Ties that bind

New Irish brand Jivo concentrates its efforts on rebadging cheap Taiwanese gear, usually for iPods. Its latest yoke is a Skype phone but it fails to make the grade because a) it's too expensive compared with other brands who sell the same unit for far less and b) because its short USB cord makes you realise spending a few more bob on a wireless version from someone else is a better idea altogether. Read the full Jivo VoIP Skype phone review in today's paper.

In games, if you're a PS2 owner, you must rush out now and buy Okami. A welcome relief from a turgid diet of remakes, knock-offs and movie tie-ins, Okami resembles Zelda but has an identity all its own thanks to the signature twist of giving the player a paintbrush to solve problems. Need a bridge? Draw one in. Need light? Sketch a sun. Brilliant stuff.

Magical Starsign attempts to replicate Final Fantasy on the DS but totes too much schmaltz for its own good. Far Cry Vengeance bears little resemblance to the visually stunning, intelligent action of the PC/Xbox/360 series. Murky textures and dumb AI spoil what could have been a fair stab at the Wii's first decent shooter.

Finally, Little Britain (PS2/PC) deserves a paragraph to itself for sheer awfulness. Even the official website is broken.