Saturday, October 22, 2011

Doctor Who Experience





Great Experience !
Really, one of the best things to do in London those days.
The setting is everything you would have expected. The entrance to the show lies on the way of the TARDIS where you are received by the very enthusiastic crew. The waiting is not a big deal as some real size models of events in the Doctor Who universe are around to keep you busy.
One inside the show, you will see a short film before entering the crak in time and space and try to help the Doctor to escape out of the Pandorica.
The experience is really interactive since the very first moment as the Doctor is really talking to you, as part of the audience in your way through time and space, wherein and wherewhen you encounter several iconic moments of the story.
After the show, there are some exhibitions rooms, one dedicated to the Doctor, one to the Companions and one to the Adversaries (they call them Monsters, but I prefer the term adversary as more neutral :D )
In the room dedicated to the Doctor (depicted) you can see all the incarnations of the Doctor as well as read something about his character and mood under such incarnations.
The Companion's room shows all the past Companions of the Doctor as well as reproductions of the TARDIS and some footage from the old TV Series.
The Adversaries section can spoil you some of the more recent episodes (2011) as the accompanying text details the outcome of some episodes.
Here you will find also a projection room where you can watch some of the "how it was done" of the last season episodes.
At the end there is, of course, the shop where you can buy some nice merchandising, including DVDs and books.
A very thrilling experience for all the family.
Enjoy !

Friday, October 21, 2011

Apple?, Maybe not, thanks

Maybe I am unlucky with their products but so far Apple scores really low in my personal list of useful and reliable things.
First Apple device I got was an iPod Touch 32 GB. Nice thing, still working, no problems at all. 1 point for Apple.
Second product was the iPhone 3G, the same, still working, a bit slow nowadays with the last upgrade of the software but still functional. Another point for Apple.
Third item, a MacBook pro. Nice thing, quite fast at the beginning, quite slow now with the Snow Leopard last upgrade, but already once in the repair service. The Nvidia fatal error. Dead Nvidia graphic card. Luckily it was still on time to enjoy the extended warranty. Quite annoying that a product so expensive and not over used breaks after less than three years. Minus one point for Apple.
Fourth was the Apple TV. One of the worst things I have bought in my life. Continuous problems with the synchronization with the iTunes, specially after ANY update, either of the AppleTV or of the iTunes. Really hate the thing. Minus one point for Apple (actually it should be more minus points, but I try to kept this rating non-emotional).
Time Capsule was the fifth and the last Apple product I got so far. Very nice and useful toy, even if I was having some issues with the connectivity of mac and PC on the same wifi, however two weeks ago it decided to die. One day it was plugged but switched off. According to the apple forums, it seems to be a failure of the power source due to overheating. The problem is well-known and apparently solved in some Time Capsules, but not in others. This time the serial number of mine is not in the "lucky" range for the repair action. The thing was two years old. Again, quite annoying that something so expensive and which supposedly will keep my data safe as backup device, breaks suddenly without any warning nor apparent official repair options (according to the apple forums they usually offer you a discount in a new one and even AppleCare does not cover the Time Capsule). So, another minus point for Apple.
Total score: -1
Sorry Apple,