Vodafone has completed the first ever UK drone delivery over a 4G mobile network. Drones are traditionally flown using a radio link, with the drone in sight of the operator. However, controlling drones using the 4G network means they can be monitored in real time, reducing the need for drones to be flown in line of sight. Vodafone was able to complete the delivery due to the strength of its 4G network, which covers 99% of the UK population.
The drone is the first of its kind to be built and flown in the UK and harnesses the power of Vodafone’s network via a portable 4G router. In the future, drone delivery over a mobile network could be used to drop vital supplies into hard to reach places. The low latency of 5G will also open up new opportunities for using drones in more densely populated areas. 5G technology will make the drones more responsive, which is essential for avoiding buildings and other obstructions in built-up areas.
The specially adapted drone was made to look like a twinkling Santa sleigh and carried festive treats. It brought Christmas cheer to Portland Bill Coastwatch, which sits on one of the most southerly points of the UK and operates 365 days a year. It is manned by 75 volunteers, known as Watch Keepers, who are the eyes and the ears of the coast. The Watch Keepers complete over 9,500 hours of service each year and work closely with the emergency services to help save lives. Entirely exposed to the UK coast, the site can be hard to reach in winter months. However, using Vodafone’s best ever 4G network, a delivery of much-needed mince pies, chocolate and gingerbread men was delivered to the hardworking volunteers.
Scott Petty, Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone UK said: “Technology plays an increasingly important role in connecting people over Christmas. Flying a drone over 4G for the first time gives us a glimpse of what Christmas deliveries of the future might look like. We have been working hard to build a network that now covers 99% of the UK population, and I’m really pleased we’ve been able to use it to support our rural communities this festive season.”
VOXI, the UK’s first mobile offering dedicated to customers aged 29 and under, has collaborated with Amelia Dimoldenberg and her hit YouTube phenomenon Chicken Shop Date.VOXI, the UK’s first mobile offering dedicated to customers aged 29 and under, has collaborated with Amelia Dimoldenberg and her hit YouTube phenomenon Chicken Shop Date. VOXI and Amelia will take the show on the road for the first time with The Hot Sauce Tour, a unique YouTube series supported by three live music gigs across the UK.
The Hot Sauce Tour follows Chicken Shop Date CEO Amelia on a journey across the country as she uses VOXI’s Endless Social Media to finally find love, whilst recruiting some of the UKs hottest artists for a series of special high-octane gigs. The tour will see events take place in London, Manchester and Birmingham in early 2019, showcasing the incredible music talent the UK has to offer. It will also include some unexpected surprise cameos along the way.
VOXI gives customers who want unlimited data for social media and the latest smartphones the freedom to buy a phone without being tied into a long mobile contract. Customers also have unlimited calls and texts along with free roaming in 48 European destinations at no extra cost. VOXI SIM only plans work on a flexible monthly subscription with no contract; you’re free to change, pause or cancel your plan whenever you like.
Chicken Shop Date, which has now amassed over 150,000 subscribers and 18 million views, awkwardly combines romance, grime and rap artists and fried chicken. The series, which has become a cultural sensation attracting an avid youth audience, sees Amelia in the hot seat with a range of dates from across the music scene, from Kurupt FM and AJ Tracey to Ghetts and Maya Jama, all in a chicken shop.
Watch out for more information on special cameos and find out more about The Hot Sauce Tour, including performing artists, on VOXI’s social media channels in the coming weeks. For further details please visit www.voxi.co.uk.
With Christmas just around the corner, here is a two minute review of the Wireless Phone Charger from The Present Finder.
This is the latest hi tech super cool charging gadget for this Christmas! Just place your smartphone on the inductive charging pad and it will charge charge charge! No wires and no plugs needed for your phone. Easy peasy.
With an anti slip design and the ability to charge through most non metallic phone cases, you will wonder how you ever managed without this gadget. The LED will glow blue when charging and glow red when charging is complete or on standby. An extra long 1.5 m cable is included. Output is 5 Watt.
Qi is a wireless charging technology used to power electronic devices. Did you know that Qi is pronounced “chee” and is taken from the Chinese word for “natural energy”.
What’s in the box?
The box contains the charger, a USB cable and instructions.
A Closer Look
Using the Charger
Final Thoughts
If you have a phone with wireless charging capabilities, like an iPhone X then not having to plug a cable in every single time you want to charge it, especially at night, is a really good thing.
The Wireless Phone Charger from The Present Finder is fairly small and lightweight, you just have to plug in the base to the supplied cable and then connect the cable to either a USB plug (which isn’t supplied) or to a computer with a USB port. Then you just place your phone on the charging pad and wait for it to charge. That’s it, literally!
There are two glowing LEDs on the device – Blue to show its charging and Red to show it’s in standby.
If you are looking for an inexpensive present this Christmas for someone with a wireless charging capable phone, or maybe you want to treat yourself, then look no further than Wireless Phone Charger from The Present Finder, it does exactly what it says on the tin!
The Wireless Phone Charger from The Present Finder is available now priced £14.99.
Here is our two minute review of the Tough:Kit for Nintendo Switch from Snakebyte.
Do you take your Nintendo switch everywhere you go? Then the Tough Kit is something you definitely need. Included is a Tough Case made with a rugged and stylish design that can withstand even the toughest abuse and a Game Case that can store and protect up to 4 games cartridges anywhere you go. Also included, is a set of controller caps that enhances your grip and protects your joysticks from the normal wear and tear and a scratch resistant Screen Shield Pro made of tempered glass.
Who are Snakebyte?
Established in Germany 1997, the snakebyte group is a leading global provider of consumer electronics. The Company has offices in Germany, Shenzhen, the US and Hong Kong and develops and distributes a wide selection of products specializing in connected media devices, gaming, simulation, drones & RC products. In addition, the Company provides its services in the OEM/ODM sector, working with partners to realise their goals and stay ahead of the competition. The snakebyte group have high levels of expertise in hardware engineering and software development, experts at creating an ecosystem in which technology and media can co-exist and provide state-of-the-art experiences for the consumer.
What’s in the box?
The box contains the following:
Tough Case black
Game Case
Screen Shield Pro + black cleaning cloth
Control Caps (1x grey cap, 1x red cap)
Using the Tough:Kit
Final Thoughts
Everything you need to keep your prized Nintendo Switch safe and in one piece is included in the Tough:Kit from Snakebyte.
This includes a screen protector and cloth, caps for you thumbsticks, a case for four games and not forgetting the protective case itself.
The case is lightweight and it’s easy to fit your Switch into it. The screen protector is just as easy to fit and is scratch resistant.
There’s not really much else that needs saying – if you have a Switch and you want to keep it safe, then you really should consider the Tough:Kit – it’s a good investment!
The Tough:Kit for Nintendo Switch from Snakebyte is available now priced around £24.99 and is available in both black and strawberry pink.
Created to deliver the clear, natural sound of a live performance, PSB’s exclusive RoomFeel technology adds layers of lush realism to all your favourite recordings. Carefully developed to produce ‘Room Gain’ – the energy and clarity that a room adds when listening to high-quality loudspeakers. RoomFeel places the music seemingly around the listener, resulting in a truly stunning musical experience. Designed to go wherever you and your music go, RoomFeel brings the most accurate sound directly to your headphones.
How to enter to win
We have M4U 8 Wireless Active Noice Cancelling HD Headphones to give away.
Here we take a look, and listen, to the M4U 8 Wireless Active Noice Cancelling HD Headphones from PSB Speakers.
Created to deliver the clear, natural sound of a live performance, PSB’s exclusive RoomFeel technology adds layers of lush realism to all your favourite recordings. Carefully developed to produce ‘Room Gain’ – the energy and clarity that a room adds when listening to high-quality loudspeakers. RoomFeel places the music seemingly around the listener, resulting in a truly stunning musical experience. Designed to go wherever you and your music go, RoomFeel brings the most accurate sound directly to your headphones.
The M4U 8 model allows you to listen to music wirelessly with Bluetooth aptX HD – the latest 24-bit high definition version of the most universal wireless technology – the high fidelity version of Bluetooth. There are also two different wired modes of operation; 3.5mm wired connection, or via USB from the computer, which recharges the batteries for wireless operation. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is remarkably sophisticated and effective, utilizing 4 microphones (others use only 2) which offer ‘Transparency Mode’ allowing you to momentarily listen to the outside world as well as the ability to answer your connected phone. There is also an Active Mode, and Passive Mode (without batteries). Listen all day and all night with up to 15 hours of run time in Bluetooth or Active modes. When you’re out of batteries, switch to Passive Mode without missing a beat.
Features
Wireless amplified, tri-mode, closed back design
Bluetooth HD wireless connection with aptX and NFC (automatic connection)
Active Noise Cancelling Mode with RoomFeel
Active Mode with RoomFeel
Passive Mode (batteries not required)
One tangle-free cord for wired connection
One tangle-free micro USB cable
1/4” stereo and dual input flight adaptors
Unique dual input connections (left or right)
Runs on included rechargeable battery power
Gyro-suspended ear pads (extra set supplied)
Easy folding for travel and storage
Semi-hard travel case
A Closer Look
Final Thoughts
The M4U 8’s can be folded up and placed in the travel case that comes in the box giving them a great deal of protection – you’ve spent a lot of money on them so you will want to keep them protected.
The M4U 8’s are very comfortable to wear, even for long periods of time, such as a long journey on an aeroplane. They ear cups fully enclose your ears which not only makes it more comfortable but also reduces the outside sounds.
The active monitor function gives an instant reduction in audio so that you can hear what’s going on around you at the touch of a button, very useful and saves you having to remove the headphones.
The sound quality is amazing, no matter what you are listening to it sounds great! The RoomFeel function on the M4U 8’s really make a difference!
There are four separate mics on the headset that aids the Active Noise Cancelling, and they all do very good job to make your listening experience everything it can be.
There are jacks on either side of the headset – which is a very welcome feature – so that no matter which side you want, or need to connect your M4U 8’s to you can with no effort and maximum comfort. After all, you don’t want to have to sit on that aeroplane we mentioned and have to have the cable going across you!
Connecting the M4U 8’s to an audio source is simple, you can use the supplied cable, or connect via Bluetooth – it’s all very quick and easy!
The controls for the M4U 8’s are on the ear cups – so it’s just a case of reaching up and doing whatever you need to. It takes a little while to get used to the placement of the buttons but once you do it’s very easy to use.
The M4U 8’s even work very well when used with a phone to take phone calls!
In terms of battery life, the supplied rechargeable batteries last for around 15 hours, so even the longest flight should have you mostly covered! It takes around 3 hours to recharge them but they are also replaceable so you could always carry a spare set. The M4U 8’s work when the batteries are drained, but you won’t have the noice cancelling features. So, if you are going on a very long journey you might want to carry a spare set of batteries with you, just in case!
The M4U 8’s really are a fantastic set of headphones delivering amazing sound quality and comfort. If you are on the look out for a new set of headphones then look, and listen no further. Take the M4U 8’s out for a spin, you won’t be disappointed.
The M4U 8 Wireless Active Noice Cancelling HD Headphones from PSB Speakers are available now priced around £249, but as usual look around for the best deal.
Amazon have launched SEGA Classics, a bundle of 25 of the most popular SEGA Mega Drive games, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Golden Axe, and Streets of Rage.
Amazon teamed up with SEGA to launch the bundle, the most extensive SEGA collection on any streaming media player, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of SEGA Mega Drive.
With SEGA Classics, Fire TV customers can access a catalogue of classic games without having to purchase a pricey console, buy a controller, or switch HDMI outlets. To play, customers only need their Fire TV remote – or they can pair a compatible Bluetooth controller to their device.
SEGA Classics includes 15 multiplayer games, so you can play with your friends and family this holiday season.
The total list of games are as follows:
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic CD
The Revenge of Shinobi
Ristar
Golden Axe
Beyond Oasis
Decap Attack
ESWAT: City Under Siege
Street of Rage
Street of Rage II
Street of Rage III
Gunstar Heroes
Dynamite Headdy
Dr Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
Columns
Bio-Hazard Battle
Comix Zone
Alien Storm
Bonanza Bros
Golden Axe II
Golden Axe III
Gain Ground
Altered Beast
Sonic Spinball
With Christmas just around the corner, you really can’t go wrong with either reliving your childhood or introducing someone to those awesome classics you used to play. The games are just as fun now as they were all those years ago – yes, they really were out that long ago!!!
SEGA Classics is available now on Fire TV for £11.99, and for that price it’s a steal.
Each week a number of new ID@Xbox titles are released. Here is the roundup of the releases for this week.
Kingdom Two Crowns
Build your kingdom and secure it from the threat of the Greed in the next evolution of the award-winning micro strategy franchise! Experience new technology, units, enemies, mounts, and secrets in the brand-new solo or co-op campaign mode.
Doom and Destiny
Be ready for the nerdiest adventure of your life! Journey with four everyday friends into this turn based hilarious JRPG filled with parodies and cameos! Nerds are storming fantasy and it’s awesome!
Desert Child
You are a hungry, young hoverbike racer who needs to get off Earth before it E-X-P-L-O-D-E-S. Hunt bounties, throw races, and do whatever you can to get to Mars and win the Grand Prix.
Below
Test your adventurer mettle against The Isle’s procedural subterranean labyrinths. Explore a large, interconnected underworld crawling with cunning wildlife, deadly traps and stalked by a shadowy presence. Survive the perils of The Depths and unearth what lies below… or die trying..
Plague Road
Rescue survivors, fight monsters and explore a once great city fallen to plague in a dark fantasy game combining turn-based tactical strategy and roguelike elements.
Lazy Galaxy: Rebel Story
Start a Rebellion! Lead your ships to take down the evil O’Xelg base in this squad-based roguelite shoot-em-up!
Knights of Pen & Paper 2 Deluxiest Edition
Prepare to inhabit a world of chivalry, class warfare and off-beat pop references in the sequel for the successful and award winning game Knights of Pen & Paper!
Knights of Pen & Paper 2 is a turn-based, retro style, pixel-art adventure full of danger, intrigue, death, and saving throws!
Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realm
Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms is an official Dungeons & Dragons strategy management game. Assemble a party of champions and master the art of Formation Strategy. Upgrade your heroes, collect unique gear, and unlock new Champions in regular new events.
Kingmaker: Rise to the Throne
Two royal knights, Edmund and Randall Ulmer, are tricked into a conspiracy against the crown. Pursued by the royal guard and ruthless conspirators, the brothers embark on a dangerous journey that will uncover the kingdom’s shameful secrets, restore the honor of the Ulmer family and change their fate forever.
Rally Racers
Wacky cartoon racing at its best, Rally Racers is an action packed family racing game that’s fast and furious fun for all. Cars bash and battle each other to racing glory, picking up special weapons, boosts, recruiting race mates from the opposition team, performing stunts and completing challenges to be first over the finish line.
See you next week for another round-up of the new ID@Xbox releases.
Simon’s Cat, adored animated YouTube character, recently announced the launch of its Merch Shelf feature on YouTube. Just as the brand has hit 1 billion views on its channel, for the first time, fans of one of YouTube’s most popular pets can shop while they watch, directly under videos.
YouTube and Teespring recently announced the expansion of their merch shelf feature in Europe, giving content creators the opportunity to sell custom merchandise directly under their videos. The feature was launched in the US in June, which saw click-throughs grow to 30% greater than all other traffic sources, a place where creators can get closer to their viewers by offering them convenient access to products they have made themselves.
Simon’s Cat, features the mischievous and often hilarious antics of a fat white cat and his owner Simon. The YouTube channel has reached 4.8 million subscribers, 1 billion views, 6 million Facebook fans and 1 million Instagram fans, proving him to be one of the most popular cats on the YouTube scene. In an industry where pets become social media stars, earning their owners an income that would make some of the biggest social media stars envious, this beloved cartoon is taking a step further in to the merch industry which is currently worth $263 billion.
Simon’s Cat will be offering fans a diverse range of t-shirts, hoodies, jumpers and baby grows. There are also Christmas options, including a sweater reading: “All I Want for Christmas is Mew”.
Simon’s Cat was created by award-winning illustrator, animator and director Simon Tofield. First seen on YouTube in 2008, the series celebrates its 10th Anniversary this year. Simon’s Cat is a worldwide phenomenon topping one billion views on YouTube from audiences in over 100 countries.
About Teespring
Teespring was founded by Evan Stites-Clayton and Walker-Williams in 2012. The business idea was sparked while the pair were students at Brown University and wanted to create a t-shirt to remember the a beloved Providence dive bar while it was being shut down. During the process they encountered the logistical challenges associated with the traditional options of t-shirt manufacturing and so decided to create a solution. In the form of Teespring, they launched simple website to take pre-orders and would handle producing and shipping them if enough people purchased the shirt.
About Simon’s Cat
Animated hit Simon’s Cat was created by award-winning illustrator, animator and director Simon Tofield. Born on YouTube in 2008, the series features the mischievous and often hilarious antics of a charming cat and his long-suffering owner, Simon. Endemol Shine UK acquired a controlling share in the company in 2015.
This year Simon’s Cat is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year, marking a decade since its launch on YouTube with the first Simon’s Cat animation, Cat Man Do. Simon’s Cat is now a worldwide phenomenon topping one billion views on YouTube from audiences in over 100 countries, and the original video has now been watched over 60 million times.
When I watched the first trailer for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse my MARVEL fanboy heart skipped a beat because it finally looked to me that Sony Pictures, who if you do not know owns the Spider-Man license from MARVEL, have finally found the right and the best way to tell stories in that world and after just returning home from seeing the film, I am all a buzzing and a tingle because not only have they indeed found the best way to use the Spider-Verse going forward, but they have made the best Spider-Man film yet.
I am not kidding when I say that either, this is the best Spider-Man film both live action and animated I have watched yet, it is actually rather crazy just how good this film turned out to be on so many levels being someone who knows the Spider-Verse well from comic books, graphic novels to animation and films but it works so well to introduce newcomers to the various characters that the film brings to life with one character in particular, Miles Morales. I am so please and have been hoping for years now that Sony focus on using Miles as their Spider-Man whilst they let MARVEL Studios use Peter Parker for the MCU as he is the perfect choice to build a franchise around which is exactly what they managed to achieve with this film.
I must start though by talking about how impressive and amazing the animation is in this film, it is just stunning and leaps out of the screen at the audience by utilising so many different art styles through out that are so cleverly in tune with the story being told and the characters on screen. I love how Mile’s emotions and thoughts are all enhanced by the visuals around him such as his thoughts becoming comic book speech bubbles all around him and the colour pallet is vibrant and street which is at the core of his personality. I loved all the new looks for iconic characters and villains that using a multiverse so brilliantly allows the artists to go to town with. It is easily one of the best animated films you will see and even more so for a comic book adaptation.
Just as the visuals help tell Mile’s story, the soundtrack is just as vibrant and connected to Miles and I loved it so much that even before the credits had finished, I already had the soundtrack playlist bookmarked ready to play on Spotify before I left the cinema. The music is very much part of what makes up Miles’ character and it punctuates everything about him and how he feels as well as complimenting all the action scenes and epic moments through the story. The synergy between every component of the film is as close to flawless as it is meticulous in the attention to detail for every scene all the way through the film. It just makes this new take on all things Spider-Man so much more fresh modern.
The story itself is truly so well written that it focuses as much on celebrating all things Spider-Man as it does introduce Miles as a new Spider-Man to an audience who may not know him. Miles is just a normal kid at the start of the film who has a clear passion for music and drawing art with graffiti art being his true talent. Miles has all the troubles that a young teenager would have such as going to a school he does not like to struggling to connect with his dad who we saw from the trailer is a straight-shooting Cop which makes Miles’ hobby of tagging streets with his art problematic. Miles is a very popular kid where he lives and watching how he knows everyone and seeing how everyone knows him is quickly contrasted against him at school where he is practically ignored, leaving him feeling isolated as he stays at the school Monday to Friday before going back home. Miles is simply a kid trying to find his way in the world before his life is changed forever.
The story is genius in both using and showing the Multiverse, which thanks to the scheming of King Pin experimenting with a massive Hadron Collider, accidentally breaks through into five parallel dimensions and grabbing the Spider-People from there into Miles’ world. It also brought in a radioactive spider which as you would expect, finds and bites Miles turning him into a Spider-Man of his own. There is just so much fun in having Miles encountering all the different Spider-People from Gwen Stacy as Spider-Woman/Gwen to Spider-Man Noir, voiced incredibly by Nicholas Cage, to Peni Parker and her Spider-Powered Robot to Spider-Ham, the talking pig Spider-hero who is fantastically the most cartoonish of all the heroes. But it is with the middle-aged Peter Parker that Miles has the most time and connection with, excellently voiced by Jake Johnson. This Peter Parker has been a hero for 22 years and has beaten every villain and saved New York in every way possible and is feeling more than just a little burned out by superhero life. We also learn that the hero life has taken a toll on his personal life with him both marrying but then being divorced from Mary Jane. He is reluctant to help train Miles in how to become Spider-Man but soon comes around. Seeing all the different Spider-People together brings some really fun light-hearted moments to the film with some lovely set pieces such as Miles trying to help an unconscious Peter Parker web-sling away from the bad guys. The most fascinating thing is how these very experienced heroes take to Miles who has only just gotten his powers, with the threat of Kingpin breaking all of reality with his actions. They know they not only have to stop him but also get home themselves, but are aware that Miles is just not ready to be Spider-Man enough to help them.
Which is where this film really becomes majestic in its story telling, because with all the noise of having five different Spider-heroes around and the huge threat of Kingpin, the story maintains the heart of the film so sensibly and effortlessly in keeping it centred on what it is really all about, the origin story of Miles Morales. The struggles Miles has with adapting to his powers and accepting the responsibility of what those powers means is a very moving tale to tell. From the moment his world’s Peter Parker makes him promise to put an end to Kingpin’s machine, Miles feels the weight of that burden and with each failed attempt to learn how to use his powers making feel even more isolated around the Spider-Heroes as much as he felt at school. When he tries to reach out to his dad who he knows as a cop has a problem with Spider-Man being a vigilante, he feels he cannot tell him the truth and when a family loss happens and he is prevented by the situation from being there for him, it all takes a toll on this young hero to be. Even the other Spider-People know he is not ready and force him to stay behind as they head off to the big fight with Kingpin.
Miles rising to become the hero he is destined to become is a powerful moment and the story gives him this moment without the clutter or distraction of everything else going on. The audience will feel what Miles is feeling because the writing and animation is so good that you instantly connect with him and understand his emotional state and can both empathise with him and cheer him on throughout. The tone can switch on a dime from light to dark but wise enough never to stray too much into either for too long but never dilutes the deep moments when the story needs Miles to take a moment to be serious which is why Jake Johnson was such brilliant casting for the role of Peter Parker because he can certainly do comedy but when Miles’s own situation begins to snap his character from the funk he is trapped in, they share a real moment that only makes Miles even more of a hero and a true Spider-Man.
It is because it manages to deliver on telling a great origin story for Miles, setting up the multiverse and introducing iconic Spider-Heroes with an amazing voice cast behind them, as well as laying the foundation for Miles’ adventures being Spider-Man that when you take in how great the animation is alongside one of the best film soundtracks in a comic book film and you can see why this film is being so celebrated and rightly so. This really is what Sony Pictures should devote their time in doing for their Spider-Verse license and with their plans scuppered a little following the failed Andrew Garfield era of Spider-Man and Venom doing every it can to not mention or use anything Spider-Man just yet, an animated franchise with the whole Multiverse to dive into and Miles as the main Spider-Man going forward is for me, the best and only way forward. Spider-Man does not have to be Peter Parker and if this film does nothing else then get people to accept Miles Morales as a genuine Spider-Man, then it has done its job.
Thankfully it also does everything else so brilliantly that you should definitely make the time to go see this film this holiday season, you will come out happy and smiling and looking forward to even more animated adventures with Miles. Plus, his suit is legit awesome!
*There are two post credit scenes to stick around for so make sure you stay right to the very end of the credits, it is absolutely worth the wait!*
Engineered by the awarding winning Swiss innovators at Micro Scooters – the small but mighty Falcon is one of the most efficient ways to cover 10km in less than half an hour. Better still it folds down in seconds to make carrying and storing it a doddle.
Falcon
£999.95
Anyone needing to cruise over a longer range, of up to 20km, should choose the Falcon’s big brother, the Condor. It is a fraction heavier but, thanks to having slightly larger anti slip rubber wheels than the Falcon, it offers a higher level of comfort.
THE FALCON – the ultra-compact sprinter
SPECIFICATIONS:
COMFORT ««««
PORTALBILITY «««««
WEIGHT: 7.9KG
RANGE: 10KM
RECHARGING TIME: 1 HR
UPHILL: 15% INCLINE UP TO 500W
EASY FOLD DESIGNSPEED CONTROL: TWIST THROTTLE & MOTION CONTROL (KICK-ASSISTANCE)
Condor Electric Scooter
£1099.95
Both the new scooters boast 500W of power (enough to conquer even the steepest hills in London) as well as regenerative charging, a 1-hour recharge and a twist grip throttle for instinctive braking and acceleration.
THE CONDOR – the convenient cruiser
SPECIFICATIONS:
COMFORT «««««
PORTALBILITY ««««
WEIGHS: 10.8KG
RANGE: 20KM
RECHARGING TIME: 1 HR
UPHILL: 15% INCLINE UP TO 500W
EASY FOLD DESIGN
SPEED CONTROL: TWIST THROTTLE & MOTION CONTROL (KICK-ASSISTANCE)
There is no way of ignoring just how problematic the DC Expanded Universe films have been so far, with Justice League missing the beats on so many levels but the success of Wonder Woman has kept fans excited for more. From Justice League came the expectation of future standalone films featuring the other new members of the team with The Flash and Cyborg but it was Aquaman who has become the last hero standing to get his own film next to the sequel to Wonder Woman in 2019. So, it falls to Jason Mamoa as Arthur Curry to try and redeem the DCEU and for me, he does a bloody good job of it!
The story is set after the events of Justice League with a Russian submarine being attacked by pirates before Arthur appears and goes full hero mode kicking the pirates butts and saving the crew. This is a really solid and incredible opening with superb action and effects but also showing a far more grounded Arthur Curry that is far more like Jason Mamao himself than the Aquaman we saw in Justice League. There is just something very natural about the comedy which works so well with Mamoa from the one-liners he delivers to the physical comedy with just the look he gives to camera. This is a much more enjoyable version of Aquaman than then cocky arrogant and over the top surfer dude personality he had in Justice League which I am so relieved they pulled him back from for his own film as the beach party ‘dude’ Arthur Curry was more than annoying.
Going into Aquaman I was a little worried about how much the trailers may have spoiled things because the trailers were full of big set pieces from the film but I can happily say that though they did showcase quite a lot from the film, the film itself is a 145 minute rollercoaster of a film that throws so much at the audience that is staggering how much they have put into this first Aquaman big screen solo adventure. It is quite astonishing just how much of the Aquaman lore has been put in the film and it just keeps throwing things at you from fights to world building story to character story arcs, this film really is relentless at throwing things at the audience all the way through. Arthur Curry’s origin is told well at the start but so is the origins and history of Atlantis along with all the new characters introduced in the film.
It is crazy just how much lore is put to the audience especially with Atlantis as we learn about the first king, the current political landscape of all the Ocean Kingdoms, which is a lot to take in, even in over two hours of film. But we also get to see the origins of Black Manta and his desire for revenge on Arthur Curry from the opening action sequence in the game to learning about the relationship between his mother Queen Atlanta and his father leading to his refusal to accept or be a part of Atlantis. This is all of course designed to being the audience into the DC comic world of Aquaman and even though as a DC Fanboy I already knew most of this, it is delivered in a very clean way for new fans to learn and understand but because so much is dropped into the story, a younger audience may find it hard to keep track of it all with the use of flashbacks to Arthur’s childhood thrown into the beats of the story unfolding on the big screen.
But what is important and is sensibly always kept on top of the education into Atlantean life, is the journey of Arthur from hero to King of Atlantis. You understand his reluctance to want to help when Princess Mera appears before him to warn him that his half brother Orm, desires to become more than just the would be King of Atlantis, but to also become Ocean Master, someone with the power to command every army of the Kingdoms of Atlantis. His goal, to attack the surface world and take over the world, seeing them as weak and inferior who do nothing but attack and destroy the oceans with their pollution and hunting. Arthur must confront him and reclaim the throne if he is to put an end to his brother’s threat. This is a really standard super hero plot with a hero and a big bad guy to stop but Aquaman manages to take it to really quite epic levels with so much going on both in the story and on screen because as much story and lore is put into the film, there are so many fights and action sequences that it is close to exhausting to see our heroes constantly fighting.
Thankfully the action set pieces are amazing when you consider that a good amount of them all take place underwater that I would say if you have the chance to see this in IMAX then do so because the effects are mind blowing and the best special effects work WB Pictures has pulled off for the DCEU. Atlantis is so bright and colourful as we are introduced to it for the same first time that Arthur himself is seeing this iconic DC Comics place of legend with the technology of their vehicles and seeing all the different Kingdoms and their peoples come to life is a real thrill. The fight scenes are amazing as well with a great blend of live action stunts and special effects making each one a feast for the eyes that by the end of the film I was quite relieved to sit back and watch the credits roll just to catch my breath from it all.
As Arthur undertakes his journey to save both the world of man and Atlantis from the war his brother is determined to bring upon them, Aquaman uses so many different types of story telling along the way. You first have the classic super hero film then it becomes an adventure and treasure hunting film before throwing in some political drama and character roads of discovery which are all merged together, which is a very brave move but for me it all actually works tremendously well. That said, there is a whole section midway through that I feel could have been removed and the story would not have suffered from its removal and with so many action sequences and fights, the audience excitement for them can feel a little tired by the end. The final act almost falls flat story wise but still manages to round things off nicely. There is just the constant feeling that DC and WB have felt the need to literally put everything they can into this film to soft reboot the DCEU in a way by making this the epic film that Justice League should have been for fans.
I do have a few niggles such as with this story being set after Justice League there is a common-sense question about why Arthur does not put a call into Diana, Bruce and Clark and especially Clark, because with so much at stake and a war about to begin, why wouldn’t you call in the Justice League or the big guns like Superman. In fact, what is very noticeable is how much this film stays away from referring to the other heroes with Mera only mentioning that Arthur helped defeat Steppenwolf but then nothing about the other heroes are mentioned in any way, even once an attack on the surface takes place forcing Arthur to stop the possible war, even the battle armour he wore in Justice League’s big fight is no longer to be seen. I also feel that Black Manta could have been used in a far better way then how he was, though he was built up to be a very credible threat to Arthur he always feels like the side factor in the big plan of the film.
I thoroughly enjoyed Aquaman far more than previous DCEU films to date. It was big and loud and told it’s story well with a brilliant cast of actors who all brought their characters to life with a really fun and rewarding story for new fans and diehard DC fans alike. This really is a great popcorn film and a great way to end the year with over the holiday period. Aquaman is a big film and whilst there is an argument to be made about how over the top they went with the action and delivering Aquaman lore, this is the type of DC film I would want to see more of and if they could take this same approach and strength in visual effects to doing a Flashpoint film at some point, I would be beyond happy at the prospect. A lot of groundwork has been laid down here should the future of the DCEU continue from this point or even if they stick to doing solo character films.
I do have to say that Jason Mamoa is incredible as Aquaman, a character who has been seen as a joke character by far too many not knowledgeable in the character and his world. But Mamoa and this film have made Aquaman a tier 1 DC hero on the big screen and I would happily watch more adventures with him in the lead. I do wish that the same effort and detail to story telling that is here would have been the same formula that Justice League followed but it is positive to see that feedback and lessons have been learned from those mistakes. With Wonder Woman 84 and Shazam! Coming in 2019, I do hope we get to visit Arthur and Atlantis again.
So grab the largest bag of popcorn you can find, sit back and just enjoy what is a really fun comic book film that should have been how DCEU films should have been made all along. Bright, fun and bigger than life!
*There is a mid credits scene to wait for but after that you can head home, hopefully smiling*
Today at an exclusive preview of the new Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 event in London we got a little hands-on time with the device before it goes on sale early in 2019.
The Mi Mix 3’s features include:
All-screen display with tiny bezels (93.4% screen-to-body ratio)
Sliding screen with the selfie cameras underneath
A 6.39-inch Full HD display
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset
6GB RAM, 128GB storage
24 + 2MP front cameras with a selfie light
10W wireless charging and a wireless charging mat included
Dual 12MP + 12MP rear cameras
The physical sliding mechanism on the Mi Mix 3 uses magnets, and Xiaomi promises a “satisfying click” as it locks into place. You can Slide the phone also answers calls and can give you a shortcut menu, as well as giving access to the selfie cameras.
When the Mi Mix 3 comes out early in 2019 the UK will get Onyx Black and Sapphire Blue colours, price and release date will be announced soon.
The classic that every movie fan should own!
