Review – Beats By Dre – Pill

Hey everyone, so this time im reviewing the latest product from the Beats line – Pill. Marketed on the site as a “Powerful compact speaker” – My personal opinion begs to differ. This is Beats second attempt at a portable speaker, the first being the rather clumsy Beatbox Portable which was anything but portable and drained batteries like no tomorrow. So back to the Pill – The design is sleek, functional, rechargeable, compact and at £170 its substantially cheaper than the £350 price tag on the Beatbox. However even though the pill is almost half the price of the beatbox, it’s still very expensive compared to other bluetooth speakers on the market.

The Pill comes in three colours (Black, White and Red) and has a very simple design. The main controls are based on the band across the centre. The glowing Beats logo also doubles as multifunction play, pause and call answer button with the on/off switch and volume controls nearer the back. Also certain smartphones can be paired with the Pill with the touch of a button. In the box you will find a carry case, a USB compatible AC charger, USB charging cable and 3.5mm audio cable which is about 5 feet long.

My biggest problem with the Pill is it just doesn’t seem to be able to handle bass – and I like bass. However once you reach the higher volumes some songs end up sounding slightly distorted. Now I know its small so it would not be amazing, but I don’t think its too much to expect a product “designed” by Dr Dre to be able to handle a lite bit of bass! Also the Pill uses an algorithm that is designed to soften parts of songs to stop the speakers blowing out – but it can be slightly slow to kick in. The Pill is also a speakerphone, and I have no real complaints about how that end of the deal holds up.

So my final thought on the Pill is it’s not worth the money, It’s just another “fashion” item wrapped up in a semi functional shell. For a cheaper price you could buy a much better product without the Beats logo – and id advise that’s what you did. If your just into status items then it might be for you but if your after a good bluetooth speaker there a million better items on the market…

Product Spotlight: Adventure Time Watches

If I haven’t told you before I’m telling you now, I absolutely love Adventure Time, I love the cartoon show, I love the comic book, I love the artworks and posters, and I love a lot of the other merchandize that spinned off from the show, and the newest item spinning off from the show are the Adventure Time Watches. Each of Adventure Time Watches features a wonderful images of Adventure Time characters like Jake, Finn, and Princess Bubblegum and tells the time, in very old school looking style. And each of the Adventure Time watches features a different character from the series with a design that covers the face of the watch and extends right onto the watchband, the choices are Finn, Jake, Finn and Jake, or The Land of Ooo, and each watch goes for $24.99. Now there isn’t a lot that is really special about these watches but they are definitely nice pieces for any Adventure Time fanatics, and right now this series is high collectible and very popular. http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/1127/

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Inspirational Video – Rudimental – Waiting All Night

Hey all . This post is slightly different but I wanted to just write a little bit on the new video from UK group – Rudimental. Now personally I’m a Rudimental fan, but this video documents the story of San Francisco born BMX champion and actor Kurt Yeager. Back in 2006 he became an amputee, and the video tells the emotional story of his rehabilitation and return to the BMX world. So if you haven’t seen the video – here you go . It plays as a reminder that anything is possible with dedication, determination and want

Image and video property of Rudimental UK

Review: Monster Diamond Tears Edge Headphone’s

I’m back with another review of a set of headphones by Monster. This time it’s the JYP creation called – Diamond Tears Edge. Now these headphones appealed to me on a purely aesthetic level, I didn’t need to see any specifications, to be honest I didn’t care! I just loved how they looked. I personally love the unique appearance of the headphone and that was enough for me to hunt them down.

Now these headphones were not the easiest things to acquire. I live in England so the stockist list on the Monster site was the first stop for me. However it proved fruitless. I called every store listed and emailed every site only to be told the same line “We do stock Monster headphones, but we won’t be getting this model”. However that wasn’t enough to make me give up I contacted Monster direct who pointed me to a stockist not on there list, A popular UK music chain. I pre-ordered my headphones and waited with baited breath for the release date…… Unfortunately that date moved further and further back until I got the email saying, I won’t be getting my desired headphones as they didn’t get the stock! Nightmare! So my search continued……

I left it a matter of months (Yep, I planned this review months and months ago) and decided to visit the website of a popular UK electrical store looking for a smart TV. I like to think of myself as a headphones connoisseur so decided to peruse the audio section and to my surprise there they were! I blinked a few times and checked again and it was definitely them, they were in stock - and best of all In stock in my city with the option to reserve them and collect them in store, super happy .

So I finally have the Diamond Tears Edge in my possession. After unboxing them I’m in love with the headphones they are exactly what I expected. There shipped with three cords - a standard straight cord, a ControlTalk cable for Apple IOS products and a universal ControlTalk cable for android and all other mobile products. Alongside the cords, they come with the carry case for headphones (they can be folded up when not in use), the Monster cleaning cloth and Monster shine spray to keep your babies sparkling. Although Diamond Tears look like there made from glass there actually predominantly plastic – and surprisingly strong for a Monster product. However I am not too keen on the headband. Made from some kind of gummy polyurethane it is comfy but does attract random dust particles. The fit is definitely snug and they would probably not be very comfortable if your ears are on the larger side. These headphone’s can be daisy chained (a pretty rare feature), as both ear cups have jacks. This allows a second person to plug their headphones into yours so you can both enjoy the same songs at the same time – and is really handy if two people are watching a movie on a mobile device. On the downside there is sound leak (a common problem I find with Monster products), however I was surprised that it wasnt too much – and on the plus side they don’t allow much sound in, sealing out a lot of everyday noise.

The Diamond Tears Edge come in two colour ways – Black and Clear (I personally love the Clear), They are both are covered in aurora borealis (a kind of multi dimensional/multi coloured finish created by Christian Dior and Swarovski back in 1956 and named after the light phenomenon). Monster however is planning to lauch more colour way’s sometime this year.

In conclusion I love the headphones – but there definitely not for everyone. They stand out and they are on the pricey side. However if you are looking for a statement piece, there definitely it. Quality wise I was pleasantly surprised! The sound – although not amazing was pretty good and sound leak pretty reasonable. So although these are clearly a fashion statement there’s some substance to back the style .

All images are the property of http://www.monster.com

Artist Spotlight: Johnson Tsang

Hello there art lovers, today’s artist is going to be a real treat for you guys, when I first saw his work I was blown away, and there is no doubt in my mind you will also be blown away by Johnson Tsang uses of stainless steel and ceramic to create mind blowing and unbelievable works of arts. “Johnson Cheung-shing TSANG is a Hong Kong sculptor specializing in ceramics, stainless steel sculpture and public art work. Tsang’s works mostly employ realist sculptural techniques accompanied by surrealist imagination, integrating the two elements, “human beings” and  “objects”, into creative themes. Since 1993, Tsang’s works have been exhibited in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Spain and Switzerland and collected by local and overseas museums and collectors.” I was first captivated by his art piece Yuanyang II, which is a beautiful representation of two people kissing, all captured in a splash of liquid like imagery, which you can see above. His beautiful works capture the beauty in the imagery of a liquid splash, with his Yuanyang Pieces, he also capture the beauty of a kiss, all of which is represented in ceramic or steel pieces. http://johnsontsang.wordpress.com/

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Rorschach Mask With Moving Inkblots

Today I got this really interesting fan made product, especially to fans of Watchmen, from Grafixfan is a Rorschach mask, but not just some ordinary one either because this one comes with some unique effects that actually create moving and similar ink spots. The effect is pretty cool to watch and looks like a bit of photoshop trickery, but it’s a collector’s item one can buy. Grafixfan created the designs by using a nontoxic fabric ink that reacts to your breath. It is a pretty unique idea and is the next best thing in coming close to the Rorschach’s mask effect, I would have loved if the actually ink spot on the mask would change because the ink spot that does change is very light and doesn’t really change any unique designs. You can choose from five different inkblot patterns that’ll have you looking like you’ve stepped right off the set of The Watchmen. http://www.rorschachmasks.com/

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Artist Spotlight: Gloria Pizzilli

Hello art fans, today I got another great artist spotlight for you today, Gloria Pizzilli is an Italian illustrator who is based in Florence. Her clean lines, detailed illustrations, very dynamic imagery which seem to be influenced by Japanese artwork, but with a more modern and personal styling. Her style is vector base so its very clean and most of the time they don’t lack in detail, imagery is dense but never cluttered, and her color palettes is also very nice, mute yet very strong and sometimes eye catching, Gloria’s work just beautiful. I’m just a big fan of artist showing or having a very Asian feel to their work, and Gloria definitely has that in her art pieces, so check her out at http://www.gloriapizzilli.com.

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Comic Book Review!: Morbius The Living Vampire #1

Writer: Joe Keatinge

Artist: Richard Elson

Colorist: Antonio Fabela

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $2.99

Hello there fellow comic book readers, I have for you guys a very surprising new series from Marvel, staring Morbius, an on and off again Spider-Man supporting character. Being a spin off from Spider-Man, and a small time character, does Marvel give us a reason to read Morbius.

Not really, there isn’t much of a draw for the character and after reading there isn’t much of a draw in the story. Morbius is an unusual choice in a lead for a title, he not really big in the comic book world, only popping up on and off every so often, playing very small roles. Heck the only thing I know about the guy came from the Spider-Man cartoon, he hasn’t appeared in the titles that I have read. So for me I don’t really have many feelings towards getting a dose of the character, he just hasn’t ever come off interesting to me. I have read some of Joe Keatinge’s stuff before (like Glory) so I have some familiarity with his writing. Joe writes a pretty good tortured character, which for this title is the only draw factor for me, or at least it makes reading a character I never cared for bearable. I’m a big lover of the tortured hero archetype, and here Joe creates a tortures soul in Morbius, who has escaped a super human prison to now be living on the streets in a bad section of New York. It was an interesting approach to the character by bringing him down from superhero status and making him like a homeless man looking to be left alone. It definitely brings more emotions towards the character, making the audience feel for him. Joe also gives us a refresher (if we are new or don’t remember the character) on just who Morbius is and what are his abilities.

Richard Elson’s artwork falls in the realm of being serviceable, his art usually has a even amount of detail, action is well drawn, and backdrops are not boring solid colors. Yet like the writing, there really isn’t much of a draw factor for me, no particular page that sticks out to me or deserves space in the memory bank.

Overall, Morbius The Living Vampire #1 is a average read, nothing in the writing or the art really rings to me, yet I’m a fan of Marvel expanding there titles, and trying out other characters to see if they can gain a larger fanbase for certain characters. So I would say that this is a “Check It Out” kinda title, lets see if this creative team can bring in the juice in subsequent issues.

My Take:

Check It Out

 

Here are a few pages from Morbius The Living Vampire #1, be sure to pick up your own copy which is in stores now, also if you like the post and want more regular posts please be sure to comment, like posts, follow on twitter, spread the word out, and like on facebook, and like always Have Fun Reading!

Artist Spotlight: Ken Taylor

Hello there art lovers, its been awhile since I posted one of these artist spotlights and for that I really sorry but I got a really treat to make up for it, I have the amazing works of Ken Taylor, an amazing poster screen print artist whose work has been in high demand in the art poster world. His work, in collaboration with Mondo poster has constantly sold out in a matter of hours on www.mondotees.com, and then turn out incredible profits on ebay. A lot of Ken’s work are sold thru poster company, Mondo, which sold some of the most sought out posters in pop culture today. The posters they sell are resold on the open market for well over $150, making their posters highly collectables and sought out investments. Ken’s works are incredibly detailed, very striking, bold in color and just very pleasing to the eyes. His subject matter is also very current, art of bands like The Black Keys, or favorite shows like Breaking Bad, or even hit movies like The Avengers. His most recent works thru Mondo are some of the most popular movie inspirations, and sadly they are all sold out thru the Mondo site, but if you have the money and love, then be sure to grab them from ebay quick because the longer you wait the higher the price will likely go, the posters are:

BEETLEJUICE
24″ x 36″
Edition of 400

FIRST BLOOD
24″ x 36″
Edition of 400

SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (regular and variant)
24″ x 36″
Edition of 400

WATCHMEN
21″ x 36″
Edition of 400

AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON
36″ x 24″
Edition of 400

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Comic Book Review!: It Girl! And the Atomics #1

Writer: Jamie Rich

Artist: Mike Norton

Colorist: Allen Passalaqua

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $2.99

Hello there comic book fan, today’s review is of It Girl! And the Atomics #1, is a spinoff of Madman Comics. Now I don’t know anything about the Madman series, so coming into this off shot of that series I have no prior knowledge. So as an introductory number 1 issue did it effectively draw me in and not keep me figuring how who is who? Ultimately I felt that this issue fail as a good new reader friendly title, leaving losing interest and not caring about characters very quickly. Now there are series where we slowing get a backdrop to characters as the series goes, but honestly, for such obscure group of characters and series it would very much benefit from a better introduction of characters. Now as for Jamie Rich’s plot, it wasn’t very interesting, didn’t really draw in and especially didn’t keep what little attention it had from me. So I was disappoint and was also put off from even wanting to check out the Madman serious, which before this it was on my to read list.

Mike Norton’s art was the better part of this serious, very enjoyable to look at even though it wasn’t anything to stand out and make up for lack of interest in story and characters, as well as weak plot. The character expressions are nice, good character poses, serviceable backdrops, and nothing particularly bad. Allen Passalaqu’s colors are also fine, nothing special but definitely serviceable and nothing to complain about.

It Girl! And the Atomics #1 was quite the disappointment for me, because the main serious had been a recognizable indie comic. But Jamie Rich’s poor character introductions, weaker story, and not too interesting of plot and climax had left a very forgettable reading experience for me. As it stand this was a “ Pass It By” kinda serious for me, I may check it out again but hopefully by then it be a more interesting read.

My Take:

Pass It By

 

Here are a few pages from It Girl! And the Atomics #1, be sure to pick up your own copy which is in stores now, also if you like the post and want more regular posts please be sure to comment, like posts, follow on twitter, spread the word out, and like on facebook, and like always Have Fun Reading!