About a year ago Lenovo was chosen by Google as a producer of the first smartphone compatible with Project Tango, or with a platform that transforms your mobile device into an object that can map the surrounding environment. The fruit of this collaboration is called Phab 2 Pro and is now available on the market, even for purchase online, at a cost of about $499.99 (no UK pricing just yet). The views affect the characteristics hardware valuable: the 6.4-inch screen with qHD (1.440×2.560 pixels) resolution, the aluminium and glass body with rounded corners, divided into gold or silver.
Within the smartphone and, usually, a processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 652, 4 GB of RAM, a 16 megapixel rear camera and a front 8, a powerful 4,050 mAh battery with turbo charging and – above all – a kit of sensors allow to detect movement, location (geolocation) and the depths of space.
According to Lenovo, the Phab 2 Pro can capture up to 250 thousand measurements per second . To do what? The existing augmented reality applications ranging from the field of gaming to teaching, from furniture of shopping interior.
What do you get in the box for the Lenono Phab 2 Pro.
Lenovo is coming after the gaming laptop market with the Lenovo Legion Y720 (£1299.99 – £1599.99) and the Y520 (£949.99 – £1219.99).
The Chinese firm has determined that this way you can make one, simply had to create a parallel brand called Legion .
The type of product you can already know quickly with the images, computers very flashy – too often – to the taste that is supposed to have users ‘gaming’. I still think that most would be happy with good specifications and a conventional or discrete design, but this is the path taken by Acer, Alienware (Dell) or ASUS , and they seem to not go bad as well.
Legion wants to offer it at a slightly lower price. Lenovo wants to assault this market with a clear difference, that does not hurt so much in the pocket of buyers. Not that they are cheap products, but clearly they are at a price level lower than what we are seeing in this new batch of gaming laptops.
The offer starts with two teams, both with 15.6 – inch screens and a processor Intel seventh generation of the family Kaby Lake: respond to the name of Legion Y720 and Y520, and the first is the most powerful of the Offer, let’s get to know them better:
Legion Y520
This is the least powerful model, for him a graphic is selected Nvidia 1050 GTX , which is the will to do with a screen with Full HD resolution. They tell us that this panel is IPS and has a layer on the screen to end the reflexes.
The team is 16GB of RAM and 2TB storage, we must also note that the speakers are signed by Harman and certified as Dolby Audio Premium.
Other features to note are its USB-C port, a pair of USB 3.0, HDMI, red backlight, and Ethernet port.
Lenovo says it can take us about four hours with a full charge.
Legion Y720
This is the big model with a quad – core processor Core i7-7700HQ, which is associated with a graphic of a top step, one Nvidia 1060 GTX . Both have to do with the rather more demanding screen resolution 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels).
In this case the autonomy up to 5 hours of life with a load (60WHr) and speakers are signed by JBL , with Dolby Atmos certification.
The USB-C port masks a Thunderbolt and the keyboard backlight is RGB
Lenovo has kicked off CES 2017 in Las Vega with a bang, with a full range of exciting products to show how “different innovates better.” Today’s consumers expect their devices to be tailor-made to meet their needs and fit their usage habits, whether at home, in the office or on the go. Today’s announcement solidifies Lenovo’s continued dedication to innovation through the lens of every individual and the demand of their distinct life.
“Our approach to innovation is to ensure we’re constantly evolving and understanding how technology is infused within every individual, business and home,” said Gianfranco Lanci, president and chief operating officer, Lenovo. “We’re dedicated to understanding our customers and will never stop creating better experiences, whether PCs for work, play or gaming, next generation AR/VR innovation or within the smarter home.”
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017 embodies the more advanced solutions, became more powerful (through the use of Intel Core processors of the seventh generation) and appeared smaller predecessor. Dimensions and weight of new items – 323,5 x 217,1 x 15,95 mm and 1.14 kg.
For comparison, the size and mass of the Lenovo X1 Carbon fourth generation – 333 x 229 x 16.45 mm and 1.17 kg. The notebook uses Intel Core i7-7600U processor with vPro, the maximum memory capacity of 16 GB Set. Screen diagonal of 14 inches a choice of two: a resolution of 2560 x 1440 or 1920 x 1080 pixels. The maximum brightness of LCD panels is the same – 300 cd / m².
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017 is equipped only with SSD, and options volume solid-state drives – five 128 GB (SATA), 180 GB (SATA), 256 GB (PCIe), 512 GB (PCIe) and 1TB (PCIe). Maximum autonomy of the device, measured by MobileMark 2014 is 15.5 hours. The notebook supports fast charging technology, which allows recharge the battery charge to 80% in just one hour. The novelty has received just two USB-C port that supports Thunderbolt 3. Among the interface connectors has a couple of USB 3.0, RJ-45 ports, HDMI and two USB 3.0. Also available microSD card slot, and in versions with built-in modem LTE Qualcomm Snapdragon X7 is also a SIM card slot.
The list of optional equipment listed NFC laptop adapters and WiGig (Intel Tri-Band Wireless- AC 18265), but for Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2 would have to pay extra not. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017 is equipped with the usual (with 720p video recording) and an infrared camera with biometric authentication functions of Windows Hello, supports Dolby Audio Premium technology. The second system of biometric identification, fingerprint sensor, optional equipment is included in the list.
ThinkPad X1 Carbon starts at $1,349, available beginning in February 2017.
Also at CES 2017 Lenovo announced Lenovo Smart Assistant, with the market of smart home is growing rapidly. By 2019, almost two billion smart home devices on the market. However, despite the buoyancy of the market, people are still struggling to embrace these devices. The first problem is related to ‘ high cost and the second problem is the ” confusion ” of this market leading consumers do not fully understand what device can fit for their needs. Offer a perfect experience of smart home to more homes and make them more accessible technologies are among the great objectives of Lenovo for the “connected world.”
After conducting a series of studies on the issues and needs of consumers, Lenovo designed Smart Assistant , a new digital personal assistant that makes use of voice services based on cloud of Amazon Alexa . Elegant and done in collaboration with Amazon, Lenovo Smart Assistant recognizes voice commands for the user to search the web, play music, create lists, remember appointments in the diary, and much more. And since the brain Alexa is in the cloud, his intelligence continues to gradually improve with use. Lenovo Smart Assistant is also designed to manage Lenovo devices dedicated to smart home as well as a number of third-party products, to expand the options available to the user.
Lenovo Smart Assistant will be available in Light Grey, Green and Orange, will only be available in America from May 2017, starting at $129.99, available in Light Grey, Green and Orange. Lenovo Smart Assistant Harman Kardon Edition starts at $179.99, available beginning in May 2017.
Gnomes are such adorable little creatures aren’t they? No wonder that some people decorate their gardens with statues of them. Perhaps that is why the development team behind Geki Yaba Runner Deluxe decided to use a gnome as the main character.
To celebrate the release of new Nicolas Cage war drama USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, we have a fantastic Lionsgate action bundle up for grabs featuring The Mechanic Boxset, Criminal, Sicario & Stolen…
Academy Award® winner Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas, The Rock) stars in this wartime action drama directed by Mario Van Peebles. After delivering one of the atomic bombs that would eventually end World War II, the Navy cruiser USS Indianapolis is torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Left with no option but to abandon ship, Captain Charles McWay (Cage) and hundreds of his crew are left stranded in shark-infested waters…
USS Indianapolis also stars Golden Globe® nominees Tom Sizemore (Saving Private Ryan) and Thomas Jane (Deep Blue Sea) and is directed by Mario Van Peebles (New Jack City).
How to enter to win
We have a Lionsgate DVD action bundle up for grabs featuring The Mechanic Boxset, Criminal, Sicario & Stolen to giveaway.
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is to enter below:
LEGO have released a number of new play sets for Star Wars Rogue One – one of them is the AT-ST Walker.
Following the foundation of the Galactic Empire, a wayward band of Rebel fighters comes together to carry out a desperate mission: to steal the plans for the Death Star before it can be used to enforce the Emperor’s rule. Recreate the scenes with these exciting new LEGO Star Wars Rogue One Play sets.
Go on the hunt for Baze and the Rebel Trooper aboard the All Terrain Scout Transport. Open the top hatch, load up the AT-STDriver and move the legs to speed into action. When you’ve tracked them down, turn the wheel to rotate the top and prepare to fire the spring-loaded shooters. Can Baze and the trooper escape the advancing AT-ST? That’s for you to decide…Includes three minifigures: AT-ST Driver, Baze Malbus and Rebel Trooper.
What’s in the box?
As usual with LEGO play sets, there are numbered bags containing all the pieces along with a very detailed instruction manual for building the set.
LEGO Star Wars Rogue One AT-ST Walker (#75153) retails for £39.99.
The new LEGO Star Wars collection is available nationwide at all good retailers.
For more LEGO STAR WARSfun and Jedi training tips, check out cool games, mini movies, comic builders and loads more activities at LEGO.com/starwars
LEGO have released a number of new play sets for Star Wars Rogue One – one of them is the Imperial Assault Hovertank.
Following the foundation of the Galactic Empire, a wayward band of Rebel fighters comes together to carry out a desperate mission: to steal the plans for the Death Star before it can be used to enforce the Emperor’s rule. Recreate the scenes with these exciting new LEGO Star Wars Rogue One Play sets.
Help Chirrut battle the Imperial Assault Hovertank as it patrols the streets. This tough urban patrol vehicle has a two-minifigure cockpit and a rotating and elevating turret gun with spring-loaded shooters to target enemies of the Empire. And if the Rebel forces hide out of sight, open the storage container, grab the blasters and play out your own mini urban battles! Includes three minifigures: Chirrut Imwe and two Imperial Hovertank Pilots.
What’s in the box?
As usual with LEGO play sets, there are numbered bags containing all the pieces along with a very detailed instruction manual for building the set.
LEGO Star Wars Rogue One Imperial Assault Hovertank (#75152) retails for £29.99.
The new LEGO Star Wars collection is available nationwide at all good retailers.
For more LEGO STAR WARSfun and Jedi training tips, check out cool games, mini movies, comic builders and loads more activities at LEGO.com/starwars
The Last Guardian was almost an urban legend in video games. For the last ten years, it has been the elephant in the room for Sony and PlayStation at gaming events. It was first announced back in 2007 and was to be developed by Fumito Ueda, famous for games ICO and Shadow of the Colossus and was originally supposed to be an exclusive for the PS3. But years of constant delays and developer issues left it in video game limbo, with fans doubting it would every be released at all, even after Sony reported in 2012 that it was going to be developed for the PlayStation 4 console instead. Now at the end of 2016, The Last Guardian has finally released and it would prove to be a very interesting experience.
Of all the games I have both played and reviewed in 2016, it is almost ironic that the last game I do both with this year happens to be the one game that my opinion kept changing about it right up to the very final seconds. I came into playing The Last Guardian after avoiding almost all gameplay videos and trailers in the months leading to its release as I wanted to experience it for the first time myself. I am glad I did because this is a game which requires the player to form a very special and personal bond with the main characters for the power of the story and gameplay to have its intended effect.
The game opens with the player taking direct control of a young boy, who awakens to find himself in a strange place with no memory of how he got there or why he is suddenly covered from head to toe in strange tattoo markings. Coming to his senses he soon realises that he is not alone, next to him is a large animal wearing damaged armour and wounded by spears which are still stuck in the creature. What happens next is something that took me completely by surprise by its delicate delivery but immediate impact on me. Within minutes I found myself talking to this giant creature named Trico, just as I would with any animal such as a dog or cat upon meeting it for the first time. I instinctively knew that I had to gain Trico’s trust if I wanted to help it and to that I had to get close to it. I could see the spears that were causing it pain and stopping Trico from standing and that whatever battle it had been in had taken a toll on it. In what would serve as a fun tutorial section, I searched the area and discovered barrels containing a glowing blue substance and carried them to Trico, guessing they were food for this creature. The animation and mannerisms of Trico felt like those of a young puppy, and soon after feeding it, removing the spears and helping to take off its battered armour, I stood there looking at a magnificent beast indeed, and Trico looked at me back and a bond had been made between us.
The bond with Trico forms the main foundation for the gameplay in The Last Guardian. Not only do you have to navigate a way for you as the boy to explore and progress the area but you also have to find a way for Trico to come along as well. To begin with, Trico will learn to follow you and by using R1 to call to Trico, it will try to find you. The early sections will mostly consist of trying to help Trico by finding more barrels for it to eat and in trying to bring Trico with you as you move through this mysterious building. From finding and activating switches, to exploring to finding paths large enough for Trico to move through, the early stages of the game help strengthen the bond between Trico and the boy with a true partnership that grows stronger as the game goes on.
Soon Trico begins to help the boy more to navigate the surroundings, the charm of riding on Trico’s back as it learns to leap to different ledges or to help the boy reach high platforms to get to switches or more barrels to feed Trico. The natural evolution of this side to the gameplay is truly organic and wondrous to see unfold with some memorable moments such as seeing Trico leaping to the moment when Trico comes to your aid and fights to protect you when you encounter strange armoured guards who target you yet seem to have a strange understand of what Trico is. After such an encounter Trico will be all riled up and excited so when you pet Trico and see it relax and calm it down just as you might your own pet, it just makes the connection that much more special. This relationship is really the driving force as the game has little in the way of hand holding guidance with short lines of dialogue coming from narration triggered by certain progress in the game or when a new skill can be used. The narration is from the boy, much older, telling the story of this journey as though he is remembering it or telling it to someone else. It is an elegant level to the story telling that is told through each experience of the journey together.
I also have to say that The Last Guardian is simply one of the most visually stunning games I have played in 2016. The water coloured pallet visuals are more than just striking, they create a world that is breathtaking at times in the level of detail in each structure, area and environment. The animation of Trico alone is something rather magical with the feathers moving in a breeze or when the boy is climbing on Trico to the animation of the boy climbing, falling and how the emotion of a sequence is captured in how each character moves and reacts be it a tender moment between Trico and the boy or a dangerous encounter with both fighting for each other. The visuals are complimented by a beautiful musical soundtrack that enhances the emotion in the game and story so succinctly throughout the game and especially in the later stages and ending. For a game that was lost in developer limbo for almost ten years, you can see why such it may have proven so difficult to bring so many amazing elements together to finally bring the story of The Last Guardian to life. But sadly, not everything benefited from a long development.
Sadly perhaps the greatest strength of The Last Guardian is also its biggest problem. To create the bond between the boy and Trico to drive the story and experience to the level it needs to get to, a great deal of effort has gone into giving Trico its personality traits and behaviour through its AI. In the beginning it is almost charming when Trico is stubborn or misbehaves. But the final third of the game requires Trico to be more willing to do as it’s told and to react to situations in set pieces in order for the game to continue. But that stubborn trait can become a really frustrating mechanic when you require Trico to do something and it just refuses to do it such as a moment when you become stuck on a tree after a fall with no way to free yourself and Trico will just sit there, staring at you. Clearly this is supposed to be a lovely little moment in the game where Trico rescues you but for me, no matter how much I mashed buttons and called to Trico to get its attention, for ten minutes Trico just walked about until it finally decided to lift me off the branch. This happened far too often for key sequences that followed the same formula and it proved to be an experience breaking problem whenever the essence that makes Trico so amazing a character also becomes a hindrance at moments it needs it to be a much smoother element.
Then you also have the glaring issues of the pain in the butt camera which also serves as a hindrance at times when the game calls for very fiddly and precise climbing or platforming as the boy or with Trico. The controls as well at times can feel very last gen, which considering The Last Guardian was originally a PS3 title, haunts the gameplay as each face button on the controller is a different action button which in 2016 is rather a unique way of doing a control scheme for a platformer and feels a little unnatural. There are puzzle sections that follow big set piece moments of the game that can at times break the pace and flow of the experience which felt unnecessary and adding an element of grinding the same gameplay that could have been cut out and would have lost nothing once the bond between the boy and Trico is set in stone.
My feelings about The Last Guardian would chop and change throughout my playthrough of it. One moment I would be in awe at the spectacle and wonder of this world and its characters to shouting at the TV and rage quitting when Trico or the gameplay would become a frustrating mess and shattered the experience. But following those moments of frustration would be truly outstanding memorable moments that would grab hold of me and bring me back into all the good things about this game. Persevering through the frustrating times to reach perhaps one of the most mesmerising game endings not just of 2016 but in recent years just made this an experience worth that long wait for. Now after the festive season is over, prices have dropped for this and there is no better time to pick it up.
The good far outweighs the bad in The Last Guardian, and as I write this the day after completing the story, I am still mulling over the experience enough to make me want to return and experience the story again.
With Wileyfox entered the phone market last year with the Swift and the Storm smartphone market. We are now a year later and that means it’s time for successors, in this case only of the most successful of the two phone. The Wileyfox Swift 2 and Plus must continue the Swift’s success. Priced at £189.99 with three different colours from Midnight Blue, Champagne Gold and Rose Pink.
Wileyfox Box for the Swift 2 Plus
Design
More and more manufacturers are beginning to equip their new handsets with expensive housings that are not made from cheap plastic. But with the Swift from last year had a plastic body, but with the Swift 2 Plus now a metal shell.This alone is slightly different at the back are to be found two plastic bars at the top and bottom that are likely to provide for the receipt of the device.The metal casing the device feels a lot more expensive than he actually is, since you would rather expect a plastic housing with an inexpensive device.
In the box you get the Swift 2 Plus and the USB type C but no charger you need a Quick Charge 3.0 for fast charging
Screen and Hardware
Although the Swift 2 Plus is not equipped with the fastest hardware present, the unit does its job perfectly.Wileyfox has 5 inch screen equipped with an IPS LCD technology and a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels.This resolution is a 5-inch screen is still just fine, allowing both text and images are sharp enough looked.A higher resolution had perhaps better seen, but the average user will not notice the difference.
The screen performed in other areas also excellent.The display’s viewing angles showed no weird colour shifts while the automatic brightness worked properly.
USB Type Csim slot 1 and 2 slots or 1 sim and one microSD slot for extra storageYes it is a headphone jackVolume control and power on/off button
Under the hood of the Swift 2 Plus is a octacore Snapdragon 430 processor from Qualcomm which all calculations assumes along with 3GB of available RAM.Although this chip is no accounting monster he met more than fine for most tasks.
Fingerprint sensor on the back with NFC for all your payment needs
Facebook, Snapchat and WhatsApp are examples of applications that were using smooth and flowing.Also, starting from the most built-in apps went smoothly without noticeable hitches.
Key Specs
5-inches
1280×720 (PPI 294)
Cyanogen 13.1 (at the moment will be getting Pure Android in early 2017)
16MP
8MP
Snapdragon 430
3GB
32GB + microSD
Yes
Fingerprint sensor on the back
Software
One of the unique aspects of Wileyfox devices is that they provide the British firm has CyanogenOS.This Android variation customize the look little, but adds in many places in the operating system tricks to which you can adapt it to your own preferences.
For example you can shuffle the order of the settings in the notification window or screen off by double-tapping on the notification bar.Also adjust the navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen and allows you to select the Cyanogen itself theme options which icons or colour you prefer.
Wileyfox itself provides virtually no additional apps along with the Swift 2 Plus.Some standard apps like the camera app and the launcher, are apps that belong to CyanogenOS.Other apps, such as the telephone and contacts app, again Google apps.
Besides the fact that the device thus contains no bloatware the interface is smoothly and quickly.Lovers of standard Android versions of Nexus smartphones will be able to pick up their hearts with the Swift 2 Plus.
Camera
The 16 megapixel camera Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus at the back does its job well, but not the best.In automatic mode, pictures are sometimes too dark either or overexposed.Now this is usually not a problem if you have the time to set the exposure of your photos, but for a few quick pictures is pretty annoying.
When recording videos is the same as when taking pictures.During filming, the camera app often the exposure, making the image occasionally toggles overexposed and dark.Selfie camera the other hand is doing great work, already supplies the 8 megapixel camera images that have somewhat faded colours.Cyanogen’s camera app offers no filters or other selfie options: do you have to look for another app.
Battery Life
The Swift 2 Plus has a battery capacity of 2700 mAh and also has built an energy-efficient processor.This meant in practice offers around 50 percent battery life surged at the end of the day.A light user should be able to get even two days, without the device having to load on a daily basis.
To between load Wileyfox has QuickCharge 3.0 device equipped with a handy feature that you come back normal only in more expensive devices.According Wileyfox you can see the Swift 2 Plus allows charge to 75 percent in three quarters, which we also did about during testing.
For this we had to use a different charger Wileyfox no adapter provides itself with the device.
CyanogenOS has built in different profiles for energy and can even switch between these profiles by app.For simple tasks can thus use an energy-efficient profile, and you can use all available processing power for games. If you only simple tasks on your device makes you so completely proceed energy efficient.
Conclusion
The Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus offers alot for a smartphone for the price. With a luxurious design, a decent screen and more than enough power for everyday tasks Swift 2 Plus is an excellent device in its price. The camera somewhat disappointing, but still produces ok photos, but you need to take the time to adjust the exposure. Additionally CyanogenOS offers many useful features, which real diehards can complete their hand putting the unit. The energy-efficient hardware, large battery and Quick Charge you additionally almost never without power.
With CyanogenOS closing down over Christmas 2016 is no more so what is Wileyfox going to do about this problem, read the quote from them below.
Please read this post from Wileyfox Facebook Page
In light of the recent news from Cyanogen, every Wileyfox user’s experience will remain unchanged – hooray!
This was expected and we are confident with the smooth transition planned in an upcoming over-the-air update for the entire Wileyfox product range that will migrate away from Cyanogen’s refocus strategy, and on to a purer Android experience – enhanced.
We strongly recommend that all current and future users accept the upcoming update request to ensure they are on-board for the future. This will include the ability to maintain the same experience as before and the added ability to partake in updates and upgrades to the software in the future.
We will continue to push this update to your device, and for new users we again recommend they download and install this update upon purchase.
We have been ruthlessly testing this and planning a distribution for this update, with a rollout to be released beginning today with immediate effect. Once this transition is implemented and users accept this upcoming update, our first order of business is to focus on delivering Android Nougat 7.0 across the portfolio beginning as early as February, and the entire portfolio by end of Q1 2017.
We value our customers above anything else, and therefore will now take full direct control on all such upgrades to ensure all devices, not just the flagship’s, will get these regular updates.
What this means is we at Wileyfox are still committed to continuous security and Android updates for the entire user base (old, current, and new), a bloatware free OS, deeply integrated value added services, and a promise to maintain a no bullshit attitude to the Wileyfox user experience.
We hope you had an amazing Wileyfoxmas. We look forward to 2017 and beyond, in a Wileyfox world of no bullshit!
Not everyone has an aerial point available where they need it or has the ability to have an external aerial, so an option open to you is to use an indoor aerial, and here is our review of the One for All Indoor Amplified Indoor Aerial SV 9495.
Flat, standing or wall mounted it will blend into any interior. Capable of receiving all your favorite channels in 4K Ultra HD, whether it is television (DVB-T/T2) or radio (DAB+). The unique Automatic Gain Control ensures optimal gain at all times. Plug it in and start watching immediately.
What’s in the box?
The box contains the aerial, a power supply, stand, screws for wall mounting and a guide.
A Closer Look
Final Thoughts
The aerial is rather thin and very lightweight. It comes with both a stand and wall mounting screws, and as well as those you can even lay if flat on a surface, depending on where you want to put it.
Plugging the aerial in and setting it up was very simple – tuning it into the TV also found a few more channels than my last aerial!
There is an automatic gain control feature on this aerial so you don’t need to worry about changing the gain yourself, it’s all taken care of for you. You can choose to switch off the LED for this if you don’t want to see it all the time.
There is a signal strength indicator on the front of the aerial – again, this can be switched off if you don’t want to see it.
The aerial is compatible with DVB-T/T2 programmes broadcast in 4K Ultra HD format – although theres not too much of that content, yet!
It also has an active noise reduction filter for blocking out 4G and GSM signals in order to give you a much clearer image.
The picture quality was excellent – we didn’t get a single channel with a poor picture and we managed to find over 120 TV channels with this aerial.
The One for All Amplified Indoor Aerial SV 9495 retails for £64.99, and if you want a very good quality indoor aerial then look no further.
We take a look at A Gremlin in the Works and take a trip down memory lane to reminisce about Gremlin Graphics and the games I used to play as a child.
With the British computer game scene about to explode, a small shop appeared on Sheffield’s Carver Street called Just Micro. It was founded by the partnership of Ian Stewart and Kevin Norburn, both with retail backgrounds but a desire to get into the business of games publishing. Fortunately the shop attracted local talent such as Pete Harrap, Shaun Hollingworth and Tony Crowther, and so, in 1984, Gremlin Graphics was formed.
This lavish 572 page book plots the course of the company, from initial successes with Monty Mole, Jack The Nipper and Thing On A Spring, to its ground-breaking Lotus-branded racing games, and eventual purchase by Infogrames in 1999.
Officially endorsed by founder Ian Stewart, A Gremlin In The Works by Mark Hardisty features interviews and anecdotes from all of its key members, including Chris Kerry, Ben Daglish and Greg Holmes, along with stalwarts of the UK gaming scene: Rod Cousens, Tim Chaney, Jeremy Heath-Smith, Geoff Brown and Infogrames founder Bruno Bonnell among many others.
Filled with game imagery, memorabilia and archive material such as old letters, business cards, staff photos and game design documents, this is an exhaustive and comprehensive chronicle of one of Britain’s best-loved developers, and a fascinating exploration of the meteoric rise of the gaming scene in the ’80s and ’90s.
The finished book is 572 pages long which is spilt into two volumes. Both volumes are housed within a heavy board full-colour slipcase. Each volume will lovingly printed to the highest standards using CMYK and Pantone inks.
As someone who grew up with a ZX Spectrum in the 80’s playing all the Gremlin Graphics games, this two volume set really was a trip down memory lane.
The first volume covers 1983-1989, from the very beginnings of Just Micro, through Wanted: Monty Mole and more. There are interviews, artwork, screenshots, drawings, everything a fan wants and more! I was 11 years old when Wanted: Monty Mole was released and I loved it!
The second volume covers 1990 through to 2015. One of the really interesting chapters in volume 2 deals with some of Gremlin Graphics cancelled games. It’s really interesting to get an insight into what was planned and what happened.
The books themselves are very high quality and are a must for anyone who used to play Gremlins Graphics games or for anyone who just wants a really great set of retro gaming books for their collection.
Mark Hardisty has done a fantastic job pulling this collection together, and I will be reading it all again!
A Gremlin in the Works is available now priced £29.99, although Bitmap Books have it on special offer for £23.99.
This is how TomTom describes the new TomTom Spark 3:
“There is a new addition to the fitness range of watches at TomTom Sports. We have listened to what matters most to fitness enthusiasts, and redesigned our Fitness GPS sports watch to create the ultimate fitness companion. Meet the new TomTom Spark 3.
The Spark 3 is targeted towards fitness enthusiasts between the ages of 25-50 who are consciously trying to stay fit, work out sporadically and concerned about how they look. They seek a product that can fulfil their range of activity needs such as integrated music features, GPS tracking, Heart Rate monitor, and Route Exploration. They need a watch that will help them accomplish their fitness goals and track their success. Now you can train smarter with the all-inclusive TomTom Spark 3.”
How to enter to win
We are giving away a TomTom Spark 3 Cardio + Music GPS Fitness Watch worth £219.99.
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is to enter below:
Many fans of Telltale Games have only just recovered from saving Gotham City in Batman: The Telltale Series and just a week after that series concluded comes the next chapter in the successful The Walking Dead series with ‘The Walking Dead: A New Frontier’ .Though this is the third season of the TWD main series, it is the fourth TWD game now from Telltale following TWD Michonne, a mini series released this year and a game that for me showed how tired this universe has become now with Telltale Games. There is a limit to how much the same formula can be considered entertaining by fans, so I was both curious and a little bit apprehensive to see what this next chapter would have in store.
So it has only been two weeks since I hung up my cowl and parked the Batmobile in the Bat Cave and now I am picking up whatever weapon is nearby in order to once again fight to survive against the threat of the Walkers. But this time Telltale are launching the series a little differently to previous releases in that they have released the first two episodes right away with the next instalment to release sometime in February 2017. The Ties that Bind Us Parts 1 & 2 aim to introduce us to a new group of characters trying to survive in the world so familiar to fans by now.
We meet Javier, a disgraced Baseball player who returns home to a rather less than warm welcome from his family after the passing of a relative. It is a really fast paced introduction to Javier and we really do not learn all that much about him as a person before he is quickly placed in the main character role of the story. The opening to part 1 does serve as a handy introduction to the TWD world for those playing this series for the first time and as a refresher for those returning to the series once more. Once the opening has fast tracked us into the main story we are left with Javier who is now travelling with his sister in law Kate and her two teenage step children, looking for food and supplies and a place to rest safely.
But where is Clementine, the main character in the first two seasons of TWD. Well for fans hoping to continue her story directly you may be disappointed to learn that Clementine has now become a side character in the story, and her appearance feels a little shoe horned into proceedings a little too hard for my liking. Her story is told via flashbacks where players can learn what became of her following the end to season 2 and what lead to her situation when she encounters Javier’s group. If you have played the previous games then you can import a save file from any device logged in with your Telltale account and this will bring your previous choices for her character into this game so the Clementine in A New Frontier is a result of playing those games. If you are new to TWD then the game will allow you to make certain conversation decisions that fill in the blanks of her history for this story. But having Clementine does feel familiar but for me it just felt as tired to see her forced into the story when its clear the focus is on Javier and his group.
Whilst attempting to refresh the TWD world, this two part premier still relies on the same elements in order to offer an all too familiar gaming experience. Player choice during conversations will shape relationships between Javier and the other characters and during the story itself, key decisions will take the story down one path instead of another. Sometimes these choices will rely on the player basing the decision on events that has just happened or in the hope of protecting the interests and safety of the group. The issue for me is that this no longer feels new or different enough. It still features one good group of survivors trying to avoid conflict with a larger and more dangerous group of survivors and ultimately the story will use this to drive events in a rather obvious way. Having two episodes immediately makes the story move at such a quick pace that I felt that I was making crucial choices without really knowing the people around Javier who himself is still a mystery really. The only person I did know enough to make decisions for or about was Clementine, but as she is just a side character at the moment, trying to make choices concerning Javier and his group felt clumsy.
Another issue with having two episodes to play right off the bat is that the first part’s attempt to create a impactful cliff-hanger ending completely fell flat for me because instead of spending a month to rethink my choices and take in the story whilst waiting for the next episode, I simply waited to compare my choices compared to other players before hitting A and starting part 2. The ending felt incredibly obvious with hints giving to what was going to happen no matter what choices I made to feel like I influenced the outcome. Part 2 as they so often do in a Telltale series delivered on a better story experience now that I knew the characters a little better and seeing some of my choices from Part 1, starting to really take effect. The Flashbacks with Clementine start to give a better idea of what happened to her before meeting Javier but still not giving any real sense of time frame to know when those events took place or how much time has passed between the ending of Season 2 and A New Frontier.
Even the introduction of another key character from the comic books and the TWD TV show did little to really get me invested in this story at this point of completing the first two episodes. I am happy with my choices made in that I felt no compulsion to go back and see how making a different choice would change the story. It all just feels a little too samey for me right now. With no new episode till February 2017, I just do not see what was gained by rushing into a new series of TWD so quickly after finishing their last release in Batman: The Telltale series. It would have been better to have launched this series in January, with two episodes ready to go, it would have made more sense to give the launch more impact then to rush it out for a festive release.
I still do not know what to make of Javier as a main character just yet. He is simply another survivor with young people he is responsible for, trying to keep them and him safe. The side characters fall into their natural place and the real intrigue comes from the flashbacks with Clementine and seeing her story told underneath the main story unfolding. The pace is very quick with Achievement pop ups for completing chapters feeling as though they progress without actually doing very much. The story so far is pretty much what you would expect from a TWD game and I cannot help but feel Telltale made a mistake in releasing a two part premier. Both episodes felt short, with Part 1 no longer then 90 minutes to finish. Normally at this point I would be saying that the second episode needs to kick up the action and story but we have had two episodes already and now a possible two month wait for the third episode.
Overall The Walking Dead: A Telltale Series ‘A New Frontier’, yeah a title that is longer than a few of the chapters in these episodes, is just average in almost every way. The story is rather standard; the new characters just a different take on the same TWD generic survivor and facing the same threats and dangers as previous games. This could have been one single episode for me and it should have been. Telltale Games of late have felt rushed to get out and to finish, Batman: The Telltale Series was completed in just four months and now we have a new TWD series that launched just a week after Batman ended and with two episodes that felt as though one was simply split in two for the sake of it.
A New Frontier is the fourth TWD game series and third for Clementine who seems to have become more of a plot thread vehicle though her story told by flashbacks maybe the only saving grace of this premier launch. Javier has failed to stand out for me so far as a main hero and events so far do not feel anything special or different enough to make A New Frontier stand out from previous game series.
Fans may be happy with more of the same, but it certainly needs to do something different in Episode 3 if this story is to become anymore more than “something to do until Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy releases”!
