Ministry of Sound iPod Dock
This Ministry of Sound iPod Speaker Dock ships with great sound quality in a stylish package and is due for release on 9th December 2009 at a RRP of £39.99.
The lightweight system is loud enough for any room in the house with a total power output of 12W RMS (2×6W). The iPod slots into place easily and there’s a clear LCD display with clock and alarm function so you can wake up to all your favourite playlists every morning. With a PLL FM tuner, pre-set equalizer and Aix In Function, there are 20 pre-programmed stations to hand. There’s also a handy remote control that is included in the price and requires a cell battery.
The M0SAS079X iPod Speaker Dock also includes with adaptors for different iPods and a mains AC/DC Adaptor.
Brothers is to be released in January 2010
Toby Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman star in this drama thriller about a renegade younger brother who cares for his sibling’s wife and family after he has gone missing in Afghanistan.
Based on the Susanne Bier’s film Brothers tells the story of Captain Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire), an upstanding Marine and conventional family man married to his high school sweetheart, Grace (Natalie Portman), who goes missing overseas.
His younger brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhall), a no-good but charming ex-con who re-enters the family’s life at Sam’s farewell dinner just before he goes missing, steps in to take control of the family with shattering consequences.
It promises to be a story of people, relationships and emotions as the family struggle to deal with their loss and subsequent return of Sam from the dead. Directed by Jim Sheridan, the film sees Tobey Maguire reach new heights as an actor with stellar performances from Natalie Portman and eight-year-old Bailee Madison who plays Sam’s daughter.
Due for a UK release on 22nd January 2010, prepare for some heart-rending stuff and don’t forget to take the box of tissues.
Ninja Assassin contains stylized action
Make way for the Ninja Assassin heading to a cinema near you on 8th January 2010. The story follows Raizo (Rain) an orphan who was taken from the streets to become one of the deadliest Ninjas in the world by the Ozunu Clan, a sinister and secret society whose very existence is a matter of legend.
After his only friend is executed by the Clan, Raizo escapes from their clutches and plans his revenge. His journey brings him into contact with the Europol agent, Mika Coretti (Naome Harris), who has become a target of the Clan after linking the murder of several politicians to them. When she defies her boss’s orders to leave things alone, the Clan send a ruthless team of killers led by Takeshi (Rick Yune) to despatch her into oblivion.
But can Mika trust Raizo to help her escape and survive? The film follows a desperate chase through Europe with plenty of Ninja combat, humour, exciting action sequences and strong bloody stylized violence throughout.
The Saboteur is set in 1940s Paris
Pandemic Studios invites you to enter the covert world of the saboteur in a stylised 1940s Paris as you attempt to overturn the Nazi occupation and track down your mortal enemies in this revolutionary new game released on 4th December.
You will play in the character of Sean Devlin, a tough, Irish racing mechanic based on the real-life war hero William Grover-Williams seeking personal revenge after his friends have been killed, one by one, by the Nazis. With a bit of help from the French Resistance, British Intelligence and a full arsenal of weaponry, you’ll use your wits to track down high ranking German officers and officials, blowing up zeppelins, derailing trains and exploding bridges on the way.
Features of the game include The Vertical World which takes you up on to the rooftops of Paris; the perfect place to initiate surprise attacks, plus gameplay systems called Climbing, Sneaking and Stealth Kills to help you infiltrate the Nazis.
Will to Fight combines visual style with gameplay as the environment of Paris changes around you according to the success of your missions. In order to make the district brightly coloured and “happy” you must weaken German forces occupying the area. In doing so, the district’s citizens will also regain hope and assist you in your fight. Areas with low WtF will be dark with the exception of brightly coloured German flags.
You’ll be fighting your way from the top of the Eiffel Tower to the banks of the Seine, taking in the whole panoply of the city. With a RRP of £49.99 The Saboteur is not only a great game, it’s a great way to see Paris.
Samsung Digital Photo Frame
Digital Photo Frames are surely going to be one of the most popular Christmas presents this year and this latest offering from Samsung is due for release on 25th November so why not buy the most up-to-date version out there for your nearest and dearest?
Even better, why not treat yourself to one so you can inflict your photos on them? You know what it’s like – you’re dying to show everyone your pics of your holiday in Bournemouth, but how do you do it without getting the old photo album out and passing it round while everyone feigns interest … yawn. The Samsung Digital Photo Frames allows you to have a continuous slide show on your mantelpiece so that the photos are displayed in glorious colour right there in front of your friends and relations to be admired or ignored as much as they wish. Of course the clarity and detail of the 7” LCD screen is such that everyone will be captivated. With a high resolution of 480 x 234 and a huge internal memory of 120MG, you can store a heck of a lot of pics on there too.
The Samsung Digital Photo Frame is also easy to set up and can be hooked up to your PC or Mac with the supplied USB cable and plugged into the mains. It’s very stable, resting on an adjustable leg that can move to display photos horizontally or vertically. An auto-resize function ensures that all your pictures will fit too. At £49.99, the frame is available in black or white and would grace any contemporary or traditional surface – the only trouble is you may find yourself sitting hypnotised in front of your own photos for long periods of time when you really should be out there taking more but – hey it’s a hard life.
Rihanna's new album is Rated R
She’s finally put down that umbERella folks! With brilliant vocals and tracks that herald in a darker edge, Rihanna’s fourth studio has a more creative feel than previous offerings and will be launched on November 20th 2009.
Showcasing the single written by Ne-Yo and Rihanna, Russian Roulette, the album is the Barbadian R&B singer’s first to receive a Parental Advisory label. There’s also much speculation as to whether it will include any tracks written about Chris Brown – Rihanna’s ex-boyfriend with whom she was involved in an altercation before the 2009 Grammy Awards. With angrier songs carrying titles on the subject of love like Stupid in Love and Cold Case Love and Rude Boy, this could well be the case.
The CD sees Rihanna working with many prestigious song-writers and producers including Chuck Harmony, Tricky Stewart, the Norwegian record producing team Stargate and Justin Timberlake. Ne-Yo has co-written many of the songs and has described Russian Roulette as a “different direction for both of us.” Rihanna specified that she wanted dark songs that had some kind of meaning “a little more morbid,” Ne-Yo says, commenting that she also says some things on this album that you’ve never heard her say before – could he be referring to the inclusion of swear words on some of the tracks? Several recordings feature iconic performers like Velvet Revolver’s Slash who plays guitar on the suitably named track, Rockstar 101 and Hard features the American rapper Young Jeezy.
Rated R reflects Rihanna’s growth as an artist and also as a songwriter but although some of the songs are dark they’re combined with more uptempo club beats and heartfelt ballads. Fans who pre-order Rates R will receive an instant download of Russian Roulette but there’s another reason you need to add this album to your collection – it’s seriously stellar… ella…ella.
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Chris Moyles - The Parody Album
Love him or loathe him – and not many people feel indifferent towards him - Chris Moyles is widely recognised as having single-handedly dragged Radio 1 from the depths of the listener ratings. The Parody Album is an eclectic mix of uproarious parodies originally aired on the DJ’s Breakfast Show with a few new ones thrown in too and is being released on 23rd November.
With twenty tracks including spoofs of songs by well-known artistes including Meat Again (inspired by JLS’s Beat Again), Lorry Driver (from Womanizer by Britanny Spears), Big Bum (from Tom Jones’s Sex Bomb) and a parody of fellow Loiners, the Kaiser Chiefs’ I Predict a Riot - the aptly named, given the extent of Moylsey’s girth - I Predict a Diet, the album also features exclusive tracks written by the man himself.
Undoubtedly the highlight is the Barack Obama song – we challenge you to sing it all the way through without hesitation, deviation or repetition (the latter could be tricky!).
Radio 1’s longest serving Breakfast Show presenter has always courted controversy with various complaints having been upheld against him by the Broadcasting Standard’s Council. These have included accusations of sexism, homophobia and inappropriate behaviour (for fondling Mel’s B’s breasts on air with accompanying graphic description!) for which the DJ has apologised profusely.
Nevertheless, Chris and his team, comprising Comedy Dave (Dave Vitty), Dominic Byrne, Rachel Mallender, Carrie Davis and Aled Hayden Jones have now successfully shocked and amused listeners for five years - and played a few records in-between.
The Parody Album will provide unlimited, eccentric entertainment over the Christmas period, complete with lyrics that will provide the catchphrases of a generation (for the next six months at least). Order yours now to hear Chris Moyles at his funniest – after all - seven million listeners can’t be wrong.
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Strictly Come Dancing is coming to a venue near you
Tickets are available for an arena tour of the hit BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing Tickets on dates from 15th January to 21st February 2010 at various venues including the LG Arena Birmingham, the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, Sheffield Arena and MEN Arena in Manchester, Wembley Arena, the O2 Arena and in Newcastle, Belfast, Liverpool and Glasgow with prices starting from £42.50.
This five-week spectacular is one of the most glittering and exciting shows you’re likely to see. It follows the format of the TV show but this time you’ll get a chance to vote live yourself via a text message and make sure that the best couple wins. Kicking off from the Manchester Evening News Arena, the celebrities from the shows past and present will be joined by their professional partners to dazzle, entertain and enthral the audience with amazing dance moves and glamorous costumes.
Famous names taking part include Richard Dunwoody, Ali Bastian, Lynda Bellingham, Joe Calzaghe, Natalie Cassidy, Martina Hingis, Chris Hollins, Zoe Lucker, Ray Wilding, Jo Wood, Ricky Groves, Jade Johnson, Laila Rouass and Phil Tufnell who will perform in front of judges including Alesha Dixon, Craig Revel, Bruno Tonioli and Len Goodman in their bid to win the coveted Glitter Ball trophy.
For any fan of Strictly Come Dancing or of ballroom dancing in general, a chance to see the show with all the excitement, atmosphere and adrenalin of a packed arena and live audience simply can’t be missed. Get your ticket now so you can reserve the best seats to see one of the defining shows of the decade.
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Billy Connolly is appearing at the Hammersmith Apollo
He’s been described as the best stand-up comic in the UK and he’s appearing in a series of shows at the Hammersmith Apollo, London from 5th January to 24th January 2010, Billy Connolly is still one of the top-selling comedians around today and tickets are guaranteed to be in high demand.
This is your chance to catch the irrepressible Scot in the sort of intimate venue where he performs best. He may have come a long way from his first trade as a welder in the Glasgow shipyards but you can be sure that Billy Connolly hasn’t forgotten his roots in spite of being feted in the US, appearing in films such as Indecent Proposal and The Last Samurai and acting with Richard Burton in Absolution, as well as a starring alongside Judi Dench in the film Mrs Brown, for which he was nominated for a BAFTA.
Receiving his grounding at folk venues, Connolly first performed in a band called the Humblebums with Gerry Rafferty but his comedy routines between songs became the most important part of his act. His breakthrough came with a double album called Solo Concert and subsequent appearances on BBC’s Parkinson shows, when he told his memorable “bike” joke about a man who buried his wife bottom up so he’d have somewhere to park his bike, ensured his notoriety.
Despite his strong Glaswegian accent Connolly gained popularity in the US largely through the commercial success of the Amnesty show The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball in which his performance was one of the highlights and he even had his own short-lived sitcom, Billy.
Billy Connolly may have tamed his hill-billy beard and hair nowadays but the wild man of comedy still excels as a stand-up comedian with performances full of anecdotes, tangential storytelling and a laying bare of his past that endears him to all audiences. Get your tickets now for a rare chance to see this legendary performer in action.
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Lady Gaga has announced first-ever UK tour
The pop artiste, Lady Gaga is embarking on her first UK tour from 10th February to 10th March, showcasing her inimitable style of music at a host of venues across the UK including Brighton, Bournemouth, Aberdeen, Manchester, Belfast, Liverpool, London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle, Birmingham, Sheffield and Nottingham.
Following the phenomenal success of her debut album, The Fame, Lady Gaga’s driving pop has captured the imagination of the novelty satiated British public like no-one else this year. For an audience who thought they had seen it all, it’s only just begun – Lady Gaga has reinvented pop music and created an image that’s stylish, slick and sometimes downright scary.
With an arty and flamboyant performance influenced by the likes of David Bowie and Freddy Mercury (her stage name stems from the Queen song Radio Gaga), la Gaga’s formidable talents also include songwriting. She started her career writing for Akon who was responsible for persuading Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine to sign her for a joint deal with Akon’s Kon Live Distribution label.
Since that time, Lady Gaga’s electronic brand of music has topped the Billboard charts in the US with the singles, Just Dance and Poker Face becoming worldwide number one hits. She has now sold over 20 million singles and more than four million albums worldwide. Intensely fashionable, intelligent and controversial, this is the kind of concert that will go down in the annals of history and you should be there.
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