Review: Razer Edge Pro tablet—insane performance that"s completely impractical

This is year that windows 8 makes its mark inside the pc tablet marketplace. With the revolutionary nokia tablet pc, the microsoft surface 2 plus a few others (counting the Razer Edge Pro, that is basically what this article is about). We’ll be seeing a few more come out before next christmas. The Razer Edge Pro is a little disappointing in comparison to everything else that is out on the market (ipad, nexus 7) but read to the end to see the final assesment of this windows 8 tablet.

 

PC gaming is poised to break free from the desktop—it just needs a device that delivers fast frame rates and lush graphics in an affordable, portable package. Enter the Razer Edge Pro, a Windows 8 tablet built expressly for playing PC games on the go. The hardware even comes with an optional controller accessory that turns the tablet into a handheld game console. 

But Razer’s pitch goes way beyond gaming. The company is marketing the Edge Pro as a multi-purpose machine that can replace your laptop, desktop, tablet, and, yes, even your Xbox, PS3 and Wii. After using the premier version of Razer’s new tablet as my primary device for a week, I think it comes close to delivering on its multi-disciplinary promise—if you’re willing to make some compromises.

In terms of raw processing performance, sure, the tablet can do everything.

First, the good news: It works. Thanks to a Core i7 processor and discrete Nvidia graphics, the tablet is powerful enough to run Far Cry 3 and Dishonored at decent frame rates. And thanks to Windows 8 Pro, it can run legacy desktop applications, including essential gaming utilities like Steam, uPlay and the launchers for World of Warcraft and Guild Wars 2. The Edge Pro also easily chews through productivity applications, handling the processor-intensive Photoshop with aplomb.

The bad news: Whether you’re playing games, watching movies, editing images, or writing tablet reviews, the Edge Pro requires significant compromises. In terms of raw processing performance, sure, the tablet can do everything. But in terms of ergonomics, convenience, display quality and price, the tablet falls short of more specialized, cheaper devices. We reviewed the highest spec’ed version of the Edge Pro, and at $1450, it proved to be a luxury product for hardcore PC gamers only.

But at least it’s a luxury product that solves a nagging PC gaming problem: Finding killer performance in a reasonably portable package.

Durable chassis with a disappointing display

Compared to the Surface Pro, Razer’s matte black Edge Pro feels chubby. It weighs roughly 2.25 pounds and measures just over 20 mm thick, whereas Microsoft’s high-end tablet is just 2 pounds and 13.5 mm thick. Razer’s tablet is durable: it doesn’t have the advantage of Gorilla Glass or a fancy VaporMg chassis, but it survived a week gallivanting around San Francisco in my crowded messenger bag without so much as a scratch. Its composite aluminum body feels cheap to the touch, yet holds up under significant wear and tear. 

Even when using the Edge Pro as a regular Windows 8 tablet, sans accessories, the weight of the hardware is noticeable.

While certainly functional, the Edge Pro’s 10.6-inch, 1366-by-768 pixel screen is a letdown when watching movies, playing games or doing pretty much anything that’s predicated on visual fidelity—in short, everything that the Edge Pro is designed to excel at. It’s a serviceable platform for playing Skyrim, but I can’t help but envy the iPad’s Retina display or even the bright, 1920-by-1080 screen on the Surface Pro. The Edge Pro looks shabby by comparison, and it’s just not bright enough to use in direct sunlight. This is hardly a deal-breaker, but it does mean you’ll need to draw the shades during daylight gaming sessions.

Razer earns respect for cramming so much processing performance into a tablet chassis. But with PC power comes PC problems.

The 10-point capacitive touchscreen is big enough for playing games, as long as you run them full screen. I had no issues browsing the web or using Windows 8 apps, but I felt cramped while trying to manage multiple desktop applications on the Edge Pro’s limited real estate. It’s a problem that’s easily solved by hooking up the tablet to an external display, but you’ll have a difficult time doing so without purchasing the dock accessory, as the Edge Pro tablet itself sports just a single USB 3.0 port.

Bottom line: To use the Edge Pro as a full-fledged desktop PC replacement, an HDTV gaming console or a mobile gaming machine, you must invest in Razer’s portfolio of pricey peripherals.

If you choose to shell out $99 for the Edge docking station—which packs three extra USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI out port, a mic jack, a stereo port, and a jack for the power adapter—you won’t have any trouble outputting to a full 1080p display. I connected the tablet to both a 24-inch Gateway monitor and a 40-inch Mitsubishi HDTV via HDMI, and it effortlessly drove each display at 1920-by-1080. To this extent, the Edge Pro actually doubles as a decent desktop gaming PC—if you’re willing to pay for the docking station and deck it out with a keyboard, mouse, monitor and headset.

Razer earns respect for cramming so much processing performance into a tablet chassis. But with PC power comes PC problems. Play a processor-intensive game like Dishonored for more than a minute, and you’ll feel the heat—literally.

Despite the integration of heat-dissipating grilles along the top-rear edge of the tablet chassis, the tablet consistently became almost too hot to handle during gaming sessions. I passed it around to a few friends and nobody found it painfully hot, but we all agreed that the Edge Pro is uncomfortably warm to the touch while running PC games. It’s not a deal-breaker, but Razer might consider adding “lap warmer” to the Edge Pro’s already lengthy list of functions.

As far as fan noise, the Edge Pro emits a noticeable hum during processor-intensive use. I found it inoffensive and easy to ignore, but your tolerance may vary.

Best-in-class performance

The Edge Pro’s go-for-broke hardware helped the tablet earn top marks in PCWorld’s suite of performance benchmarks. Razer sent us the premium version of the tablet, so our tests were able to tap into a 1.9GHz Core i7 CPU, 8 GB of RAM, and a discrete NVIDIA GT 640M LE GPU alongside the standard Intel HD 4000 graphics chip.

Our review unit, which you can order now on Razer’s website for $1450, also came with a 256GB SSD. The standard $1300 Edge Pro comes with a more modest 128GB SSD. And if you want to spend even less money, a cool $1000 will get you the basic Edge tablet, which sports the same discrete Nvidia GPU, but comes with a Core i5 processor, a 64GB SSD, and just 4 GB of RAM.

The top-of-the-line Edge Pro tablet runs contemporary PC games like Crysis 3 at playable framerates.

The premium-priced Edge Pro delivers fantastic performance that helps justify its $1450 price tag. For one, we saw 73 frames per second running Dirt Showdown at native resolution. That’s more than twice what Microsoft’s Surface Pro was able to deliver in the same test, and confirms that the Edge Pro is the best gaming tablet on the market.

Razer’s beast also outperformed the Surface Pro, The Acer W700 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 in our PCMark 7 suite of productivity tests, including our Photoshop CS6 image editing tests and the 3DMark11 graphics rendering tests. Granted, the Edge Pro has a lower native resolution that the competition, and this makes it easier for the tablet to deliver high frame rates in games. But when you view all the benchmark results together, it’s clear the machine is purpose-built for performance.

The flipside of all this fantastic performance is poor battery life. The Edge Pro was pitiful in our battery rundown test, burning through a full charge in just under four hours—six with the extended battery attached. Of all the Windows 8 hybrids we’ve tested, only the Lenovo ThinkPad Twist fared worse. And that’s just in our lab tests, which are actually a little forgiving because they rely on looping video playback and automated PCMark 7 tests to drain the battery. While running demanding PC games on the Edge Pro, I routinely ran the battery dry after two to three hours of continuous play.

This presents a significant problem for real-world use: The utility of a portable gaming machine that can only run for a couple of hours is dubious at best. The brief battery life isn’t an issue if you’re just puttering around your Steam library from the comfort of your couch, but it’s a complete deal-breaker if you’re on a long plane trip or otherwise isolated from a power outlet for more than a few hours.

The 256GB SSD in our review unit was more than spacious enough to install Windows 8, a few productivity programs, benchmarking software, and a handful of games with large storage footprints (Skyrim, Far Cry 3, XCOM and Sleeping Dogs) with plenty of space left over. Even the 128GB SSD in the basic version of the Edge Pro seems spacious enough if you don’t load it up with an excess of music, movies and games. The 64GB SSD in the base Edge tablet concerns us, though, given the storage requirements of Windows 8 and most modern PC games.

Accessories required

It’s impossible to discuss the Edge Pro without delving into its accessories, which Razer sells separately at premium prices. Three are available at the time of this review: a $99 Docking Station,  a $249 Gamepad Controller, and a $69 Razer Edge extended battery, which inserts inside the Gamepad Controller. Razer’s engineers are also working on a keyboard dock, which should be available by the holidays. Its price is still unknown, but it’s slated to support the extended battery.

The docking station resembles a sleek USB hub. Along the rear are three USB 2.0 ports, audio out and mic jacks, an HDMI 1.4 port, and a power jack for the Edge power supply. The idea is to set up the station next to your PC or TV, plug in all the requisite cables for your display, mouse, keyboard, and so on, and then just plop the Edge into the dock when you get home and use it as your desktop PC or gaming console.

Plug the tablet into the docking station (sold separately) and use it’s suite of ports to hook up three additional USB devices and drive external hardware via HDMI and audio out.

I did both, and I’m happy to report the Edge Pro performs very well in either capacity. It’s a little challenging to find decent PC games that support multiple players using gamepads, but my friends and I had a fantastic time playing through Double Fine’s The Cave on a 40-inch HDTV. The Edge Pro performed equally well when docked with my mouse, keyboard and 24-inch monitor—the extra screen space and input control make the Edge Pro shine as a desktop replacement.

Of course, if you’re away from the docking station and want to play anything other than simple touch-based games on the Edge Pro, you’ll need to either plug a controller into the tablet’s sole USB 3.0 port, or jack into the optional $249 Gamepad Controller, which cocoons the tablet in a considerable amount of extra hardware.

The Gamepad Controller gives you console-style button controls—a welcome feature when playing many PC games. But the accessory is also a hefty investment in terms of both price and poundage: When you slot in the extended battery, the machined aluminum chassis adds more than two pounds and almost four inches to the tablet. This expanded form factor is manageable, but I needed to curl up on a couch when using the Edge Pro in all it’s mobile gaming glory for more than 15 minutes at a stretch. The ergonomics are challenging, and many seating positions just won’t work.

The Edge Pro is at its best—and heaviest—when jacked into the gamepad chassis (which conceals a slot for an extended battery.)

The chassis is sturdy—there’s no danger of snapping the thin supports that link the hand grips to the shell—and conceals motors that deliver surprisingly satisfying vibrational feedback during game play. Razer’s design clearly duplicates Microsoft’s Xbox 360 for Windows gamepad, with two analog joysticks, a directional pad, four face buttons (A, B, X, Y), and the requisite Start and Select buttons.

Six triggers crown the two cylinders—three on either side—and all are within comfortable reach of your index fingers. Using the directional pad and face buttons isn’t as comfortable, because each button cluster is nestled about an inch beneath an analog stick. This is a cramped arrangement, and when you’re quickly moving your thumbs back and forth between the controls, fatigue sets in quickly. Given how much real estate is available on each cylinder, it’s hard to understand why Razer built the buttons and sticks so close together.

Can a tablet really fulfill all your gaming needs?

The Razer Edge Pro is the most powerful Windows 8 tablet PCWorld has ever seen. Sure, it’s not as sleek as the competition, but the extra girth is an acceptable compromise in exchange for the power of an Nvidia GPU and a Core i7 processor.

More importantly, it’s solid proof that Razer can successfully build a Windows tablet that runs the latest PC games at playable frame rates. The Edge Pro is expensive and cumbersome, but it works: It lets you play Skyrim in bed, and that alone makes it a must-buy for a subset—a very, very rich subset—of PC gaming enthusiasts.

My biggest problem with the Edge Pro is that it’s so clearly a luxury product. Razer built a Windows 8 tablet that only gamers could love, and even then only if they shell out almost two grand for the premium model with all the optional accessories. For that price, you could pick up an Xbox 360, a Nexus 7 and enough hardware to build your own gaming PC, and still have a little cash left over for games. The Edge Pro simply isn’t a practical replacement for any device save perhaps a Windows tablet, and even there it can’t match the price, portability or convenience of the Microsoft Surface Pro and its Type keyboard covers.

The Edge Pro is an amazing piece of kit, but it’s hard to recommend it to anyone but a hardcore PC gaming enthusiast. If you want a Windows 8 device for any other purpose, you’d be better served by a Surface Pro or a Windows 8 hybrid, at least until Razer improves upon the Edge Pro’s design shortcomings. It’s just a few ounces, inches and dollars from being a game-changing product.

 

Source - http://www.pcworld.com/article/2032040/review-razer-edge-pro-tablet-insane-performance-thats-completely-impractical.html#tk.rss_tablets

Review: Razer Edge Pro tablet—insane performance that"s completely impractical

Pioneering Rock Musician Lou Reed Dies at 71

Rock n Roll poet Lou Reed, a founding member and principal songwriter of the massively influential band ‘The Velvet Underground’ – as well as a globally recognized recording artist in his own right, has died of liver failure, he was 71 years old.

Reed’s songs were groundbreaking in that they openly discussed issues like outsider sexuality and hard drug use and then married these lyrics to alternative, sometimes avant-garde music.

Reed was a recording artist in every sense of the word. Throughout his life and career, his work was challenging, powerful and often divisive. However, he was also no stranger to a catchy, crowd-pleasing pop chorus, as famous hits like ‘Perfect Day’, Satellite of Love’ and ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ will attest. Lou Reed’s work was the ultimate meeting point between the urban culture of the New York City streets and the highbrow insouciance of the uptown art galleries.

Supremely influential to the development of Pop, Glam, Indie, Punk and lots more besides, Reed was considered to be a godfather of alternative sounds.

Lou Reed was born in Brooklyn in 1942, when World War 2 was still raging around the world. He studied at Syracuse University and, around this time, became a disciple of the poet Delmore Schwartz. Upon graduation, he worked for Pickwick records as a songwriter, generating at least one minor hit. Eventually, he met Welsh violinist John Cale and, together with drummer Maureen Tucker and guitarist Sterling Morrison, formed The Velvet Underground.

The Velvet Underground were an instant hit on the New York music scene, so much so that pop artist Andy Warhol became a fan and incorporated them into his various projects. Warhol would eventually be credited as the producer of the band’s 1967 debut album, for which he also provided the artwork. The band were white hot creatively for three years, until their last album ‘Loaded’ was released in 1970.

Commercially, however, the Velvet Underground were completely ignored at the time. It was only later that they would be considered by a new generation of musicians as a seminal, trailblazing band.

Reed’s first solo album (where he was backed by the progressive rock band ‘Yes’) wasn’t a hit, but his glam-inflexed, David Bowie produced follow up, ‘Transformer’ became a worldwide smash and yielded several enduring pop classics.

For the rest of the decade, Reed refused to be pigeon holed as simply a ‘Rock’ or ‘Pop’ performer, instead producing albums like the tragic, story-based ‘Berlin’ or the savagely experimental ‘Metal Machine Music’. ‘Coney Island Baby’ was perhaps his most accessible record after ‘Transformer’, it was a hard-edged song-set that featured a collection of radio friendly alternative rock tunes and it was well received by the majority of fans.

Over the decades, Reed’s rebellious music continued to divide and delight in equal measure. Albums that had some fans and critics cheering had others scratching their heads. He was wholly capable of being supremely heartfelt and candid one minute and yet totally aloof and incomprehensible the next. He was, however, never less than 100% true to his incomparable artistic spirit.

In the 2000’s, Reed became a devoted practitioner of Tai Chi; he based an album on the works of Edgar Allen Poe and he worked as a photographer (which had been a side passion of his for many years). He also became even more heavily involved in social and environmental activism. His most recent record was released in 2011; it was produced in collaboration with Thrash Metal giants ‘Metallica’.

To say that Lou Reed made a huge impact on popular music would be an absolute understatement; to say that Lou Reed is one of the founding fathers of alternative music/culture would be doing the man something of a disservice. In truth, Lou Reed wrote the book on Rock n Roll, before summarily burning it and doing whatever he felt like doing, whenever he felt like doing it. He will be missed.

Pioneering Rock Musician Lou Reed Dies at 71

Merry New Year|Merry Christmas to every person

2012 is finished and we would like to wish one and all a merry Christmas as well as a Happy New Year

Merry New Year|Merry Christmas to every person

Iceman’s Living Relatives Discovered

A team of Austrian scientists has identified living relatives of Oetzi the Iceman, the 5,300-year-old body discovered in the Italian Alps in 1991.

The research highlights 19 Tyrolean men, all of whom bear distinct genetic similarities to samples taken from the body of Oetzi (so named because he was discovered in the valley of Oetz).

It is thought that the same genetic mutation that was found in Oetzi’s ancient DNA will also be discovered in the nearby Swiss region of Engadine.

The men have not been informed about their famous heritage and their connection to the Iceman is known only from analysis of their blood after donation. Women were not included in this particular study, as a different procedure would be required to match their samples to Oetzi’s.

The Austrian team has announced that it will be working with Swiss and Italian partners in order to further their research.

Since hikers discovered the body in 1991, Oetzi has been a source of constant fascination to historians, geneticists, archaeologists and interested media outlets. A high level of research has uncovered how Oetzi died, what his last meal consisted of and even what his face might very well have looked like (he had brown eyes). In addition, the Iceman’s entire genome was mapped and published last February.

In life, Oetzi stood at about 5ft 2in, lived to be approximately 46 years old and suffered from (amongst other things) arthritis and a whipworm infestation.

However, the discovery of living relatives to the 5,300-year-old corpse definitely represents a milestone in a case that has been called ‘the world’s oldest murder mystery’ by some.

Since Oetzi’s discovery in 1991, debates have raged about the Iceman’s final moments, there has even been some speculation that he was buried, but why and by whom remains a mystery.

In addition, a court case raged for years between the body’s discoverers and the local authorities, regarding a 25% finders fee that the authorities declined to pay in full. The court case was eventually settled in 2008.

The Iceman has made news in other areas as well; seven people involved in the discovery of Oetzi have died under allegedly ‘mysterious’ circumstances, leading some to speculate as to the existence of a curse.

Last year, Oetzi made the news yet again, as Italian scientists determined that there were red blood cells around Oetzi’s wounds. This was remarkable news as previously no blood was found within the body. These findings made Oetzi’s blood the oldest in the world, but, amazingly, his bloodline continues to this day.

 

SOURCES:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17909396

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17909396

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7643286.stm

Iceman’s Living Relatives Discovered

On The Air, In The Air Radios and Air Travel, an inseparable Mix

Radios are a Vital Tool for Air Travel. At London Heathrow airport, for example, three hundred companies employ some 80,000 people every day, whilst 65 million people leave from, arrive at, or pass through the airport. In the face of such staggering humanity, fast, efficient communication becomes paramount.

Medical personnel need to be notified quickly in case of an accident. Security guards must be able to respond and react to any potential threat as swiftly as possible. Other, daily issues such as reuniting lost children with their parents, locating missing luggage and the inspection of imported goods, must also be dealt with in a clear and professional manner.

Without a reliable network of two-way radios, the entire daily operation of any airport would be next to impossible.

Today, most modern airports have switched from having individual radio networks specific to each company, to the employment of more integrated solutions. In 2000, the engineering firm Arup was employed by BAA to make these changes possible at Heathrow, specifically in Terminal 5. According to the firm’s official website,

“Previously at Heathrow, individual mobile operators had installed their own infrastructure, resulting in duplication and proliferation of infrastructure across the airport, standards of installation that varied, unreliable records, and unsightly clutter to the terminal landscape”.

Eventually, the site continues,

“It was jointly agreed by BAA and Arup that the most appropriate solution for the new terminal was common infrastructure that could be shared by multiple parties”.

The changes at Terminal 5 proved to be a success. These days, most airports follow this model of radio communication. The benefits are enormous. Airports are running smoother than ever thanks to improved cross communication between individuals and departments (everything from catering, flight and cabin crew to cleaning staff, border controls and freight handling).

Two-way radios are superior to mobile phones for these tasks because they are instant. Also, there are very few lapses in signal and they are sturdy enough for use in almost any environment.

Think of your mobile: if you came upon an accident right now and you wanted to call somebody and report it, you would be dependent on a multitude of factors, wouldn’t you? Do you have signal? Do you have credit? Will they even pick up the phone at their end? However, a two-way radio eliminates most of these problems. The operator simply presses the button to talk and awaits the reply. Easy.

Two-way radios cover a large area, can be used on secure channels and are cost effective solutions to communications challenges presented by organizations such as Heathrow.

The benefits of a two-way radio system have been well known for a long time, it is a system used by police, the armed forces, building contractors, security firms and, of course, cab drivers, the world over. Plus, the technology isn’t upgraded too often, so there’s not much risk of your purchase becoming obsolete by the time you put down your deposit.

In a very real sense, airports would struggle to complete one outgoing flight a day without two-way radio technology. 

On The Air, In The Air Radios and Air Travel, an inseparable Mix

Tech We’d Like To See: The Dermal Regenerator

A prop oft mentioned and seen in ‘Star Trek’ from ‘The Next Generation’ onwards, the dermal regenerator is a wonderful little slice of 24^th century medicine.

Usually depicted as a small, handheld device that emits a miniature laser beam, the Regenerator is used to heal minor flesh wounds, fix scars and repair trauma that would otherwise require stitches.

As far as I know, the theoretical underpinnings of this amazing device are never discussed, so I have no idea how it is supposed to work (unlike warp drive, which is powered by a matter/anti matter reaction, just in case you wondered).

Why we want it:

Can you imagine never needing to have stitches or never having to painfully heal up after a nasty run in with a kitchen knife? Moreover, can you imagine a world where serious injuries, 3^rd degree burns or facial scars could be treated permanently, in a matter of seconds?

Many painful minor injuries would be rendered completely harmless and hospitals would get through most of their A&E in-patients in a matter of minutes.

When can we expect it?

Dermal regeneration technology is actually not as far away as we might think.

A few years ago, scientists pioneered what they called a ‘skin cell gun’ as a method for treating burn victims. This little doohickey literally sprays stem cells taken from the victim onto the inflamed skin.

While a skin graft can be prone to infection, take ages to heal and involve a long and agonizing recovery process, the skin cell gun can replicate a successful skin graft in a matter of days, completely removing the need for surgery.

The skin cell gun can be used to treat second-degree burns, as it relies on the body’s natural healing abilities and works with existing skin cells. It is, however, not quite at the level of Star Trek’s favourite medical tool.

The gun cannot be used to treat third-degree burns, for example, because they strip away both the epidermis and dermis skin levels, leaving the cells nothing to work with. In addition, the gun can only be used on fresh burns.

There are other drawbacks too, leading to the skin cell gun’s status as ‘not yet approved’ by the FDA. Principally, the device is still relatively untested and no one knows what sort of long-term future the repaired skin may have.

On the upside, Jörg C. Gerlach, inventor of this amazing device, has also been able to demonstrate that the newly grown skin cells actually go on to become fully functional in every way, forming epidermis, dermis and even new blood vessels. The new skin also better matches the original pigmentation of the victim.

It is hoped by many in the scientific community that a similar method as that used by the skin cell gun may also one day be used to grow replacement organs for those in need of a transplant.

Star Trek’s dermal regenerator may yet be a convenient fiction, but the prototype for it exists in the here and now, with extremely promising results. Will a technology that closely resembles the ones used by Beverly Crusher and her colleagues in the 24^th Century be available in the real world one day? It certainly looks likely, I’m happy to say.

Cool Factor: 4/5

Nothing says progress like laser beams that re-grow injured skin in a matter of seconds. Imagine the amount of people who’s suffering would simply cease. Here’s hoping that we eventually see this device in action (or not, as the case may be, given that I’d probably have to endure a painful injury in order to do so). 

Tech We’d Like To See: The Dermal Regenerator

The Long Road Home: Radios used on Transport Systems and Fleets

According to the UK Government, there were an estimated 5.2 billion bus passenger journeys undertaken on our roads in 2011/2012. Public and private transportation is not only big business; it is also of massive importance to the smooth running of the country.

Whilst only 14% of the UK’s 25 million commuters travel to work by bus or train, this still accounts for over 1.7 million people. In order for a country this reliant on public transport to survive and thrive, it is absolutely imperative that transport workers can communicate with each other in a quick, efficient manner, fuelling an industry that, by necessity, spans the length and breadth of the nation.

Two-way radios provide the solutions to this monumental challenge.

Rail, bus, fleet and trucking management make use of two-way radios in order to keep up to speed with vital information. Drivers and managers can easily contact command and control centres, as well as liaising with depot staff and even customers, all due to using their radios. Together with integrated GPS systems, radios help transport and fleet workers to track deliveries in real time, as well as informing would-be passengers or commuters of any delays or early arrivals.

But it isn’t just truckers making deliveries, commuters travelling to and from work and trains running on time. Public transport is one of the most important aspects of the tourism industry, itself a large part of Britain’s economy. Visitors flock from almost every country on Earth in order to visit popular sites like Stonehenge, The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and the beautiful city of Bath. Without a reliable public transport system, our tourism industry would be seriously harmed.

So, in order to keep things running as smoothly as possible, all relevant personnel are equipped with a two-way radio so that they can keep in direct contact with their colleagues, peers and managers. This also allows for speedy customer service, as well as up-to-date and reliable information.

Health and safety is also a huge concern regarding public transport and, since the tragedy of the London bombings 8 years ago, security is also a large issue. Workers specializing in either area find their radios to be among the most vital of their tools.

Transport companies employ a veritable army of security staff, as well as first-aiders all of whom are connected via rugged and reliable two-way radios.

Without radios, the country’s public transport system could very well come to a standstill. The roads and railways of Britain are, at least in some ways, kept in operation via a network of two-way radios. 

The Long Road Home: Radios used on Transport Systems and Fleets

Are Playstation 4 games improving or is it just me?

Lets find out what the latest ps4 games are like.

 

old chum.

“Well, with a little trepidation I’ve finally done it” the update read “I’ve bought my own detached house. It has all appliances I could need and a beautiful thatched roof”

Not much older than me. I was surprised by how much success he’d had. It was nice to see him doing well. Bob and I used to take college classes together, after which he took a job. We had fun.  After a while, he moved on and we parted ways, eventually randomly meeting a few years later on a train. At that time we were both writing. I was about to post a long message congratulating Bob on his newfound success when I noticed the final two words to his status. Yes, Bob has the perfect place and yes, it has appliances and a thatched roof…On Skyrim. I groaned and joined the legion of talking heads telling him what a nerd.

 

The point is that Bob is not alone, 2011 was a great year for PS4 games. Skyrim launched into stores at the tail end of 2011 and, like a blazing comet burning brilliantly in the winter sky, signalled the sudden death of any/all social life for about half of my friends. Awesome graphics, Skyrim was quite rightly lauded as one of the best games of 2012. Once a week Wednesday when I braved the elements to grab my comics for the week, I’d be met with a giant bust of a Barbarian holding aloft an axe, his face contorted by a soundless bloodthirsty howl presumably emanating from under his helmet. The barbarian followed me about actually, and I caught him.

 

Fell prey to. Despite the fact that they dropped the year from the title. Might annoy F1 fans who get confused and buy it by mistake. Its the next version along from the last release. It sold well, but I can’t say it’s hugely better than FIFA11.

 

Another one that did well towards the end of last year. Maybe the game is dangerous. I find Dragonball Z really irritating. Have you ever actually tried to watch earlier episode or showing you what’s to come in the next episode. Even more pissed off whilst a little bead of sweat dances on their foreheads and the seemingly unstoppable killing machine gloats at how “pathetic. Dispatches him. The end. And it only took ten episodes. What’s that? Oh, the game? {I have no idea, I got sidetracked|Distracted|Taken off on a tangent…Pissed off and angrier.

 

Look at some of the latest ps4 games, and, if you’re not hip to such things, is probably where most of your friends have gone

Are Playstation 4 games improving or is it just me?

Have we irrevocably discovered the solution to our "after death" experience?

A new scientific study has suggested that dying rats go through an odd rush of extreme neural activity throughout their last moments of life. This enlarged brain use could be in keeping with (and thusly explain) Human accounts of near or after death experiences, as reported by many people around the world.

 

Approximately a 5th of all folks who have survived a cardiac arrest have reported having an ‘After Death Experience’ or ADE.  This is quite an alarming stat, principally as ADE tends to have a profound effect on the life of the survivor. Having an ADE is seen by many as indisputable proof of an afterlife or even a continuation of the individual’s soul after death.

 

Equally, a ‘Near Death Experience’ (or NDE) is believed being like to the ADE, but noticeably happens while the patient continues to be technically alive. Many individuals who experience NDE’s report a floating sensation or ‘Out of Body Experience’ (OBE), as well as encounters with angels, late family members and cherished ones. Both NDE and ADE survivors recurrently explain traversing a long tunnel in direction of an extreme light.

 

Discussions of life after death seems in early scriptures, archaeological sites and many following works of philosophy and have fascinated (and frightened) Human beings, regardless of creed, race or culture, since time immemorial.

 

After convalescing from a surgical procedure in 1979, Jazmyne Cidavia-DeRepentigny of Hull, Georgia, USA, reported a classic NDE tale which was finally published in the book ‘Beyond The Light’ by P.M.H Atwater in 1994. Like many people, Jazmyne recounts information of her surgery that would be very difficult to obtain were she lying.

 

Jazmyne states that “I was suspended over my body.  I could see and hear all which was being said and done.  I left the area for a minute after which returned to where my body lay.  I knew why I died.  It was because I couldn’t breathe.  There was a tube down my throat and the medical staff didn’t have an oxygen mask on my nose.  I had also been given excessive sedative”.

 

She went on to explain her efforts to remove the tube from her throat in a rather harrowing account.

 

Prior to the aforementioned study, it was accepted fact that neural activity ceases once the heart stops. This has now been demonstrated as being untrue, at least so far as rats are concerned. It’s also the strongest premise thus far concerning the causes of ADEs, OBEs and NDEs.

 

One of those scientists responsible for these results, Dr. George Mashour of the University of Ann Arbour, Michigan, USA said that the team was “amazed by the high levels of activity” in the rodents. “In reality, at near-death many known electrical signatures of consciousness exceeded levels found in the waking condition, signifying that the brain is capable of well-organized electrical activity over the initial stage of clinical death.” He said.

 

The team’s lead scientist, Dr. Jimo Borjigin added that “This report tells us that reduction of oxygen or both oxygen and glucose during cardiac arrest can stimulate human brain activity that’s characteristic of mindful processing,”

 

However, Dr. Martin Coath in the University of Plymouth, United kingdom was slightly critical of the team’s findings.

 

Dr. Coath said that, as the rats were anaesthetized, the findings better demonstrated the unconscious brain’s response to a life-threatening deficit of blood flow and oxygen. He also said that the study hadn’t essentially proved that any ‘sharp conscious processing’ had in reality taken place, suggesting the wording of that conclusion was “a bit of a stretch”. He commented that, while the consequences were “genuinely interesting” they were also “hardly astonishing”.

 

The effects of the report will little doubt be of great curiosity to numerous inside the scientific population, as well as religious groups, those interested in the mystic and people who have experienced an ADE or NDE.

  

SOURCES:

 

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/paranormal-death-experiences-explained-204403437.html#7mbMENa

 

http://www.iands.org/nde-stories/17-nde-accounts-from-beyond-the-light.html

Have we irrevocably discovered the solution to our "after death" experience?

If you"ve got a apple ipad, is it worth getting a nexus 10?

It in fact holds up pretty well. In truth, there is little to choose between the two.

I must say that both tablets are completely brilliant. Neither one would make as a bad tablet option, so anyway you are onto a winner.

Due to a closeness of the competition, plenty of this reply is going to get subjective. Because I am an even bigger enthusiast of Apple’s iOS than We are of Google’s Android (though I do like Android a great deal) I will say that the iPad is a better package. Again, that is just my belief. I have been using Apple computers for several years now and I would personally not go over to anything else.

So, so as to answer this title in more detail, I went in for a 2nd opinion. To the end, I spoke to Seb Warren, who is the founder of the modern online customer tech group AppleFanBoii, also as the tech expert and all-round nice guy.

For Seb (who, admittedly, is a little biased) the Google nexus 10 has instantaneous return over the iPad in the areas of price and the customizability of Android (compared with iOS). “Personally, and this is coming from an Apple fanboy, Android wins” he said, “The iPad 4 is still running iOS 6, which incorporates a monotonous, stale design. However, you can make the Nexus 10 your own”

He then went to redeem himself in the eyes of his fellow ‘Apple-ites’ (they hate it we call them that) by admiring the iPad’s user-friendliness “If you’d like a tablet for easy use, then its apple ipad 4 for sure” he laughed, before adding “…and the screen is beautiful”.

In terms of basic stats, the Google nexus 10 is lighter than the iPad 4 by some 50g, that’s considerable and renders the Nexus as the more portable of the two. Though, the iPad 4 has a slightly better battery life. The iPad has an alternative for up to 64GB of storage space, whereas the Nexus only goes as great as 32GB.

What really amazed me is that the Nexus 10 in fact has a higher display resolution than the iPad 4. The Retina Screen may become a great bit of branding, but recent tablet pc’s, like The Microsoft Surface, have equalled it (and perhaps bettered it a few times) in terms of display quality.

Oddly, very tech minded amongst you might find the Nexus 10 to be a better experience; it’s also the selection to make if cash can be a large reason in your choice. Though, the apple ipad, with its winning mix of dependability, sterling reputation, simple use and access to the best app store around is unquestionably definitely worth the extra cash in my view.

If you"ve got a apple ipad, is it worth getting a nexus 10?

Big Screen Scenes!

Ever see any of MTV Cribs? We did. And we have been forever most jealous of those quasi-pop idol houses that comes equipped with a little picture theatre. Well, now that knowledge has come down in price considerably enough to present us mere mortals a go, and wow, are we excited about that!

 

Large screen adventure is just a click away, so let us be your guides. Buying an high definition projector has never been faster, simpler, less expensive or more worth it. 

 

Using your hd projector you can take any night a movie night, showing your favorite Blu Ray or DVD films for assembled family and friends (and also the few less-than-accepted hangers-on who forever surface) and amazing one and all. An hd projector brings out the very best in any movie, regardless of its era and budget.

 

To actually catch the essence of the cinema at home, you’ll need an hd projector with a BIG display, then you definately can blend old classics with modern blockbusters to your heart’s content. By hooking your high definition projector up to a state of the art surround sound system, your bone-shattering celluloid adventures might be complete.

 

Watch movies the best way they were meant to be viewed, with your hd projector. Take the cinema home with you (minus the sticky flooring, over-priced refreshments and obnoxious children) and bask in the luxuriousness that only your hd projector can provide. Who needs a lifestyle like the loaded and (apparently) barefaced when you’ve got a cinema at home?

Big Screen Scenes!

‘Jewel Encrusted Skeleton ‘Saints’ Make Headlines Round the World’

Paul Koudounaris, who is also called by his nickname ‘Indiana Bones’ in known as an novelist, photographer and foremost specialist on bone-decorated sites and ossuarys. Earlier in 2013, Koudounaris published a book featuring hd imagery of the 400-year-old ‘catacomb saints’ of Rome, a group of corpses that had been painstakingly decked with gems and finery before being presented as remnants of saints to congregations across Europe.

Through the Protestant Reformation of the 16th Century, Catholic church buildings were routinely stripped of these relics, symbols and finery. So they can defy this, The Vatican had ancient skeletons removed from the Catacombs of Rome and lavishly bejeweled as the remains of recognizable saints.

Although typically forgotten until Koudounaris published his book, the catacomb saints continue to fascinate interested parties; they can also still encourage religious zeal. In 1977, the township of Ruttenbach in Bavaria worked hard to raise sufficient money to buy back 2 of the primary saints from secretive collectors, the decorative skeletons had originally been auctioned off in 1803.

The book, which Koudounaris has surreptitiously titled ‘Heavenly Bodies’ sees its writer attempt to locate and photograph each of these existing catacomb saints.

In his prime (a era that lasted over 200 years before decisively coming to a close within the 19th century), the saints traversed in all places, being transported at vast expense by the Church. They were adored as objects of care, or conduits for prayer.

Though the saints could appear unusual to contemporary eyes (one Telegraph reporter described these as ‘ghastly’), it’s important to keep in mind that people who prayed at the feet of these gilded cadavers were a lot nearer to demise than their contemporary counterparts. While in the wake of The Black Death (which recurred repeatedly throughout Europe from the 14th to the 17th Centuries), art, literature and even worship had come to accept such ghoulish, macabre images.

The remains were usually garlanded by nuns and sometimes placed in various authentic poses, before being secured in glass cabinets. Some of the meticulous decoration took as long as five years to finish, with jewelry and costumes being particularly grand.

Koudounaris’ book, ‘Heavenly Bodies’ is out there now.  

‘Jewel Encrusted Skeleton ‘Saints’ Make Headlines Round the World’

’Earth-Like’ Asteroid Devoured by Dead Star

The Hubble Space Telescope has recorded an intriguing event some 150 light-years from Earth.

A large asteroid was pulled into the White Dwarf star (named ‘GD 61’ by astronomers) and utterly destroyed. This is not an unusual event, as even dead stars still exhibit a very high level of gravity. However, scientists are interested because the chemical signatures left in the star’s atmosphere indicate the presence of water and a rocky surface, both considered to be key building blocks for the creation of life on our planet.

Until this event was observed, water and a rocky surface had never been found together on an object outside our solar system.

The asteroid consisted of the elements magnesium, silicon, iron and oxygen, all of which are usually found in rock minerals, but scientists believe that the abundance of oxygen indicated the heavy presence of H20.

The object was at least 90KM across and as much as 26% of that is thought to have been water. Earth is considered to be just 0.02% water.

This discovery is important because it gives scientists a vindicating glimpse of how inhabitable environments may have been formed, receiving key components (such as water) from outside sources such as meteorites.

It is thought that water first arrived on our planet by similar means and that other planets in the GD 61 system would once have received water this way as well. According to BBC News, scientists consider the presence of rocky planets in the GD system to have been “very likely”.

Scientists have observed over 1,000 planets outside our solar system, but none is thought to contain water.

Closer to home, some planets and heavenly bodies are thought to contain water. Mars is considered by many to once have had liquid water, but if this is still the case, it is a greatly reduced amount.

Elsewhere, Jupiter’s moon Europa raises a tantalizing prospect that there are oceans under its icy surface. This has led to some convincing research into the possible presence of ocean currents there. However, Europa is not alone, its fellow moons Callisto and Ganymede have also been suggested as candidates for liquid water.

In addition, Rhea (moon of Saturn), Titania (moon or Uranus), Oberon (also orbiting Uranus), Triton (moon of Neptune), Pluto (dwarf planet), Eris (dwarf planet), Sedna (possible dwarf planet) and Orcus (another possible dwarf planet) are all speculated to have oceans, some of which may be in contact with the rocky core of the respective body, which would hypothetically result in a steady stream of minerals and salts into the water – an important factor in creating life.

Saturn’s moon Enceladus has geysers, which is seen as proof of the presence of water or at least water vapours. It has even been theorized by some that Neptune contains oceans of liquid diamond.

The heavy presence of water on this asteroid is a vital clue for scientists and their understanding, not only of the cosmos, but also of how our home planet came into being.

 

SOURCES

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24491845

’Earth-Like’ Asteroid Devoured by Dead Star

Sony Make all sorts of Television"s and this 42 inch Smart Telly is one to take into account

Like lots of people reading this, I take pleasure in the holiday of Christmas a good deal.

 

Though I am not a Christian (in truth, I’ve regularly described myself as a ‘spiritually inclined’ atheist – even if I’ve taken to observing all 8 Pagan Sabbats over the course of the year), I still view Christmas as the joyous time to be spent with family, friends and those you consider as belonging to the closest ring of the ‘inner circle’.

 

My family is one with many enduring Christmas traditions, a lot of that will obviously be passed on to my children (should my girlfriend and I ever choose to have any). We bring out similarly decorations time after time (some of which have always been in the household for over a century).

 

On Christmas Eve, my Mum will very much read ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas’ by Clement C. Moore to my sibling and myself (and recently my girlfriend too), despite the fact that we are now in our twenties. Until lately, we would move out into the streets and chime the ‘sleigh bells’ for our neighbours’ children to hear from their window (just like their mom and dad did for my brother and I when we were kids).

 

Perhaps our best family tradition, on the other hand, is the ritual viewing of the Frank Capra Christmas classic ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. The flick stars Jimmy Stewart as a perennial ‘nice guy fallen on misfortune’ George Bailey, Donna Reed as his wife Mary, Henry Travers as Clarence, George’s guardian angel and naturally, Lionel Barrymore as the truly dastardly ‘Old Man Potter’.

 

It doesn’t matter what else goes on (or how confused Christmas Eve could be, particularly now that travel is a factor in our coming together), we ALWAYS find time to watch that specific film on that specific night.

 

By the time George runs gleefully through the streets of Bedford Falls shouting “Merry Christmas you superb old building and loan!” My Father is welling up, by the point George’s brother Harry declares him to be “the richest man in town”, I’m right there with him. There’s just a specific, sparkling, honest-to-goodness enchartment to it, the script is glorious, the direction is miles ahead of its time and the performances, well, (to quote Bernard Black of ‘Black Books’ fame) “Ah, they’d soften your face”.

 

Why am I revealing you this?

 

Well, considering as there’s no way to improve upon the film itself, the experience would most likely only be bettered if we had a Sony 42 inch TV. With a jaw dropping ‘X-Reality’ display, a wireless smartphone link-up feature and lots more besides, this innovative 2013 smart tv is really a doozy. It could lack some of the more compulsive features of Sony’s other smart Televisions, but, after viewing the display and glossy, ultramodern design of this Television, it barely does matter.

 

With a new Bluray edition of ‘It is a Wonderful Life’, a shiny Sony 42 inch Television with a good surround sound, you will never be happier to see an angel receiving his wings.  

Sony Make all sorts of Television"s and this 42 inch Smart Telly is one to take into account

What makes the apple iphone so popular

Given the reliability, capacity to entertain and user-friendliness of the iPhone, its a small wonder more people don’t fall in madly love with them. You love your iPhone, it’s only natural to want to protect her. You can start by buying some iphone covers from this very site!

 

Your iPhone is beautiful, gets on with your friends and is always there when you need her. She’s smart, funny and the envy of everybody you know. So who wouldn’t hire a bodyguard for their iPhone? She’s in constant danger!

 

iPhones need iphone covers to keep them safe. In the course of a day iphone covers protect her from being dropped, waterlogged, smashed, cracked, burned and otherwise mistreated. In fact, sometimes the only thing standing between iPhones and their total annihilation are iphone covers.

 

iphone covers come in a variety of colours, designs and prices, so why not look around and see our selection of iphone covers? Ultimately, you may end up cradling your iPhone whilst leaving a busy London nightclub crooning “And iiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeiiiiiiiieeeeeeiiiiiiii wiiiiiiiil alwaaays loooove youuuuuuuu!!!!” at the top of your lungs, but this only happens in very rare cases.

 

The rest of us, after nestling our little beauties safely in their iphone covers, go on to lead mostly normal lives and in no way ever end up sitting behind a dumpster in Soho, holding our iPhones ever-so-tenderly. “Hey, why are you singing to that iPhone?” “Uh…No reason, officer…”

What makes the apple iphone so popular

Using Urine to recharge your devices, can it be achievable

Scientists working at the University West of England (UWE) in Bristol, UK, have figured out a way to recharge a cell phone with Human pee.

The company has been capable of recharge a Samsung mobile by placing the fluid through a surge of microbial fuel cells. Using this process, enough energy is generated to send text messages, browse the Net and even make a brief telephone call.

Based on the scientists in charge, the next stage is to totally charge the phone with pee…I assume washing their hands immediately afterwards.

Dr. Ioannis Ieropoulos has worked for a very long time with microbial fuel cells; he’s believed to be a guru in harnessing power from strange sources. The possibe purposes of his work are very interesting from an environmental point of view.

Dr. Ieropoulos said, “We are very excited as this is a world first, no-one has harnessed energy from urine to do this so it’s an exciting discovery. Using the ultimate waste product as a source of energy to provide electrical energy is almost as eco as it takes.” Eco-friendly technology is, apparently, the good doctor’s main area of curiosity.

The microbial cells work as the energy converter, they turn the natural substance directly into electrical energy, via the metabolism of live bacteria. The electricity is the by-product of the microorganism’s natural life cycle, meaning that as they ‘eat’ the urine, they create power the energy that powers the phone. Now that’s what we call ‘pee as you go’.

Toilet humour aside, the team have engineered a world first, as nothing as large as a mobile battery has ever been charged using this process before.

There is, at the present, no plans to market this tech on a large scale, but maybe someday we could be signing a ‘P’ mobile agreement, the trick, as they say, shall be pissistance.

PS – I’m apologetic about this one. The work and its implications are instead astonishing. All credit to the UWE team. Though, I continuously wanted to do one of those ‘And Finally’ type stories and now I conclusively get to. Please forgive me, one and all.

SOURCES:

 

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/urine-could-charge-mobile-phones-152225132.html

Using Urine to recharge your devices, can it be achievable

A Recipe For Success!

Nigella Lawson, Jaimie Oliver and Ainsley Harriott may not be your picture of gaming heroes or heroines, but nonetheless baking games are a steadily mounting phenomenon. Enduring the current appeal with games based on real-life (The Sims, Tennis, Bowling etc) all cooking games are about is, clearly, cooking.

 

That could appear useless, given that the real-life equivalent of cooking games (actually baking) is something you virtually have to do every day or else starve, consider just how much fun you would get with cooking games. These video games can teach formulas, quantities, strategies and even some subtleties that pro cooks have to learn the hard way.

 

The Cooking Mama series is one of those principal cooking games about the marketplace. Slightly sexist title aside; the franchise has generated titles for that Nintendo DS and Wii console, (the console which is best for cooking games.) Handheld gadgets were initially the format of choice for launching the first baking games, with Sweet Ange being released all the way back in the days of Game Boy Colour.

 

Popular in Japan and increasingly catching on in the West, cooking games look set to be the next big thing. With cooking games, you’ll learn baking skills without wasting money or making yourself unwell. You’ll learn patience as some baking games let you produce your gaming foodie goodness in real time!

 

Naturally, cooking games contain a component of danger (and not only virtual nut traces). Don’t forget to turn the feast on when playing your cooking games, then go virtual bowling or fishing and go back to find your dinner ruined. Though cooking games may be tempting for a cheaper alternative, you will also discover a cooking games dinner to be far less wholesome than a TV dinner.

A Recipe For Success!

Could we have found the largest sea animal ever seen on our earth?

A joint Scottish-Canadian group has proven that the prehistoric sea animal leedsichthys problematicus is the largest boned fish ever to wander the seas of our planet.

Mounting to lengths of 16.5 metres over a projected development period of 40 years, the Jurassic-era fish would have outgrown even today’s massive whale sharks. Although its daunting size, yet, leedsichthys is believed to have been a filter feeder, exactly like baleen whales, basking sharks and whale sharks are now.

Found from the late 19th century and officially named (after British farmer and fossil collector Alfred Leeds) in 1889, remains of leedsichthys have been unearthed right through Europe, and in South America.

The ‘problematicus’ piece of its technical brand stems from the indisputable fact that leedsichthys fossils are disreputably tricky to spot. This is due to the proven fact that leedsichthys’ skeleton #was not# made entirely of bone. Large portions #of the# animal’s internal structure were actually #made from# cartilage, just #as a# shark’s bone structure is. Cartilage #does not# mineralize as readily as bone and, as the result, fossil cartilage is a little bit uncommon.

Out of perspective, the fossilized bones can symbolize a problem to palaeontologists. Through the years, remains of leedsichthys have even been posited as belonging to bone-plated dinosaur stegosaurus!

Because leedsichthys vertebrae was cartilaginous, it has been very difficult to see how long the fish may have been, with some unsupported estimates signifying that it was as long as 30 metres.

Still, each time a new, more complete, fossil was discovered near Peterborough, UK, scientists were eventually in a position to acquire an accurate measurement. Professor Jeff Liston, of our National Museum of Scotland, said, “We sat down and looked at a large series of specimens, not just at the bones, but their interior development set ups as well – similar to the growth rings in trees – to have some ideas with the ages of the animals, along with their estimated sizes,”

The team eventually resolute that a little adult leedsichthys would grow to 8 or 9 metres after some 20 years and, in an additional 20 years; it could achieve roughly 16.5 m in length. This is larger than the whale shark, the largest bony fish active these days, despite persistent and credible reports of whale sharks growing as long as 14 m in length.

This information is exciting to scientists and natural history enthusiasts because it delivers a useful insight into the alterations in ocean life that occurred around and through the Jurassic period.

Scientists now accept as true that filter-feeding fish started as moderately small animals, before growing to massive sizes we know these days. The incredible size of leedishthys problematicus thus implies that there was a huge surge within the plankton population of that Mesozoic oceans.

The discovery also demands a serious change to our records.

 

SOURCES:

Could we have found the largest sea animal ever seen on our earth?

Can you connect to social networks on a smart TV?

As its inauguration in 2004, ‘Facebook’ has made it as an enormous success story, albeit not one without controversy. Plenty of controversy. But I am not here to talk about that. I am here to let you know a little about social networking and why it is a welcome addition to any Smart TV.

In many ways taking off through the now elapsed ‘Myspace’ and the excess of imitators it left in its wake, Facebook emerged as champion of the social networks, (until the next one comes along, that is). Facebook has conquered the Internet using a smart exploitation of these three ever-reliable concepts: 

1)         People love talking about other people, particularly secretly.

2)         Folks are exceedingly fond of and poking their noses into the lifestyles of other people.

3)         People’s unquenchable self attention, which, when fuelled by Facebook, is narcissism on steroids.

Facebook is the amazing tool and one that has quickly tailored itself to smart phones, portable devices and now, even Television. Ultimately, Myspace was the cumbersome Neanderthal, who, even though being popular, smarter and more powerful than Homo Sapiens, succumbed to that receding ice age somewhat speedily, failing to adapt to a world he could no longer recognize. Facebook, conversely, was the eventual Cro Magnon victor, shaking in a cave throughout Neanderthal’s time, he emerged over on the warm plains of the modern-day and, either directly or indirectly, eradicated his rival before moving within the altering technology and times, to the point he might sit at his writing table and update his status several times a day.

‘Twitter’ is a particularly small site that acts sort of a miniature Facebook. Users have a number of words to broadcast their actions, opinion and/or feelings to a world that typically doesn’t care unless its worried that it is being cheated on. However, while celebrated people on Facebook tend to not update their pages, on Twitter the user can follow (and sometimes communicate with) the behavior of Hollywood luminaries, celebrities, sports stars and other notable individuals, who are often surprisingly frank about their day by day lives.

Facebook and Twitter are both big ones, but there’s others, more than I can add up that follow a similar basic model but specialise in a different area (LinkedIn, for example, deals with business interactions a lot more than personal ones). Many websites co-exist with Facebook nowadays, feeding off their scraps like remoras on the back of the Tiger Shark. With most online content, there’s even an choice to ‘Like’ it, consequently adding it to your Facebook page (when you look carefully at this page, you will almost definitely find one, which serves to highlight just how all-encompassing Facebook’s presence is.

Smart TV, recognising the ubiquity of such sites plus the emphasis that modern online business places on this ubiquity, has Facebook, Twitter (and other social network websites) available for download. This means that you might have full (or nearly full) access to your Facebook account and update it without maybe going to the computer. Last night, I had to update my own Facebook to say that I was watching, for what needs to be the hundredth time, the movie ‘The 40 Year Old Virgin’ I could have simply done it throughout a tea break in the movie itself instead of aiming to do it and ultimately forgetting, as I essentially did.

When you’re wondering how folks are doing and you need up-to-the-minute advice, Facebook is usually the place to go. Facebook the site is free to use, is the Smart TV app at time of writing and is an excellent comms tool, especially for people you do not actually know that well. These days, people alter their mobile numbers every point three of a second, so Facebook remains one reliable way to ensure you can consistantly keep in touch.  I like to think of it as a really poorly written newspaper, where the headlines are a little sunnier, a great deal less biased and contain individuals I essentially give a damn about.  

Can you connect to social networks on a smart TV?

Driven to Work: Two way radios for highway repair

With several million pounds committed to highway maintenance within the UK every year, contractors require quick, trustworthy comms. Two-way radios provide everything they require. In spades.

Our motorways are, in some ways, the backbone of Britain. Without our roads in excellent state, it is not an overstatement to presume the country might come to a whole and utter standstill. Lorries making deliveries, cargo brought in from oversees, travellers going to and from tourist sites, people going to the office, the list is virtually endless. So what part do two way radios play with this ongoing drama of our highways?

Well, accept it or not, contractors frequently work around the clock so as to minimize interruption and make sure our highways are as secure and capable as Humanly possible. These contractors are managed from management centres that use a range of mobile teams: departments of proficient professionals who’re mobilized and co-ordinated almost entirely by two way radio. Contact with the control centre demands a high quality radio, but so does contact with a fellow expert who may be further away than a reasonable walking distance. When time is of the essence, nothing beats instant comms.

2 way radios used for highway repair need to be robust, resilient and top performance. Sound needs to come back through clearly despite potentially bad conditions and traffic noise. Furthermore, the device needs to be as rugged, resolute and expert as the contractor who wields it.

For various reasons, these lines need to be secure, so the 2 way radio set-up employed by contractors is extremely fortified. These 2 way radios need a large transmittion coverage area as well, because the contractors never know where they’ll be working from one day to the next.

Then, naturally, there is health and safety to consider, especially during time where visibility is poor and there’s a high level of traffic. If an accident of any kind happens, fast, dependable communication can, quite literally, save lives. Two-way radios which might be used in highway maintenance usually are equipped with ‘emergency modes’ and ‘lone worker’ modes (where the 2 way radio, if it has not been used within a set period will automatically issue an alarm) as well as other safety features.

Essentially, highway maintenance would be virtually unachievable without the use of two way radios. Its not just within the UK, either, most countries that use a significant network of roads also use walkie talkies in order to better communicate with associated employees. Quite how the Romans managed without them is likely a fantastic mystery to the modern highway contractor!

Driven to Work: Two way radios for highway repair

Promoting Health and Fitness, World"s strongest man provides a helping hand

At the end of the other week, countless schoolchildren from Round Rock, Texas came face to face with the World’s Strongest Man.

Texas native Mark Henry, a former Olympic weightlifter, record-breaking powerlifter and Proficient Wrestling World Champion, was joined by a group of ex-NFL stars as well as his WWE best friend, Mark Callaway, AKA The Undertaker.

The event was made to promote the importance of schooling, wellbeing and exercise in time for the new school term. Henry flew in from New York in order to visit the children and inspire them to greater things for the coming school months. As part of the day’s festivities, Henry pulled a Semi Truck for a great distance in front of a bunch of amazed kids, event organizers and parents.

Mark Henry’s inventory of athletic accomplishments is amazing. He competed in both the 1992 and 1996 Olympic games as a weightlifter; Henry was also a Gold Medal winner during the 1995 Pan American Games and was named Drug-Free World Champion Powerlifter in 1995. He was named U.S powerlifting champion two times. He is a reigning world record holder in a number of areas is credited with the largest raw squat and raw powerlifting total ever performed by a drug-tested athlete.

Henry is also a three-time U.S National Weightlifting Champion, an American Open winner, Two-Time U.S Olympic Festival Champion and NACAC Champion. In 2002, he won the first annual Arnold Strongman Classic Competition and has publicly completed many feats of strength, as well as pushing a tank.

Mark Henry’s claim to being the ‘World’s Strongest Man’ is rather dubious and not thought official by most organizations, but later set lifting records throughout his life and winning at least one strongman contest, his claim is respected by most (and also the visual evidence is difficult to deny).

Henry has too had a 17-year career in Professional Wrestling, competing within the WWE (formerly WWF) ever since company owner Vince McMahon learned that Henry was a wrestling aficionado. His consequent career has seen him win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship two times, also as the ECW Championship and the WWE European Championship.

Notwithstanding his no-nonsense on-screen facade (a character who often welcomes his enemies to the ‘Hall of Pain’) Henry is incredibly active within the ‘Make a Wish’ Foundation, (a charity group that grants desires to children with life-threatening or terminal ailments) as well as many anti-drug and anti-bullying campaigns.

When interviewed over on the day, Henry said: “I would like the children to see what I did not have. I did not have a great deal growing up. I hope more people did it for me, so I try to do it in kind.”

 

 

SOURCES: http://www.keyetv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/wwe-star-mark-henry-meets-round-rock-kids-11058.shtml

 

http://pop-break.com/2013/05/08/rant-a-mania-wwe-the-make-a-wish-foundation/

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_henry

 

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/henry_mark.html

Promoting Health and Fitness, World"s strongest man provides a helping hand

Grand theft auto V arriving this month, the most important title to date

That is right folks, folkettes and folking mother folkers, ‘GTA 5’ is coming soon!

 

Made as Rockstar’s largest ‘open world’ title up to now, we are able to expect this mischievous misadventure to be Enormous. If you happen to took the sprawling simulated worlds of Grand theft auto IV, GTA: San Andreas and Red Dead Redemption and slapped all of them together, end to end, you would fit them all in the boundaries of Grand theft auto V’s methodically constructed digital stage and also you’d very much have space to spare. That is not only us talking either, that’s an official statement. Get this, even the ocean floor can be completely mapped and explored.

 

There are 3 characters and also you’ll have the capacity to swap between them freely in order to explore various aspects in the story from varying angles. When you decide which person to ‘be’ next, the camera pans out, (Google Earth style) and deposits you within the current location of that chosen avatar. Astonishing.

 

Don’t worry though, there’s much more than pretty, destroyable surroundings and multiple narratives to maintain the harder ferocious players at bay. Everything of Grand theft auto 5 is chock full of cars, weapons and chances to inflict misery upon unsuspecting civilians, if that transpires as your bag, anyway. If you aren’t #in the# mood for chainsawing gullible people to death (and if not, why don’t you?) you are able to simply ‘flip them off’ and check out a number of different pre-programmed responses that are player (and neighborhood) dependent.

 

Apart from that, the gameplay system has had a complete refit and Grand theft auto 5 “evolves virtually all mechanic” reported by ‘Game Informer’s Matt Bertz. The combat system has been re-jigged and the aiming and shooting controls are completely re-designed.

 

Overall though, the overall feel and the tone of the game won’t be facing any important changes. You won’t be driving around delivering flowers or visiting church on Sunday. You’ll be stealing cars and killing citizens.

Lots of people. Probably in a very variety of nasty ways.

 

If you followed the series thus far, then trust us, you will choose to be here for the next episode.

 

On this respect, Grand theft auto V is about what Grand theft auto has always been about, total and utter carnage. It’s a gangster movie that stars you; addictive, stunning and more sophisticated than ever before…

 

If this hasn’t wetted you apetitie, then click here to see what else Grand theft auto 5 has concealed

Grand theft auto V arriving this month, the most important title to date

How is that iPad Mini for watching films?

By and large, the apple ipad Mini is ok for watching films (as well as doing pretty much anything else). The processing power is nearly the same as a iPad 4, so there’s no actual difficulty there also the playback is mostly as easy as an android’s bottom (Star Trek joke).

The one real concern with the iPad Mini is the deficit of a ‘Retina Display’, the stunning screen tech featured on apple ipad 3 – 4, iPod Touch (4th – 5th Gen) and iPhone 4 – 5 (among others). The iPad Mini does suffer somewhat with the lack of a Retina Screen, but it’s not really a issue.

There’s, obviously, the matter of that 16GB apple ipad Mini struggling to store information, on the other hand, but that’s typically common sense

Gareth Beavis, in the authorized ‘TechRadar.com’ review of the Mini, said:

“The iPad mini suffers from the same thing that all the other iPads do: namely that the 16GB version, which is the poster child of the new cut-size range, is too small to really pack with the movies and apps that you want”.

 He then went on to talk about the iPad Mini’s lack of file compatibility. That is, so far as I am concerned, the Ipad mini’s main drawback as a media device.

“There’s the other issue here: the lack of file compatibility. The iPad mini will play .mp4 files fairly easily, but if you fancy chucking on a DivX or AVI option then that’s out of the question. There are third party applications you can use, but these can be extremely buggy and cost extra to put on your tablet…But that’s the griping out of the way – as a video player, the iPad mini is excellent. It’s just the right size and weight to hold two-handed in landscape mode, and if you’re OK with it not feeling as secure in one hand, a decent heft to hold with a single set of digits”.

 I believe that Beavis provides a pretty good list of the pros and cons.

Elsewhere, the Head of Technology at the Daily Telegraph, Shane Richmond, addressed the smaller screen size in the review, when he wrote,

“In practice the smaller screen size is not much of a problem and it is because of that 0.9-inches, which gives 35 per cent more screen area than the Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire HD”.

In addition, the 7 inch size actually makes the iPad Mini easier to hold when viewing a movie; the tablet really uses its small stature for a bonus. Besides, the display remains to be above sufficient. Devindra Hardawar, of ‘Venture Beat.com’, wrote,

“Movies and games don’t look as sharp as they do on Retina Display-equipped iPads, but it’s a more than worthy tradeoff. It takes a discerning eye to notice the benefits of Apple’s Retina Display, but anyone can immediately recognize how much more convenient the iPad mini is. (And naturally, that’s a problem that will be fixed in future models when Apple brings Retina Display quality to the iPad Mini.)”

All things considered, the iPad Mini is ok for watching movies, but I personally recommend that you opt for the tablet with extra storage space (and also that you keep in perspective the file type limitations of the iPad Mini).

How is that iPad Mini for watching films?

What form of catchup shows are free on a smart Television

I’m sure the younger readers perusing this article won’t think this by any means, but there was a time, not too far in the past, where the only content you can watch on TV was whatever happened to be on at the time. It was a time before the VCR, before DVD, before iPlayer…A absolute land before time.

Rather than today’s reference rag, got more out of habit than necessity and then callously crumpled under the coffee table, the Television Guide was once a holy document, a scripture being savoured and pondered upon for a complete week, ahead of little sections and pictures were cropped, with fantastic care and attention, and pasted into scrapbooks so that whole family could re-live their favourite episodes of ‘The Avengers’ that might not again be broadcast for decades.

When VHS came along, listeners lastly had the choice to control their content. Actually, this Promethean innovation allowed us to record Television shows, just in case we had to go out. We could even buy our favorite shows and replay them to our heart’s content, though you’re limited to the number of series you can purchase, because the pesky things were big enough to develop an annex from, and still have enough for a patio plus a loft extension (which is just what we did down my street – It boosted the home value in the region for a good six months before anybody noticed that the new master bedroom was made out of old copies of ‘Under Siege’).

When DVD arrived, followed by downloadable content, it saved space and it made the guy in the commercials go “whoa!” like Keanu Reeves receiving an Eskimo roll right up the you-know-what. The challenge was that TV very much catered solely to its own timetable, as opposed to yours.

The BBC iPlayer and its ilk tainted even this. Does watching ‘Mock The Week’ conflict along with your sophisticated catering class? Well, now you can watch it on whatever night of the week you prefer, which is beautiful as, in possible of that particular show, watching older DVDs can make you flinch at once hilarious Jade Goody or Amy Winehouse gags which are now…not so novel.

On-Demand programmes also includes shows streamed on the Internet, something your Smart TV will now pick up a lot better than your PC will. This consists of Net-only TV shows as well as Self-sufficient, user-created content such as you can find on Youtube, Dailymotion or Vimeo (most of which have downloadable Smart TV applications). Using apps offered by businesses like Amazon or Netflix, that were initially developed specifically for the World wide web, you are able to even rent the latest films directly to your Television watching them anytime you prefer and in no way having to fret about getting up early to deliver the box back to Blockbusters on your route to work.

On Demand shows basically means that if it is out there, the chances are it is possible to watch it. Smart TV means you can watch whatever you wish; however you want, whenever you want. That’s right, you call the shots. Now, whenever you ask out the girl from the chippie and she says “I can’t that night cos Emmerdale’s on” you will not have to creep home disappointed. Instead, you can simply suggest she catches up with it at another time.

Smart TV basically remakes you, the viewer, into the master of your entertainment destiny. You will choose from literally anything one can imagine and watch it anytime you like. You could even watch your Uncle Gordon’s holiday videos…But the beauty is that it is not the only thing that is on. In my opinion, I would sooner track down and re-watch ‘Demolition Man’. 

What form of catchup shows are free on a smart Television

Why did Google partner with Asus to produce the Google nexus 7, surely it was easier to work with Motorola?

This is the good question. Since Google owns Motorola, why did they partner with Asus to be able to construct their Nexus series?

The Nexus 7 actually began existence as a Asus ME370T (there is a memorable title if ever I saw one) and was in development by Asus as a sort of ‘no frills’ budget model tablet. The ME370T went through several incarnations, even being unveiled during at least 1 major expo. Then, all of a sudden, Asus finished talking.

Reported by Sean Hollister of ‘The Verge.com’ 

“I got the chance to ask Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang if he thought Nvidia’s $199 tablet program and Google’s $199 tablet program might compete. He saw through my bluff: He started saying something about not wanting to speak for Google… but then he paused, smiled, looked me right in the eye, and said: “I do hope their tablet is monumentally successful… because it will be great for Android.””

Sure enough, the ME370T was re-tooled and re-designed into the Google Nexus 7. “We are able to rebuild it, we have the technology”, or so at least one engineer said. Perhaps.

From Hollister’s account, the Google nexus 7 is by far the greater device,

“Among other things, it has a brand-new motherboard, a revised Tegra 3 T30L chip, a laminated IPS display, and a revised, grippier textured rear casing. “While the base design and setup was completed in the 370T to meet a certain price point and option list, the efforts required to get that design to $199 meant going back to the drawing board and starting over on just about every aspect of the unit,” an Asus rep told us”.

Essentially, Google saw what Asus were developing and so they wanted in. This is a pretty good case of Google’s executives thinking outside the box. Another corporation might have gotten wind of Asus’ upcoming tablet, ‘acquired’ certain schematics and improved upon them to be able to compete with the Amazon kindle fire. By pooling their assets with Asus, Google were able to reply quickly to competition, and achieve this in style.

Reported by Nirav Patel from the blog ‘TheGadgetMasters.com’, it’s important to not forget the Nexus line has nearly consistantly been built using a partner. 

“Google Nexus is a line of mobile devices using the Android operating system, which is produced by Google in conjunction with an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partner (Samsung makes the Nexus 10, ASUS makes the Nexus 7, and LG makes the Nexus 4).  Nexus devices are designed by Google and available for purchase directly on Google’s Play Store, Nexus devices provide a reference and developer platform to Google’s Android engineers, who then develop the software for Nexus devices with the responsibility of releasing timely updates”.

By working with this fashion, I imagine that Google can make the most of potential profits, whilst simultaneously minimizing probable risk. With Motorola, not only would there not have been time to combat the Kindle Fire, there would of been a potential loss if the (possibly rushed) product proved to become unpopular. What’s more that, Motorola already has its own brand of tablet pc’s (and company identity tied up in that), with the ‘Xoom’ family.

Why did Google partner with Asus to produce the Google nexus 7, surely it was easier to work with Motorola?

Would a ten inch pc tablet be better than a 10 inch tablet

It seems like an obvious title, but it is in reality one that thousands of folks are asking themselves every day. In truth, there is quite a bit to consider on both sides.

The very first thing take into consideration is portability. Pc tablets were largely envisioned to become portable, of course. Maybe whilst one considers the greater advancements made by tablets over the past three years, they still come up very short when put next to their desktop counterparts. Ergo, a smaller tablet pc better suits your ultimate reasoning for purchasing a portable PC in the first place. It could require processing power, but it’s better to carry around.

7-Inch tablets generally make better ebook readers (mostly because they’re easier to carry) and fit easily into bags and carry luggage. They’re also a little bit lighter, which will help, as the 10-Inch tablet can develop into uncomfortable to carry after a while.

Perhaps the strongest case in favour of the 7-Inch tablet pc stands out as the cost. In line with Which.co.uk’s official post:

“If you are looking for a cheap tablet that is good for web browsing and reading eBooks, a smaller tablet could be just the thing. 7-inch tablets tend to come with cheaper price tags”.

Conversely, the 10-Inch tablet will suit you better if you’re more likely to view movies, web pages and other online content as (in most cases) it has a much bigger screen with a higher resolution. A 10-Inch model is also far superior when it comes to content creation such as writing documents or using the more complicated apps. If you plan on generating content of any kind with any sort of regularity, the 10-Inch tablet will really make a difference and is probably the one best suited for you.

Another key factor, of course, is the memory capacity of the larger tablet. Once more, according to ‘Which’

“The larger tablets tend to offer more capacity, such as 32GB and 64GB of storage. This is useful if you want to store films, games and music on your tablet”.

 Conversely, the ten-Inch tablet will suit you better if you’re more liable to watch films, web pages and new on-line content as (typically) it has a far bigger screen with a higher resolution. A 10-” model is also far superior when it pertains to article creation just like writing documents or using the more difficult apps. If you intend on generating content of any kind with any sort of reliability, the 10-Inch tablet will really make a change and is probably the one best suited for you.

Another key factor, naturally, is that memory ability of that larger tablet. Once more, reported by ‘Which’

“Think about how you are going to use your tablet before deciding which is best for you. Are you more likely to carry it around with you out and about? Would you prefer a large screen for typing and watching videos?”

One concluding point We would like to make needs to do with blog vendors. Some tablets are limited to content given by certain organisations/brand names and, as a consequence, some tablet pc’s act as a extra source of revenue for this company in question (Amazon kindle fire hd is the great instance).

Products like the Amazon kindle fire, the iPad, or indeed many Android tablet pc’s could be rather limited as to what applications you need to use, where it is possible to get material from and whether or not certain things work whatsoever (the apple ipad cannot work Flash Player, as an example ,). Your acquisition implies a tacit arrangement to the state of affairs, at least in part. Even if you hate iTunes with a passion, you might consider an Android tablet before getting an iPad, for instance. Take a look around at what’s available game-wise, download-wise and application-wise and make an knowledgeable choice.

As Carl Wolf (a poster on Apple.com) explains,

“You should purchase a product for what it does, not for what it doesn’t do, and then complain it doesn’t work”.

Makes sense to me. 

Would a ten inch pc tablet be better than a 10 inch tablet

The Eventual PKD Cure

What it is:

PKD stands for Polycystic Kidney Disease, it is a condition which effects around 12.5 million people worldwide. PKD is among the commonest life-threatening genetic diseases on the world. Somebody that has PKD will spread kidney cysts gradually throughout their existence, affected organs can, after 40-50 years, reach the size of footballs. It goes without saying they can become a source of grave ache and, ultimately, affected kidneys will surrender to renal disappointment, no matter what. Ultimately, a kidney transplant may be the only way to save the patient.

For a few years, sufferers of PKD went undiagnosed and so the condition claimed a great the number of lives without ever being appropriately discovered. Now, however, it is an worldwide known illness and sufferers are carefully monitored from an young age.

In November of ’12, doctors at the KU kidney institute in Kansas, USA, developed a drug called tolvaptan. The drug was discovered to slow the expansion of cysts as well as easing the damaged kidney function, this was a much-needed step by the right direction, however it isn’t a treatment.

This year, things have been looking up even more. Scientists performing at Massachusetts For the General Hospital were actually able to grow a viable rat kidney and transplant it into a living animal. Furthermore to that, Dr. Xiaogang Li of the KU Kidney institute lately found that vitamin B3 can slow the growth of cysts; in fact, his team was able to entirely restore kidney use in test mice with PKD. Now that’s advancement.

Why we would like it:

Because 12.5 million citizens around the world are suffering with a hereditary, life threatening ailment, also, babies with PKD are being born each day. A cure is required and it is wanted now.

When can we expect it?

A bona-fide cure may yet be decades away, but if regular vitamin shots should be considered to regulate the condition itself, allowing patients to survive longer, healthier lives, then I’d say that we were absolutely on the right track.

Drugs that control the illness might be available soon, however. Large-scale Human being trials have confirmed that vitamin B3 is safe for widespread use. This means that it must be available to patients all over the world comparatively soon.

Doctors eventually hope to be able to treat PKD in the womb, stopping the disease before it starts. That would, successfully, represent a cure. Such expertise is likely 10 years (or more) away, but we’re getting there.

Cool Factor: 5/5

Remember that scene in ‘Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home’ where the crew of that Enterprise fly back in time to that mid 1980’s and Doc McCoy encounters an elderly Woman who needs kidney dialysis. Exploding in skepticism, the great doctor cries “what is this, the dark ages!?” before giving the Lady a tablet that rapidly grows her a new kidney, much to her delight. That’s where we could be within a couple of decades – ‘Star Trek’ tech. What could be cooler than that?

Joining the NHS organ donor list is a way you may help this situation, today. 

The Eventual PKD Cure