Sony PS4 vs Microsoft Xbox One

Which is better, the Microsoft Xbox One or Sony PS4? I was in The Sunday Times recently debating for the side of the PS4. You can see my thoughts (versus fellow journalist Stuart Andrews representing the Xbox One) here. I couldn't fit everything I wanted to in the piece however. So read on for more of my thoughts on Sony PS4, Microsoft Xbox One and their other competitors...

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Snowsports technical kit

The first part of my top ten of Winter 2013/14 snowsports kit round-up for The Independent Travel. The second part can be found here. The ten items cover not just technical clothing, but also innovative split snowboards, waterproof interchangeable lens cameras and the lightest freeride ski boot around.

Smartphone battery cases

Battery boost cases for your iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S3/S4 and more. Originally in The Sunday Times.

Bicycle multitools

Bike multitools for keen cyclists from ones with pliers on, to ones that replicate near an entire bike shop in a mini-case, to ones for hipster back pockets. As seen in The Sunday Times.

Rugged tech

From the Mail On Sunday's Live Night & Day magazine, a collection of rugged tech including military standard laptop, the Guinness Book Of Records toughest phone in the world and an X-ray-proof SD card. Grr... 

eBikes tested

If you've got access to The Sunday Times behind the paywall, go look at my feature on the new generation of electric bicycles there. If not, you can probably see the text clearly enough right here. This next generation are cheaper, give longer range and are lighter - and are now truly ideal for those who want to get out and ride, but for whatever reason don't want to either get a scooter or build up their leg power and stamina.

iPhone accessories

Done for The Mail On Sunday's Live Night & Day recently - a bonanza collection of Apple iPhone accessories including photo printer, music dock, Bluetooth wireless headphones and much more.

Videogames of 2012

Done for the start of January for The Sunday Times' InGear section - here's my take on the biggest games of 2012 and what will be the hot videogame trends of the year, including Sony PlayStation Vita, Wii U, casual games, FIFA Street, Star Wars: The Old Republic (I know it technically arrived in 2011!), Halo 4, the Tomb Raider reboot, Grand Theft Auto V, Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2 and BioShock Infinite. Phew.

Mountain bikes, Mail On Sunday

A relatively recent spread of mountain bikes - one for all types of rider - in the Mail On Sunday's Live Night & Day magazine. Tested on Epping Forest's finest steep slopes and muddy puddles! (Ignore the fact that it's credited to my mate Chris Haslam - a subbing mistake. Also ignore the fact that some of the forks are the wrong way round - that's down to the photographer, not the tester ;-)

Commuting for dummies, Mail On Sunday

Excuse the sporadic posting here - far too busy doing other stuff elsewhere! Blogging, reviews and features for MSN, features for Stuff, Mail On Sunday and US websites, regular gadget coverage for Flipside, E&T and others as well as copywriting, of course. Anyway, here's a spread I did for The Mail On Sunday's Live Night & Day magazine on commuting kit, that didn't appear online.

Ethical, environmentally-friendly bike manufacturer

Bicycles are great for the planet - getting people out of cars and requiring little more than bananas, flapjacks and the odd bit of oil to run. But most bike manufacturers aren't taking the environment into account much in manufacture.
Racer Rosa Bicycles make made-to-measure handbuilt bikes. The frames are made in Italy from Italian steel and shipped to the UK, then assembled with components picked for ethical/environmental benefits as well as quality, all in Walthamstow, East London. Want to know more? I wrote them up for The Guardian's Environment site.

Sat Navs reviewed in The Mail On Sunday's Live Night & Day

In-car satellite navigation systems from Garmin, Mio, Navman etc. get the once-over by me in The Mail On Sunday's Live Night & Day magazine. Pictured is the winning TomTom GO 750 Live.

Heavy Rain, BioShock 2 and Aliens vs Predator game reviews

Heavy Rain for the Sony PS3 is supposed to be an interactive movie. Actually, it's better than that - more on which as soon as I can here. But peep my reviews at MSN Tech & Gadgets and Electric Pig for the full emotional rollercoaster.
BioShock 2 also gets the review treatment at MSN Tech & Gadgets from me. The original was that rare beast: an intelligent, adult and philosophically sophisticated game that simultaneously looked great and kicked butt interactively. Can the sequel possibly live up to the original? Read the review and find out...
Finally, a lazy update of the rather brilliant 1999 PC game adds little beyond its at least inventive multi-player. Awkward controls and lazy design hamper Aliens vs Predator. For the full horror, see my reviews at MSN Tech & Gadgets and Electric Pig once more.

Bayonetta and Darksiders reviews

Bayonetta and Darksiders reviews at MSN's Tech & Gadgets Gaming section, by me. The overspill from the Christmas avoidance of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has begun - with two big games turning up for release on 8 January 2010.
Bayonetta's witch-with-guns-in-her-heels flamboyant take on the Devil May Cry shooting-punching combo genre is just about perfect in terms of its visuals and combats. But does it stack up in terms of longevity, script and progression?
Meanwhile, Darksiders is a grown-up, gothic take on a post-apocalyptic Legend Of Zelda - with one of the four horsemen hacking through demonic and angelic enemies and solving lots of environmental puzzles.
Which is better. Read the reviews and find out...

20 biggest games of 2010

The 20 biggest games of 2010? Step right over to MSN Tech & Gadgets to see my take on the games that are going to dominate next year's release schedule.
Included in the list are: Mass Effect 2, God Of War III and Halo: Reach. Of course.

WiiMote and motion-sensing gaming explained

By me in the latest (January 2010) issue of FHM: motion-sensing technology explained. From the WiiMote and Motion Plus to Natal and the PS3 Wand on the gaming side. And the Philips uWand and Firebox Wand remote controls too.

Stuff Dec 09: Xmas games, platform games in history, Sony PS3 Slim review

A slew of pieces from me in the December 2009 issue of Stuff Magazine, just got subscribers' copy.
1. Christmas games (in a big "12 Days Of Christmas" feature) including: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Assassin's Creed II.
2. A history of platform games from Donkey Kong in 1981 to Super Mario 64 to 2008's Mirror's Edge. And a sidebar on "missing links" including Knight Lore, Tomb Raider and Portal.
3. Long-term and in-depth of the Sony PS3 Slim.
Go buy it now!

Flipside Gizmos: Apple Nano, Halo Wars Mega Bloks and more...

My latest gadgets for Flipside Magazine are now online. The site has the new Apple Nano plus Halo Wars Mega Bloks kits, Jedi Training Sphere mind-controlled toys, Rovio robots, gnarly Bell Jimbo Philips cycle helmets, magic wand remote controls, light-up umbrellas, petcams, Alcatel Tribe cheap Blackberry-a-like QWERTY phones, and the PCTV picoStick - the smallest Freeview box in the world.
The magazine has even more - reviews of the Veho-UK Muvi - the world's smallest digital camcorder, the Sony Walkman S series and news on Dahon's iPod-loving bikes and Electrolux's insane vision of the kitchen of the future.

Script surgeon: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Part of an occasional series where I give my views on videogame scripts…
There are three specific areas where immediate improvements could have been made to Modern Warfare 2's script and plotting. Two, I very much doubt were in the hands of the scriptwriter. But I'll detail them nonetheless...

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Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 reviews

My thoughts on Modern Warfare 2? Largely excellent - a pulverising run through ever-more ludicrous and grin-inducing action setpieces. Epic, exhilirating and massively slick. But there are some caveats - short, silly plot, and one-note in its relentless speed. More on my thoughts at MSN Tech & Gadgets and Electric Pig. I also didn't like much of the dialogue - but I'll come back to that in a separate post...