Small but packs a punch

In today's paper, read Ireland's first full review of Apple's tasty iPod Nano, causing ripples as much for its desirability as the growing backlash about how easy it is to break/scratch the screen. The verdict: it's actually a clever improvement on the already shit-hot iPod Mini (the best-selling 'Pod).

Just watch out for those scratches from day one.

In games, Burnout: Revenge (PS2/Xbox), tunes up the road racing/crash sim formula to incredible effect - massively addictive. Super Monkey Ball Deluxe (PS2/Xbox) collects the two GameCube Marble Madness-style simian classics into one huge-value and highly entertaining package. NFL Street 2 Unleashed (PSP) is another one from the endless EA stable of cross-pollinating franchises, but manages to be playable and enjoyable if you like the gridiron thing. Finally, Untold Legends is the PSP's only RPG and leaves plenty of ground to be bettered. In truth, it gets old quickly unless you're a huge D'n'D fan.

Mortally offensive

Guess you can't expect good taste from the makers of Mortal Kombat but their latest promo for the next MK instalment pushes the envelope. Blood on the Carpet is a live-action spoof which manages to be gruesome but also vaguely amusing.

Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks is out on September 30.

Cable banquet

The hallowed triple-play of cable-delivered entertainment/connectivity - internet, TV and phone - is basically an urban myth in Ireland, with NTL's service available to only a few thousand homes around Dublin. Now a similar product from Magnet Networks is rolling out (very slowly) around the metro area.

And although it's a lip-licking banquet of 4Mbps net connection, digital TV and free phone calls, you can count on one hand the number of suburbs where it's live. In fact, it's not even complete suburbs but rather just specific housing developments.

Oh yeah, and did I mention the top-line service costs €72 a month? Eeeek. Yet it's good value, perhaps, when you consider the cost of phone rental, broadband and digital TV put together. But good luck in being in the catchment area.

Spend spend spend

Got 15 or 20 grand coming to you next year? No, not your share of that heist you're planning - your SSIA, stoopid. For sure, 2006 is going to be one big party for car salesmen, travel agents and masssage parlours.

No wonder Spend Your SSIA wants a piece of the action. The site promises to offer advice on how to spend, save or blow your wodge. The wise words are free and the only qualm in my mind is that because it's sponsored by a car firm and a travel agent, you may be constantly guided towards buying a Nissan or taking a ski break.

Nokia ploy backfires

In today's paper, read a review of Nokia's slinky 8800 phone, the mysterious one featured so heavily in poster and bus ads just now. The marketing wonks seem to have decided that pricing it at an extravagant €900 is a perfect ploy to cement the exclusive cachet of the 8800. But the trick backfires because anyone who shells out expecting an outstanding premium phone will be sorely disappointed. Get the Herald to find out more.

In games, Rainbow Six: Lockdown (PS2/Xbox) accelerates the series trend of dumbing down. So while it's miles more entertaining than the tactics-heavy early episodes, Lockdown is much less a tension-filled squad shooter than a full-blown FPS. Plenty of bugs suggest Lockdown would have been better off with a few more months testing and development.

Also reviewed is the sublime Virtua Tennis: World Tour (PSP), an enduringly playable must-have. Two of EA's PSP launch titles get the once-over: Need For Speed Underground Rivals is merely serviceable (not a patch on Ridge Racer) and NBA Street: Showdown is mildly diverting if you were into the console version.

D-Day for Xbox 360 nailed

We knew the Xbox 360 launch was going to be pre-Christmas but Microsoft has finally named the date - December 2 in Europe including Ireland (bloody Americans get it 10 days beforehand but the Japanese must wait until a week after us).

Slightly worrying is the fact there will be only seven games on launch in Japan. US and Europe totals have not yet been revealed but let's hope they'll hit double figures at least. In all cases, the number is not likely to ramp up until January at the earliest.

Earlier this week, MS unveiled the pricing structure for the 360 Live online service, pegging a full year at €60 but removing the need to use a credit card. If you're plastic-less, you can buy subscription cards at retailers for as little as one month at a time.

If Microsoft has any sense it will include a couple of months' free with every 360. Because once you've tasted Xbox Live's attractions (multiplayer gaming, voice chat, etc), you'll be hooked.

Making a move easier

After what seems like ages in development hell (but at least a year), NewAddress.ie has got off the starting blocks. The site enables people moving house to automatically notify companies of their new gaff.

NewAddress has signed up about 30 firms and organisations (such as Red Cross) but you can't actually see the list until you sign up. Many of the familiar ones are there - such as Vodafone, Eircom, Bank of Ireland, etc - yet loads are missing (AIB, for instance) and hence the site can't be a one-stop shop that takes care of everything for you.

At least using it won't cost you a bean - the companies are funding it.

Three: mind the gaps

In today's paper, read an assessment of new network Three, its 3G content and its coverage. The short version is that although the pricing is good and some of the video stuff is worthwhile, the spotty 3G coverage is its downfall.

By definition a mobile phone is not confined to one spot. But like Vodafone's 3G signal, moving around any distance (such as commuting) with Three is likely to result in a loss of coverage. This is not a problem for voice calls (coverage is more like 99%) but the much-vaunted 3G service suffers blackouts even in metropolitan areas.

Of the free video content, Premiership goals is, naturally, a winner but there's little else as compelling. You have to careful, though, because sprinkled in among the free clips is a lot of paid-for content. And it ain't cheap, at €2 a pop.

Also reviewed is Creative's TravelSound 400 speakers, which are handily transportable and a nifty match for any MP3 player when travelling.

In games, Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (PS2/Xbox) breathes delirious new life into the superhero genre, which has been tarnished by the recent likes of Batman Begins and Fantastic Four. Smashing buildings, vehicles and, um, people, is tremendous entertainment.

Resident Evil Outbreak File #2 (PS2) is another tired rehash of the Resi formula, notable again for its clumsy controls and awkward character interaction.

On PSP, World Tour Soccer may not end up being the best football title (the imminent Pro Evo Soccer will see to that) but for now it delivers perfect bite-sized chunks of footy action.

Irish Rokr

Following up on yesteday's announcement of Motorola's iTunes-compatible Rokr phone, the Irish PR has confirmed it will be available through O2 from next month. No price has been set but €300 is my best guess.

Meanwhile, the reviews of the phone have been rolling in. Most aren't too kind or impressed either.

Nanu Nano, as Mork would say*

The new iPod in a phone unveiled today was well signposted in recent weeks - in fact, the product was first mooted last year - so the Motorola Rokr was the least surprising announcement from Apple this evening.

The honour goes to the iPod Nano, which replaces the iPod Mini line by effectively grafting a colour screen and scroll wheel onto a Shuffle. Looks great, seems tiny, and deals another blow to rivals aiming to capitalise on any hesitation by Apple in the MP3 space. Shamefully, though, with battery life of only 14 hours, Apple is making no effort to replicate the incredible efforts of Sony in similar devices, with 40 hours the norm. But then Sony's portable-music products still have a long way to go in many other areas in which the iPod excels.

The Nano comes in 2GB/4GB configs priced at €210 and €260.

The Rokr was described by Apple boss Steve Jobs as an "iPod shuffle on your phone" but Motorola's design seems to have had no Apple input, looking, well ordinary. Though no Irish network has been confirmed, Motorola has already signalled a press conference about the phone in London next week, so it'll probably be available here quite soon.


* OK so you have to quite old to remember Mork and Mindy (Robin Williams' first TV gig) but he used to say "nanu-nanu" as way of greeting people.

Sleek but largely irrelevant

In today's paper, read a review of Creative's latest effort to unseat the iPod. It hasn't a hope, of course, certainly as long as the company fails to appreciate the importance of good accompanying software. But in an alternative universe where the white Emperor of music players didn't exist, the Zen Sleek would be considered not too shabby.

It looks like an iPod Mini which has been inflated slightly and can point to some handy additional features (radio, voice recording) but let's face it, it's an also-ran unless Windows Media format audio is your big thing.

Also reviewed is Apple's Mighty Mouse, a belated recognition that there might be something useful in the two-button arrangement so long the standard on the Windows side. It's a perfectly fine mouse (and has a really nifty scroll "pea" for navigating round documents, web pages, etc) but at €55 it really needs to be wireless or come with a free diamond earring or something.

In games, the round-up of PSP launch titles continues. Puzzle game Lumines bucks the trend of ports of PS2 classics by playing to the strengths to the handheld. It's deceptively simple - yet fiendishly complicated and damned addictive. Fired Up is driving with guns - ie, top fun but sadly shortlived. But Ape Academy is just insulting mini-game dross. Finally, Dungeon Siege II (for PC) is the casual gamer's RPG reincarnated - a bit repetitive but nonetheless engaging.

Knock off Billy Jean

Sony Ericsson have been attempting to compile a list of the world's 100 favourite songs. Not for the good of their own health, ya unnerstand, but to plug the fact that their Walkman phone is imminent. Anyhoo, so far voters from Ireland and UK have plumped for Billy Jean by Jacko, which seems like a wacko choice to me.

It makes a little bit of sense because the chart is not really the greatest choon ever but the one that means the most to you (first kiss, etc).

You still have the chance to influence the outcome by picking your top three selection over at Walkman Phones 100. Please be responsible and vote for anything but Billy Jean (yes, great track but best ever? Nuh-uh). You could win a prize. Not from me! From Sony Ericsson, silly.

Top of the blogs

Using a ranking system not dissimilar to Google's, Feedster has produced a list of the top 500 most popular blogs. Don't bother searching for the Log On Daily but there's plenty of reading here out of left field.

The list is updated monthly, so it's worth checking back every now and again in the vain hope yours truly has edged up the pecking order.