RIM unveil BlackBerry PlayBook {Gadgets}

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BlackBerry makers RIM have unveiled their latest toy ‘The BlackBerry PlayBook’ and are pointing it squarely at the “let’s pretend it’s work but shh it’s actually fun” generation.

The professional-grade tablet boasts unmatched power and web performance. Perfect for either large organizations or an “army of one”, the BlackBerry PlayBook is designed to give users what they want, including uncompromised web browsing, true multitasking and high performance multimedia, while also providing advanced security features, out-of-the-box enterprise support and a breakthrough development platform for IT departments and developers.

“RIM set out to engineer the best professional-grade tablet in the industry with cutting-edge hardware features and one of the world’s most robust and flexible operating systems,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. “The BlackBerry PlayBook solidly hits the mark with industry leading power, true multitasking, uncompromised web browsing and high performance multimedia.”

Measuring less than half an inch thick and weighing less than a pound, the BlackBerry PlayBook, with its 7″ high resolution display is ultra portable. One of it’s main selling points is multi-tasking. Its performance is jointly fueled by a 1 GHz dual-core processor and the new BlackBerry Tablet OS which supports true symmetric multiprocessing.

Another of PlayBook’s big selling points is its “Uncompromised Web Browsing” with support for Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1, Adobe® Mobile AIR® and HTML-5, the BlackBerry PlayBook provides users with an uncompromised, high-fidelity web experience and offers them the ability to enjoy all of the sites, games and media on the web. For more than a decade, the mobile industry has worked to bridge the gap between the “real web” and mobile devices through various apps and technologies and, in fact, a significant number of mobile apps today still simply serve as a proxy for web content that already exists on the web. RIM are also encouraging developers and content publishers to work with them to develop applications and content.

The BlackBerry PlayBook features dual HD cameras for video capture and video conferencing that can both record HD video at the same time…possibly to capture the scene you’re looking at and the look of amazement on your face at the same time…and an HDMI-out port for presenting creations on external displays. The BlackBerry PlayBook also offers rich stereo sound.

For those BlackBerry PlayBook users who carry a BlackBerry smartphone, it will also be possible to pair the tablet and smartphone using Bluetooth. This means they can opt to use the larger tablet display to seamlessly and securely view any of the email, BBM™, calendar, tasks, documents and other content that resides on (or is accessible through) their smartphone. They can also use their tablet and smartphone interchangeably without worrying about syncing or duplicating data.

The BlackBerry Tablet OS is built upon the yummiest sounding operating system – the QNX® Neutrino® microkernel architecture. It’s been used in everything from planes, trains and automobiles to medical equipment and the largest core routers that run the Internet.

The Specifications and Key features of the BlackBerry PlayBook include:

  • 7″ LCD, 1024 x 600, WSVGA, capacitive touch screen with full multi-touch and gesture support
  • BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
  • 1 GHz dual-core processor
  • 1 GB RAM
  • Dual HD cameras (3 MP front facing, 5 MP rear facing), supports 1080p HD video recording
  • Video playback: 1080p HD Video, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV
  • Audio playback: MP3, AAC, WMA
  • HDMI video output
  • Wi-Fi – 802.11 a/b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
  • Connectors: microHDMI, microUSB, charging contacts
  • Open, flexible application platform with support for WebKit/HTML-5, Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Adobe Mobile AIR, Adobe Reader, POSIX, OpenGL, Java
  • Ultra thin and portable:
    • Measures 5.1″x7.6″x0.4″ (130mm x 193mm x 10mm)
    • Weighs less than a pound (approximately 0.9 lb or 400g)
  • Additional features and specifications of the BlackBerry PlayBook will be shared on or before the date this product is launched in retail outlets.
  • RIM intends to also offer 3G and 4G models in the future.

It’s due to reach the UK for Apr 2011 [BlackBerry PlayBook]

Come Dine With Me's Tasty Bits {TV}

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Come Dine With Me, the cooking show that’s inspired ordinary people to throw immitation dinner parties and series’ around the world, is now releasing it’s sauciest bits for you to own on dvd.

Come Dine With Me – The Tasty Bits with exclusive footage Too Saucy for TV will be released on DVD on the 1st November so get your oven gloves ready. It will feature the best ever moments from Channel 4’s enormously popular and multi-award winning show Come Dine With Me including some of the most outrageous behaviour, bizarre conversations, biggest rows, craziest cooking, celebrity cock-ups and Too Much Sauce for TV, incorporating 30 minutes of never-before-seen scenes that were far too hot for TV! If this NSFW trailer is anything to go by expect crazy antics and sexual innuendos from familiar faces in the celebrity specials, more sarcastic quips from cult voice Dave Lamb and I’m told…full frontal nudity.



Come Dine With Me: The Tasty Bits is out on DVD 1 November, courtesy of ITV Studios Home Entertainment

Pre-order it at [Amazon]

What Price Feminism?

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Is feminism a dirty word? You would think so by how some people respond to the word.

Feminism is not an easy subject to write about. It has so many connotations. So many people have an opinion on it. It brings up images of women burning bras and hating men. Losing the entire point of it: equality.

What I started writing this article I put out a twitter and Facebook plea for comments about feminism. Tamsin Omond came up with a fabulous quote from J.Winterstone on lesbians: ‘they have a confidence about them that doesn’t depend on the male view. that is sexy and it is new.’

Then came the obvious,

Forbes KB: ‘Right after you finished the washing up and the ironing I hope!’ Luckily, I know he is joking.

Darren Errol Clarke did much better: ‘I dislike the word “Feminism”! It conjures up so many wrong images. Everything should be about sharing and equality, but the name doesn’t depict that!

A warrior from the Amazon once said that she was shocked that Western women were so …weak and that they were referred to as “Flowers”! She was upset that she couldn’t “See” the flowers that they were talking about. She said, “Flowers are strong, adapting, versatile and beyond the visual. A flower can be destroyed, yet come back as beautiful as before and more than before. The humans I see before more me represent nothing more than a shadow of their true potential.”

Whilst man has a lot to answer for in history, women have come through and stamped their individuality through out. I think that when women were striving to be better than the men that suppressed them they were irrepressible, but now they have joined in the drunken madness that is today’s civilization. I hope that the mantle isn’t totally buried, as it would be nice to see more women bring true equality to the world and not the fallacy that is the modern world.’ Good points there.

Lynn Burgess: ‘It’s not about pushing a female agenda. It’s about equality.’

Caroline Gold: ‘Look to the working class women and you will see there is still disparity and it’s about more than legislature. We are not a minority. Feminism is just humanism for all. Go girl!

One of the best came from film director Richard Wright: ‘Ultimately its not about pushing a female agenda or pushing a male agenda its about pushing an agenda of tolerance and understanding no matter who it is. It’s about equality across the board not the positive discrimination of one over another, that doesn’t work because it’s still discrimination. The argument should be about how we, together as a society, create a better tomorrow and where we all fit in no matter who we are.’

Amen to that.

The London Underground is never a nice place at rush hour. A few million Londoners trying to get home means stress is high and manners non- existent. Spending a 20 minute journey with your face in some strangers armpit is common. This did not prepare me for being shoved out of the way by a man so he could sit in the last seat however. That’s right: actually pushed out out the way. Not only are manners dead, but so is chivalry.

This got me thinking about equality. I always offer to pay on dates. While discussing this with a male friend he mentioned that he thought women should always pay for themselves, after all, wasn’t that what feminism was all about? What we were fighting for all these years? Well, no. It’s not. We seem to have got the worst of both worlds. No chivalry and no equality either.

I recently read an article by James Delingpole in which he claimed, because times are tough, that only boys should be sent to public school, because his daughter could just marry a rich man. Which was more funny than offensive until I read Mary Dudley’s response that she would be sending her daughter to public school instead…so she could marry a rich man. Apparently Kate Middleton wouldn’t have had a look in if she had not been to Marlborough. Doors to manual indeed. What century is this? How Jane Austen.

We were fighting for equal pay: which we haven’t got. To have any career we want without hitting a glass ceiling. To not be though of as the weaker sex. Not better than men, just equal. With different strengths. This is all low rumbling compared to some countries. Although there is a female Prime Minister in Australia and female president in Finland, in Britain we have 126 female MPs, out of 646 members of British Parliament. Where have all the women gone?

Then there is the other thing that is holding us back: other women. I have lost count of how many times I have had another actress try and sabotage me or overheard a women bitching about me. On a set recently an older actress came up to me and said; ‘You will be just like me one day. You will lose your beauty, you will have nothing left. It all goes.’

Can we really reach our true potential if we are wasting energy stabbing each other in the back? I have an amazing group of female friends now, but it took years to find them.

Then comes all of the depressing statistics. 1 in 4 women have experienced rape or attempted rape, 95% of cases are never reported, 23% of reported cases are ‘no crimed, ‘ or thrown out, by the police. Over 66% of reported cases never make it to court and the conviction rate is a depressing 6.5% for reported cases. It seems rape is the easiest crime to get away with.

In Afghanistan the female soldiers were more afraid of their colleagues than the front line. 30 percent of female US soldiers have been raped, 71% sexually assaulted and 90% sexually harassed. Four out of five cases go unreported. Helen Benedict, author of ‘The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of women serving in Iraq’, believe rapes occur not because the soldiers are sex starved, but because they enjoy humiliating female colleagues. ‘A lot of men think women shouldn’t be in the military and feel threatened. I think a lot of sexual predators sign up because of the power they’ll wield.’ Helen goes on to say that, ‘There is a culture of sexism on the military and women are seen as sex objects.’

Then there is gendercide. 100 Million girls have disappeared. In China and Northern India 120 being born for every 100 girls. Most girls are aborted. In Iraq they stone women to death and have to be covered from head to toe. They cannot even leave the house without their male relatives. Even if they are younger than them.

So am I a feminist? I don’t care about what people think of the word, or of me for using it, as long as women are stoned to death, sold into slavery or aborted just because of their gender, the answer is yes. My name is Catherine Balavage and I am a feminist.

Facts and Figures.

3 Million women and girls are slaves in the sex trade.

An estimates 18,000 women (some as young as 14) are working as sex slaves in the UK.

Women aged 15-44 are more likely to be killed by men than cancer, malaria, car crashes and war combined.

130 million women worldwide have had their genitals mutilated.

In the past 50 years, more women have been killed because of their gender than all the men in all the wars of the 20th century.

And a beautiful quote.

Mao Zedong said “women hold up half the sky.” So don’t let it come crashing down.

http://www.unwomen.org/

Getting Baked {Ceri's Column}

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When we celebrate, we eat cakes. It’s pretty damn universal. Almost every culture on the planet stakes its claim for having the best cakey offerings. It can be quite competitive. I’m shocked there hasn’t been a war over it yet. The Great Fruitcake Wars. The Eccles cake incident. The Cupcake Rebellion of 2010. That’d be awesome. I’d fight.

Of course, being more Welsh than a wool hat full of leeks makes me thoroughly defensive of our baked, boiled and griddled offerings. Our goodies are far tastier, heartier and far worse for you than anyone else’s. The jewel in our crumbly crown is the amazingly addictive Welshcake, or Pice ar y man (Pick Arr Er Marn) as I call them. Stick your scones where the sun doesn’t shine, pics rule.

But other countries have good stuff too! Here are my personal faves…

1. Punschkrapfen (Austria) – This beauty is a concoction of chocolate nougat, apricot jam, crumbly cake and rum (yes RUM!) My lord it’s good.

2. Churos (Spain/Mexico) – Hispanicy/Americany Doughnuty heavenly thing…y. I had my first Churo in California about 10 years ago. If I ever go to live in the States, I’d write “Churos” as my “Primary reason for applying for your Green Card”

3. Puff Puff (Nigeria) – A rip off of the superior Churo. I just included it for the name really.

4. Twinkies (USA) – Guilty pleasures are always the best.

5. Opera Cake (France) – Oh France you opulent fucker. Layers of almond sponge soaked in coffee layered with ganache and butter cream and glazed in dark chocolate. Hasn’t really got much to do with Opera in my book, but who gives a crap when you’re eating ganache in such large quantities?

6. Mochi with red bean paste (Japan) – Nippon, you rule.

7. Jaffa Cakes (UK…well Scotland really) – Is it a cake? Is it a biscuit? It’s a fucking cake you idiot.

So there we have it. My list. What’d be on yours? Give me your faves and why below. I don’t get many comments. Do it. Now. Ta

by Ceri Phillips

Anthony Epes: London at Dawn & Arboreal Dreams. {Art Review}

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Where: Pop-up gallery, Arch 5, Burrel Street, SE1
When: Thursday September 16th, 6-8pm.

Amongst the great, the good and others of Anthony Epes’s Private View where; John and Diane Bird , Nic Careem and Lizzie Mary Cullen.

Epes’s Private View showed off his amazing eye. He is an artist who can capture the very essence of a city, of a time and place. His London at Dawn photographs give a glimpse of London very few people see. Epes spent months getting up in the early hours of the morning to capture these photographs. His determination paid off. The photographs are spectacular. I have to admit I have been a fan for a while.

Epes’s use of colour is original and visionary. I look forward to the next exhibition. I can’t wait to see what he does next. To see more of his work. Click on the link below.

www.anthonyepes.com

Catherine Balavage

Beautiful Crime presents: ‘Hendrix Still Reigning, Still Dreaming’ {Social Diary}

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Where: Red Bull Studio, London Tooley Street, SE1
When: 6:30pm – 10pm Thursday 16th September 2010

To coincide with the 40th anniversary of Jimi Hendrix’s death, Beautiful Crime held an event pre-releasing urban artist Fin DAC’s highly anticipated ‘Hendrix Still Reigning, Still Dreaming’ hand finished, limited edition prints. The one night only pop-up exhibition at The Red Bull Studio. Guests were engulfed in the rock’n’roll atmosphere, with Fin DAC’s striking images of Hendrix taking centre stage. Fin has previously sold his artwork on an international scale. He has worked with the likes of Armani, The Morgan’s Hotel Group and has exhibited with Jamie Reid (the Sex Pistols album cover fame), Goldie, Julia Reston-Roitfeld and Jef Aerosol.

On the night, it was noted that the prints and their prices were subtly linked to Hendrix. As
he died in 1970, the guests had a privilege to view the outstanding artist’s seventy limited
edition hand-finished prints and as it was in the ninth month, there were nine, one of a kind
special edition prints on copper, steel, wood and wallpapered canvas.

To make the show even more unforgettable, Fin DAC completed the metal edition live on
the night. The prints will be officially released on the Beautiful Crime website on 18th
September (www.beautifulcrime.com).

Guests in attendance included Gemma Arterton, Goldie, Danny Cipriani, Idris Elba. As they sipped on Raining Rum and Daiquiri Dream cocktails courtesy of The Online Off Licence (www.theonlineofflicence.co.uk), they also enjoyed a live DJ set from Stuee from The Paddingtons, who got behind the decks to fuse his own recently recorded tunes, creating an electric atmosphere for the celebration of the 40th anniversary of one of the greatest rock
and roll legends.

It was a night to remember.

Minister lauches social impact Bond Pilot. { Politics }

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Prisons Minister Crispin Blunt and David Hutchison, Chief Executive of social investment organisation Social Finance, are today visiting HMP Peterborough to launch the Social Impact Bond (SIB) pilot.

The Social Finance run SIB pilot is the first scheme in the world that has used new funding from investors outside government to reduce reoffending with offenders. Investors will only receive returns on their investment from the Ministry of Justice if they reduce reoffending by a set amount.

At a time of tight public finances, payment by results models, such as the Social Impact Bond, can tap into new sources of funding to reduce reoffending and provide value for money for the tax payer

Justice Minister Crispin Blunt said:

“Our priorities are to punish offenders, protect the public and provide access to justice. But we want to initiate a more constructive approach to rehabilitation and sentencing, and re-think whether putting more and more people into custody really does make people safer.

“We want to actively involve individuals and voluntary and community organisations – not just in tackling crime and re-offending but in helping to keep people out of the criminal justice system in the first place. This payment by results pilot is both innovative and imaginative. I am delighted to be launching it at HMP Peterborough today.”

The six-year SIB pilot scheme in Kalyx-run Peterborough prison, run by Social Finance, will prepare around 3,000 short term prisoners for their lives post-release and will work with them to prevent a return to a life of crime

If these services are successful and re-offending drops by more than 7.5 per cent within six years, investors receive a payment representing a proportion of the cost of re-offending. The payment will increase based on the reduction in re-offending with the total cost of the project capped at £8m.

Secretary of State for Justice Kenneth Clarke MP said:

“This Government has a historic opportunity to initiate a more constructive approach to rehabilitation. This means making prisons places of punishment, but also of education, hard work and change. As part of our radical approach to rehabilitation we are considering a range of payment by results schemes like the Social Impact Bond.

“The voluntary and private sectors will be crucial to our success and we want to make far better use of their enthusiasm and expertise to get offenders away from the revolving door of crime and prison.”

David Hutchison, Chief Executive of Social Finance commented:

“The Social Impact Bond aligns the interests of government, charities, social enterprises and socially motivated investors around a common goal. We are delighted to be launching the first such structure in the world here at Peterborough.

Our work is driven by a desire to transform society’s ability to invest in addressing its most intractable problems. Developing the Social Impact Bond market will take years, but we believe that with care it can enable future investment of hundreds of millions of pounds a year in these crucial areas.”

Social Finance has raised capital from social investors that will be used to pay for the services in the prison and outside in the community. It is expected to close the £5 million fund by the end of the year. Initial investors include the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the Monument Trust and committed individuals.

The development of Social Impact Bonds has been supported by a number of partners including Allen & Overy, Kalyx and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough community including the Criminal Justice agencies, Local Authority and the voluntary sector.

Phil Andrew, Kalyx Managing Director, said:

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with Social Finance. Our work is dedicated to preventing future victims by delivering rehabilitative opportunities to prisoners through work skills, educational qualifications, behaviour programmes, substance misuse interventions, and assistance with accommodation and employment.

“This project will complement our work by supporting ex-offenders through the difficult transition from prison to the community, and it will increase the chances of them avoiding further crime in the future.”