We're almost at 2k views!

Evening all,

I've logged on for the first time in a few months to see that we're sitting at just over 1.9k views, which means there's every chance we'll break the 2k boundary very soon!

I just wanted to thank those of you who have taken the time to view the blog, whether it's been for the app reviews, the real-life posts or just the general new ramblings. Even if you don't stop by for very long, or even come back again, I just wanted you to know that I appreciate you taking some time out of your day to look at my content.

Everyone has their own tastes, and my content probably doesn't interest and impress everyone and that's ok. I totally get that. My goal for this blog was never to attract ten's of thousand's of views from posts that didn't mean anything to me. I write to feel good rather to just pump out content and I take long leaves of absence so this venture could never be a cash cow.

Saying that, it was never intended to be a cash cow. It was supposed to be a place to chill and view some honest posts about various topics in our society (latest news and my opinions on it and, most popular, app reviews).

This was only ever supposed to be a short post and I will be keeping it as such. I have been playing about with a few apps lately. I've got the mac, as well as also being in possession of an Android phone so hopefully I can strike a chord with a lot of the app-using community.

Oh, and before I go, happy November 5th. I hope you enjoy any bonfire/firework displays you attend. I'll be watching the show from the warmth of my apartment. I'm a fair few floors up so I can look over the whole of the city's offerings!

Take care.

Xbox Live Update

Good morning!

It appears that Microsoft have put a fix in overnight because now, according to the status checker, it's all back up and running again.

Photo: xbx.lv/XBLstus

Feel free to let me know in the comments if you're still having issues. Mine seems back to normal this morning although I am hearing whispers that various aspects of Live are still experiencing some problems.

It'll be interesting to see is Microsoft/Xbox put out some form of statement regarding the problems. It was down for a fair amount of time and a lot of people were complaining about losing a paid-for service so they'll want answers.

Stay tuned.

Xbox Live: Down!

Photo: http://bit.ly/1zgO1yG

Evening all!

Yes, it is true - Xbox Live appears to be down in certain areas around the globe. I reside in Manchester, UK and it's currently down for me as well. I did retain service until approximately 15 minutes ago then I joined the rest of you in total blackout!

Many users have made their disappointment clear:

Whilst it's not clear what Microsoft are doing to resolve the issue. one thing they certainly are doing is providing a link for you to check on their progress.

...

Oh, wait, the link they supplied is dead - doesn't work, no comprende (you get the picture).

I guess we'll have to just sit tight for now and wait for them to bring it back to life.

I'll provide a full report once it's up and running again.

Mac owners of the world rejoice

For you have a new member!

That's right, I bought a macbook pro spontaneously the other day - it arrived this morning and it looks absolutely stunning. 

Now, I was a bit dubious at first. I have previously not been a huge fan of mac. I mean, you can get a much better spec machine for the same price, if not cheaper. There's something that appeals about them though, whether it's the backlit keyboard or the illuminated apple sign on the lid - it just works!

Photo: http://bit.ly/18Q7mNJ

The thing with a Windows machine is that Microsoft don't make the hardware, other companies do. It's for this reason that I don't believe the operating system/hardware make 100% use of each other. With mac it's different. Apple make the hardware, Apple make the software. The two go together like peas in a pod. 

Don't get me wrong, I still love Windows. I have 3 other laptops at home all running Windows and I love them. Both Windows and Mac have their advantages.

I'm still getting used to Mac. I'm so used to using Ctrl+C/V to copy & paste for example, and there's no DEL key on the Mac keyboard. I'm learning though - these multi-gestures are a pain to keep up with but equally fantastic.

Keep an eye out for more Mac related posts. Now I have more room to play with apps I should be able to start pumping out reviews again - they were some of my best loved posts and were responsible for bringing in over 90% of my views, so it would be nice to return the blog back to that state of high audiences. Sure, I don't get the largest traffic in the world but to me over 1,000 views is insane and I certainly don't plan to stop now.

Britain: are we full?

Photo: http://bit.ly/rtmOEw

Are we full? 

This is a question that always seems to pop up in our society. Immigration has always been a touchy, yet important, topic and is one that plays a massive part in which political party we decide to elect.

So, are we full?

I can't answer this question - in fact I don't think anyone can truly say that we are 'full'. It's not like we have a limited number of seats and every seat is taken. We're a country, not a west end theatre. There isn't a guard counting how many people are coming in, or a digital board counting free spaces and shutting borders when we're full. 

Why?

The problem is that those kind of procedures are near impossible to enforce. I'm not saying they are impossible. With the right funding and time a system for tracking the amount of people in the country, as well as 'free spaces' could certainly be created. However, the amount of time and money a system like this would actually take is immense. It just isn't viable - unless of course there was a way to profit from it.

Perhaps limiting the amount of people coming into the country would aid current citizens with getting jobs, housing, etc and build up the economy? To be quite honest, this does sound viable but then there's no evidence or reports that prove the economy would benefit (or if it would, by how much)

Maybe there is a different approach to sorting out our immigration problems. I don't have the first clue on how to solve the growing problem we have, but I do know that something must be done. What's the point in letting people in who have absolutely no intention of obeying our laws and mixing with society. By all means, people can follow whatever religion and/or belief they wish but it mustn't interfere with British morals or laws. If it does, they aren't welcome and should be refused immigration clearance.

There's a lot more to this argument than I can possibly discuss. Ultimately though, most arguments are a variation on one important point - the immigration epidemic needs to be sorted.

Long time, no see

Hello, it has been a while.

I've been away for quite some time now - apologies. I have had a lot happen in real life that has prevented me from having even the slightest bit of free time to blog.

For starters, my newborn came into the world on 5th April at 01:15. That moment was magical and one that will stay with me for as long as I live. His little fingers, toes, eyes, ears and nose. He's truly perfect and I'm still living in a dream world at the moment. I cannot believe he's finally here.

I've also watched various stories unfold, most of which I will try and cover over the next few days. I have a lot of opinions on what has gone on recently so definitely stay tuned for that.

Apart from that, I hope everyone is well. I will definitely start to pump more posts out on a regular basis from now. My last post was at the beginning of March which seems an age away now.

Thanks.

App review: Super stickman golf

Noodlecake Studios Inc presents: Super Stickman Golf. 

Super Stickman Golf is a platform game where, surprisingly, you play golf. I am not a fan of sport in any shape or form, nor do I usually like talking about it but this is a little different. You see, I like playing games with stickmen in. Stickmen produce a nice and simple, basic approach to gaming. None of this high tech gadgetry. I mean sure, it's nice to experience all the latest graphics and game engines but only in moderation. I like my games simple and straightforward.

SSG immediately struck out at me because of its appealing app icon. Not many developers think about this aspect I don't believe. In my opinion, the look of the app icon is one of the most important factors - if the icon doesn't look nice then it isn't touching my iPhone or iPad's HD.

The game has many different features, including a multiplayer function. I can't review or comment on this because I haven't played a multiplayer game however it is a nice addition.

You can start the game off on the "Classic Courses" and then, as your skill improves and you becomes more comfortably with the game, you can move on to the other various courses available within the game.

The game is fully Game Center enabled, which means you can rack up a nice high score and compare it with other players across the world.

The graphics are detailed but still manage to retain the game's overall theme of simplicity. I absolutely love the blend of cartoon-style text and layouts, mixed with the modern, industrial style buttons used to control the game.

The game also provides you with different power ups, that you can earn by playing through the various courses on offer. These power ups are well balanced which means, whilst they do help if used correctly, they can't be used as a means to skip your way through courses with relative ease.

Super Stickman Golf is a must have for everyone who enjoys a little golf themselves, especially playing it. Some people don't like stickmen but I think it's a perfect little game that deserves a place on your iPhone. With it only being a tiny 48.9MB, it's hardly going to exhaust your HD space.

You can download Super Stickman Golf, as you would expect, from the App Store. Right now there is nothing at all to pay. Yes, the app is completely FREE. I know, bonkers right?! You might want to hurry though, I think it's only free for the rest of the day. Info HERE.