It seems we’re in an age where, to get by in life, you have to have an extensive knowledge and understanding of the latest electronics and gadgets. Plenty of us are starting to feel left behind, drowning in an electrified sea of ipads, smart phones and macbooks, not to mention the cyber sea of Twittering, Facebooking and Googlewaving. Believe us when we tell you, if you’re wondering if you really need any of these things, it’s not your age talking.  It seems almost expected of us to want, to need, these things in our lives. The powers that be have a nasty habit of making us feel like our lives will be complete with the next handy gadget that probably does everything the one you’ve got now does, just a little bit faster and with a little more flare.

The trouble is, if society deems it so, then we normally have little option but to stagger along behind it trying to catch up. Well, that’s where we come in. Over the next few weeks we’re going to look at some of the most recent electronic gadgets on the market and we’re going to give them a set of ratings to help you get to grips with it all and decide whether you really need them in your lives at all.

1. The Blackberry Curve
Everyone is intimidated by the smart phone at first, but the Blackberry is actually surprisingly easy to get used to. It’s not the most attractive phone on the market, but it does come with a handy little keypad that is just like the  QWERTY keyboard. It takes a bit of getting used to, yes, and if you have particularly large fingers you will probably want to turn elsewhere for your mobile needs, but it’s much faster and easier to use than predictive text. Unfortunately, you have no excuse for your bad spelling.

The Blackberry Curve also has the option for permanent internet connection, making it ideal for business types – or teenagers – that need to be in constant contact with the rest of the world (or Facebook). It does make for a very handy feature when you’re out and about and want to find something like a restaurant, a petrol station or even a supermarket. With an unlimited list of downloadable applications, the Blackberry Smartphone can pretty much offer you everything you could possibly need, including its very own messenger and a variety of social networking site applications specifically tailored to the Blackberry. It also has an extensive list of downloadable games, themes and efficiency applications that really do make using your Blackberry even easier.

The only let down is the camera. It’s fine if you want to take photos in the daytime, but as soon as the lights are low, there is absolutely no point in trying. Unfortunately, the creators forgot to include a flash. This shouldn’t be too much of a problem for most of you though, as we’re certain many now own a digital camera.

Our conclusion? You don’t realise how much you wanted it until you have it in your hands.

Appearance – 3/5
Ease of use – 4/5
Capabilities – 5/5

You may or may not be aware that St. George’s Day is on April 23rd (the accepted day of Saint George’s death in 303 A.D.). Unfortunately, the day of our patron saint is rarely taken much notice of compared with others like St. Patrick. An astonishing number of countries and kingdoms celebrate St. George’s Day and yet, here we are, his own homeland, paying little heed to our very own dragon slayer.

Saint George himself was a venerated Christian martyr and was said to have been a Roman soldier and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian. The most well-known tale of Saint George is the Episode of St. George and the Dragon, a legend brought back with the Crusaders. It dates back as far as the early 11th Century and is depicted in Cappadocia (a region in central Turkey) in the iconography of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The Western version of the tale tells of a dragon making its nest  at the spring that provides water for the city of Silene. In order to reach the water, the people of the city have to distract the dragon with sheep and if there are no sheep, they have to offer a young woman. Eventually it’s the princess of the city offered to the dragon and of course, as all good stories of heroic knights and soldiers go, Saint George arrives to face the dragon. He protects himself with the sign of the cross, slays the dragon and rescues the damsel! Of course, the citizens then convert to Christianity to show how grateful they are.

So, now we have that out of the way, how can we celebrate St. George’s Day and honour our dragon slaying hero? Well, there are actually plenty of parades and celebrations going on around the country. Birmingham City Council are providing a day of fun and games at Victoria and Chamberlain Squares, including a Saxon village, Warrior Training, a slave market and finally a face off between the Saxons and the Vikings! Sounds exciting, no?

Why not show your support for your country with flags, facepaints and clothing? Show off the red and white and join in the fun! Oh, and don’t forget to take a camera with you to capture all those unusual and special moments. Click here to view a-z items for sale on adflyer.

Being able to just whip out a camera at a moment’s notice is fairly handy for those occasions where you would otherwise be kicking yourself for not capturing the perfect image. You know what we’re talking about; every time the dog is doing something ridiculous; every time your toddler learns something new; every time you catch your Mum having a sneaky cigarette in the garden while the rest of the family sits down to Sunday dinner, the thought crosses your mind. If only I had a camera for that moment.

The problem used to be that cameras were cumbersome items to lug around for the everyday, enormous monstrosities that made you look like a tourist even if you were merely wandering around your local town enjoying the scenery. Then along came the digital camera which year-by-year gets smaller and easier to use. Just slide it into your back pocket or attach it to your belt and you’re ready to go. No more heaving around massive cases on your shoulder, no more waiting around the pharmacy to get your photos developed. Even better, the video function means they double as a camcorder. It’s the perfect little gadget to have around.

If you don’t mind the size however, there are the slightly more advanced versions complete with extra lenses and functions for taking much more professional looking photos, so if you’re a photography wizard, take a look at the selection of digital cameras available on the market. If you consider yourself a bit of a modern Sherlock Holmes or the next Veronica Mars (because they seem to be very popular at the moment), you might even be interested in your very own spy camera. Just don’t go breaking any laws…