CHECK OUT THIS YEARS CHRISTMAS GADGETS

Gotta love Christmas. It's always a time when new and exciting gadgets are released. From iPod's to high-tech speakers and even remote control toys (check out the Track Attack!)

I got to play with some of the latest gear in the Five News studio...and even John Suchet took hold of the flying helicopter.

I HATE...I LOVE...WHAT WE SEARCH FOR ON GOOGLE.COM


It's amazing. Google can now detect exactly what we are searching for on the net. Apart from the typical worldwide favourites like facebook and youtube... Google can now detect what we are searching for in different locations, here in the UK.

The most popular word searched for in Hampshire's Farnborough was ‘love’, in Gateshead its ‘Gordon Brown’ (!!) and in Nottingham the top search goes to the word ‘party’. Note to self, must take a trip there sometime!

Google have just published the Zeitgeist List. The word Zeitgeist translated into English means sprit of the times. It gathers information in a number of ways from all the things we are searching for throughout the year. From ‘I hate…’ to ‘I love…’

I went to Farnborough to investigate why they’re all out of love and what else they use Google for! You'd be surprise!!

G'DAY MATE... NEIGHBOURS IN TOWN

Next year the Neighbours are moving... to channel Five. Here at Five News, we managed to catch up with Alan Fletcher who plays Dr Karl Kennedy on the Australian soap which recently relaunched.

He’s in the UK at the moment touring with his band ‘The Waiting Room’. Check out the picture of us with the doctor in the Five News studio. Which is also getting a relaunch next year... how exciting. (Well...i'm excited)
















(Left to right...Vicki Butler, Polly Whitehouse, me, Alison Jackson, Stephanie Dingvean and then Kate Gerbeau with Alan)

A MOBILE PHONE AND WALLET IN ONE!

Today the mobile phone network O2 announced the launch of a revolutionary new phone.

The O2 Wallet from Nokia has a number of different functionalities. Inside the handset is a microchip powered to do several different things. The chip allows you to top up cash to your phone using a cashless reader (identical to the Oyster Card system used on the London Underground Network)

The microchip becomes a virtual credit card which allows you to purchase goods for £10 or under. By tapping the phone on the secure reader the transaction is completed in a matter of seconds.

So, now our phones can surf the net, sing our favourite hits and even spend our money. This new phone is currently only available to 500 selected O2 users for a six month trial. They will be able to buy their coffee, doughnuts and train tickets at a small number of shops and cafés in London by simply waving their topped up phones over the cashless reader.

But what do you think? Are we becoming too dependent on our mobile phones? Imagine the worry after loosing your new all-in-one phone in a club. Not only will you be left without a train ride home but you could loose all the money you’ve topped-up onto it. Not something I could trust my clumsy self with sadly.

But it might just catch on. In Japan the cashless mobile “wallet” has become second nature for millions of customers, about 50% of all phones sold there have this type of technology inside.

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STAND-BY TO SWITCH OFF

Talking green, thinking green and living green. It seems there is one thing you just can't ignore and that's climate change and our increased energy consumption. News and current affair programmes love a good “green story” and Your News on Five is no different.

Sally Radford contacted the Your News team a couple of weeks ago. She’s a woman with a huge ambition. Sally’s trying to get everyone across the UK on board her ‘Stand-by Saturday’ campaign.

It involves switching off non-essential appliances that we so easily leave on or neglect in our homes and at work. TV’s, PC’s and rechargeable appliances are all on her green offenders hit list – they draw power from the mains even when they're not in use.

Well on Five News we aired Sally’s campaign - I took part in the event over the weekend and spoke to Sally earilier in the week to see how it went.

MY FIVE NEWS, YOUR NEWS PROMO

Five News has been running Your News for nearly a year now. I've been working with the team processing some of the videos that we get sent every week. Some are actually quite moving - giving everyone the chance to make it on the TV (including me!) Check out this promo featuring (Sir) John Suchet and myself.

BACK TO BLOG!

It's been a while since I signed in to this site. With the likes of myspace.com and facebook stealing my attention - this site got in to a state of sorry disrepair. But my urge has once more returned to reveal the in and out's of Ricky’s world. From work at Five News to life and my news – it will all be here. Check back for some updates soon,

Ricky – it's good to be back.

Neighbours has been around for over 22 years... but executives have announced a new look to the long running aussie soap. Here's my version. What do you think? After 22 years of the same logo - I think it's time for something modern and fresh.

A GRADUATE AFFAIR..!

It's been three years and two months since my feet first touched the ground in Southampton and university life commenced. Since then I’ve met a bunch of friends, had a couple of pints, oh and did a bit of studying too.

Wednesday the 22nd of November was a chance for the studying side of things to be commended at the Southampton Guild Hall. It was a chance to catch up with mates, find out who's doing what... who’s a bum...who’s a boff etc. Plus the teachers were all there acting as "proud parents"!

The graduation ball followed on that Saturday. I honestly wasn’t going to go, but then i decided, "To Hell With It..." Krish and I travelled down to Southampton and stayed at the Juries Inn along with Amy and the rest of the university (I swear!) Had an amazing evening.

KARL AND SUSAN IN THE FLAMIN' FLESH!

Ahh G'Day there mate! As our Aussie friends say down under, 'Spiggin dingbats' - otherwise translated into modern day English as 'Cor Blimey'.















Lets set the scene - busy news room. Printer rapidly spilling out bits of paper, computer sounds, photocopier screeching and constant talking, banter and conversation. But the Five Newsroom is talking about one thing and one thing only. Monday the 30th of October was the day we were all waiting for.

Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburne (aka Karl and Susan) made their first UK media appearance on Channel Five's 11.30 morning news during their whirwind UK tour. Let me tell you, standing in the same spiggin green room was enough, but to actually have my piccie taken with them was just damn right hilarious. The actors were great and let’s face it brightened up our morning! Here's a pic...