May 22, 2009

The London Eye is to be fitted with a “superpod” featuring video screens and wi-fi internet connection as part of a £12.5 million makeover.

The attraction's owner, Merlin Entertainments Group, is about to embark on a three-year project to “futureproof” the Eye with a range of features designed to improve the experience of riding in the glass capsules. In an experiment to gauge public reaction, one of the 32 pods will have four screens providing information on the landmarks visible on the London skyline during the half-hour trip. Technicians are also testing the feasibility of up to 800 passengers at a time being able to download music and multilingual audio commentary to mobile phones and other devices.

Kevin Dyer, Merlin's head of technical development, said the key was to see whether the technology could enhance visitors' experience without ruining the calm atmosphere on board the capsules.  He said: “Our guests over the last 10 years have told us they prefer a calm experience where they can enjoy the unobstructed views over London. But that's changing a little bit and some people want more in the way of commentary and visual guides.

The facelift is due to be completed in time for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Some 33 million people have been on the Eye since it opened in 2000, making it Britain's most popular paid for visitor attraction.

Source: Standard.co.uk

4 June,2009

In her 28 years of writing, Marilynne Robinson has been far from prolific. But the American author's track record for producing quality rather than quantity in fiction was confirmed last night when her third (and latest) novel won the prestigious Orange Prize. The 66-year-old writer was the "unanimous" choice of the panel judging the women-only fiction award, presented at a ceremony in London's Royal Festival Hall.

Her novel, Home, is a profound examination of family life told through the eyes of a prodigal son returning home to confront his past and his alcoholism.

Robinson was probably the best-known writer on the shortlist for the £30,000 award, now in its 14th year. Her first novel, Housekeeping, was published in 1981 and her following work, Gilead, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

Fi Glover, the BBC Radio 4 broadcaster and chairwoman of the judges, said :"It was a unanimous verdict. It was quite an easy victory for Mary. All of us brought Home to the table. Some of us had other books but everyone had it in their final bundle of two or three titles. I loved the story for the quality of the writing, there was a luminous quality to her words. It is a very wise book in that she takes a familiar theme but she imparts great wisdom with it. It is a profound work of art."

Reviewing the novel for The Independent, the author Salley Vickers wrote: "Home is not a novel in which plot matters. Like Jane Austen, but in a different key, Robinson's intent focus is the super-subtleties of human exchange. The heart of this utterly absorbing, precisely observed, marvellous novel is the fumbling inadequacy of love."

The award, which rubs shoulders with the Booker and Costa as one of the most lucrative and respected English-language literary prizes, is likely to produce a sales fillip for Robinson,

Source: Independent

17 June, 2009

It's a darned sight nicer than her Hogwarts uniform.

After weeks of speculation, Emma Watson has finally been unveiled as the new face of Burberry, joining a roster of past stars that includes Kate Moss, Rachel Weisz, Agyness Deyn and Stella Tennant. Shot by Mario Testino in Westminster, a stone's throw from Burberry's headquarters at Horseferry House, the images capture Watson looking winsome in a variety of classic trench coats from the autumn/winter collection.

Dangling off her arm are a bevy of cute accessories, from hot male models du jour Tom Guinness, Charlie France and Douglas Booth to Burberry's Woolf bag, a capacious suede tote with embroidered overlay costing a cool £1,095. The collection is inspired by Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury set.

Despite persistent rumours linking her to Chanel, and her ubiquitous presence at international fashion shows, Burberry is the first major advertising campaign that the 19-year-old Harry Potter star has snagged. It is likely to swell her estimated £8 million fortune by six figures.

“Having known and admired the lovely Emma Watson for quite some time, she was the obvious choice for this campaign,” said Burberry's creative director, Christopher Bailey.

“I wanted the images to represent the rich history and modernity of Burberry while reflecting a quiet beauty, timelessness and strength that is particularly significant today.

Emma has a classic beauty, a great character and a modern edge. Her charm, intellect and brilliant sense of fun made the whole shoot feel like a picnic on the Thames.”

He added: “I felt Emma would be strong enough to hold the campaign as the only girl, and I loved the idea of her being surrounded by these young, cool British guys.”

Source:Standard.co.uk

19 June, 2009

Sir Paul McCartney's children's book about the adventures of a squirrel is to be adapted for the big screen. The musician will also write new songs for the animated version of High in the Clouds, according to Hollywood trade newspaper Variety.

The book, published in 2005, tells the story of Wirral The Squirrel's search for an animal sanctuary.

Michael Lynne, part of the team bringing the project to life, said: "Paul said he would commit a score of original songs as part of it." Lynne's previous production credits include the blockbuster Lord Of The Rings trilogy.

This will be Sir Paul's biggest involvement in a major animation since The Beatles' Yellow Submarine in 1968, when he was one of the main stars of the film. The star said at the time that an interest in cartoons brought out some of his "child-like quality".

Source: BBC News

9 June,2009

The Broadway production of the British hit musical Billy Elliot has taken 10 Tony Awards at a ceremony in New York, including best musical. The three young actors David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish who share the title role got a unique best actor prize. Its director also won a Tony.

However, the musical and its composer, Sir Elton John, lost out in best score category which went to Next to Normal. Sir Elton helped accept the best musical Tony, telling the audience: "Thank you for accepting us so beautifully on Broadway. We came here at a hard time economically. You opened up your wallets and you opened up your hearts to us. And we love you for it, thank you."

Billy Elliot, the Musical is based on the 2000 Oscar-nominated film which starred Jamie Bell. The musical opened in London in 2005. The show is about a miner's son from northern England who dreams of dancing.

Source: BBC News

30 June, 2009

The latest statistics on take-up of digital TV in the UK suggest that 18 million households, 89.2%, have a DTV receiver. Digital video recorders, that can store, pause, or rewind live TV, are also proving popular.

Ofcom reports that about one million were sold in the first three months of 2009, taking the total in UK homes to 8.9 million.

The figures also give insights into how Britain is switching to digital TV in advance of the analogue switch-off, due to be completed by 2012.

Analogue signals have already been turned off in a few areas in the UK including the West Country, Scottish borders, and the Isle of Man.

With almost 90% of TVs converted to digital, many homes were starting to update older sets.

Ofcom estimates that by the end of March 2009, 61% of secondary TV sets were capable of showing digital TV. They also think that about 27% of the TV sets in use in the UK are still only capable of receiving analogue signals.

Source: BBC News

1 June, 2009

It roamed the English channel more than 200 million years ago. And now the prehistoric monster has surfaced once more - in the limestone of Lyme Regis's famous 'Jurassic Coast'.

Excited archaeologists discovered the Loch Ness-style creature on the beach and have spent months piecing together a giant jigsaw composed of dozens of old bones to reveal the 12ft-long plesiosaur.

The marine reptile hunted the oceans with a long thin neck and tail, four large flippers and razor-sharp teeth.

It existed during the Jurassic period about 150 to 200 million years ago when what is now the Channel was a shallow, tropical sea.

The remains were discovered by fossil hunter Tracey Marler under rocks on Monmouth Beach near Lyme Regis, Dorset.

She first found a single bone in limestone. She and partner Chris Moore, an expert in fossils, returned to the scene and they found four more bones.

As experts examined the bones in detail, they were surprised to see teeth marks from where a predator dinosaur would have feasted on the carcass of the 'lake monster'.

Fragments: The skeleton is 70 per cent complete and will soon go on display to the public

After further excavation about 150 vertebrae bones and parts of its skull and jaw, with one tooth remaining, were uncovered.

Mr Moore said: 'It came out in pieces but you could clearly see how it looked.

'The tail bone was in position, and some of the back bones were completely in place where they should be and the neck bone was there as well.

'You could see some of the bones had actually been chewed up a bit.

'There are teeth marks and you can see how the skeleton had been torn apart by some other nasty marine reptile.'

Mr Moore added: 'Their predator would have been the ichthyosaur which was carnivorous.'

Natural England worked closely with the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site team to carefully extract the fossils.

The alternative of leaving it could have led to it being destroyed by ill-informed collectors or eventually being washed away and eroded by the sea.

Richard Edmonds, science manager for the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, said: 'There was a risk that we could have damaged the pavement by the act of removing the fossil.

'Plesiosaur remains are rare. There are only 10 known examples of complete or even partial skeletons of this species.

'I have been doing this for 30-odd years and I have only ever found the odd bone.

'The specimen could not have been in a more sensitive location, in the famous and iconic ammonite pavement.'

It is hoped the skeleton, which is 70 per cent complete, will go on public display at the Lyme Regis Museum.

Source: Daily Mail