A few days ago I entered a competition on the MediaDevil Facebook page to win one of their new Grafikcases featuring the design of my choice (as long as it wasn’t copyrighted – which threw the Bat Symbol right out the window).  As some of my blog readers will know, I’m a computer graphic design dabbler so this is exactly the sort of prize that gets my juices flowing.  So this is a very cool prize from a very cool UK-based company who make, in my humble opinion, the best screen protectors out there.  I used to show Zagg’s InvisibleShield a lot of love until I started using MediaDevil products a year ago when I got the Magic Screen Protector Matte Clear Anti-Glare edition for my 1st Generation iPad (also available for the iPad 2) and I haven’t looked back.  I also now own both the front and back versions of the MediaDevil (PhoneDevil) Magic Screen Protector Crystal Clear edition for iPhone 4 / 4S.  They’re thin and work perfectly with every case I’ve tried the with.  But I digress.  Back to the Grafikcase.

First draft of a Grafikcase using my current and alternative gamer tags.

I debated using the GingerNinja or GeekDad3 logos I’ve created for this blog and as gamer tags or even a collage of the two showing a kind of transition (as I may migrate from GingerNinja to GeekDad3 as discussed previously); but then I realised that I should probably use a design featuring what I spend most of my free time working on or thinking about: karate.

I discussed things with Sean over at MediaDevil and he sent me a Photoshop template to use in place of the PNG file I originally submitted and I sent over a simple Essex Dragon logo with my name and region details underneath to make the case unique and personal.  It was after this that the product page for the case came back online after it had been down and I noticed that the image transferred onto the case could actually wrap around the sides of the case.  Cue more discussions with Sean and an updated version of my design, which is based on my Facebook Cover Photo, with some kanji in the background and the GKR initials logo at the top in the whitespace next to the camera lens.

I got an email late Friday night from Sean saying that they’d kindly made both of the designs that I’d sent over, one with a matte finish and one with a glossy finish, and put them in the post as my prize.  I was amazed at their generosity and more than a little excited!  They arrived on Saturday morning so I thought I’d post some pictures and review them.  I should point out that I have sample products as they are still working out the kinks and that the final commercially available products may differ to the ones I have on review here.

Packaging & first impressions

Left: Glossy Grafikcase. Right: Matte Grafikcase.

Despite the temporary nature proclaimed on the label, I actually really like the packaging.  It’s minimal and if the stickers said something like “bespoke Grafikcase created by MediaDevil especially for [insert name here]” then this would make the packaging make more sense to people as it already does to me:  the product has been made for me and is unique.  It doesn’t need big, heavy blister retail packaging as it’s not designed to be around the case for very long.

Construction & Fit

In terms of construction and fit, both cases are superbly snug in a great way and won’t just pop off; they grip the phone and feel very secure.  Additionally, both cases are more than happy with the fact that I kept my MediaDevil iPhone 4/4S Back Protector on my iPhone which means that should any dust or grit get between case and phone (as often happens) then the glass on the iPhone back will not suffer for it as has happened with cases & phones past.  Some iPhone cases also hate you having a screen protector on the front, let alone one on the back too but the Grafikcases show no sign of concern when paired with the Crystal Clear screen protectors.  Perhaps this is by design, coming from the same manufacturer?  The case is also very low profile adding only about 2mm to the profile of the iPhone.  Finally, the buttons are all accessible on both the iPhone 4 and 4S so no problems there.

Matte case

This is the first revision of my design and I’m rather pleased with it, even if I did miss the second hyphen in “Go-Kan-Ryu” which I’ll correct with a Sharpie!  I didn’t intend for the badge to wrap around onto the left hand side of the case so I can only assume that some minor tweaking was required during printing.

Certainly something seems to have happened during manufacture or printing as the top of the case in the middle, where the power button and headphone jack are, is slightly melted as if the thermal printing damaged the case in some way.  I don’t particularly mind though as my finger actually sits very comfortably in the groove when using the phone, the quality isn’t promised to be spot on as it’s a pre-release sample and it was free.  (A particular bugbear of mine recently has been people moaning about the free stuff on 12 Days of iTunes.  It’s free.  Stop looking a gift horse in the mouth, people!)

The matte finish gives a slightly duller finish to the image, obviously, so the colours are less vibrant but you also get zero reflection so you can see the image in all lighting conditions.  It also feels absolutely lovely to hold with an almost micro-suede feel to the back of it.  Think plastic MacBooks from 2006-8, MacBook Pro/Air cases today, brushed aluminium or a smooth pebble on the beach that hasn’t been polished by anything other than nature.  Smooth but not glossy,  lovely to hold and very tactile indeed: you want to stroke it.

As previously mentioned, the fit of the case itself is snug and secure.  It fits, in the words of Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, ”like a glove”.  For me this case is now a better fit than the Apple bumper, which had started to become loose, making this case my new daily case of choice.

Glossy case

In terms of first impressions, the 2nd revision design case has the wow factor for me as it just looks more vibrant and I love the kanji wrapping around the case and the fact that I spelt the club name properly on this one *cough, cough*.   The only design change I would possible make on this one would be to move the GKR initials logo downwards to ensure it sits nicely next to the camera opening so that the lines are clean on the image, or possibly removing it altogether as I find it jarring to see it floating out of alignment with the opening.

Whilst I like the fact that the glossy finish ensures that all the colours really stand out, this also makes the case reflective and so you sometimes cannot see the image clearly under bright sunshine.  Also, the glossy powder coating, whilst making you think the phone will feel smooth & slippery, is actually slightly more grippy to hold as the smooth surface has an increased area for resistance.  Despite feeling like polished granite to the touch, it feels plasticky when I go to remove it from my pocket, so I find it less tactile.  Another downside of what I presume is the extra coating required to make it glossy is that it makes the fit even snugger almost to the point of being difficult to put on and take off the device with the back protector on.

Conclusion

Whilst the glossy case wins in terms of looks, of the two, for me personally the matte case wins in terms of how nice it feels in the hand.  After all, I’m going to spend more time holding it than I am looking at the back of it, so the feel is what wins it for me.

You can find out more about the MediaDevil Grafikcase here.  Comments can be made or questions can be asked below.

(I’m still slightly torn between the two different image designs.  I reckon I probably prefer the 2nd revision, so that on a matte case if probably the “perfect” choice.  Still need to look at that top-right logo though.  Hmmm.)

Batman: Arkham City is frankly amazing and makes Batman: Arkham Asylum look like a tutorial level. The game seems to almost assume that you played the first one as it only highlights the new moves and new gadgets. Everything is bigger and I spent the best part of an hour this afternoon just gliding around, using my grapnel, doing AR (augmented reality) missions and generally enjoying being Bats on a routine patrol. The Catwoman missions are fun and she is well hot to look at on screen. I haven’t found a cartoon character this nice to look at since Jessica Rabbit. I’ve downloaded the bumper pack for the game too to give me an extra bunch of skins for Batman (I really only want 1970s Batman based on the work of Neal Adams) as well as playable characters of Robin and Nightwing. Lush!

I thought that I would share a review for a free iPhone application that I have found indispensable over the past week or so during the corporate party season where I attend many different vendor events armed with a suit pocket full of business cards and come back with the other pocket equally full of other peoples business cards. Historically, these have all been filed away in a card wallet with the ones I need on a regular basis in a pile somewhere convenient. This is where CardMunch comes in. I downloaded CardMunch when it was the App of the Day/Week and it saved me the effort of manually creating entries for not only all the new contacts I had but also the several hundred business cards I had sitting in the card wallet. It was effortless and I got through a 3 inch high pile of cards in about an hour including processing time (actual interaction on my part was far less as it just required me to take a photo of the card, most of this was waiting time as the card was transcribed, which is not a criticism!).

Opening the CardMunch app presents you with a list of cards already uploaded or the option to take a snapshot of a card. Line up the card, tap to focus and tap to capture it. I’ve even uploaded cards that are printed vertically and it still happily transcribes text set at 90 degrees.

The card is then scheduled to be transposed. You can capture as many as you want and I haven’t found a limit to the number that can be queued. If you haven’t got the app open when the transcribing is completed then you’ll get a message. The app grabs all the relevant contact details from the card and if you are already connected via LinkedIn, enriches their details. If not, then you have the option to Connect to them via a button. You also have two additional buttons to allow you to email them or to download the contact details to your iPhone contacts.

Cards appear in an alphabetical list with any cards still waiting to be transcribed sitting above the list. All new cards are highlighted in the list and the latest version, out this weekend, puts new cards in a separate tab for even easier locating.

I especially love the fact that I am not forced to download the contact to my iPhone, the information stays in the LinkedIn cloud and I can effectively use it as a second address book. Hmmm….. maybe I’ll be deleting some vendor contacts from my iPhone now and keeping there here instead.

Anything I’d like to see added? I’d love the ability to choose which Contacts Group on my iPhone to add the downloaded card to. I have so many people in my address book who are carefully categorised based on work, personal or the couple of voluntary activities I do that I need to be able to sort them without having to do it back on my MacBook (something Apple needs to fix in iOS anywhere as you still rely on the cord here). This is a minor niggle though and the app still performs a niche function flawlessly.

You can download the app here.

We did it.
Last weekend, we cooked up our snails and ate them.
And they were good.

Yes, I did feel slightly bad for eating them and yes it was fairly disgusting but I would probably do it again especially as their death serves some sort of purpose rather than simply stopping them eating all Jo’s flowers.

As previously posted, we waited until their poo had turned orange as we only fed them carrots and water then we stopped feeding them about 24 hours before cooking time. I got a medium pan of water going on a rolling boil with a large kettle full of water ready to go as well. I washed them all with cold water and made sure that they all shrunk into their shells so were alive. I then dropped them into the water and kept it boiling for a good 15 minutes. I had to change the water about 3 times over. The first pan full turned bright green with a frothy scum on the top about an inch thick. The second pan was slightly less green with only a small amount of scum and the last pan had a bogeyish tinge to it but nothing else. After 15 minutes of cooking I drained the pan into a colander and doused with lots of cold water before using a thin meat skewer to take them out of their shells and dropped them onto some sea salt to help take off some of the slime that was still on them (or so I hoped!).

Next I chopped up far more cloves of garlic than I should have and added this to a small omelette pan we have with a large knob of butter. When the house stunk of garlic I dropped the snails into the pan and sautéed until I’d effectively cooked off the small amount of slime that was still coming off the little buggers. Note that I didn’t try to chop off the snail’s hybrid pancreas–liver thingy nor did I chop them up. I figured that I eat whelks, winkles, mussels etc. as is so I would do the same with these.

Whilst all this was going on I made a lovely, simple mushroom risotto to go with the snails and so poured in the cooked snails, garlic and butter into the risotto pan at the same time as the parmigiana. According to Jo it was very delicious albeit very garlicky.

Finally, here are some links that I found helpful during my research with the first 3 links being very helpful:

• Cooking with Richard: English Snails 4 – Snails with pancetta, sage, lemon and rocket
• SFGate: Eating Your Garden Snails
• YouTube.com: Gordon Ramsay – Picking and cooking snails
• mattbites.com: A Snail’s Pace
• Blogjam.com: Garden Snail Risotto
• eHow: How to Cook Snails
• guardian.co.uk: Shell shock
• BBC Food: Heston Blumenthal – Snail Porridge

Jo has starting collecting loads of snails from our garden and rather than killing them immediately, she suggested that we cook them as Gordon Ramsey suggested on the F Word a series or so ago. So we now have several jam jars full of them with carrots inside and in a week or two when their poo turns orange they are ready to be eaten! Yummy! Found this delightful article on eating your own snails which confirms much of what we suspected. Also found an entry over at Cooking With Richard (the new entry on my regular read blogroll) which is equally helpful. More will be posted when I have it.

Looking at these pictures posted on Flickr, the new Batman movie is going to be even more fantastic than previous shots I have seen in Empire show. I really do hope that Heath Ledger manages to at least equal Jack Nicholson’s performance as The Joker because he was, quite simply, brilliant.

There’s a new film coming out in 2008 which is another must-see comedy film for the geeks of the world. Fanboys is a geek road trip for a group of friends travelling to Skywalker ranch in 1998 to see Star Wars Epidosde 1 – The Phantom Menace before it’s released. Want to know why you should see it? Cameos from Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams and Ray Park should help as well as the fact that Kevin Smith was also going to be in it but work on Clerks 2 forced him out.

This from Ain’t It Cool:

Come to The Hot Fuzztival
It’s Free!!!

Join Hot Fuzz Director, Edgar Wright at the Prince Charles Cinema on June 10th as he takes you through his film inspirations for the action comedy box office smash Hot Fuzz. The film out to own and rent on DVD from June 11th will be shown along with exclusive live commentary from the director and cast from the film in the evening…and it’s all free!

Showing times are as follows:

11:00 Hard Boiled
13:45 Last Boy Scout
16:30 Point Break

20:00 Hot Fuzz with LIVE AUDIO COMMENTARY FROM EDGAR WRIGHT AND CAST FROM THE FILM!

Still not persuaded? Well here are some wise words from your Hot Fuzztival host…

“Hey muddy funsters. Join me at the Prince Charles Cinema on June the 10th for a marathon of hot cop action. Not only will we screen three of our favourite actions films, but you will get to see a totally unique live commentary from myself, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, as well as other special guests from our Bad Bobby opus HOT FUZZ.

And who can argue with the triple whammy of John Woo’s classic HARD BOILED, the bruising, hilarious LAST BOY SCOUT and the palpable homo erotic tension of POINT BREAK.

I will be your host for the day, will join you in watching the marathon of bad-assery and will be flinging a few goodies and surprises your way.

Come join. First come, first served. And totally free.

Get there early. The hardcore will be duly rewarded.

Edgar”

There’s also a signing with Edgar, Nick and Simon the day after the Fuzztival (June 11th to be exact – ie UK DVD release day) at the HMV – 150 Oxford St. London W1 The Sharpies start flying at 1pm. More signings to be announced soon, but that’s a definite! Enjoy, you lucky Londoners!

Pete and I discussed it and he reckons we are not hardcore enough to even get in as there are bound to be those more geekier than us who will camp all night to get in. We love Simon, Nick & Edgar but all night? On a London street? *sigh*