Computer Game Experiment – Sound without Sound

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Junior Smart

Make no bones about it computer companies of today invest serious amounts of money on ensuring the sound quality is as fantastic as it possibly can be. It may seem hard to imagine now but back in 1990 when the Sega Megadrive was released it had just 6 channels of stereo sound. imagine that by comparison the Dolby 5.1 surround sound of today has almost ten times as much.

I was invited to take part in an ‘experiment’ by Amplifon which involved me playing a game that I had never played before to see what kind of difference it would make to the gaming experience if there was no sound. Before I begin it is worth pointing out that although this was a fun experiment to be part of, there are some very real issues underlying this; I don’t think many people stop to consider just how many young people are hard of hearing of which National Statistics suggest stands at around 25,000 for children aged 0-15 years. I feel fewer of us stop to appreciate just what an impact this can have on just day to day living let alone playing computer games and what a different experience that must be.

The game I chose was Tomb Raider Definitive Edition for the Playstation 4. Why? Well for a number of reasons. Firstly to be honest I haven’t played that game since the age of the PS1 days and I haven’t reviewed it previously so it means there is no comparison to base it against, so that is reasonably fair. Secondly I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the next generation hardware before Christmas and like many gamers I have been frustrated by the lack of games for the machine thus far, so this way I get to experience new hardware and a new game from a fresh perspective.

Tools of the Trade and Rules of the Game

The game Tomb Raider Definitive Edition on the PS4 obviously – the conditions were set that it must be played ‘as is’ that is, no setting adjustments could be made other than difficulty level and brightness. I had to play this game ‘raw’. For a full comparison I made the decision to play the game for a full 4 hours without sound and then again with sound and document my experience and progress.

The other tool was a pair of JVC Noise Cancelling Headphones – these babies are stated to have up to 75% noise cancellation and no, they were not plugged into the controller – that would be cheating.

So with the tools and the rules set in motion I put the headphones on and fired up the console.

Experiences

The first thing that stood out for me, even just upon firing up the console is that of awareness. Even on the basic screen for the PS4 it dawned on me just how dependent we are on sound for even basic things such as cursor movement and game selection. It occurred to me very quickly that I had to be very alert and could not take my eyes of the screen even for a few moments; as the game proceeded to do its update and then restart I had become distracted and when I turned my eyes to the screen and it was blank and I could honestly not say what was going on.

Ease of Gameplay

In the game this was even more so. It is perhaps a tragedy that Tomb Raider does not have the subtitles set to ‘on’ as default. Watching the intro I could see the young Lara Croft on a boat, about to drown and then running to what seemed to be her father and falling from his grasp. But I could hear absolutely nothing, without subtitles you can be at a loss. Praise has to be given to the developers I was surprised at the level of detail put into the game; Lara looks better than she ever has, but despite this when the characters are speaking I doubt that the mouth movements are lip-synced. Now I am no lip reader but I certainly could not tell one word from another. I could tell expressions – sadness, anger, fear but little else. By hour two of gameplay I realised just how dependent on all my other senses I had to be and whilst this was great as an experience I felt a great empathy for those that have to deal with far more complex tasks than finding arrows, shooting wolves and solving puzzles.

O.k so without speech and without language can there be a plot? Well yes and no, thankfully a few things show up on the screen as you are playing explaining what you should do and what you can look for. Another great thing of the modern day console is the use of vibration, although similarly to speech it is far from accurate you at least can tell and have some immersion with what is taking place on the screen. Firing weapons, turning cogs all would have had far more dissidence had there not been vibration as some kind of feedback on the senses. However it was really hard to tell what was happening and this was especially true when Lara looks back on her video camera, I could get a gist but certainly couldn’t work out who was who. I ended up bumbling through, trial and error becoming my best friend and I realised by hour three that I had missed a couple of caves because it flashed up on screen: ‘When you hear this sound a cave of treasure is nearby’ I was thinking all good and well you telling me but if I can’t hear it what difference does it make.

Unconsidered factors

There are parts of the game too where it takes voice recognition and I am sure whilst this is a novel idea, I had no idea how loud or quiet my voice was, the first few times this didn’t work so in the end I had to shout everything. I am sure my next door neighbours thought I was losing my mind shouting out words like “Map” “Gun” “Stealth” at opportune moments like I had Tourettes. I am just glad they didn’t call the police because with the headphones on I wouldn’t have heard the door.

Comparison with sound

Playing the game a second time with sound was a different experience altogether. The first thing that surprised me was just how much voiceover there is; Lara reflects on practically everything and every situation she finds herself in and there is a great deal of interaction between her on screen and you as the player trying to figure out the puzzles. Obviously the graphics are just as good but you can tell what is going on because you can hear what people are saying and the style of mood in the soundtrack changes to reflect whether it is a stealth situation or if you have been spotted.

Also worthy of note is the sound immersion. The PS4 has a speaker on the controller and this game fully utilises it. This means gun shots ring out from the controller, audio diaries are read to you and you can hear those jungle drums when you are near a hidden cave. The experience is completely different and this means the engagement is different. By the end of hour four I was much further ahead than in my previous attempts without sound.

In conclusion computer companies spend serious amounts of money on ensuring the sound quality is as fantastic as it possibly can be, they do this for good reason, the engagement from the player is tantamount to the game’s success. Do they consider those with less ability in areas such as hearing? I doubt it; the numbers just wouldn’t tally up in terms of investment, but what I think can and should be done is greater player options, it really would not hurt in making gaming more inclusive than exclusive. Lets be honest this experiment is far from scientific but one thing it certainly achieved is in raising my awareness of those less fortunate. It also made me realise just how many things we take for granted.

Review of Made in the Shade

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Kesh

The setting is an old East London Boozer, the décor, menu and booze, new East London. The transformation of what used to be The Bacchus was noticeable from 100 feet down the road with the most striking artwork by talented artist Ali Hamish Campbell. En route to Made in the Shade I felt like I had walked down these streets many a time but the frontage was completely unrecognisable. What used to be a dreary old watering hole, has now been turned into an Electric Blue Odyssey. Made in the Shade is the brainchild of Jeremy Thompson Jewitt, Jim Wrigley and Peter Lewis based on their idea of the ‘absolute ultimate bar’ and it shows through their well thought out and varied cocktails, their exotic Caribbean influenced menu and the totally eclectic décor inside and out of the joint.

First impression is that they’ve done a great job with the place. The Kitchen has been opened up which I always love about eateries as you can always see the chefs working hard and that they’ve made great use of the space, enough space to chill out in an intimate crowd and some great sofas for larger groups to fill. Oh and lots of space at the bar, always a good thing in my book.

Jim Wrigley serves up Shady Maid Lemonade

We tried 3 cocktails on offer first up was the Shady Maid Lemonade. This was unlike any cocktail I had ever had. The Gin based cocktail was served up with Lime Juice, Citrus Syrup and Cucumber juice. It’s the ultimate refresher… dangerous too as I felt like I could sip on these all night after a session at the gym!

The Pink One

Next Up was The Pink One also a healthy and refreshing cocktail. Very easy to drink and pleasing on the eye, The Pink One is a vodka based pomegranate infusion mixed with apple juice, bergamot syrup and lime juice. What I loved about this cocktail is that it was served with pomegranate seeds on top of a slice of lime and served up with a mini spoon to scoop up all the pomegranate goodness. Again, the flavours were so well balanced and fresh I could have happily sipped on these all night.

Then we got to the more serious Ultimate F**king Cocktail aka the UFC a mix of Whisky, Rum, Ginseng liqueur and ahem Guinness Liqueur. There was nothing fruity about this one we were told by the PR team, this was one manly drink. So manly in fact is that it is served up with a an WWE Figurine and a bunch of props are offered to re-enact your fighting fantasies. The ice is hand-cut for all of the drinks according to what you have but what I loved especially about the UFC was that the ice is a big huge block in the centre of the tumbler so it doesn’t melt into all that lovely Whiskey booze.

Drink of Champions

If the idea was to create an experience for customers to have the perfect mix of everything, then I certainly felt transported out of the busyness of London when tasting what Chef Patrick Williams had cooked up. His menu is a mash up of English plates with Caribbean influences. Anyone who serves up rice pudding arancini is a culinary wizard in my book. Move over bangers and mash and make way for plantain fritters and oxtail spring rolls. If traditional bar snacks is what you’re after don’t bother but once you’ve tasted the tasty and tantalising soul food on offer here, I guarantee you won’t be lusting after chips and mayo. The curry mutton was delicious and tender and passion fruit parfait for afters was the perfect ending. It’s no wonder when you see Chef Patrick Williams’ impressive career that the food is so darn tasty and with the carefully thought out cocktail and food menu I certainly was Made in the Shade.

A sample of what’s cooking.

Made in the Shade is open Wednesday to Saturday 5pm-12am and Sundays 1pm-12am and is located opposite The Hoxton Hall on Hoxton Street. There is a games room upstairs to play pool and Ping-Pong and from this Sunday they will be hosting a wicked-awesome BBQ in the Made in the Shade garden. If there is any truth in the weather report for tomorrow grab onto your BBQ hats and go!

Keshini Misha.

www.mitshoxton.co.uk

Made in the Shade

177 Hoxton Street

London N1 6PJ

@MitS_Hoxton

3 South Place Bar & Grill Restaurant Review

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

First thoughts of the South Place Hotel, where 3 South Place Bar & Grill is located, is how classy it is. And quirky, with dismantled mannequins and sophisticated decor. It is both up-market and relaxing. We come to review the bottomless brunch, where Bloody Marys, Bellinis and Proseccos are endless with the 2 or 3 course brunch at the weekend from noon until 4pm. We approve. It is also great value at £20 for two courses or £25 for three courses plus £15 if you want the bottomless brunch. I was very surprised at the price actually, for three courses plus unlimited alcohol in a five star hotel: brilliant value. The staff are excellent; knowing what you want before you do and very helpful. There is a nice warm atmosphere and excellent, modern decor

We start with great warm bread and good soft butter that is easy to cut and a Mimosa (orange juice and prosecco) and a Bellini (peach juice and prosecco)

For starters we had.

Welsh Rarebit

Rich, creamy, cheese on soft bread. The crunch on the bottom holds texture well. Comes with a tomato and red onion with balsamic dressing. The perfect accompaniment. Acidity of tomatoes and red onion works beautifully against the rich cheese. Simple but excellent.

English Muffin

Poached Egg, Hollandaise sauce, smoked salmon

Excellent egg muffin with a good poached egg, Hollandaise sauce and smoked salmon. Rich and opulent. The muffin is beautiful, a luxurious starter with wonderful lemony hollandaise

Arnold Bennett omelette

Béchamel Hollandaise sauce, smoked haddock.

It is rich and creamy, the Omelette has a great texture: Perfectly cooked and not overdone; it’s just the right amount of soft. The smoked haddock is fresh and goes amazingly with the lemon.

Bubble & Squeak

poached egg, blythburgh bacon
Perfect eggs with superb presentation. Comes with Crispy, smoky bacon and goes great with the potato and egg.

Ice Cream Selection

Rum and Raisin, cookies & cream, blackberry ripple

Amazing ice cream. Really wonderful. Tastes like it is homemade. The cookies and cream has proper cookies, the blackberry ripple is amazing and different and the rum and raisin is very alcoholic and delicious.

Treacle Tart

Clotted cream ice cream

This is amazing. Has a thin and crunchy base, lovely treacle. It is soft and crumbly but holds together well. It is not too sweet
Has an excellent clotted cream ice cream accompaniment.

Delicious food in a classy venue; it is hard to fault 3 South Place at all, one of the best brunches in London and excellent value to top it all off. We loved it and we will definitely be back.

Address: 3 South Place, London EC2M 2AF
Phone:020 3503 0000
Hotel class: 5 stars

Win Sophie Duffy Books

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Frostie

A real treat of a competition today on Frost: two Sophie Duffy books to giveaway, The Generation Game and This Holey Life are up for grabs. Perfect if you are a fan, and a great introduction if you are not already. Check out our interview with Sophie Duffy here too.

To win follow @Frostmag on Twitter and Tweet, ‘I want to win books with @Frostmag’ or like us on Facebook. Alternatively, sign up to our newsletter. Or subscribe to Frost Magazine TV on YouTube here: http://t.co/9etf8j0kkz. Then comment below saying what you did.

The competition closes on the 31st of March 2014.

Great Expectations The Play: Theatre Comes To DVD

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Frostie

Beckman Unicorn’s critically acclaimed West End production of Great Expectations The Play has been released on DVD after it was filmed and screened in cinemas across the UK

The Dickens Legacy Gala performance was filmed live at the Vaudeville Theatre in London’s West End in February 2013 and broadcast via satellite into 150 cinemas around the UK and Ireland before being given a global theatrical release across over 600 sites.

The production was presented as the culmination of the Dickens bicentenary celebrations – the first time that Great Expectations had been performed on the West End as a full-scale play and the first time a West End stage show was broadcast live into cinemas It received numerous outstanding reviews including The Times (‘Pure Theatre’ 4*), The Telegraph (‘An eerie and fantastical atmosphere’ 4*) and LondonTheatre.co.uk (‘Totally absorbing… Poignant… Compelling’ 4*).

A share of the DVD sales will be donated to the Dickens’ Legacy, the charity set up by Dickens’ great-great-great granddaughter Lucinda Dickens-Hawksley, which aims to provide access and educate young people on his work.

Dickens-Hawksley, a renowned biographer in her own right, said the DVD launch will allow people from all walks of life to enjoy one of Dickens’ best loved stories.

“It was wonderful to see Great Expectations transformed on the West End last year and now the DVD will take the story from the stage into homes and schools for even more people to enjoy. My great-great-great grandfather was passionate about supporting those less fortunate and this will help continue our work in making sure that young people know and love this work, both in the written and theatrical form.”

Jo Clifford’s gothic adaptation stars Jack Ellis as Jaggers, Chris Ellison as convict, Magwitch, and Paula Wilcox taking on the role of the tragic and haunting Miss Havisham. Paul Nivison also stars as Adult Pip, Grace Rowe as Estella and introducing Taylor Jay-Davies as Young Pip.

The DVD also includes bonus interviews with director Graham McLaren, Dickens-Hawksley, and Dickens aficionado, actor Simon Callow.

The DVD can be purchased via www.GreatExpectationsThePlay.com RRP: £12.99

The video-on-demand release will follow at the beginning of March 2014.

Sneaky Wedding Costs You Need to Look Out For By Melissa Davis

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Frostie

Although your wedding day is supposed to be one of the best of your life, the large cost can often mar this otherwise happy occasion. In the early stages of planning a wedding, the smaller details often get forgotten and the cost can sneaks up on you, making the overall price of the wedding unexpected and often damaging. However, there are ways and means of reducing the overall cost of your wedding and making your special day affordable. Considering the hidden wedding costs you may incur is a positive start in ensuring your wedding remains within your personal budget.

Making a list and using online resources to research the smaller aspects, which you may not have initially considered, will show you where your money can go and how much of it can go there. This will allow you to then find cheaper alternatives to lighten the financial load further. For example, although brides often think of their wedding dress, they rarely remember that alterations often have to be made. Similarly, bridesmaids’ dress and the groom’s tuxedo may need amendments right before the big day. These minor adjustments may seem small, but will set you back money and add up to a considerable amount when added to the multitude of other wedding costs. To prevent costs such as these from sneaking up on you, simply research, estimate the price and factor this into your budget.

Keeping track of all the different costs involved in organising a wedding can be tricky, particularly when there are so many hidden expenses that can sneak up on you when you least expect it.

Creating a budget that includes all of the most commonly forgotten wedding costs can help you to avoid last minute problems and make big savings.

Start with a wedding budget

A thorough, realistic budget is the best tool for preventing forgotten, unexpected and unnecessary costs from sneaking up on you during your wedding planning.

Work out how much you can afford to spend in total, make a list of everything you need to sort then decide how you’ll divide your wedding budget.

Try to make your list as detailed as possible, and ensure that you set aside enough for each item. Recently married friends, wedding magazines and websites are all good sources of advice.

Suddenly realising that you forgot to budget separately for the bride’s shoes, veil or accessories after you’ve spent your money on an expensive dress is exactly the sort of stress you want to avoid as your big day approaches.

You should also look at prices or ask for quotes early on to ensure that the money you set aside for each cost is realistic.

Wedding costs everyone forgets

However carefully you plan your budget, there always seems to be something extra that needs to be organised and paid for before the big day arrives.

Here are some of the most frequently forgotten costs – make sure you remember to include them:

Registration costs to make your marriage official.
Stationary and postage costs for sending save the date cards, invitations and thank you cards.
Accessories and alterations to suits and dresses for the wedding party.
Including the bride and groom in the head count for the reception.
Favours, thank you gifts and tips.
Extra charges on your bill from venues and suppliers, including delivery fees, corkage, VAT, overtime and service or cleaning charges.
Printing and framing photos, and buying wedding albums.

Deciding what to spend

Once you have a list of everything you need to pay for, you can start deciding how much you want to spend on each item. The way you do this should depend on your overall budget.

If money truly is no object, you can simply start arranging.

If, like most people, you have a set amount of money to spend on your wedding, perhaps from your savings or a parental contribution, you should start from this upper limit and divide it into portions for each of your expenses.

You can easily create a spreadsheet, or adapt a general expenses template, to monitor your spending. Keep track of any overspends, which you should try to make up for by spending less on other items, or underspends, which will give you more to spend elsewhere.

If you’re trying to keep costs to a minimum then prioritise your list into must-haves and maybes so that you can make sure you can afford the aspects that are most important to you before paying out for things that are ‘nice to have’ but not essential.

Avoiding unnecessary wedding extras

If you are working with a limited budget, it’s possible to make some cuts to the normal list of wedding necessities.

For example, if you can choose a venue where you can hold both the service and the reception, you might be able to get a better deal, and you can also cut down on transport costs.

Weddings held out of peak season or on any day other than a Saturday will usually be cheaper because there’s lower demand so this is worth investigating.

It can also be a good idea to look closer to home for your venues, since you can avoid high travel costs or needing to pay for overnight accommodation.

You might also be able to cut down costs by limiting the number of guests you invite – either in total or just to the wedding breakfast. Having a buffet and/or a pay-for-your-own-drinks bar can also help.

You can always give people the chance to celebrate with you at a distance with a live online broadcast of the event, no matter where the wedding takes place.

Another good way to cut down on your costs is to consider doing more of the work yourself or asking friends or family to gift their time as a wedding present.

Why pay for ready-made wedding favours when you can put together something more personal at half the cost? Why spend your wedding day in an anonymous hotel when you have a huge garden where you could put up a marquee and celebrate in a place that means something to you?

Minimising unexpected costs

To give yourself a little leeway make sure you set aside an amount to cover unexpected costs, ideally about 10% of your total budget.

If one of your suppliers lets you down, an unexpected guest turns up, something is broken or turns out to be unsuitable, or the weather forces you to change your plans, you need to have some emergency funds available to deal with it. Another option is to take out wedding insurance to cover some of your major expenses.

It might not be possible to avoid all unexpected costs, but at least you can be prepared for them, and if it turns out that you never need to use this money, it can give you something extra to spend on your honeymoon.

The wedding price hike

Another particularly sneaky cost that you might not expect when you set out your wedding budget is the sudden bump in prices that can occur as soon as you mention that you’re ordering for a wedding.

It doesn’t matter if you are ordering flowers, a cake, or transport, as soon as suppliers find out it’s for a wedding, they often assume you can easily be coerced into spending more to make your day perfect.

One of the best ways to avoid this sneaky extra cost is to tell some little white lies and order things for a “party” rather than a wedding.

It might not work if you want a traditional tiered wedding cake, but if you are looking for something less conventional, or ordering something non wedding specific, it could help you to get some lower prices.

Bohemian Chic Minerals Blusher And Lipstick Review

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

I am a huge fan of natural makeup. We are becoming more aware of all of the nasty chemicals in certain products and brands. Add in the trend for veganism and cruelty-free products and Bohemian Chic Minerals certainly sounds like a winner. Mineral makeup is also huge now and very on trend. But does it work? Let’s find out.

I reviewed the Bohemian Chic Minerals Blusher in Nude and the lipstick in Coral Reef.

Both colours are beautiful and the product goes on beautifully. The blusher blends very well and gives a very healthy pink/nude glow. It looks great on.

The lipstick is also a beautiful colour and goes on well. Both products are of a very high quality and don’t have that terrible ingredient of carmine (which is a crushed beetle!) or Oxychloride (a by-product of refined lead and copper), making this brand excellent for people with sensitive skin and a conscious. Highly recommended.

A New Era for Natural Make-Up

On a mission to provide a range of modern make-up that is completely chemical free, Jameela Kosar has found the solution with the creation of Bohemian Chic Minerals. Having tried an abundance of mainstream make-up which reacted to her sensitive skin, Jameela found herself looking for a way in which women can indulge their love of make-up without affecting their problematic skin.

Having stumbled across mineral make-up, Jameela felt she had found the answer to her prayers, until once again her skin irritation returned. After extensive research into the benefits of mineral make-up, Jameela discovered that whilst most of the minerals are beneficial to the skin, two ingredients are not so good. Bismuth – Oxychloride (a by-product of refined lead and copper) and carmine (crushed beetle). Not a fan of using crushed beetle in her daily skincare routine, Jameela decided to create her own make-up brand. One that is suitable for the most sensitive of skins, without compromising on style. Bohemian Chic Minerals was born.

Chemical free, bad minerals free and animals (including insects) free, Bohemian Chic Minerals is suitable for both vegan and halal users. Combining ingredients your skin will love with trend aware products, the collection boasts an impressive range of foundations, primers and concealers, as well as blushers, bronzers and body shimmers. In addition there is also a vibrant array of eyeshadows, eyeliners, lipsticks and glosses,

Designed to make women feel beautiful in a guilt free way, the collection is 100% pure and natural and is paving the way for a new generation of all available in a range of seasonal shades. natural make-up.

The Least Romantic Quotes

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Frostie

Should Brand stick to the entertainment industry?

“It’s sort of odd, isn’t it, because you can’t just maraud through life f**king whoever you like…which is a shame, because I actually could do that.” Russell Brand in 2010, when he was still married to Katy Perry.

“I’d be having sex thinking, ‘think of anyone, anyone else.'” Russell Brand again. This time on his sex life with Katy Perry.

“If loving someone is putting them in a straitjacket and kicking them down a flight of stairs, then yes, I have loved a few people.”
― Jarod Kintz, It Occurred to Me

“Believing in marriage and not in divorce is like believing in joint stock companies and not in bankruptcy.” Neil Ferguson

“He has been Tom Cruise for 30 years. I know who I am and where I am and where I want to go, so I want to focus on that.” Katie Holmes, 6 weeks before she filed for divorce.

“I don’t believe in soulmates…the idea of it is beautiful, and very romantic to talk about it in a movie or a song, but in reality, I find it scary.” Vanessa Paradis, 5 months before her split with Johnny Depp.

“I rack my brain thinking “Why am I not out there playing the field? One of my buddies was like, ‘You have no idea what’s going on right now. You’re peaking on ecstasy and you’re watching television.” Zac Efron, 2 months before he split with Vanessa Hudgens.

“Being married means I can fart and eat ice cream in bed. Jen is brilliant. I’m really missing her.” Brad Pitt when he was married to Jennifer Aniston

Do you have a least romantic quote?