Train your Brain - it's fun and works

Advantages: Fun games and it really does seem to improve your brain
Disadvantages: Speech and Writing recognition is a little tricky to begin with

...I think by now, with the mainstream advertising campaign and word of mouth, everyone must have heard of this by now but does it really help your brain? I got this game back in August last year and used it every day, my brain age started off badly and gradually improved and I really sped up on the different tasks and training programmes, then I got side tracked by other things (Zelda included) and I forgot about this game. Recently I started using it again and I was quite surprised that I when I started again my scores and times on the training had dropped dramatically and my Brain Age was considerably worse. One of the training games consists of 20 calculations to do in your head, back when I had been using this every day I set a record of 22 seconds for this. Going back to it recently my time was a dismal 1m 45s and I had got...

valve90210 15.07.2008 · Read review
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Review of Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain?

  Beware of "Strangers on a Train"

Advantages: Fabulous story, fabulous atmosphere and fabulous acting
Disadvantages: A very few irksome things but neglible

...Alfred Hitchcock?s Strangers on a Train - excellent movie! I could leave it that but of course I won?t. I?d had this 2 disk special edition in my DVD collection for a while before I got around to watching it. I really should have watched it as soon as I bought it. Not that I need an excuse to watch it all over again. There is no law that says you have to wait any given period of time before you can watch a film that you enjoyed all over again! WHAT?S IT ALL ABOUT? Guy Haynes is travelling on a train and get into conversation with a stranger Bruno Anthony. Guy is a semi-professional tennis player and is somewhat flattered that Bruno recognises him. During their conversation Bruno brings up Guy?s soon to be (hopefully) ex-wife Miriam and current girlfriend Ann Morton who is the daughter of senator. Guy is not very...

anonymili 23.09.2009 (09.11.2009) · Read review
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Review of Strangers On A Train (Special Edition) (DVD)

It's not like toilet training a puppy...

Advantages: Great all around adventure
Disadvantages: A bit gross

...at shouting. Instead, Hiccup, a thinker amongst fighters spends most of his days just trying to survive and keep his head, and that of his even weedier friend Fishlegs above water. Hiccup is bright and prefers to approach problems with a sensible manner using his problem-solving skills. This goes down like a led balloon with a town full of people who prefer the "bash first - think later approach." It particularly doesn't go down well with his cousin and classmate Snotlout or his sidekick Dogsbreath the Duhbrain. Snotlout, the nephew of the Chief is positive he deserves to be the heir not Hiccup because he can fight, insult and be generally rude with the best of them. It is Snotlout that Hiccup spends most of his time battling with. ***What's How to Train your Dragon all about?*** In order to graduate into full members of the Hairy Hooligan...

ally2kc 16.08.2006 · Read review
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Review of How to Train your Dragon - Cressida Cowell

Are you a train Virgin?

Advantages: fast, few delays
Disadvantages: occasional delays, cost if booked late

...It's coming up for the party season again so I have recently spent rather a lot of time making travel arrangements, one method of travel I seem to utilise rather alot these days comes in the shape of the West Coast Mainline, between Manchester/Stockport and London Euston, while in a previous life time I was very familiar with the Manchester/Edinburgh section of this same line, this route is operated by Virgin Trains and has been for several years. Thankfully these days the booking process is somewhat easier than it used to be, having to go in to the train station to book tickets I always found a somewhat draining experience as there was invariably a queue of people apparently wanting to purchase tickets for the next train due and only one counter open, now you can book online at one of several sites, my preference is virgins own, but...

scuba_angel 02.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of Virgin Trains

Brain Training, does it warrant all the fuss?

Advantages: Original, innovative, surprisingly fun
Disadvantages: text and sound recogntion can be difficultt o use, not a wide range of puzzles

...a test, the result of which is an age of which your brain is, you can complete this once a day and the training programmes as often as you like. The aim of the game is to improve the age of your brain by training it and completing the tests. The training games use methods such as speaking aloud or manually writing the answer on the touch screen to take answers. Some people will also have problems the handwrinting software, as it finds it sometimes difficult to read certain writing forms. Every day on which you train, you will receive a stamp on this day in your calendar, when you complete three training exercises you will receive a larger stamp. When you acquire a certain number of stamps, the stamp that is displayed can be customised, that is you can draw a picture and that will be used as your stamp, not important but a nice touch i feel...

rik13 12.10.2007 · Read review
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Review of Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain?

Money Train Film Review

Advantages: Characters
Disadvantages: Plot, Pacing

...Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson, the hilarious duo of White Men Can't Jump, reunite for the buddy-action-comedy Money Train. Unsurprisingly, their obvious on-screen chemistry rouses the biggest laughs here, but Doug Richardson and David Loughrey's badly written script and the uneven pacing of the direction overshadows the picture's funniest moments, making this a rather forgettable affair in a long list of movies of the same genre. Money Train just tries to do too many things. On one hand, it feels like a romantic-comedy as it explores the relationship between the adopted brothers John (Snipes) and Charlie (Harrelson) and their squabbles over beautiful fellow cop, Grace Santiago (Jennifer Lopez). Then there's this subplot involving Charlie and his gambling habits and the money he owes to nightclub owner Donald Patterson (Robert Blake...

andycarrington 20.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Money Train (DVD)

Train your eyes?

Advantages: Fun to do and does help with some skills
Disadvantages: Would probably get a bit repetitive over time

...Having recently bought a Nintendo DS and enjoyed the Brain Training I was intrigued when I saw the new Sight Training for DS on sale in my local supermarket. Ever curious (and being keen to retain as many of my faculties as possible) I decided to buy it and see what it offered. Intially this product seemed quite similar in format to the Brain Training package I already had however I was pleased to see that it didn't have the rather irritating Dr Kawashima but seemed to offer something slightly more serious. The aim of the package is to offer the opportunity to train your 'vision' and alongside that there is the facility to test your eyesight and work out your 'Eye Age'. Rather interestingly the tests you get to perform are actually based on your 'Eye Age' so it is suggested that you check this something like three times a week...

laramax 04.01.2008 · Read review
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Review of Sight Training (Nintendo DS)

A training day to remember

Advantages: Terrific acting, great plot, dark, compelling but intelligent
Disadvantages: Cop films might not suit all

...Training Day was a film that instantly stood out to me as a must watch film due through the fact that Denzel Washington had been nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the film. Having always admired Denzel's talent as an actor, I was greatly anticipating this film. The central plot of the film is a young, slightly naive, wet behind the ears Ethan Hawke has joined the narcotics department he wants to make a difference and climb the ladder. Before he can hold these goals in my mind however, he will subject to a first day evaluation by Alonso a decorated, respected and equally feared narcotics officer. Today is indeed going to be Ethan's training day, but this is no ordinary training day and while first perceiving his officer's tactics as being unorthodox, he begins to realise that there is a much darker side to him. Jake...

grandchamp 20.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Training Day (DVD)

A Train Crash of a Film

Advantages: none really
Disadvantages: poor acting, blatant copying of plot, shall I go on?

...the affair? Will they be able to pay for the live saving transplant that their daughter needs? To find out, you'll have to watch the film. This film is pretty much a copy of a Hollywood film starring Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston, I could give you the name of the film myself but why don't I leave you guessing (no points or prizes awarded for getting it right though, it's pretty easy)! But guessing what film it could possibly be will surely be more interesting a way to spend your time than investing it in watching this "derailed" film called The Train. Sorry about the deliberate pun, no actually I'm not really sorry? Emraan Hashmi stars in The Train along with Sayali Bhagat & Geeta Basra. I've never seen either of the female leads before nor do I wish to and neither had I heard of them previously. From doing a bit of quick online research...

anonymili 16.06.2008 · Read review
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Review of The Train DVD

In training for the Sofa Olympics!

Advantages: Fun and educational
Disadvantages: Doesn't always understand your answers

...I recently bought my son a DS as 'all my friends have one so I need one too!!!!' Since we got it I have slowly become addicted. Luckily my son is very kind and doesn't mind sharing! One of my first purchases was 'Brain Training'. I'm sure you have all heard of it by now as it has got to be the most widely known game for the DS, and probably the top selling game as well as every person I know with a DS has this game. Basically, there are various exercises to complete, each one works a different part of the brain. There is: Calculations - Either x20 or x100. You will see simple sums on the left screen, you then write the answer with the stylus on the right screen. Reading aloud - The screens display an excerpt from a novel and you simply read the pages and click the screen when you have finished the page. This can...

laura2310 21.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain?