The Ephemeric

Decided to do a double bill of reviews today just for the hell of it, a lot of new stuff to check out. Im going to start with the best.


The Iphone- the definitive review

In the buildup to this being released there has been a lot of mixed press. Most of it was hopeful, awash with awe at the cutting edge design and interface, and yet there was the odd article, even from within reputable tecchy sources casting doubt on the overall quality of this product. Things such as 'the screen wont look as good as in the adverts because it has low resolution' or 'the battery only lasts 40 minutes', etc.
It is my distinct pleasure to announce that pretty much all of this is bollocks. The screen looks astoundingly sharp and colourful, is precisely responsive, and a good size for watching videos, while the interface is not only intuitive but highly functional. The battery life has yet to fail me, even though i've been whipping this thing out at every opportunity to watch videos, browse the internet (more on that later), listen to music, map out my journey, check the weather forecast, take photos, take notes, the list goes on. From the moment you pick it up from the shops, the iphone is a feast for the senses. Every last detail has been given extra import, the box just feels... right... and when a product's box can impress me you know theres something good here.
The best thing about this phone, the one thing that will change your life the most, is the free, unlimited interenet, which can work either through wifi, or 'edge', apple's high(ish) speed phone-internet connection. It allows you to browse to your heart's content no matter where you are, which ends up making a bigger difference than you ever expect it to. Lastly the camera impresses, despite being weaker on paper than many other camera phones. The quality is very high indeed, and not at all grainy like many more powerful camera phones are; the only thing it lacks is a flash for night pictures.

However the phone is not perfect. The disappointing thing is that most of the bad things apple brings on itself. Most notably is the annoying and tedious activation you have to go through in order to make sure youre using valid sim chips on valid networks, followed soon by the annoying ringtone issue, whereby you can only use tracks from the itunes music store (completely idiotic when you think other phones can use just any mp3), and indeed most niggles continue in this fashion, the lack of 3rd party application support, going so far as to block out negating hacks in each update... what possible reason could apple wish to prevent the update of software that can add infinite functions and re-usability to its product, much like facebook apps have done for facebook, they wouldnt be liable afterall.

This is still the best phone, the best gadget and one of the best pieces of technology we as a species have yet constructed.


Pushing Daisies- new tv show

This is a brand new show which has been met with considerable success in just 4 episodes that have been broadcast in America. In a season blighted with poor performing new shows, poor performing returning shows (heroes) and the constant threat of strike (which has now taken place), this show has been one of the few big highlights, and even with the strike potentially bringing its debut season to an early close this is one show that is likely to be given another shot and renewed next year.
So what is it you ask? It is a show who's plot borders on the fantastic, about a man who can bring dead people back to life with his touch, but then kills them forever with a second touch. I'm sure you, like me, were not blown away by that plot description, but its not so much the premise that gives this programme its x-factor. The style, direction, characters, and every tiny little detail that appears on screen is so stylishly, and perfectly finessed into a tim burton-esque, dark, quasi-fairytale, that it becomes difficult to drag your eyes off the screen. Even the tiniest of guest characters are given a full vibrant personality with their own quirks, and this depth really adds something to the experience that comes across in spades.
Indeed, ultimately you are rewarded by a rich and well written tv experience that certainly makes this a show to watch out for.