Game & Gadget Podcast

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I am joined by Tony Warriner who is one of the founders of Revolution Software as we discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

FPGA devices becoming more accessible, focusing on the MiSTer project and its many retro gaming cores
Hunting down Taki Udon FPGA boards and the challenges with small production batches
Early adopter woes – memory speed concerns and analogue audio quirks
FPGA efforts to emulate complex consoles like the Sega Saturn, PlayStation 1, N64 and beyond
The dream of a consumer-level FPGA PlayStation 1 experience with the SuperStation One
Tony’s new project: UrbX Warriors – a Kickstarter-bound game for Spectrum Next, PC and more
The challenges of developing for the Spectrum Next, dealing with tight memory banking restrictions
Porting UrbX Warriors to PSX, Steam, Switch, Amiga and Mac
James’ retro PC escapades – saving and restoring early 2000s hardware for Windows 98 and XP gaming
Collecting CRT monitors and comparing the experience of CRT versus modern digital displays
The charm and madness of original hardware compared to FPGA and software emulation
Nostalgic memories of Voodoo 2 graphics cards and the thrill of early PC 3D acceleration
Scaling games like Broken Sword for different PC specs and the Game Boy Advance back in the 1990s
The ongoing rabbit hole of retro computing
CRT TV repair challenges

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I am joined by Mark Benis, who has composed the musical soundtrack for the point and click adventure game Rosewater, set in the wild west and released in 2024. Mark has also worked on the soundtrack for Lamplight City with others credits for titles including Wolfenstein: Youngblood.

In this podcast, we discuss his joy of retro chip-tune music of retro gaming platforms including the Nintendo Game Boy, which has inspired his journey creativity to now write musical soundtracks for modern gaming titles.

Topics include:

Mark Benis’ opportunity to become a game composer
Childhood love of Pokémon Red/Blue music led to a lifelong curiosity about chip music
The beauty of 8-bit music to orchestral and back again
Using Wwyse and FMOD as audio middleware to replace line-by-line coding
Mark’s early days and the audio equipment he used
The financial barrier of the many professional audio sample libraries
No woodwinds in the game Lamplight City inspiring creativity by limitation
How hardware MIDI modules (Roland MT-32, Sound Canvas etc) have been replaced with software music audio libraries
Mark’s go to piano performances to loosen his fingers and inspire his thoughts
Mark’s computer and desk setup for music composition
What is Rosewater and the musical brief you were given
Avoiding the typical wild west country style music
How much of the original work made it into the game soundtrack?
How much of the artwork and game direction did Mark see before composing the tracks?
Timing introductions to the music, or arranging the music to the intro?
Hearing the voice acting dialogue for the first time reactions
Mixing virtual instruments with live music players
Choral music creation for the game Lamplight City recorded in a church with a real choir
Mark’s future projects
Collaborating on musical projects and avoiding arguments

Featured music within the podcast, kindly provided with permission by Mark Benis…

7-43 to Rosewater
Once Upon a Time in Western Vespuccia
Night Walk
The Showdown
So Long, Partner
Flor Silvestre by Christiane Ramirez

You can download the full Rosewater Soundtrack on Mark Benis’ Bandcamp page.

The full transcript can also be downloaded…

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I am joined by Mike from vswitchzero, who has a fascinating YouTube channel dedicated to 90s retro PC hardware and gaming. In this podcast, we explore the fascinating history of this exciting era of 3D acceleration advancement with classic graphics cards including the 3Dfx Voodoo while delving into the repairs, nostalgia and the pitfalls of revisiting retro PC computing.

Topics include:

Commander Keen, Doom, Quake and the evolution of PC gaming hardware during the 90s
Introduction of 3DFX and Voodoo graphics cards, including personal experiences and significant technological leaps
Voodoo 2 SLI configurations and their impact on 3D gaming
Comparisons between 3DFX, PowerVR and other competing technologies of the time
Popular sound cards like the Creative Sound Blaster series and Yamaha DB50XG/SW60XG
General MIDI and enhanced gaming experiences through better audio fidelity
Mike’s Train Wreck Voodoo 2 repair
Issues with capacitor failures and maintaining vintage hardware
Benefits of modern retro PC projects and new hardware options mimicking retro systems
Insights into building and maintaining retro PCs versus using modern emulation tools like DOSBox
The joy of hardware repair and the satisfaction of reviving old systems
Early PC setups, the transition to multimedia PCs and the rise of CD-ROM drives
Reflections on the transformative era of PC gaming in the 90s
Ongoing retro hardware projects and the increasing value of vintage components

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I am joined by Tony Warriner who is one of the founders of Revolution Software as we discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

Topics include:

Tony wants to play Elite on his BBC Micro, but the smoking capacitors have other ideas
James’ original Xbox had a hidden surprise, a leaking clock capacitor that nearly destroyed the console
Restoring James’ Commodore 64 – real dead bugs
The C64 Tapecart SD for fast loading cassette games in just a few seconds
The amazing Commodore 64 loading graphics and music
Importance of preserving the stories from those who experienced such big tech and software advances
The Sony PlayStation Vita with its stunning OLED display where sales flopped
The cleverness of the dual screen display of the Nintendo DS
Drooling over modern crystal replacement cases for retro consoles
SEGA Dreamcast modding with the GDemu and DreamPSU
The original power supply on the C64 is another danger!
The video tour of Tony’s collection of retro gear
‘The Spectrum‘ hardware announced for emulating classic Spectrum titles
What is a ‘sensible’ retro collection purchase?
James’ lovely yet battered Amiga 500 purchased for £30

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I am joined by Alex Brown, programmer of an upcoming brand new beat-em-up 2-player game for the Commodore Amiga – Metro Siege. With the target platform the Amiga A500, originally released way back in 1987! Alex takes us through the journey of pushing the limits of the Amiga A500, the experience of programming with the Amiga custom chips and how this wonderful passion project will become a final release.

Topics include:

How Alex ended became a programmer
Alex’s favourite game influences
Why create a new game for the Amiga?
Pushing the limits of the Amiga A500
Taking the Amiga online with cross system online multiplayer
The art of releasing a beta or technical preview and gathering feedback
Keeping the gameplay smooth with 2 players, enemies and lush surroundings
Parallax scrolling, moving trains and what’s needed to achieve the results
Using modular character animation on the Amiga
Given extra life to a retro computing platform
The reason for the expansion memory of 512kb memory requirement
The programming resources available for the Amiga
The tricks of the trade for programming the Amiga
The software and tools for creating Amiga games
Emulation versus real hardware for testing
The size of the team and the understanding of the capabilities of the Amiga
The biggest challenge of getting the game to work
Why AGA has not been targeted… yet?
Ensuring there is an end goal to any “passion project”

If you watch the video version of the podcast, I have captured Metro Siege running from my own Amiga A500 (which mine does have Pistorm installed, but I have been assured it will still run great without one). You can find out more by visiting the Metro Siege website.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner who is one of the founders of Revolution Software and Aaron Fothergill previously from Argonaut Games and now with Shifty Eye Games as we discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

Topics include:

James’ visit to Tony’s retro computer and console collection
Tony spending money to get his retro collection connected to a modern display – OSSC, RGB cables, power cables etc
Mister FPGA costs versus retro hardware collections
Aaron positive thoughts (and excellent excuses) on the cost of collecting retro hardware
The Atari Falcon, the development kit for the Atari Jaguar
Aaron’s first computer, which he still owns!
Modifying old computers ROM chips and copyright risk
My brand new retro hardware portable device for less than £1
RGB cables everywhere!
The Apple G4 Cube USB flaw
Skiving to get into computer games
The inspiration of the ZX81 and micro computers
My fondness of the Atari 65XE 8-bit computer
Bye bye ICQ
Tony and Aaron invent Code Jenga
Development is hard
Manually typing code from old books and magazines – oh the typos!
Code in books, to disks on magazines to digital DLC
What happens to digital licensed content when you die?
The importance of archiving DLC and game patches
Licensing music for games
The cost of patching a console game
The beauty of Xbox Live Arcade and developing the first games
Playing Xbox Live Arcade version of Golden Eye on an Xbox 360 debug unit

Featured Atari Falcon image By F-Andrey, CC BY 2.0, Link

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I am joined by Tony Warriner who is one of the founders of Revolution Software as we discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

Topics include:

James hunting for a SEGA Genesis in the USA
Broken Sword Reforged Kickstarter blasts through £50,000 target to over half a million!
Broken Sword 2 remastered?
Did Tony from Revolution Software realise Broken Sword on its original release would be so popular?
The design differences between Lure of the Temptress, Beneath a Steel Sky & Broken Sword
Balancing PC minimum spec and recommended levels in development of games
Sony PlayStation 5 Pro details leaked splitting the PS5 target specs
Triple AAA titles and layoffs in the industry
Netflix, Disney Plus etc and how we are cancelling subscriptions due to raising prices
The needless pain of grinding in a game to progress
Match 3 games and the lightning energy nonsense
Apple EU App Stores
Tony’s first article on Pixel Refresh, Beneath A Steel Sky Sets as Broken Sword Dawns – Revolution Book Preview
James’ article on Pixel Refresh, CRT TV for Retro Gaming – The Beauty, Buying, Repair & Despair
Acorn Pocket Book preview
YouTube Premium, if only they would separate YouTube Music
Apple Music for lossless, even on Android
Where is Spotify HiFi lossless audio??? Literally years since the original announcement
WearOS versus Tizen on smartwatches
Tony’s Apple Watch experience

NOTE: Tony or I lost connection at the very end, so the conversation goes a little odd as we wonder where the other person went :) Luckily the software locally records so Tony continued recording!

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I am joined by Aaron Fothergill previously from Argonaut Games and now with Shifty Eye Games, Martin Mulrooney of Alternative Magazine Online and Karl from Retro32 as we discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

Topics include:

What is BBS and how was it used?
BBS today on the Amiga
The joys and sounds of dial up internet and blocking for Grandmothers
Piracy software and the effects on development and livelihoods
Funny copy protection at level 10
Jetstrike release version not the final and included a serious bug
Jetstrike game featured Aliens “one in a million” chance though of seeing them!
How did we all use our first connections to the Internet?
The success of iTunes and iTunes Match against mp3 piracy
Broken Sword Reforged and AI as a tool
Our fondness of Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered and its intentional limitations
How what is acceptable has changed over the years
Early gameplay mechanics

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WEBSITE: Pixel Refresh – Gaming, Gadgets & Tech both Retro & Modern
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I am joined by Tony Warriner who is one of the founders of Revolution Software and Karl from Retro32 as we discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

Topics include:

James’ experiences with emulator Gotek floppy drives for retro computers and the Atari 520 STFM
Tony’s experience of the Anbernic portable handheld RG35XX Plus
Challenges faced when updating the Anbernic device
Using original gaming hardware versus FPGA
Keeping retro computers and consoles alive
Discussion on the financial aspects of retro gaming, accessories and their cost
ScummVM now officially available on the Apple App Store
Various handheld devices for portable emulation
So many ‘mini’ devices bringing back our retro memories
The challenge of shipping a Steam Deck to Ukraine (the update)
Super Amigas?
How long would you need to learn to become a developer!
Tony’s new game demo coming soon…

WEBSITE: Pixel Refresh – Gaming, Gadgets & Tech both Retro & Modern
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I am joined by Tony Warriner who is one of the founders of Revolution Software as we discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

Topics include:

James & Tony meeting in person for the very first time!
Crash Live 2023 Sinclair Spectrum event experiences
ZX Spectrum Vs C64 banter
ZX Spectrum Next explored
How to program the Z80 book
Tony is using Windows 11… We checked! (the dedicated macOS enthusiast)
Tony and Charles Cecil presenting at Crash Live 2023 regarding Artic Games / Revolution Software
Porting games in the 8-bit / 16-bit era
Mister FPGA Vs real hardware
The RG35XX and RG35XX Plus portable handheld consoles experiences
It’s difficult to send a Steam Deck to Kiev
What Tony is going to do with his ZX Spectrum Next for programming
Tony’s new game Wormhole Dungeon
What platforms could be targeted?
Remembering the SEGA Dreamcast
Broken Sword Reforged Kickstarter open for registration

WEBSITE: Pixel Refresh – Gaming, Gadgets & Tech both Retro & Modern
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Topics include:

The engineering conundrum of granny squares
You don’t have to be an expert in the field to write a game about a particular topic
Tony appears on more panels
Retro computers & consoles and inspiring the young
Unity Engine going downhill
The craziness of gaming marketing and advertising
The beauty of Apple skeuomorphism before iOS 7
Every operating system goes partially transparent
MacBook Pro 2015 craziness of design – goodbye ports, hello dongles
Collecting old phones and the battery bulging dangers
James gets himself another Commodore 64
The similarity of technology used on older retro computers
Disks surviving, discs rotting
Tony’s Amstrad CPC fixed and working
The loudness of 52x CD-ROM drives – spin spin spin!

WEBSITE: Pixel Refresh – Gaming, Gadgets & Tech both Retro & Modern
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I am joined by Tony Warriner who is one of the founders of Revolution Software as we discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

Topics include:

Tony has been on an event panel and another to follow with Charles Cecil of Revolution Software
The Acorn Electron bargain £20 spend
So many 8-bit computers that didn’t make it!
Storing computers is harder than consoles!
Tony’s 8-bit computer collection
Collecting original retro computer boxes and using modern replicas
The Enterprise computer that failed
Real Amiga with PiStorm and a Raspberry Pi makes your CPU stupid fast!
All the versions of the Atari ST
The true joy of programming for the Motorola 68000
Tony wanting to write an Amiga game in the future
Programming between the different 16-bit computers
Broken Sword Reforged using AI and ‘real’ artists to increase the visual detail

WEBSITE: Pixel Refresh – Gaming, Gadgets & Tech both Retro & Modern
EMAIL SUBSCRIBE: Latest Articles / Reviews via Email
PIXEL REFRESH YOUTUBE CHANNEL:

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I am joined by Aaron Fothergill previously from Argonaut Games and now with Shifty Eye Games, Steve Ince who is an artist, game designer and writer working on games from Revolution Software such as Broken Sword and also a new guest to our podcast Rees from YouTube channel ctrl-alt-rees as we discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

Topics include:

Steve Ince discusses his retirement from gaming work
What games Steve has been playing now he has a little more time
Steve releasing yet more books!
The pain of the developer crunch time
Life as ctrl-alt-rees and his fascination with Atari
Atari ST and the MIDI capabilities
Computers for homework cough games!
Homework on an Acorn Archimedes A3010 and dot matrix printers
Atari ST and 32 person strong multiplayer games with MIDI connections
The horror when you realise what you have thrown away, and then it becomes valuable
Steve’s computer journey
Taking a high quality scan, reducing to 128 colours for PC, reducing to 32 colours for Amiga
A changing colour pixel for a convincing ‘blink’
Broken Sword on the Nintendo Wii
Rise of the Triads and the music of Lee Jackson
The ever growing retro community
Robin Williams suing Disney and the risk of the colour blue

Video recordings of the shows are also featured on the Game & Gadget Podcast YouTube channel…

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I am joined by Tony Warriner and Aaron Fothergill in our 28th podcast episode to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner in our 27th podcast episode to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner and Steve Ince in our 26th podcast episode to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

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I am joined by special guest Jan Hofmeister, who restores and creates stunning high print quality retro game posters in this fascinating visual demonstration of his processes.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner in our 24th podcast episode to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

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I am joined by Steve Ince and Aaron Fothergill in our 23rd podcast episode to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner and Aaron Fothergill in our 22nd podcast episode to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

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I interview Tony Warriner and Martin Mulrooney, creators of a new book on Kickstarter covering the history of point and click adventure legends Revolution Software.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner and Aaron Fothergill in our 20th podcast episode to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner in our 19th podcast episode to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner, Aaron Fothergill and Stoo Cambridge in our 18th podcast episode to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner, Aaron Fothergill and Stoo Cambridge in our 17th podcast episode to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner in our 16th podcast episode to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner in our latest podcast episode 15 to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner in our latest podcast to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner and Aaron Fothergill in our latest podcast to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology both retro and modern.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner, Eugene Sandulenko and Aaron Fothergill to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology in the latest Game & Gadget Podcast.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner to discuss more gaming, gadgets and technology in the latest Game & Gadget Podcast.

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I am joined by Tony Warriner and Neil Thomas from RMC Retro to discuss gaming, gadgets and technology.

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Will Judd and Daniel Hughes join me to discuss the rivalry between 3Dfx and PowerVR among other tech discussions in the latest Game & Gadget Podcast.

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Tony Warriner and Steve Ince share their stories from working on Broken Sword with Revolution Software.

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Joined by Tony Warriner and guest Steve Lycett, we discuss topics that interest us both in gaming, gadgets and technology and whatever else comes in our mind.

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Joined by Tony Warriner, we discuss topics that interest us both in gaming, technology and whatever else comes in our mind

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I Interview Neil from the Retro Man Cave YouTube channel regarding retro computer repair and games.

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My Revolution's 25th Anniversary Box Set Unboxing video - certainly a lot of content here!

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In this video, I review the inexpensive TESCO hudl 2 tablet with its 8.3" Full HD display and range of impressive features.

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We discuss the impact and quality of Xbox One and PS4 four months after launch in the latest Game & Gadget Podcast.

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I feature as a guest in the latest Monster Cast Podcast as we all debate the Xbox One and PS4 launches.

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In the latest Game & Gadget Podcast, we discuss Sky's £9.99 NOW TV Box, Microsoft, Blackberry, Apple & even Ducktales Remastered.

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We discuss the recent E3 announcements from Microsoft, Sony & Nintendo, Windows 8.1 and Apple’s WWDC event.

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This is the very first episode of a new podcast series dedicated to gaming and technology known as the ‘Game & Gadget Podcast’. For our first episode, we are covering the recent announcement of the new Xbox One console revealed by Microsoft.

It is my aim to have a bunch of guests from various gaming and technology websites within each episode, discussing the latest developments while dipping into retro nostalgia.

For our first edition, please welcome Marty Greenwell - writer, editor and new podcast host at ConsoleMonster.com, Peter Willington - Handheld Editor & Community Manager at PocketGamer.co.uk and Ken Barnes - Editor at PureXbox.com.

Topics:

Overall presentation style compared to PS4 announcement The name ‘Xbox One’ discussion The look of the actual console hardware The console specifications Still confusion over used games and ‘always on’ - Xbox FAQ Xbox One HDD is non-removable, supports external USB storage Xbox One lets you save and restart your game at any point Smart Match and recording & sharing of gameplay Expanded Achievements The new Kinect that is now a standard feature with Xbox One The updated controller features No backwards compatibility for retail titles or Xbox Live Arcade purchases and Xbox 360 controllers not supported, but will allow media transfers

We hope you enjoy the podcast.

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Today over Skype I interviewed Dale Mugford, who is the co-founder of Brave New Code. This is Dale’s 3rd time on my podcast and he has joined me to discuss their latest WordPress plugin release WPtouch Pro 3 - a dedicated mobile and tablet view for a WordPress powered website that is designed to decrease loading times and optimises for a touchscreen device.

To find out more information about WPtouch, visit the Brave New Code website.

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eJay is back, however this time possibly appearing on iOS and Android mobile platforms if a Kickstarter campaign to raise £150,000 by Thursday Apr 25, 8:31am BST is successful.

As part of the funding incentive, they are releasing samples for free at various points in the campaign. On this occasion, a selection of video game retro type loops containing bass, drums, FX and more to play around with.

Using GarageBand to import the free loops, adjust the panning and add a couple of unique instrument tracks - here is my finished Chiptune inspired track.

You can also listen to my podcast interview with Leo Zullo from Wired Productions, who are creating eJay Pure.

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Today over Skype, we recorded Monster Cast #19 - produced for the Console Monster website.

Joining me in this latest podcast are Marty Greenwell, Reece Warrender, Steven Bourke and special guest Steve Ince.

Steve Ince is an award nominated writer and game designer, best known for his work on Revolution Software titles such as the Broken Sword series and is currently working on a freelance basis.

Monster Cast is an un-scripted casual podcast, where Console Monster staff members come together and discuss the latest news in gaming over the past few weeks.

Topics include...

Disney closes publisher LucasArts DLC, EA, Xbox Support and the wrongs of Digital Distribution (Marty) Official Microsoft Statement regarding comments by Adam Orth - “Creative Director at Microsoft Studios. Get involved” - regarding #dealwithit Ouya console fires back at criticism Capcom 'working' on confirming DuckTales Remastered for PC Sega Europe admits to misleading Colonial Marines trailers The Sun reckons PS4 will be released in October EA: DRM is a dead-end strategy, was never discussed in SimCity meetings

Also, if you stick around until after the ending goodbyes - Steve Ince gives us an insider view of development for games including the latest Broken Sword title currently in progress!

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Today over Skype I interviewed Leo Zullo, Managing Director of Wired Productions discussing eJay Pure - a free music creation app that has been announced via a Kickstarter campaign that is hoping to raise £150,000.

eJay Pure is expected to release on iOS and Android tablets in November 2013 if funding is successful and is designed to give beginners the opportunity to create electronic music that can be shared with the community online.

In the podcast we cover the eJay legacy, designing for a touchscreen interface and what we can expect with eJay Pure.

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Today we recorded Monster Cast #18, produced for the Console Monster website – covering all the news from the Sony PlayStation4 announcement in this special edition.

Also joining me in this latest video podcast are Marty Greenwell and Steven Bourke.

Monster Cast is an un-scripted casual podcast, where Console Monster staff members come together and discuss the latest news in gaming over the past few weeks. Using Google+ HangOut! we stream Live as we discuss the past month in gaming.

Topics include:

Sony announce the PlayStation4 - we take a closer look at the details Sony PlayStation4 technical specs revealed ID software comment on hardware ease of use Games featured...

Killzone Shadow Fall: You play as an elite Shadow Marshal charged with keeping tensions between the Helghast and Vektans from boiling over. inFAMOUS: Second Son: Seattle is the setting and Delsin Rowe is the new hero with the ability to manipulate smoke. DriveClub: Social connectivity, cutting-edge graphics and the world's greatest supercars feature in the latest title from Evolution Studios. Knack: Turn into a gigantic fighting machine thanks to the power of ancient relics in this vibrant new adventure. Watch_Dogs: Learn what it is to have complete control over a hyper-connected city. The Witness: The latest puzzle game from Jonathan Blow, creator of Braid. Destiny: A brand new first person shooter from Bungie Studios. Other titles being readied include Diablo III from Blizzard.

Lessons learned from dreary PlayStation3 E3 reveal? Viewer comments & questions The next Microsoft console and what we need to see to compete with Sony's PlayStation4 announcement

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Joining me today over Skype, Graham North - Commercial Director from Humax UK details the different television technologies, the services available and looking ahead to the future of TV and content delivery.

Freeview and Freesat are non-subscription based television services that offer a tantalising alternative to other cable and satellite providers who require a monthly fee.

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Joining me over Skype, Charles Cecil CEO of Revolution Software discusses the wonderful world of classic point and click adventure games, how the industry has changed and a glimpse of future titles including Broken Sword: The Serpent's Curse.

Recently, Revolution Software successfully raised $771,560 to develop Broken Sword: The Serpent's Curse via a Kickstarter campaign, proving that this genre continues to thrive within the gaming community.

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Currently in beta on the YouTube website, a very limited number of individuals already have access to a new Channel design. This will eventually roll out to all YouTube accounts in the near future and of course it is always a good idea to be prepared for the transition.

There are two things to keep in mind...

Firstly you can insert an image that will represent your channel on various platforms be it on a desktop computer, mobile device or even a television screen. Information on the new image requirements are located on the YouTube Channel Art Guidelines page.

Secondly it is recommended to create a video advertising your features to encourage users to subscribe to your YouTube Channel. It's all about giving visitors a taste of what's to come, which in turn will attract additional subscriptions.

Here is the video for my channel below using Adobe After Effects, Audition and Premiere Pro:

If you use software from Adobe, it is quite easy to find purchasable templates which can be heavily customised to suit your needs.

So if you have a YouTube Channel, it would certainly be a good idea to start thinking about your new graphics and a promotional video.

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To say I have been enjoying Halo 4 would be a bit of an unfair understatement. Although it has been a number of years since gamers have been able to enjoy the full 'Master Chief' experience in a new Halo title, even though it is no longer developed by Bungie and even though many of us had our reservations - Halo 4 has actually turned out to be one classy romp.

The Campaign is a graphical delight from start to finish, with a heart aching storyline that compels you to continue.

Multiplayer boasts the usual stellar action and below is a video I captured of myself taking part in 'Big Team Infinity Slayer', full of vehicles including Warthogs and Scorpion tanks. It is quite literally a 'blast'!

Halo 4 isn't perfect though, the music is a little forgettable - lacking the distinct percussion we knew from previous titles and the Warthog in particular doesn't quite handle the same.

All in all though, Halo 4 is an impressive sequel to a series that continues to drive gamers to an exhilarating foaming frenzy.

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Now is the time to strap yourself tightly into a chair, preparing for adrenaline pumping action as we take on a wonderful new experience - recognising how this racing sequel has indeed... TRANSFORMED!

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is a title that has evolved considerably from its pretty impressive beginnings. The original game managed to bring many of the SEGA characters, levels and music selections to an eager nostalgic audience, while also pleasing newcomers with its fun filled racing. The 'Transformed' element highlights perfectly the new nature of the beast that has been released onto the willing public and I am happy to report that for the most part, they have transformed a very good title into one which excels.

Where originally you were confined to vehicles that remained constantly on a road-like surface, this sequel offers another two variants that add greatly to the thrill of the race. Expect new sections that include traveling over wonderfully unpredictable water (or even lava), as well as flying through the air - providing vast possibilities and a whole new perspective. This alone has added immense variety and scope and will no doubt captivate racing fanatics.

As the race progresses, you will pass through certain gates that automatically transforms your vehicle into one that can take advantage of the upcoming environment. Each character has its own vehicle model and set of animations, some more wackier and humorous than others. All handle differently enough to encourage you to choose favourites, however by remaining loyal to individual characters you can raise their experience level. This unlocks additional ‘mods’, which is in fact a redistribution of vehicle traits be it acceleration, speed, handling and so on. With the Xbox 360 version, you can also race as your avatar.

The conditions be it on a road, water or in the air dramatically change the driving style of the vehicle. On the road, you can easily drift around corners and feel more of a connection to the surface. On water, your craft becomes extremely sensitive to any waves and steering becomes much slower and therefore much harder to direct your craft. In the air, you are required to exploit not just left and right, but also up and down motions, enjoying a slightly faster momentum with smoother fluid movements.

Each of these three environments feel great, even if they are challenging in different ways. It adds a whole new kind of versatility that is just a pleasure to experience and thus no race feels identical. It may result in quite a harsh learning curve for some as they experiment with three very unique styles of racing, but the rewards are certainly worth it for those willing to take on the challenge.

With a strong line-up of courses to take part in, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed encourages your nostalgic sentiment without losing any satisfaction in the ride. For example, a Golden Axe inspired course takes elements of the character selection screen, which includes the skeleton with outstretched arms centre stage within a course. It is just dazzling to see and newcomers will appreciate the artistic details regardless of the fact they may have never seen the titles to which they allude to. Others include references to other SEGA classics including Sonic the Hedgehog, Skies of Arcadia, Jet Set Radio, Samba de Amigo, Nights into Dreams, Shinobi and more.

A few of the more popular courses from the first game remain with a few graphical tweaks along the way and all of the courses can be played mirrored, or to say left becomes right and vice-versa - for a little extra twist.

Although the course is repeated during a race, each lap can change dramatically as the race unfolds. Roads can suddenly collapse or redirect you, forcing a path that requires a different kind of vehicle transformation. Areas where you may have driven along before, now become the view below as you now soar high above. It’s simply an amazing feeling and extends the...

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Today we recorded Monster Cast #17, produced for the Console Monster website – covering news from all of the major players including Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo.

Featuring special guest Steve Lycett, Executive Producer from SUMO Digital to discuss his experiences developing for the Nintendo Wii U and their upcoming title Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing Transformed.

Also joining me in this latest video podcast is Marty Greenwell, David Wriglesworth and Anthony Barker.

Steve Lycett - Executive Producer at SUMO Digital

Monster Cast is an un-scripted casual podcast, where Console Monster staff members come together and discuss the latest news in gaming over the past few weeks.

Using Google+ HangOut! we stream Live as we discuss the past month in gaming.

Topics include:

What we have been playing... (Halo 4, Forza Horizon, [RETRO: Lemmings 3D, Silver, Chaos Battle of the Wizards, RISC OS Rasberry Pi] etc) Marty Retro Demo (Amiga CD32) Nintendo Wii U out soon... Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing Transformed Nintendo Wii U development experience courtesy of Steve Lycett Xbox SmartGlass on iOS, Android, Windows 8 experiences Peter Molyneux’s skeptical regarding Tablet & Television combined gaming Windows 8 gaming impressions & experiences Square Enix Merger a failure? Elite Remake (Elite Dangerous)

Enjoy...

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In my latest podcast, I interview Rob Landeros co-founder of Trilobyte Games and co-founder of Aftermath Media David Wheeler. Between them, they have been involved with such classic titles as The 7th Guest, The 11th Hour, Tender Loving Care and more.

We discuss their involvement with these titles, with new insights into their development and whether there is a possible continuation of the 7th Guest series.

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There is an immense irony with Apple products that we as consumers predictably fall into with each and every item we purchase. Apple tout the latest hardware products with the promise of super thin, wonderfully aesthetic devices and of course we are drawn to this pleasing design.

So we acquire the Apple product with its dashing good looks and slender design and then become more than just a little distressed when we notice the smallest of scratches on its surface. Our immediate reaction is to then go hunting for a case or cover that, and this is the ironic part, loses its ultra thin qualities and hides much of the style we were attracted to in the first place.

Thankfully not all cases and covers disregard the finer qualities of the original design or ignore the fact we are trying to keep our products lightweight and sleek.

...I too felt the need to protect my latest acquisition before any unsightly marks appear.

Air vents are given plenty of room to breathe

One such company that appears to be following this careful consideration is Speck...

I am the lucky owner of an Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display, the first notebook from Apple in fact that includes the wonderful super high resolution screen. It is a truly amazing sight to behold and just like other Apple owners, I too felt the need to protect my latest acquisition before any unsightly marks appear.

Here I am taking a look at the SmartShell SATIN cover for MacBook Pro with Retina Display, which promises to maintain the look of the notebook without adding weight or obvious additional bloat to the overall size.

The cover arrives in two distinct sections, one part that protects the back of the display and the other the underneath and sides of the lower portion that houses the all important computer components, keyboard and trackpad.

None of the ports are obscured and more importantly none of the air vents either that help keep the system cool enough to operate. You might expect the cover to be an addition you only wrap around your MacBook Pro when you venture outdoors, however due to its clever observation of ports and vents - it can remain permanently fixed.

Even to the touch, the cover feels right and not in any way an alien element you've just attached.This is aided by the fact the cover looks just as aesthetically pleasing as the MacBook Pro itself in its more naked state. The black cover certainly adds a pleasing contrast with the silver aluminium elements visible around the keyboard. The Apple logo on the rear of the display even shines brightly through the cover, just in case you are one of those individuals whose pride in Apple extends to ensuring your peers view the all important illuminated branding.

Another possible advantage is that when closed, your MacBook Pro doesn't scream it's an Apple product for those who might be concerned of not just scratches, but opportunistic thieves who can spot an Apple item a mile off.

Even to the touch, the cover feels right and not in any way an alien element you've just attached. It is this attention to detail that helps you realise that not only do you enjoy increased protection, but also an addition that actually adds quality to the notebook.

It's at this point I am really finding it hard to find any negative comments to attach to this review and I suppose if I am being picky, I would have to highlight the fact that fingerprints do tend to show a little on the cover in certain light - however as I say, this is being picky, in fact very picky to be fair.

It is recommended according to the instructions provided to remove the cover every month just to remove any small debris that might have snuck its way inside and happily it isn't very difficult to take apart once attached. That isn't to say though that it isn't a snug fit, as actually it clings to the MacBook Pro so well you could easily believe that it was designed by Apple themselves.

I should point out that during my review testing,

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Today we recorded Monster Cast #16, produced for the Console Monster website – covering news from all of the major players including Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo.

Joining me in the latest video podcast is Marty Greenwell, Anthony Barker and special guest Steve Ince, who is a writer and game designer.

Steve Ince - writer and designer with 19 years of game development knowledge

Monster Cast is an un-scripted casual podcast, where Console Monster staff members come together and discuss the latest news in gaming over the past few weeks.

Using Google+ HangOut! we stream Live as we discuss the past month in gaming.

Topics include:

What we have been playing... Marty's Victor Saturn Japanese Import Writing for computer games and how they differ to writing for other projects - Views on Kickstarter projects and resurgence in point and click adventure games on various platforms Eurogamer experience & no booth babes next year Nintendo Wii U pricing / launch titles / region locking Inside the Wii U revealed by surprisingly... Nintendo Slimmer PS3 - Console gaming's ugly stepmother? Steve Ince: How have games changed in your opinion over the years and has it changed your role? FIFA 13 sells 4.5 million in 1st week (3.2m for FIFA 12) & Resident Evil 6 4.5 million in its initial shipment FIFA 13: EA sells old games as new?

Enjoy...

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With the release of the FIFA 13 demo on the Xbox 360 Marketplace, I decided to create a gameplay video where I enjoy the latest offering from EA Sports.

FIFA 13 will be released 28th September, 2012.

FIFA 13 captures all the drama and unpredictability of real-world soccer, and is driven by five game-changing innovations which revolutionize artificial intelligence, dribbling, ball control and physical play. It is the largest and deepest feature set in the history of the franchise. These innovations create a true battle for possession across the entire pitch, deliver freedom and creativity in attack, and capture all the drama and unpredictability of the real-world game. FIFA 13 Official Website

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Today we recorded Monster Cast #15, produced for the Console Monster website – covering news from all of the major players including Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo.

Joining me in the latest video podcast is Marty Greenwell.

Monster Cast is an un-scripted and casual podcast, where a few Console Monster staff members get together and discuss the latest news in gaming over the past few weeks.

Marty lost connection and doesn't look happy about it! Via @dvx_uk

Using Google+ HangOut! we stream Live as we discuss the past month in gaming.

Topics include:

Marty's Retro Show & Tell What we have been playing... Broken Sword: The Serpent’s Curse Kickstarter (Broken Sword 5) First DLC for Trials Evolution announced Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Dinobot DLC PlayStation Vita hacked? Microsoft’s new logo Microsoft reveals first set of Windows 8 Xbox Live titles Discussion regarding the potential of Xbox Live on Windows 8 Nokia 920 has been announced featuring Windows Phone 8 Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 dated Raspberry Pi - Made in the UK! Games to look out for...

Enjoy!

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In my latest podcast I interview Duncan Best (Marketing Director) and Simon Sauntson (Marketing Manager) from RailSimulator.com regarding their latest rail simulator product 'Train Simulator 2013'.

Here Duncan and Simon reveal the latest features and updates available in Train Simulator 2013 - including updated menu layouts, new routes & locomotives, improved graphical fidelity & performance, Xbox 360 controller support, the 'Quick Drive' options, community creations and much more...

Train Simulator 2013 will launch worldwide on Steam on September 20. TS2013 will include fabulous new routes complete with locomotives from around the world. As well as new content, new control options and navigation in-game provide more flexibility and control for players. Engine Driver Blog

I hope you enjoy the podcast.

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In my latest podcast, I interview Stephen Fern who is behind the Lost Kidz app that has just been released for the Apple iPhone.

I am sure it is a nightmare for any parent who is distracted for just one single moment, only to realise that their child is no longer by their side. Stephen explains how his app has great potential by utilising a vast community of local app users to aid in the search of locating a missing child.

From the official website:

As parents, we all know the heart stopping moment when we realise that our child has gone missing.

The Lost Kidz App has been developed to enable parents to send out an alert to other parents in the area if their child goes missing. The alert includes a current photo and any relevant information about the child, allowing an anxious parent to recruit the help of everyone in the vicinity to reunite the parent with their child. Lost Kidz Website

iTunes Store Link: Lost Kidz

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Today we recorded Monster Cast #14, produced for the Console Monster website – covering news from all of the major players including Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo.

Joining me in the latest video podcast is Marty Greenwell, Reece Warrender and this edition's special guest, Ken Barnes - Editor of KINECTaku.

Topics discussed...

Xbox 360 and Halo 4 Console bundles announced Ouya Console Kickstarter project Angry Birds coming to consoles Microsoft Kinect - Success or failure? (Special guest Ken Barnes, Editor from KINECTaku to discuss) Harry Potter Kinect Screenshots Valve Boss Gabe Newell calls Windows 8 a ‘Catastrophe’ (Linux option) Marty and Rasberry Pi Grand Theft Auto 5 Train Simulator 2013 Announced LEGO Lord of the Rings Screenshots (LEGO games in general discussion) Halo 4 Limited Edition Minimal NES - bit of fun!

Enjoy!

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Today I have recorded myself enjoying the latest Transformers title 'Transformers: Fall of Cybertron' on the Xbox 360. This demo features both single player (Autobot & Decepticon sections) as well as multiplayer online.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron releases on Xbox 360, PlayStation3 and PC this month.

Below you can watch my HD video review of the original Transformers title 'Transformers War for Cybertron, which was a brilliant start to the series':

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Today I have released version 1.0 of The 7th Guest soundtrack as part of my ScummVM Music Enhancement Project. A big thank you for the countless emails and tweets I have had about this particular release and of course to the ScummVM team for implementing the external audio files I have created – allowing my enhancements to be released for your enjoyment. Instructions To install, extract the music from the zip file and copy it to your 'The 7th Guest' folder on your hard drive. Make sure you have version 1.5.0 of the ScummVM software or later. For best quality (although not mandatory), start the ScummVM program and select The 7th Guest. Now select [Edit Game], switch to Audio tab, tick the ‘Overide Global Audio Settings’ and set Sample Rate to 44kHz. You will also need to extract the first track off The 7th Guest's game CD, which is the introduction music. You can choose any format that ScummVM is compatible with such as ogg, mp3 and so on. Name this track intro. ( should be the file extension of your chosen audio compression codec, for example intro.mp3). If you previously extracted the Audio CD music before adding my music enhancement tracks, make sure you don't have any stray files by removing track1. and track2. - otherwise this might stop the updated soundtrack playing correctly. Download the soundtrack below:

The 7th Guest Full Game Soundtrack

The Fat Man Original Music Don't forget you can purchase the original soundtrack, composed by 'The Fat Man'.

Shop now

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On Sunday 8th July 2012, I visited the Games Britannia - Replayed event hosted at the Magna Science Adventure Centre. Here I explored the retro and modern consoles on display as well as interviewing Steve Lycett, Executive Proucer at Sumo Digital to find out all about their upcoming title for SEGA - Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing: Transformed.

The video is around 37 minutes in duration and features a walk-around of the event highlighting many of the classic consoles, computers and arcade cabinets on display as well as an interview with Sumo Digital with a look at their back catalogue of titles and an exclusive preview & gameplay demonstration of Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing: Transformed.

On Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th July one of the year's hotly anticipated gaming festivals comes to Magna. Welcoming a diverse audience, Games Britannia: REPLAYED plays host to a wide range of gaming for families, casual and hard-core gamers - a host of immersive and exciting zones for everyone. Magna Science and Adventure Centre Website

A big thank you to everyone who took part in this video and to Sarah Bruce who attended the event with me and captured all of the video. Presented and Edited by James Woodcock.

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Today we recorded Monster Cast #13, produced for the Console Monster website - covering news from all of the major players including Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo.

Joining me in the latest video podcast is Marty Greenwell and Reece Warrender.

We covered the following topics:

Marty and his classic controller and Kinect activities NiGHTS into Dreams HD (PSN, Xbox Live Arcade, PC) Games Britannia - SEGA All Stars Racing: Transformed EA ditching the disk? Sony acquire Gaikai Microsoft sues for various Xbox related domains PS3 Super-Slim on its way? FIFA 13 dated Halo 4 requires 8GB of free space Halo 2 coming to the Xbox 360?

Enjoy!

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Today I hosted the very first Console Monster Podcast that was transmitted live thanks to the technology behind Google+ HangOuts, so not only can you hear us, but you can see us as well. In this edition, we discuss the wonders and travesties that were part of E3 2012 - covering the Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony and Ubisoft presentation.

I hope you enjoy our first live attempt, as we endeavour to do many more in the future...

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Today, I have recorded nearly 20 minutes of footage while enjoying Sam and Max Hit the Road on ScummVM.

This classic point and click adventure brings back a lot of wonderful memories from when I first experienced it nearly twenty years ago.

Sam & Max Hit the Road is a graphic adventure video game released by LucasArts during the company's adventure games era. The game was originally released for MS-DOS in 1993 and for Mac OS in 1995. A 2002 re-release included compatibility with Windows and Amiga. The game is based on the comic characters of Sam and Max, the "Freelance Police", an anthropomorphic dog and "hyperkinetic rabbity thing". The characters, created by Steve Purcell, originally debuted in a 1987 comic book series. Based on the 1989 Sam & Max comic On the Road, the duo take the case of a missing bigfoot from a nearby carnival, traveling to many Americana tourist sites to solve the mystery.

LucasArts began development of the game in 1992 with the intention to use new settings and characters after the success of the past Maniac Mansion and Monkey Island adventure titles. Series creator Steve Purcell, then a LucasArts employee, was one of the lead designers on the project. Sam & Max Hit the Road is the ninth game to use the SCUMM adventure game engine, and also integrated the iMUSE audio system developed by Michael Land and Peter McConnell. The game was one of the first to incorporate full voice talent for its characters; the two titular characters were voiced by professional voice actors Bill Farmer and Nick Jameson.

The game received critical acclaim on release, and was praised for its humor, voice acting, graphics, music and gameplay. It is now regarded as a classic point-and-click adventure game and is often listed in publishers' lists of top games of all time. Several attempts to produce sequels were cancelled, ultimately resulting in the franchise moving from LucasArts to Telltale Games. Wikipedia

Enjoy...

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In my latest podcast, I interview developers Eugene Sandulenko, Arnaud Boutonné and Johannes Schickel from the open source software ScummVM. ScummVM allows you to enjoy point and click adventure games on a variety of platforms including computers, consoles and portable devices.

We discuss a variety of subjects regarding the software, including how it began, how it has evolved and what we can look forward to in the future.

ScummVM is a program which allows you to run certain classic graphical point-and-click adventure games, provided you already have their data files. The clever part about this: ScummVM just replaces the executables shipped with the games, allowing you to play them on systems for which they were never designed!

ScummVM supports many adventure games, including LucasArts SCUMM games (such as Monkey Island 1-3, Day of the Tentacle, Sam & Max, ...), many of Sierra's AGI and SCI games (such as King's Quest 1-6, Space Quest 1-5, ...), Discworld 1 and 2, Simon the Sorcerer 1 and 2, Beneath A Steel Sky, Lure of the Temptress, Broken Sword 1 and 2, Flight of the Amazon Queen, Gobliiins 1-3, The Legend of Kyrandia 1-3, many of Humongous Entertainment's children's SCUMM games (including Freddi Fish and Putt Putt games) and many more.

Enjoy...

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Today I have created a short video presenting the floppy disk version of Beneath A Steel Sky, which includes the introduction featuring music from my ScummVM Music Enhancement Project.

I hope you enjoy the video:

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Today I have captured gameplay footage from Train Simulator 2012 with the High Speed Train (HST) featured.

The InterCity 125 was the brand name of British Rail's High Speed Train (HST) fleet. The InterCity 125 train is made up of two power cars, one at each end of a fixed formation of Mark 3 carriages, and is capable of 125 mph (201 km/h), making the train the fastest diesel-powered locomotive in regular service in the world. Initially the sets were classified as Classes 253 and 254. - Wikipedia

Below is the video for you all to enjoy and marvel in the impressive graphical splendour in particular the rain effect and wipers on the windscreen:

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Although I have already published a video of the A4 Pacific Class Add-On for RailWorks, today I have decided to release another using the recently released RailWorks 3 - Train Simulator 2012 software and the update provided for the A4 add-on.

Below is a video of the footage I captured and you will certainly notice the difference in graphical quality as the shadows and lighting in particular stand out wonderfully.

Please note that the sound in the video cuts out a little at times, but this is down to the capturing settings not the rail simulator!

For reference, here is the original video from RailWorks for comparison:

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Yesterday evening at the Richard Herrod Leisure Centre in Nottingham, Nicola Ross and Roger Hagarty hosted the Annual Student Christmas Concert - giving Nicola's students a chance to perform in front of an audience, while also raising money for Avalon Guinea Pig Rescue.

In this video, I interview Roger Hagarty (music dealer), Shaz Kelly (Avalon Guinea Pig Rescue) and Nicola Ross (music teacher). You also get to view a few very cute guinea pigs!

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In 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog released on SEGA's 16-bit console with much fanfare and for very good reason. It was fast, slick and so ridiculously enjoyable featuring memorable music, beautiful level design while also presenting the world with the stark reality the then hardware was fully capable of. There is no doubt Sonic the Hedgehog enjoyed quite a few years of success in this era, but over the last two decades the frequency of average to absolutely terrible releases have damaged the reputation of the franchise immensely.

Very recently, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 was SEGA's chance to readdress the negative balance they themselves created and although attempting to play on our nostalgic sentiments - it failed to impress with its lacklustre graphics, uninteresting music and average level design.

Now celebrating Sonic's 20th anniversary, Sonic Generations aims to put all the past grief behind us by releasing not just a homage to our blue hedgehog, but also a true modern take of how Sonic the Hedgehog could and indeed should exist in the 21st century.

Well grab yourself a chair and prepare to be shocked, as Sonic Generations is nothing short of a miracle - hallelujah! It is by no means a perfect title, however the magic has most certainly returned with gusto in this latest offering that is a must purchase for even the mildest of Sonic fanatics.

Sonic Generations brings back classic levels from Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2 and Sonic & Knuckles - while also delving into sections of Sonic Adventure 1 & 2, Sonic Heroes, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Colors and even the game from the series we all try and forget, the 2006 version of Sonic the Hedgehog. Zones such as Green Hill and Chemical Plant will take you back to decades gone by, while others will take you on a trip through some of the most memorable selections that appeared within the long running series.

Sonic Generations is really a tale of two Sonic characters. The more traditional Sonic with a permanent 2D side view perspective and the later thrill ride of 3D rotations, insane speeds and crazy loops. Each of the 9 featured level designs include two Acts, Act 1 providing the classic look and feel while Act 2 all of the more modern associations we have come to expect including enemy homing attacks and boost features. Either way, both view points of Sonic Generations are simply astounding in both depth and complexity. The textures may look a little weak when you take that rare opportunity to admire the wonderment around you, however the level of complexity in both the environments and characters will stun you in to a state of absolute awe. Seeing the classic Green Hill Zone with such a shocking makeover could make you cry with happiness and even with the 2D perspective, the 3D elements pop out beautifully mixing the best of the old and the new. Even levels that were originally 3D and now appear as if they were created a decade earlier, adds to the fascination of this title. Sonic Generations also supports 3D televisions for those early technology adopters who don't mind donning a pair of glasses for the ultimate experience of depth within the game.

Running along at frantic speeds, you will still notice all kinds of delicious details in the foreground and background - admiring every little aspect of the game. The backgrounds in particular with the terrain and moving objects that seemingly stretch out for miles are what Sonic fans have been dreaming of, without any realistic notion of it actually happening for years - until now of course!

The story brings the two Sonic's together to help rescue all his friends that have appeared throughout the series, who have been sucked away into different times within Sonic's history. This white and barren land is Sonic's way of restoring life back to the worlds, while also giving us the delighted gamer the chance to rekindle some fond memories.

After completing three zones,

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Even since the first Sonic the Hedgehog was released twenty years ago, countless sequels and titles featuring Sonic and his friends have made an appearance on various platforms. More often than not, SEGA have failed quite miserably to reignite the same sensations we all felt playing the original Sonic the Hedgehog games, however this has all changed with Sonic Generations.

Sonic Generations celebrates Sonic's 20th anniversary in style, so what better way to share this Sonic rebirth than to record a gameplay video for you all from the Xbox 360 version to share some of the fantastic splendours this title now boasts.

The HD video features levels Green Hill Zone Act 1 and 2, Chemical Plant Act 1 and 2 - plus one of the boss battles with Dr Eggman (Dr Robotnik):

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Many of the latest high definition televisions are starting to include built-in media players, giving consumers the chance to view various content including music, photos and of course video on a large display. You may be one of those people who don't wish to upgrade your existing television to earn these new capabilities, but still wish to enjoy the same functionality and a little more besides without the investment a new HDTV would require.

Quite a few companies are now releasing external devices that allow you to transform your television into a media hub, rich with new online content. The creators of Boxee Box have set out to be the hub of all your entertainment needs, giving you the option to share your wonderful memories, pulsating beats and home movies with friends and family on a substantial and impressively sized display.

So let's take a closer look...

Hardware

Boxee Box is quite literally a small plastic box, although it seems this didn't go far enough for its creators. Imagine someone with a chainsaw picking up the Boxee Box and slicing through part of the bottom section and you have some idea how this looks. It's slanted to one side and from the rear, actually looks like it has sunken into the surface it's sitting upon. This surprisingly turns out to be a wonderful design, giving the unit an immediate "what's this all about" admiration from anyone who notices it by the television.

The front of the box includes a glowing Boxee logo when switched on, the left hand side features an SD/MMC slot for viewing additional media content and to the rear is where all the main connections exist. A wired LAN Ethernet port, HDMI out, optical audio, audio out left and right channels, two USB 2.0 ports and a connection for the power supply.

For those who don't have a wired Ethernet (LAN) cable close by to where the Boxee Box will be placed, also included is built-in wireless capabilities - allowing you to connect to your wireless router to gather all manner of content be it movies, TV shows, images, audio or other video sources.

The remote control also features small proportions, yet includes plenty of functionality. The front includes a play/pause toggle, back, directional controls to navigate around the Boxee interface and a select button. Flipping the remote control over reveals a full miniature QWERTY keyboard, perfect for entering in text especially when searching for content or entering details.

Although the Boxee Box includes a cooling system that entails the use of a fan, you very rarely hear the unit even when content is played back at very low levels. It is audible, but certainly nothing that will interfere with your viewing enjoyment.

Connecting exclusively via HDMI, the Boxee Box supports right up to 1080p resolution as well as other popular selections.

Software

Boxee Box is bolstered by settings that fully customise the viewing experience. By creating a free account and adding any Facebook or Twitter identities you posses, the home screen lights up with all kinds of media that should be of interest to you. It calculates this by looking at your Facebook friends and individuals you follow on Twitter to generate a list of video content they have shared. Ordinarily, you would use your computer or smartphone to enjoy their shared videos, however through the use of Boxee Box - you have the advantage of utilising your larger television screen to view often hilarious content that has be shared by people you know or follow in a far more satisfactory way.

Boxee Box also has a huge list of what they term 'Apps' to give you access to various providers of content. One of their more notable recent editions is that of Spotify, a premium music streaming service that allows you to listen to a vast library of music for a monthly subscription.

Other apps include BBC iPlayer, giving you the opportunity to watch any missed BBC programmes whenever you wish and even in high defini...

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I interview Wil Stephens who is the Vice President of International Business Development for Boxee. Here he tells us all about their Boxee Box, which is a device you hook up to your HDMI compatible television to expand the content - with access to on-line films, television shows and music, all on demand.

You can also view your own captured or created content including music, photographs and home movies all on your television.

Below is a transcription with some of the highlights from the podcast, however in the audio version you can enjoy the full interview covering additional topics.

James: So before we begin to chat about Boxee, please tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am Wil Stephens, I am heading up Boxee's international operations from London. I joined Boxee at the beginning of this year, before we officially launched in the UK in June. I'm heading up Boxee's European operations to begin with, starting from London.

James: So who are Boxee and where did the name come from?

Boxee is a company which is headquarted in New York. The name came from our founder and CEO, whose had a Boxer dog - so the Boxer became Boxee.

Boxee is now a four year old start-up. R&D offices based in Tel Aviv, Israel. We are a pretty global company by now, we have around 30-40 employees and growing very rapidly.

James: Your main product is the Boxee Box, which claims to be the 'One box your TV needs'. So what can you tell us about this product and how does it enhance our televisions?

A lot of people's favourite stuff is already available on the Internet. Boxee is the best possible way to get all those movies, TV shows and clips from the web and on to the best screen in your house - which is the television. We catalogue over ten thousand shows, five thousand movies and we also have over 200 apps available on the Boxee Box - so you can browse for new video clips, movies and TV shows - in any format, any language or any territory you wish - all through your TV.

James: Boxee Box has a wide range of content providers, many we will recognise including BBC iPlayer - which allows us to watch many of their programmes that we may have missed. What can you tell us about BBC iPlayer on Boxee Box and many of the other services available?

We are thrilled to have the BBC iPlayer on the Boxee Box. It is probably the most recognised and appreciated service here in the UK. We are actually in partnership with the BBC developing the new version of iPlayer for the Boxee Box, which will be available very shortly. The benefits of the new version will be far better integration with our content library, which makes the TV shows available on the iPlayer searchable and more discoverable through Boxee's well known and familiar interface.

We are building out other services, working with all the major broadcasters as you'd expect in the UK. We have already made announcements on film service 'blinkbox', which will be on the Boxee Box shortly. We are also building out with major European partners - from France, Germany, Sweden, Spain and everywhere else to make Boxee relevant and available to as most people as possible.

James: We have TV shows, movies and we have streaming music as well I believe?

Yes we do have streaming music. We actually have a number of music streaming services available on the Boxee Box already. We will be making further announcements and new services in the coming weeks.

James: So the Boxee Box unit itself, what sort of connections does it have to connect to a television?

Basically, we want Boxee to be a HDMI 1 on every television. We want it to be the first HDMI device you plug into your television and the only HDMI device your television needs. We also have audio outs to go into your audio Hi-Fi system to give you the best quality sound. We also feature USB inputs at the back, so you can also attach external storage.

James: It's got built-in wireless and its also got a L...

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You may recall that almost a year ago, I travelled down to Chatham's Historic Dockyard to speak to the people behind a rail simulator known as RailWorks 2.

Well I couldnt resist an invitation to view their most recent developments - so after packing my audio and video equipment I popped along to view their latest release of RailWorks 3 - also known as Train Simulator 2012.

In the following video, we will find out all about the wonderful work created by these talented individuals as we delve into the delights of Train Simulator 2012.

I hope you enjoy this nearly 30 minute presentation:

This episode is brought to you by CallBurner - Record your Skype audio calls and make them sizzle with CallBurner from Netralia. For a 30 day free trial, visit callburner.com/james

Also by VodBurner - Record your Skype video calls and edit them with ease using VodBurner from Netralia. For a 14 day free trial, visit vodburner.com/james

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Due for release in November 2011, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception continues the epic adventures of Nathan Drake and his courageous friends.

If there is any one reason to own a Sony PlayStation3, the Uncharted series is without doubt my recommendation. A cross between Tomb Raider and Gears of War, Uncharted 3 manages to incorporate elements from other titles that have made them memorable yet still create its own identity with huge success.

Below is a HD video I captured of myself (GlideManiac) playing the Uncharted 3 beta. It contains a couple of the multiplayer Team Deathmatch levels, including one where you are fighting within and around a plane that is about to take off.

I hope you enjoy the footage:

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Dale Mugford from Brave New Code joins me in this video interview to discuss their latest WordPress plugin - WordTwit Pro. WordTwit Pro is a WordPress plugin which adds powerful, easy-to-use Twitter features to WordPress. Publish tweets about your new posts to Twitter account(s) automatically.

Brave New code are also behind the WordPress plugin WP Touch Pro, which adds powerful easy-to-use features to WordPress for mobile + tablet theme support. It's also a powerful theming framework, perfect for creating awesome mobile & tablet optimised versions of websites. I interviewed Dale regarding WPTouch Pro in an earlier podcast.

Dale also announced new features that are coming soon, including Facebook integration with WordTwit Pro and much more.

I hope you enjoy our interview...

You can find out more about WordTwit Pro by visiting their website at Brave New Code and by also watching Dale's overview video.

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Traditionally, anything we think of as 'compact' also attaches the terms 'underpowered' and 'underwhelming'. This is unfortunate as more often than not we all desire to remove desk clutter by installing a small set of speakers.

The Edifier Aurora 2.1 speakers aim to defeat our typical notions and finally find a place on our desk, offering a small footprint without losing its ability to impress.

So let's take a closer look...

Hardware

I have already reviewed the Edifier Sound to Go MP250 Multimedia Speaker, a soundbar that you could place in a convenient location and enjoy a richer sound than you would usually receive from built in notebook or netbook speakers. As impressive as this was, there will still be those who crave a little more power and yearn for a more detailed bass output.

Satellite Speaker with Volume & On/Off functions

The Edifier Aurora is well placed to achieve this as it features its own brush-finished 15W subwoofer unit for increased bass response, along with its magnetically-shielded spherical satellites providing the two channel sound.

The volume controls are actually located unusually on top of the right satellite speaker. The small buttons protrude through the top of the speaker unit, allowing you to raise and lower the volume as required. To put the speakers into stand by mode, it's just a matter of holding down both of these volume buttons simultaneously. To bring the speakers back to life, simply tapping either volume up or down will resuscitate the product into action.

Having the buttons on the speaker do allow you to place the subwoofer more discreetly, although even the bass unit sits proudly among your other items as everything about this set looks quite stylish.

Back of the Edifier Aurora MP300 Plus Multimedia Speakers

Around the back of the subwoofer are various connections including one for power, satellite speaker output and the all important line-in port. The line-in port is the input you use to connect phones, MP3 players, computers and anything else that features a standard headphone or line-out port. Unfortunately there are no other ways to connect to other devices, for example there is no USB or bluetooth features, however its certainly not the end of the world as these would no doubt increase the price.

The whole kit is fairly lightweight, so if you did fancy taking it with you either to a friends house or for a small presentation - you most definitely have that option. Placing the speakers in a backpack is possible without it unduly affecting your back.

The system comes complete with two audio leads, one short and one fairly long. For smaller items you wish to connect to the speakers, you may wish to use the shorter cables, however the longer supplied cable is also included if you have some distance to reach to for example a desktop computer.

Available colours

The Edifier Aurora 2.1 Multimedia Speakers come in various colours including asphalt grey, electric blue, liquid silver, luminous yellow, midnight blue, original red, passion pink, spicy red, stormy black and tangy orange.

Specifications

Total Power Output: R/L RMS 3.5W x 2 (THD+N=10%) / SW RMS 15W (THD+N=10%) Frequency response: R/L 230Hz-20KHz / SW 45Hz-200Hz Signal to noise ratio: 85dBA Input port: 3.5mm stereo line-in Bass unit: 2-inch woofer, magnetically shielded, 4 ohms Tweeter: 1.5-inch, magnetically shielded, 4 ohms Dimensions (W x D x H): 7.1 x 32.1 x 21.5 cm Weight: 1410 grams

Sound Quality

Edifier Aurora MP300 Plus with Apple iPhone 3GS connected

As this product features separate satellite speakers, you can place these a little distance apart to increase the clarity of the stereo sound. Music certainly benefits as a result as you notice various drum and synth sounds emanating from an individual speaker and other sections panning discreetly from one speaker to the next.

The subwoofer unit really does add that extra bass recog...

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I have created a high definition video version of the latest Monster Cast podcast which I hosted.

While we discuss many of the E3 highlights - the video displays trailers and gameplay footage from the event including:

Nintendo Wii U Announcement Nintendo 3DS coverage Sony PlayStation 3 content and apology Sony PSVita (formerly Sony NGP) Microsoft Xbox 360 presentation Microsoft Kinect overload! Various highlights of the event

I hope you enjoy the video...

Console Monster is an Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation3 specific website with news, reviews, previews, forum, achievements and trophies database. They even have a very sleak iPhone app, which is downloadable on the Apple iTunes Store.

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I host the latest Monster Cast for gaming website Console Monster, with guests Marty Greenwell and Ricky Lee Staines to discuss the three presentations by Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo.

Topics include:

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The keyboard and mouse have been a computer feature for decades and even with the touch-screen phenomenon making leaps and bounds into the market - for many applications the world without these two mainstays is almost unthinkable.

The mouse in particular is our extension into the computer universe, controlling windows, clicking icons and manipulating objects. Available in various shapes and sizes, wired or wireless and with or without additional buttons.

The Rude Gameware Fierce 5000 DPI Mouse is designed specifically with gaming in mind, with its lightning fast reactions to your hand movement and assortment of programmable buttons. If you are a non-gamer though fear not as gaming mice offer various features that work extremely well for the day to day routine of traditional computer usage.

So let's take a closer look:

Hardware

Within the box you will find various items including:

A laser mouse Quick start guide Software CD Extra set of mouse feet for replacement Weights (35g) with box

The mouse itself consists of several buttons including left and right click, scroll wheel which itself can be used as a third button, a DPI toggle switch (which I will cover in a moment), side back and forward buttons and finally two programmable buttons.

As this is a wired mouse, your main concern would be of course the wire protruding from the rear of the mouse. Thankfully they have included a non-tangle braided cable that is extremely flexible and doesn't interfere with any quick actions. I have owned a wireless mouse for quite some time now and even with this previous experience, using the Rude Gameware 'wired' mouse left me thoroughly impressed.

Below the mouse are a set of feet to ease the sliding motion we all utilise with such a device. The kit even comes with additional feet if you ever find yourself in the position of needing to replace them in the future.

Also underneath the mouse is a cartridge, which when removed reveals empty gaps where weights can be placed. The weight of a mouse can determine how comfortable the device is to use and unfortunately personal preference dictates that we all have different requirements. The mouse is fully prepared for this eventuality by allowing you to adjust the overall mouse weight by placing between 10g and 35g of additional load to the device. It really does make an impact on usability and with a little experimentation, you will no doubt find the optimum weight that suits you personally.

I have already referred to a DPI switch on top of the mouse and this sits below the scroll wheel. When you plug in the mouse to a free USB port, you will notice a light appear around this switch. Moving the mouse around the screen feels absolutely fine, however if you click the DPI switch - the colour changes indicating a different level has been selected and the mouse cursor will move much quicker with the same amount of movement. There are four settings in all, with the slowest perfect for traditional usage and moving up the speed scale benefits the gamers who need to rapidly move a character to survive a brutal onslaught.

The overall build quality of the mouse is equally impressive, feeling very comfortable to hold and to use whether you are surfing the Internet or playing the latest third person shooter title. The buttons are really responsive and trigger pleasingly in any on-screen environment. Movement detection feels lightning fast and even with the most demanding of games, everything feels absolutely spot on.

Requirements

Windows XP, Vista or 7

Specifications

5000 DPI Laser Engine 1000 Hz polling with 1 ms response time Onboard memory to save your modifications 7 independently programmable buttons and macro support Adjustable Weights Zero-Acoustic Ultra-smooth Teflon feet Always-On mode On-the-Fly Sensitivity DPI adjustment (no driver needed) LED DPI Indicator

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Today I am going to show you the iPad 2 using the optional Digital AV Adapter. Priced at £35, this accessory provides a ‘mirrored’ output to your high definition television or HDMI compatible projector. This essentially means that anything you would ordinarily see on your iPad 2 screen, will be mimicked ‘exactly’ on another display. Even better is that this works with almost every app currently available, without the need to wait for an update.

This is perfect for presentations, viewing your photos, watching videos or in this case taking tablet computer games to a whole new level.

A title that takes full advantage of this new HDMI output facility is Real Racing 2 HD, that uses Full HD, also known as 1080p, to increase the resolution and indeed scope of the game.

So let’s take a look...

This article / video was created for Tech Depot Blog UK.

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This is the second Tech Depot Blog UK Podcast, hosted by James Woodcock. On this occasion, Andrew Breen joins me to tell us all about one of their primary products, BoostSpeed which is currently in its 5th version. BoostSpeed claims to be your one-stop computer maintenance and optimisation tool, providing you with everything you may need to keep your PC running fast. The program will clean up, speed up and repair your system, tweak Windows settings to your liking and protect your privacy.

Below is a transcription with some of the highlights from the podcast, however in the audio version you can enjoy the full interview covering additional topics located at the bottom of the article.

James: Please tell us a little about yourself?

Andrew: I am from Canada. I have always worked in online marketing, worked accross Canada and then moved into Australia which is how I hooked up with the team at Auslogics. As people can tell from the name 'Aus' stands for Australia, which is where most of the team is.

Most of my work is focused online because that is where a lot of our customers are. Right now I am working on promoting our latest product which is BoostSpeed 5.

James: So how did Auslogics begin?

Andrew: They started in 2008, in Sydney Australia. Like a lot of advanced PC users, they saw that Windows wasn't doing a great job when it came to helping users maintain their systems - especially system management tools. They are either too complicated or too hard to find or they just weren't there.

Take Windows Disk Defragmentator for example. To start it is super slow, I have been using Vista and it's taken up to a full day just to 'defrag' one hard drive - plus they thought that the built-in defragmentor wasn't doing a great job. Another example is the registry repair, it is long proven that Windows is built in a way that the registry does need cleaning from time to time and yet there is no built-in way to do that with Microsoft, so Auslogics thought that they could create a software package that was faster than Microsoft's tools, had more features and was more user friendly.

James: What is BoostSpeed?

Andrew: You can make the analogy that computers are like cars, without the proper care they start slowing down, experiencing problems and breaking down. BoostSpeed 5 is like taking your car to the garage - we can help you tune up your computer and diagnose and fix problems before they become really big issues. Let's face it, most Windows computers are built in a way that they do need maintenance and we provide the necessary tools and functionality to do that.

James: What kind of problems could we expect without software such as Auslogics BoostSpeed?

Andrew: Slowness is really one of the main issues we try and address and that really comes from the registry. Basically, the registry is the core database of any Windows operating system and it stores and manages all the settings for pretty much everything on the computer - all of the hardware, all of the operating system software, all of the applications and user settings. New registry entries are made every day when you are using a computer, especially when you are trying out new software. I am sure you find, after you un-install software - your computer is never quite as quick as it was before and that is a problem with the registry. Ideally, configuration settings should be deleted from the registry automatically when you remove an application or device but often that doesn't happen. To put it simply, registry errors slows down your computer and that is why registry clean-up is so important.

The register cleaner deletes redundant entries from your registry, but there are bits of free space all over the registry and that's where Registry Defragmentors come in. Registry defragmentation slows down your computer sometimes more than the errors and that is why we put both Registry cleaner and a defragmentor within BoostSpeed 5.

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James: So before we begin, please tell us a little about yourself?

Oded: I have been working for Microsoft UK for the past four years and recently moved to work on the launch of Windows Phone, the new set of phones in the UK since October 2010 and currently working together with our partners in the UK, all the network operators on launching the new set of phones in this country.

James: Microsoft have released updates to their mobile platform ‘Windows Mobile’ for many years, but more recently Windows Phone 7 has entered the market with a bold new design, so why is this sudden revamp so important to Microsoft and indeed the consumer?

Oded: We took a step back more than a year and a half ago to look at what people want to get out of using smart-phones and new phones and part of that process of rethinking phones in general - we came with the ideas behind Windows Phone 7 that really look extremely different from any other phone in the market currently.

The design or the way we call it ‘user interface’, the menus and the software that the phones are running is very much different from other phones. The menus are very sleek, with the introduction of things like ‘live tiles’, motion and animation in a way that is really un-similar to anything else on phones today.

Another thing that we really wanted to focus on was to bring a really consistent, familiar and simple experience to phones. For many of your listeners who might not know what a Windows Phone exactly means – you can just imagine that you can just go to any network operator in the UK and ask them to buy various phones from various brands including Samsung, HTC or LG and ask for a Windows Phone so that the look and feel of the phone and the software it is running is very similar and you get to choose the phone hardware that you wish to choose.

James: When we first turn on a Windows Phone device, what can we expect?

Oded: The first thing that strikes most people when they turn on a phone is just how easy it is to start setting it up after just choosing the right time and date. The user can for instance really simply with just their Facebook details, within a few seconds their address book will be updated with the pictures and names of their own friends and any other information they share with them through Facebook – it is almost like the phone comes alive.

It’s also very easy to add your Hotmail, MSN or Windows Live email address (we call it Windows Live ID) - in order to download applications. There’s little bits of software that make phones even more useful and interactive then they used to be to download apps, music etc. The key focus for us again was around the simplicity - people know how to use Office or Internet Explorer on their PCs, we wanted to bring that simplicity also to Windows Phone 7.

James: What is a ‘Live Tile’?

Oded: Live Tile is a new way of using information on your phone. If you look at different phones today, you have two types. Many phones follow the icon type of menu structure software and icons are very nice and colourful, but they also are not as personal and they are pretty static and don’t change with information, so the weather icon on your phone may always tell you it is always 23 degrees outside and sunny – it will not update with the real information out there. Android and Google went ahead with widgets, but some people when they use a widget may find them a bit more complex, not as easy to use and not as consistent. Live Tiles really take the best out of both worlds, they are very simple and intuitive so the text messages icon is a large icon but it will update automatically with the number of unread messages and will even change from a smiley face to a sad face if you have too many unread text messages. Your weather icon for example would update with the weather and temperature near where you are or if I take another example from an application such as a train travel app,

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As a technology reviewer, the excitement and thrill of a new product arriving at your home can be an exhilarating experience and this is amplified immensely when you come across something that is truly unique to the market. The Lexmark Genesis is one of these eureka moments I live for in this role and I am more than happy to present it to you today.

The Lexmark Genesis is an All-in-One printer, scanner, copier and fax machine unsurprisingly 'all in one' complete device. Nothing revolutionary here, however when admiring the Lexmark, the sleek curves, unusual upright posture and the puzzle over where everything goes leaves you intensely curious. It is only when taking a look inside the front lid that you realise you are peering at the inner workings of something new.

So let's take a closer look...

Design

Traditionally, All-in-One devices have a squarish look to them, a box of tricks that fulfils your office hard copy tasks. The Genesis couldn't be more different and instead stands proudly far taller than you might expect. This is due to the new scanning method and requires a fair bit more room to accommodate the process. The additional bloat is cleverly designed into a device that oozes appeal and I would find it quite bemusing if someone didn't notice this technology curiosity.

With this upright stature and black frontal design, the LCD screen becomes far more of a feature and becomes a little more natural to operate as a result. The surface overall is quite prone to the odd finger-print, but like most things we endure for the impressive look.

The results of your document labours appear at the bottom, with a tray that can be extended when in use. On the right-hand side you will find a multi-card reader as well as a USB port. The USB port can be connected to compatible cameras to print directly or from memory sticks to save and load images. Around the back the power port and USB connection to a computer can be found as well as the paper storage, which can hold 100 sheets at once and features an adjustable lever to easily align your paper depending on its size.

The main spectical though is when you lower the front lid...

Flash Scanning

Ordinarily when using any scanner, the process of previewing and then waiting for your final scan can be a time tormenting process, especially when this is repeated time and time again with multiple documents. You are usually required to wait while the clever parts inside slowly pass from one end of the page to the other. At the highest settings, this process would take far longer. So how can Lexmark speed up the scanning process?

Rather than waiting for a mechanism referred to as a 'scan-bar' to pass from one end of the document to another, a 10MP (Megapixel) camera is used that captures the entire page within just a few seconds. You may notice a red, green and blue flash as the camera achieves the magical results.

Installation

Before connecting the Lexmark device to a computer, you are required to insert an installation disk. This is not just a CD with all of the drivers, this is in actual fact a thorough instructional guide that will show you the necessary steps to unpacking, inserting the ink cartridges and finally achieving a communication with your computer. The on-screen images and videos provide a very user-friendly experience and this can be repeated on other computers you may have (skipping the unpacking sections) to easily achieve straightforward installation.

WiFi Connectivity

Although the chances are that your computer will be close by to the Lexmark, if you have additional devices – connecting them all to a single device can be tricky unless you make use of the Wi-Fi option.

Wi-Fi allows you to link the Lexmark to your wireless network (router) supporting right up to the ‘n’ standard and the older variants ‘b’ and ‘g’. Installing the provided software on other desktops,

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In my 30th podcast I feature Dale Mugford, who is the co-founder of Brave New Code.

They have created a plugin for WordPress called WPtouch that gives your website or blog a mobile theme that decreases loading times and optimises for a touch-screen device.

Topics include:

Who is Dale Mugford and how did Brave New Code begin? Why did you specifically choose to support WordPress? Why would someone who has a website or blog powered by WordPress need WPtouch? WPtouch install process Free versus purchasable versions available WPtouch celebrity endorsement from Stephen Fry[/embed] WPtouch Web-App mode The opportunities with HTML5 WPtouch Apple iPad support Supporting other tablet devices Considering interface and screen sizes on a tablet Options within WPtouch Disabling plugins specifically for mobile themes Prioritising content Possible future developments for WPtouch Dale reverses roles and interviews James on his experience of WPtouch on James Woodcock's blog

To find out more information about WPtouch and their other plugins, visit the Brave New Code website.

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I believe it is fair to say I am a huge Broken Sword fan, a title that sits proudly among the point and click adventure gaming genre. Captivated by the delights of George and Nico as they were both hurtled into a world of mystery and suspense - there is one part of the game that always sticks in my mind. No not the gorgeous landscapes or epic locations, no not even the wonderfully witty dialogue - instead the ending music that features during the credits in the Broken Sword sequel. Who could ignore the blissful lyrics of 'Happiness is an inside job - If your name is Mary, if your name is Bob'.

So yesterday while enjoying my Yamaha Tyros3 keyboard, I decided to play and record my version of the credits - you know just for a bit of fun between all of us Broken Sword fanatics. Enjoy this short trip down memory lane...

Don't forget to read my review of the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch Remastered version of the game.

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Today many of our mobile phones include some form of built-in music player. This is certainly a handy feature, however there are times when even a mobile phone can be a hindrance on your travels. If you visit the gym with any kind of frequency or like to exert energy by jogging or running, then a piece of hardware that is small, light and capable of playing your favourite tunes to help pass the time is certainly a welcome one. One of my fears is dinging, damaging or even dropping my far from cheap fancy touch screen phone while exercising. Even walking over the tricky English countryside can be littered with perils and one slip could result in disaster.

Introducing the ARCHOS Clipper, which is an extremely portable music player with 2GB of internal memory and support for both MP3 and WMA audio formats and priced below £20.

So let's take a look at some of the features...

Design

I remember a time when the so called 'portable music players' were still quite large in size as they would need to cram in an Audio CD, which certainly aren't the smallest of music storage media. The hardware therefore always had to be at least the size of an audio disk, but now thanks to new technologies - you can enjoy a larger storage space in a diminutive package. With the included 2GB of internal memory, you can store around 1000 tracks of music and by connecting it to your computer - easily drag and drop any audio files to and from the device. Of course you can also listen to podcasts (audio show recordings) as it isn't all about music you know.

The ARCHOS Clipper is essentially an audio player, but it is a minute one. It isn't the smallest on the market, but actually it is nice to have something fairly substantial that you can actually locate with less chance of loss. The buttons as a result are nice and large and there are selections for increasing and decreasing the volume, skipping to the next track or a previous one, while slap bang in the middle a play and pause toggle. Unfortunately the buttons don't have any raised markings that can be felt, which could identify the operation without actually looking at the device, but this is really only a minor criticism. One last switch is found on the side allowing you to 'lock' the buttons so you can't accidentally trigger an operation.

It is a very pleasing device to hold with its soft to the touch feel and useful built in clip. You see this is where the 'Clipper' name originates and with this feature, you can 'clip' the ARCHOS to your clothing, belt or strap - knowing it is secure and accessible.

There is no display to inform you of which track is playing so you will need to rely on your ears for this one, but what do you expect for less than £20? You can still 'shuffle' the tracks if you wish, which results in the ARCHOS Clipper randomly selecting the next song from the selection in its memory.

The audio quality stands up well compared to other similar offerings, providing a decent portrayal of the original tracks. The maximum volume level though seemed a little on the low side, which might become problematic in noisy environments. The included earphones as you might expect are adequate, although the more serious audiophile will possibly consider purchasing a higher quality set.

Audio Formats

I am sure many of you will have heard of the term 'to rip' when applied to copying music tracks off an Audio CD. The audio information is often compressed to very small file sizes compared to their original heft and can be stored in various formats.

MP3 is one such format - an audio codec that has been widely accepted by the industry and consumers - compressing music and offering immense compatibility with all kinds of audio players. Another is WMA (Windows Media Audio), released by Microsoft that has an improved quality at higher compression levels than MP3, however lacks the same widespread compatibility.

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On this latest podcast episode, I host this edition joined with guests Marty Greenwell and Tim Leigh. Covering the latest discussion around the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation3 news and reviews on the renamed Monster Cast.

The title of the latest podcast is Monster Cast #10 - Kinect Launch.

Topics include:

New Xbox 360 Dashboard Update Microsoft Kinect - The verdict! Gran Turismo 5 gone gold at long last Racing games and a little nostalgia Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 impressions Fable 3 Fallout New Vegas

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RailSimulator.com have announced a brand new version of RailWorks releasing through Steam on October 18th 2010. This free update to existing owners of RailWorks adds a brand new front end menu, a far more accessible mouse controlled driving interface and more besides.

They were kind enough to invite me to their offices at the Chatham Historic Dockyard to preview some of the new features and interview many of the team associated with RailWorks 2.

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From episode 1 to 8, I hosted the Console Monster Podcast but due to lack of time and staff participation we all took a breather. Rob Rymond took over the hosting helm for a while and now we have decided to share the hosting responsibilities between us, so on this latest episode I act as host along with Marty Greenwell and Rob Rymond as guests to discuss the latest Microsoft Xbox 360 console and Sony PlayStation3 news and reviews on the renamed Monster Cast.

Topics include...

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Gran Turismo UK Release Date Virtua Tennis 4 to support PlayStation Move EA Sports announce FIFA 11 'Be A Goalkeeper' feature Kinect dated for UK Rock Band 3 track list Final Fantasy XIII advertisement breach Realtime Worlds company problems Resistance 3 - little news Fable 3 and Halo Reach

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Paul Jackson, CEO of RailSimulator.com joins me again on my podcast to discuss the RailWorks Train Simulator, which is available predominantly on Steam.

In this audio interview, Paul tells us about many of the exciting updates that have either just released or will be coming to us in the very near future. These include a brand new career system, challenging you to perfect your locomotive skills or feel the pain of losing crucial points and a discussion regarding an upcoming set of interface changes that will push rail simulation far further than ever before.

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Well it has been a funny old morning. As I sit here writing this article, I am currently seated in my car behind the steering wheel, with one end of my lovely stationary blue vehicle sticking out of the garage and the other half stuck inside. Alas my drive-way has quite an incline and unfortunately with the car low on petrol, it has been unable to sup up the required juice to muster just enough fluid to start up. I guess it is a bit like me being unable to wake up without my coffee and one sugar and the car is having a similar kind of fussy morning moment.

So as I wait here for a very very nice man to tow me off the drive onto the flatness of the road, I take a moment to enjoy the portable Toshiba Satellite Pro L650-165 Laptop, which thankfully has wireless Internet so I am not totally stranded. I may be stuck here waiting for a few hours, but at least I can put this time to good use.

Toshiba have been involved with laptops for over 25 years now and although there is a bristling marketplace of brands and models to choose from, this Toshiba variant has impressed me greatly.

The Operating System

I have been using Windows right back to version 3.1 (think of the command prompt DOS days!) and of all the versions released over the many years, Microsoft's Windows 7 is by far the best and to be exact in this case, this laptop comes pre-installed with the Windows 7 Home Premium edition. This Windows love is not simply because it is the latest incarnation, actually it is due to many of the right decisions being made by the powers that be and any issues you may have had with Windows Vista have now been rectified. You also receive the 64-bit version, which essentially means you have access to more memory (RAM) if you so desire and it all feels that bit more responsive and stable.

The Hardware

The casing of the laptop actually looks quite simple, with its black charcoal-like appearance revealing very little to the casual eye. This hides under the skin though a powerful collection of hardware that will work wonders for any business applications you may wish to use, or for the gamers among us, the capability to enjoy recent power hungry titles wherever you may be.

Multimedia

The processor is certainly no slouch, crunching all those numbers at a very respectable rate of 2.13GHz on this Intel Core i3 330M dual core CPU and in conjunction with the lightning fast ATi Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics hardware, you can experience many of what the industry once termed 'multimedia'. YouTube has a wide selection of 1080p resolution videos, which will certainly put any specification under strain, so I spent a good thirty minutes streaming these high resolution samples and amazingly I enjoyed a flawless playback no matter how intense the action.

Gaming

In fact the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is so blindingly fast, I was even able to enjoy a few games as well. No I am not talking about Solitaire, although of course no Windows PC would be truly complete without it. Actually I am referring to fairly recent titles such as Call of Duty World at War, which is a very demanding first person shooter with vast landscapes, countless soldiers and violent explosions. Even with options set to high levels and 4x anti-alaising enabled to reduce the amount of jaggies on the edges of polygons, the Toshiba Satellite Pro L650-165 Laptop just lapped it all up without choking once, providing a solid gaming platform.

So if it can handle games at such a terrific speed, imagine what it can do for your humble office applications and presentations. Exactly!

The Beauty of HDMI

The Toshiba Satellite Pro L650-165 Laptop comes with an HDMI port capable of sending 1080p information. Most televisions have this type of input nowadays and the benefits of it also being featured on this laptop will soon become obvious. In the past, if I had the urge to put the laptop's display through my 40" HDTV,

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Released in 1993 by Lucas Arts, Day of the Tentacle is the sequel to the holy grail of the point and click adventure genre, Maniac Mansion.

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A devastating war is raging for absolute control of the planet Cybertron, home to the heroic Autobots and their arch enemy the evil Decepticons. Transforming mechanical life forms in a desperate struggle to conquer or save this once peaceful world and you will bear witness to the epic origins of Autobot leader Optimus Prime and the maniacal Decepticon leader Megatron, before they embark to our own Earth.

Transformers War for Cybertron lovingly grabs the very best elements of the original cartoon generation and the more modern up-to-date atmospherics of the latest Micheal Bay movie blockbusters. All your favourite Transformers will make an appearance including Starscream, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Soundwave and even Omega Supreme, all slightly redesigned. The voice acting as you might expect is quite cheesy at times with the inevitable dialogue that creates an uncomfortable sensation within your bones, however Optimus Prime features the wonderful vocal talents, by the one and only Peter Cullen, so fans will certainly recognise the resonating impact of this classic leader.

After watching an impressive introduction video, you hop over to the main menu showing Cybertron in all its glory. Here you select the campaign mode, which begins with Megatron attempting to unleash the power known as dark energon, within the very core of Cybertron itself. This powerful and very dangerous form of energy has the potential to destroy everything the Autobots hold dear and luckily for you, you will be the one who controls both sides of the war. The engaging plot fills in some of the back story of how many of the Transformers first met and how their roles within the entire conflict were forged.

The fairly lengthy chapters are split into two sections, starting with five controlling the Decepticons and a further five with the Autobots. Each individual chapter features a choice of three Transformers. You can quite happily play on your own with two A.I. accomplices, although the A.I. isn't exactly the brightest. There are times when enemies run straight past you and your so called helpers have a tendency to get in your way, but at least they have infinite health, so no need to put yourself at risk, darting over every 30 seconds to revive them. A three player co-operative mode is also available with the option to invite your online friends.

Each Transformer features two modes, which you admire from a third-person perspective. Fighting as a robot offers agility, which is perfect for when you are avoiding those pesky attacks. The vehicle mode will give you speed and very powerful weapons, although targeting is far more difficult. One of the nice features of the game is that both the robot and vehicle modes offer different weaponry, so you will find yourself switching fairly often. As your skills improve, mastering the fine art of what mode works best in your current circumstances is surprisingly easy. Transforming is achieved by pressing the left analog stick and although this can be triggered by accident on occasion, it is a handy method when you need to be moving constantly and dodging bullets and then suddenly transform on request to escape a swift death. Alternatively triggering the right analog stick will unveil an axe or similar weapon, ideal for close range combat.

Watching your health and ammo levels is absolutely crucial. If they begin to run low, you will need to locate and smash crates that are carefully placed around the battle, which are in fairly generous supply. Your fellow team-mates can also give you a health re-charge if they happen to notice your ailments. Weapons are also collectable, including huge stonking ones you can literally transform into and if you wish, detach to avoid enemy fire. That's not all though, as part of your ensemble are the special attacks, which are unleashed with the 'RB' button. Spin like a crazy bot, raise a shielded barrier or release a devastating pulse,

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From episode 1 to 8, I hosted the Console Monster Podcast but due to lack of time and staff participation we all took a breather. Rob Rymond took over the hosting helm for a while and now we have decided to share the hosting responsibilities between us, so on this latest episode I act as host along with Marty Greenwell as guest to discuss the latest Microsoft Xbox 360 console and Sony PlayStation3 news and reviews on the renamed Monster Cast.

Topics include...

Pretty shoddy E3 Microsoft presentation Natal now known as Kinect Kinect official price still not totally confirmed Kinect launch titles Kinect concerns New slimmer Xbox 360 S No rings red of deathhhhhhh Very few games... Sony presentation 3D gaming with glasses PlayStation Plus PlayStation Move PlayStation Move pricing No PSP2 announcement James and Marty agree on almost everything! Nintendo 3DS Xbox Live Family Pack New Downloadable Content

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Nearly a year ago, I played the Simon the Sorcerer theme on the Yamaha Tyros3 keyboard. Recently I taught myself another piece of gaming music nostalgia, this time from the classic puzzle game Lemmings. Using a bank of registration memory settings that I created, a Premium Style accompaniment, multipads, a range of voices and even a couple of Lemmings sound clips that I trigger with a foot pedal. I really hope you enjoy my latest performance.

Here are a few details for Yamaha keyboard enthusiasts...

Style: MallorcaDiscoBeat (A Preium Style available from www.yamahamusicsoft.com, with a slight voice change adding a pad sound) Voices: Right3 - PWMLead (Lead voice), Right2 - ButterStrings, Right 1 - BrightPadBell, Left - BigOctavePad, Left (Last chorus) - HahPad (from the Choir and Vocals Premium Voice Expansion Pack Multipad: TechSeq1 Tempo: 122 Left Foot Pedal: HDR playback trigger, playing a couple of *.wav sound clips from the Windows version of Lemmings (Also triggers Harmony/Echo on registration 4) Right Foot Pedal: Style Fill Self trigger

All of this performance is live with no audio altered or added after recording.

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In my latest podcast, I chat with Jon Fox who is the co-founder, mastermind and code monkey of IntenseDebate.

With IntenseDebate, you can let your readers post comments using services like Facebook, Twitter, and OpenID. They can also sign up for an IntenseDebate profile or simply comment without one as a Guest. E-mail notifications alert you and your readers of new comments, encouraging return visits and additional commenting. You can reply to and moderate comments via email, while threading makes it easy to follow the conversation and many more features that are described in this podcast.

Podcast topics include:

What is IntenseDebate? How did it all begin? Features of IntenseDebate Customisation Any slowdown when adding so many features to your own site? Rating comments Facebook and Twitter integration Reputation system The dreaded SPAM Additional plugins for IntenseDebate Automattic Inc. purchasing IntenseDebate and the effect of this transaction IntenseDebate future on WordPress.com blogs What can IntenseDebate offer over any rivals with a similar feature list? Looking to the future... IntenseDebate on Mobile devices HTML5 and VP8

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In this video interview, I speak to Jeremy Hague from Netralia as we discuss and explore the new enhance tab features that gives you options to add text, pictures and audio to your final generated video in the Vodburner Editing Console. Vodburner records live Skype webcam conversations combined with an editor allowing you to edit your captured video to then customise the different views, delete segments and add additional features.

I also interviewed Jeremy in my very first Vodcast as we delved into the benefits of the Vodburner software in general.

Enjoy the YouTube video below, download the *.mp4 version for your portable video player or simply subscribe using the RSS MP3 feed or via iTunes...

All the recording and editing seen in this video is achieved with Vodburner, with no additional software required.

To download a 14-day trial of Vodburner, click this link:

Vodburner - Skype Video Capture and Editing

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From episode 1 to 8, I hosted the Console Monster Podcast but due to lack of time and staff participation we all took a breather. Rob Rymond took over the hosting helm for a while and now we have decided to share the hosting responsibilities between us, so on this latest episode I act as host along with Rob Rymond and Marty Greenwell as guests to discuss the latest Microsoft Xbox 360 console and Sony PlayStation3 news and reviews on the renamed Monster Cast.

Topics include...

Red Dead Redemption trailer and the bizarre 400 points gift? Achievements Versus Trophies The godly platinum trophies Dings, bings or bongs? PS3 Firmware update 3.30 and 3.21 Halo Reach Editions revealed Collectors editions The Halo evolution Halo 2 multiplayer... Ahhh the memories Friends change the gameplay experience? Split Second demo impressions Bad demo, great retail game... Sonic and SEGA All Stars Racing FIFA overload? Scoring a purchase Our gaming recommendations

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I interview Alex Ford, the Publishing Director from JustTrains.net regarding their rail simulator products plus add ons and also a little regarding their flight simulation offerings as well.

In this podcast we discuss the various rail simulations including Microsoft Train Simulator, Trainz, Rail Simulator and RailWorks.

Just Trains is the sister label to Just Flight, which began life in 1995 as a company named The Associates. The mission (that they had chosen to accept) was to supply the newly-emerging flight simulation enthusiast market with the latest and best software. Within three years the Just Flight name was firmly established as a brand and the company grew into the world’s largest publisher of flight simulation software outside Microsoft.

Also announced during our podcast interview is a piece of free content for Rail Simulator and RailWorks from JustTrains.net.

They will be making available a totally free ZZA snow plough to subscribers of their newsletter. This is a little wagon that has been in use for many years over the UK rail Network clearing lines of snow. When used in RailWorks, the ZZA takes advantage of the 'Just Trains ActivScript' to supply snow clearing sounds and visual effects. If you want to grab hold of this great free little add-on in roughly a couple of weeks, make sure that you subscribe to their newsletter – just follow the subscribe link on the front of their website.

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From episode 1 to 8, I hosted the Console Monster Podcast but due to lack of time and staff participation we all took a breather. Now with Rob Rymond at the hosting helm, I appear as one of the guests along with David Wriglesworth and Marty Greenwell to discuss the latest Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation3 news and reviews on the renamed Monster Cast.

Topics covered include:

What we have been playing Our God of War and Heavy Rain impressions Has the Sixaxis controller been a gimmick? PlayStation Move Our impressions on Final Fantasy 13 Downloadable content in games and their prices Microsoft's rumour of USB storage coming soon PlayStation 3 service being down for a day Vote on our music game poll

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From episode 1 to 8, I hosted the Console Monster Podcast but due to lack of time and staff participation we all took a breather. Now with Rob Rymond at the hosting helm, I appear as one of the guests along with David Wriglesworth and Marty Greenwell to discuss the latest Microsoft Xbox 360 console and Sony PlayStation3 news and reviews on the renamed Monster Cast.

I am afraid my router was a little dodgy during the recording resulting in some choppiness and quality dipping when I speak, but I am sure you will persevere.

Topics include:

What we have been playing Xbox Live Arcade Games Do all games really need multiplayer? Re-playability 1vs100 Season 2 100 friends maximum on Xbox Live Party Chat killing team communication? PlayStation3 Network Voice and Headsets Heavy Rain PS3 thoughts The Lauren Report on Heavy Rain Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 - 2D returns PEGI 3! 3D TV for gaming

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Paul Jackson, CEO of RailSimulator.com joins me on the telephone to discuss the RailWorks Train Simulator, which is available predominantly on Steam.

In this audio interview, Paul tells us about his history with trains, the process of creating such a complex simulator and what exciting items of content and features are around the corner for those who like me love to try our hand at controlling steam, diesel and electric trains of all kinds from all over the world from the comfort of our own home.

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In my first ever video podcast interview (or Vodcast for short), I chat with Jeremy Hague from Netralia, who pops on to Skype to tell us all about their latest software Vodburner. Vodburner allows you to capture video and audio from a Skype video interaction and then gives you the option of editing the conversation. This interview actually uses the Vodburner software.

You may have heard of earlier software released by the company designed for use with Skype, which include Skylook and Callburner.

Enjoy the YouTube video below, download the *.mp4 version for your portable video player or simply subscribe using the RSS MP3 feed or via iTunes...

To download a 14 day trial of Vodburner, click this link:

Vodburner - Skype Video Capture and Editing

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Not so long ago Satellite Navigation systems (or Sat Nav's for short) were considered a luxury item which only the hardcore technology enthusiasts who yearned for the latest gadgets would dare purchase. Now though, the market for these devices is far more accessible for those who desire a decent aid to our driving needs, with an exhausting amount of brands and an even larger array of models to choose from. The days of stupidly large road atlas maps have thankfully been assigned to the history books and even for those who loath gadgetry, user friendly interfaces are often part of the appeal.

It is very easy to spend hundreds of pounds buying the hardware and the software in one complete package for a fully featured Sat Nav, yet if you own an Apple iPhone 3G or later, you already own a powerful piece of portable hardware, so why not save some of those precious pennies and invest in just the software side alone.

The Apple Store currently boasts over 100,000 free and purchasable applications that you can download and enjoy. Sat Nav solutions are certainly not left behind as already there are a few options including one from the well known TomTom brand and also the maybe quieter release of CoPilot Live 8.

Your Apple iPhone 3G/3GS has a very impressive hardware feature list that shouldn't be ignored when considering whether you want to go down this route. Sporting an extremely clear and bright touch screen, while also incorporating a powerful processor to quickly calculate and present the information for your drive. In fact the iPhone can more often than not trounce the top end competition in the stand alone Sat Nav field with it's specifications, so already we are off to a cracking start for our considerations.

Sat Nav in your Pocket

One of the main disadvantages with stand alone Satellite Navigation units is that it is yet another piece of technology you have to carry. We are often warned in television advertisements and with signs in car parks to not leave your valuable items in the car. How many of us in the past have flaunted our ignorance I wonder and stashed our Sat Nav in the glove box to save carrying it around on a hot summer's day, particularly when you are a fella that doesn't carry the treasure chest that is a woman's handbag? Quite a few I would imagine!

One item you will always carry with you though is your trusty phone. For fear of not being in contact with family, friends or work at the crucial moment, our phone sits in our pocket given pride of place among our other necessities such as our keys and wallet. It therefore seems perfect sense if we purchase the software for our iPhone to add Sat Nav functionality.

There may also be occasions where you thought a Sat Nav wasn't needed for your well travelled journey or you are relying on somebody else's directions, only to find you are diverted off the course you remember or your friend has a panic and forgets. With a Sat Nav in your pocket, you can whip out the solution to your directional nightmares and find your way back to civilisation.

A Small Budget

Currently available for a meagre £26.99 on the Apple iTunes Store, no doubt your first thoughts at this price point are of a cheap and nasty solution, however actually you couldn't be farther from the truth. CoPilot Live is a wonderful piece of software boasting features you would find hard to match at anything like under £30.

Getting from A to B

CoPilot Live works very similarly to any other Satellite Navigation software out there and although the interface may be a little different, the process of selecting destinations, storing favourites, selecting your home and work locations all exist and many more features aside.

If you haven't purchased one already, a dock for your iPhone to sit in while driving is a must and even orientation doesn't matter as CoPilot Live will rotate and adjust the screen for whatever your preference is or simply for convenience.

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It wouldn't be Christmas without a little humour among all the festivities, so I hope you enjoy this little video featuring myself (James Woodcock) singing you a wonderful Merry Christmas.

Wishing you all a fantastic New Year and I hope you will join me in 2010 for more reviews, articles and interviews. If you want to have a go yourself in creating your own elf Christmas video, make sure you visit the Elf Yourself website.

James Woodcock Freelance Journalist

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A couple of days ago I released my Wolfenstein 3D Classic iPhone Review. Today I have made a video with live commentary as I progress through the game and demonstrate some of the features.

Hopefully this will be the first of many iPhone video reviews, so I hope you enjoy this latest offering. Please remember to subscribe to my YouTube Channel and Twitter.

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The Yamaha UK Product and Promotions Manager James Sargeant has joined me in the latest Yamaha Personal Keyboard Owner audio show to discuss the latest instruments announced including the PSR-S710, PSR-S910 and the Clavinova CVP-500 Series. We discuss the impressive sounds, vast array of styles, the latest technology and of course there are audio demonstrations included as well during the interview.

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My original video trailer for Simon the Sorcerer was looking a little dated as it was uploaded way back in 2007. So recently I invested a little time and energy creating a brand new one taking full advantage of YouTube's newer widescreen aspect and higher quality video options. Please feel free to embed this video on your own website linking to my Simon the Sorcerer page.

Currently I have three soundtracks available under my ScummVM Music Enhancement Project for download for use with the fantastic ScummVM application, which includes of course Simon the Sorcerer and also Discworld and Inherit the Earth. I still have plans to finish Beneath a Steel Sky and Touche, although I expect this will happen now in 2010.

I am often emailed where I am asked whether I will support a particular game in the future, however although I would like to take on extra projects there are quite a few limitations that you have to be aware of...

Permission has to be granted from the publishers/developers of the classic point and click adventure game. As a lot of these titles are many years old, tracking down the contacts required to release the enhanced music can be difficult and even impossible. As with any project, time is always an issue and I don't want to take on any more titles at the moment until I have completed all of the soundtracks I originally intended to work on. Many of the titles requested have issues. The main one is usually that the MIDI files are altered on the fly depending on what is happening in the scene. This cannot be easily replicated by external audio files and in fact can be next to impossible to achieve.

If you want to keep an eye on my project updates, please visit my personal website often and of course follow me on Twitter.

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The predecessor to Fight Night Round 4 had our jaws dropping in awe and our eyes watering with happiness at the remarkable visuals. It was one of those magical eureka moments when you realised that next generation gaming had finally arrived and that you were now a part of this momentous moment in history. Now with the release of the Xbox 360’s boxing sequel, it is time to don your gloves once again, enter your square prison-like arena and face your personal demons as you battle it out against the worlds finest.

To read the full review, click the link below:

Fight Night Round 4 HD Video Review for Xbox 360

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In 2007, I received permission from Simon Woodroffe allowing me to enhance the music to be used on the fabulous ScummVM program. I fancied playing a 'live' version for you though, so here I am in High Definition playing the main theme from Simon the Sorcerer using the Yamaha flagship keyboard, the Tyros 3.

I have only had this keyboard for a day and with 450 backing styles and over a thousand voices, I will be enjoying the delights of this keyboard for a long time to come.

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For those who are streaming the video podcasts I create, here is part 2 which otherwise would have been forgotten.

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Before I start, of course these are my personal choices and no doubt yours will differ depending on the ones you have played, however be sure to share your favourite games.

httpp://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6A6E0D4DDB0962E7

Xbox Live Arcade has certainly added a new twist to console gaming. No longer are we forced to nip over to the shops, buy one of those shiny disk thingymebobs in the ugly plastic boxes for around the £35 mark, travel back home slowly teasing back the wrapping and security tape until finally you can insert your new purchase into your Xbox 360. It is these first five minutes where you decide whether you have made a wise decision or whether listening to your friends online gaming recommendations has led you right up the garden path.

Xbox Live Arcade is our knight in shining armour though, offering free downloadable demonstrations and an affordable way of expanding our gaming library without even leaving the comfort of our house. At one time there were grumbles about the lack of releases on the service, however now we are flooded with all manner of genres both retro and modern, so choosing the superior titles can be quite a challenge.

Let me ease some of your frustrations by offering what I consider to be the top titles that will tantalise your television screens from the selection I have experienced...

10) Worms

Based on the cartoon style of Worms 2 many of us know and love from PC gaming years ago, Worms for Xbox Live Arcade has all the charm of warfare without the risk of troubling your conscience spoiling the fun. Millions of possible randomly generated landscapes with a selection of themes (with additional content available for a cost), bizarre accents and even exploding sheep are all available

Although a seemingly destructive title, there is far more to it than that as you will need to use your lethal arsenal effectively. Whether you call in an air-strike, throw a grenade, collect that tempting crate or take to the skies dropping a little goodie along the way, your choices will determine the outcome of the war being raged in this tiny, yet very personal, set of circumstances.

There is plenty of single player intrigue as you battle the computer through increased difficulty, but the excitement really begins when you sit down your friend next to you and take out all your frustrations on their little pink minions (Worms that is!). If picking off random strangers is your thing, hop onto Xbox Live as you are sure to find people who like you, desire something destructive, yet charming. Be warned though, humiliation is an easy goal to attain without even trying.

9) Golden Axe

Who could deny the appeal of Tyris Flare. Many a prepubescent boy learned the wonders of the feminine physique thanks to continually walking upwards on the screen. Look at it sway. (clears throat)... Anyway, aside from the obvious appeal of scantily clad women of the Amazon, Golden Axe features good old fashioned 2D scrolling hack and slash adventuring.

Porting the original arcade version, it includes a few more niceties than the SEGA Megadrive (Genesis), including enemies that fall to the ground losing more than just the colour in their cheeks when they are defeated and the crunching of bones when attacking those tormenting skeletons. The downside though is due to the fact the Megadrive had a slightly longer gameplay experience thanks to an additional section after defeating the notorious Death Adder. Where the two thrones appear at the end, there is actually a door on the Megadrive, but nevermind.

This aside though, it faithfully recreates the memories I had as a youngster as Golden Axe was one of my first gaming experiences and is more than likely one of the reasons I am a Journalist today. I was so chuffed when I completed the game on a single 20 pence piece and now here it is, but this time I don't have to worry about any coin slots digesting all of my money on every occasi...

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Recently I purchased the Hauppauge HD PVR, so I could create far richer and more importantly 'high definition' video reviews. This is my first HD attempt and it is for OutRun Online Arcade on the Xbox 360.

So far I am very impressed with this HD capture device. Capable of 1080i recording from anything that supports component cables. This means I can capture from my Xbox 360, PlayStation3 and Wii with stunning results.

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Well here is my first ever video review and it covers the SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection on the Sony PlayStation3. It has taken a couple of days to write, capture, edit, convert and then finally upload to YouTube.[/embed]

It is a little experiment really to see how difficult the process is and indeed how time consuming. It has been an experience shall we say, but I am actually very happy with the result for my first attempt:

You can read the review in text here as well:

SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection Review for PlayStation3

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In issue #21 of 360Zine, I interview Richard Earl, the Marketing Executive from Travellers Tales to discuss the slap 'brick' humour of the Caped Crusader.

In an agreement with 360Zine, I have been given permission to release certain audio interviews I have recorded for the online magazine right here on my personal website as podcasts.

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In my latest podcast, Paul Scrivens better known as Scrivs', Mike Rundle and Tyme White join me to discuss their website 9rules.com with all the background information and a little more besides.

9rules is a place where members and readers can connect, build relationships, and learn new things. My own blog was accepted in December 2006 and has been listed ever since.

Topics discussed include:

Rogues gallery The coming together of the trio The road to 9rules.com The evolution The separation 9 is the magic number! Hours lost, fulfilment achieved Ooops, time for completely customised code Benefits of the leaf It is all about the numbers and the not knowing Wearing the leaf Don't take offence.... but... The way forward The personal rewards The Internet is growing up, bless it Time for deep reflection - time for Tyme 9rules community asks... Grab a notepad, 9rules trio dish out their ideas... maybe There is gold on the web, somewhere

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In an agreement with HGZine, I have been given permission to release certain audio interviews I have recorded for the online magazine right here on my personal website as podcasts.

I interview Steve Lycett, Executive Producer and Travis Ryan Lead Designer of SEGA Superstars Tennis. Although this interview was intended for a portable handheld magazine, there is a lot of detail about the next generation versions as well.

Topics include:

What is SEGA Superstars Tennis How did it all come about? How close is SEGA Superstars Tennis to Virtua Tennis 3? Control scheme Characters featured and their skills The Gilius Thunderhead voice! (Golden Axe) Superstar abilities What SEGA characters didn't make it PSP version of SEGA Superstars Tennis coming? NiGHTS appearance, flying and playing tennis Mini-Games details Available game modes Court environments Musical assets Using DS specific controls Working on portable gaming systems compared to consoles

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In 360Zine issue #17, I interview Graeme Boyd better known as AceyBongos. He is the Community Manager of Xbox E.M.E.A. The full 45 minute audio interview is now also available right here on my website to stream or download for your listening pleasure.

In an agreement with 360Zine, I have been given permission to release certain audio interviews I have recorded for the online magazine right here on my personal website as podcasts.

Topics include:

What is the story behind the Gamertag AceyBongos? Entering the Microsoft realm Amazingly long job title! Job involvement GDC and other events Gears of War 2, Fable 2 and XNA Difficulty of having a global corporation Feedback Compared to Major Nelson What rewards are in blogging? Is the UK missing out on gaming events? Troubles with Xbox Live Podcasts on Marketplace? AceyBongos Podcast? What does Xbox Live offer over the PlayStation Network? Thoughts on the Nintendo Wii? HD DVD dead, what now? Favourite games? Midtown Madness 3 please! Xbox Live Arcade favourites? Gaming dabbler or achievement gatherer?

And... just in case you have forgotten, that is A.C.E.Y.B.O.N.G.O.S., as in www.aceybongos.com!

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With special thanks to SEGA Europe, the composer Richard Jacques and SUMO Digital, I have been given permission to release an unused track from SEGA Superstars Tennis. Called 'mode menu', it instead featured in a trailer for the game.

Richard Jacques has composed music for titles including Mass Effect, Jet Set Radio, Outrun 2, Samba De Amigo, Baku Baku and The Club to name just a few, so make sure you pop over to his website to view his full portfolio available with audio samples.

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In an agreement with 360Zine, I have been given permission to release certain audio interviews I have recorded for the online magazine right here on my personal website as podcasts.

In 360Zine issue 16, I interview James Nicholls from Pivoltal Games, who is delighted to tell us all about the latest Conflict Denied Ops game for next generation consoles.

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In an agreement with HGZine, I have been given permission to release certain audio interviews I have recorded for the online magazine right here on my personal website as podcasts.

In HGZine issue 10, I interviewed Toby Allen regarding the new Track and Field game for Nintendo DS.

Topics discussed include:

History behind Track and Field Changes for the Nintendo DS What events are included? Why the Nintendo DS? How long in development? What challenges are involved when developing for portable systems? A nice change developing for portable systems compared to the next generation consoles? 3D characters? Any assets from the original arcade game? What characters are available? Any quirky moments? Multiplayer support

Gamerzines are free online downloadable magazines, rich with written and multimedia content. Covering various consoles, portable devices and PC gaming, you can be sure to fulfill your lust for information.

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In an agreement with P3Zine, I have been given permission to release certain audio interviews I have recorded for the online magazine right here on my personal website as podcasts.

In P3Zine issue 10, I interviewed Darren Williams regarding the new run and shoot game The Club.

Topics include:

What is The Club? How long in development? What is the storyline? Why a third person shooter? What different single player modes are available? How does the Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) respond? What is there to shoot other than just enemies? How does the score system function? Any replay features? Moving around the levels Will we recognise any of the locations? Variations between indoor and outdoor sections within a level? Multiplayer support Are there any visual differences between the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions? Any Sixaxis support? When will the game be released? Where can we find out more? Demo versions

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In an agreement with 360Zine, I have been given permission to release certain audio interviews I have recorded for the online magazine right here on my personal website as podcasts.

In 360Zine issue 11, I interview Mark Fisher from SEGA, who is delighted to tell us all about the latest SEGA Rally for next generation consoles.

Topics discussed include:

Who is Mark Fisher? SEGA Rally heritage Why is SEGA Rally returning now? Challenges with development in UK compared to earlier titles in Japan? What is deformation? How intelligent is the artificial intelligence (A.I.)? Arcade, simulation or a mixture? No rain, all sun! Changing surfaces How many tracks? Included single player game modes? What can we expect for the online modes and will deformation be available as well? Comparing Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions What cars are available?

Also you can find out more by reading my SEGA Rally Preview...

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In the latest YPKO Podcast, Peter Baartmans joins me to talk about his role as a worldwide demonstrator for Yamaha keyboards and digital pianos.

Peter is well known on the Yamaha circuit due to his many events and presentations that have been featured on the Internet through the official Yamaha website and of course the avid fans that follows his talent.

This podcast includes:

The Tony Ross Audio CD (full CD available from the Yamaha Club) Peter Baartmans InterviewPeter's music history Inspirations... Recommendations for learning the piano Demonstrating around the world to different cultures and the challenges involved Using pianos and keyboards New Clavinova 400 Series Digital Pianos

New Internet Direct Connection styles samples80's Hi EnergyClassic Movie BalladParty WaltzBrazil Guitar Samba80'sChartPop

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I interview John Selogy, one of the team members involved in the new Social Bookmarking website dedicated to gaming named Glinkster.

Topics discussed:

What is Social Bookmarking? What is Glinkster? Who is behind Glinkster? What is in it for the people behind Glinkster? Meooooooow What are the benefits for gamers in using Glinkster? John talks about his gaming experiences past and present Nintendo Wii love Living, breathing, sleeping Glinkster Process for Glink'ing? Age of articles an issue? Ranking links Incentives for the Glink'ers Difficult times How do webmasters add Glinkster to their websites? Future plans for Glinkster Where did the name 'Glinkster' come from?

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In our latest podcast (audio show), I interview James Sargeant, who is the Product Specialist from Yamaha UK. Discussing primarily the new Regi-Stick Plus, James talks us through the features of this latest software offering from Yamaha.

The new Regi-Stick is designed for the Yamaha Tyros 2 allowing owners to expand their keyboard even further.

Podcast discussion includes:

Yamaha Clavinova CVP-405 Modern Country Snippet James Sargeant Interview - Part 1 What is your typical day at Yamaha UK? How did you get involved with Yamaha? How did you get into music? What is the original Regi-Stick (now named Regi-Stick Classic)? What is Regi-Stick Plus? How many registrations are included? Are all the registrations completely new and not from the original Regi-Stick? Can Regi-Stick Plus be copied to the internal hard drive? USB Stick design What was involved in creating the Regi-Stick Plus? Yamaha Tyros 2 Internet Direct Connection New Style Demonstrations (Power Disco and Rock Keys) James Sargeant Interview - Part 2 Do you require bass pedals to fully enjoy this product? Setting up Will there be any other versions of Regi-Stick for other instruments? What is Melody Maker? Where can we see demonstrations? Pricing

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In the second part of our debate of the Console Monster Podcast, myself (James Woodcock), John, Cat, Scott and Chris continue our ramblings about the following subjects:

Manhunt 2 Gets 'M' Rating Do Real Time Strategy (RTS) Games work on consoles? Tank Rush! Fireworks! Assassins Creed - John concerned, Cat excited and wot not Multi-platform gaming damaging overall quality? The Simpsons Game - Doh! Cats love for Simpsons Hit and Run - Medic!!! Cats Xbox 360 Elite - Crisp and Shiny What we are playing? Yoshi Ringtone!

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It has been a long time since the last Console Monster Podcast, however here is Part 1 of a debate that lasted over an hour, so I split it into two. Part 2 will feature in about a weeks time continuing on from where we left off...

This show features your host James Woodcock, John Boyle, Cat Fuellsak, Scott Webber and Chris Brandrick.

Part 1 of the debate covers the following:

Sony announce PlayTV Sony PlayStation and the PSP connection Mafia 2 thoughts FIFA 08 - 10 player online FIFA Versus Pro Evolution Soccer Xbox Live Rep System Bioshock - Why is it sooo impressive? The Xbox 360 price drop, the verdict! Did Microsoft waste their year head start in the console race? Nintendo Wii success a shocker? Nintendo E3 Press Conference disaster? Xbox 360 three red lights nightmare Xbox 360s can be fixed, but can Microsoft's reputation? Xbox 360 Halo 3 edition console No price drop for Sony PlayStation 3 in Europe reaction Paramount go exclusive to HD DVD Video Marketplace Coming to UK, but will we use it?

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The Yamaha UK Marketing Manager of the Electronic Keyboard Division, joins me on the phone to discuss primarily the new Yamaha Clavinova CVP-400 digital piano range, PSR-S series keyboards and the Modus H01.

This podcast also features sound demonstrations from the PSR-S900 and Clavinova CVP-405!

This edition features the following: Yamaha PSR-S900 Main Demonstration Andy Carvill Interview - Part 1 How does Yamaha UK fit in globally with Yamaha? How much influence does Yamaha UK have over Yamaha Japan with instrument features, ideas and design? How long have you worked with Yamaha and how did your career with them begin? Yamaha UK EXPO 2007 Yamaha UK public demonstrations Yamaha CVP-405 Main Demonstration Yamaha CVP-405 Piano Sound Samples Andy Carvill Interview - Part 2 Yamaha PSR-S Series information, UK launch dates and retail prices Yamaha Clavinova CVP-400 range information, UK launch dates and retail prices Yamaha Modus H01 information, UK launch date and retail price

Yamaha CVP-405 Uptempo 8-Beat Sounds Sample Yamaha PSR-S900 Dance Sounds Sample

Thanks to Roger Hagarty from Roger's Music for allowing me access to record the sound samples from the new Yamaha PSR-S900 keyboard and Clavinova CVP-405 digital piano.

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In June 2007, I interviewed Bernard Perry where he announces the new way of storing your sheet music digitally, which makes it far simpler locating your favourite pieces you like to perform. This may be used for any instrument, but as I also run a Yamaha keyboard and digital piano enthusiast website with nearly 7500 members, we concentrated on this aspect.

I have released this podcast here just to demonstrate my other interests as much as anything else. It is a very different style to most of my gaming podcasts, however I love variety! The podcast also explains my Yamaha website.

This edition features:

Yamaha PSR-S500 Keyboard Demonstration MusicPad Pro Interview - Part 1 YPKO Voicemail Callers MusicPad Pro Interview - Part 2 Yamaha PSR-E403 Keyboard Demonstration

You can also purchase and download sheet music from their new website. You can also read my review on my Yamaha Personal Keyboard Owner website.

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In the latest Console Monster Podcast, I interview Toby Allen, Assistant Producer from Sumo Digital, who are behind the Xbox 360 port of Virtua Tennis 3.

Also featured is an interview with Max Freiert from Compete Blog [38:14], who discusses his two posts on 'Xbox 360, Halo 3, and Gears of War: Violence breeds killer apps?' and 'Xbox360 vs. Wii vs. PS3: Demand doesn't lie'.

The Virtua Tennis 3 interview includes the following topics:

Who are Sumo Digital? Toby's experience in gaming Still enjoy the games you develop after release? Developing for next generation systems Difference in quality of development tools Multi-platform gaming development Creating games on lower spec systems Played previous Virtua Tennis games? What has changed in this latest incarnation? What is all the fuss about 1080p? Why does the Xbox 360 version have online multiplayer, but the PlayStation 3 does not? What is the process involved when porting a game? Any major/minor differences between the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions? What is involved with the single player experience? Achievements spread Favourite mini game? Online spectator mode (VT:TV) What Xbox Live features are included? Any downloadable content in the future? Possible patch update to fix a few minor issues? Any game ideas that didn't make the final version? Any tips? The under-arm serve technique Will there ever be a Nintendo Wii version of Virtua Tennis 3?

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This podcast was actually recorded in July of last year, but originally I was trying to present an edited version with some of the actual music tracks used in the background as we spoke. After many attempts to get this authorised by SEGA, it just wasn't possible for legal reasons, so here is the podcast without the music.

If I had to place any brand that really introduced me to the world of just beautiful gaming experiences, it has to be SEGA. Covering SEGA Master System, SEGA Mega Drive (Genesis), SEGA 32X, SEGA Mega CD, SEGA Game Gear, SEGA Saturn and of course SEGA Dreamcast.

Joining me are two newcomers to my podcasts. First of all John Boyle who at the time was from Cubed3.com who confessed he has a massive crush on SEGA consoles and games and also taking part is Jam from girl gaming group Frag Dolls UK.

Featured in this episode is:

Sonic the Hedgehog SEGA Dreamcast Marketing Dr Robotnik Vs Dr Eggman Sonic the Hedgehog identity crises? Sonic Rush - Nintendo DS Golden Axe - SEGA Mega Drive John - Balancing SEGA love with Nintendo website NiGHTS into Dreams - SEGA Saturn Tomb Raider - SEGA Saturn SEGA Rally - SEGA Saturn Quackshot - SEGA Mega Drive Streets of Rage - SEGA Mega Drive Slow down actually a spectacle on early consoles? Sonic the Hedgehog 3 - SEGA Mega Drive Sonic the Hedgehog CD - SEGA Mega CD Olympic Gold - SEGA Mega Drive Rez - SEGA Dreamcast Outrun - SEGA Mega Drive Chu Chu Rocket - SEGA Dreamcast SEGA Dreamcast Keyboard and Mouse Dead or Alive 2 - SEGA Dreamcast Those bouncing boobies in Dead or Alive! Soul Calibur - SEGA Dreamcast Jet Set Radio - SEGA Dreamcast Space Channel 5 - SEGA Dreamcast Shenmue - SEGA Dreamcast Virtua Tennis - SEGA Dreamcast Crazy Taxi - SEGA Dreamcast

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Recorded on Valentine's Day, James Woodcock rips himself away from his girlfriend and Barrie Rogers away from his never ending mistress of delight Viva Pinata and delve into the latest news regarding the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii and debate the issues.

Also featured is an interview with the Compete Blog [38:45] to discuss there post 'Xbox 360 Wins the Holiday Battle, But Nintendo's Wii Positioned to Win the War' with Max Freiert and Matt Pace.

The debate features:

Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Demo Unreal Tournament 3 confirmed for Xbox 360 Multi-platform gaming taking over exclusive needs? Saints Row announced for PS3 Virtua Tennis 3 in 1080p on Xbox 360, but does it mean anything? Announced Xbox Live Arcade games for February and onwards Evil marshmallows! Ode to all things Worms Call of Duty 3 Map Pack for Xbox 360 Sony say "Nintendo Wii impulse purchase" Xbox 360 to feature on BBC TV Watchdog Upcoming content for Rainbow Six Vegas Xbox 360 Barrie and James share their Valentine Card moments What games do James and Barrie Lurrrvvve at the moment? Games we are hoping for? Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 - A complete boob!

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With James Woodcock hosting, Barrie Rogers and Anthony Barker have a chat about the Game of the Year article written by Steve Wysowski and voted for by the 360monster.com staff. We also announce the actual overall winner of the 360monster.com Game of the Year award for 2006!

Whether it is bashing zombies over the head, Barrie singing the Viva Pinata tune, Barrie getting all excited over erotic zombie photos, Barrie crashing in Burnout or Anthony with his egg cups award, the latest Console Monster podcast is a must download for those curious about some of the decisions made in this article.

The Game of the Year categories we cover are:

Best Shooter Best Adventure/Action Game Best RPG Best Racing Game Best Sports Game Best Graphics Best Audio Most Unique Game Best XBOX LIVE Game Best Xbox LIVE Arcade Game Worst Game of the Year

Finally we finish with the major award of the entire show, this is of course Game of the Year nominations and the result for 2006!

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I interview Paul Thurrott regarding Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows Vista. Paul is an independent journalist who loves to cover Microsoft software right from the early stages of its life and past the day of release. He is also featured on his own website 'SuperSite for Windows' and in a podcast called 'Windows Weekly' over at the 'This Week in Tech' website.

Paul is here in this podcast to explain the pros and cons of Windows Vista with his expert opinions and advice for home consumers in particular, who are confused with the countless stories on the Internet.

Topics discussed include:

Paul Thurrott and his websites Which version of Windows Vista should we buy? Ultimate Extras OEM or retail? Should we wait for better drivers before getting Vista? (Windows Vista Upgrade Adviser) Should PC gamers wait? Installation difficulty? Experimenting with different versions of Vista before deciding which one New Windows interface design Features of the new Start menu Aero Glass just eye candy? Flip 3D cool? Copying Mac OS X? What is there for PC Gamers? Does the average home user need a new PC for Windows Vista? Older software compatibility Live Anywhere (Live for Windows) Features The new Windows Media Center The new security features of Windows Vista Has Internet Explorer 7 caught up with the Mozilla Firefox browser? No one thing, but many small reasons why you should purchase Windows Vista Features originally planned for Vista Paul is disappointed are missing in final release? ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive performance features Sticking with Windows Vista or going back to Windows XP?

You can find screenshots and a review of Windows Vista over at Paul's website.

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In this much shorter edition of the Console Monster podcast as we build up to Podcast #4 which will have a larger debate section, here is the third in our series featuring Vixen from weareversus.com who tantalises us over the phone with her initial impressions of the Nintendo Wii.

Our second interview is with staff member Art Geen, who discusses his personal experience with the Sony PlayStation 3 console.

Vixen topics:

Nintendo Wii a party console only? Wii60 philosophy believer? Nintendo Wii Community Hoarding the Vixen way Sony PlayStation 3 deliberations PS3 Sixaxis a Nintendo Wii reaction? PS3 European delays Microsoft Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii at this point? Zelda love of longevity Graphics artistic enough to encourage hours of gameplay?

Art topics:

How did you get your PS3? Online working surprisingly well Unusual friends system Interface design Bluray movie playback What games are you looking forward to? Resistance thoughts? Positives and negatives Missing rumble? Sixaxis impressions? Controller solid feel? Launch conclusion?

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Here is the 2nd Console Monster Podcast hosted by James Woodcock (yes that is me!). In this edition I decided to have a bit more fun with it and also created a new music theme for the show. The music is quite cheesy and has a happy spirit about it, but I really like it and hopefully the majority of listeners will as well! It was played live on a Yamaha Tyros 2 keyboard.

First of all we start with the Halo 3 Beta Competition [00:29] followed by an interview with Max Freiert [02:14] from the Compete Blog regarding the findings in his 'Xbox 360 Launch 2.0' which compares how the Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 did at launch recently then finishing with a friendly debate [13:44] with Barrie Rogers and Steve Wysowski covering the following topics:

Steve's Nintendo Wii first impressions Graphics or artistic presentation? Barrie finally comes to the HDTV world James's experience with the Xbox 360 HD DVD Drive Is the Microsoft Xbox 360 coping with the launch of the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3? Xbox 360 one year later Blue Dragon Rescues the Xbox 360 in Japan? Barrie's Phantasy Star Universe first impressions Sonic the Hedgehog next generation disaster? Barrie expresses his love for Viva Pinata Is the Xbox 360 only a mature gamer console? Halo 3 Trailer

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Here is the very first Console Monster Podcast hosted by myself.

Featured in the first edition is an introduction with Anthony Barker, who informs us about the features of 360monster.com and what we can expect in the future with the new network sites PS3monster.com and Wiimonster.com.

The rest of the podcast focuses on a conversational style debate with myself, Anthony Barker and Barrie Rogers who is the 360monster.com lead editor.

This podcast features:

Gears of War first impressions Viva Pinata expectations Gears of War 8 players online enough? Call of Duty 3 first impressions Halo 2 removed from most played top spot by Gears of War Rainbow Six Vegas single player and multiplayer demo impressions Xbox 360 advertisement blitz in the United Kingdom Halo 3 public multiplayer beta and new Halo 2 maps New Xbox Live Arcade titles Retro gaming headache? Sony PlayStation 3 launch impressions and press Nintendo Wii launch impressions and press Red Steel mediocre review score on Gamespot

If you would like to have a question or comment feature in the next podcast, please leave your thoughts on our voicemail service, call UK: --THIS NUMBER IS NO LONGER USED, SORRY-- or Worldwide: –THIS NUMBER IS NO LONGER USED, SORRY–.

We recorded this podcast using Skype and the Skylook application.

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It has been a while since I created a podcast, I do actually have one that is waiting for permission from a certain publisher, but here is something to keep you going until then...

Jeremy Hague who is responsible for the Skylook application returns (after featuring in Podcast #1) to tell us about the new version that was released recently (Skylook 2.0) and how things have changed. Skylook is very useful for myself as I use it to record the interviews through Skype which I make for my podcasts as well as including numerous features that tie in with Outlook the email client by Microsoft.

Topics include:

What is Skylook? User requests Features for podcasters New features in Skylook 2.0 Recording using Skylook Features for business users Why Outlook the email client? Microsoft Office 2007 compatibility Using the Internet for browsing email Press feedback Pricing

To find out more about Skylook, make sure you visit their new website:http://www.skylook.biz

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In my latest Microsoft Xbox 360 Debate I have with me of course Barrie Rogers from 360monster.com and also Siren and Vixen from We Are Versus.

It has been a while since E3 now and a few notable updates have been made to the Xbox 360, so this podcast features:

Major Dashboard Update What updates would we like in the future? Backwards Compatibility Update Games we want to see added to the Backwards Compatible list? Xbox Live Arcade rundown and future titles Uno achieves highest demo to purchase conversion rate Sony's Official Podcast Golden Joystick Awards Game Related Television Shows Online and offline gaming Frag Dolls UK Competition - Gaming Poetry by Vixen, Barrie and James

08/08/2006 - Now also available in higher quality ogg vorbis 48kb/sec format!

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One of the most useful applications I use on my computer has to be Klipfolio by Serence Inc. This handy program is a free download, that when configured can read your favourite websites by using their RSS feeds or by pre-built Klips, to let you know about new information in a very convenient way.

In this podcast, I interview Allan Wille, President and CEO of Serence Inc who are behind the Klipfolio application.

This edition features:

What is Klipfolio? When and how did Klipfolio and Serence Inc. come into existence? How can Klipfolio be used other than just reading RSS feeds? What are the differences between Klipfolio 2.6 and the latest 3.0? What features are you planning on adding in the future? (Klipfolio 3.5/4.0?) Klipfolio worldwide Did you expect Klipfolio to expand as quickly as it has? Klipfolio statistics New Klipfolio website When can we expect the next versions of Klipfolio? Features of Klipfolio 3.1 Process of creating your own Klip Creating your own skins Monitoring Forums What is the criteria for receiving an 'Editor's choice' Award? What services do you offer to companies wanting to customise Klipfolio for their own brand? Have you considered creating any other applications? How do you personally use Klipfolio and what feeds do you monitor? Questions submitted on Klipfolio's discussion forum

My site James Woodcock's Blog also has Klips available to download if you use Klipfolio.

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In my latest podcast, I interview Siren and Vixen from their new website We are Versus. You may remember Siren who used to be known as Voodoo from Frag Dolls UK, but recently left to try something a little different.

Please note that Vixen had a horrid time with her microphone, so the sound quality of her sections were quite poor at times, but not her fault. I have also increased the quality of the overall podcast by increasing the bitrate to 48kb/sec, which was requested by quite a few listeners. I would like to thank both Vixen and Siren for joining me in the podcast, as it was extremely hot due to this mini heatwave in England.

What is We are Versus? Voodoo and Frag Dolls UK Targeting female gamers for certain types of genre right or wrong? Did Siren enjoy the Frag Dolls UK experience and why did she leave? What does 'We are Versus' feature on the website? Nintendo DS Lite lurve... Sony PSP not all that? Getting Sony PlayStation 3 and/or Nintendo Wii? Who created the actual website? Which games do you play online? Earning revenue through advertising in future? What platforms do you enjoy gaming on? Fav' games? Prey on Xbox 360 Where did their gamertags originate? Feel little geeky when talking about gaming interests to non-gaming friends? Questions submitted by the 'We are Versus' forum community

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Featuring the two developers behind 360voice.com, Trapper Markelz and Stephen Sopp. 360voice.com allows your Xbox 360 to blog to the world, showing everybody your achievements, gamerscore, games played and even lack of activity if you have dared to neglect your beloved Microsoft Xbox 360 console for 24 hours.

You may have noticed that I have renamed my shows to Podcast instead of using Blogcast. Although I actually prefer the term Blogcast, Podcast is instantly more recognisable. This Podcast is also my 10th edition, which is something I am very happy to have reached and I thank all my guests so far who have helped me attain this number.

Podcast #10 includes:

What is 360voice.com? Where did the idea originate? How long did it take to develop? Massive server demand Individual tasks both Trapper and Steve perform Registration process explained Recommendations for integrating 360voice information Any feedback from Microsoft? Sony PlayStation 3 voice blogging interest? Microsoft's developer support Xbox 360 love and admiration Enjoying developing 360voice.com? Who creates the funny quips? Future additions to 360voice.com? Possible customisation per Gamertag? Press reaction to the website? Most played games and Uno High Definition Televisions Purchasing HD DVD? Nintendo Wii First gaming experience? Classic gaming compared to today?

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Here is part 2 of our E3 special edition version of my Xbox 360 Debate Volume 2 featuring guests Barrie Rogers from 360 Monster, Michael Rossell from Brit Xbox, Ade Ricketts from MSXbox World and Ali Owen (freelance). Make sure you check out Xbox 360 E3 Debate Volume 2 Part 1 first, which covers Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 predominantly.

Topics covered in part 2 include:

Microsoft Xbox 360 HD DVD Accessory - Source Twit Xbox Live Arcade Vs Nintendo Wii Back Catalogue 2D Glory Returns Getting Users on Xbox Live Loving Xbox 360 Achievements Gears of War first impressions Halo 3 > Halo 2 > Halo Halo 2 Trash Talking Private Games Online Grand Theft Auto 4 Shock Windows Vista Online Features Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft Rated /10 Submitted Questions

Press Coverage:

360 Monster MSXbox World

Brit Xbox

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Here is part 1 of our E3 special edition version of my Xbox 360 Debate Volume 2 featuring guests Barrie Rogers from 360 Monster, Michael Rossell from Brit Xbox, Ade Ricketts from MSXbox World and Ali Owen (freelance). Again we had plenty to talk about, so I have decided to split it into two separate shows. Part 1 covers Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 predominantly. Part 2 which covers the Microsoft presentation is available here: Blogcast #8 - Xbox 360 E3 Debate Volume 2 Part 2

Topics covered in part 1 include:

Nintendo Wii name change, what is the Wiison for this? Nintendo Wii controller gimmick or serious tool? Sony PlayStation 3 presentation uninspiring? Should Microsoft be worried? Sony PlayStation 3 pricing disaster? Sony PlayStation 3 double trouble with packaging? Blu-ray or no way? Any need for the Microsoft Xbox 360 Core System? Sony PlayStation 3 Controller forgets to rumble, but tilts Microsoft brand a problem for the Xbox 360? Sony PlayStation 3 positives Xbox 360 Vs PS3 Power Multimedia Functionality Lack of Sony PS3 Online information SEGA Dreamcast nostalgia Sony PlayStation on PSP 1080PSPs

Press coverage:

Brit Xbox 360Monster MSXbox World

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A continuation of my special Microsoft Xbox 360 Console debate with a few guests including

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A special Microsoft Xbox 360 Console debate with a few guests including

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In this latest edition, Steve Marsden joins me, who is from Yamaha's technical support staff here in the United Kingdom. Also featured are the new Yamaha Tyros 2 styles only available on the new Internet Direct Connection service.

YPKO Podcast #5 Features:

Glyn Madden (Editor of Yamaha Club Magazine) plays Die Moldau on Tyros 2 YPKO Voicemail Caller Internet Direct Connection Tyros 2 Styles Examples Part 1 Steve Marsden of Yamaha UK Technical Support Interview Part 1 Steve Marsden plays Ode to Joy with AI Chords on Tyros (1) Steve Marsden of Yamaha UK Technical Support Interview Part 2 Internet Direct Connection Tyros 2 Styles Examples Part 2

Internet Direct Connection Style examples used in order:

Part 1

50sShuffle 60s12-8 60s4BeatSoul 60s8BeatFast 60sBeat 60sChartBeat 60sChartPop 70sBossa 80sPopRock 90sChartBeat 90sPopShuffle 90sPowerBallad

Part 2

BandGuitarSwing BigBandStandard BritRockBallad CelticPop6-8 ClassisR&B CoolBallad CoolClubbin DiscoPhiladelphia EuroOrgFoxtrot GrooveR&B HandJive JazzQuartetFast LiveR&BBand LoveBallad OperaClassic SlowShuffleBlues WestEndBallad

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This edition features:

Interview with Dan Kuykendall - developer of the plugin 'PodPress'

If you have listened to any of my blogcasts, you will have at some point used (without maybe knowing even), the fantastic plugin 'PodPress', written for WordPress by Dan Kuykendall from the Mighty Seek website. With a huge array of options and media choices, you can provide audio podcasts (or blogcasts as I prefer to call them) and even video to your visitors via your website and iTunes.

PodPress is used here on my own blogsite and has made the whole process very simple indeed. Dan has been extremely helpful with queries and feature requests, so make sure you pop over to his website and new discussion forum and congratulate him on his hard work for the benefit of so many people.

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In episode #4 of my blogcast I mention:

Interview with Jackie Marsden, article writer for the Yamaha Club Magazine Yamaha Personal Keyboard Owner - Information about my own independent Yamaha keyboard enthusiast website Support Team Sarin from Fragdolls UK

The highlight of Episode #4 is my interview with article writer from the Yamaha Club Magazine, Jackie Marsden, who is married to Steve Marsden who kindly helps out at my discussion forum over at Yamaha Personal Keyboard Owner. She has teaching experience and has achieved numorous letters after her name in her own education.

It has been a fascinating experience to play Burnout 3 on Xbox (1) and then play the very latest version 'Burnout Revenge' on the Xbox 360. Both are very special titles, however with the new high definition graphics it really is nice to see the difference. Burnout Revenge has got to be my favourite online title for the Xbox 360 so far.

This episode was delayed due to my faulty internet connection, I have been unable to record any interviews over Skype. Everything is OK now though, so expect many more episodes in the next few weeks as I catch up.

Enjoy this latest installment.

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In episode #2 of my blogcast, I mention the following:

Yamaha Personal Keyboard Owner - Information about my own Yamaha keyboard enthusiast website The Yamaha Club Magazine - Cut down interview with the editor of Yamaha Club Magazine Glyn Madden

Featured in this edition of my blogcast is the trimmed down version of the interview with Glyn Madden, editor of the Yamaha Club Magazine. The full version including Glyn playing on the Yamaha Tyros 2, is available on Yamaha Personal Keyboard Owner in full and in a much higher quality for members of this website, and registration is free!

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Well here it is, my first blogcast for my new website. The first edition covers the following:

Introduction to website ScummVM Music Enhancement Project Interview with Jeremy Hague regarding the application Skylook

This show is featured in MP3 format, 32kb/sec, mono, for minimal filesize and good compatibility.

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Here I look at the flagship keyboard, the Yamaha Tyros 2, by presenting many of the new built in styles. There is also mention of the Yamaha Club Weekend and new Chairty Audio CD.

YPKO Podcast #4 Includes:

Tyros 2 Introduction YPKO Radio Name Tyros 2 and Super Articulation Tyros 2 Style Demonstrations Part 1 Yamaha Club Weekend Tyros 2 Style Demonstrations Part 2 YPKO Voicemail Callers 10th Anniversary Yamaha Club Charity CD Sample

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In our latest radio show that lasts nearly half an hour, you can enjoy samples from the Tyros 2 as well as a demonstration from Glyn Madden, Editor of the Yamaha Club Magazine.

As we have now announced our new friendship and co-operation with the Yamaha Club Magazine, our latest radio show features an extensive interview with Glyn Madden about our new partnership and his personal interest in Yamaha with a little of his past history.

Podcast features:

Tyros 2 Introduction New site features Interview with Yamaha Club Magazine's Glyn Madden Glyn Madden plays Tyros 2 10th Anniversary Yamaha Club Charity CD

Game & Gadget Podcast: Recent Episodes

James Woodcock