WUWO Magazine Edition 20

The Enemy of Boredom

o N 20 ISSUE

FREE Every Month December – January 8th 2014 Edition wuwomagazine.com facebook.com/whatsupwhatson twitter.com/whatsupwhatson

r u o r fo e d i s n i e e NG

I L AL B W E O L N D S N N U O I B T in I T E w P o t e M CO the chanc BO’s S

For st all of H s. t o e s m l x a o b t s e cool

COMEDY GADGETS FASHION GAMING MUSIC SCIENCE

Helena Wan

N O I T I T E P M O C

COMPETITION

WUWO’s Snowballing Bundle Competition Since October our snowballing competition has grown to include over £500 worth of goodies, specially picked to arrive at your door like a boozy Christmas avalanche.

With gin, loads of HBO box sets and enough mixed nuts to see you through to January, the winner of this competition will have enough supplies to ride out a month of drunken uncles, cheesy music and cheap mince pies.

A HBO fan’s dream! Every season of each of the below:

CROSTA & MOLLICA Italian Goody Bags www.crostamollica.com Waitrose – Tesco – Selfridges LIBERATION FOODS Fairtrade and farmer owned nuts www.chooseliberation.com Waitrose – Oxfam

The Eastpak Hutson – worth £80! www.eastpak.com Street Deluxe Wood cycle helmet – worth £49.99! www.lazersport.co.uk

A bottle of Beefeater 24

To enter, email competition@ wuwomagazine.com with “snowball” as the subject.

Entrants must be over 18

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WUWO Magazine Contributors WUWO Media

12 George A Romero

George Romero should be a familiar name for any horror buff worth their salt. Known for his The Living Dead series that spans six movies, starting with the classic Night of the Living Dead, George gives us a few thoughts about zombie films today and what he’s up to now.

16 Hacktivist

With their distinctive blend of hip hop and grime, Hacktivist have built a strong international reputation, despite only celebrating their first birthday in November.

WUWO spoke to bassist Josh Gurner and talked reviews, Russia and Rock am Ring.

22 Train Surfing

“I hit a bridge and survived”

Most people just accept train prices with a little bit of grumbling, others hide in the toilets but a very few ride on-top. WUWO spoke to a train surfer who was hit in the head by a bridge.

28 An interview with Nick Helm

Describing himself as “the human car crash of light entertainment”, WUWO caught up with comedian Nick Helm to discuss Edinburgh Festival, moving to the small screen and shouting a lot.

Let’s explore the future together on the 14th October 2013 at the Watford Palace Theatre.

To find out more visit us at 2045fs.com

34 An Interview with Neil Harbisson – artist, activist and cyborg

Neil Harbisson is an artist, musician and cyborg. Though born with an inability to see any colour – he can now hear colour through a chip implanted into his head. WUWO met Neil to discuss life as a cyborg.

Get Tickets

39 Blag it as a Bartender

Ever imagined yourself behind a bar, showcasing your cocktail-making prowess to a crowd of dazzled customers, but just don’t know how to go about it? Here’s the lowdown of just what it takes to make it as pro bartender.

Regulars 06 Top Picks

26 Gadgets

37 Tech

08 Food

32 Fashion

38 Books

10 Art

35 Game Play

20 Retronaut

36 Likes

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Editor in Chief Steven Godwin Editor Jack Courtez Copy Editor Lesley Boardman Design & Illustration Marian Hutchinson Writers Aleesha Sharma Alex Chiejina Arden Bronstein Clinton Nguyen Emma Goodwin Ghazala Jabeen Lloyd Paige Matt Berg Matthew Cook Nicole Auckland Sam Fresco Sara Hoque Sonal Khandelwal Tessa Hearle To get in contact about editorial requests: content@wuwomagazine.com Advertising requests: advertising@wuwomagazine.com

WUWO Magazine is published monthly by WUWO Media.

We try and make sure all our information is correct but details may be subject to change. Any physical submissions are sent at the owners risk and we will accept no responsibility for loss or damage. Nothing printed in WUWO Magazine can be copied or republished without our written permission.

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06

TOP PICKS

Top Picks Hand-picked, intriguing happenings, venues, clubs, shops and more from London and beyond.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

East London Design Show

Hyde Park, London November 22– January 5 (closed Christmas Day), 10:00 – 22:00, free entry but attraction charges apply

The Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London December 5 – 8, 10:00 – 18:00, £5

Glide around the UK’s largest ice-skating rink, illuminated by thousands of Christmas lights or visit the Magical Ice Kingdom, a gallery of spectacular ice and snow sculptures. When you’re ready to thaw out, warm up with some hot cider at the Christmas markets or take a ride around the scenic Giant Observation Wheel. Various other attractions and rides are right nearby, making this event one to revisit throughout the festive season.

Christmas shopping doesn’t have to be so difficult.

This East London market has something for everybody on your shopping list. The annual event brings together booths for up and coming products, interiors and jewellery designers. Everything from children’s toys to posh home accessories to quirky graphic tees are available from over 90 designers under one roof. While shopping is the main event, there is also a café, bar and various workshops including toy and hat making for some added fun.

Let the Right One In

London Santa Run

Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London, November 29 – December 21, 14:30/19:30, £10 – £32

Battersea Park, London 7 December, 10:00

If you’ve noticed an absence of ironically epic vampire love stories lately, never fear, Let the Right One In is here. It’s an angst-filled story of two outcast teenagers, neighbors and devoted friends. After a string of brutal killings in the neighborhood, it’s only a matter of time before Oskar discovers why his new friend Eli never goes to school or leaves the flat during the day. wuwomagazine.com

Over 2,000 runners will be dressed in their finest Santa garb for the London Santa Run. Running in costume makes the 6k race around Battersea Park even more fun, especially as a spectator. The Santa Run raises funds for Disability Snowsport UK, a national organisation that helps people with disabilities including cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome and autism spectrum disorder experience the excitement of snow sports. Goodie bags will be given to those who raise over £250.

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TOP PICKS

Christmas Chocolate Festival

Mini Club De Fromage – A Small Christmas Party

Southbank Centre, London December 13 – 15, 11:00 – 18:00/20:00, free admission

02 Academy Islington, London December 21, 10:30 – 3:30, £6 entry before midnight and £8 after, 18+

This festival gives you the opportunity to create your own customised chocolate bars, learn how to make salted caramel pecan brownies, and indulge in a chocolate afternoon tea. Do we have your attention yet? The 11th Annual Christmas Chocolate Festival returns to the Southbank Centre for a weekend of chocolate frenzy. Special chocolate Christmas gifts from L’Artisan du Chocolat, The Chocolatier, Hotel Chocolat, Rococo Chocolates and Choco Passion will be available.

Club De Fromage is holding a small, exclusive Christmas party featuring a wide variety of pop and rock music from Blondie to Lady Gaga and everything in between. This 18 and over event is being held in the small 850-person capacity 02 Academy Islington, home of the weekly Club De Fromage. The themed party is on the last night of the Old School Indie series the club is running this fall.

Best of all, giveaways and drink offers are abounding.

Kim Wilde’s Christmas Party

The One – NYE

O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London December 21, 19:00, £25

Egg London, London December 31, 20:00, £25

Pop quiz: how do you resurrect a music career from the 80’s? Be filmed singing one of your biggest hits while drunk on the Tube wearing light-up reindeer antlers, of course. Kim Wilde is back for her first solo performance in London since 1986. She’ll be performing her classic hits like “Kids in America,” as well as classic Christmas songs from her first festive album. The pop-star turned Christmas icon’s performance is sure to evoke some Christmas cheer.

There is no shortage of parties on New Year’s Eve in London, but The One promises to top all the others with an all-star DJ line-up and five rooms of dancing and music. The rave cave will ring in 2014 in style with house and techno music performed by both up and coming and better-known DJs. Prepare to stay up all night with your mates and enjoy the drink specials while celebrating the end of 2013.

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08

FOOD AND DRINK

Food and Drink Meat munching, street snacking and cocktail concocting content created to provide palates with delectable dishes.

‘One Cup of Coffee’ Marley Coffee

Anna Mae’s So central is mac ‘n’ cheese to the American culinary psyche, the dish is apparently now considered a vegetable across the pond. Anna Mae’s, with their simple Southern American grub, epitomises why you’d want mac ‘n’ cheese as one (or two, or three) of your five-a-day. Theirs is made with three different cheeses (chedder, Monterey Jack and mozzarella), and can be served straight from the pan or trussed up with a choice of toppings. Our favourites include the ‘Kanye Western’, with BBQ sauce and a hot dog on top, and the ‘Don Macaroni’, served with fresh pesto and crispy bacon. So next time you’re looking for some stateside comfort food with a London twist look no further than Anna Mae’s, where £5-7 will buy you a generous portion. With no regular pitch right now, check out www.anna-maes.com for more information on where to find them.

This month WUWO sampled Marley Coffee, an international gourmet coffee brand founded by Rohan Marley, Bob Marley’s son, and his friend Shane Whittle.

Inspired by Rohan’s grandmother who used to dry, hull and roast their wild coffee berries for her own cup of coffee each morning, as well as his famous father’s aspirations to continue farming one day, this brand has a real sense of passion and history.

The beans are sourced from around the world and in particular the Marley’s Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee farm.

There are currently three Marley coffees: ‘One Love’, ‘Buffalo Soldier’, and ‘Lively Up’. Each with its own character, all three are delicious, luxury blends.

Marley Coffee strives to support communities and the environment through organic, sustainable and ethical practices. www.marleycoffee.co.uk

Churros Garcia Three smiling staff will greet you at Churros Garcia, a stall most definitely suited for those sweet-toothed customers. Made fresh right before your eyes, these hot tubes of sweet dough are plunged into oil before being pulled out and dusted with sugar and cinnamon. Started 40 years ago, Churros Garcia have got their churros down to a fine art, so it’s no wonder they were runners-up at the British Street Food Awards 2011. Us Londoners might not eat churros for breakfast like the Spanish, but these hot tubes of doughy deliciousness are a treat for any time of day. For £4, you’ll get your churros served with a cup of hot Valor chocolate. Find their market stall at Portobello Market, Broadway Market or the Real Food Market, Southbank. wuwomagazine.com

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FOOD AND DRINK 09

our forget Don’t undle ling B l a b w Sno etition Comp to win a 4 hance for a c Beefeater 2 f o e... bottle ts mor and lo Cocktail of the Month: Kata Cocktail As 26 of the world’s leading bartenders head to London for the final of the Beefeater 24 Global Bartender Competition, leading experts predict that millions of new cocktails will be created and served around the world within the next few decades as a new breed of cocktail pioneer sates their thirst to come up with something new and different.

and the theatre of creating it in front of a customer who wants more than just a straightforward drink.

“You can make fantastic drinks by increasing the application of science, but this is not the be-all and end-all. What is even more powerful than quirky methods is the passion of those who create the drinks. Bartenders are like magpies; they collect gems as they go, a little bit like chefs.”

The Kata cocktail, from world renowned mixologist Tony Conigliaro, infuses the classic flavours of Beefeater 24 and dry vermouth with unique and vibrant tasting chive and shiso herbs.

Conigliaro believes the freshness of ingredients and unique flavours are integral for the future of mixology, adding: “It may sound very 21st Century in terms of the methods being used, but I don’t think that the science will get out of hand. The heart of the cocktail is romance

Ingredients (serves one) ● 40ml Basil infused Beefeater 24 ● 10ml Shiso infused Dry Vermouth ● Rock chives ● Baby shisho leaves

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Method ● Combine ingredients over ice in a cocktail tin and double strain into a bone china sake cup ● Tie five rock chives together with one rock chive, garnish drink with the rock chives and five baby shiso leaves

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10

ART EXPLORER

Art Explorer Beijing-based artist, Ye Hongxing’s fragmented landscapes explore the clash of Eastern and Western cultures, following the rapid social and economic development of contemporary Chinese society. From a mosaic of colourful stickers emerges a hybrid reality, combining traditional Chinese imagery with references to pop culture icons. Working with a material which is usually mass produced, Hongxing’s kaleidoscopic pieces reflect the time we live in.

The exhibition at Scream Gallery, London runs until 7 December, if you miss it, a smaller section is featured below in WUWO’s paper print gallery.

ANOTHER SPACE No.5

ANOTHER SPACE No.3

EAST OF EDEN No.4

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ART EXPLORER

DREAM WORLD No.16

EAST OF EDEN No.3 wuwomagazine.com

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CELEBRITY 13

George A Romero should be a familiar name for any horror buff worth their salt.

Known for his The Living Dead series that spans six movies, starting with the classic Night of the Living Dead. George gives us a few thoughts about zombie films today and what he’s up to now.

Why do you think people are still so fascinated with the horror genre?

Different strokes; I don’t know why I was drawn into it, but I have always been drawn to it. Some people like roller coasters, some people like horseradish.

a story around what I think I want to talk about.

But very often it’s not there, even in the classics.

Sometimes of course, you can’t see it, or it’s not obvious, you know? Everyone talks about Gravity as if it’s fraught with meaning; I didn’t see it. I think very often that’s really what people are looking to do. Are there politics in The Evil Dead?

Why do you think that zombies have become so popular?

Do you think it’s important for new audiences to see your films on the big screen?

I think all of a sudden it became viable to Hollywood. But the first movie to break $100 million was Zombieland and that’s recent. Prior to that, the remake of Dawn of the Dead did about $75 million. Nothing made that much money until of course, The Walking Dead.

It is a different experience and very often you see things differently. You can never make a movie on a screen that size, we always have to figure what it’s going to look like big. But it’s in your mind until you can actually project it.

Is it true that you’re not a big fan of The Walking Dead?

I’m not - I think you could spoof it, I think Woody Allen could spoof it. It’s a soap opera where occasionally a zombie pops up.

Your films are prominent for having strong socio-political messages. Do you think that’s lacking in horror films nowadays?

I think it has always been lacking. I try to map out

What’s up with your comic book series right now?

Well I’m sort of running away from trying to sell a zombie movie for less than $200 million with the greatest special effects ever seen, so I’ve just retreated. To do a comic book, it’s very much the same process; I’m working with an artist instead of a DP and neither of us has to worry about budget at all.

It’s for Marvel, but they’re letting me write it absolutely in screenplay form. So I will come out with a screenplay; it’ll to be too long to shoot because it’s 15 books!

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CELEBRITY

> Before Romero got into splatterhouse, he worked on commercials and short films. He had a stint with Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood and made a segment where Rogers gets a tonsillectomy, and this eventually led to his interest in making horror movies. > Romero once filmed a non-horror film titled Knightriders, which was about a travelling troupe of biking jousters.

He also directed a romantic comedy (There’s Always Vanilla), which he considers to be his worst. > He made a cameo as one of Hannibal Lecter’s jailers in Silence of the Lambs. > While working on the set of Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, Romero called his directing style “mechanical” and “passionless”. wuwomagazine.com

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CELEBRITY 15 Do you think films and TV lost something when they stopped using practical effects?

I think you do, definitely, but it’s the saving grace for low-budget films. Diary of the Dead was only a little over $2 million, Survival was a little over three. We had no time.

The only way you can make it work on that kind of budget is to cut your schedule and CG enables you to do that. There are just some things that you just can’t do. There’s a scene in Diary of the Dead where somebody throws acid on a zombie and you see it eating into his brain over 40 seconds; it’s lovely to see it happen and the only way to make it happen was with CG. The zombie genre feels particularly American – there aren’t a lot of British efforts. Can we call 28 Days Later one?

Well they’re not dead; they’re infected with a virus.

It’s the same with Zombieland, when they’re dead and they run. WRONG! So the re-make of Dawn of the Dead with the running zombies must’ve hurt?

Not only did they run but they under-cranked the cameras and they ran even faster. It’s the same with World War Z they looked a bit like army ants.

All I could think of was Naked Jungle! Actually I think Guillermo del Toro started this trend with fast moving vampires in Blade 2. Maybe somebody decided that’s the only way to do monsters now.

I prefer the ponderous thing coming after you like The Mummy, that’s what I grew up on. You

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can’t stop it. It’s coming to get you! “They’re coming to get you Barbara!”The beauty of the Dead series is that they’ve all been different, you’ve never repeated yourself.

“The Walking Dead is a soap opera where occasionally a zombie pops up.”

That’s what I try to do. I think that’s partly why audiences stay away [laughs]. They discover it later on video. I keep saying, “Why didn’t you come out the first time?!” I’m a little afraid that my version of the 200 million dollar budget is going to be this comic book. And if the comic is successful I may wind up doing that [laughs] but I don’t know, they probably won’t trust me with it.

When do you think we will see any of the comic?

The artist is working on the first two issues and it’s scheduled to start in January. They’re gonna do five books, a month at a time.

Clinton Nguyen

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16

MUSIC

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MUSIC 17

Hacktivist

With their distinctive blend of metal and grime, Hacktivist have built a strong international reputation, despite only celebrating their first birthday in November. They’re now headlining their own tour across the UK and Europe. WUWO spoke to bassist Josh Gurner and talked reviews, Russia and Rock am Ring.

How has the last year been?

Surreal. We’ve been dropped in the deep end and the whole thing has been a dream/nightmare but awesome throughout.

How was the jump between your previous bands and projects and this?

It’s a different league. It’s the difference between a local band and industry band, in terms of the calibre of venues and the shows we’ve done. We’re trying to ride the buzz we seem to have generated.

You shot past the local band stage, was that quite surreal?

Yeah, but we’ve all come from this little Milton Keynes music scene so we’ve known each other for a while. When we got together, it came very naturally and we managed to hit the ground running.

techno, metal guy and Timfy is really metal. Rich is actually into jazz. It’s a melting pot.

How do you feel about previous collaborations between hip hop and metal?

I’m a fan. I worshipped Limp Bizkit and Korn as a kid, those bands that you look back at and slightly cringe but still have love for. We’re trying to do something down that vein but keep it current and up-to-date. We don’t try to ram two genres together; we try to pick out their similar elements.

You’ve got dates in Russia coming up, how did that come about?

It’s the magic of the internet and YouTube. We seem to have a lot of attention from Russia. With the internet, if one person picks something up and posts it, it gets passed on and goes viral.

Do you all have similar music interests?

How much do you think artists can influence people?

We have fairly different music tastes. J brings the old school hip hop, grime and rap element. Ben’s an old school hard-core kid. I’m a bit of a rock,

Major artists definitely have a large sway, whether it’s a positive or negative thing. There are bands that push positive messages and show ways people can

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MUSIC

An Interview with

Lost in the Riots change. I like to think people are taking heed of the message. We do this; we try to bring topics to light that people might not normally consider.

Politicians like David Blunkett and Kim Howells call grime violent and appalling. What do you think of what they say?

Unfortunately, for every one act preaching a sincere message, there’s ten rapping about how big their cock is and how much money they make. That’s probably more what the politicians are aiming at. It’s tough with the way the media tries to keep everyone in fear.

Do you read reviews or online comments about Hacktivist?

Online comments are different from reviews. I’d read reviews because it’s interesting to see what people think of the shows. Online comments are a waste of time and brain cells.

How is your audience split when you play live?

We get people who say “I’m into hip hop. I’d never go to a metal show but I saw you guys play and had to check it out.” Then others who say “I wouldn’t buy a hip hop album, but you’re really good.” People who might not have been open to it before are interested after seeing us.

How does it feel to be re-issuing your debut EP with new tracks, just one year on?

I’m glad we’re doing it. Our first EP was a limited press with 500 copies that sold really quickly.

We were torn whether to make it unlimited and print more or keep it as a limited pressing. We’re compromising by releasing it again, but the new EP is different to the original EP. It’s got extra tracks and new artwork.

What’s your proudest moment so far?

We played main stage for Rock am Ring this year, which was about 40,000 people. That was a pretty mad moment. At Download, we were in the tent but there was so much atmosphere. Rock am Ring was the week before and I was there thinking “That’s got to be the best moment of my life, how are any shows going to top this?” We were offstage and could hear the crowd chanting “Hacktivist!” That was a proud moment.

Jack Courtez wuwomagazine.com

Since 2010, Lost in the Riots have been serving up an energetic and guitar-heavy sound. The quartet, from in and around Watford, released their debut album ‘Stranger in the Alps’ in February this year.

WUWO caught up with guitarists Adam and Jim and talked Titan Studios, album titles and touring.

What are you up to right now?

It’s quiet right now. We’ve done our European and UK tours and that’s all wound down so we’re focusing on writing. We’re back in the studio soon to record the second album and we’re hoping to get it out next May. We’ll support it with another European and UK tour. We’re planning ahead right now.

This Month in History Special Event: World’s First Traffic Lights Debut in London By the 1860s, London was experiencing a major increase in traffic. The roads were becoming increasingly congested as personal vehicle ownership increased and more needed to move about the city on a regular basis. To combat the chaos on the streets, John Peake Knight, superintendent of the SouthEastern Railway created the first traffic light near the houses of parliament on 9th December 1868. The initial system was a pillar with arms that moved to signal when to stop and slow. The lights were added for nighttime visibility. Sadly, the next month, a gas valve leak caused the signal to explode.

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WUWO MUSIC 19

Are there any other Watford bands you like?

There’s not a big music scene in Watford, so coming across other bands is quite difficult. We’ve been to see a band called The Social Club a few times.

One place you do meet other bands is the place you rehearse. We’re using a studio called Titan. It’s a great studio; it’s really doing its job.

Where does your band name come from?

There’s an album called The Lost Riots by a band called Hope of the States. We liked the name but

Birth: Jane Austen Jane Austen’s works of romantic fiction earned her a spot among some of the most widely read authors in history. The English writer is remembered for her realism, irony and relevant social commentary that made the time period about which she wrote so relatable hundreds of years later. Born on 16th December, Austen is best known for her novels Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma. Her novels have been adapted many times over for both cinema and telly.

Media Release: Gone with the Wind When Gone with the Wind was first released on 15 December 1939, it broke all previous box office records worldwide. Audiences were mesmerized by wuwomagazine.com

didn’t want to be a ‘The’ band. It’s a misquote of that album title.

How would you describe yourself in five words?

Schizophrenic, mad, mass rock music. Our music is slightly schizophrenic. It can go from clean, standard niceness to a heavier, nastier sort of thing.

Emma Goodwin To find out more about Lost in the Riots, check out www.facebook.com/lostintheriotsmusic or www.lostintheriots.bandcamp.com

Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable’s on-screen chemistry as Scarlett and Rhett, so much so that one million people attended the film’s premiere in Atlanta, Georgia. The complicated love story has been widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. At the 12th Annual Academy Awards in 1940, Gone with the Wind won eight awards including Best Film, Best Actress, and Best Director.

Patent: Braces Before they were a staple in every hipster’s wardrobe, braces were patented by Samuel Clemens, a.k.a. famous American author Mark Twain on 19th December. The Huckleberry Finn writer described braces in his patent as, “adjustable and detachable straps for garments.” He envisioned them as much more than a nifty apparatus for trousers. Rather, he thought suspenders could be used for holding up underpants and women’s corsets. These first braces were designed with an H shape in the back to hold the straps in place. The first designs were often made of tightly woven wool called “boxcloth.”

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20

RETRONAUT

Retronaut

Unwrapping Christmas Past Christmas is upon us again! To celebrate the festive season, here’s a collection of WUWO’s favourite old school Christmas images, from Smoking Santas to celebrating celebrities. Retronaut brings you a sleigh full of vintage Christmas cheer.

Elvis celebrates Christmas at his home with a pile of presents.

Naomi Campbell graces the cover of the Christmas edition of Playboy in 1999.

A Christmas advert for Lucky Strike cigarettes from December 1954.

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RETRONAUT

Nancy Reagan kisses a festively dressed Mr T in 1989.

Father Christmas smokes a cigarette in a festive advert for Pall Mall cigarettes.

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A psychedelic mushroom-filled Christmas card from 1904.

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22

TRAIN SURFING

DON N LO

LON DON

DON N LO

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TRAIN SURFING 23

Train Surfing Most people just accept train prices with a little bit of grumbling, others hide in the toilets but a very few ride on-top. WUWO spoke to a train surfer who was hit in the head by a bridge.

Train surfing originated as a hobby in South Africa in the late 1980’s amongst poor teenagers but has since spread through Brazil, ex-USSR territories, Germany, the USA and the UK.

I’ve always wanted to do it, after a few beers you get the courage. I’ve always been somebody to do what I want when I want. If I want to surf a train I’ll surf a train.

This risky hobby has claimed a sizeable chunk of its followers through electrocution, crushing, decapitation and blunt force trauma. WUWO interviewed a train surfer who narrowly avoided joining those who paid with their life, on condition of anonymity.

So you didn’t feel any fear?

How did you first get into train surfing?

One time I surfed to the next town over, only to realize the train I was on top of was the last train, so I was stuck there. I had to go find a bush to sleep in and call in sick for work the next day.

I first saw a late night show on Channel 4, when I was quite young. It was on CGB (Crazy Ghetto Bastards), a graffiti crew from New York who also did train surfing.

I saw the video and thought “that is f***ing cool”.

Years later, as I started getting into graffiti as an art form, I decided I wanted to try surfing trains. I wanted to know what it felt like.

Was there a moment in the transition between graffiti artist and train surfer where you first decided to do the latter? wuwomagazine.com

Of course I did, that’s the point of the exercise.

What is your most memorable experience of train surfing?

How do you not get spotted?

Well you mostly do it when it’s dark and also people aren’t expecting to see someone there, so they’re not looking; it’s just another train going past.

How do you get on top of a train?

I’m not going to give people tips or tell people how to do it. If they want to do it they’re going to have to

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TRAIN SURFING

work it out for themselves and put a lot of thought into it.

mine they need full time care but I’ve got a bike, I can climb a ladder, I can do whatever I want.

How many times did you train surf before your accident?

What was your first memory when you came around?

Maybe 7 or 8, probably under 10, once you get over the initial shock it’s just like anything else; I’ve heard it’s like bungee jumping, you struggle to jump the first time but every time after that it’s easy and you want to do it again.

Everything I found out was from the murder investigation the police opened when they found me.

Has anything else given you a similar feeling?

I don’t think I could ever replicate it unless I took up sky diving or base jumping. I’ve never been on a plane, let alone jumped out of one but I’ve asked for sky diving tickets for my birthday so we’ll soon find out.

It’s kind of like being drunk when you come out of a head injury. I remember having to be accompanied to the shower. When I was learning to walk again I was quite smug when I first managed it, I had a massive grin on my face.

Do you ever see yourself doing it again?

I wouldn’t rule it out but probably not; you can never really say never.

What do you remember in the run-up to your accident?

If you could go back in time and see yourself when you first train surfed, would you stop yourself?

I don’t remember any of it.

I don’t know; all of this stuff has lead me to where I am today and I’m in a pretty good position. My accident was the best thing that ever happened to me, but would I have come to the same conclusion as I have if I didn’t hit that bridge? I don’t know.

What’s the last thing you remember?

I don’t know, I remember working at the beginning of the week but I can’t even remember the day before the accident. It’s called post traumatic amnesia, for some people the memories do come back, but I’ve been lucky and they haven’t.

I came back to work a few weeks later and I didn’t remember anything. It was only when my bossed said he owed me £200 that I knew I’d worked the day before the accident. I had to ask people what I’d been doing.

What do you know about how the accident happened?

I went out and surfed along the line. I worked out I then went out drinking that evening, from the club entry stamp on my hand. I got back on the top of the train to go home and I was hit by a bridge.

They don’t know what bridge it was but they found me still on the roof of the train four or five hours later in a coma. I’d been unconscious on the top of that train all the time, going backwards and forwards on the same line. Apparently two ambulances and six police cars turned up and I was taken to a specialist hospital.

I was there in a coma for two weeks with multiple base skull fractures, full facial fractures, brain haemorrhaging, bleeding on the brain, frontal lobe swelling, a lung infection and three fractures to my right eye socket. A doctor looked at me and said I’d never see out of that eye again. When I regained sight in both eyes he said I’d have double vision for three months, but I only had it for six weeks.

I was told that if people survive injuries like

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Some people might view my approach as stupid, people talk about it like “don’t do that again it’s stupid.” But if I’d injured myself skateboarding and carried on skateboarding would they have the same reaction? Nobody would have such strong opinions.

One of my friends has even said they’d beat the shit out of me if I did it again, if I’d done it skateboarding he’d probably just buy me a helmet.

It’s kind of like base jumping, if you do it enough it’s going to kill you, it’s just a game of numbers and I got lucky.

What would you say if someone came to you saying they wanted to start train surfing?

I wouldn’t recommend it, I can’t really can I? I cheated death, I doubt anyone else would be as lucky.

Have you ever met anybody else who has train surfed?

Not really, I met a few people who used to hang on the back of the tube in London on their way to school, but nothing serious.

Was that the only accident you’ve had on the tracks?

It’s the only one I’ve had to go to hospital for. I’ve almost been hit by a freight train a few times and I’ve been electrocuted quite regularly. On my birthday a couple of years ago I fell and electrocuted my neck on the third rail. That’s something people lose limbs over, but I took a week off work and that was it.

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TRAIN SURFING 25

IA S S RU

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26

GADGETS

Gadgets Some gadgets will save you time, bring you amusement or make life easier, others will do the opposite. Each month WUWO separates the two and brings you practical, fun and occasionally absurd gadgets.

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1. Tetris Fridge Magnets £4.49 These Tetris fridge magnets allow you to experience all the fun and frustration of the arcade from the comfort of your own home.

One of the most iconic games of all time, one pack of magnets contains seven sets of the seven original Tetrominoes (the official term for the falling blocks, don’t you know!). Whether you create pretty patterns, organise neatly or design puzzles for your housemates to complete, these bright and colourful magnets are ideal for any retro gamer. www.amazon.co.uk

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2. Sphero 2.0 App Controlled Robotic Ball £119.95

3. Banana Box £3.99

This is definitely a gadget for fans of augmented reality. The Sphero 2.0 is a unique and ingenious robotic ball you control through your smartphone. Compatible with IOS and Android devices, the Sphero rolls at 7 feet per second and comes with a whole host of Apps, as well as two ramps to increase your gaming pleasure.

Imagine a remote controlled car, but much, much better! Spherious augmented reality fun for the spherious gamer.

There’s nothing worse than pulling out your lunchtime banana and realising it’s been squashed into baby food. Never again face the terror of banana slime in your pocket or handbag or the disappointment of eating a bruised and browning banana.

The Banana Box, a tough and durable plastic container, will perfectly store almost any sized banana! So the next time you fancy a banana for your lunch, guard it again the crush with a Banana Box.

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GADGETS

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5 4. Pac-Man Ice Cube Tray £8.99

5. Clicloc Watch starting at £24.99

6. iKettle £99.99

Recreate the joy of the arcade with this Pac-Man Ice Cube Tray. Make ice cubes, jellies or chocolates in the shape of the most famous video game character of all time: Pac-Man. An icon of 1980’s pop culture, retro enthusiasts will love chomping away at the PacMan and Ghost character shapes.

Dishwasher safe and made from durable silicone, these distinctive and iconic characters will brighten up any drink.

Clicloc watches provide the perfect solution for those who like to match their watch to their outfit. With a range of interchangeable faces and straps in fun and vibrant colours, the fashion conscious will always look good with one of these innovative and customisable timepieces on their wrist. Clicloc watches have both a retro and a futuristic feel, and with a combination of high quality and unique design, you’ll be itching to tell people the time, all the time!

Whether you want an extra few minutes in bed in the morning, can’t tear yourself away from some tense telly or just don’t fancy moving off the sofa, the world’s first WiFi kettle can be controlled from anywhere in the house using your smartphone.

A Wake mode will gently wake you with offers of a fresh brew and tailored temperature settings will perfect your tipple of choice.

Embrace your inner laziness and let the iKettle make your life just that little bit easier.

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www.clicloc.com

www.firebox.com

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27

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COMEDY

An INTERVIEW with

NICK HELM Describing himself as “the human car crash of light entertainment”, WUWO caught up with comedian Nick Helm to discuss Edinburgh Festival, moving to the small screen and shouting a lot.

You’ve performed at Edinburgh Fringe since 1997, what’s been your stand-out show? How has the festival changed?

My favourite show I did was ‘Keep Hold of the Gold’ in 2010. I don’t think the festival has changed but my experience of the festival’s changed. When I first started doing stand-up in 2007 it was really difficult to get audiences, and it didn’t really matter – the idea was that you’d do a 5 minute slot wherever you could and then run all over town trying to get as many gigs as you could.

Now I just do one show every day but people are coming specifically to see me. So it has changed for me in a really good way.

Do you feel like your style of comedy has evolved?

“The thing that makes me happy is talking about how miserable I am” wuwomagazine.com

I used to write about being depressed, poor and miserable. I was in quite a dark place and I found writing comedy was really helpful. I feel like I’m a lot happier now. It’s kind of a double-edged sword because I’ve found the thing that makes me happy, but the thing that makes me happy is talking about how miserable I am. It’s more of an act that it used to be, it used to be more who I was but now I have to treat it almost like it’s a character.

‘One Man Mega Myth’ is about you being a solo performer, how does it compare to being with your band?

I’ve always had at least a guitarist, so this is the first year I’ve been totally by myself. It was lonely because I’ve always had four other people to hang around with before I went on stage, but I did enjoy being able to take full credit for everything. So I guess I’ve showed off a little bit more this year and I did enjoy it, I really enjoyed it.

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COMEDY 27

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WUWO COMEDY

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COMEDY 31 Your routines have been described as brash and controversial – would you say that’s an accurate description? What do you deem as controversial?

I don’t think I’m controversial – I’d say Frankie Boyle is controversial. If you find swearing controversial then that’s as bad as it gets with me. I think there are enough people on stage trying to get everyone to like them all the time. They come out and they’re going “hey, I’m just like you! I’m a nice guy” and they’re normally the ones that are dicks. Who wants to be liked by everyone? I’m shouting at people and people who get it find it cathartic, like “oh god yeah, I’d love to be able to shout and get stuff off my chest.”

I never sat down and thought “oh you know what?

I’m going to go over and shout at strangers.” It’s not like I got here by accident; people found it funny so I did it. I wouldn’t say it’s controversial, I think it’s actually pretty relatable. Most people can watch it and just go “yeah, I’ve felt like that” and even if they haven’t they can say “at least I’m not him.” The point is I’m the butt of all the jokes.

You seem to shout a lot, do you have an inside voice? Do you get into trouble at libraries and doctors surgeries?

The only time I’m in doctors’ surgeries is when I’ve hurt my voice – I don’t tend to shout there. I’m alright.

Everyone always asks me when I do Edinburgh “aren’t you going to lose your voice?”, but it’s not really

the shouting that hurts my voice, it’s the drinking in bars that’s doing it – and the music. If there’s music in a bar and you try and talk over it for six hours, when you come out you don’t have a voice left! You think it must be the show – it’s never the show.

Music is an important element in your shows – who are your musical influences?

My hero is Alice Cooper, he’s got a stage persona but in real life he’s quite boring. He’s a Christian who plays golf and doesn’t drink. I think that’s a little bit like me, well I’m not a teetotal Christian that plays golf, I’m probably more boring, I don’t even have that!

But when I go on stage I’m like a monster.

You’re currently working on your sitcom Uncle, how does the small screen compare to stand-up?

It’s really different, all of my stand-up has been larger than life. With the small screen, you don’t have to do anything – it’s almost as hard standing in front of the camera and not moving your face. You can do so much more with no expression on camera.

Could you ever see yourself moving away from comedy and pursuing a career in music?

I used to write songs quite straight-faced and serious.

I didn’t think I was writing funny songs, but when I performed them people would laugh.

Tessa Hearle

“I didn’t think I was writing funny songs, but when I performed them people would laugh.” wuwomagazine.com

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32

FASHION

Fashion OS Varsity C WUWO's fashion section seeks out the best, the boldest the freshest in fashion, ardigaand n £50 ww.asos.co presented in digestible chunks alongside wexclusive item giveaways. m AS

ASOS Varsity Cardigan £50 Eastpa k www.asos.com Dele

WEEKEND OFFENDER G&T T-Shirt £29 www.weekendoffender.com

gate www.e Mono Tap ed astpak £45 .com

EASTPAK Delegate Mono Taped £45 www.eastpak.com

MARKS & SPENCER Knitted Beanie Hat

£12.50 www.marksandspencer.com wuwomagazine.com

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FASHION

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PRIMARK Quilted PU Sleeve Parka £30 www.primark.co.uk

HOBBS Wolf Sweater £89 www.hobbs.co.uk

OLIVER BONAS Contrast Hat £25 www.oliverbonas.com

STEVE MADDEN Monica £125 www.stevemadden.com

For a chance to win this Eastpak Hutson back pack – worth £80 – and much more, don’t forget our Snowballing Bundle Competition

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34 SCIENCE

Neil Harbisson – Cyborg Neil Harbisson is an artist, musician and cyborg. Though born with achromatopsia – an inability to see any colour – he can now hear colour through a chip implanted into Let’s explore the future together Neil on the 14thto October his head. WUWO met discuss life as a cyborg and the effects of technological 2013 at the Watford Palace Theatre.

To find out more visit usenhancements at to the human form.

2045fs.com ways but I couldn’t detect it. With the antenna I can detect the energy and perceive more colours than the normal eye can see.

Do you use it to create music wherever you go?

I don’t need to listen to music because I can just move my head in such a way that it sounds good. There are specific places like supermarkets where I just enjoy wandering around listening to the range and combinations of colours.

How did you first find out this enhancement was possible?

I was studying music at Dartington College of Arts in Devon when there was a talk on cybernetics by Adam Montandon. He said cybernetics could be used to extend our senses as a tool.

I spoke to Adam to start a project to perceive colour.

It started as a webcam with headphones and a 5kg computer I had to carry around, but we made it smaller and more adapted.

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How does the device work?

It’s a colour sensor that detects light frequency; this is sent to a chip which lowers this frequency to its correlated frequency within our audible range. The audio output then applies pressure to my skull bone so I can hear vibrations conducted through the bone.

This allows me to differentiate between my normal hearing and the eyeborg.

This is still not the final stage. I want the antenna to go into the bone through a mini-jack plug, because it will differentiate better between normal hearing and the eyeborg.

Was it easy to get used to? Do you need to be pitch perfect?

I had strong headaches to begin with as I wasn’t used to this new input, but within five weeks the headaches and tiredness had stopped. Within five months I was feeling completely normal. It became a part of my body, an extension of my senses.

What was your perception of colour before and after the eyeborg?

It was like an energy that moves and bounces everywhere, an energy that affects people in many wuwomagazine.com

You’ve said each city has a different colour-scape, what is London like?

It has a high amount of the lowest sounding colour – red – because of the bricks and transport branding. There’s also a lot of yellow so overall it is like a golden red.

Comparatively, Madrid is terracotta. Monaco is very salmon while Reykjavik and Oslo are very varied.

Muskat in Oman is the most silent place I’ve been, everything is white or very light yellow.

Do you get déjà vu between what other people would see as unrelated objects?

Yes, things that look completely different can sound the same; two people who look different can have the same sound.

Can you give any examples?

My mother’s eyes sound like the BBC Radio News countdown bleeps. It would be absurd before this to relate these two things.

How far on the spectrum could you go? You can already perceive IR and UV, could you pick up any other frequencies?

I could pick up radio waves and microwaves. Normally the older you get the more your senses degenerate but with cyber implants the older I get the better my senses will become.

What is the biggest single way it changed your life?

I think the biggest thing is feeling that something external is you. This antenna is part of my body and my brain. This is stranger than hearing colour and it is something I wasn’t really prepared to feel. I’m not using technology, I am technology.

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GAME PLAY

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Gameplay Here’s our monthly gaming top picks for all your black mirrors.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo 3DS) – 22 November Action/Adventure Newcomers and veteran fans of the Hero of Time will find a treat in A Link Between Worlds, the long-hinted continuation of the Super Nintendo favourite A Link to the Past.

As Nintendo’s first original Zelda instalment on the Nintendo 3DS, it features all original dungeons and a whole set of new tools. Also new are 3D gameplay features that allow Link to walk on wall surfaces to previous inaccessible locations.

The game will also feature mirroring light and dark worlds, and a fairly unchanged overworld. Vets of the series will find comfort in knowing that all their familiar haunts will be back in this sequel, which takes place six generations later.

Shovel Knight (Wii U, 3DS, PC, Linux, Mac) – December 2013 – Platformer/Indie Today’s market is rife with nostalgia, companies like Nintendo, Sega, and Capcom actively pushing out titles that try to bridge generational gaps. With mustachioed Mario and his everconcerning costume obsession and Sonic in the Winter Olympics, the F1, World Cup, MMA, there comes a time when we have to ask, “when will we see the end of it?”

Here’s Shovel Knight, a game with stylish old graphics, sold with newer sensibilities in mind. It’s a platformer that hearkens back to the olden days of good platforming, when CPUs only had eight of those bits to go around, and cartridges were under constant respiratory abuse.

Dig for hidden treasures, stomp the baddies, whack your way to victory. Oh, and support your friendly indie developer. This title’s no piece of shovelware.

The Walking Dead Season 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac) – before the holidays -- £20.99 This next instalment of Telltale Studios’ award-winning take on *The Walking Dead* finds a young Clementine continuing her journey across the American South directly after the events of the first season. Players can expect to revisit characters from season 1’s bridging chapter *400 Days* and, of course, look forward to making heart-wrenching decisions that’ll decide the fates of more than a few friends. The series will come out in five instalments over the holiday season and Q1 2014.

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36

WUWO LIKES

WUWO Likes Every month the WUWO team trawls the internet, hangs around in music shops, goes to the cinema and sits in front of the telly. We compress a month’s worth of intensive procrastination into WUWO Likes, a brief guide to this month in media.

ALBUM Because the Internet: Childish Gambino Actor Donald Glover’s rap alter ego, Childish Gambino, returns with his sophomore album Because the Internet this winter. The American rapper has released his album’s first single, ‘Yaphet Kotto’, a somewhat self-deprecating track in which he repeatedly refers to himself as “the worst rapper ever to…” and digs at fellow rapper, Wiz Khalifa. The official release date hasn’t been announced yet, but in a teaser trailer for Because the Internet, it’s revealed that the album will drop over “winter break.”

FILM The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – December 13 Peter Jackson fans rejoice! The wait ends December 13 when the second installment of The Hobbit trilogy is released in cinemas. Bilbo and Thorin are back after their journey out of the Misty Mountains. The characters must defeat the dragon, Smaug, on their quest to reclaim their gold. Orlando Bloom and Ian McKellen reprise their roles as Legolas and Gandalf respectively.

The striking cinematography is also sure to impress and dazzle audiences all over again.

ONLINE The Scale of The Internet (www.htwins.net/scale2) Ever wondered how Rhode island compares to the size of the moon? This interactive guide allows you to zoom between scales with all the colour and vector graphics of a children’s encyclopedia. Compare everything from the size of an electron to the Andromeda Galaxy.

Every object is interactive and gives further information, scale and facts when clicked. In the same vein as Carl Sagan’s pale blue dot speech, the scale of everything we know is both awe inspiring and a reminder to the insignificance of putting up with your boss everyday.

DVD Man of Steel – December 2 Enjoy all of the action of Superman at home in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, released on Blu-Ray and DVD December 2. Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) relives the moments in his life that made him discover his powers and the struggles he has between suppressing his abilities and rescuing others. Cavill does well to represent the difficulty of discovering who he is and what it means as he attempts to save the planet. The DVD makes a great stocking filler.

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TECH 37

Technology

“I’m Sam, I work at Clock, one of the UK’s top digital agencies and write for WUWO about all things gadget and geeky.”

If you have any tech you’d like me to review, please send it to sam@wuwomagazine.com

Codasign.com If you’ve ever thought ‘I wish I could create a plant that would tweet me when it needed watering’ or ‘wouldn’t it be cool if I could use Siri to put the kettle on’ then you, like me, have a desire to ‘hack your environment’ which graciously leads us to the world of Arduino.

During my day-to-day on the Commercial team at Clock I see copious amounts of ridiculously cool stuff and in honesty, it frustrates me. I want to be able to play, make, break and tinker too and although I have never coded, if you never start you will never learn right? But how better to gain an understanding of the challenges, opportunities and capabilities of the technology we admire than to lend a hand to learning it (as well as it being quite a lot of fun).

To learn more, I booked a place in a workshop at the Camden Collective run by the folk @Codasign. Read my full blog post on what happened next here: clock.co.uk/misc/back-to-basics

Pixel Stick

Now, this is awesome. We’ve all seen light painting right? Long-exposure pictures where you wave something sparkly around and it captures your movement. Well this takes that to a whole new stratosphere.

From the boys at BitBanger Labs, this very reasonably priced invention allows you to capture images off Photoshop for you to incrementally deliver them through a serious of images over multiple exposure, enabling light-painting to the world of time lapse allowing for animations of a caliber never achieved before. www.kickstarter.com/projects/bitbangerlabs/pixelstick-light-painting-evolved

Moment.me

This is one of those that sparks the ‘surely this must already exist’ conversation, proving it’s beautiful simplicity.

Scanning all your social networks and camera roll it pulls all the data together for a given event. What does this really mean? It means you can create a little site on the fly between your buddies of your own crowd from a night using all of their pics, vids, vines and posts – creating your one-stop shop for all the digital content of an event.

Now add this into the mix for massive parties, weddings, uni do’s and the like and I think you begin to have a pretty interesting piece of kit.

Yummly

To round off, let’s keep it simple. Cooking. It can be a thing of wonder and it can be a bloody pain. Yummly is tagged ‘the ultimate recipe inspiration app’, it is the most powerful recipe aggregator that pulls in the recipes to it’s own clean cut design. Anything you find can be bagged ‘n tagged in your recipe box so we’re fully organized for that ‘what do I fancy when I get home’ peek at the phone on the commute home.

And it comes with potentially my favourite feature of all is that it learns your taste as you use so the recommendations are always learning, being intelligent and relevant to you. This is exactly what I’ve been looking at for a while; once they introduce the ‘use what you have in your fridge’ feature this truly will be the reigning recipe app champion. wuwomagazine.com

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38

BOOKS

Books Each month WUWO’s Lloyd Paige reads through as many books as possible and picks out a mixed selection of literature to review, below are his findings.

Messi by Guillem Balague He’s broken a host of records and keeps winning Fifa’s Ballon d’Or Award, so it’s little wonder that most people have heard of Lionel Messi, whether they watch football or not; as things stand this player is on course to become the greatest ever. Taken in by Barcelona at a young age and nurtured, the name Messi now strikes unparalleled fear into the opposing team every time he plays. Guillem Balague dissects the phenomenon to give us a compelling book.

Published by Orion, £20.00

12th of Never by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro It’s not every day an eccentric professor reports a murder that has yet to happen and Detective Lindsay Boxer really doesn’t need the hassle, because she has a child to consider. Added to that, after waking from a two-year coma, a serial killer decides he wants to talk and reveal where the bodies are buried... but is it a trap? The prolific James Patterson along with Maxine Paetro, treats us to Lindsay Boxer and her battle to unearth the truth amidst the chaos.

Published by Century, £18.99

The Goddess and the Thief by Essie Fox Essie Fox’s third novel brings a taste of the unexpected. Alice finds herself uprooted from India and is raised in Windsor by her aunt, a spiritualist medium.

The mysterious Mr Tilsbury appears and a plot to steal the priceless Koh-iNoor diamond surfaces, which soon draws Alice in. The Koh-i-Noor carries blessings and curses equally, but that doesn’t stop a few interesting characters from coveting it too and within the mayhem Alice faces a huge battle to reclaim control.

Published by Orion, £12.99

Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo Jo Nesbo has given us plenty of thrills from his Harry Hole books and he keeps up the momentum with this adventure. In this early Harry Hole story the setting is Bangkok, where he investigates the death of a Norwegian Ambassador.

The dead man’s relatives know more that they let on but why are they keeping secrets? CCTV footage only serves to complicate things for Harry when the person that gave him the tape disappears. Harry Hole needs someone to trust and fast.

Published by Harvill Secker, £18.99 wuwomagazine.com

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BLAG IT 39

How to Blag: Being a booze guru

Ever imagined yourself behind a bar, showcasing your cocktail-making prowess to a crowd of dazzled customers, but just don’t know how to go about it?

After the final of the 2013 Beefeater 24 Global Bartender Competition in November, WUWO spoke to Beefeater Global Brand Ambassador Sebastian Hamilton-Mudge about the bartending industry, the tools of the trade and the secrets behind the perfect cocktail. Here’s the low-down of just what it takes to make it as pro bartender.

PAY YOUR DUES “If you want to become professional, you’ve got to pay some dues.

FIND A GOOD BAR It’s about the bars you’ve worked in, the people you’ve worked for, the experiences you’ve gained.

You’ve also got to put up with the hours and the lifestyle. It’s certainly a lifestyle choice. If you want to do it professionally, you need to submerge yourself in the bar and in the lifestyle.”

BE PASSIONATE “You’ve just got to love it. If you don’t love it, get out of it. The industry has tough hours and you don’t earn a lot of money in the early days. You’ve got to love the lifestyle and have a real passion for it because otherwise it will chew you up and spit you out. It doesn’t matter how fantastic your drinks are or how amazing your knowledge is, if you’re miserable as sin then essentially it’s all for nothing.”

BALANCE YOUR FLAVOURS “Everything is about balance. A good rule of thumb is two, one, half. Two parts base spirit, one part citrus and half a part sugar. Then you need some dilution to open up the flavours. We’re looking at wuwomagazine.com

four points: strong, weak, tart and sweet. Strong is the alcohol, weak is how much dilution. For tart and sweet, you might have two parts fresh lemon juice and one part of sugar. Make sure not any one of those is dominant, and you can taste everything in the drink.”

DON’T BE A CHEAPSKATE “Buying cheap will always taste cheap so start with a decent base spirit. Something like Beefeater isn’t expensive, but you’ll notice the difference in quality for a few quid more. If you use a poor quality base, you can’t overcome that. Also, wherever you can, buy fresh. Use fresh lemon juice and a good quality sugar or syrup. Make sure you use castor sugar and not granulated, because the crystals are too big to dissolve.”

GET THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE “A good shaker is the most obvious thing people think of. A bar spoon, the elongated teaspoon, and a good knife are just as important. If you’re without one of those bits as a professional, it’ll be a pain in the backside. You don’t necessarily need all the fancy equipment. It’s amazing what people have around the house. Wash out an old jar, throw some ingredients in with some ice and shake.”

Emma Goodwin

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