Nottingham Cineworld finally has an IMAX cinema but while Manchester boasts a screen 95ft wide, Nottingham has to make do with one almost 1/2 the size – so more of an IMIN then. On entry to the screen room this is initially disappointing, and to anyone who’s been to an IMAX before it does feel underwhelming but thankfully the projected image is stunning. This is because the cinema is capable of displaying new High Frame Rate (HFR) films, with The Hobbit being the first to be filmed at 48fps (the standard is 24fps). This means we’re treated some of the crispest, sharpest, most hi-defest (is that a word?) images ever seen and, when the only thing people can complain about with regards to picture quality is that it’s “too lifelike”, you know you’re onto a good thing.

Here’s a comparison of how the Nottingham IMAX screen shapes up against some already established screens in the UK and around the world.

The average IMAX screen: 52ft high x 72ft wide
The biggest IMAX screen: 77ft high x 98ft wide
New York Lincoln Square IMAX: 76ft high x 97ft wide

Manchester: 75ft high by 95ft wide
Sheffield IMAX: 39ft high x 68ft wide
Birmingham IMAX: 41ft  high x 70ft wide
Nottingham IMAX: 30ft high x 62ft wide
Nottingham Cineworld”s current biggest screen: 21ft high by 49ft wide

So while the Nottingham screen isn’t particularly tall, its width is adequate and with many films still being cropped to a letter box format, the height may not be such an issue. In the UK however Manchester’s screen still wins, BIG time.

A year ago Gooii designed singer songwriter Gabrielle Aplin’s first two official CD covers and tour posters, as well as doing work on her website. We’re now pleased to announce that her cover of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s classic ‘Power of Love’ was not only chosen as this year’s Christmas song for John Lewis Snowman advert but has gone to number 1 in the charts. Congratulations to Gabby and hopefully a Christmas number one is on the cards.

As well as working for Gabrielle, we also designed and built her manager’s website.

I grew up watching the original Wizard of Oz and this looks just brilliant. The prequel/reboot follows a magician, played by James Franco, who gets swept away to OZ where he eventually becomes the great and fake Wonderful Wizard of. Directed by Sam Raimi, better known for the original Spider-Man and Evil Dead films, ‘The Great and Powerful Oz’ stays true to the original movie, with the opening scenes filmed in black and white before transforming into technicolor when he arrives in the mystically land, this time using some impressive looking 3D. Along with ‘Man of Steel’ 2013 is already looking like a good year for cinema.

Photoshop is amazing isn’t it? It can make people fatter or thinner, it can clear up a model’s complexion and make Mariah Carey 6″ taller. Among us however roam the cowboys, the Photoshop renegades who don’t care about seamless cutouts or a body less hand, commonly known as ‘Thing’. Luckily there’s a website to expose the best (or should that be worst?) Photoshop Disasters. This one had me laughing out loud, see how many examples of bad Photoshop you can spot.

For more classics like this, including Mitt Romney extending the size of one of his rallies to the point where even his name had extra letters in it, visit www.psdisasters.com.

Developers, and those paying for app development, breathed a huge sigh of relief when it was revealed the iPad Mini would have the resolution as the iPad’s 1 and 2 – meaning there was no need to redesign or update existing apps for the new device. Having sold over 3million units at launch, it’s not too early to declare the new Apple device a success but questions still remain; does it feel like a big iPhone/iPod or like a small iPad? What’s the screen like? And do I really need one (of course you do)? Luckily Digital Foundry are here to answer all those questions and probably a few more important ones.

To read the Digital Foundry’s excellent and in-depth review of the new iPad Mini iClick here.

Risks and Rewards is a website that seeks to demystify the financial sector, designed and built by Gooii for E2BN, in partnership with The Baring Archive and ING. The website was recognised at the Corporate Engagement Awards on 18th September, where it won two silver awards in the categories of ‘Best corporate sponsorship to help align an organisation with brand values’ and ‘Best community involvement in a sponsorship activity’.

The winners were announced at a celebratory banquet at the Victory Services Club, hosted by the BBC arts editor Will Gompertz.

ING’s UK Head of Corporate Communications said: “ING believes in promoting financial literacy for all. We are really pleased that our support for The Baring Archive and the innovative use of its archive material, developed in partnership with E2BN, has been recognised with these awards.”

Andrew Thomas, publisher of Communicate Magazine said: “This year’s Corporate Engagement Awards saw a 48% increase in entries, but if quality could be expressed in percentage terms it would be much higher. All shortlisted companies have demonstrated a clear desire to fulfil their social contract; those that won, have excelled.”

To view the full list of winners please visit the Corporate Engagement Awards website.

As of 15th August 2012 Adobe will no longer supporting the Flash plug-in for Android, Blackberry and Symbian. Once seen as the killer reason for owning an Android or Blackberry device, this decision will come as a surprise to many, especially considering Flash was the focus of Blackberry’s marketing campaign for their Playbook tablet, even going as far as to use Queen’s ‘Flash’ in its advertising. That’s a lot of Flash.

So were Apple’s reasons for unceremoniously banning the Flash plug-in from being installed on iOS devices justified, or did they instigate Flash mobile’s demise via their lack of support? Adobe are citing “unpredictable behaviour” on the latest Android OS Jelly Bean for the lack of future loving but it could be argued that if there was enough content being created in Flash, there would have been ample demand to support the plug-in. Whatever the reason the result is the same, Flash Mobile is as dead as Pat Butcher and was almost as bloated when it was alive.

It is however far from over for Flash. It’s still the most powerful way to deliver high powered interactive applications via the web, as well as Adobe’s promise of “console quality gaming” and secure video streaming giving it extra legs, features that simply can’t be achieved with HTML5 and JavaScript, yet.

The shortlist for the 2012 Corporate Engagement Awards has been announced, with coveted nominations grabbed by BT, Coca-Cola, FedEx, and E2BN for the Gooii designed ‘Risks and Rewards’ website.

The Awards, now in their second year, are Europe’s leading celebration of corporate partnership, corporate sponsorship, and corporate philanthropy. Communicate has long spotlighted best practice and excellence in engagement, and is delighted to bring you these awards.

Categories in the 2012 Awards include divisions for art-, charity- and sports-centred sponsorship activities, the Best community involvement in a sponsorship activity, and Best communication of corporate sponsorship activity, among many others.

Best corporate sponsorship to help align an organisation with brand values
* ING sponsorship of Risks and Rewards initiative
British Gas sponsorship of the British Gas Energy Trust

Best community involvement in a sponsorship activity
Barclays Cycle Hire
* ING sponsorship of Risks and Rewards initiative
Volunteer It Yourself – partnership between Wickes, A4e, Pimlico Plumbers, London Youth and vinspired (The Co Sponsorship Agency)

Click here to view the full Enagement Awards Shortlist

Anyone who’s used Microsoft’s Kinect will attest not only to its innovation but its potential beyond Xbox gaming. Kinect does have its limitations though, it works best when standing, there’s a small but noticeable lag, you need a relatively large amount of space to use it and there’s definite room for improvement when it comes to precision. Add to that Kinect’s bulk and cost and it won’t be long before someone else steps forward to innovate the innovation. In fact, Leap Motion are about to do exactly that.

“Say goodbye to your mouse and keyboard” is a bold claim, especially as Kinect hasn’t prised controllers out of gamer’s hands. Leap claim their new device is “more accurate than a mouse, as reliable as a keyboard and more sensitive than a touchscreen. For the first time, you can control a computer in three dimensions with your natural hand and finger movements.” These are impressive aspirations that appear to be backed up by the product’s excellent trailer.

Leap is no slouch in the looks department either, borrowing its stylings from the Mac Mini, Leap is tiny and retailing at only $69.99 its price is relatively tiny too. With a system that promises to “fundamentally transform the way people interact with computers” its true success will be measured on the support it receives from developers and software houses. Due for release in February 2013, Leap is proving very a tempting proposition indeed.

For more information visit live.leapmotion.com

Inspired by the Olympics we’ve dug out the great Flash games we made for UK Athletics and have been trying to beat our old high-scores. How well will you do?

Click here to play the UK Athletics Games

(It’s really old so Flash is required)