Category Archives: Uncategorised

Nile Rodgers and Daft Punk Gets Me All Giddy

Yes, I know, another Daft Punk related post, but there are few albums that have me as excited about them as Random Access Memories. Only Imogen Heap’s fifth album ‘Heapsongs’ has me as   intrigued.

Just one of the reasons why this new album has me excited though is the presence of Nile Rodgers on the album. Now, the legendary guitarist is speaking about his work on the latest album from the French duo and hearing what he has to say once again makes me very happy.

We’ve heard that the album’s going to have a disco vibe and if Rodgers is this enthused about Daft Punk’s work, then we know it’s going to be unbearably funky.

We’ll just have to wait until next month to find out if it really can match the hype, but for now, here’s the great Nile Rodgers talking about his career and the record.

Daft Punk Reveal Second Collaborator Video

The anticipation for Daft Punk’s new album is growing as the release date draws closer and the fires have been stoked once again by the release of a second ‘Collaborators’ video.

These videos are interviews with the people coming in to help Daft Punk on ‘Random Access Memories’, with the first appeared last week featuring the great Italian electronic trailblazer Giorgio Moroder and this second talking to Todd Edwards.

The American producer, who has worked with Daft Punk before, talks about how he thinks that the new record is going to “intoxicate and infect everyone so that I’m not making music in a sterile world” and that the pair are “bringing soul back to music”.

I didn’t think I could be more excited about this record, but hearing Edwards talk like this makes me not want to have to wait a second longer to hear what Thomas and Guillaume have been up to.

New Epic Character Posters

We have already been treated to a host of great animation movies this year and there is another just around the corner in the form of Epic.

A terrific voice cast has once again been assembled to help bring a new set of characters to life with Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson, Beyonce Knowles, Jason Sudeikis and Colin Farrell all on board.

And we have a set of new character posters to share with you:

Epic New Character Banner  3Epic New Character Banner  4Epic New Character Banner  5Epic New Character Banner  6Epic New Character Banner  7Epic New Character Banner  8Epic New Character Banner  9Epic New Character Banner 1Epic New Character Banner 2

Epic tells the story of an ongoing battle deep in the forest between the forces of good who keep the natural world alive and the forces of evil who wish to destroy it.

When a teen age girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she must band together with a rag-tag team of fun and whimsical characters in order to save their world… and ours.

Epic is released 22nd May.

Risk of Wearing Heels: Should Celebrity Mums-to-be Step Away from the Stilettos During Pregnancy?

The Duchess gracefully detaches a trapped heel

The Duchess gracefully detaches a trapped heel

The Duchess of Cambridge, who is almost six months pregnant, has been keeping up her royal duties in line with her fashion and beauty choices; lovely coats, perfect hair and, of course, showing off her admirable pins in many a high heel.

Only a few days ago, gracefully done so, the Duchess was photographed detaching a heel of her shoe which became trapped in a street grate, and the picture has sparked new debate of whether expectant women should be wearing heels during pregnancy.

The MailOnline reports that doctors in the U.S. have warned that mothers-to-be could be putting their unborn babies at risk by wearing stilettos or shoes with high heels. Beverly Hills Podiatric Surgeon Stanley Orwasher told ABC News: “When you’re pregnant you’re going to change the centre of gravity… Fall over you’re going to hurt yourself and hurt the baby.”

And it seems that he is not the only professional concerned by this issue. Though, high heels are befitting for many celebrity women, those who are well into their third trimester, are still parading in sky-high footwear for red carpet events and even on a daily basis.

These mums-to-be should take note from doctors who are settled on the matter that women should avoid high heels and step away from stilettos during pregnancy.

Pediatrician, Jennifer Shu, advised in a Q&A on Babycenter.com that wearing heels during pregnancy is a bad idea. She said: “Wearing high heels (even wide-based, clunky ones) is not a good idea during pregnancy.

“That’s because your weight increases and your body shape and centre of gravity change, making you walk differently (and less steadily).

“A fall during pregnancy could hurt you and possibly your baby, so think twice before adding height to your growing girth.”

But what about those saying ‘it’s up to the pregnant woman if she wants to wear heels or not?’

Well, OB-GYN Catherine Lynch, in the same Q&A said that it is all about comfort when you’re pregnant and that those who are expecting should opt for more comfy heels if they are intent on wearing them.

In answer to the question ‘is it safe to wear high heels when I’m pregnant’, Catherine said: “Yes, but it may not be comfortable. And as you get further along in the pregnancy you’ll probably want to go to a lower heel, because your centre of gravity will be constantly changing and walking in heels will be harder to manage.

“Usually at about 25 weeks I recommend going to a lower heel, especially if you’re having a lot of back pain.”

Though the professionals have spoken, it seems that the recent group of A-list celeb mums-to-be may be giving into image pressures and putting fashion first, over their own, and their unborn child’s safety and health.

Stars like Kim Kardashian, Jessica Simpson, Rachel Zoe and even the queen of high fashion, Victoria Beckham, have all been seen in towering shoes, sandals, boots and wedges – you name it, they’ve worn it – all during pregnancy. The ex-spice girl even suffered a slipped disc in the latter stages of her fourth pregnancy – now if that’s not warning enough then I don’t know what is!

But, it remains to be said that many of these top celebrities don high heels for special events, rather than, say, a trip to Starbucks or on the grocery shop.

Lorraine Jones, from the UK’s Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, warns in the MailOnline that pregnant women should not strive to mimic the A-listers choices, as seven in ten British women have suffered foot problems in pregnancy, including swollen ankles and feet, and foot arch and heel pain.

She tells MailOnline: “Many of the pregnant celebrities you see wearing high heels in magazines are attending events so, like them, try to keep your high heeled, high fashion shoes for a special occasion and stick to a more supportive shoe on a daily basis.

“High heels alter your posture, shorten your calf muscles and place increased pressure on your back and knees. In pregnancy this places extra pressure on your joints when they are already under strain, which can result in a host of foot, leg and back problems and could increase the likelihood of falls.”

Despite expert opinions and advice, the truth of the matter is that women, pregnant or not, should wear shoes that make them feel comfortable.

However, with the constant photographs of celebrities and models, looking picture perfect in heels, many may feel certain pressures to keep up with the fashion trends. Indeed, we have seen this image conscious factor among expectant reality TV star Kim Kardashian who has been working out and photographed in high heels in almost every picture since she became pregnant.

The brunette beauty has been overworking herself and even faced a health scare after recent travel from Paris to L.A, again she’s pictured in high heels at the airport and after visits to the doctor too, and Kim’s aunt has said that her niece may even consider a tummy tuck after giving birth – image conscious or what?

Like Kim, wearing heels may be the only way a woman feels sexy and confident – but is this superficial need important enough to sacrifice the well-being and safety of a pregnant woman and her unborn child?

By Shabana Adam – @Shabs_A

A Good Day To Die Hard Featurette

A Good Day To Die Hard sees John McLane return to the big screen as Bruce Willis reprises the role for the first time since 2007.

And while Willis is returning to a well known role the part of Jack McClane is introduced to audience for the very first time.

And it is Jai Courtney is the actor who is set to take on the role of Jack and he and Willis team up to kick some bad guy ass.

In this video Courtney talks about the relationships between the pair as well as featuring some explosive footage:

This time the take-no-prisoners cop is really in the wrong place at the wrong time after travelling to Moscow to help his estranged son Jack.

With the Russian underworld in pursuit, and battling a countdown to war, the two McClanes discover that their opposing methods make them unstoppable heroes.

A Good Day To Die Hard is released 14th February 2013.

The social life of the UK

UK social lives peak aged 25 according to new research from T.G.I. Friday’s, with the average UK adult in their mid-twenties enjoying 2.5 nights out each week.  25 year old men in particular can’t get enough nights out – hitting the town 3.1 times per week in average.

But it’s 22 years olds that are the UK’s biggest party animals – one in five admit to being hung-over at least three times a week, and the majority of all 22 year olds have pulled a sickie after getting carried away on a night out during the week.

Social spending                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

The average person spends £29.37 a week on their social lives, with men spending £8.27 more than women at £33.82 each week.  Our social spending peaks during our mid-twenties, with the average 25 year old spending £57 a week – but this isn’t always without sacrifices.  Over one in ten adults buy cheaper food to help fund their social lives, six per cent sacrifice going on holiday, and nine per cent buy cheaper clothes.

Calling time

Across the country, the average night out starts at 7.13pm and finishes at 11.23pm.  However it’s women that have the stronger staying power, but they also spend the most time preparing to go out.

  • Women stay out on average until 11.49pm
  • Men like to head home at 11.17pm
  • Those that are 29 push it the longest, with the average night out finishing at 12.07am
  • Women take 41 minutes to get ready for a social event
  • Men take a quicker 28 minutes to prepare themselves for an evening out

Perfect night out

The UK’s perfect night out is made up of:

  • We love a good natter, with 58 per cent of the UK rating good conversation as key to a good night out
  • Over half of us want to eat on a night out
  • 45 per cent want a night out to include drinking
  • Dancing is important for over one in ten people
  • Just under 10 per cent want to learn something new on a night out

Commenting on the UK’s social life, Adam Friend, a Master Bartender at T.G.I. Friday’s UK said: “It’s clear from the research that we know how to have a good time, and we see this in action every day of the week in our restaurants.

“What this does highlight though is how different people have different priorities and different budgets – but the classic combination of good conversation, good food, and good drinks is still what most people are looking for in their perfect night out.”

Latest Images For The Expendables 2

When The Expendables was released back in 2010 it was a movie that did exactly what it said on the tin and really kicked some ass.

This summer Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Jet Li are back to once again take on the bad guys – this time the cast list is even better.

There are bigger roles for Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, they really only did cameo in the first movie.

But there are also some new faces on the cast list this time around including Liam Hemsworth, Chuck Norris and Nan Yu.

The Expendables are back and this time it’s personal… Barney Ross and the boys are reunited when Mr. Church (Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job.

The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them.

Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time — six pounds of weapons-grade plutonium; enough to change the balance of power in the world.

But that’s nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary who savagely murdered their brother. That is done the Expendables way….

The Expandables 2 is released 16th August

UK’s first free broadband service for users on the go

Samba – a new service which offers free on the go broadband for laptops, netbooks and iPads – has launched in the UK.

 Based on a simple value exchange model, users watch a few high-quality video advertisements to earn free credit.  A partnership with the award winning Three network means Samba offers the best connection possible and coverage across all of the UK.

Watching just 2.5 minutes of ads per day – that’s less than the average ad break on commercial television – earns enough data to cover the average consumer’s monthly broadband consumption of 517MB data per month.  Customers choose which ads they want to watch and when they want to watch them. A battery icon shows how much credit there is.

The need for broadband on the go is growing quickly. Over 7 million adults in the UK use a broadband on the go service and this is predicted to continue to grow exponentially.  Savvy consumers can utilise Samba and reduce their bills, saving an average of £10 per month.

“Samba is the perfect solution for people who need internet data on the go and don’t want to be locked into contracts with monthly charges and additional costs for excess data usage.  With Samba you earn the credit watching ads at a time that is convenient for you and then have access when you need it.  It also marks an end to that hunt for a coffee shop, pub, hotel or library to get online – with Samba you can be online anytime, anywhere.”  comments Ben Atherton, CEO and founder of Samba.

“We want Samba to be a quality product that our customers will enjoy using.  We have the best connection and internet speed possible and carry premium ads from brands such as Agent Provocateur, Sims, Volvo, Clinique, Nissan, Paramount Pictures, Xbox Kinect, Pot Noodle and Dell.” continues Atherton.

Providing value to customers and advertisers alike, additional Samba credit can be earned when customers click through to a partner retailer and purchase items.  With partners such as iTunes and PriceGrabber (and more to follow soon) it is easy to earn additional credit while shopping online.

It’s easy to get up and running with Samba. Go to www.sambamobile.com, register details and purchase a SIM (and dongle for laptops). Start collecting data by watching ads then when the SIM arrives plug it in and the software automatically loads. The Samba standard SIM costs £5 including P&P; the Samba Dongle & SIM costs £25 including P&P – this simply covers costs and there are no further costs than this.

My Hate/Love Relationship With Kanye

Every time he opens his mouth in public, the man appears like an idiot. His lyrics are egotistical and cruel. Kanye West seems to embody most of what I hate about hip-hop.

Needless to say, I absolutely adore the man.

The man just keeps moving, never standing still creatively. On track ‘New God Flow’ on his collaboration album Cold Summer, he claims that he’s ”fresher than all of my foes.” I’ll be damned if the man isn’t telling the truth.

From College Dropout to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, you’d barely believe it’s the same artist pulling the strings. Jesus Walks was all emotion, Lost In The World is all drumbeat, samples and cold magic.

Needless to say, a sixth solo album cannot come fast enough for me.

Cameron

We’ve become a nation of secretive mobile hoarding

Portable, discrete and full of secrets, smartphones today are a hub of embarrassing information for one in five Brits, according to new research from mobile operator Three.

With smartphone ownership expected to account for 80% of all phones sold by the end of 2012, more and more ‘Moarders’ (Mobile Hoarders) risk serious embarrassment if their phone was to fall into the wrong hands.

For Southern ‘Moarders’, self-portraits top the embarrassment list with one in five people  confessing to keeping uncomfortable pictures of themselves pouting and posing on their smartphones. Surprisingly, the research also discovered that men are rather sentimental, with twice the amount of men than women (2:1) admitting to storing pictures of their ex-partners on their phone.

Worryingly one in 10 of those under 35 admit to keeping details of who they have been stalking on Facebook, whilst 12 per cent of 18-34 year olds reveal their taste in music is not always on trend and confess they’d suffer ‘shuffle shame’ if anyone stumbled across their music collection.

Sylvia Chind, head of handsets at Three said, “Advances in technology and constant access to the internet has meant that smartphones have truly become an integral part of our daily lives, and are now another window into who we are. For many they act like a secret companion that won’t judge your taste in music or inclination for watching cheesy TV dramas.”

Top five smartphone embarrassments:

  1. Uncomfortable pictures of yourself posing and pouting
  2. ‘Shuffle shame’ music
  3. Sentimental pictures of ex-partners
  4. Details of people you’ve been stalking on social networks
  5. Bookmarks/links to articles on embarrassing health problems