David Gray Release Date
David Gray releases his eighth studio album Draw the Line this coming September.
David has described the album as having a “political edge” and being less introspective than of late. The first single off the album “Fugitive” has had it’s first play on the Ken Bruce show on BBC Radio 2 and is available to download. David says of the single: ” It’s about hiding from life, from yourself.”
Draw the Line is composed of eleven new songs, with a new musicians supporting David – Neill MacColl on guitars, Robbie Malone on bass, and Keith Pryor on drums. Featured artists include Annie Lennox in “Full Steam Ahead” and Jolie Holland, a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter on “Kathleen”.
Draw the Line is released through EastWest on 14th September.
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The Cribbs Release Date
Described by Q Magazine as the “biggest cult band in the UK”, the Cribs were officially joined by ex-Smiths guitarist, Johnny Marr last year and release their fourth studio album and first album with Johnny, Ignore the Ignorant, this September.
The first single from the album, “Cheat on Me” is available to download and will be physically released on 31st August. The band, described as post-punk, indie rock, tour the UK, Europe and Japan this autumn and winter. Ignore the Ignorant is released through Wichita Records on 7th September.
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Lumix DMC-GF1 release dates
This Micro Four Thirds model claims to be the world’s smallest and lightest camera with built-in flash and HD movie record and is suitable for both experienced photographers, with its many advanced functions and for beginners who can employ its iA mode.
The new compact size has been reduced from the G1 by 35% and its weight by 26% yet it still has built in flash, a large 76 mm (3 inch) Intelligent LCD display with a wide viewing angle and full 460,000-dot resolution, an optional EVF and impressive focus speed, also offering continuous shooting at three frames per second.
Backlight control is combined with high resolution and image quality is excellent with a 4/3-type 12.1 megapixel Live MOS Sensor combined with low power consumption. Images are reproduced with fine detail and strong gradation. The DMC-GF1 also features a My Colour mode with seven preset effects and a manual mode that lets users set the colour, brightness and colour saturation levels. Capable of recording 1280×720 high definition motion pictures in AVCHD Lite, the DMC-GF1 has a long recording time and HDMI output. It can network with other AV devices and record in the Motion JPEG format for use with PCs.
The Optical Image Stabilizer and MEGA O.I.S. helps prevent blurring and minimises hand shake when using a high powered zoom. Face Detection automatically detects up to six faces in the frame and adjusts focus, contrast and exposure accordingly with the ability to recognise up to three people and record their names once registered.
Intelligent exposure continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts exposure to compensate, preventing blocked shadows and highlights and the Intelligent Scene selector recognises the four most common scenes of portrait, scenery, close-up and low light and alters accordingly. There is also an option to use an optical viewfinder attachment. The DMC-GF1 goes on sale with two lens options of a 20mm f1.7 fixed focus lens or a 14.45mm f3.5050.6 lens and is available in October.
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Vodafone 360
Vodafone have announced the new Vodafone 360; the first truly integrated mobile internet service that consolidates and organises all your social life in one place.
Uniting friends everywhere, Vodafone 360 works on mobile phones, PCs or Macs and combines a single 3-D address book gathered from your phone, internet and social network accounts with instant access to social media sites. You can now chat on Facebook, receive status updates share photos, videos, games, music and maps and addresses or identify your location to chosen friends wherever and whenever you like.
The service links across all networks and works on a range of 100 popular mobile phones including two Vodafone 360 mobile handsets. Manufactured by Samsung and driven by Vodafone’s ‘proximity algorithm,’ these provide a tailor-made interface with a 3.5 inch high definition screen, 5 megapixel camera and LiMo operating system. You can access emails from your personal accounts like Hotmail and Gmail from your personalised web homepage with links to your favourite websites.
Contacts are organised into tiers so that the most frequently contacted are at the front, via a user-friendly, 3D visual address book; the Vodafone 360 People view. There’s also access to over 1,000 Apps, games and music. The Maps service includes a GPS that gives detailed directions which can be shared with friends so that you can meet up or search for specific locations and points of interest.
The Vodafone 360 integrates all contacts from your phone, Facebook, Windows Live Messenger and Google Talk and will soon embrace Twitter, Hyves and stuiVZ. Information, emails, tags and messages are automatically backed up and updated and synchronised wirelessly between the mobile and PC or Mac giving you the confidence of knowing that contacts can easily be recovered should you lose or change your mobile.
Vodafone 360 epitomises Vodafone’s new slogan ‘power to you’ that aims to put the customer in control. “The beauty of Vodafone 360 is that all the services work together and it’s easy to use,” says Pieter Knook, Director of Internet Services at Vodafone Group, “It enables customers’ digital lives.”
Halo 3: ODST release dates
Halo 3: ODST, the first-person shooter Xbox 360 video game, is now on general release with an RRP of £34.99. Introducing a set of new characters, film-noir setting, graphical enhancements, epic adventure and multi-player option it ships with the added bonus of the mind-blowing co-operative mode, Firefight.
A spin-off from Peter Jackson’s acclaimed trilogy and conceived by Bungie, ODST explores events leading up to Halo 3. Set in the 26th century, humans are embroiled in a bloody war with a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant. Unlike Halo 3 however, which focussed on the protagonist, Master Chief, Joseph Staten’s storyline follows the ODSTs, or the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, the black- armoured elite command soldiers, centring on one young member in particular – The Rookie.
After having crash landed on Earth the Rookie has to locate his teammates by following clues and solving mysteries. When a clue is discovered, for example, a sniper rifle hanging on a lamppost, flashbacks allow the player to operate as the other ODSTs as well.
Although there are some similarities to Halo 3, ODST comes with many changes that escalate tension and action. Improved graphics with a full-screen-shader system, parallax mapping and depth of field include touches of realism provided by details like advertisement hoardings and civilian characters. Much of the action takes place in the dark, in the urban environs of New Mombasa in Africa, but enemies are outlined in red and allies in green thanks to a new feature called VISR (Visual Intelligence System Reconnaissance). Exclusive weapons include the addition of a suppressed machine gun and re-vamped pistol.
Receiving universal praise for its visuals, atmospheric jazz-influenced music and for its powerful audio, ODST comes as a two disc set; the first contains the campaign mode and the Firefight co-operative mode. The latter allows players to show off their skills in an on or offline battle with increasingly formidable enemies and is claimed by some fans to be one of the best features of ODST. The second disc contains the multiplayer mode with the complete set of Halo 3 maps, plus three others and open world environment.
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Lynyrd Skynyrd Release Date
Amazingly Gods and Guns is Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 12th studio album and will be released in standard and deluxe 2-disc versions in September.
The band have had a tumultuous career with many ups and downs, successes and tragedies in their 36 years together. The new album features many songs written by the late Hughie Thomasson, including this first single, “Still Unbroken”. The album also features guitar work from John 5, formerly of Marilyn Manson and currently of Rob Zombie.
Gods and Guns will be released via Roadrunner Records on 28th September.
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Five Finger Death Punch Release Date
Named after the lethal hand blow from Kill Bill II, Five Finger Death Punch (or 5FDP or FFDP) release War is the Answer, their second full length studio album since their debut The Way of the Fist in 2007.
Produced by Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne’s Black Rain producer), guitarist Zoltan Bathory commented:
“There’s a healthy balance of melody and aggression, and as always we concentrated on writing strong metal songs in the traditional sense.” The first single release from the album, “Hard to See” centres on people opinions based on little or no information.
War Is The Answer is released through Prospect Park Records on 21st September.
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Municipal Waste Release Date
Municipal Waste are a US thrash metal band with a hardcore of loyal fans. Their fourth studio album, Massive Aggressive is released this September on Earache Records. Previous releases are Waste ‘em All, Hazardous Mutation and The Art of Partying. They’ve currently been touring Europe and are soon to appear at the following UK dates:
14.08.09 Derby, UK – Bloodstock Festival
28.08.09 Leeds, UK – Leeds Festival
29.08.09 Reading, UK – Reading Festival
30.08.09 Dynamo Festival
They go on then to perform all across Europe including Germany, Greece, Portugal and Finland.
Massive Agressive is released on 25th August.
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Headphonies release date
Made by Mobi Technologies, Inc and billed as three inches with attitude, the latest in diminutive portable speakers are heading to the UK and will be available from 1st October. At first glance Headphonies are as cute as cute could be until you look into their slightly menacing eyes (not you Star Girl!) and realise that they mean business; in fact they deliver a seriously powerful sound.
Each Headphonie doubles up as a piece of art work having been designed by cult artists, toymakers and product designers, including Jeremy ‘mad’ Madl, Jeremiah Ketner and Eran Weinberg. With a definite Japanese influence – think Pokomon – their creator Weinberg was fascinated by the designer vinyl industry and the potential of creative products that combine emotional connections with enjoyment and functionality.
You can choose from a range of colourful characters like Scully the Skeleton, Star Girl or Koko or, if you’re feeling slightly more macho, you could go for Sinister or Inked – a Headphonie rendered in tatoo style. HP White is just that; a white Headphonie – so you can even create your own customized character on a blank canvas. Two limited edition toys, Diver and HP Man are also available with only 1000 released worldwide.
They may be small but Headphonies pack a load of technology and contain an amplified speaker with a loudspeaker output of 2 w and distortion of 0.5%. A connection cord can link to an MP3, iPod or anything with a standard audio output and a USB recharging cable is included. One Lithium Ion rechargeable battery lasts up to four hours on a single charge.
Headphonies would make ideal corporate gifts or are just a novel way to listen to your music. Link two of them to your source with the optional audio splitter and you’ll get a clear stereo sound. Alternatively you could use them as a key ring or just make one your desk buddy. One thing’s certain; Headphonies are destined to become the new collectible items of the year and could just be about to take over the world as we know it.
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BBC Audiobooks: Dr Who: The Day of the Troll release dates
Fans of the popular science fiction series, Doctor Who will be delighted to discover that a new audio-exclusive title is being released on October 8th. Based on the acclaimed programme; Doctor Who: The Day of the Troll has been written especially for audio by Simon Messingham and is narrated by Dr Who actor David Tennant. The audiobook lasts for two hours and is available on two CDs.
When Doctor Who arrives on Earth in the year 2073 to attend the “greatest party ever held in the Solar System” according to the guide, he discovers instead that the planet has become a desolate wasteland crippled by famine and starvation. Although scientists are struggling to replant crops and bring the earth back to life, their work is interrupted when the owner of the research facility Karl Baring, disappears in the depths of the night. The only person who could shed light on the affair, Baring’s sister Katy, who witnessed the snatch, is now in deep catatonic shock.
With the help of scientists at The Grange Dr Who tries to unravel the mystery in what becomes a race against time. Something deadly is lurking under the bridge and stealing people away and he has to find out who or what it is before it kills again …
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