
Radio Gaga - Queen
I Found Love - Lone Justice
Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms
Wheels - Foo Fighters
Rock Island Line - Little Richard With Fishbone
I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You - Black Kids
Seven - They Might Be Giants
Dirty Harry (Single Edit) - Gorillaz
11th Dimension - Julian Casablancas
Beautiful Love - Julian Cope
Nerve - lamont humphrey
Why Does The Sun Really Shine? - They Might Be Giants
Papillon - Editors
All The Kings Men - Wild Beasts
Def Con One - Pop Will Eat Itself
American Girl - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Making Your Mind Up - Bucks Fizz
The Greatness and Perfection of Love - Julian Cope
Think I Need It Too - Echo & The Bunnymen
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Friday, November 13, 2009

iPhone's ascendancy continues


Register Hardware reports: [edited]

Cupertino's multi-pronged strategy to put an iPhone into the pocket of every smartphoner, mobile gamer, and on-the-go web surfer is working.

According to the market researchers at Strategy Analytics, the iPhone vaulted Apple past Nokia to become the number one handset vendor in the world when measured by profits. In the third quarter of 2009 Apple's phone-based profits totaled $1.6bn, while Nokia pulled in $1.1bn.

And Apple isn't content with dominating handset-profitability metrics. It also has its eye on pocket gaming.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata recently told a company gathering that "If we can't make clear why customers pay a lot of money to play games on Nintendo hardware and Nintendo software and differentiate ourselves from games on the mobile phone or iPhone, then our future is dark".
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Thursday, November 12, 2009

Ricoh GXR


Digital Photography Review reports: [edited]

The GXR system uses interchangeable lens/sensor units - every lens comes in a sealed unit complete with sensor, shutter, aperture, processing engine (there's also one in the camera body) and the motors necessary to focus the lens (and drive the zoom mechanism if present). You are, essentially, buying a new camera every time you buy the lens: the GXR body is little more than a shell containing the screen, card slot, controls and flash.



This radical rethink of the 'interchangeable lens' has some important consequences:

- Different lens units can have different sensor sizes and technologies

- By using a smaller sensor the GXR system can offer very small zooms

- Lens units can be designed for specialist applications (e.g. video optimised)

The GXR launches with two very different optional lens modules. Although the body is very thin, how pocketable the camera is depends entirely on the lens module mounted: the S10 zoom unit maintains the low profile when not in use (it collapses when powered down) but the A12 prime is a fairly large unit.


- - - - -

Brett's 2p'orth: I have no idea whether this is a triumph or a turkey. What I do know is that the pre-production sample images are impressive, and that I am looking forward to visiting my local Jessops for a 'hands-on' when it is released in the UK.
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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

One connection to rule them all


blogs.intel.com reports: [edited]

A new technology was announced at Intel Developer Forum which provides initial data rates of 10 Gigabits and potential scalability to 100 Gigabits and beyond; something copper won’t be able to achieve.

Light Peak also supports multiple simultaneous protocols which will allow bandwidth aggregation of the various interconnects used in systems today onto a single high speed, thin, flexible, and long cable and small connector. Imagine being able to connect to your camera, display, docking station, or external hard drive through a single, thin connector.

Light Peak is in the developmental stages, but Intel Executive Vice President General Manager, Intel Architecture Group Dadi Perlmutter showed a demonstration of real silicon transmitting storage, LAN data and display (1080p) data across a 30m fiber optic cable.

The end goal is to make Light Peak a complement to existing I/O technologies by enabling them to run together on a single cable and at higher, and more scalable speeds.
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Wall of Sound iPod speaker


In what looks more like an Onion prank than an actual piece of hifi, the Swedish audio company Brothers has released the Wall of Sound (WOS) iPod speaker.

Powered by a 125 Watt tube amplifier, this 28 speaker monster measures 94x125x31cm, and weighs over 100kg.

You can order yours from the Brothers website for a mere $4,495.

Thanks to Julie for the link
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Monday, November 09, 2009

DraganFly


DraganFly Innovations reports: [edited]

Draganfly Innovations Inc. started as a small mail-order business specializing in radio controlled flying machines. We soon began selling our unique, four-rotor helicopter, the Draganflyer.

The Draganflyer was originally designed to be an easy-to-fly, low-maintenance helicopter which evolved into a camera platform. Draganflyers are extremely sophisticated, high performance, yet easy-to-fly, affordable machines.

The collaboration of ideas from our customers, employees, and associates has resulted in the release of our most exciting and capable aerial photographic platform yet: the Draganflyer X6 Helicopter, the ultimate in ease of flying and usability.
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Friday, November 06, 2009

Avatar


Full trailer available here. I may yet forgive Mr Cameron for Titanic.
------------

OCZ Neural Impulse Actuator


OCZ Technology reports: [edited]

OCZ’s Neural Impulse Actuator (nia) marks a new era in gaming. Rather than being a substitute for a mouse, the nia is a pioneering new peripheral to be used in conjunction with your mouse for a more immersive gaming experience.

The nia is compatible with any PC game using keyboard input. Predefined profiles included with the software allow the gamer to develop their own nia—memory to launch the desired behaviour of their character without lifting a finger.

The headband uses carbon nanofiber-based sensors to provide the highest possible dynamic range for the recording of bioelectrical signals that are amplified and digitized and further de-convoluted into computer commands.
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Thursday, November 05, 2009

Oasis of the Seas


Southern Daily Echo reports: [edited]

It looked as if a large chunk of Hampshire, complete with trees, apartments, and a street lined with shops and bars, had broken off and floated out into the middle of the Solent.

But this was no monster piece of flotsam and jetsam but one of the biggest man-made objects to move across the face of the planet, the vast new cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas.

At 220,000 tons, and able to accommodate 6,300 passengers and 2,000 crew, Oasis of the Seas breaks all records. She is divided up into seven separate 'neighbourhoods' including one called Central Park which is open to the sky and features trees, grass lawns and flower-beds.

Other passenger attractions include an ice rink, a cocktail bar that rises up and down the decks, a water theme park, a full-size fairground carousel, and a shopping area with bars, restaurants and cafes.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Wii sales plummet


Digital Spy reports: [edited]

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has announced that sales of the Wii console have fallen significantly over the past six months.

Sales of the system suffered a 40% drop over the time period, with 5.75 million units sold worldwide in September 2009, compared to 10 million the previous year. Iwata attributed this to a lack of significant software releases.

"Wii has stalled," he told a press conference. "We were unable to continually release strong software, and [we have] let the nice mood cool. We were unable to show a new game to become 'the next thing'. In the game market, once you've lost the momentum, it takes time to recover."
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Monday, November 02, 2009

Bean


MacWorld reports: [edited]

Our quest for the ultimate writing tool continues with Bean a stripped down and superfast word processor.

It lacks a full word processor’s more advanced features, but Bean handles all the same files as TextEdit in an interface that’s easy to understand and looks great. It’ll even export PDFs.

Bean’s selection tools are a revelation, with options for choosing by font style, ruler and even colour, making it easy to handle large documents. With features such as live word count, autosave and page layout mode you won’t feel deprived.

We’ve found ourselves using Google Docs a lot lately. Bean gives you the same simplicity, power and lack of clutter at the same price: nothing.
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Motorola Droid


Wired reports: [edited]

The Droid is Motorola's second attempt at an Android phone but the first one they've actually gotten right. More importantly, it's one of the first phones that can legitimately stand head-to-head with the iPhone - and come out ahead in some significant respects.

Physically the Droid is not much to look at because of its boxy, angular frame. Its hefty 170g weight doesn't make it especially pocket-friendly either. The touchscreen display is a shade bigger than the iPhone 3GS, but it has much higher resolution, with 854 x 440 pixels compared to the iPhone's 480 x 320. The virtual keyboard is fantastically responsive with very little input error.

The slide-out physical keyboard is one of the few disappointments of the Droid. The small, flat buttons make it difficult to crank out text.

The Droid runs Android 2.0 as its OS. It feels more refined than the first version of Android on T-Mobile's G1 and it's certainly better than the muddled interface on Motorola's Cliq.

The Droid's 5-megapixel camera produces photos that aren't too noisy and it does well even in low light, thanks to the built-in LED flash.

The most exciting feature of the phone, though, is the Google maps app - with built-in turn-by-turn, voice-guided navigation. With text-to-speech features, the maps are layered with traffic data and a satellite view. But here's the best part. It's free! You don't have to pay a $10 per month subscription or purchase a TomTom app

The browser is excellent and displays web pages quickly (though Flash websites are still out of bounds). You can toggle through multiple windows and scan them in an easy list view. You double-tap the screen to zoom in and out - which works, but we miss the 'pinch to zoom' gesture found on the Palm Pre and iPhone. There's no native multi-touch support in the Droid.

If it were 2 ounces lighter and had a better keyboard (or no keyboard at all), it would be hands-down the best smartphone on the market today. As it is, it's a solid contender in a market that has too long been dominated by just one top-quality handset.

- - - - -

For a more extensive review, and lots of images, visit Engadget
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Sunday, November 01, 2009

London-Lincoln-London 01-11-09


London to Lincoln
Something Good Can Work - Two Door Cinema Club
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger - Daft Punk
Gonna Make You A Star - David Essex
Little Arithmetics - Deus
I Turn My Camera On - Spoon
The most beautiful girl in the world - Charlie Rich
Brother Louie - Hot Chocolate
Bum Bum - Mabel
Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Andy Williams
Wild Wild Life - Talking Heads
Hush - Kula Shaker
Chasm - Demetri Martin
Cars (remix) - Gary Numan
A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
If You Belonged To Me - Traveling Wilburys
California Love - 2Pac (feat. Dr. Dre)
Somebody's watching me - Rockwell
Musical/Burlap Sack - Demetri Martin
Wannabe - Spice Girls
Thank You Cards - Demetri Martin
I Can't Wait - Nu Shooz
Keep on Jumpin' (feat. Martha Wash & Jocelyn Brown) - Todd Terry
Glad All Over - Dave Clark Five
Spin the Black Circle - Pearl Jam
My White Bicycle - Nazareth
Cotton Balls/Cinammon Buns - Demetri Martin
Let's Dance To Joy Division - The Wombats
Beach, Message in a Bottle - Demetri Martin
Everybody Needs Somebody To Love - The Blues Brothers
Love's A Game - The Magic Numbers
Twenty Four Hour Garage People - Half Man Half Biscuit
Open Your Heart - Human League
Bingo Bango - Basement Jaxx
Nag Nag Nag - Art Brut
Superstar - Jamelia
Touchy! - a-ha
Something Better Change - Stranglers
Where's the Pleasure? (Radio Edit) - Protocol
Run With the Wolves - The Prodigy
Love Like Semtex - Infadels
Two Left Feet - Richard Thompson
Pressure Us - Sunscreem
I Want That Man - Deborah Harry
Dreaming - Blondie
Sk8r Boy - Avril Lavigne
My Sharona - Polysics
Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms

Lincoln to London
It Ain't Easy - David Bowie
Ay Que Rico - Eddie Palmieri
Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season) - The Byrds
State Trooper - Steve Wynn
Heartbreaker (Live) - Pat Benatar, Sheryl Crow, Dixie Chicks, Emmylou Harris etc.
Strange Love - Darlene Love
If You Go Away - Dusty Springfield
Six White Horses - The Greencards
What Was It You Wanted - Bob Dylan
Messages From The Stars - Rah Band
Daylight Robbery - Morcheeba
Disappear - Madness
Sometimes - Abigail Washburn
Genius - Kings Of Leon
One Small Day - Ultravox
Surprise, Surprise - The Everyothers
The Electric Version - The New Pornographers
Forever For Her (Is Over For Me) - The White Stripes
Timeless Melody - The La's
Bass Culture - Linton Kwesi Johnson
The Way It Really Is - Lisa Loeb
Light & Magic (Live) - Ladytron
God's Got A Crown - Arizona Dranes
Wonderful Life - Black
Call My Name - Allison Moorer
For Your Babies - Simply Red
Ride - Nick Drake
Rilleh! - Marvin Gaye & Oma Page
Sophie - Jake Thackray
Lavina - Josh Rouse
Teardrops - Shakin' Stevens
True Confessions - Tonio K
Zuton Fever - The Zutons
David's Last Summer - Pulp
There Goes The Neighborhood - Sheryl Crow
Perfect Day (BBC version) - Lou Reed + nearly everyone else
Look at You Girl - Chris LeDoux
No One Else - Weezer
Paths Of Victory - Cat Power
A Small Victory - Faith No More
One - Simple Plan
Nerve - lamont humphrey
Walking On Sunshine - Ghoti Hook
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