If you’re a fan of theme parks then you’ve probably visited Thorpe Park in the past, which over the last decade has been improving its range of attractions with a new high-octane ride every couple of years. Well the entry for 2009 looks interesting since it’s based on the Saw movie franchise and though it’s being intentionally hazy with details appears to be some sort of rollercoaster/haunted house hybrid.We do know that it features a 100ft vertical lift and a 100 degree drop, making it the steepest freefall drop in the world. An indoor section accounts for 30% percent of the ride time during which time you’ll be “terrified beyond belief”, “be sure to have nightmares” and also be treated to a “spine-chilling queuing experience”. Well that’s what you get if you go out without your coat. To celebrate the new ride and hype things up to the point where your expectations couldn’t possibly be met, much like the movies, it has gone to quite some trouble to create a flash-based website and countdown timer. It’s actually been pretty well done and is worth checking out, link below. - Paul Lester [SawTheRide Website] [TheRegister] theme park thrill ride movies

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Most people have probably heard of the potential damage that can be done by listening to music too loudly on portable players and in fairness, manufacturers have responded by introducing volume limiters on devices. A lot of consumers either turn these off or don’t know where they are though, so if you haven’t dug around in the settings menu on your iPod recently, it might be a good time to start.The EU Scientific Committee on Emerging and New Identified Health Risks (rather pointlessly abbreviated to SCENIHR) has warned that listening to music for just five hours a week at over 89 decibels could risk permanent hearing loss after just five years. That’s PERMANENT HEARING LOSS people, and it estimates that this could affect between 2.5 and 10 million people in the near future. The biggest concern is young children and teenagers who are either unaware or don’t care about such matters. Personally we do believe that people should have a choice, as in our experience music that’s encoded at different bitrates can sound quieter and would therefore benefit from a boost in volume. There’s certainly no harm in making the public more aware of the problem though - perhaps simply flashing a message on screen when the volume nears danger levels would be a good way forwards. - Paul Lester [TechRadar] MP3 music volume

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Sky has been working quite hard recently to try and grab people’s attention, possibly as a result of increasing competition from the likes of Freesat and Setanta. We’ve already seen it drop the price of its HD service and now it seems to be trying to jazz things up a bit with a series of limited edition designer set top boxes. Apparently conceived by four the UK’s ‘most visionary designers and image makers’, they feature four distinctive designs from emerging talents such as Henry Holland of the House of Holland and illustrator Julie Verhoeven. They’ll be available from the 15th of October, so well in time for Christmas, and are exclusively available online from the link below. The boxes will set you back from £75 to £150 so it’s nice to see that Sky hasn’t whacked an unreasonable premium on them. Though you can’t actually order one at the moment, best to make a note of the release date if you’re interested since it’s likely they’ll go pretty quickly. - Paul Lester [EnGadgetHD] [Designerbox] Sky designer HD

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The government’s controversial plan to create an uber-database to spy, I mean monitor, all our calls, emails and Internet surfing habits, has just been condemned by the UK’s own terrorism watchdog. The proposed multi-billion pound, Big Brother database has already upset many Gizmodo readers - and rightly so - and has now been criticised by Lord Carlile of Berriew QC, the independent reviewer of anti-terrorist laws who has called the ‘raw idea’ of the database ‘awful’. “As a raw idea it is awful. However it is a question of degrees and how it is developed. Searches should be made on a case-by-case basis with appropriate reviewing measures so that they can’t be done willy-nilly by government.”The irony is that the database is being pushed as a way of combating terrorism, so you’d think those in the anti-terrorist camp would be all gung-ho. Recent reports cast doubt on the effectiveness of such a database in catching terrorists. The government is expected to push ahead with the creation of the database nonetheless - part of the Data Communications Bill - which will require ISPs and telecoms companies to hand over millions of phone, email and Internet records to the Home Office, who can store them for up to 12 months. In other words, your entire communications life will be their bedtime reading. Time to break out pen and paper again. Or smoke signals.-Martin Lynch [Independent] news security spy

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The latest firmware patches for the PS3 and PSP are ‘coming soon’ with PS3 users finally getting Flash Player 9 support to allow for watching videos and TV shows off the Net on the TV. The PS3 v2.50 update also adds support for the Official Bluetooth Headset while the ‘Proximity Chat’ feature - useful for SOCOM: Confrontation players - offers voice chat in full surround so that it fits in better with the game sounds. There’s been tweaks to the PlayStation Trophies interface showing you and your friends’ trophy progression, the ability to take in-game screenshots, new power-save settings that let you choose when the console and controllers should power down, and a video update that adds a Scene Search feature like the one on the PSP. This will break the video up into scenes that you can quickly access by pressing the X button. The power save features will be really useful. On the shopping front, there’s a redeem codes option on the PlayStation Store and more control over background downloading.For the PSP, v5.00 adds the much anticipated addition of the PlayStation Network icon on the XMB, letting you create or manage your existing account, access PlayStation Store and download games/trailers straight to the PSP via Wi-Fi. There will also be a sleep timer option that can be used while you are playing music on your PSP and a full-screen keyboard option for text entry. See a short video regarding the PSP update below.-Martin Lynch ps3 console psp

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Yeah, it’s true. Apple has decided to completely change how laptops are put together by ditching old skool stamping, layering and welding manufacturing with carving the pretty things from solid aluminium blocks with lasers and water jets. The new MacBooks sport what Apple is calling a ‘unibody’, crafted from a single block of aluminium that also makes them thinner, more durable and prettier. Not only that but Apple CEO, Steve Jobs claims that new process helps make the new MacBooks the “industry’s greenest notebooks”. “Traditionally notebooks are made from multiple parts. With the new MacBook, we’ve replaced all of those parts with just one part–the unibody,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s senior vice president of Industrial Design. “The MacBook’s unibody enclosure is made from a single block of aluminium, making the new MacBook fundamentally thinner, stronger and more robust with a fit and finish that we’ve never even dreamed of before.”Partnering the recyclable aluminium in the green push is the LED-backlit display which is mercury-free and is made with arsenic-free glass. There’s also no brominated flame retardants and the internal cables and components are PVC-free. This is a big turnaround from last year when Greenpeace ranked Apple at the bottom of its green computer companies rankings. Watch a video on the new MacBook process here.-Martin Lynch apple laptop macbook notebook

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Apple has taken the wraps off one of its best looking notebook line-ups with the launch of new MacBooks that finally put performance up there with style. The new MacBooks have been carved from single blocks of aluminium in a new production process that Apple says results in a thinner, greener and more robust chassis - more on that later. Other key changes on all models is the addition of new LED backlit displays [30% more energy efficient], fast GeForce graphics chips and the creation of a new ’smooth glass Multi-Touch trackpad’ [on the MacBook and 15in MacBook Pro]. This gives users almost 40% more tracking area than before. The trackpad also acts as the button so you can click anywhere to activate applications. Jump now for the system highlights as well as full specs sheets.Measuring 0.95in tall and weighing in at 4.5lbs, the MacBook uses the nVidia GeForce 9400M graphics processor which boosts performance by a whopping 500% over previous models. Starting at £949, the new MacBooks are not the cheapest though - a few hundred quid more than the last round. The new MacBook is available in two models: the Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz model with a 160GB 5400rpm hard drive and the 2.4 GHz version with a 250GB 5400rpm hard drive and a backlit keyboard. The new MacBook Pro also measures 0.95in and weighs in a little heavier 5.5lbs thanks mainly to the 15in display. Prices start at £1,299, and the boasts a new graphics architecture that crams in two GeForce graphics processors. If you want to be kinder to your battery, there’s the GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor but when you want to blast the hell out of things there’s the GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics processor. The new Pro comes in two flavours: a 2.4GHz and a 250GB 5400 rpm hard drive and 2.53GHz model with a 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive. The anorexic MacBook Air and the 17in MacBook Pro also got an overhaul. The Air’s waistline of 0.16in at its thinnest point and 0.76in at its thickest remains the same but it now comes with a bigger HDD [120GB] or a 128GB SSD drive and a GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor. It costs £1,299. The 17in MacBook Pro gets a higher res display and a 320GB HDD or optional 128GB SSD drive. It costs £1,949.-Martin Lynch Pricing & Availability The new MacBook, 15-inch MacBook Pro and 17-inch MacBook Pro are now shipping and the new MacBook Air will be available in early November through the Apple Store, Apple Retail Stores and Apple Authorised Resellers. An updated 13-inch white MacBook featuring 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors, a 120GB 5400 rpm hard drive and a slot-load 8X SuperDrive is now available for £719 (inc VAT). The 2.0 GHz, 13-inch aluminium MacBook, for a suggested retail price of £949 (inc VAT), includes: * 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display; * 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache; * 1066 MHz front-side bus; * 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB; * NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics; * 160GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor; * a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive; * Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately); * built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; * Gigabit Ethernet port; * built-in iSight video camera; * two USB 2.0 ports; * one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog; * glass Multi-Touch trackpad; and * 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter. The 2.4 GHz aluminum MacBook, for a suggested retail price of £1,149 (inc VAT), includes: * 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display; * 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache; * 1066 MHz front-side bus; * 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB; * NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics; * 250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor; * a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive; * Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately); * built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; * Gigabit Ethernet port; * built-in iSight video camera; * two USB 2.0 ports; * one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog; * glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and * 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter. Build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, a 250GB 5400 rpm, 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan. The 2.4 GHz, 15-inch aluminum MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of £1,399 (inc VAT), includes: * 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display; * 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache; * 1066 MHz front-side bus; * 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB; * NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics; * NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 256MB GDDR3 video memory; * 250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor; * a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive; * Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately); * built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; * Gigabit Ethernet port; * built-in iSight video camera; * two USB 2.0 ports; * one FireWire® 800 port; * ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot; * one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog; * glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and * 85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter. The 2.53 GHz aluminum MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of £1,749 (inc VAT), includes: * 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display; * 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache; * 1066 MHz front-side bus; * 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM; * NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics; * NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3 video memory; * 320GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor; * a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive; * Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately); * built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; * Gigabit Ethernet port; * built-in iSight video camera; * two USB 2.0 ports; * one FireWire 800 port; * ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot; * one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog; * glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and * 85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter. Build-to-order options for the MacBook Pro include a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, 250GB 7200 rpm, 320GB 5400 rpm or a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan. The 1.6 GHz MacBook Air, for a suggested retail price of £1,299 (inc VAT), includes: * 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit high resolution 1280 x 800 glossy display; * 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache; * 1066 MHz front-side bus; * 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM; * NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics; * 120GB serial ATA hard drive running at 4200 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor; * Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately); * built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; * built-in iSight video camera; * one USB 2.0 port; * one headphone port; * Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and * 45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter. The 1.86 GHz MacBook Air, for a suggested retail price of £1,799 (inc VAT), includes: * 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display; * 1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache; * 1066 MHz front-side bus; * 2GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM; * NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics; * 128GB solid state drive; * Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately); * built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; * built-in iSight video camera; * one USB 2.0 port; * one headphone port; * Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and * 45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter. Build-to-order options and accessories for the MacBook Air include the MacBook Air SuperDrive, Apple USB Ethernet Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter, Apple Remote and the AppleCare Protection Plan. The 2.5GHz 17-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of £1,949 (inc VAT), includes: * 17-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1920 x 1200 glossy display; * 2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache; * 800 MHz front-side bus; * 4GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM; * NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with 512MB with GDDR3 video memory; * 320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor; * a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive; * DVI output port for video output (VGA adapter included); * built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; * Gigabit Ethernet port; * built-in iSight video camera; * three USB 2.0 ports; * one FireWire 800 port and one FireWire 400 port; * ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot; * one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog; * Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and * 85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter. Build-to-order options for the 17-inch MacBook Pro include a 2.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, anti-glare display, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan. apple laptop macbook notebook

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What’s in a name? A lot for Windows users apparently. For instance, the mention of Windows XP conjures up a decent OS for most Windows users while the word ‘Vista’, makes many of the same people nauseous and upset. To keep things simple, Microsoft has now confirmed that the next OS - codenamed Windows 7 - will in fact be called Windows 7. Mike Nash, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows said in his blog: “And, as you probably know, since we began development of the next version of the Windows client operating system we have been referring to it by a codename, “Windows 7.” But now is a good time to announce that we’ve decided to officially call the next version of Windows, “Windows 7. While I know there have been a few cases at Microsoft when the codename of a product was used for the final release, I am pretty sure that this is a first for Windows. You might wonder about the decision.” We do Mike, we do. Jump now.”The decision to use the name Windows 7 is about simplicity. Over the years, we have taken different approaches to naming Windows. We’ve used version numbers like Windows 3.11, or dates like Windows 98, or “aspirational” monikers like Windows XP or Windows Vista. And since we do not ship new versions of Windows every year, using a date did not make sense. Likewise, coming up with an all-new “aspirational” name does not do justice to what we are trying to achieve, which is to stay firmly rooted in our aspirations for Windows Vista, while evolving and refining the substantial investments in platform technology in Windows Vista into the next generation of Windows.” In other words, we screwed up with Vista’s lofty ideals, poor implementation etc. etc. and we are going to cloak the ‘new & improved’ Vista under a name that harks back to more reliable versions of the OS. Anyway, is Windows 7 actually the seventh Microsoft OS? Some say ‘Nay’.-Martin Lynch [Mike Nash Blog] microsoft windows vista

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What’s in a name? A lot for Windows users apparently. For instance, the mention of Windows XP conjures up a decent OS for most Windows users while the word ‘Vista’, makes many of the same people nauseous and upset. To keep things simple, Microsoft has now confirmed that the next OS - codenamed Windows 7 - will in fact be called Windows 7. Mike Nash, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows said in his blog: “And, as you probably know, since we began development of the next version of the Windows client operating system we have been referring to it by a codename, “Windows 7.” But now is a good time to announce that we’ve decided to officially call the next version of Windows, “Windows 7. While I know there have been a few cases at Microsoft when the codename of a product was used for the final release, I am pretty sure that this is a first for Windows. You might wonder about the decision.” We do Mike, we do. Jump now.”The decision to use the name Windows 7 is about simplicity. Over the years, we have taken different approaches to naming Windows. We’ve used version numbers like Windows 3.11, or dates like Windows 98, or “aspirational” monikers like Windows XP or Windows Vista. And since we do not ship new versions of Windows every year, using a date did not make sense. Likewise, coming up with an all-new “aspirational” name does not do justice to what we are trying to achieve, which is to stay firmly rooted in our aspirations for Windows Vista, while evolving and refining the substantial investments in platform technology in Windows Vista into the next generation of Windows.” In other words, we screwed up with Vista’s lofty ideals, poor implementation etc. etc. and we are going to cloak the ‘new & improved’ Vista under a name that harks back to more reliable versions of the OS. Anyway, is Windows 7 actually the seventh Microsoft OS? Some say ‘Nay’.-Martin Lynch [Mike Nash Blog] microsoft windows vista

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During the ’summer’ we reported on how visitors to Canada’s chain of Cineplex screens get to play games on giant 50-foot displays. We’d love to say that a major chain in the UK is offering a similar service, but unfortunately you’ll have to settle for the Rex Cinema+ Bar on Rupert Street in Soho. Rather than letting you bring your own games it seems to be focusing on Wii titles by allowing visitors to play football, boxing, tennis, snowboarding or bowling on the 24×8 foot HD screen. It initially speaks of offering a fun way to work out, but swiftly moves on to talk of the cocktail menu at its 1930s style lounge bar and filling your face with delicious cuisine, so we think your net calorie burn might well be a negative figure. Assuming you are knackered from swinging virtual bats around and whatnot, you can also relax and watch a sports-themed movie with titles like Raging Bull, Escape to Victory and Happy Gilmore available to wind down to. - Paul Lester [RexBar] cinema Wii movies

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