Tearaway Magazine Dec-Jan 2010

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{2} Tearaway DECEMBER 2010 / JANUARY 2011

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r CIS, Edito N A R F N R AI z away.co.n rain@tear

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY DIY music production Stay safe on public WiFi Friend or Foe? A Social Network Debate Careers in technology Retro Techno: Bringing back old school Techie Christmas gifts

10 10 11 12 14 18

SPECIALS Summer Festival Guide Glee poster

20 28

MUSIC Kiwi Music News Exclusive Metallica pics Fly My Pretties Jessica Mauboy

26 24 30 31

FILM Matariki The Outlook For Someday Shrek Forever After director, Mike Mitchell

32 33 33

REGULARS Quiz: Test your tech-knowledge Global Focus Sport Fashion

6 16 34 38

REVIEWS, PREVIEWS AND FREEBIES Albums Games GEARAWAY (FREE STUFF!)

48 49 52

: MBERAll entries for products to win and REME

Gearaway need to be in by 8:00am Friday 17th December to ensure you

receive your goodies in time for the

holidays and Christmas.

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A-Mark Publishing expressly disclaim all and any liability and responsibility to any person in respect of anything and of the consequences of anything done, or omitted to be done,

Making sure you’re being treated fairly at work isn’t always easy. It’s worth knowing a few basics about the law, and where you can go for help.

Working in NZ, you’re entitled to some basic rights. These include: t " XSJUUFO FNQMPZNFOU BHSFFNFOU t 'PVS XFFLT PG QBJE IPMJEBZT QFS ZFBS after 12 months work t 'JWF EBZT PG QBJE TJDL MFBWF QFS ZFBS after six months work t .JOJNVN XBHF NJOJNVN SFTU CSFBLT and meal breaks.

Minimum wage It is illegal for workers in NZ to be paid CFMPX UIF NJOJNVN XBHF 'PS NBOZ XPSLFST BHFE BOE PWFS UIJT NFBOT QFS IPVS 'PS XPSLFST VOEFS there is no minimum wage. There are other rates for new and trainee workers.

If you’re not getting paid at least the

minimum wage, or to find out what you should be paid, contact the Department of Labour on 0800 20 90 20, or you can call YouthLaw on (09) 309 6967. Minimum wage SBUFT VTVBMMZ DIBOHF TMJHIUMZ FWFSZ ZFBS Trial periods "O FNQMPZFS NBZ PGGFS UP FNQMPZ ZPV PO B trial period of up to 90 days. Your employer DBO EP UIJT POMZ JG ZPV IBWFO U XPSLFE GPS the employer before and the trial period is included in a written employment agreement. Being on a trial period means that if your employer dismisses you before the end of the trial it could be more difficult for you to challenge that EFDJTJPO &NQMPZFFT PO USJBM QFSJPET IBWF access to all other minimum employment rights such as minimum pay, holidays, no discrimination, and health and safety. :PV IBWF UIF SJHIU UP HFU JOEFQFOEFOU MFHBM BEWJDF CFGPSF FOUFSJOH JOUP BO

NEWSROOM

EDITOR Rain Francis rain@tearaway.co.nz Phone: +61 420 666 708 PRODUCTION MANAGER

Fleur Hall ASSISTANT Carolynne Brown Hayley Brocket DESIGNERS Ian Knott Camilla Josephs Jarred Shakespeare

by any such a person in reliance, whether wholly or partially upon the whole or any part of the contents of this publication.

Advertising feature articles are classified as advertising content and as such, information contained in them is subject to the Advertising Standards Authority Codes of Practice.

Contents Copyright 2010 by A-Mark Publishing (NZ) Ltd. All rights reserved. No article or advertisement may be reproduced without written permission.

employment agreement, so if you are unsure about anything in the agreement, talk to one of the YouthLaw lawyers 'PS NPSF JOGPSNBUJPO DIFDL PVU t %FQBSUNFOU PG -BCPVS XXX EPM HPWU O[ JOGP[POF NZĂĽSTUKPC t :PVUI-BX 5JOP 3BOHBUJSBUBOHB 5BJUBNBSJLJ XXX ZPVUIMBX DP O[ t $PVODJM GPS 5SBEF 6OJPOT 4UBOE 6Q :PVUI .PWFNFOU XXX VOJPO PSH O[ TUBOEVQ t :PVOH 8PSLFST 3FTPVSDF $FOUSF XXX ZXSD PSH O[

Ph (09) 309 6967 info@youthlaw.co.nz | www.youthlaw.co.nz 10am-4pm Tues, Thurs, Fri

Got a question about the law or your rights? Email rights@tearaway.co.nz {4} Tearaway DECEMBER 2010 / JANUARY 2011

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…See what we did there?! Ahem.

Our quiz whizz and seasonal techno-freak, Mere Teinaki tests your techknowledgey (yeah, we just wanted to say it again).

Since the beginning of time, there’s been a popularity battle between computer giants Microsoft and... a) Banana b) Pear c) Apple d) Pacman

No doubt you’ve also heard of techno music (it’s kinda related...), which is electronic dance most like... a) Britney b) Slash c) Daft punk d) The Glee Cast

In the early 1920’s, 14 year old Philo Farnsworth started a change of the world, when he came up with the idea of... a) Television b) Teleporting c) Transistor walkie-talkies d) Talk-back radio

“My computer crashed” is the 21st century version of... a) My dog ate my homework b) My cat ate my homework c) I ate my homework by accident d) My homework ate my dog

E 27 ON PAG S R E W ANS

NZ’s own Glenn Martin is in Time Magazines “50 Best Inventions for 2010” for his incredible... a) Lawn Moa b) Jet ski c) Jumbo Jet d) Jetpack

“This time of year can be frustrating. I’ve worked hard since last December to build up my bank account and now I’m expected to spend great chunks of it on other people!

Ashley’s Stasher’s Christmas Money Tip

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy giving gifts.

It’s just the whole ‘expectation’ of who should receive presents and how much I should spend. Especially when not everyone in my family cares as much about their bank balance as I do.

My tip for this festive season: decide before hitting the shops how much you are going to spend on each person.

Even better is having a list of items to get

With so much technology surrounding us – email, cell phones, texting, pixt-ing – we... a) Have the world at our fingertips b) Can research without walking to the library c) Can never really get away from anyone d) All of the above

The “www” at the start of an internet address stands for... a) What! Where? Why... b) Wide, Wide Web c) World Wide Weasel d) World Wide Web

Sometimes technology can be a bit too, erm, inventive. In happier days, Earthrace (Ady Gil) was fuelled off... a) Coal b) Human fat c) Coconut oil d) Nuclear power

The Social Network is a drama about techno whiz kid Mark Zuckerberg creating... a) FaceMash b) Facebook c) Bebo d) Pacman

No matter how much research and effort goes into a device, it’ll let you down in a second when... a) The power goes out b) The batteries go flat c) You lose the instruction manual d) Any of the above!

instead of wandering the stores aimlessly, hoping inspiration will strike. That’s just tempting a budget-blowout!”

Splurger Spike’s Christmas money tip:

“Christmas rocks! I just love spending time in the mall, browsing the displays, trying to decide what to buy everyone.

SIt’s true I do tend to spend a bit much overall, but seeing the smile when I give the gift makes it all worthwhile. I’ll worry about the bank balance in the new year.

My advice for this festive season: if you’re buying lots of things from one store, ask for a discount! Then you can buy even more!”

Scaredy-cat Pat’s Christmas money tip:

“Ah yes… Christmas. The time of trying your best to please everyone and not

really succeeding. I’m always torn between buying the things my friends and family will really like and actually spending what I can afford. But then if I spend less than everyone else, what will they think of me?

“My hot tip for this festive season: make your best decision and stick with it. There’s no pleasing everybody, so you may as well aim to please yourself”.

Streetwise Mike’s Christmas money tip:

“I really like this time of year. Christmas comes as no surprise, so it’s easy to plan for. I’ve been setting money aside for the extra spending during November and December. I won’t have to stress over an empty bank account in the New Year and

I’ll even have some money spare to take advantage of the Boxing Day sales. I’m looking forward to catching up with friends and family, and giving them gifts I know they’ll enjoy.

What advice can I give for this festive season? A little planning goes a long way, and let’s you relax and truly enjoy Christmas day.

Stuart Fleming shows people how to put bounce in their bank account. As a coach and speaker, he created the Money Mindset Mob to get teens talking about money. www.MoneyMindsetMob.com

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Most of us have dreamed of being famous. Many have started playing musical instruments in the hope of one day playing on huge stages to crowds of thousands of fans, and selling millions of records. Thanks to technology, says ANDREW NEVERMAN getting closer to this dream can be easier than ever.

Musicians used to have to pay hourly fees to record in a professional studio, and needed to hire sound engineers to operate a vast array of gear. After recording, the final tracks would need to be sent to someone else to mix and set the final volumes of each track, a process known as ‘mastering’. The tracks were put onto a master CD and duplicate copies made. The artist would then need to pay for companies to advertise and sell the album. The process of creating an album was very expensive, and hard for unknown artists to finance.

Technology has made it possible to do all of these things yourself from your own home, without spending heaps of cash.

Whether you want to record songs on instruments you play, create electronic music, or create videos and add soundtracks, the home recording studio has something for you. An average PC or

Your recording software is then used to record your playing, and saves this as a track which can then be altered using the software. Once all of instruments are There is a wide range of software available, added you can then master your own track ranging from free software, to the same by setting the volume of each instrument, software used by professional recording and alter things like bass levels. Once the studios. mastering is complete, the software can be used to turn the tracks into a single file It is possible to record yourself playing, add effects such as echoes, and add other which can then be put onto CD, played on your laptop or added to your iPod, mp3 instruments. The other instruments might player or phone. be played by friends, or you can create them entirely on the computer , without You can also upload your music to internet anyone even being able to play a single sites, such as MySpace, or send the tracks instrument. The only instrument that can’t to people via email. There is no more need be digitally produced is the human voice. to pay someone else to distribute and advertise your music. Once your music If you do want to record your own is online anyone, anywhere around the instrument or vocals you will need a world can access and listen to it. And you microphone. For high quality recordings an audio interface is needed. This changes never know what could happen from here; the sound into a file that the computer can maybe a record label will hear it and sign you up and make you famous. read. The microphone can be plugged laptop is all you need to get started on your way to recording and distributing your music.

into the interface, or electric instruments can be plugged straight into the interface without the need for a microphone.

To get you started, check out... http://www.ecomputerrecordingsoftware.com/ http://www.bedroom-recording.com/index.html http://www.yourhomestudio.com/

blic WiFi Staying safe on pu

Picture this: You walk into your local café, order your usual decaf trim mochachocalatte and find yourself a table.

Before sitting down and flipping the lid on your netbook or iBook, you head over to a giant retractable projection screen and pull it open. From there you plug the available projector into your laptop and start reading your emails, checking your Facebook and Twitter, doing a bit of online banking and buying the latest deal off 1-Day while the rest of the café views your every move on the giant screen.

Sounds like a nightmare right? If it involved you also sitting there in your undies then it probably would be (unless you’re in Dunedin where that’s totally acceptable), but if you disregard some simple security rules when using free public WiFi, then this scenario is more real than you think.

Busy café workers don’t have the time to pass out exclusive network passwords to every customer wanting to check their email, so ‘caveat emptor’ rules apply – buyer beware. Your own online security is in your hands, nobody else’s.

Let’s look at a few user-friendly ways to secure your browsing on Windows and Mac.

So many coffee shops now offer free WiFi for your convenience, but unsecured public networks come with a genuine risk of your sensitive information ending up in the wrong hands.

Our guru of all things gadgety IAN KNOTT explains some simple steps you can take to ensure your public WiFi safety.

Turn off Sharing & Turn on Firewall Windows: Open your Control Panel then select Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center -> Choose Homegroup and Sharing Options -> Change Advanced Sharing Settings. In here you should turn off File and Printer Sharing, turn off Network Discovery and Public Folder Sharing. However if you assign the network you are trying to join as Public then some of these are changed automatically. It’s likely your Windows Firewall is on by default – but you will find the option to turn it on or off in your control panel.

Mac OS X: Go to System Preferences -> Sharing and untick all the boxes.

Turn off Network Discovery too – on the Mac it’s awesomely called ‘Stealth Mode’. To turn it on go to System Preferences -> Security -> Firewall -> Allow only essential services -> Enable Stealth Mode. With this on, your computer will be invisible to all others on the network.

Andrew Neverman is studying Music and Georgraphy in Palmy.

He loves Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, MMA, mosh pits and Mi Goreng noodles. He hopes to one day graduate and go on tour in a rusty Bedford van.

Use HTTPS/SSL whenever you can.

When you’re browsing the web, a lot of plain text is exchanged between yourself and websites. It’s surprisingly easy for someone in the know to access this information, which ordinarily isn’t a problem until there’s login and passwords involved. Many sites will take you to a secure page when entering sensitive information – you can see this in the URL bar when it changes from http:// to https:// (the ‘s’ means ‘secure’). Often, this is done automatically, but sometimes it isn’t, as with Gmail for example. Gmail defaults to http, but if you manually enter https then you will be taken to a secure login.

Google Chrome has a lot of security settings already built in, but Firefox has an excellent extension called ‘HTTPS Everywhere’ that automatically directs you to the secure sites of many of the most popular websites used today.

For your Email client – such as Apple Mail or Outlook etc. head into your email account settings and turn on SSL (there are many email clients so I can’t tell you exactly where it resides). This option encrypts all your email data to prying eyes.

Consider using a VPN That’s Virtual Private Network for the acronymically challenged.

A VPN is a service that routes all your internet activity through a separate, secure and private network. It can be a little technical to set up, so be sure to Google some information before you attempt it. If your brain turns to mush at the thought of it, then consider a popular, clever little app called Hotspot Shield that quietly runs in the background and automatically sets up a VPN for you.

Ultimately, common sense must prevail. Take some steps to protect your information and don’t take the stance of “It’ll never happen to me”, because the threat is very real indeed. If you really can’t be bothered tinkering with your security settings, then act like the whole café is standing behind you, looking over your shoulder and don’t go entering any sensitive information. And most importantly… LOG OFF your Facebook/ Bebo/Twitter account in public places, don’t just close the tab or quit your browser.

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“I don’t like how social networking allows people into your life; it is really strange when you think about it”

“In a world where networking seems to be of great importance for our futures, it’s an unbeatable tool. You can also scout who is going to be at things to work out whether you want to go or not. Communication is one of the most basic needs we have as people so this is a very strong positive of social networking” “You can keep in touch with everyone in your life, catch up on what’s happening in their’s, and avoid many an awkward or embarrassing situation.

Win-win if you ask me”

“I really don’t like how there is so much cyber bullying on sites like Facebook; it can be really dangerous”

“Social networking is great, but there is a massive downside when it comes to random people wanting to be part of your life”

Social networking is a truly advantageous tool of the modern age. Despite how much we like to fault it, majority of us still have our Facebooks. So what is it that keeps us stuck on it?

Firstly are international friends. This year and my brother and I had our pre-ball gettogether at our house. Lots of photos got taken of everyone dressed up. The next day Mum got an email from a family friend in France, saying how lovely we all looked.

For a friend on the other side of the world to get a smile from still being able to watch us grow up, that’s quite magic.

My seventh form year has been filled with absolutely wonderful friends (aided by Facebook, of course), but as we all leave school everyone’s going in literally all directions. Social networking is going to make it so much easier to keep up with these people and it will lead to a very strongly connected world indeed.

There has never been such an efficient and easy way to market ourselves as we go into the workforce. Whether we set our profiles up to accentuate our strengths or use them to keep contacts that may be useful in the future, there isn’t a doubt that the ‘tool’ of online social networking, in this day and age, is quite indispensible. It almost seems that if you do without you’ll fall behind, but if you use it you can propel yourself further.

As I write this, it’s coming up to exam time and I had conformed to the current trend by deactivating my Facebook account in order to concentrate. (By the way, that’s another positive: if it all gets too much you can remove the distraction without deleting it). Anyway, preparing for this piece I needed to talk people into doing the vox pop. Within ten minutes of reactivating my account I had the responses and snapshots I needed with almost no effort on my part. Job done.

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No longer is there the need for secret agents. If I need the low down ‘on’somebody I just do a search Facebook and nine times out of ten their profile is public, so I walk on in and see if I can dig up any dirt. And I don’t feel one bit guilty; they allowed that information to be in the public domain, and now it is mine to view.

It seems tough, but I think teenagers and even adults don’t grasp the full implications of rocking up to join huge social networking communities. Essentially, unless you put massive security settings in place, you are opening the curtains into a window of your life. A window in a very public place.

On social networking sites we have the ability to craft our ideal self image: often a beautified version of reality. That word ‘reality’ is something that doesn’t seem to matter much to teenagers anymore, as our lives begin to revolve around the synthetic world of the social network. All of my Facebook friends, bar one who doesn’t have a wall, dress their pages like shop windows, decorating them with their best pictures and updates explaining some part of their life that is of no interest to anyone.

If you do chose to dump Facebook, they make you wait two weeks before deleting your account, and even when you disappear off the face of the virtual planet, the site stills keeps some of your information. Even if they didn’t, all those photos and posts could potentially have been downloaded, saved, emailed and photoshopped a squillion times over. By anyone. Which means that anything you post online could come back to haunt you later in life.

It’s a scary thought.

I am guilty of self-absorbed statuses, glorifying photos and accepting random friend requests. But a few months ago I changed all my security settings to full and cut back on the randoms. Essentially I pulled the curtains over my window. It’s still there, but harder to see through.

So, considering your next tweet or status update? Let me tell you, life is pretty good when you don’t have to worry about randoms looking through your window.

Normally the US State Department isn’t interested in the maintenance schedules of dot com web start ups. But in mid 2009 Twitter became the focal point for Iranians communicating about the fraudulent presidential election. Officials asked Twitter to delay planned maintenance so democracy campaigners could continue to share crucial content.

Recently Twitter passed the 50 million tweets a day point: it is a major source of information and conversation between millions worldwide. Facebook and MySpace also contain billions of photos and tens of billions of thoughts, conversations and shared experiences.

their nature. How is a live chat any different than a phone call? How is a tweet any different from an ad on a noticeboard?

Or for the thousands of bands who have found fame and fortune through listing their songs on MySpace, how is that any different from sending demo CDs to record companies?

Having said this, we need to realise the potential for our privacy to be violated. For example, you might want to avoid sharing certain thoughts about your boss, to your boss. You need to be cautious about what you share and how you set your profiles up.

The desire to have thousands of Facebook friends should be replaced with “do I trust this person with all my online content?”.

As with anything, education is key. Similar to the wave of sex education following the epidemic of teen pregnancy nationwide, do schools and governments now have a responsibility to educate future youths about the use of social networking sites?

These sites shouldn’t be thought of as revolutionary, but more evolutionary in

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me times false) • Big emphasis on (so pe rsonal image ntac t me ans • No face to face co int erpret ed me ssages ca n be mis stalkers • R isk of int erne t r bullying • Platform for cybe • Invasion of privacy

tive, time consuming • C an be come ad dic goe s online is • ANYTHING that ent esse ntially pe rman nt to participat e, • Even if you don’t wa ot he r pe ople’s you still could be - in phot os, for example

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Interested in technology but not sure where your studies might lead?

VICTORIA YOUNG met some of New Zealand’s brightest young things and found out the choices are endless.

Nisarg Acharya is a Mechatronics Engineering graduate with a lengthy work history specialising in product development and mechanical design.

His latest project was helping put into production the Zephyr bio-harnesses used to rescue the Chilean miners. Nisarg has worked on similar monitoring devices that are used in the US Special Operation Forces and for the San Francisco 49ers baseball team.

He has also created a Powered Elbow Orthotic for the Canterbury District Health Board, healthcare products for Fisher and Paykel and race timing systems for marathon runners. All this at the tender young age of 23; Nisarg’s career in technology is just getting started.

Nisarg’s journey into engineering began with a trip to Christchurch University for Open Day. After seeing the products engineering students were producing he knew: ‘this was something that I could really make a career out of, rather than just have as a nine to five job’.

Nisarg notes that while he was keen on product development as his career, the Bachelor of Engineering can give you a ‘blank slate’ to do whatever you want.

Fellow students from his class have gone on to be software developers, patent examiners, civil engineers or project managers. ‘We did the exact same degree, but the paths we all chose were different’ he says.

When asked about his work day to day, Nisarg says it all starts with a problem from a client.

If you want to get into engineering, science and maths are key. ‘In my field, it would help if you were good at machining; stuff with your hands,’ advises Nisarg. ‘It benefits you from the design point of view, as there is no point designing something if it cannot be manufactured’. He adds that taking English in high school is important, because ‘to be able to communicate ideas well is a key skill in any career.’

He then draws up some concepts, and does some modelling and research. He will get in touch with some suppliers to get Now Nisarg is looking to head to the components by lunchtime. Then he’ll get United States, and views being able to into the workshop and build something travel as an advantage of a career in that actually works. technology: ‘you can go anywhere in the He’ll consult his boss if improvements world, you’re not stuck.’ need to be made and then it is off to the assembly production line.

‘It’s a varied role,’ he adds. ‘It is always a different challenge, every single time. You have to do the hard yards, but when you finish a massive project, you feel really proud of yourself.’

From there she got a three month contract at Greggs Cerebos, which blossomed into a full-time job. And she has never looked back.

‘There is no typical day’

KNOW YOUR LAW, KNOW YOUR RIGHTS Got a question about anything to do with the law, policy or your rights?

Send them into us: rights@tearaway. co.nz and we’ll get the nice people at YouthLaw to fill you in. See page 4 for more details.

Sanya Cope is a Product Development Technologist for Greggs Cerebos. Sanya loves ‘finding innovative ways to solve a problem’ and has worked on a variety of products including a range of hot chocolates, powdered beverages such as RARO and REFRESH as well as new flavours for instant desserts.

Sanya knew she wanted a career in food technology, so was proactive. Since her high school didn’t offer technology papers, she sought them out through the She says the best part of her job is ‘being able to make food that is new and novel’ Correspondence School. and that in her job ‘there is no typical Sanya credits the flexibility of NCEA of day; it is all over the place. Sometimes I allowing her to do this as an alternative will spend quite a bit of time in the lab, to other subjects. She says ‘the biggest trialling formulations; another day I might challenge was managing my own time, be researching different suppliers’. as I didn’t have a teacher to follow up on me.’ Sanya explains her favourite part of this course was making homemade truffles for a café.

‘Working in the product development field, I found Technology helped me gain an understanding of the development process as we went through the whole process from start to finish. This involved coming up with ideas and concepts for a food product, choosing a concept to make, trialling and testing the product, as well as designing and making the product packaging,’ says Sanya. Having already taken Technology as a subject at high school, Sanya was well equipped for her Bachelor of Technology (Majoring in Food) with Honours at Massey University.

‘If you can, take physics, maths with calculus, and chemistry. If you don’t have these, you will have to take catchup courses at university’. She also recommends Graphics, Design (Art) and Hard Technology (Woodwork) as they teach the product development process which she views as ‘essential’ in secondary school education.

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But it was the Summer of Code Program that matched Luke up with YouDo, putting him where he is today.

Luke took a super highway into his career in technology: He was offered a full-time role at YouDo just a year and a half after finishing high school.

Luke Grimstrup is a web developer for Wellington based company YouDo. He is currently working on IT maintenance site Beetil, which enables companies to keep track of all their IT systems.

Luke became interested in IT when he was just thirteen by his Dad, but that’s not the full story. Luke’s other passion was the Japanese language, especially after being the Wellington winner of a Japanese Embassy Writing Competition, for which the prize was a trip to Japan itself!

So Luke took on the grand task of a double degree in Japanese and Computer Science at Victoria University. Japanese eventually ‘drew the short straw’ and Luke began to focus on IT, something he felt he was ‘just wired for’. Luke then managed to get a tutoring position in first year, teaching his peers how to use C-Sharp programming systems.

Technology is generally compulsory in Years 9 and 10, and is offered at NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3.

Students who are able to take Technology as a subject choice at these higher levels of secondary school learn essential skills such as brainstorming, researching, developing and trialling models, and presenting final products.

Giving Technology a go at high school can help you see the huge array of areas you could get into, and get the skills you will need before you even start uni. If you are still not sure, log onto www.techlink.co.nz and check out what amazing projects students from Years 7-13 have done as part of the Technology subject stand. If you know Technology is where you want to go, talk to your teachers about it!

Sanya, Luke and Nisarg are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to technologyrelated options. It can lead to careers in food science, medicine, animation and more; the opportunities are endless!

Check out www.futureintech.co.nz out and find what other Kiwis have done with their education in Technology.

Summer of Code operates through Wellington tertiary institutions and enables students to spend a summer getting invaluable work experience through internships. It is meant for students who are near the end of their degrees, but Luke, only first year at the time, was a worthy exception to this rule. After just a summer at YouDo, Luke’s managers were so impressed they offered him a part-time job. Six months later Luke was offered a full time position, even though he was still only 19 and in his second year of university!

Luke says math papers are ‘invaluable’; he took both calculus and statistics while at high school. Although calculus can be tough, it does apply directly to computers.

He says ‘computers are essentially made of ones and zeros, and knowing the order of operations is essential’.

Luke has now sat on both sides of the interview table for Summer of Code and is clued up on what employers want.

‘Companies look for someone they feel safe about putting in front of a client’, so it is important to have clear communication skills.

www.summerofcode.co.nz

Luke wonders about leaving his degree incomplete, but it was an offer he could not pass up. ‘In New Zealand there is such a screaming demand for IT and IT employees that a degree is not necessary if you have the right experience’. However, he warns that if heading overseas, employers might be fussier about qualifications.

It’s clear Luke loves his job – when asked about how he chose the career path he claims it is something ‘he just sort of knew’.

He says his work environment is ‘top notch’ and he isn’t trapped in a cubicle, but gets out and about and meets clients.

Don’t freak out, if you realise late in the game that technology is for you but you haven’t done the right subjects, New Zealand’s top tertiary institutes all have bridging course to put you on the right path.

Auckland University offers a year long program leading toward the Tertiary Foundation Certificate. For more information contact Stephanie Wyatt: s.wyatt@auckland.ac.nz AUT has a system of pre-degree engineering that allows students to do either a Certifiicate in Engineering or Diploma of Engineering to cover what they have missed in maths and physics, and summer classes in Year 13 Calculus are available. Get in touch with: Richard.nelson@aut.ac.nz

Massey University offers summer school classes for missed out sciences – just contact the relevant department through the Massey University website: www.massey.ac.nz Otago University provides intensive courses in Chemistry and Physics in January and February. Contact: Jessica.dunn@otago.ac.nz Victoria University offers students two options: beginner-level introductory courses during summer school that can be credited to your degree, or a 12 week evening bridging program run from July to October each year. For all enquiries, email: course-advice@vuw.ac.nz.

Canterbury University allows introductory courses before starting your engineering degree if you haven’t done one of the required subjects for engineering. The best person to talk to is: Katie.bouman@canterbury.ac.nz www.tearaway.co.nz {13}

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{14} Tearaway DECEMBER 2010 / JANUARY 2011

ice cream. Sure, eating ice cream isn’t illegal there, but the gathering of large ‘organised’ crowds in a public square is.

Young people love technology.

We love our mobile phones, we love the Internet, and we love Facebook. We use technology t freely in our everyday lives, bu e can we use it to make a positiv difference globally? Can we use it to solve the problems existing AN in the world today? JONATH .

GEE from Just Write finds out

As passionate, motivated young people, we’re often brought down by our lack of means to press for change and make a difference. We’re often overlooked by society as those who don’t contribute, hiding in our rooms behind the walls of technology.

But is this the reality? They say technology has the power to transform our world.

So, perhaps we can use our technology fixation to create positive change.

Communication technology has the power to highlight and end some of the injustices existing globally today. Take the right to free assembly as an example. In Aotearoa New Zealand we view freedom of expression, including the right to free assembly, as a basic human right. Across the world in Belarus, independent media and public protests are banned.

Using just mobile phones and the internet to communicate, young Belarusians have used flashmobbing as a political tool to challenge the boundaries of ‘free’ assembly. One such occasion saw them gathering at a public square to eat

In these technologically advanced days we would feel lost without our mobile phones – we use them to text our friends, take profile pics for Facebook, enter competitions and even do our banking. But where, asks ROYA SIMMO of Just Write, does mobile fundraising fit in?

A method of enabling people to donate money through text messaging has, in recent years, been adapted by various charitable organisations. The process is simple: you send a text to the organisation’s specified number and a small donation, usually around $5, is taken from your phone bill.

With the growth of mobile phones as a tool for, well, just about anything, it isn’t surprising that non-profit organisations have started using them as virtual collecting tins. The system enables them to reach newer, younger audiences.

Seriously, can you name ten teens who don’t own a mobile phone?

The first key reason why mobile fundraising is becoming so successful is that it is viral. It is easy to spread the word as the “forward” feature of text messaging creates a new age ‘grapevine’. Details of how to donate also pop up all over social networking sites like Twitter. After the Haiti earthquake celebrities, ranging from Lindsay Lohan to Lance Armstrong,

Technology has allowed these young Belarusians to come together spontaneously in a flashmob. They either disband before the authorities arrive or, by the time they are forcibly broken up or arrests take place, cameras are rolling ready to capture the suppression of free assembly. They put it online, let it go viral and share with the world a gross violation of one’s fundamental freedoms.

Our peers across the world have utilised technology to mobilise mass movements and challenge the injustices they face.

Worldwide online media coverage has the potential to bring to light global problems often overlooked by people and create international pressure for change. The power of technology empowers us all to spread our message to the world.

So, as passionate, tech-savvy young people, technology can allow us to really make a difference. Like those young Belarusians, technology equips us with the power to virtually kick-start our own revolution, connecting to the masses instantly for a just cause. All it takes is some creativity – so what will you do?

tweeted about mobile fundraising to enlist the help of their followers.

The other reason that text donations are so effective is that they’re instantaneous and not at all time consuming for fundraisers. The Red Cross managed to raise an epic $8 million (USD) for the Haiti disaster relief fund in just three days of mobile fundraising alone.* This is, in part, down to the fact that there is no real pressure to donate. People can do so easily, privately and spontaneously.

There are, however, many issues surrounding mobile fundraising, such as the lack of relationship between the donor and the organisation. There is no way to secure a long term connection with the giver, as donations are usually one-off, and practically anonymous. This means there can be a lack of knowledge about the cause or understanding of the issues.

more orphanages and schools. People are always more likely to donate for these feel-good purposes. However, funding is often most needed for basic infrastructure projects such as water and sewerage.

If you are thinking about making a text donation just make sure you find out what the issue is, do some research about the organisation and be clear about exactly where your money is going.

Whether you’re thinking about donating, want to raise awareness about an issue that you’re passionate about, or want to start a mass movement, consider mobile phones as your number one go-to gadget for making a difference in the world! *From Gross, D. (2010). Digital Fundraising still Pushing Haiti Relief.

The distribution of money in Haiti can also be a problem because too many donations are earmarked for projects like building

Photo: Post-earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Source: Newbeatphoto

• Find out if you can make a text donation to your favourite not-for-profit organisation • If you want to do more, hold an event to raise money and/or awareness for your chosen cause or organisation • Raise awareness about an issue that you’re passionate about by writing an article or having a rant on www.justfocus.org.nz • Start your own movement with the help of technology… it can be as easy as setting up a Facebook event

Technology and social activism TakingITGlobal: www.tigweb.org Coalition of the Willing Short Film: http://tinyurl.com/2akqqtx Vindaloo Against Violence – a Facebook event with a difference: http://vindalooagainstviolence.wordpress.com/

Mobile giving ICT Hub: http://icthub.org.uk/publications/ICTForesight-Charitable-Giving.pdf New Zealand Red Cross: www.redcross.org.nz/donations

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26/11/10 1:20:39 PM

Be ready for summer with a great selection of essentials designed to keep you protected, looking, smelling and feeling

FABULOUS!

BIC® Disposable Shaver for Girls and Guys Introducing the new BIC® Hybrid™, an all-in-one male triple disposable refillable shaver, with one handle and six refillable heads.

(Refills not sold separately).

BIC® Soleil® Twilight® is a woman’s triple blade disposable shaver and comes with an Aloe & Vitamin E lubricating strip and non-slip grip lavender scented handles in 4 bright colours.

Available from most leading Supermarkets.

Check out new zerowater – it tastes amazing (choose between mandarin twist, exotic berry or natural spring) and it has zero sugar, zero carbs and zero artificial sweetners. Perfect! We have 5 mixed cases to be won, simply find zerowater on Facebook, suggest to a friend and you’re in the draw.

Available at all good supermarkets, service stations and dairies.

Aquasun Everbronz is a premium self tanning formulation enriched with extracts of apricot, cocoa, aloe Vera and vitamin E. Suitable for fair to olive complexions, you’ll be able to enjoy a safe and natural looking streak-free and sun kissed tan all year round!

Available from Pharmacies nationwide from $12.50 Contact Pharmabroker sales for more information 09 415 5050

{22} Tearaway DECEMBER 2010 / JANUARY 2011

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Email promotions@academy.net.nz with the words “Summer Essentials” in the subject line and you’ll go in the draw to win, win,win a selection of these essential items.

26/11/10 1:42:58 PM

Work, school, gym, sports, appointments, coffee, lounging around, going out with friends, and maybe even a hot date?! No matter what your day involves, Cool Charm will keep you cool and dry from start to finish.

Also Enjoy 24-7 cool confidence with Lunar Eclipse and Red Ruby – the delicious new body spray fragrances from Cool Charm.

Unleash your superstar

z Air within and get jamming with Paper Jam in, touch r-th Guitars and Drum sets. The latest pape ne wanting sensitive musical instruments for anyo e touch of an instant rock star experience at the mer m sets are a finger. Paper Jamz Air Guitars and Dru stmas or both the perfect gift for the kids this Chri star! the ideal toy to awaken your inner rock

itive These are the latest paper-thin, touch sens an instant musical instruments for anyone wanting of a finger. rock star experience at the mere touch are the ideal Paper Jamz Air Guitars and Drum sets toy to awaken your inner rockstar! are Paper Jamz Air Guitars and Drum sets lable now endless fun for the whole family – avai ld stores at The Warehouse, Farmers and Toy Wor . nationwide for $60 (Amp RRP $24.99)

We have 1 x Paper Jamz Kit to giveaway which includes 1 x Paper Jamz Air Guitar, 1 x Paper Jamz Drum set and 1 x Paper Jamz Amp to giveaway along with additional Paper Jamz Air Games.

Simply email promotions@academy.net.nz with the words “Paper Jam” in the subject line and you’ll go in the draw to win Paper Jam products. www.tearaway.co.nz {23}

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{24} Tearaway NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2010

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a! photos of Metallic For your amazing t details: After Ben’s contac .co.nz or contact him on hy w w w.bcphotograp l bencampbell@slingshot.co.nz ai em or 9 021 419 77

Live tracks recorded on M etallica’s recent tour of NZ and Aus are now out on Six Feet Down Under – Part II. We ha ve three copies up for grabs, so to be in the draw, email promotions@academy.net.n z with “Metallica” in the su bject line. Remember to include your full name, date of birth and physical address. For full te rms and conditions, see pa ge 53 {24}

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Want to be involved as a journalist or photographer for Tearaway? Email rain@tearaway.co.nz

www.tearaway.co.nz {25}

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If you’re up North you’ve still got time to catch Julia Deans performing songs from her debut album Modern Fables. This ex-Fur Patrol singer has gone solo and with a voice like that, well, you know it’ll be an amazing show! Plus she’ll be supported by Seth Haapu who, if you haven’t seen live yet, you need to.

December 9: The Yot Club, Raglan December 10: Tabac, Auckland (solo) December 11: Leigh Sawmill Cafe, Leigh Get your tickets from undertheradar.co.nz

Big congrats to Danielle for taking out New Zealand’s Next Top Model! Can’t wait for next year’s show. Should I enter? Haha, nah should I? Haha, nah really.........should I? Jokes! Or am I? I’m fizzing for summer and wish I could spend it travelling around like the boys from ‘Wingin’ It’ and ‘Making Tracks’. You can see what I’m talking about and watch them at C4tv.co.nz.

It’s definitely a great watch!

Speaking of sweet shows to watch, don’t forget my show Select Live Monday to Friday 4pm-6pm with rad choons and interviews. If you got to c4tv.co.nz/selectlive you can see what I’m up to and check out past interviews like Jason Derulo, Adam Lambert, or Justin Bieber.

And if you want to chat, hit me up on twitter.com/drewneemia or my facebook page!

Talk soon!

If you like your tunes served up with a good dose of country, blues and desert rock you’ll probably already have checked out Sand on Chrome, the debut album from Devil’s Elbow.

The guys have just completed a successful album tour but fear not, they have more shows coming up over the summer, so get your spurs on and get down to one of their gigs in Hawkes Bay, Coromandel and Hastings. www.myspace.com/devilselbowofficial

www.tearaway.co.nz {27}

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“It is its own beast – a good beast,” Weir says of the upcoming Fly My Pretties gig.

“It’s going to be a showcase because we have stayed true to the original concept, but with Fly My Pretties, people are never going to see the same thing – it’s different every time.”

The showcase is an All Ages event, taking place at Pegasus Bay Vineyard in Waipara North, Canterbury on January 15, and at Black Barn Vineyard in Hawkes Bay on January 22.

It’s hot and the atmosphere is electric. Whispers of lyrics from the crowd echo the musician’s hypnotising voice, which reverberates through the people, lifting them to their feet.

People can’t help but move; the music is willing them, and the environment they are absorbing befriends their musical soul.

Have you been to this lullaby land? You can, says KATE PIERSON.

Both Black Barn and Pegasus nabbed the top spots in the Cuisine Magazine ‘Restaurant of the Year Awards 2010,’ making them both hotspots for outdoor entertainment. “We wanted to take the shows a little bit out of the city and both Black Barn and Pegasus are such special locations,” Weir explains.

The concerts will be a contemporary experience with a nostalgic feel, as the 18-strong cast will feature talents from all three past Fly My Pretties events. Weir will be joined Lisa Tomlins, Anna Coddington, Nato, Craig Terris and Paul McLaney, to name a few.

Photos by Joe Hammond Jason Hailes Pat Shepherd

“We started working on Fly My Pretties between 2003 and 2004 and it has grown a lot since then. We’ve done three live albums and this show will be different again because the line-up has changed, as it always does in a showcase scenario,” Weir reveals.

“This summer showcase will have more of a festive feel and will offer both recognised and undiscovered talent. We’re going to play the best of the three albums as well as some new unreleased and unrecorded music. It will be visually and audibly rich and we can celebrate summer in fine fashion.”

The showcases will be a hybrid of food for the eyes, mind and body as musical, visual and culinary treats are served up on a Fly My Pretties platter. And from sunlight through starlight, the music on offer will be telling a quintessentially Kiwi story.

The nice people at Loop have given us a double pass to each show to give aw ay, so to be in the draw, email promotions@ac ademy.net.nz with “Fly My Pretties November” in the subject line.

Remember to include your ful l name, date of birth and physical address.

For full terms and conditions, see page 53.

Black Barn tickets available from www.blackbarn.com Pegasus Bay tickets available from www.eventfinder.co.nz See www.loop.co.nz for more details.

{30} Tearaway DECEMBER 2010 / JANUARY 2011

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Set in the days leading to the rising of Matariki, the drama film takes place in Otara, South Auckland and is told through five interweaving stories.

Once a year, twinkling in the winter sky just before dawn, Matariki – the Pleiades star formation – signals the Maori New Year. But it’s not just the constellation which has got the world seeing stars. Much like the stars appearing from the depths of darkness to mark Matariki, Michael Bennett’s first feature film of the same name has brought two unknowns into the spotlight. Melinda Collins spoke to these rising stars.

A rugby league star driving past a deserted carpark late at night sees a fight.

He intervenes and is brutally bashed.

When a young car thief steals the young man’s apparently abandoned car, he unwittingly starts a chain of events that will change his life, and the lives of others, forever.

But the lives which have changed the most through the recently released Kiwi film were those of Susana Tang and Jason Wu – plucked from obscurity and thrown into a world of cameras, call sheets and credits.

The impulsive runaway At 16 years of age and with no previous acting experience, Susana Tang was thrust into the role of an impulsive runaway known as Spit. “I didn’t even know about the auditions until the head of the drama department came up to me and told me about the story line. Something in the film really interested me. I saw the audition as a showcase for my raw talent.

“When they rang me and told me I had the part I was like ‘are they serious?’ I’ve never been chosen for something special like that before.”

While the film never counted as work for the passionate actor, it did pose its challenges. “My most memorable experience was when it came to a crying scene. I’m an all-round happy person – I didn’t know what to think.”

Confessing her lack of tears, she was taken through emotional recalling exercises to trigger her emotions. “When it came to shooting the scene the only thing running through my mind was that the film was coming to an end and that triggered my emotions. They called cut and I was still crying.

“I was pulled aside and told ‘Susana that was great, but um, maybe hold back on the tears,’” she laughs.

Not surprising given her own introduction to fame, Susana says budding actors should get out there and show the world what they’ve got. “Just go for it, grab life by the hands – you’ve got nothing to lose.

You shouldn’t be scared to show off what you have to offer the world. I always say when the stage lights are off, there are no rehearsals in life.

The car thief Much like Susana, Matariki was the first feature film for 18-year old Jason Wu. “One of my drama tutors said to audition; I auditioned, got a recall and it all went from there.

“Getting the part was indescribable; one of those feelings you think it can’t possibly be true and it is.”

For the role of young car thief Aleki, Jason had to learn a number of skills not included on the drama school curriculum – hot-wiring, breaking and entering and jumping off Mangere Bridge at three am.

But his most memorable experience was a little closer to home. “The best part was filming at the Otara markets with Iaheto Ah Hi, Jarrod Rawiri, Susana and the rest.

“Seeing a whole professional film crew in the streets where I come from was incredible,” he says with reference to growing up in South Auckland.

When quizzed on what he enjoys about acting, he asks ‘what’s not to love?’, before summing up his passion: “I love the fact that whether it be on screen or on stage, I can be someone I’m not. Then you get to work hard at something and then watch people enjoying the results of your work.”

When it comes to who he enjoys watching on the big screen, Robert de Niro comes in at a close second, but Cliff Curtis wins hands down. “Cliff has moved onto stage and done bigger things – he’s proved to me that New Zealanders can make it, especially brown New Zealanders,” he laughs.

When it comes to making it for yourself, it’s a game of averages. “If it’s your dream, then chase it. Sometimes you might get a no here or there, but if you really love it, “There’s not many second chances in life, keep pursuing it and you’ll soon find out why you love it so much.” so go hard out.” {32} Tearaway DECEMBER 2010 / JANUARY 2011

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We have five copies of the Matariki soundtrack up for grabs, featuring Pitch Black, Gin Wigmore, The Phoenix Foundation and more!

Email promotions@academy.net.nz with “Matariki November” in the subject line. Remember to include your full name, date of birth and physical address. For full terms and conditions, see page 53.

26/11/10 1:58:52 PM

Our film nut, Leah Garcia-Purves reports from this year’s The Outlook for Someday Awards – an initiative to promote filmmaking and sustainability, and one that Tearaway is proud to sponsor.

The focusing statement for this year’s awards encouraged young people to think broadly about sustainability: “Sustainability is our environment, our biodiversity, our life, community development, social justice, peace, health, human rights, cultural identity, science, innovation, creativity, diversity, leadership, enterprise, citizenship. LONG WORDS, BIG IDEAS, SHORT FILMS” Everyone did an amazing job of it too.

Presented by this year’s The Outlook for Someday Ambassadors, (Oliver Driver, Kirsten Morrell, Te Radar, Lanita RirinuiRyan, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Leisha Ward Knox, and Wendy Douglas) at the TVNZ headquarters, the night was filled with a showcase of young talent on topics ranging from worms to Maori ancestry to

eco-activism. Speaking at the Awards, the new Auckland Supercity Mayor, Len Brown gave a special mention to Newmarket Primary School who made him some worm tea. Aw, so sweet.

Special Award winners Cody Packer and Mitch Nicholson, with David Jacobs from Connected Media.

Cody and Mitch are from the NZ Broadcasting School at Christchurch Polytechnic and made their film, Crossfire with Sebastian Solberg from Birkenhead in Auckland.

Crossfire won the Connected Media Film-making Achievement Award for a film with outstanding creative technical quality.

“This year we had the highest overall standard of entries we’ve ever had to the film challenge,” said David Jacobs, Director of The Outlook for Someday.

“The judges had some very hard choices to make. The quality of entries was so high that there are some good ones which ended up not being among the winners.”

Ages of winning film-makers ranged from 7 all the way through to the ripe old age of 23 and came from all around the country, both north and south. 20 films were selected as winners, and 8 Special Awards were shared between 10 films as well. Film-makers scored some pretty wicked loot, including camcorders, mobile phones, a film production course, various vouchers and of course, subscriptions to their favourite magazine – that would be Tearaway!

Get online to check out the winning films, and for more details on the Awards.

Stayed tuned and we’ll bring you more about the films and the rising stars who made them, in our next issue.

C ody Pa

c k e r a nd Mitc h N ic holson, wit h Dav

id Jac ob s

Get amongst it!

Help choose the Audience Favourite by voting before December 19 at www. theoutlookforsomeday.net/vote You can watch the 20 winning films at www.theoutlookforsomeday.net winningfilms, and on TVNZ 6 from December 13 to 17.

What about the Puss in Boots spin-off movie?

True. The studio is making Puss in Boots.

I think Shrek still kind of lives in that world.

What’s your advice for anyone with dreams of being a filmmaker?

Well, it’s great now with computers and cameras. Anyone can become a filmmaker What are some of the elements of without leaving their bedroom. I grew up the Shrek films that made them in Oklahoma and I began doing festival so successful? films. I did animation for Disney and an What I think is important is the mythology Adam Sandler film. I got to do that by of fairytales. Every kid knows the Pinocchio making films for festivals and playing story. We know he is a little wooden boy around with my buddies. I started on film, whose nose grows when he tells a lie. went to video and now it is so easy to Including characters like that in Shrek is make films in an inexpensive way. I learned really a short cut for us. We don’t have to more making my own films than going to explain who they are. It’s like superheroes. film school.

You don’t have to explain why the superhero flies or has X-ray vision. It’s in the mythology of our world. I love playing with all the fairytales and combine them into one movie. Secondly, it is an amazing cast led by Mike [Myers], Cameron [Diaz], Antonio [Banderas] and Eddie [Murphy].

Were you sad to say goodbye to Shrek?

The saga of Shrek has officially come to an end, but, as with any good fairytale hero, the legend of that big green guy with a Scottish accent lives on.

Shrek: The Final Chapter is out on DVD and Blu-ray on December 1, so to celebrate, we had a quick word with director Mike Mitchell.

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I am. He’s the Tony Soprano for kids.

He’s really unique. He is big and grumpy, but it’s OK for him to be grumpy. He’s also frustrated and angry, but he’s still endearing. It was like when The Sopranos ended. I was really sad.

Is it really over? We often hear that about film franchises, but then they decide to make another.

It really is over. Because of that, we were conscious of encapsulating all the previous films and make sure we brought the story to a satisfying conclusion, much like Lord of the Rings.

There are many villains in the fairytale world. Why did you choose Rumpelstiltskin as the villain for Shrek Forever After?

The villains in the previous Shrek films – Lord Farquaad, the Fairy Godmother and Prince Charming – were all successful. We thought this time let’s go the other way.

Let’s create this ratty, back-alley dude.

We really wanted to get a guy you hated.

It also fit really well. If you remember the fairytale, Rumpelstiltskin makes a deal with a princess that involves her giving him her first born, but he gives her an exit clause. He is such a weasel. He’s like an ambulance chasing lawyer. The more we discussed his character, the more we fell in love with him.

We have five copies of Shrek: The Final Chapter to give away! Email

promotions@academy.net.nz with “Shrek November” in the subject line. Remember to include your full name, date of birth and physical address. For full terms and conditions, see page 53 www.tearaway.co.nz {33}

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ngs e rush, a couple of lu lin na re ad ve si as m Want a the wind that sweet feeling of d an r ai h es fr of ll fu ding! et)? Get into bike ri in your hair (or helm d by g athletes, sponsore in om -c nd -a up e re These th t the it. Bridget Gourlay hi by r ea sw t, or Sp R R& t drives them. track to find out wha

Quinn James Nicholls, 18, Kaikoura Chosen ride: Freestyle dirt jumping Biggest achievement so far: 2nd place at the Wanaka DMR Dirt Jam 2008 Talk us through your biggest wreck?

There was this one time at the local skate park, it had been raining for weeks and the park was soaked in water, but I was so keen to get out on the bike, I was practicing air out tailwhips onto the deck of the steep roll in and I missed the pedal, foot went down onto a puddle, slipping out and bending my leg at the knee nearly 90 degrees sideways. I tore my MCL (medial collateral ligament), damaged my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and compressed my LCL (lateral collateral ligament), in my knee, was out on crutches for six months and I have to ride with a plastic braced knee sock.

Where is your favourite place to ride?

When my backyard is all looking nice it’s probably my number one spot. I have everything I need there. But away from home it would probably be Lismore jump park in Wanaka; smoothest jumps out, love them so much.

How much training do you do to compete at this level?

I’m getting quite serious about it this year, as 2011 is shaping up to be a big one. I ride three to four out of five weeknights after work and try to spend a whole day riding in the weekends. During the week I work on a couple of new tricks, or tricks that I’m still to perfect, then on the weekend re-cap on everything.

What event do you have coming up?

What motivates you to get out there and do the hard yards?

On February 26 the Frew brothers are hosting their annual event, the Frew Farm Jam. The brothers, one a pro freestyle motocross rider, the other a pro mountain biker, have a complete jump farm down south. All the best riders from NZ and quite a few from Australia come over for the event. It showcases riders from FMX, BMX and MTB freestyle.

The glory and awesome feeling you get from reaching a goal, whether it’s a new trick or hitting a big jump; it’s why I ride, to experience that feeling.

What is it about the sport you’re drawn to?

The endless possibilities of it; biking will never ever be boring for me, it is such a free sport. I can express myself through how I ride my bike and what I ride.

Veronique Sandler, 17, Nelson

A few casual family bike trips to Auckland’s

The National Series and the National Champs, which are at the start of 2011.

him into it.

Have you had any bad injuries?

Just the usual spills; getting winded now and then and the occasional sore shoulder or leg after a day of downhill runs. I also got concussed a few months ago.

Where is your favourite place to ride?

How much training do you do to compete at this level?

I train most days however in Nelson the downhill tracks are only open in the

Talk us through your worst wreck and/or injury?

Chosen ride: MTB!

weekend, which means when the weekend comes around, it’s usually all go!

What do you have coming up?

The downhill tracks up Ben Nevis Mountain in Nelson. Got to be the best place to ride in NZ!

Bria Noble, 15, Otago

Definitely on the babes, not so much for the guys, unless you always wear skin hugging lycra – you pretty much can’t make it any worse then pouncing around in skin tight lycra all day, so why not put the icing on the cake and shave your legs too?

What got you into cycling?

Chosen ride: Mostly Downhill Woodhill forest. My brother started MTB (mountain bike!) but also a getting a bit more serious about MTB and bit of XC (cross country) I thought it looked like fun so I followed Biggest achievement, race or placing so far? 3rd at the 2009 National Downhill Champs and winning gold and the overall title at the South Island Secondary schools MTB champs two consecutive years (2009/2010).

Shaved legs: for or against?

I haven’t really had a big injury, yet, which means I’m either skilled or I’m not trying hard enough! But I do have a scar from taking a little chunk out of my knee, that’s about it.

Where is your favourite place to ride?

Biggest achievement so far? Bethunes Gully in Dunedin, or Naseby forest tracks.

Completing the Motatapu 2010 – coming 7th out of 18 How much training do you do to compete at this level? in my category and I was Normally three training sessions per week. underage, so I was pretty Distance and time varies each week. happy with that!

What do you love about this sport?

Too much! The adrenaline rush you get from downhill, the sense of achievement when you get the track dialled or get a good result, the people, the awesome tracks. Pretty much everything about it!!

What motivates you?

Knowing that the more you put in, the more you will get out of it. Also just having fun and enjoying the ride.

Shaved legs: for or against?

Well, being a female I would have to go with ‘for’. For males, however, I would say ‘against’ (unless it makes them more efficient for their sport).

targeting next years Motatpu. There’s also some little in-between races which are fun to do.

What is it about the sport you’re drawn to?

Going out with friends for a ride, and seeing myself get better; it’s so much fun!

What motivates you?

I know that going out to train makes me better and I love the feeling of beating an old time up a hill, and seeing that improvement.

Finally – shaved legs: for or against?

Definitely for!

What race do you have coming up?

{34} Tearaway DECEMBER 2010 / JANUARY 2011

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Otago MTB Junior XC Champs in December, and maybe the National MTB champs in Dunedin next year, and I’m

26/11/10 2:00:39 PM

championship to her resume: the 2009 World Champion won in dominant style but will now have to look to an event specialty change for the London Olympics with the cycling governing body removing Shanks’ specialty event the 3000 meter pursuit from the race programme.

New Zealand cyclists have continued the win around the world in 2010 in all aspects of cycle-sport, showing once again that New Zealand bats above its weight as a nation.

At the recent Commonwealth Games, the New Zealand Team, lead by the Trackies came close to equaling their best ever haul. They brought back 11 medals from Delhi; the most at any overseas Games and only one less than their tally in Auckland in 1990.

What shone through this year were the stand-out performances of the power and speed based sprint team, lead by Auckland’s Sam Webster and Southland’s Eddie Dawkins, who netted both team and individual medals. With most of the riders in the Sprint team not long out of the junior ranks, the world is at the feet of these talented and focused youngsters.

The Gold medal performance of Ali Shanks added another major international

R&R Sport sponsors over 100 athletes nationwide in a variety of disciplines - road and mountain biking, snowboarding, surfing, running, multisport, climbing, mountaineering, and surf lifesaving. Our policy is to help those that show potential and dedication, to reach their goals in their chosen sport.

We also look for personality – all of our athletes need to be great ambassadors for the company and fun to be with! We also sponsor over 50 events nationwide and just love to see people getting outdoors and doing what makes them happy.

Perhaps for me the highlight performance of NZ cycling team at the Delhi Games was the men’s road race over 160 km. A pancake flat circuit was never going to suit the New Zealand team and with the numerous fast finishing riders from Australia , Canada and of course the worlds fastest man on two wheels Mark Cavendish in the field a medal was never going to come easy. But a near perfect plan from the Kiwi team lead by professionalHayden Roulston and 2006 Games medallist Gordon McCauley brought home the silver medal with Roulston just being edged out on the finish line by Australian Alan Davis.

The season wrap for New Zealand cycling and for many the highlight is the Power Net Tour of Southland. The week long suffer-fest is not for those wanting to experience just the Southland hospitality as the racing is hard and fast in the toughest conditions. This season’s race saw the serious attempt to steal the title away from two time winner Hayden Roulston by the Share the Road team headlining many of the biggest names in cycling. Share the Road rider and ex Junior World Champion Jeremy Yates came into the race with the clear objective, to once again win his favorite stage up the Crown Range but also carry the leaders jersey all the way to the finish. A crash into a marshals motorcycle and then the following day freak accident resulting from his rain jacket getting caught in his front wheel put paid to Yates’ chances but opened the door to team mate Bauer to take the title if only he could stay clear of a hard charging Roulston.

Roulston’s experience and strength were to come through for the Canterbury rider stripping the lead from Bauer and winning the tour by the slenderest of margins.

Simply email production@academy.net.nz with R&R in the subject line to be in to win a Camelbak Classic 3.0L Hydration Pack.

Check out page 53 for terms and conditions.

www.tearaway.co.nz {35}

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Play it Strange and the New Zealand Olympic Committee are proud to present the 2011 Anthem in Black Songwriting Competition.

The competition is open to all Secondary School students and we’re looking for a song that a stadium can sing!

The four best songs will feature on the Olympic Anthem in Black soundtrack CD and be recorded in a professional studio.

The winning entries will then compete for the honour of becoming the official “song of the games” along with the top Anthem in Black entries from primary and intermediate school students and professional musicians around the country.

Entries should mirror New Zealand’s ambitions for our athletes at the London Olympic Games and make us all proud of our country – plus it’s got to be an anthem a whole stadium can sing.

New Zealand athletes love music and at any Olympic Games there are always a few guitars on-hand for the Kiwi athletes to play in their downtime. Homegrown songs are the number one choice.

(Music is part of the Olympic Games. Here silver medal winning 1500m runner Nick Willis plays some homegrown classics for bronze medallist Mahe Drysdale and team mates at the Beijing Olympic Games. Getty Images) (New Zealand is proud of its sporting heroes, but we’ve also got a great tradition of creative thinkers, artists and musicians.

Join them together and its magic. Getty

really special about it when you’re overseas competing,” she said. “It’s inspiring and it makes me proud.”

Barbara is urging all New Zealand secondary school students to get involved in the project.

“Exams are over soon and what better thing to with your friends and bandmates during the summer. Write a song, inspire the nation and make an athlete go faster – perfect!”

New Zealand music icon and CEO of Play it Strange Mike Chunn says young New Zealand songwriters are on a roll. “Songwriting is flourishing in the school environment,” he said. “The Anthem in Black songwriting competition is an ideal chance to write a song that reflects what it is that makes us so proud to be a New Zealander.”

To download the entry form and get more information visit the Anthem in Black website at www.playitstrange.org.nz or to contact the New Zealand Olympic Committee directly, please phone 09 375 0040. Entries close February 25th 2011, so get writing!

According to triple Olympic medalist, windsurfer Barbara Kendall, there’s nothing like hearing a Kiwi classic to bring out the best in an athlete. “New Zealand music is awesome and there is something

Claire has competed in the annual NZIS Sports Exchange for two years running, taking the women’s title in the 100m dash in Auckland this year. She was also a member of the NZIS Rugby tour of the USA last year, joining in the role of coordinator and team manager for the NZIS Men’s Rugby Academy team that went undefeated vs. the University of California at Santa Barbara, the Blackjacks Rugby Club of Las Vegas and the University of California at San Diego teams.

Students across the country are taking advantage of a wide array of extracurricular opportunities at the New Zealand Institute of Sport (NZIS). Claire Calkin is enrolled in her second year of study at NZIS Wellington in the Level 5 Diploma in Exercise Prescription programme, having completed the Level 4 Certificate in Sport Management in Exercise Prescription in 2009.

Claire recently returned from trip of a lifetime as part of the NZIS Basketball Academy team and cultural performance group tour of China.

NZIS students showcased traditional Pacific Island dance in the Shanghai Tourism Festival parade and at the Sky Tower as part of the World Expo 2010. The parade march before of an audience of 250,000 was broadcast live by all of the major television networks across China.

“It has been such a privilege to be a part of these overseas tours over the last two years,” says Claire, “the opportunities to travel, perform and compete while studying at NZIS are unique and something you definitely won’t find with other tertiary providers.”

Claire has also been a member of the NZIS Volleyball Academy team under the tutelage of NZ Senior Women’s Coach Shelley Addison since commencing study at NZIS, sharing in the team’s second place finish at NZ Volleyball Club Nationals in her home town of Christchurch in 2009.

She has also played on the NZIS Wellington Netball team and has recently joined the Zumba fitness craze. She is currently working part-time as a group fitness instructor for Evolve Youth Service for Wellington city. For more information on courses at NZIS, call 0800 NZI SPORT or go to www.nzis.ac.nz www.tearaway.co.nz {37}

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As the first winner of Westpac’s Young Fashion Designer Award, 20 year old Jess Britten scored $5,000, a year’s mentoring with Huffer and business banking advice from Westpac. The CPIT student tells us about her designs, and plans for the future.

What stage are you at at Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT)?

I have just finished! I graduate my three year Diploma at the end of this year.

Tell us about your designs.

These designs are part of a bigger collection called ‘What is Your Damage?’ as a result of work experience I did with Lonely Hearts for CPIT. I was inspired by the 1989 cult hit film Heathers. Looking at a restless 90’s school girl, a girl who is somewhat self destructive and resents conformity, yet is well put together in a preppy manner. I love this juxtaposition; it’s a great challenge to try and express through clothing.

What was the biggest challenge in creating them?

I think for me the biggest challenge is getting them to look exactly how I imagined. Often when I do my initial designs I come out with something that looks fantastic but is technically very difficult or impossible! So it’s a great challenge, trying to find a new or better way to do something.

I’m learning more all the time, but I hope I always have these challenges to work through – it keeps me on my toes and if I don’t I’ll know I’ve stopped pushing myself.

Have you always been interested in fashion?

I’ve always loved fashion, but I overlooked it as a possible career path, I think because I never really saw it as a ‘job’ as such. I started sewing and making my own clothing when I was around seven or eight years old. From a young age I was amazed at the idea that I didn’t have to go out and buy what someone else made, I could make whatever I wanted. It’s just the way my mind works – I think in fashion!

Inspiration is everywhere and naturally I guess my mind channels it into fashion.

Who are your favourite designers and why?

There are so many designers who are favourites for different reasons. Some of the designers who I admire the most aren’t necessarily what I would personally choose to wear myself, but I appreciate for the technical aspect of their work, or their use of material for example. I love Alexander Wang, Opening Ceremony, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Shakuhachi, and last but

certainly not least, NZ faves Lonely Hearts, Stolen Girlfriends Club and Karen Walker.

What’s the best part of studying at CPIT? They encourage you to push yourself and experiment. They don’t hold your hand too much, particularly once your reach third year, which I think is great, as it’s realistic of what the industry will be like, it also helps find your identity as a designer.

And the hardest?

Lack of sleep! My own habits of wanting to have everything immaculate and looking amazing definitely meant sleep was pushed way down the priority list. In saying that, I’m a firm believer that the most rewarding things take the hardest work. To look back and know I put everything into it was really important to me and makes it all worth it – especially seeing it all put together, coming down the runway at the end, such an incredible feeling!

What are your plans on graduating?

I have lots of plans! The hard part for me is deciding what I’d most like to do next as there are so many things I’d like to see and learn, and people I’d love to work with. I’m really interested in doing a post graduate year overseas, and then coming back and perhaps getting some industry experience with one of the great Kiwi brands we have before maybe starting my own label. Will just have to wait and see...

Part of the Westpac Young Fashion Designer prize was $5000. What will you do with your winnings?

There is a very long list of things I’d like to do with the winnings! But for now they are tucked away safely with the good people at Westpac, until I decide on my next moves. If I do head overseas to do a post graduate year then they would be really helpful for that, or to put towards starting my own label.

You also scored a mentorship with Huffer – how do you feel about that?

Huffer is a great example of a successful Kiwi brand with great people behind it, so to have the opportunity to be mentored by them is amazing! I have so many questions and lots to learn, especially at this stage having just finished my studies – it’s an invaluable chance to get an inside view on the industry.

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New Zealand’s premier competition for young fashion designers drew almost 600 entries this year from Whangarei to Dunedin.

And with the quality of entries received, it’s clear that there is heaps of talent out there when it comes to fashion design and sewing.

The Bernina Young Fashion Awards is an annual competition run in schools throughout the country and is open to any student doing fashion technology or clothing and textiles. You can choose between the Creative Category where the emphasis is on creative design or the Technical Category which is all about garment construction and finish.

Winners get to take home a brand new sewing machine from Bernina New Zealand and to strut their stuff in a Wellington photo shoot. Entries for next year’s competition open in February. Ask at your school or download an information pack after February 15 from www.bernina.co.nz.

And make sure you check out all the 2010 winners while you’re there!

Winner of the Senior Creative Category Sensational design check out the woven hemline, bust and shoulder detail

Winner of the Senior Technical Category Awesome job turning a modern military style into slick street wear

Winner of the Intermediate Technical Category Yes that gorgeous fabric decoration is paint!

Opening to the public the night after Guy Fawke’s, Massey University’s creative arts festival BLOW 2010 was a sure-fire way to end the uni year with a bang.

For most of November the College of Creative Arts at Wellington – with a separate exhibition from the Auckland School of Design at Albany – offered an array of events featuring art, fashion, music and especially design.

The festival included exhibitions, screenings, performances, workshops and public lectures, continuing a tradition, which over the last four years has cemented itself in the public consciousness.

Highlights of this year’s festival included the ever popular Massey fashion show, in which the work of graduating fashion design students was proudly paraded; a controlled cacophony of sound called Musicircus; and the Exposure exhibition of work by design students across all disciplines.

Industrial design student Rachel Moller displayed her outdoor furniture for roadside rest areas, aimed at countering the dangers of driver fatigue. The 21 year old student, originally from Oakura, Taranaki, equipped the circular outdoor

Lisa Holm es tries a par t of he r garment couch on for size

tables with lighting located beneath the tabletop. By illuminating them at night, Ms Moller believes they will stand out and encourage long distance drivers to pull over for a break.

Another exhibit to standout for completely different reasons was fashion design student Lisa Holmes’ wearable furniture.

Her couch garment design encourages public interaction as the pieces of soft furnishings can be converted into clothing, which the wearer can then use to once again form a couch. While the 21 year old Wellingtonian concedes the world may not be ready for her multi-functional designs just yet, she believes they have potential for the future. “I see this as an eyecatching thing that gets people excited, and that as technology advances we see more multi-functional designs that haven’t made it into the garment world yet.”

This year BLOW added Blast to its line-up.

This was a design discussion forum for designers across NZ, which was chaired by international guest design critic and editor of Eye magazine John Walters from the UK. Next year the College of Creative Arts celebrates 125 years of art and design education as it traces its history back to the first School of established in Wellington in 1886. www.tearaway.co.nz {39}

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Towards the end of each school year, students from Hagley’s School of Fashion based at Hagley Community College in Christchurch put together a Fashion Showcase. This year the event was held in the Open Stage, a purpose built facility for Hagley’s Full-Time Theatre Company.

Designer Hannah Heslop started at Hagley as a Year 12 student. Initially Hannah chose a few sewing subjects within the fashion programme, but it wasn’t long before she wanted to go full-time.

Having completed Year 12 she decided to stay on for a second year of the programme. “I felt like I was too young to go straight into tertiary study and I’d started to discover that everything I thought I could never do, I could do through hard work, commitment and passion”, says Hannah. This hard work has definitely paid off as she won the top School of Fashion Award at this year’s Senior College Prizegiving. A great result given the exceptional work that is produced from fellow students.

In fact it is these students that have inspired Hannah the most. “I’ve learnt so much from my peers; I’ve enjoyed the differences in our ages and how each of them have imparted their life experiences and expertise. This wealth of knowledge has definitely contributed to my level of maturity”, she says.

Currently Hannah is finalising her portfolio submission for Otago Polytechnic where she hopes to complete the Bachelor of Fashion programme. Her long term ambition, like many aspiring designers, is to have her own line of clothing but not one that feels the need to follow the seasonalfashion trends.

The full-time Hagley School of Fashion course offers students a creative environment where they can focus on fashion-based technologies.

It offers a non-traditional approach to secondary learning, allowing students to fully immerse themselves in their passion at Year 13.

Ha nna

h H e slo p’s c olle c

tion

Adolescent students can gain university entrance in fashion related subjects and gain advanced expertise in drawing, presentation and technical skills. Students learn to manage their time through a flexible timetable, and have access to their workroom outside classroom hours.

Students are encouraged to enter leading industry competitions such as the annual Peugeot Hokonui Fashion Awards. In 2010 the Hagley School of Fashion had 19 finalists from 20 entries. This participation gives students authentic and practical experience as well as the ability to have their work critiqued by industry designers.

For more information on the Hagley School of Fashion visit www.hagley.school.nz.

re ss by L it tle Black D sdale C ourt ne y C an

Hannah’s advice to other students?

“Don’t wait until you finish school to do the things you love. Find a school or environment that allows you to take the subjects you enjoy as well as the ones you don’t if they are necessary in making you the best fit for the career you see yourself doing”, she says.

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Everyone’s got a page on sites like Facebook, Twitter or Bebo right? So, what’s the problem?

There isn’t a problem – social networks are a great way to keep on touch with your friends. It’s just that it’s not only your friends you are talking to …

Once you put your details up, they’re there for good. So think about what you’re prepared to share with the world.

For instance, employers check social networks, especially to find out about job candidates. So do others. How does that funny story or that photo make you look? What would your teachers think?

Your mother??

It’s safest not to put your home address, phone number or where you work on your page. Not everyone who reads your page may have good intentions.

Take control – use your privacy settings to control the information people can see about you. Learn how the privacy settings on your site work; they’re all different. It’s best to set the privacy level strictly to begin with. You can always change things once you’re comfortable with how it’s working.

Check with others before tagging photos with their names, linking their photos onto your page, or putting up other information about them. Otherwise you’re risking their privacy too.

• don’t throw away bills or bank statements in the rubbish – shred them • think before you give out your personal information, for example, check with retailers before you sign up to competitions or for promotional information • you can ask to see any personal information held about you. If it’s wrong, ask for it to be corrected.

If you need help you can go to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner – phone 0800 803 909 or email enquiries@privacy.org.nz. If you have concerns with a business or an agency that has asked for your details or already has your details,talk to them first – if there are still problems, contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.

• Keep your antivirus software up to date, have a firewall, yeah, yeah...

Ok, you’re sick of the message. But do you really want your computer to be hacked?

Your accounts hijacked? Someone to get your info and be able to pretend to be you? It happens every day – there’s big money in linking you in to botnets, stealing your identity or siphoning money out of your accounts. So it’s worth thinking about protecting yourself!

• If you’re on a social networking site but want to check out another site, close the social network browser tab first. Otherwise it’s easier for a hacker to get into your account and get your details (even if your settings are on ‘friends only’).

• Don’t tick the ‘remember me’ box if you’re on a shared computer – sign in every time, so someone can’t sign in for you.

• Don’t email details like your bank account numbers to anyone, even if you think they’re a friend. Scammers can be very convincing.

• Use different passwords for different accounts. If one gets compromised, your other stuff will still be safe.

My friend Ella made heaps of new friends after signing up to a social networking site.

She put photos up and could see pictures of all her friends and said it was easy to check out what everyone was up to. She reckoned I should join too.

I didn’t ask Mum if I could sign up.

She wasn’t into that sort of thing – she preferred to see her friends or call them on the phone. Yeah, whatever I thought.

So, I got on the computer and quickly set up my profile. I didn’t really read all the instructions. I think I ticked one or two boxes, and made sure that all my friends could see my profile. Mum asked me what I was doing – our computer is in the living room. I said I was doing some research for school.

with someone pretending to be me! I was so shocked. The profile had other photos of me and things like, “come and get me boys” and loads of other rude stuff.

TIP: It’s important to read all the instructions when you set up a profile so you know exactly who will be able to see your information and what the website says it could do with your information. Set the privacy settings to a high level; make sure you only accept people who you actually know.

A week or so later, I was at Ella’s and we took some photos for our profiles. Ella got me to put on heaps of make up and wear her sister’s black dress and high heels. I reckoned I looked about 20. We put up my new picture on my profile. We couldn’t stop laughing about it.

We decided we’d go to the movies that night and when I got home I checked in online with some other friends to see who wanted to go too. A couple of my friends, Stella and Sylvie, were keen and were going to meet at my house first.

I sent a message to the person asking them what was going on, but they didn’t reply. At first I was upset and I didn’t know what to do.

Other weird stuff was happening, too. Ella told me she’d been getting some strange messages from me and wanted to know if I was OK. I told her I hadn’t sent her anything lately.

I logged on to my profile and checked all my settings. I quickly set everything to private and deleted everyone I didn’t know from my friends’ list.

I had to tell my Mum about it. I knew Mum was going to be really mad – she didn’t even know I had an online profile. But, Mum kept her cool. We agreed to delete my profile altogether, until we could sort everything out.

We figured out that it could have been Holly – remember, she was going to come to the movies with us and didn’t show. She Stella and Sylvie arrived at 6.00pm. They said a new friend of theirs called Holly, who knew my name and age from my profile and she knew my address from Stella and they met online, was going to come too – Sylvie and she also had my cell phone they’d given her my address. We waited for ages, but she didn’t show up. Stella had number. Mum rang her and she admitted she’d done it – just as a joke. Some joke, her cell phone number so I texted her to see where she was. But she didn’t reply, so I thought.

Holly had used all those pieces of personal we left and got to the movies just in time. information and pretended to be me with TIP: Always check with your friend first the fake profile and rude comments and before you give someone else your photos. I felt so dumb and so embarrassed friend’s address or phone number. that this had happened to me.

The movie was brilliant and we had a cool TIP: Don’t put information on such as night. My Mum picked me up and gave my home address or bank account number friends a lift home too.

– if you do you are making it easy for a Over the next few weeks school got really scammer to get hold of those details. busy and we started rehearsals for our I’ve made a new profile page now, but it’s production. I was so glad I’d set up my set to private and I don’t accept friend profile online ‘cos it meant I could keep up requests from anyone I don’t know. I with everyone, even though school work haven’t put my real name on, but use a and the production had taken over my life. nickname instead. I’ve also talked to my But, a few days later, a really weird thing happened. I logged on to check out my friends” updates and I saw something I couldn’t believe. It was a picture of me – the one with me in Ella’s sister’s dress and the comment, “Last night with Rob was really hot.”

TIP: Think carefully about anything you write or photos you upload as you don’t know who might end up seeing it.

I hadn’t written that. I would never say anything like that. And I was sure I’d only let some of my friends see that photo. I clicked on the link and up came a page

friends and told them that they shouldn’t give out someone’s address and phone number without checking with their friend first. And I won’t put up any silly photos either. You just don’t know who will end up seeing them.

TIP: Make sure everyone has their privacy settings set to the right level.

Don’t share your friend’s information unless you have checked that it’s okay with them first. If you are worried that someone has a friend’s information and there could be a problem, tell your friend straight away.

{42} Tearaway DECEMBER 2010 / JANUARY 2011

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In explaining the exchange programme, Cherie Freeman, WelTec’s Head of School Hospitality and Tourism says the partnership with Les Sorbets is not only an excellent opportunity for students to learn about each other’s food and hospitality, it’s also about the exchange cuisine ideas.

“Our partnership with Les Sorbets has been in place since 2004 and is proving to be a real hit with both WelTec and Les Sorbets students.”

Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) students, Cruz McFarlane and Kathryn Walker are doing just that, attending the prestigious Lycee Notre Dame du Roc, more familiarly known as Les Sorbets, as part of an international student exchange programme organized

by WelTec. It’s not all about French cuisine and hospitality though, it’s also an opportunity for Les Sorbets’ students to learn about Kiwi cuisine and get an insight into what it’s like to study hospitality in New Zealand.

For Cruz, who is passionate about cooking and is currently in his second year of WelTec’s Bachelor of Hospitality Management, it’s an opportunity to expand his culinary repertoire.

Les Sorbets has a strong reputation for its cuisine and catering centre and attracts a lot of international students. It also helps that Nantes is a beautiful city located on the banks of one of France’s most famous river, the Loire.

“The programme is going from strength to strength with a lot of interest from our students which is highlighted by the increasing number of applications we receive every year, says Cherie.

That partnership has also been strengthened with the recent visit to New Zealand by a delegation of senior staff from Les Sorbets visiting WelTec’s Hospitality centre, including Les Sorbets new Chief Executive, Daniel Arnou, Deputy Director Catering School, Bruno Michel, and Paul Herbreteau, Head Lecturer.

The delegation got to see how Kiwis run their hospitality schools in New Zealand and Cherie says they were impressed with what they saw and experienced, especially New Zealand wine.

If you’re interested in finding out more about WelTec’s innovative hospitality programme check out their website at www.weltec.ac.nz. And if you’re interested in Les Sorbets check out www.lycee-ndduroc.com/.

Kiwi students experience French cuisine first-hand

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How would you like to be picked to spend six weeks in the chic French city of Nantes learning all there is to know about French cuisine and hospitality?

Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) students, Cruz McFarlane and Kathryn Walker are doing just that, attending the prestigious Lycee Notre Dame du Roc, more familiarly known as Les Sorbets, as part of an international student exchange programme organized by WelTec.

For Kathryn, who is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Hospitality Management at WelTec focused on Front of House, it was an opportunity to learn new skills in another country.

By all accounts they are enjoying their experience, meeting a lot of new people, and experiencing French cuisine and hospitality first-hand. They also get time to travel, including a much anticipated trip to Paris.

K at hryn W alke r wit h L es Sorbe ts le ct urer , Alain Pie rr e

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If you would like more information about SAFE, SAFE is a not-for-profit organisation advocating for animals. SAFE is: • New Zealand’s second largest animal welfare organisation • a registered Incorporated Society founded in 1932 • an approved member of The Fundraising Institute of New Zealand • experienced at running annual appeals for over 10 years

www.safe.org.nz

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The album Music from a Living Universe explores a variety of themes such as quamtum physics, energy and sounds in different dimensions, foolishness, love, lust and making what appears to be impossible to become possible.

The Dark side of my Spoon goes other places, evoking feelings that the artist would not like others to carry. It is hoped future listeners of Cybiont 3 will stand up for goodness and take the music as an encouragement to live life to it’s full potential.

Perfect Flaws is Black River Drive’s debut album proudly released in New Zealand via Rhythmethod/DRM in October.

With a song writing sensibility drawing on a wide range of influences, Black River Drive delivers crunching rock and roll that reveals deeper layers with every listen.

Perfect Flaws kicks off with the pounding drums and guitar feedback that introduce Call the Doctor, bursting into a guitar riff that Led Zeppelin might come up with if they were still making music in 2010. The song is an apt introduction to an album heaving with some of the best rock songs to come out of this country in years.

In the press material sent to Tearaway the comment is made “it has been a unique experience making [this release] and I hope you find something important in the music. “I did! This came across my desk just this morning - the morning after the devastating news from Greymouth of the tragedy at Pike River. Listening to this unique music, the moving sounds and lyrics encouraged me to take stock of what’s important in life. It’s been a long time since music has consumed me like this did.

The Ministry of Sound: The Annual 2011 is the hottest new dance album to be released from down under, originating from the English based franchise and containing some of the world’s hottest artists.

Spanning over 2 incredible discs, this year’s edition features the talented work of two of Australia’s most popular DJs mixing recent dance singles over the last year with some new underground songs that you may not have heard of before.

The first Disc has remixes by Sydney-born legend DJ Hook N Sling, using new tunes from Gorillaz, Flo Rida, and David Guetta with some lesser known names such as Sgt Slick and Tensnake to produce an up-beat, happy mood.

The second disc is mixed by DJ Tommy Trash (famous for his debut single ‘Slide’) creating some wicked beats with more recognisable sounds from artists such as The Potbelleez, The Naked and Famous and Calvin Harris, combining them together perfectly. The overall experience of the album is an electrifying taste of the ultimate dance party right in your very own bedroom. All I can say is that if you’re not cranking this album up to the loudest with the bass up to the mix, then you aren’t playing it right.

Considering this four piece rock band have only been playing together since May this year the EP, One By One, is certainly a stellar achievement. The bands intention at the time of formation was to write good rock and take it to the world and good rock is absolutely the definition of this album.

The four band members hail from three different nationalities and all embrace the post grunge era – this means the album is chocker with heavy distortion, elegnat guitar solos, hand-banging riffs and powerful beats – so if you’re a fan of Kiwi bands such as Shihad and Agent then you should add this EP to your collection.

Crimson Rain’s lyrics deal with the emotions associated with the journey from adolesence to adulthood, often drawing on personal experience and empathy, with the lyrical emphasis being on the fact that you aren’t alone in these struggles.

“We come from very diverse backgrounds both musically and culturally” says lead guitarist Avi Pranish, “this reflects significantly in the songs we write, but at the same time we have the general chilled out vibe that is very NZ rock. The core of our music is based on simple structures, complemented by beautiful guitar solos, creative basslines and powerful drum beats.”

The band expects a very busy year ahead with plans to record a full length album and embark on a tour throughout Asia and New Zealand. So, should you get the chance to see this band live, I’d say get to it!

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Tearaway’s Gaming Guru Ian Knott reviews the latest games - it’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it!

Xbox Live & PSN Gamertag: Notian

Following hot on the heels of PlayStation’s Move is Microsoft’s own version of motion detection gameplay – simply called Kinect – which utilises your own body, rather than wireless peripherals as the game controller.

This is achieved with the use of the very clever Kinect camera which sits in front (or on top) of your TV. The unit is considerably larger than the PlayStation Eye camera, about a foot wide, has some decent weight to it and seems quite solidly built.

Not surprising as the Kinect sensor has 3 lenses, is self powered and contains a little motor to make it move up and down to sense your whole body.

Having been very impressed with PS Move a few weeks back, I was dubious as to how sensitive Kinect would be and wether it would just be a glorified version of what Nintendo’s Wii already has on offer. Well, in terms of sensitivity at least, PS Move has the upper hand, being able to pick up even the most subtle turns of the wrist. Kinect can’t quite match that, but

Title: Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood From: Ubisoft For: PS3 (Rated R18) Also on: PC, Xbox 360 It would seem that much of what we are presented with in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood quite possibly was meant to be included in last year’s Assassin’s Creed 2 by some over-zealous developers.

Perhaps, and luckily for us, someone at the last minute decided to pull a load of content from the game and develop it into a standalone title. Many were touting Brotherhood as being an Assassin’s Creed 2.5, but that isn’t the case at all.

The game takes place directly after the events of AC2 and sees Ezio clambering around a beautifully created city of Rome which is split into 12 districts, each dominated by a central Borgia tower and Borgia Captain. One by one you must eliminate the Captain and burn the tower after which you, and your ever-increasing army of assassins, can restore some order to the region, renovate some shops and gain some revenue for your efforts. This brings in a bit of a strategy element to the game, but managing the books has been made as simple as possible with ensuing mini-games instead of tiring micromanagement.

That, and the inclusion of online multiplayer makes Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood one of the best in the series.

nonetheless I was astounded at exactly how precise it picked up limb movements and the lightning fast response times.

games (FIFA, Madden etc) and FPS titles.

Madden especially I can see having massive online Kinect potential.

The biggest downfall for PS Move is the fact that you still have costly peripherals to purchase, more if you want to play multiplayer (which you will), and then there’s the constant need for batteries to power them. With Kinect there are no ongoing costs apart from the initial sensor purchase – for me, having dozens of wireless controllers (Xbox, SIngStar, Buzz, Wii etc), that’s a huge drawcard.

The purpose built titles that have been released with Kinect are a bit hit and miss. Kinect Sports is amazing fun and thoroughly addictive (and a great workout too!), yet Kinect Joy Ride, while showing potential, probably shouldn’t have made it past being a demo.

After the initial calibration of the Kinect sensor (which couldn’t be easier) the unit is able to automatically log you into your profile using facial recognition, and that goes for multiplayer games too, it actually recognises each player and logs them into their respective profiles (as long as they’ve gone through the calibration/recognition process previously).

I’m thoroughly impressed with Kinect and am genuinely enthusiastic about what direction the technology will take console gaming.

Already Kinect Compatibility is being built into ordinary games, for the first few months I expect this to be more for novelty value than anything thoughtful and groundbreaking. But I have no doubt that when developers figure out ways to intelligently integrate Kinect into regular games then a whole new dimension of gaming will open up. Look out for sports

Title: Hasbro Family Game Night 3 From: EA Games For: Wii Also on: Xbox 360, PS3 Whenever I see what games are included on these Hasbro Family Game Night Title: DJ Hero 2 releases, I get all excited and think From: FreeStyleGames “OMG that’s going to be brilliant!”, but For: Xbox 360 then I get it home, play it, and end up Also on: PS3, Wii thinking “Hmmm that wasn’t much fun as I thought”.

DJ Hero 2 contains one of the sweetest Family Game Night 3 includes 5 virtual track listing of any music game in the last versions of classic family board games. couple of years. 95 thumping tracks that This time around Cluedo, The Game of are worth the cover price alone.

Life, Mouse Trap, Twister and Yahtzee FreeStyleGames has taken everything Hands Down get the treatment. that made the original a success, polished I have no doubt your ears pricked up at and tightened it to make it even more the mention of Twister – but unfortunately accessible to newbies and veterans alike. there’s no mat peripheral, instead it’s New to the series is the ability to plug in a Guitar Hero styled scrolling line that a microphone and attempt (note I said requires timed presses of the correct ‘attempt’) to sing along to the mixes while button. Ultimately, it’s boring. one or two DJ’s meld the tracks together The Game of Life is brilliantly done, as with the turntable peripheral. Trust me, is Yahtzee Hands down, but Mouse Trap this is no SingStar, keeping up with the really only appeals to the younger family lyrics when they’re fading from one track members. Cluedo, which is a great board to the other isn’t easy. game, requires a lot of reading of the There are also a number of new rules beforehand and will drive many multiplayer modes and they all work very away before the game has even started. well online or off. Also new is Empire For Cluedo veterans though, the game is Mode, which is DJ Hero’s version of Career faithfully recreated.

Mode. It’s a bit uninspiring, and is a bit of a tag-on, but it’s nice to have it there.

Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 From: EA Games For: Xbox 360 (Kinect Compatible) Also available on: PC, DS, PS3, Wii I’m not going to lie to you, I actually enjoyed the previous Harry Potter game – the Half Blood Prince and invested a lot of time in it. Which is why I am so bitterly disappointed that The Deathly Hallows Pt1 is such a horrifically made game that seems to have been put out in such a rush that I firmly believe they bypassed the beta testing stage altogether.

No exaggeration here, it’s really quite bad. From the incomprehensible story (I guess you need to be a fan of the books to understand what’s going on), to the glitches, bugs and gameplay features that, while the intention was obviously to enhance the experience, merely leave you wondering what the hell they were thinking.

Hire the game, if you like it then congrats on being the World’s most hardcore Harry Potter fan. If you hate it, then congratulations on having taste.

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Title: Gran Turismo 5 From: Polyphony Digital For: PS3 Considering Gran Turismo 5 is the franchise’s first full foray onto the PS3 console (with the exception of GT5 Prologue), the only serious hype that’s accompanied its release has been mainly user-generated. Perhaps there’s a reason that Sony hasn’t saturated all corners of the media with hyped up promos, teasers and advertisements…perhaps they were worried that the game wouldn’t live up to the high expectations of its fiercely loyal fans.

Well, they were right.

Coincidentally, GT5 took exactly that – 5 long ct years to develop, so it would be fair to expe the game to be polished and perfected in all areas. You would expect the garage of over 1000 vehicles to be stunningly represented, the circuits from 26 locations and with 70 layouts to be precisely mapped down to the last pebble and blade of grass and all gameplay modes and the online experience to be second to none.

But Polyphony seem to have put the vast majority of the last half decade into accurate representations of the vehicles and the

driving physics, realistic weather engine and a track editor. The in-game graphics of the circuits look great if you’re concentrating on driving the car, but when you get a chance to sit back and study them, they’re just not up to par with some of the current generation driving games.

For the first time ever, online multiplayer has rs been included in a GT title – up to 16 playe world the d aroun from ts can take to the circui – sounds like heaven, right? It’s anything but.

The online structure genuinely feels like it was thrown together a fortnight before release.

No matchmaking (what the hell?), no time trial leaderboards, lopsided races that leave you no choice but to use a vehicle with a gazillion horsepower, no experience, no awards, no incentives whatsoever to play online.

Granted, issues like this will probably be fixed through future updates, but in this day and age a game should have things pretty much sorted straight out of the box.

time because it’s adding random straights and bends only a few corners ahead – it’s an incredible feat of programming.

The vehicles are jaw-droppingly beautiful and the handful of ‘premium’ models take it to another level yet again, especially when you pause racing and enter photo mode.

I could waffle on for hours on GT5’s features but at the end of the day all you want to know is whether you should buy it. In short – yes, you should. It might not be the polished, all-rounder that Forza 3 is, it might not even be up to the standard of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit in some areas, but when all the teething problems are sorted out, you won’t find a better PS3 driving simulation on this generation of the console.

As one reviewer so accurately put it – “It’s a 10/10 driving simulation wrapped up in a 5/10 game”.

I couldn’t have put it better myself.

Disappointments aside, GT5 has some sublime features on show. One of the best and most groundbreaking is a rally mode where (and if I didn’t tell you this you ) probably wouldn’t notice – it’s that well done e you’r as up the track is perpetually made driving. That’s right, the track is different every

Title: NBA 2K11 From: 2K Sports For: PS3 Also on: Xbox 360, PC, PS2, PSP. Wii

Title: Rockband 3 From: Harmonix For: Xbox 360 Also on: PS3, DS, Wii

Title: Shaun White Skateboarding From: Ubisoft For: PS3 Also on: PC Xbox 360, Wii

Title: WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 From: THQ For: Xbox 360 Also on: PS2, PSP, PS3, Wii

I was looking through a list of PS3 titles the other day and counted no less than 16 basketball games available, so why would you need to buy the latest release apart from a fully up-to-date team roster?

Well, when it comes to 2K Sports’ NBA 2K11 there’s three main reasons: the first is the inclusion of some PlayStation Move features, the second is Michael freakin’ Jordan and the third is the fact that this is by far the greatest sports game ever produced.

That’s right, his Airness, Number 23, Michael Jordan plays a major part of the game. In fact before you’ve even entered a single menu, you are thrust into Game 1 of the 1991 NBA Championship and you’re in control of MJ’s Chicago Bulls against Magic Johnson’s Lakers.

Apart from every stadium, player and team being stunningly recreated, the best parts of the game are the Jordan Challenges in which you try to emulate 10 of MJ’s greatest moments using the man himself.

Enough talk. Sell every basketball game you own and buy NBA 2K11 – it just doesn’t get any better than this.

The Rockband franchise just seems to be getting bigger and better with the introduction of new features and peripherals. Rockband 3 has arrived and along with it the ability for 3 part vocal harmonies (as introduced in Beatles Rockband) and a new keyboard peripheral. Unfortunately review units of the keyboards are like hen’s teeth so at the time of writing this I have not had the pleasure of trying one out.

So what all this means is that up to 7 friends can play together at any one time – lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboards and 3 on the microphones.

Luckily Rockband can use controllers from any music game such as Guitar/Band hero and SingStar.

New to the series is the new Rock Band Pro mode where you can graduate to “real” instruments. Pro uses all 15 keys on the keyboard peripheral and you can also purchase (separately) the Pro Guitar controller that has 6 strings and frets to bring that added level of realism.

With over 80 tracks on the disc and well over 1600 more available for download, Rockband looks to have the upper hand on its main rival.

It’s been a while since Shaun White appeared in Shaun White Snowboarding, which was a perfectly passable game, and I’m sure fans of the man himself were thrilled at the chance to play as the Flying Tomato in another of the sports he excels in – Shaun White Skateboarding. Indeed that would be awesome – if in fact you actually got to play as him, because you don’t. Well not for the vast majority of the game anyway – instead you are confined to your created skater for about 90% of the time.

A totalitarian regime has taken control of the city and left it devoid of all colour. You are charged with landing tricks all over town which then splashes colour back into the surrounding area. It’s pretty cool the first few times, but after the 10 gajillionth time, the novelty has long worn off.

The skating physics aren’t anything to write home about either – somewhat simplified to entice newbies, but then the game makes it complicated to do some simple grabs.

If you’re into skate games then stick with Skate or any of the Tony Hawk titles.

Last year’s Smackdown vs Raw release introduced some groundbreaking new features that lifted it to new levels over previous efforts. SvR 2011 takes that idea and expands on it in several ways.

Mentionable additions are the new WWE Universe mode that essentially combines the Career and Exhibition modes, giving you an infinite fight calendar and allowing you to pick the way you advance through the rankings. Sometimes Vince McMahon will throw in little surprises along the way to keep you on your toes.

The Road to Wrestlemania mode is, on the surface at least, much the same as previous years, but this time around you can wander around backstage between matches, enter rooms and talk to other characters, gaining seemingly important insights into alliances and goings on.

There is also the chance to have backstage brawls, but this can be a bad idea if you’re about to enter the ring.

Whether you pick up SvR 2010 or 2011, you’re going to have a similar gaming experience, so unless you’re an avid follower of the series then I’d go for the cheaper option.

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From: Treyarch For: Xbox 360 Also on: PC, PS3, Wii, DS ed Quite possibly one of the most hyp as and ens scre games of 2011 has hit our a by nied mpa acco is usual, anything that to e hyp of lot a has ly ious obv e lot of hyp live up to. is a Thankfully Call of Duty: Black Ops not h oug alth ter, shoo son great first-per well are arch Trey ls. nfal dow its out with gameplay aware that the bulk of Black Ops it shows and yer tipla mul ne lies in the onli erience exp ne onli shed poli ly high a with players where only the most hardcore of n about. plai com to ng ethi would find som er play le sing the it’s y atel Unfortun campaign where some frustrating get me anomalies rear their heads. Don’t nce is erie exp ne offli Ops k Blac wrong, the astic still a thrilling ride that looks fant

Title: New Carnival Games From: 2K Play For: Wii At face value, a title with over 30 different games to play might seem like fantastic value for money, like that boxed Compendium of Games that you always got for Christmas as a kid. But if only half a dozen or so of the games are actually worth playing, then that apparent good value quickly turns into nothing more than a rip-off, a scam even.

And that’s where the irony appears in New Carnival Games on the Wii. As we all know, Carnival games are basically scams – they’re designed to look easy, but be almost impossible to win. They’re designed to entice you to part with your money for, at best, a crappy little toy that costs about the same as what it cost you to play.

But in these 30-odd games, you can win one of over 300 ‘virtual’ toys that can’t be exchanged for anything useful. Ermm, gee, thanks I guess.

What makes it even worse it that many of the games are almost unplayable as the control method, even with the compulsory Wii MotionPlus, is just not sensitive enough.

New Carnival Games has a handful of games that are fun for about 5 minutes.

It’s a rental for only the very rainiest of weekends.

Title: Super Scribblenauts From: Warner Bros Games For: Nintendo DS Scribblenauts was my personal Game of the Year in 2009 due to its incredible innovation. It was the breath of fresh air that the gaming world needed.

The eagerly awaited sequel has arrived and brings more of the same while adding adjectives to give our brains a workout.

Maxwell is once again on a quest to collect all the Starites and you are tasked with typing in objects, and having them appear to solve the puzzle and collect the Starite. But this time around we are given adjectives at our disposal. Sometimes you will have to enter Green Key instead of Key, or Large T-Rex instead of a regular sized one. But you can also get inventive and add adjectives to any object – Metallic Zombie, Angry Porkupine, Fireproof Bridge – if you can imagine it, you can (almost) make it. You can also design your own levels to challenge your friends.

Super Scribblenauts takes the original, gives it a little twist and in the process makes it just that little bit harder.

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Title: Create From Electronic Arts For: PS3 Also on: Wii, PC, Xbox 360, Mac As one reviewer so accurately put it, EA’s ‘Create’ should have really been called ‘Decorate’. This is because you don’t actually have the freedom to let your imagination ‘create’ much at all. Instead, you’re given a premade level and a selection of tools at your disposal to solve the task at hand. Scribblenauts this is not.

There are 14 levels, each with 10 challenges that follow a similar formula to this: get object A to point B, past obstacles C, D and E using the selection of objects in palette F. While the game is relatively well made, it just doesn’t have the personality of the likes of Little Big Planet or Scribblenauts. Mainly due to the fact that there are no actual characters in the game whatsoever – which seems strange as you’re creating all these contraptions and there’s no character to interact with them. That just serves to create a soulless gameplay experience.

That’s not to say that Create isn’t clever in its own right, and it does work well with PlayStation Move, but it definitely falls short of other similar titles.

Title: Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit From: Criterion Games For: Xbox 360 Also on: PC, PS3, Wii I used to be a massive Need For Speed fan back in the PS1/PS2 days, but lost faith in the series when it turned towards the ‘dark side’ of street modding, lame storylines and tried to follow in the nitrous fumes of The Fast and the Furious movies (although I did enjoy the drag racing).

Thankfully Electronic Arts and Criterion Games have finally paid tribute to its roots and remade one of the best games of the franchise – Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit.

You can play as either the pursued, in a multitude of sports cars, or the pursuer – i.e. the Police in a selection of cop cars more than equal to the task of running down fleeing vehicles.

It’s not hard to see that the game was developed by the makers of the Burnout series. The game is simply stunning in all aspects and shows nothing but class both online and off. For me it’s somewhat of a homecoming for the series and I have no doubt that this will be the arcade racing game that gets me through the summer.

Title: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep From: Square Enix For: PSP Reviewed by: Alexander Donohue Birth by Sleep is the newest title in the Kingdom Hearts saga. For me, however, this was my first foray into the popular action RPG series. Unfortunately, it was a foray that ended in disappointment. In particular, I didn’t really care for the game’s battle system. There is too much of a disparity between the button-mashing combat that forms the majority of the action and the layers of convoluted mechanics that the game wraps around it.

Technically, the game has all the graphical polish you’d expect, although the worlds you visit lack atmosphere.

The story is essentially a prequel to the Disney-meets-Final Fantasy antics of the main Kingdom Hearts series. It has some small measure of emotional impact, but in general the clunky storytelling and dull characters made it difficult for me to care about what was going on.

That said, Kingdom Hearts devotees will no doubt get a huge kick from seeing how Birth by Sleep ties into the series’ larger mythology - and it’s these established fans that the game seems intended for.

No Heroes Allowed!

From: Acquire/ SCE Available on: PlayStation Network Reviewed by: Alexander Donohue No Heroes Allowed! is part of a recent crop of games - including other titles like Half-Minute Hero and Cladun: This is an RPG - that affectionately parody the formulaic gameplay and cliched stories of RPGs from eras past. In the case of No Heroes Allowed!, the classic dungeon crawl is flipped on its head, with your goal being to build and populate a labyrinthine dungeon that will prevent heroes from unleashing their righteous fury on an evil overlord named Badman.

Badman proves to be an extremely entertaining tyrant, and his maniacal rants and snarky comments are quite possibly the most enjoyable part of the whole game. Alas, the gameplay is not quite as entertaining. A variety of game modes and mechanics do give it depth, and at times it can be grimly satisfying to watch invading heroes being swarmed by your monster hordes. Things always remain a little too abstract, though - you never really feel like you’re engaging in evil behaviour, with the game’s rewards being mostly cerebral, rather than emotional or visceral, as a result - and if you’re not having fun being evil, then something is obviously wrong somewhere!

The recent re-release of the first two God of War games on the PS3 must have been successful, as publishers are now planning more high-definition compilations of classic PS2 titles. First out of the blocks is The Sly Cooper Collection from developer Sucker Punch. If you haven’t played the three Sly games, you really should.

They are delightfully fun experiences, and their zany plots and talking animal characters are, in my opinion, infinitely more enjoyable than the bland grimness of inFamous, Sucker Punch’s more recent effort. We’ll also be seeing a re-release of three Prince of Persia games from Ubisoft.

These titles - Sands of Time, Warrior Within and The Two Thrones - remain some of the best action adventure games of the last generation. The re-release I’m most excited about is an upcoming Ico and Shadow of the Colossus compilation.

The stunning visuals of both games will, I’m sure, benefit hugely from a highdefinition overhaul. There hasn’t been a definite release date announced for this compilation yet, but it’s fair to guess that it will be released around the same time that The Last Guardian, the new game from the same developers, hits stores.

Michael Jackson’s posthumous takeover of the entertainment industry is set to continue with the release of Michael Jackson: The Experience for home consoles and handhelds. While a game based on Michael Jackson’s actual life would be a fascinating, if incredibly depressing, experience - it could even have a level where you have to survive getting your head set on fire while filming a Pepsi commercial - Ubisoft has made the somewhat saner decision to make a dancing game that will allow you to recreate some of Jackson’s most famous stage moves. Fans of the Auto-Tunealcious TV show Glee will be happy (gleeful, even) to know that Karaoke Revolution Glee, a singing game based on the series, will be released soon for the Wii. The game is being produced

by Konami who, as the publisher of the Silent Hill series, definitely knows a thing or two about games that feature soulless, inhuman creatures who are constantly writhing around and emitting horrifying sounds from their mouths. I kid, I kid!

Please don’t write angry letters to me, Gleeks!

The late 2010/early 2011 period will see a number of big releases in the MMORPG world. The first is DC Universe Online, which is releasing for the PC and PS3 and will allow players to pull on virtual capes and tights and play superhero or supervillain in famous DC locales like the preternaturally crime-prone Gotham City. While some of DC’s most popular characters will be appearing in missions it doesn’t look like they’ll be playable - so sorry fanboys, you’ll have to be some character other than Batman! The other big MMORPG release for the holiday season is Cataclysm, the newest expansion for the brain-breakingly popular World of Warcraft. Cataclysm will feature two new playable races, an increased level cap, reworked versions of popular zones and lots of other content that is sure to keep the game’s 12 million plus players glued to their computers all through the holiday season. Which is good, because if those 12 million players got bored and decided to turn to evil, they could totally decide to take over New Zealand. I mean, they outnumber the entire population of the country three to one! www.tearaway.co.nz {51}

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Wax up your head with Urban Surfer Wax for hair. This super concentrated hard wax creates raw matte texture with a super firm grip that lasts. Rub all over your hair like a board wax or apply to your hands and shake it up for a “beach hair” look.

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Scrunch in Urban Messy Stuff and blast dry for a natural, sexy look. This lightweight styling crème doesn’t weigh the hair down, leaving it full of volume and texture.

Get that beach lovin’ feeling with Urban Sea Salt tropic coconut mist. Spray in and scrunch it up for that messy “out of the surf” sexy beach hair look or blow-dry in and pump up the volume for loads of natural texture and oomph.

Save time and freshen up your hair between shampoos with Urban Dry Shampoo. Special micro-powders are designed to clean the hair of natural dirt and oils leaving it healthy and revitalised without the need for water. Spray all over or on fringe area only, wait for 2 minutes, then brush thoroughly to remove the powder residue from the hair.

MESSY STUFF

Available exclusively through Woolworths & Safeways. FUDGE.COM

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY: One entry only per person and must be sent on the official entry form or as otherwise stated. Entry is free and open to all residents of New Zealand. Proof of identity and date of birth may be requested.

Employees and their immediate families of Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication are ineligible to enter. Winner(s) will be notified by e-mail/phone. The judges’ decision is final, no correspondence will be entered into. No responsibility is accepted for late, lost or misdirected mail. Prizes are not transferable or redeemable for cash. Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever suffered (including but not limited to direct or consequential loss) or personal injury suffered or sustained, during the course of prize winning travel or in connection with any other prizes won. Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication accept no responsibility for health, luggage, insurances, travel, personal expenses and transfers other than specified. Entries remain the property of Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication and cannot be returned. Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication reserves the right to photograph and publish winners. Entries may be used for further marketing purposes by Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication but are not made available to any third party.

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The effects of plastic on the environment are already well documented...but what about the effects of plastic on our bodies?

Research is showing that under special circumstances, certain chemicals from plastic bottles and containers are able to leach into the water (or food) held within. One such culprit is a toxic chemical known as Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical with estrogen mimicking effects that is linked to obesity, diabetes, breast cancer and hyperactivity. Another two common toxic chemicals present in plastic bottles are antimony and phthalates.

Make a change for the better. Buy stainless steel BPA-free SafeBottles and reduce the impact of plastic on the environment and our bodies.

For more information and to see the full range of SafeBottles, please visit www.safebottles.co.nz or call our friendly team on 0800 777 444 or text SAFE to 244.

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