Tag Archives: Advice

Eco Presents For The Ones You Love

Posted on by

With all the shiny techno toys around, we’re all probably a bit geeky once in a while. But if you have the genuine article on your gift list – someone who’d camp out overnight to get the latest iPhone or who could expound at length on every minor character in the original TV Star Trek – then these snazzy gadgets could bring a teary smile to his – or her – face. Frost got the people from energyrethinking.org to give our readers some gift ideas.

Ten Top Eco Gadget Gifts For Geeks

1. Enviroplug This mobile phone energy saving adaptor fits between the charger and the powerpoint, notices when a phone is fully charged and turns off the useless “vampire drain” of power into the charger. It can save up to 90% of the energy wasted by the charger and about £50 a year.

2. Motion-Activated LED Outdoor Light Very cool, bright solar powered light only switches on when it senses someone about. So the solar charge it has built up all day lasts much longer. And what a surprise to a would be intruder. The five LED bulbs are rated for 30,000 hours.

3.Standby and Remote Starter Kit Leaving devices on standby wastes money, and contributes to carbon emissions. But sometimes, the on off switch at the wall socket is difficult to get to – hidden behind furniture or under beds. Plug in up to 3W worth of devices to this clever standby socket and then turn the power completely off or on by remote control.

4. Ecobutton You’re on the computer and you get an important phone call, or get up to make a cup of tea, or to accept a package for a neighbour. While you’re away from your desk, your computer is still eating up electricity and pumping CO2 into the environment. With this handy USB device, you can put your computer into sleep mode with the touch of a button. And when you wake it up, the Ecobutton software tells you how much money and CO2 you’ve saved, today and to date. Have a look to see how it works:

5. Solar Briefcase It’s called trickle charging. This solar charger looks like a briefcase, but open it up and it’s a generouse sized, two panel solar charger that can produce enough power to top up a car battery while you’re off on holiday, or provide winter maintenance power for a boat or caravan.

6. H2O long life Atomic Clock We love this water powered atomic alarm clock. It runs on water, with perhaps a dash of salt – something to do with electrolytic activity. It displays date, day and temperature, as well as time and is adjusted to the Atomic Radio Signal every day. It’s rated for a refill (a splash from the tap) every two weeks, but some users have reported it still runs perfectly at least a month after filling.

7. H2O Shower Radio The water rushing through your shower powers this H2O radio. And in case you get carried away and take a longer shower than you should, it has a shower timer that fits in line with the showerhead to remind you when enough is enough. And you can still keep singing along because it builds up a charge and continues to run for quite a while. If you want to wait until next year, they’re planning a model that will tell you exactly how much you are spending on your shower.

8. Ventus Spin EcoMedia Player Wind up technology just keeps getting better. Your favorite geeks can listed to all their favourite music, watch dazzling movie clips, tune in to popular FM radio stations, thumb through photo albums, and read text files for up to 45 minutes on the charge from one minute of winding. Plus it will charge a mobile phone. For a longer charge, plug it into a USB computer port for 55 hours of play time.

9. Solar Powered Digital Tyre Pressure Gauge The PowerPlus Pelican Solar Powered Digital Tyre Pressue Gauge helps you maintain correct tyre pressure – essential for safe and fuel efficient driving – even in the dark. It includes a tyre tread depth gauge and a back up battery for a brighter read out at night.

10. Stirling Engine Kit A Stirling engine uses low temperature heat differentials on a volume of gas in an enclosed space. That’s the science part; your Geek will get it. This Stirling Engine kit comes flat packed and it’s almost entirely made of cardboard, except for some laser-cut aluminium and a few PVC ball bearings. It’s fiddly to assemble but will run on a cup of tea or a glass full of melting snow. A really interesting example of engine power without internal combustion.

Eco Christmas Presents for Him http://www.energyrethinking.org/lifestyle-leisure/10-eco-gift-ideas-for-him/ and Her http://www.energyrethinking.org/lifestyle-leisure/10-holiday-eco-gifts-for-her/


10 Green Festive Tips for Christmas

Kristen Stewart Takes British Glamour Cover, Robert Pattinson

Posted on by

Kristen Stewart is the cover star of British Glamour’s December 2011 issue. She looks amazing and talks of her love of ‘everything’ British inside, including, ahem, the men, as she finally admits to dating Robert Pattinson.

Stewart reveals that the Twilight sex scene between her and real life boyfriend Robert was so steamy it initially got an R rating. Stewart also said; “Doing the sex scene was weird. I was like, ‘Bella! What are you doing? Wow!'”

She also says that she tried too hard to be ‘not fake’ when she was younger and that, ‘The first time Rob was ‘sexiest man in the world’, it was the biggest joke.’

 

 

Entrepreneurs encourage young people to become economically active

Posted on by

As the latest unemployment figures spike to a 17 year high, two young entrepreneurs prove that a disastrous job market is no obstacle

Unemployment in the UK has hit a 17 year high this month, putting pressure on the government to come up with a better economic strategy. The number of young people out of work is close to the million mark, with 991,000 16-24-year-olds out of work. The new figures, which take into account the last three months, are the worst since records began in the early 1990s.

Kevin Flood and Mike Harty, despite the doom and gloom of the employment market, have set up a unique online company straight out of university as an alternative to getting lost in the crowded jobs scrum. What’s more they are setting out to topple the online giants in the price comparison site arena.

Shopow.co.uk, their Social Shopping start-up, is a new type of shopping search engine that aggregates thousands of retailers and millions of products across all areas of consumer goods. Not only does this allow users to compare goods by criteria such as price, retailer, service and delivery, it also integrates various social functions so shoppers can find all the information they need to make the right decisions when buying online.

Kevin Flood, CEO of Shopow, said, “Our novel idea has meant that we were able to compete against some of the long established names from the outset. All budding entrepreneurs wishing to succeed shouldn’t underestimate the importance of a strong concept. We coupled this with our hard work ethic, detailed research and willingness to take the odd calculated risk in order to get our business off the ground and gathering momentum quickly.”

This momentum has resulted in the pair winning a Young Guns Business Award. Since the launch of Shopow in May 2010, the business anticipates revenues of over £3m in the first year of trading. The pair are confident they can achieve a ‘critical mass’ in the UK this year, and are looking to expand into the USA and mainland Europe imminently.

The message from Kevin and Mike is that business savvy individuals with a great idea can be masters of their own destiny and bypass the busy job market. Recent measures to tackle unemployment such as the Government Work Programme have generated optimism for some bright sparks, and opened other avenues so that they might create companies of their own.

Kevin Flood, Co-founder and CEO of Shopow, said, “We set up Shopow because of our love of business. There were so few opportunities in the job market that we opted to take a risk and move in a new direction, one which we would strongly encourage other young people to pursue.”

Angelina Jolie's Directorial Debut, Trailer Released.

Posted on by

If there was an award for over-achieving Angelina Jolie would definitely win it, an Oscar winning actor, six children, Brad Pitt on her arm, and an activist.

Layed up with flu for a few days and quarantined from her children, she banged out the script for ‘In the Land of Blood and Honey’, her directorial debut. A women of substance, Jolie’s debut is a political film about the war in Bosnia. It looks amazing, and we can’t wait to see it. Check it out below.

In the Land of Blood and Honey opens on Dec. 23.

Women Miss Their Pets More Than Their Boyfriends.

Posted on by

NOT ALWAYS’S A MAN’S BEST FRIEND…

One-in-five women miss their pets more than their partners during prolonged absences, according to new research.

Almost 30 per cent think about their dogs and cats at least twice a day when separated for a week or more.

But only half that number think about their boyfriend or husband as often, a poll of female pet owners reveals.

They also worry more about their pets’ welfare – and if they are “eating well” – than their loved ones’ own health.

In fact, over 75 per cent ensure the cupboards are stocked with pet food and treats before they leave, yet far fewer are concerned about the man of the house going hungry.

Meanwhile, one-in-three would cut their trip short “at the drop of a hat” if their pet fell ill or had a minor incident, compared to just one-in-10 for their partner.

The survey into female travelling attitudes also shows that 60 per cent admit to feeling “guilty” about leaving their pets to go on a “girly weekend”.

Only 28 per cent, however, will have the same crisis of conscience over leaving their man on his own for a few days.

The figures were revealed yesterday by short breaks website GirlyWeekend.com, which polled 1,500 of its visitors who own cats and dogs.

Website founder Pat Gardner said she “fully understands” the findings.

“As a pet lover myself, I can fully understand why women would miss their pets more than their partner while away on a girly weekend,” she said.

“Women tend to see their pet cat or dog like a baby, in need of constant care and attention. Men, meanwhile, are seen as being able to look after themselves.”

The poll also revealed that 65 per cent of female travellers would take their furry friend with them on a girly weekend if allowed to do so by their hotel.

Pat added: “We specialise in upmarket breaks for women around the country and one of the questions we get asked a lot is if the hotels and country halls will allow pets.

“It just goes to show much women value the company of their cats and dogs.”

For more information about female short breaks visit www.girlyweekend.com

A Promising Taste for Adventure

Posted on by

Despite reporting the fussy and faddy eating you might expect from toddlers, the Toddler ‘Census’ commissioned by growingupmilkinfo.com, a website for parents seeking information about toddler nutrition, revealed today’s toddlers have some adventurous tastes. 30% of toddlers had tried olives, 30% had tried smoked salmon and over one in ten had tried sushi! Plus, 17% had tried granola and 5% had tried lobster!

Whilst some of these foods might be too high in salt for toddlers to eat everyday, an adventurous palate and wide range of tastes is to be encouraged says child nutritionist Amanda Ursell, who adds: “Even ‘everyday’ staple foods can take ten or more tries before toddlers will accept eating them.”

The ‘Census’ gives some fresh perspective on “the state of the toddler nation’s plates”, with eight out of ten parents questioned unaware that toddlers require different nutritional supplements to support this extraordinary period of growth and development. Six out of ten mums surveyed for the study said they were unaware of the UK Departments of Health recommendation that toddlers should receive a daily supplement containing vitamins A, C and D and responses showed 74% of toddlers are not given these extra vitamins

Visit growingupmilkinfo.com for more information and Q&A with experts, and to see a sweet animation of this period of extraordinary growth visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx7gUu1-FX4

Frost Interviews Film Director Peter Chipping

Posted on by

Frost: Did you always want to be a director?

PC: I guess so – although I started as an editor & that seemed a great role, like finishing a jigsaw puzzle from a large pile of disparate elements, many of which don’t seem to join together. Then I realised I’d like to create those disparate elements myself, but not make them quite as disparate.

How did you get your start in the business?

I started in theatre & Yvonne Arnaud in Guildford, before enrolling at Ravensbourne for a new TV course, them got my first job at Central TV in Birmingham.

What was your big break?

Editing Crossroads.

What is your favourite thing about working in film?

Teamwork: No matter what ideas I get, there’s always other people who can add to them & make them better.

And the least?

The gaps between projects.

What are you working on at the moment?

Three short interlocked comedies, two 60 minute broadcast documentaries and a feature paranormal thriller.

What is your favourite film?

The Conversation.

What mistakes do actors make at auditions?

Not show the range of emotions that is available in their arsenal.

What projects are you hoping to get off the ground?

A feature paranormal thriller.

Favourite actress?

Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys.

Thanks Peter.

One To Watch: Leoni Kibbey

Posted on by

On Wednesday 5th of October I attended Short Film Premieres. A premiere of five short films at BAFTA; In the Can, Taken, Ellie, The Unknown and Bird Brain. The short films were well-acted, well-written, well-directed with very high production values.

 

All of the films had a running theme: Leoni Kibbey, she either acted, produced, wrote or cast them. She’s a one women film industry. She is Frost’s One To Watch this month not only because she is talented – the world is full of talented people who do nothing- but because she takes that talent and does something with it, she is one of the hardest working people I know, and she is a working mother! Frost also got a thank you on the Bird Brain credits – which proves Leoni is a classy lady.

 

I previously worked with Leoni on Love Tourettes, a comedy web series I am part of and Frost interviewed her last year. http://frostmagazine.com/archives/688

 

Check out Leoni’s IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3156365/