Gadgetoid

Face it, LCD monitors have been boring for years and the phrases “high contrast” and “2ms” just aren’t enough to wake me from plain ignoring them. However, recently someone out there in gadget world woke up and decided it was time to start implementing thin LCD display technologies into desktop monitors where, although space may not be at a premium, people are certainly interested in stylistic improvements, energy efficiency and less excess heat.

The LG W2486L delivers finger-thinness, a decent picture, an excellent array of inputs, audio pass-through and more in a very stylish 24″ package that can’t fail to impress.

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Review by Johnus Maximus

How far would you be prepared to go to save the life of someone you love? This is the theme of Heavy Rain, a crime thriller that follows the lives of four individuals affected by a serial killer, and which successfully blurs the medium of film and video game.

Developed by Quantic Dream and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, Heavy Rain is released on February 26th exclusively for Playstation 3 and is an essential purchase for any discerning gamer.

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Review by Johnus Maximus

Pistols, shotguns, swords, whips, ice skates, hair? The diverse selection of weaponry at your disposal is just one of the reasons Bayonetta fills such a unique role within the button masher genre.

Developed by Platinum Games, published by Sega and available now for Xbox 360 and PS3, Bayonetta is a game likely to divide opinions due to its complex yet rewarding combination combat system, it’s incomprehensible storyline and outrageously violent and sexual content.

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The Apple iPad was a fairly predictable announcement, perhaps one of the most anticipated in the history of Apple but what many expected to be a revolutionary device is, at first glance, only evolutionary and not only resembles a giant iPod Touch but makes no effort to claim otherwise.

Indeed, that’s exactly what the iPad is. Unlike the iPod Touch, however, the iPad has unlocked a new world of potential for well designed, widget rich App Store applications and an equal amount of potential for the jailbreaking community.

It’s not a matter of if the iPad will be jailbroken, but when. This potential, combined with the reasonable entry price are just a couple of reasons why I will be getting my hands upon an iPad as soon as possible.

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In December we ran a competition to win a signed Left 4 Dead 2 tshirt. Thank you all for your entries, there were some rather amusing and original campaign name ideas.

After careful deliberation, we’ve chosen a winner…

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The N900 and Motorola Droid represent the latest and greatest of the smartphone market. They’re closely followed by the HTC HD2 but I feel a compulsion to discount it entirely, not just because I don’t have one to hand but because it’s rocking Windows Mobile, the platform which I fled in favour of the iPhone.

What follows is a brief comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of the Motorola Droid (or Milestone in the UK) and Nokia N900 that I hope will lead you toward an informed decision if it comes to a coin-toss between the two. Suffice to say, I went for the N900, but am certainly no Nokia fanboy- I had my reasons!

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If you’re looking for a delightful little puzzle game to keep you entertained on the go, then you’ll be pleased to hear that Spooky Spirits: Puzzle Drop! is now available on the iTunes store for iPhone and iPod Touch, published by Legendo Entertainment.

Somehow developers Innogiant have managed to combine the addictive gameplay characteristics of Tetris and Dr Mario into this excellent app.

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It’s the season of giving, and Gadgetoid has something that no self-respecting Valve fan would want to start the new zombie-slaying year without.

At October’s Eurogamer Expo, as well as getting the chance to get a hands on with Left 4 Dead 2 pre-launch I was also able to get an autographed tshirt from the super-friendly writer and bearded mastermind, Chet Faliszek.

If you want to enter the competition to win this tshirt, then all you need to do is come up with answer to this question:

If Valve were to release a christmas themed downloadable campaign level, what would you call it?

Just send an email to john@gadgetoid.com with your answer, the closing date for your entries is December 25th, the winner will be the person with the most imaginative/funny title and will be chosen on December 26th.

Good luck and braaaaaaaaains….

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I never thought, when testing the excellent and pleasantly compact inFocus X9, that I would move so quickly onto trying out a 1080p projector. But the offer was on the table to try out a Samsung A600, their “entry-level” 1080p home cinema projector, which is quite the behemoth in comparison and a much less practical fit for the home.

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by Johnus Maximus

There’s not much in my life that warrants getting up before 7am on a day off, not even the potential to grind some more achievements whilst having a bacon and egg butty and a huge mug of tea will make me rise from my pit before lunchtime.

In the last weekend of October all this changed, as it was time for the second annual Eurogamer Expo, situated at Old Billingsgate on the bank of the Thames. Read on for my thoughts and feelings on the event.

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