Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 Soaked Review
Saturday, March 31, 2007
If you are looking for decent Mac games, then Aspyr should be top of your list, they have supported the Mac platform for many years and if you buy an Aspyr game, you are generally not going to be disappointed.Amongst their portfolio of games is Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 Soaked - expansion pack. This add on for the main game allows you to build new water filled rides, where you can really soak the visitors that come to your fun filled park. This is the first expansion pack for Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 and it certainly delivers some summery fun to an already great game. You can build splash flume rides, water slides, and even put on an aquatic show.
Rather than me babbling on about the specs of the game, I am going to hand you over to our junior reviewer, Pamela, for an insight into just how good (or bad) this expansion pack really is…
Pamela: Well, I think it is a brilliant game, that flows through the whole way. The Soaked expansion pack is great from extravagant roller coasters through to amazing water parks. It is hours of fun and trust me, you will not be able to get enough of it. The graphics are fantastic and you can see every detail, even the visitors expressions, that are waiting to have the most exciting rides of there lives.The whole thing is easy to follow when you hit the tutorial mode. The basics are simple to get the hang of. When you get into the game a little way, the real fun starts to happen. You will always have a gasp when achievements pop up in front of you. The Soaked expansion pack has all the things that you will find in the real water parks we all have today. You will also discover staff to hire, pools that you can build onto platforms, food stands for if your visitors are hungry and even water flumes passing by. On top of all this there are many more rides and attractions to choose from.
When you are at the main menu, you are given a lot of inspiration on what to build, with video previews giving you an idea of what your ride could look like! Alongside that you have a number of exciting modes to choose from, such as the Sandbox Mode, where money actually doesn't matter for once!!! (What a surprise). You can also select the Career Mode where you have to complete various tasks, and this then unlocks more items and parks to choose from.So, do I think that the Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 Soaked expansion pack is worth the money? If you already own the main game, then £19.99 is well worth it. You get a lot more than you would expect for your money. Even if you have to buy both the original game and this expansion pack, I still think it is good value because it will give you a lot of hours of game play.
Editor: OK, so it seems like Pamela had a great time reviewing RCT3 Soaked. It certainly seems like this expansion pack enhances the original game a lot. I took a look at the graphics and options myself and compared to a lot of games that are five minute wonders, RCT3 Soaked is really something that you will keep coming back to. There are just so many different parks that you can design, it really is great fun, especially when you achieve a whole bunch of happy visitors. Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 and the Soaked Expansion Pack are available now, and should definitely be on your short list of great Mac games.
Product: Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 : Soaked expansion pack
Price: £19.99
Supplied by: Aspyr Media Europe Ltd
Contact: +44 (0) 1923 200 940
Email: info_europe@aspyr.com
The Missing Sync for Blackberry out of beta
Friday, March 30, 2007
Although I have not been an avid user, I have been an admirer from afar of the quality that The Missing Sync software delivers to Mac users. One thing I have been wanting for a long time is a Blackberry Pearl, but I have resisted due to lack of (decent) Mac support. Well, wait no longer, The Missing Sync for Blackberry version 1 is available today and is now no longer in beta form.Quoted from the website, some of the features are below, or click here for the full rundown;
Supports the latest BlackBerry devices via USB
Whether you have a BlackBerry 7100 series, a BlackBerry Pearl or the brand new BlackBerry 8800, The Missing Sync for BlackBerry will bring reliable Mac synchronization to your device. See the complete list of supported devices.
Address Book and iCal synchronization
Stay organized by synchronizing your contacts, calendar, tasks and alarms with Address Book and iCal. Address Book groups and iCal calendars sync with categories on the BlackBerry.
Microsoft Entourage 2004 synchronization
Just activate Sync Services syncing in Microsoft Entourage 2004, and The Missing Sync for BlackBerry will be able to synchronize contacts, events, tasks and notes with your BlackBerry handset.
Includes Mark/Space Notebook for free!
Mark/Space Notebook is a Mac OS X application that allows you to create, edit, categorize and search notes on your Mac, and it syncs up with your BlackBerry via The Missing Sync.
iPhoto album syncing*
The Missing Sync for BlackBerry will download selected photo albums directly from iPhoto to the microSD card in your device for mobile viewing. It will even resize photos to fit your device's screen, so they'll display quickly and take up little space on the memory expansion card.
Labels: Mac Software
Honda's new Civic Type R in Japan
Sorry, I just love the Civic, so had to bring you this news. Come Friday, March 30, the new Civic Type R will go on sale in Japan. Based on the current Civic 4-door, the Type R is powered by a screaming, normally aspirated 2.0-liter four cylinder that eclipses 100 hp/liter, producing around 225 ponies at 8,000 rpm and 159 lb-ft of torque at 6,100 rpm. Aggressive looks complete the killer package.via autoblog.com read more | digg story
Labels: General News
Office 2008 for Mac beta: ‘Escher’ UI
Microsoft's long-awaited Office 2008 has now stepped into the beta stage with a streamlined interface and an all-new "Escher" graphics engine to deliver lush graphic effects and impressive charting.via apcmag.com read more | digg story
Labels: Mac Software
GEAR4 Blu-Tooth - future of audio technology
GEAR4, today announced Blu-Tooth, a specially adapted crown with revolutionary Bluetooth technology that when planted into the third molar, allows you to listen to music or make hands free calls on your mobile without the need for a headset.The Blu-Tooth is the latest in GEAR4’s line of Bluetooth related products following the BluEye and BluPhones and continues the company’s policy of pushing technological boundaries. Just larger than the size of a normal morlar, the Blu-Tooth is specially designed to clip securely onto the third molar and pick up vibrations in the jaw using patented “vibro-denture” micro technology that can be picked up by the inner ear.
It doesn’t stop there either, the device can also work as a hands free kit, pairing with any Bluetooth enabled mobile phone, allowing users to make and take calls much like the GEAR4 BluPhones. You can answer a call by clicking your jaw twice and end a call buy clicking it three times. The state of the art technology acts as a microphone, picking up vocal vibrations in the teeth, projecting this to the person you are calling.
Dr. H Tootulb, Dental advisor, GEAR4 Russia, commented, “The Blu-Tooth is a groundbreaking device that solves many problems in one go. It will work with any Bluetooth music device with A2DP protocol and lets you make and take calls without needing a handsfree kit, in turn making our roads safer as fewer people will have their phones glued to their ears.”
Tootulb continued, “The device needs to be taken out and charged over night on the special tooth shaped charging dock (pictured above). We believe this will become a routine activity much like taking out and washing your dentures or cleaning your teeth before you go to bed.”
Tom Dudderidge, Managing director, GEAR4, commented, “We are very excited about the Blu-Tooth. After 2 years in development, the product is finally here and we believe the possibilities are endless. If the soft launch of the device goes well on the 1st April 2008 we hope to role out drop-in clinics with Carphone Warehouse where customers could get the device fitted. Carphone is an obvious choice as it is a leading iPod/phone supplier and currently sell the GEAR4 range.
Dudderidge continued, “I have been using one of the first prototypes and I must admit, it feels like a part of me now and I don’t know how I lived without it! My dentist was a bit shocked the last time I had an appointment and couldn’t believe something like this was possible. We are also developing a dongle for your iPod so you can interrupt the music on your iPod when you receive a phone call and see who is calling on your iPod’s screen just like the GEAR4 BluEye. You can now answer your calls without decay (or delay!).
Pricing and availability
The Blu-Tooth will be available online from www.gear4store.com on April 1st 2008 and from Carphone Warehouse two weeks later. GEAR4 Blu-Tooth is £119.99 inc VAT and customised professional installation.
Labels: Apple iPod, General News, Mobile Phones
iTunes Introduces Complete My Album
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Apple® today announced Complete My Album®, a groundbreaking new iTunes service that allows customers to turn their individual tracks into a complete album at a reduced price by giving them a full 79 pence credit for every track they have previously purchased from that album.“Music fans can now round out their music collections by upgrading their singles into complete albums with just one click, and get full credit for those songs they have previously purchased from iTunes,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “Complete My Album is a wonderful new way that iTunes helps customers grow and enjoy their music collections.”
“iTunes continues to revolutionise the digital music industry by offering music fans innovative ways to explore and enjoy new music,” said Thomas Hesse, president, Global Digital Business and US Sales, Sony BMG Music Entertainment. “With Complete My Album, iTunes is giving music fans the best of both worlds—the ability to discover great new music by buying just the single and a credit toward the purchase of the complete album.”
Complete My Album offers customers up to 180 days after first purchasing individual songs from any qualifying album to purchase the rest of that album at a reduced price. When users buy any song on iTunes the corresponding album will immediately appear on their personalised Complete My Album page with the reduced price listed. For example, a user who’s already purchased three 79 pence singles and decides to buy the corresponding £7.99 album would be able to download the remaining songs to complete the album for just £5.62, without having to buy the singles again.
This is great news and certainly gets my vote.
Labels: Apple News
IRIS Card Pro ebay Charity Auction
The kind guys at IRISLink donated an IRISCard Pro business card scanner to be auctioned on ebay. So we have just listed the item and hope that you can head on over and place a bid. It is your opportunity to pick up a bargain and to support our chosen charity too.The auction helps to support the Anaphylaxis Campaign. Many people in the UK have life threatening allergic reactions to many different foods, including peanuts. A reaction is referred to as an Anaphylactic Shock. The Anaphylaxis Campaign was set up to help these people. It provides a weatlh of information and support for sufferers and families.
Many thanks for taking a look, the auction can be found here.
Labels: Apple News, General News
Uniden UBC3500XLT Review
We are complete gadget heads at Geekanoids, with around 95% of our time spent in front of some sort of screen, so getting away from all that LCD brightness is a good thing, if somewhat scary. However, it is important to still bring you something that fits it with the geek flavour and the guys at Radioscan kindly agreed to lend us a Uniden radio scanner.The Uniden UBC3500XLT conjured up thoughts of listening in to robberies in progress, that boeing 747 having to make a landing at an alternative airport, and maybe even the odd ship having to avoid an iceberg (or two). So with great excitement we cracked open the box, plugged in to start charging the unit and turned it on.
Before we share what came next, a little bit about the UBC3500XLT. This is one of Uniden's latest scanners, with its full title being the Uniden Bearcat UBC3500XLT, from herein we will call it the 3500 for ease. It covers a very wide range of frequencies from 25MHz all the way up to 1.3GHz. This promises to cover the citizen band (CB's, breaker breaker, that's a big 10-4), air band (for listening to aircraft), land mobile, analogue phone, and other amateur bands. This should give you the scope to pick up the various local emergency services, for some interesting listening. The 3500 also features Unidens Close Call RF capture technology, which listens for nearby transmissions, and depending on your settings, switches to the signal and lets you listen in. This should be great for airshows, racing events, and perhaps local security transmissions. Supplied in the package is the radio unit itself, some rechargeable batteries, a mains adapter, wrist strap, belt clip, BNC/SMA adaptor (for attaching bigger and more powerful antenna) and the all important owners manual.
The 3500 handset feels very well built and it has a nice size screen, keypad and speaker, all well proportioned on the front. On the left side are some rubberized buttons for the menu and functions of the scanner. The top has a headphone socket and a three-way control that has you pushing for selecting something, and turning for volume and squelch. The back of the handset has meaty connection for the supplied belt clip, but this also puts the unit at a nice angle if you sit it on the table in front of you. The 3500 will work of rechargeable or normal AA batteries, of the mains power (adapter supplied), and can also charge the batts whilst inside the unit.
Being used to the Mac, we were surprised at how complicated the menu system was. It was very difficult to get from one feature to the next and you will find that a lot of button presses are needed to achieve anything. That said, the 3500 has so many features, it would be a mammoth task to do things any different way. Once we had found our way around the menus we could pick up some of the local services, and a lot of aircraft. Sometimes you only get one side of the conversation, other times you can hear the whole thing. We then headed outside and on top of some local hills, which proved to be a good move. The reception was much better and with great excitement we listened in to a coast guard announcement of an unexploded mine along the Dover to Calais Straight. This was fantastic, within hours of cracking the box open, we were enjoying the experience.
We think that this is a great way to get out of the house and away from your computer. It is a quick fix and if you pick up something interesting, it is really exciting. There are a lot of accessories available for these units, and the first purchase should really be a larger antenna. This will allow you to pick up a lot more and enhance your listening experience no end. The UBC3500XLT is very well built, can be used out and about, and just as effectively as a base scanner when attached to a meaty antenna. If you fancy giving radio scanning a try, head on over to the Radioscan website and check out the vast range of units. If you want to be sure you buy the best, then plump up the cash for the 3500, you will not be disappointed.
Product: Uniden Bearcat UBC3500XLT
Price: £144.99
Supplied by: Radioscan
Contact: contact@radioscan.co.uk
Boomtube H201 - iPod & MP3 speakers
When you are looking for iPod speakers, you really are spoilt from choice. It ends up being a decision to either go with the big name brands or take a risk on something a little different. Think Outside have certainly tried to break the mould with their Boomtube H201 speakers, which we take a look at here.Out of the box, things look pretty good, mainly because the unit has some weight to it. The finish is pretty darn good too, with a nice brushed aluminium paint effect. The main tube houses the inputs, outputs and bass/volume controls. This same tube also contains the subwoofer unit. The satellite speakers actually twist and attach to the main tube, which is handy if you are off on your holidays and need to take the Boomtube with you. Of note, you also get a handy carry pouch supplied as part of the package.
I want to get a quick negative out of the way, before returning to the units performance. The way the little speakers attach to the main tube, and the carry pouch supplied, really shouts "portable" to me. The problem is you need a mains power supply. If only Think Outside had included a battery compartment, this would be a really neat all-round package.
With that moan out of the way, back to how this little baby sounds. There is no dock, so you connect your iPod (or any other MP3 player, even a PSP) via the supplied mini-jack cable. Turning the unit on and playing some music was a bit under-whelming at first, but fear not, you just need to tweak that bass control. The Boomtube delivers 40-watts of power and believe me, this little device can really deliver some loud volume and awesome bass. Whilst it is not very refined (audio buffs look elsewhere) for parties and the like, this really could be the answer.
Overall, I was impressed with the Boomtube. It delivers a great sound and goes very loud. The lack of battery power is a big shame, but if you can overlook that, then this is a very well made and extremely power compact speaker system.
But wait, you say there is no batteries compartment… complete and utter nonsense. Think Outside built in a rechargeable lithium ion battery, which one charged delivers about five hours of music. Well, I guess I am off to the local park to shake the local community into submission. The Boomtube H201 rocks both the house and outside the house too.
Product: Boomtube H201
Price: £99.99
Supplied by: Think Outside
Contact: Widget UK Ltd. 0845 055 0005
Link to UK supplier
Labels: Apple iPod
Apple post Adobe CS3 details
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Apple have posted their pages on the new Adobe CS3 software options. Good news on what is on offer, what each package consists of, and that all important link to the pricing and pre-order page. Check it out now.Labels: Mac Software
What makes a great photo?
Joerg Colberg asked a bunch of photographers and photography bloggers: what makes a great photo? The answers, with examples, form a great informal discussion about art, photography, and curating.via jmcolberg.com read more | digg story
Labels: Digital Photography
Mac Chick Of The Month March 2007
Each month Macstein feature a different die-hard, Mac-loving girl who is (almost) as well designed as the Apple products they love. This month we present you with the lovely DeBrane, an artist living in Newport Beach, California long-time Mac fan.via macstein read more | digg story
Labels: Apple News
Is Your New Mac Out Of Date?
The MacRumours Buyers Guide attempts to predict apple's next hardware release based on Apple's release trends. A must-save link if you are planning to buy a new apple anytime soon!via macrumors read more | digg story
Labels: Apple Hardware
Adobe CS3 Education Pricing
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Looks like the education pricing for the Adobe CS3 Suite is pretty good. I could only find US pricing at the moment and it comes in at $599 for the Design Premium Edition. All versions shipping mid-April.Update: UK pricing is here and is £245 for the Design Premium Edition, this is not an upgrade price though, so I will update here again if I can find out this info.
Labels: Mac Software
30 Stunning One-Page Websites
Who said websites need more than one page ? The one page website can be very effective - especially when used as a portfolio website as they let the site take a back seat and let the work shine through. Here we take a look at some examples of the best one-pagers ….via tutorialblog read more | digg story
Labels: Design
How to mount a Windows shared folder on your Mac
So you've made the switch to Mac, but kept your old PC, and now you've got both connected to your home router. How do you access your Windows files from OS X? Turns out that Mac OS X can connect to Windows shared folders very easily. Read on to find out how.via lifehacker read more | digg story
Labels: Mac Tips
Amazon US lists Adobe CS3 pricing
Monday, March 26, 2007
Amazon US has announced pre-order pricing of almost the complete Adobe CS3 line-up. Amongst the various versions are Adobe Creative Suite CS3 Web Premium for $1599, Adobe Creative Suite CS3 Master Collection for $2499, Adobe Creative Suite CS3 Production Premium for $1199 and Adobe Creative Suite CS3 Design Premium for $1599. Some of the prices seem crazy, let's hope the upgrade path is a bit easier on the pocket.Check out the table below for exactly what each bundle offers;
Labels: Apple News, Mac Software
The Moto Lazr?
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Could this be the next big moto phone?via engadget read more | digg story
Labels: Mobile Phones
12 Ways to Pimp Your Office
Collection of cool & unique chairs, desks and other office accessories to really set your desk apart. This is a fantastic look at some awesome bits of furniture.via positivesharing.com read more | digg story
Labels: Design
Apple TV Intro Movie 720p
Ripped straight off the hard drive. Watch the AppleTV Intro movie here in all its 720P glory.via mcwiggin.com read more | digg story
Labels: Apple News
Parallelize applications for faster Linux
One of the biggest complaints about Linux®, particularly from developers, is the speed with which Linux boots. By default, Linux is a general-purpose operating system that can serve as a client desktop or server right out of the box. Because of this flexibility, Linux serves a wide base but is suboptimal for any particular configuration.via IBM read more | digg story
Labels: Linux News