Kitsimons

Journal Feed

Hardware

Apple iPod Touch - Winner

I'd go as far as to say this little piece of kit was revolutionary. Sure, it doesn't do anything new with regards to features, but it does things better. Much better in fact. The interface on the iPod Touch, shared with its bigger sister, the iPhone, is light-years beyond anything else on the market, and makes this device an absolute joy to use.

The first time you show someone a photo album generally draws gasps, followed by I want one! Whether flicking through pictures, pinching to zoom, browsing through albums using Coverflow, or browsing the internet using built in Wi-Fi, you can't help but grin.

The only thing lacking in the iPod Touch compared to the iPhone (aside from the phone functionality), is the camera and external speaker, and of those it's only the external speaker that I really miss. Even saying that, the iPhone is only something I'd be interested in when they get to generation 3 or 4. Until then, I'll stick with the cheaper, slimmer, Wi-Fi enabled iPod Touch. Gadget of the year for my money.

Leica C-Lux 2 - Runner-up

Not all cameras are equal - a point this particular camera hammers home. The Leica lens packed into the C-Lux 2 is superb, making the camera well worth the premium over other compact digitals.

The Leica is probably the most useful piece of kit I have purchased this year, earning its salt on the New York trip alone. It only lacks the superficial wow factor of the iPod Touch which sees it miss out on the top spot. It's an awesome bit of kit.

Nintendo Wii - Runner-up

For entertainment value, nothing comes close to the Nintendo Wii. It doesn't pack the graphical punch of the PS3 or Xbox 360, but it doesn't need to. The Wii reminds us that great gaming is about more than just reflections, particle physics and accurately modeled breasts.

Get a group of mates round, grab some beers and stick on Wii Sports - you'll honestly not have more fun with a gaming system.

Software

FlickScreen - Winner

FlickScreen is one of those ultra-handy little applications that automates a process you've been dutifully performing manually since the dawn of time. In this case it is uploading screenshots to Flickr.

Launch FlickScreen, grab a screenshot, name, tag and categorise the image and hit upload. Done. If uploading screenshots to Flickr is something you do regularly, FlickScreen can quite literally save you hours of time.

iSquint - Runner-up

Want to convert video to a format suitable for use on your iPod or iPhone? iSquint is the way forward my friends. Simple, to the point and does exactly as advertised very well. That iSquint is freeware is a bonus.

Leopard - Runner-up

It may be an obvious choice to include Apple's latest iteration of OS X on this list, but the truth is Leopard really has made a difference to the way I work - and in a good way.

After few months of using Leopard, I am now adept at using Spaces, remembering I can use QuickLook to peek inside a file without opening it, and safe in the knowledge Time Machine is backing up my system regularly for me. Worth the upgrade from Tiger? Damn straight it is!

Music

Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace - Winner

In truth, I could have picked any of the albums listed here as my favourite of 2007. I'm fickle in my musical tastes, and depending on my mood my favourite would change. In the end Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace by the Foo Fighters takes the award by sheer virtue of the number of listens.

I've not been particularly overawed by the Foos in the past, but this album is a absolute stonker. Whack it on, sit back and enjoy - there's not a weak track on this album.

Interpol - Our Love to Admire - Runner-up

NYC's Interpol have a very British rock sound. So much so, they've been described as America's British invasion from the inside. Personally, I don't care for labels, even if the Joy Division influences are apparent. This stuff is great.

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible - Runner-up

Guitars, horns, strings, and I'm sure there's a church organ in there somewhere. Arcade Fire's Neon Bible is a sweeping landscape of sound that picks you up and carries you along for the ride. Depending on the song, Neon Bible sounds something like a blend of Muse, The Killers and The Cure - a description that hardly does the album justice, as it rises to greater heights than any of the above. Neon Bible is a brilliant record.

Alberta Cross - The Thief & The Heartbreaker - Runner-up

I missed The Thief & The Heartbreaker when it was released in March 2007, having only stumbled upon it a month or so back. Boy, am I glad I found it. Alberta Cross is a London band with a distinctly Americana sound, that reminds me of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's early releases. The Thief & The Heartbreaker's only sin is being a relatively short 8 tracks, that leaves you aching for more.

Evil Nine - You Can Be Special Too - Runner-up

Evil Nine's You Can Be Special Too was first released in 2004, putting me well behind the times. Still, better late than never. You Can Be Special Too is a diverse hip-hop/rock album, ranging from the brilliant hip-hop breaks of Crooked (sporting a great video produced by London's Preloaded) to the electro-rock of Devil Stuff. Well worth a listen - You Can Be Special Too hasn't been off my playlist in months.

Movies & Television

Battlestar Galactica - Winner

In the end, the sci-fi geek inside me had to go with Battlestar Galactica. 2007 brought us the excellent third season of the seminal sci-fi series, along with the Razor two-hour special. The story woven by this character-driven space opera just gets better and better, whilst never letting up on the relentless action.

The end of season 3 leaves us on a knife-edge, setting things up perfectly for the fourth and (purportedly) final season. Roll on 2008.

300 - Runner-up

A sumptuous feast for the eyes, the stylised, testosterone fuelled gore-feast that is 300 was one of the DVD releases of the year for me. The story is not particularly taxing, which means you can shut off your brain and soak up the beautiful cinematography and rousing soundtrack. This is Sparta! Yeah!

Transformers - Runner-up

What surprised me most about Transformers is that Michael Bay managed to avoid totally and utterly screwing it up. The story errs toward silliness, but all of that can be forgiven - there's fantastic looking giant robots duking it out with poor old humanity stuck in the middle, not to mention the stunning Megan Fox. Big robots and hot women? You can't go wrong.

Heroes - Runner-up

The surprise of the year for me was Heroes. I'd heard colleagues at work who'd caught it on Sky One banging on about it being the best TV series since sliced bread, but I hadn't really paid them much attention.

When I finally caught one of the early episodes on BBC Two I was hooked. Heroes season one is easily one of the most absorbing and entertaining TV shows ever made. The main protagonists are instantly likable, particularly the all-powerful and thoroughly evil villain, Sylar. Heroes is top-notch, must-watch television.

Best Rip-off of kitsimons.com

Happy Net - Winner

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. That may well be, but outright theft is just plain low.

www.happynet.co.yu (you'll have to copy and paste the address, as I'm not going to bother linking to them), apparently a Serbian design agency of sorts, win this award by default as they are in fact the only outright rip-off of the kitsimons.com design that I've come across.

Shamelessly, they've not really attempted to modify a single thing, down to using the same (now defunct) background image and re-purposing the kitsimons logo.

As with most rip-offs, those doing the pilfering don't seem to have a total grasp of the CSS under-pinning the site, resulting in what can only be described as an unpolished finish. Well done Happy Net. Thieving bastards.