A Social Revolution

In this day and age, many of you will have an online presence. This may be through Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, Blogger, Tumblr, MySpace, Bebo, the list goes on. But what do these sites actually offer you as a user? The scope of this question is huge. I would like to touch upon this and go through a few things of note in terms of the benefits that they provide. Obviously, when uploading private information onto the internet, there are a number of issues regarding privacy, of which I leave for now.

All of these have one main attraction, being that they are social in nature, they allow you to connect with others in various ways. They can enhance relationships and also create new ones, even with the possibility of having a connection online without having a connection in the real world. These kind of relationships may be built on mutual interests such as fan sites, finding friends through your current friends or even by advertising yourself online through the use of a dating site or something similar. These all offer very different kind of interactions, but there are also a number of similarities.

One of the advantages I would like to pick up on is the use of following what your friends are interested in. So, for example, you see that a friend likes a certain film or song and therefore you decide to check it out for yourself. With the latest release of Spotify, they have introduced the chance for users to connect with their Facebook account. This means that you can post your public profile onto Facebook and anyone else with Spotify can see what you have been listening to by looking at the playlists that you have published. This is a great feature for Spotify and something that I think firmly puts it ahead of iTunes since you now have a social aspect to your music. No longer is it the case of just having a library of songs, every song within your library becomes a recommendation for a friend. Of course, you may have songs that you like more than others and therefore the option to give each song a star means that others can see what you would rate highly. Another feature that I think has great promise is the option to have collaborative playlists, meaning that more than one person can edit a playlist. All of this makes sharing music and finding new artists/songs a lot simpler and quicker than say going round to a mates house and talking through your whole collection. That is not to say it is better in any way, it is a different experience, one which takes away the personal aspect of meeting in person, but allowing for a streamlined experience that doesn't interfere with your normal habits. You just listen to the music and obtain additional information that can help improve your listening.

Spotify can be obtained from here... Get Spotify

If you would like to see what I've been listening to, then follow this link... mozzy16's Profile

iPhone / iPod Touch games

Here's a rundown of what I think are some of the best games available for the iPhone / iPod Touch. There are obviously others that I might not have tried or not included here, so feel free to add your own to the comments box. I've tried to focus on the games that won't cost that much and offer good value for money.

1. Bejeweled 2 - £1.79
A classic. You switch 2 jewels to create matches of 3,4 or 5. Simple and endlessly good fun. You may even want to play it with a loved one (It can be done). This has integration with the Facebook version of the game allowing for that 1 minute speed round.

2. Angry Birds - 59p
This requires you to launch a number of birds at pigs who are protected by all sorts of objects that you must destroy to get revenge! The artwork is nice and colourful resembling a cartoon sketch. Seriously addictive and can get quite challenging at times.

3. geoDefense - £1.19
This is a tower defense game. Although, the graphics are relatively simple, the special effects when you blow your enemies up does give this game some really good graphics for the iPhone / iPod Touch. This can eat away a little at your battery though. There are quite a few different levels, with what I would say offers some truly challenging gameplay.

4. Playman Track & Field - 59p
Remember the good old days of button bashing to victory? This recreates that excitement with some bright graphics and decent animations. Most of the events are relatively easy to get the hang off with slight variations on the sequencing, but you should be able to beat the others after a while. This doesn't take away the enjoyment, however, as this is one of those that will offer some good gameplay in short bursts.

5. Pub Quiz - 59p
Answer questions on a number of topics including 'Pop Music', 'History' and a few others. Can do a classic version which has a number of different rounds, or a quick fire game where you just try and answer as many questions correct as possible. Can also play against a friend making this good for a bit of banter.

6. BubbleWrap - Free
Okay, so it's not going to give you hours of enjoyment, but this is perfect use of the iPhone / iPod Touch. You simply tap the screen as fast as you can in order to pop bubbles. It recreates the sound and has a convincing enough animation to make this just as relaxing as it can be in real life. Competitions with friends can get fairly heated pretty quickly. BEWARE!

7. TouchCricket - 59p
This is actually quite an obscure game to play as you are faced with a side on view of the wicket and you have to use the multitouch to provide your stance as a batsman and also when you swing for the ball. Depending on where you hit the ball, you get a different score. Once you get used to the controls, it's quite a fun and addictive game to play with a just one more ball or innings vibe to it. There are some scenarios to add to the enjoyment.

8. Ronnie O'Sullivan's Snooker - 59p
At the time of writing this is just 59p!! I also got it for this price and it is worth every penny and then some. It has 3d graphics and resembles that of a console game. The controls are easy to use and for a snooker fan like me you can play through Ronnie's career in a number of different scenarios. You'll soon be making some decent breaks, although your battery might not like it.

The Grand National

The grand national, one of the few events on the calender that brings out a number of people to place bets even if they are not a betting person. I am one of those people and will place a bet on the grand national every year for some enjoyment. This year was no exception, so come Saturday morning I was on the BBC Sport website checking out the runners and riders. Now when people choose a horse, most people will pick a name, some will pick on colours, others will just take a random number. Considering that the grand national is one of those kind of races where anything can happen, these can be just as productive as someone looking through all the form guides. I decided to go for a horse called 'Don't Push It', I liked the name, but there was also a champion jockey riding him, Tony McCoy. I liked his chances and the odds were good at 20-1. I also decided to place a bet on another horse called 'State of Play', and considering the lower odds at 16-1, decided to put him on as a winner. Shortly before the race began, the odds for 'Don't Push It' had risen to 10-1, making him a joint favourite. I figured this was good news.

Come 4.15pm, I was sat down ready for the action before me with hope. One false start and then they were off.  'Conna Castle' took an early lead, but I knew that the early leader rarely wins the race. My horses were jumping well in the middle of the pack, I was just waiting for them to come good. 'Don't Push It' made strides forward and closed the ground on the leaders, he was looking strong. By this point, I was full of elevation. Then he started to pull away, it was a two horse race between 'Don't Push It' and 'Black Apalachi', but my horse was able to bring home the victory in comfort. My first win on the grand national and £27 better off. The other horse I bet on, 'State of Play' came in third. Coincidently, if I had placed the bets the other way round (I had 'Don't Push It' as an each way bet), I would have won over £100. Nevermind, a win is a win.

First post

I've decided that I will ramble on here for entertainment. Bring on the backlash...