Wrestlevania

...this is SPOnG we're talking about though.

Definitely. It'd be great if the iPhone detected complete rotation, i.e. 12 'o' clock (vertical) through 3 'o' clock (horizontal to right), 6 'o' clock (upside down) and 9 'o' clock (horizontal to left, which it already does). You could make some great games with that, especially puzzles.

I read an extract from Cialdini's Influence at lunchtime today and that looks like a fascinating read, too.

Found this earlier and thought it gave a good impression of how the phone works, without the Steve Jobs Wankathon aforehand: My consumer gland forewarns it'll be approx £349 with a contract here in the UK, which I suppose isn't so outrageous considering what you actually get. I'm worried as to which bastard carrier we'll be forced to take with it when we buy though...

-- it's the black halfs you've got to watch out for!

Agreed. It's time for a new signature methinks...

Just watched the high-definition Transformers trailer and I'm not massively impressed. Sure the CG is fantastic, and the music and audio production hints at something great, but the robots themselves are incredibly fussy in detail and have lost their unique look in my opinion. They appear to be a strange mix between Patlabor, Gundam and Neon Genesis Evangelion mechs, with lots of extra plates and cables thrown in for good measure--which I think entirely misses the point of the sophisticated and minimalist styles of those robots. Moreover I couldn't recognise a single one, other than Optimus Prime and Bumble Bee--and that was purely because of their unique colours. Scorponok, for example, looks absolutely nothing like the original... Original: Bay's version: Not that I'm against change and progression and blah-blah-blah, but it somehow feels strange that one of our favourite toys doesn't look - for the most part - anything like how we remember it. Update: Good call on the Zudeo linkage, Ys

Yeah, the help is pretty poor. I live in the UK, so I've successfully formatted my mobile number thus: +447790959*** International prefix (inc. 'plus' symbol) Area code (minus leading zero) Personal number If you've entered your number correctly you'll be sent an SMS with a code in it, which you then need to send back to Twitter in order to activate phone notifications (you may need to double-check your Twitter preferences before receiving SMS updates though).

Post your profile URL then! Found you. Twitter knows when you're online or not and will intelligently switch from sending web-based or IM notifications to SMS notifications, depending on your preferences. You can also set a time when you want Twitter to stop sending you SMS updates, so you don't disturb sleeping housemates/spouses/children. But yes; if you've not setup your instant message client to receive updates (I use Gaim personally) then you need to visit your Twitter page to see people's updates (the page refreshes automatically though). I have mine open in a tab during office hours - alongside My Google and Basecamp - with SMS updates enabled for when I'm not online.

Likewise! I bought Metroid Prime Hunters at the weekend and have added Kolzig to my friends roster. I've not actually taken the game online as yet (I was too busy watching Kill Bill (Vol. I) for the first time last night), so haven't been assigned my own Friend Code at this point, but I'll post it this evening. Thinking out loud: I reckon Twitter would be damned useful in notifying other Thumbs when you want to play something...

I agree with Marek -- something like that detracts from the graceful and striking form of the original X360 unit. Even the simple, boxy little Wii manages to stand out more than that brick. Looks like something I'd find in a server room, not a games room. And God forbid the official black unit should come with that tacky side window. Nasty shit.

Probably, but this way you don't get all the other MySpace "noise". Twitter's just very simple, neat and tidy. I've added you to my friends list also -- isn't it wonderful?!

...but it's a Tarantino, that's what threw me. Compared to something like Pulp Fiction it is a pointless movie. It did nothing different, it was stuffed with bland clichés* and even the wire work was rubbish. * I'm aware that was the whole point, but they were used in such a benign and pedestrian way as to not say anything at all. Which was disappointing.

I watched the UK television premier of Kill Bill (Vol. I) last night -- first time I've ever seen it. What a truly pointless film.

To be honest, you could do worse than the first couple of episodes of New Doctor Who, with Chris Eccleston.

I can't rightly remember, but it was most likely via The New Gamer or UK:Resistance. And that's certainly no bad thing if you ask me...

I managed to reconstitute this shot of Bob Fossil from BBC Three's half-arsed (and badly squashed) episode galleries. Any use, Moose?

Yes on both accounts for me: All three consoles should be in all three territories by some point this year (Sony ), meaning there'll be plenty to see, do and rip the piss out of talk about in videogaming. My third-born is due on the 30th of this month and I'm already bursting with excitement!

/me points at Aussie Ben being bitch-slapped for image leeching and laughs

I was suddenly struck down by a mysterious illness mid-morning on "Quake Twosday". Seemed to coincide with my finding said sequel on the shelves of the local Dixons in unusually timely fashion, during morning break at the local college I was attending. Raced home in the car and then completed the game in one continuous 7-hour sitting. That was a very good day... And I know I'll never have another like it ever again. Nice pole by the way.

I really liked my previous avater (mainly because it looked a lot like me in real life)... but OK.

Having caught up on some reading about other people's experiences playing Animal Crossing, I decided to reset my village as I hadn't really been playing the game very well. Crazy I know--especially as the museum was almost full--but it just wasn't coming together as it should. (The map layout was also pretty shite.) So, shiny new village with a tiny little shack in it and lots and lots of peaches! Doors are open; post your codes and come on over.

Changing tack slightly, has anyone else tried out any of the following? Tape It Off The Internet The Venice Project Zudeo Of the three, I've given Zudeo a fair run now and quite like it. It's simple but attractive and very easy to "get". I think once the BBC's offerings (Red Dwarf, Black Adder and Monty Python, amongst others) come online, it'll really take off, as it's kind of hamstrung by its lack of credible/recognised content right now. (Lots of good stuff all the same, especially independents.) TIOTI I'm not at all convinced by just yet because there seem to be so few seeders out there for the majority of shows I'm interested in. Some shows don't even have any registered seeds, but you're still able to subscribe to them all the same. The Venice Project looks altogether more involved and time-consuming to get into than either of the others, hence I've spent next-to-no-time with it to date--far too busy with Christmas and New Year just like everyone else. It does, however, seem to have the most promise so I've installed the latest client in an effort to try it out properly sometime this week. How about anyone else?

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth Justifiably, Dark Corners of the Earth had plenty of skeptics lining up to give its flimsy-sounding twists on the FPS staple a good kicking -- Thumbs amongst them. However, once people actually got to grips with how the HUD-less interface worked, and how the fear/trauma system affected gameplay in a very real and meaningful way, it had praise heaped upon it. The underlying story driving the game forwards - and dragging the player down further into madness - is written with expert attention to detail, and paced in such a neatly progressive and engaging way as to completely absorb you. Dark Corners of the Earth is a brilliant game, especially for those usually left cold by first-person shooters. Animal Crossing: Wild World Just how compulsive and diverse can living day-to-day in a village that doesn't exist be?! If you hadn't been convinced by the huge torrent of blog coverage about the game this year, make sure you read UK:Resistance's justification of ACWW as their only game of the year. Fantastic. GAMMA BROS. Retro gaming. It's a term that's been flogged to death this year, then dragged out and skull-f*cked until the corpse was frothing at the mouth. Amidst the dozens and dozens of mindless remakes and shallow beautifications of games from years back, Pixel Jam have produced a shining gem. Whilst not original in concept, it's flawless execution and attention to detail is the best example of retro cool I've seen all year. Oh and the fact it's a brilliant, frenetic, blue-blooded arcade blaster, too.

Harry Hill will likely end up making me incontenant well before time.