Top of the Lake DVD Release and Competition

From Oscar® winning writer/director Jane Campion and the Oscar® winning producers of The King’s Speech, Top of the Lake is a powerful and haunting mystery story set at the edge of the world starring Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), David Wenham (Lord of the Rings), Peter Mullan (War Horse) and Holly Hunter (The Piano). Top of the Lake BBC DVD and Blu Ray release is available from 19th August and comes with exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews with cast and crew.

Top of the Lake begins with a mystery - Tui, a 12 year old girl, walks chest deep into the freezing waters of an alpine lake in New Zealand. She is five months pregnant and won’t say who the father is. Then she disappears. 

Robin Griffin is a gutsy but inexperienced detective called in to investigate. But as Robin becomes more and more obsessed with the search for Tui, she slowly begins to realise that finding Tui is tantamount to finding herself - a self she has kept well hidden. 

Set against one of the most amazing and untouched landscapes left on the planet, Top of the Lake is a powerful and haunting story about our search for happiness where the dream of paradise attracts it’s dark twin, the fall.

From the very first second, this TV series takes you on a journey to the beautiful landscapes of New Zealand. The first scene is very haunting as Tue, 12 years old, begins to walk into a lake. Thankfully she is rescued, but it is not until she is taken to a hospital that the frightening truth begins to unfold, she has been raped and is five months pregnant. 

Added to the poignancy of the first scene is the silence. As the viewer watches this young girl walking into the lake, water up to her neck, you could hear a pin drop until suddenly a woman's voice breaks the silence, trying to stop the girl from continuing to walk further and deeper into the water.

A local women is contacted to lead the police investigation. A career orientated woman who had left her hometown to further her career in the police force, however has returned due to the ill health of her mother. It soon becomes clear that Detective Robin Griffin actually left the hometown because of more than just a new job oppurtunity. As the series progress, viewers soon see that not is all as it seems in the village. 

An area of land, called The Paradise, is believed by some locals to be an area on which no one should step, however a women's refuge is set up on the land, a small commune where women live in 


I found the script writers to be very clever; in parts the dialogue was at a mimimum, almost silence for minutes, but then in others there was lots, all adding to the mysterious air that seemed to be throughout the series.

I was unsure if I liked the series after watching the first episode, however by the end of episode 2 I was hooked until the last episode.  There were twists and turns throughout the series which was cleverly written and although some may have been foreseen, many came as a shock which all added to the series draw. 

The series is set in beautiful scenery and coupling this with fantastic script writers has made this a series that should be watched by anyone who enjoys a good drama. 

The box set also contains extra behind the scenes interviews with both cast and crew which are well worth a watch.  The high calibre cast list and Oscar winning writer all add to the excellence of this series, one which I am sure will be shortlisted for awards in the coming year.

Thank you to The Big Shot for sending me the series to review.

The box set DVD can be bought from both Amazon and Itunes
It is also avaliable on Blu Ray from Amazon Blu Ray. 


The lovely people at The Big Shot have offered a copy of this fantastic series on DVD to one of my blog followers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kobo Arc

Kobo Arc is the only premium eReader on the market. Designed for the discerning reader, Kobo Arc offers a completely immersive reading experience and the most paper-like E Ink display*. Get lost in your favourite eBooks thanks to Kobo Arc's advanced, high-resolution, extra-large screen and elegant, inspired design. For readers who want the best, Kobo Arc is your eReader of choice.

I was recently sent a Kobo Arc to review. I already have a different eBook reader which I use, although I still find myself reaching for the traditional paperback to curl up with at night and so was wondering how often I would actually use the Kobo Arc during my two week testing period. I found myself using the unit every night to check into social media sites before I read a few chapters of my book. It was a lot more convenient to use to do a little surfing or checking emails than using my laptop.

When I received the unit I was immediately surprised how light the unit was – it weighed little more than my own eBook readers, surprisingly a lot lighter than my husband’s tablet. It is very sleek in design, with inbuilt speakers. I was able to hold it comfortably in one hand (I have quite small hands). The screen is a reasonable size, larger than my existing reader, although smaller than many tablets – however when using the unit it was easy to hold, fitting in the palm of my hand and easy to hold between thumb and outstretched little finger. It would fit easily into everyday handbags or laptop cases, although I would have to use it within an additional cover/case to protect the screen from accidental damage.

When turning on the unit I was able to easily set it up for home Wi-Fi access, enabling me to access the Kobo bookstore to fill up the reader with newly released books at reasonable prices, however I did not see as many offers and cheap prices as on other eBook stores.  I have, in the past, bought a number of books from Amazon and was able to also download these to the reader using the Amazon Kindle App available from Play Store.  There is also a taste app which, through a number of trial book selections, will suggest future reading when looking for a next book to read.

Kobo Arc takes E Ink clarity to the next level. Clarity Screen+ delivers an incredibly crisp, clear reading experience because with a 1440 x 1080 resolution and 265 dpi, it's the best E Ink screen on the market.* Enjoy a completely glare-free eReading experience anytime, and rest assured that your eReader's screen is durable in the face of scratches and drops

Thanks to seamless page turns, automatic bookmarks, adjustable fonts, and text so razor sharp you can throw away your glasses, Kobo Arc offers an unrivalled reading experience.

I spent many evenings reading books on the unit. I found the screen easy to read and really liked the E ink display which was very clear and caused no eye strain or tiredness when reading for hours on end. It is also possible to select one of many different fonts to read a chosen book in, which I have not seen on other eReaders. It was easy to read in both sunshine and dull weather, with no glare on the screen from the sun or artificial lighting.

I also do a lot of cross stitch and I was able to email my working chart to the tablet and then read the pattern from there instead of having flimsy paper copies spread out on the settee. The charts were in both colour and black and white and were easy to read on the screen – I could also zoom in on complicated parts to ensure correct stitching.

Comfort Light is a breakthrough front-light that's perfect for reading in any lighting condition. The revolutionary Comfort Light is incredibly even and adjustable for a beautifully lit night-time reading experience. And because ComfortLight illuminates the page, rather than emitting light outward toward your eyes, you'll enjoy a truly comfortable read. 

I found that I was able to read easily during the evenings and did not need to turn on other lights when it went dark, therefore not disturbing others who were watching television while I was reading at night.

Quirky additions included giving how much of book had been read in both % and pages remaining, also there was a ‘reading time’ clock and time remaining clock shown on main screen for selected book.

I was also able to access Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter on the unit. There is a full QWERTY keyboard accessible via the touch screen and it was easy to both read and make posts/tweets.

Surfing the internet was also very easy – with websites loading quickly and it was easy to navigate around the sites.

My husband was able to use the unit to take photos and had a good time manipulating the photos using the software already installed. I must admit I didn’t realise that there was a camera on the Kobo and had not tried this, it was not clearly evident from the screens but once found it was easy to use and to post photos directly to twitter and/or Facebook. The clarity of the photographs was very clear.

I was also able to install apps on the unit for many of the current popular games: Candy Crush and Logo Quiz were two that I tried. It was easy to play both games and the graphics looked crisp and defined throughout.

One point which my husband made was that there were only two screens for adding short cuts etc – however with the making of Tapestries possible (see below) this enabled more ‘screens’ to be utilised.

Kobo Arc has staying power. Kobo Arc’s battery can stand up to 10 hours of reading or two weeks on standby. 

The Arc was charged from flat in about four hours and although the battery life is stated at up to ten hours reading time, this was greatly reduced when surfing the internet or playing games. However I was able to use the tablet for  a couple of hours surfing and then an hour or two’s reading before having to put it back on charge.

Tapestries

Kobo’s exclusive interface, Tapestries, allows you to organize your content thematically and pin media you find interesting into customized groups. Tapestries also figures out what you’re interested in, based on what you’ve pinned and collected, and suggests content that appeals to your personal interests.

I found this really useful. Very similar to Pinterest, I was able to surf online bookstores and websites and instantly save images or links as I wanted to one place. It was easy to set up individual Tapestries for all of my interests and pin media as I found it. It is also possible to have Tapestries within Tapestries, therefore meaning lots could be made and stored on the device, however this could become confusing if there were a number of Tapestries within Tapestries. If the unit was being used as a family device, it would have been useful if Tapestries could be password protected to stop youngsters accessing material not suitable for their young eyes.

Cinematic sound

Kobo’s built-in front-facing speakers direct sound toward your ears so you catch every last whisper with incredible clarity. Enhance the audio experience with SRS TruMedia™*, a feature-rich audio solution tuned specifically for tablet devices, so each sound cuts through the background din in full, rich volume. Surround yourself with sound in an incredible, cinematic headphone experience.

I found I was able to listen to music, enabling me to have music on the go, which was of good quality. I did not watch any movies on the device but watched short video clips which played clearly and also was of good quality.

In summary – I did like the device and I used it every night of the two weeks for which I had it on loan. It was nice to be able to check mail and social media sites without having to get the laptop and on a screen bigger than my Smartphone. I liked the size of the unit – it was lighter and smaller than my husband’s tablet, meaning I could hold it in one hand and curl up with it on the sofa for night time reading and I was very impressed with the display. My husband likes to watch movies etc at night and I was able to read without having to have any lights on, disturbing his viewing. However, I am unsure if I was choosing a unit to buy if it would be a Kobo – due to having bought many books in Kindle format and Kindle appear to have a larger selection of books available, and lots more special offers on price.

My children (aged 9 and 11) also had use of the device for a short time and were able to connect to the internet and play games on it with no problems incurred. It was just the right size for them to hold too. It would be a great device to keep in my handbag when I knew we were going to appointments or where they would be sat around waiting for some time. There was a selection of children’s books also available in the online store that would have been suitable for both ages.

I was offered the use of a Kobo Arc device for two weeks in return for an honest review. Thank you to Cherish PR for sending me the unit.

Cloud B Sleep Sheep

We've got your back even in the middle of the night! When baby stirs or startles, this Sleep SheepÕs sound-activated sensor automatically restarts its soothing white noise to ease your baby back into slumber.

Features:

Plays soothing sound options:

Mother's heartbeat

Spring showers

Ocean surf

Whale songs

Special sensor to activate sound

Responds and restarts its soothing sounds when baby vocalizes

Three sound sensitivity levels to adjust the sensor to environmental noise

Restarts from the last melody played at the same sound level last selected Plush character and sound box features

Two sleep-timer options: auto shut-off in 23 minutes or 45 minutes

Classic style sleep cap Ð exclusive to Sleep Sheep-Smart Sensor

Requires 2 AA batteries; batteries are included

Suitable for ages Birth +

A lovely soft sheep toy which is programmed with a number of different sounds, chosen to assist in getting young babies back to sleep with minimum contact from parents. It is in neutral colours and is therefore suitable for both boys and girls and will suit any nursery decor. 

My first impressions of this product was that it is well made, very soft touch and child friendly. There are Velcro straps on the back to enable the toy to be attached to a cotside, out of reach of children. 

The choice of sounds are relaxing and there are sure to be a sound that every child likes. The toy has a sensor which means the sound will restart when the child makes a noise - this is great as an adult does not need to go to the cot/basket when the child reawakens. There is also a timer which automatically shuts off the sound. 

The removable sound box makes it easy to wash and clean. The removable sound box also means that when the child is too old for the relaxing sounds it can still be used as a cuddly toy.

It is a great idea for a present for a newborn baby. 

I received this through the Amazon Vine Programme. 

BT Home SmartPhone

The UK's number one phone brand* brings you a revolutionary new touch screen phone that enables you to surf the web, check emails, update Facebook, and download apps, all on your home phone. No need to fire up your laptop to go online, BT's Home SmartPhone is always on and one tap away from the information you're after. Fed up with the kids taking your mobile to go online or play games? Get the Home SmartPhone for the family to keep everyone happy, and keep your mobile as your own personal device. This BT SmartPhone brings the home phone into the 21st century, making it the phone for the connected home.

Touch Screen

The 3.5" capacitive touch screen allows you to quickly and easily search the web, including the ability to zoom in and out using the pinch of your fingers.

Downloadable Apps

You'll find that the BT Home SmartPhone comes pre-loaded with Facebook and Twitter apps, allowing you to easily keep in touch with friends and family on your social networks as well as over the phone. Keep yourself entertained with Tune-In Radio and YouTube, or choose from games, tools and loads more apps to download through the Opera mobile apps store.

Browsing Online

Want to search online and don't want to wait for your computer to boot up? Use the Home SmartPhone to quickly find what you want, wherever you are in the house. With the flexibility offered by the BT Home SmartPhone, you'll be able to look up recipes online in the kitchen, or check your email in the garden. You can even call direct from selected telephone numbers online just by clicking on the number and selecting "Call".

Save up to 300 numbers, giving you all your contacts at your fingertipsAll the Standard Phone Features You'd Expect

• See at a glance who's calling with caller display
• Never miss a message with 24 min recording time on the answer machine
• Record your own greeting or choose one of ours
• Don't miss important messages when your away from home, access your messages remotely
• Listen to your messages privately through the handset, or play them using the hands-free speaker

Plus Additional Smartphone Features

• Store all your favourite music on the phone and play it around the house with the video and music player and 2GB expandable memory
• Comes with a front facing camera**, so if you want to go online and make video calls your friends can see you while you chat

Freedom to Move Around

The BT Home SmartPhone features a long range of up to 300m, allowing you the freedom to walk around in and outside your home without interrupting your call. You can also talk while doing other tasks thanks to the hands-free function - bringing the caller's voice into the room and letting you get on with things while you chat. You'll find this phone to be perfect for those long conversations, with a talk time of 8 hours and a standby time of up to 80 hours.

Crystal clear sound means you won't miss a word. Our phones are stringently tested in the UK to ensure they all meet our high standards.Quality Built-in

Even Better for the Environment

Eco credentials come as standard with this BT Phone and it's good to know the packaging it comes in is recyclable. You also find that the BT Home SmartPhone uses an energy-efficient power supply so is kind to the environment as well as your wallet.

What's in the (Recyclable) Box?

• One base station
• One Charger unit
• One mains power supply
• One handset
• One telephone line cord
• One USB mains power supply
• Rechargeable battery
• User guide

* UK's Best Selling Landline Phone Based on Sales Source: GfK RT UK Landline Phone Market in Volume & Value, March 2012 - March 2013
** The BT Home SmartPhone comes with a 1 megapixel camera out of the box which will be upgraded to 2 megapixel with over the air (OTA) free software update.

Box Contains

Handset
Rechargeable Battery
Charger
Base Station
Power Supply Unit
Line Cord
User Guide

I have been using this telephone for nearly one month. When I originally received the box, I was able to set the telephone up very quickly. Very easy to install as soon as it is taken out of the box. I was able to set it up on my home WIFI and was able to surf the Internet. It is possible to set up both facebook and twitter on the handset, however I was disappointed to find no parental controls to protect these from use by my children.

I have used the phone for both telephone calls and Internet use. For phone calls, the phone allows clear and crisp calls, easy to use. I liked the ability to import telephone books from other devices and was able to manually input contacts into the phone - great as my husband and children will not look a number up in my handwritten address book and expect me to recite numbers from memory at the drop of the hat.

I do, however, have a number of negative points regarding this phone.

• The handset feels cheap and light. It does not feel like it will last - my mobile phone feels well made and I am 'confident' that if it is dropped, the handset will still work, however this handset does not feel like it will last many drops. 
• there is no option to lock the handset to stop little hands from exploring. I found on a number of occasions that someone had been messing with the phone and things had been activated to make all calls Internet calls rather than normal telephone calls which meant I had to spend half an hour going through menus to deactivate it.
• On one occasion the power supply for the 'hub' had come out, however when looking at the phone it looked like it was all OK and ready to go. It wasn't until I went to make a phone call I realised there was a problem - it would be helpful for an icon to be visible on the telephone to say there is no reception from the hub.
• I have the ring tone on maximum volume and still find it very quiet - not possible to hear the ring when in a different room which is a problem as there is only one handset. Only solution is to carry phone around every time you leave the room

I think that it is a nice phone but not suitable for families with children who like to fiddle with apps etc. It is also not suitable for families with very young children who are likely to drop the phone as I don't feel that it is a very sturdy phone. It is great for people who want a home phone that is like an android smart phone but not for anyone who is a technophobe.

I received this product through the Amazon Vine Program.

Breville 2400 W Digital Steam Iron

With a very powerful 2400w, ironing is made less of a chore with the Breville VIN292 steam iron. 

It produces more steam and has a reduced heat-up time compared to lesser watt models helping you plough through your pile of laundry very quickly and efficiently. The job is made even easier thanks to the VIN292's ceramic finish soleplate which provides an incredibly smooth glide through the creased and crumpled clothes, so there's no need to work up a sweat when tackling the chore.

This ceramic content affects how well the heat distributes throughout the soleplate, keeping it at the temperature selected and even throughout with no unwanted hot spots that could damage your clothes. It creates an easy and effortless glide during ironing with no snagging and it ensures long-life, protecting the soleplate against scratching and surface damage. The soleplate is also much larger than the industry standard helping you cover a greater surface area per stroke to save time and effort.

A fundamental principle of ironing is the more steam, the better and so the higher the steam ratings of the iron, the better it will be to use. An iron's steam ratings determine how easy it will be to use, how effective and efficient it is and therefore how much time you can save to do other, more exciting things with your time. The VIN292 has an impressive 40 grams (g) of constant steam, also known as steam per minute, which is the amount of steam generated by the iron when in normal use. 

In addition to this, there is also a shot of steam, specifically a powerful 100g for the VIN292. This works as an extra boost to help remove those stubborn creases that refuse to budge or give that added crispness when creating creases on trousers. 

Completing the trio of essential steam features is the vertical steam function. This allows the iron to be used vertically to steam hanging clothes such as dresses or suits or household fabrics such as curtains, so however difficult, delicate or unwieldy the item, it can be thoroughly and properly ironed with ease.

The Breville VIN292 boasts other handy design features to help you breeze through the work. These include anti-scale, anti-drip, auto shut-off and self-clean functions. The iron features a 250ml water tank which illuminates when in use. When it's empty, the tank emits a beep or alarm thanks to the dry tank alert so you never need run dry. The advanced digital display and controls improve the accuracy and ease of selecting and viewing your chosen temperature and it's fitted with an extensive 3 metre (m) cord making it very easy to move and handle when in use. Like the tank, the handle illuminates for striking effect Like the tank, the handle illuminates for striking effect and has a soft-touch, satin chrome finish that is ergonomic, comfortable and attractive.

There are many positives to this iron - a tool used for a job which has to be done, but is no one's favourite job! This iron is very light and easy to use, with a long power cable which I found to be plenty long enough - with previous irons I have had to use extension leads, however this one did not need one.  The water tank inlet cover opens the opposite way to my previous irons, and I found this helped prevent me from pouring water all over the floor when refilling the iron.

There are, however, a number of negatives that I have found: the water tank does not seem to be very large and I always seem to be filling it up, the slider for amount of steam to be used kept being knocked by my hand while holding the iron and sometimes I found that the lightness of the iron seemed to mean that on harder to iron fabrics I had to use extra pressure while holding the iron.

The 'digital' element of the iron was an LCD lighted scale for temperature, where previous irons have a temperature dial. I found this useful when the iron had cooled down however I often knocked the buttons to reduce the temperature when I didn't want to it. I found no benefits to this feature on the iron. 

In summary - this is a nice, light iron, however I think I prefer my older, heavier iron to power through the mountains of ironing I do each week.

I received this iron through the Amazon Vine Programme.

Gillette Venus & Olay Razor with Shower Holder

Product Features

• Helps replenish your skin's moisture while you shave close
• No need for separate shave cream, your skin will emerge ultra smooth and beautiful
• Soft grip handle for confident control
• Any Venus blade fits any handle
• Contains 1 razor, 1 blade and a shower holder

You love the feeling of soft, smooth skin, but shaving can sometimes make your skin dull and dry. Only the new Venus & Olay razor combines Venus' best shaving technology and Olay's skin expertise all in one.

Olay Moisture Bars help lock in moisture to your skin for less dryness, while Venus' five blades shave you close with every smoothing stroke.

The Venus & Olay razor boosts your shave and helps lock in moisture so you can enjoy ultra-smooth, beautiful skin. It’s the only razor designed with Venus’ love for smooth legs and Olay’s passion for skin care.   Venus products are designed to fit all lifestyles, whether you seek the perfect shave or an indulging and pampering experience. Venus encourages all women to reveal their inner Goddess, making them feel sexy, confident and carefree.

 

The latest release from Gillette which brings together the top name of Gillette with the equally brilliant name of Olay. 

 

The razor gives a clean shave, first time with its five blades (not sure if there really needs to be this many, but they give a perfect shave first time) which is moisturised simultaneously with the Olay products which surround the blades.

 

There are only two negatives which I found with this product - the cost of the replacement blades (£20.49 for six blade 'units') and also the stand which the razor sits in while not in use. It is something which attaches, via suction cups, to tiled walls in a vertical position. I must admit that I prefer the little stands which Gillette razors used to have, where the replacement blade units could be stored underneath in a little box. I prefer not to leave my razor on the wall in the shower cubicle as I have children!

 

In summary, I would say that it is a great razor which gives a great shave, first time, and needs no extra products either before or after the shave, but has expensive refills and an okay, but not the best, storage stand.

 

I received this razor through the Amazon Vine Programme.

Leapster GS Explorer

Enjoy state of the art gaming and boost your learning at the same time with the Green LeapsterGS Explorer . The smart looking, kid-proof games console is packed with cool features and will win over your mum and dad when they realise how much it boosts the skills you learn at school . It has all the best bits of the original Leapster Explorer, like its library of more than 300 downloadable apps and games , only this swanky updated model has the following extras: Thinner design that's nicer to handle, bigger screen for better viewing. Built-in camera to put pictures of yourself into games. Built-in video recorder and voice recorder for capturing memories. Nearly 4 x more memory (2GB in total). Built-in sensor for tilting, turning and shaking The LeapsterGS Explorer needs 4 x AA batteries, which are not included. 

Leapfrog are a huge name in educational toys and this is their latest product. Looking similar to 'grown up' consoles, this is a very sturdy and reasonably priced product which children are going to love and will not realise that they are learning as they play.

Available in both pink or green colourways, this will be attractive to both girls and boys alike. The console needs 4xAA batteries to power it, although it would have been great if a connection had been available to power it from mains electric. 

The console includes both a camera for still photography and video footage, which has good clarity for a child's console. There is a stylus actually attached to the console - perfect as these things often get lost. There is a software disc included in the pack which is very easy to install, as is the console to set up. It is possible to have three profiles set up on the console.

Once the software has been installed on a computer (both windows and mac compatible) it is possible to download games and apps to your console via USB cable (included). These range in price from £3.50 to £20 (new releases) and it possible to download games, ebooks, flashcards, music and creative apps. As with all Leapfrog devices there are a range of popular characters included within the games: Cars, Brave, Dora to name but a few.

This is a great idea for a Christmas gift, it will let young children have their own console which is sturdy and more manageable for little hands then some of the popular consoles available on the market and is reasonably priced.

I received this through the Amazon Vine Programme.