We’ve received our second lot of entries for the Be Bamboo handwriting competition. Handwriting expert Ruth Myers has given each entrant’s handwriting the once over, read the results below.

There is still time to enter, see details at the bottom of this post.

Paula Brown 

Ruth says: “Will communicate well with others and whilst outwardly willing to listen, if she thinks she is right she will not let anyone interefere with her plans and ideals”

Sarah Calder

Ruth says: “Generally sympathetic attitude and can be considerate to others. She could handle crisis situations calmly and has the ability to think smoothly and consecutively”

Alicia Green

Ruth says: “She possesses a natural poise – a spectator of life she will always use judgment her intuitive insight is a plus factor to her creative ability. Only perfection will satisfy”

Monica Green

Ruth says: “Although outwardly friendly, in reality, she is withdrawn emotionally. A tendency to be self-concerned, internalizing her feelings and can be prone to mood swings”

Jane Bray

Ruth says: “She sees the big picture and wants to be noticed and be part of it! A logical analytical thinker can be kindly and conscientious. Low boredom threshold”

Lulu Edwards 

Ruth says: “Strong depth of emotion. Order and routine are important factors. Strong willpower. She has leadership ability. An individualist who will follow her own creative ideas”

Maria Moore

Ruth says: ”This writer is affectionate in nature and inclined to be somewhat impulsive. Kindly in attitude, she can also express sympathy . She can take charge”

Harriet Moore

Ruth says: “Good intellect, this writer can be individualistic in other words she sets her own standards and does not follow the crowd. She can give orders to others”

Be Bamboo Words: “I am…”

Scan and e-mail your submissions to handwriting@raniericoms.com. Alternatively, Wacom pen & tablet users can use the Bamboo app Doodler, which enables you to capture any thought, idea or message and save it on the computer or share them with friends or colleagues.

Great news! The Be Bamboo handwriting competition has been extended until 31st December 2010. The competition gives you the chance to have your handwriting analysed by leading graphologist, Ruth Myers.

To enter is simple, chose any two phases from the words below and write them on a plain piece of paper. You must use joined up handwriting and no block capitals. Once you have finished you can scan the writing (or take a clear photograph of it) and e-mail it to handwriting@raniericoms.com.

The first fifty entries will have their handwriting analysed and published here on Girls’n'Gadgets. Two lucky winners will be chosen to receive a more in depth analysis of their handwriting.

So here are the phrases to choose from…

Be Bamboo Words: “I am…”

Alternatively, if you have a Bamboo tablet you can use the Doodle Application to write your entry. Simply save your Doodle image and e-mail it to handwriting@raniericoms.com.

We’ve received our first entries for the Be Bamboo handwriting competition, including one from Girls n Gadgets very own Leila Gregory. Handwriting expert Ruth Myers has given each entrant’s handwriting the once over, read the results below.

There is still time to enter, see details at the bottom of this post.

Sally Jefferies

Ruth says: “Sally is friendly in attitude her emotions tend to rule her thinking. She can be sympathetic quick to react – has a very good intellect – subject to mood swings”

Kate Holt

Ruth says: “Kate has an optimistic attitude to life cannot easily conceal her feelings- she can lose control under intense pressure. A good listener – selective in friendships”

Charlie Moore

Ruth says: “This writer exercises control over her emotions having quick insight she has good rapport with others at all levels. Creative with flair. Considerate and objective -shy”

Sam Abbott

Ruth says: “This writer has a moderate temperament. She has high goals and initiative. Outwardly poised,obdurate, not overly communicative,creative, cultural leanings”

Hollie Ward

Ruth says: “This writer is exacting with creative leanings. Pleasant disposition, direct in manner cool in temperament. Observer of life, difficulty in expressing her feelings”

Natasha Keohane

Ruth says: “An independent writer -she sets her own standards. Exacting, attention to detail is important. Good concentration- can focus on goals – strong depth of emotion”

Leila Gregory

Ruth says: “Creative, perfectionist impatient,conscientious,amiable,good intellect,considerate, disciplined, shy. Deeply emotional capacity for enjoyment of sensory impressions”

Thank you to all those who have submitted entries so far. If you’d like to get your handwriting analysed then please write two of the following phrases on a blank piece of paper. Writing must be joined, with no block capitcals:

Be Bamboo Words: “I am…”

Scan and e-mail your submissions to handwriting@raniericoms.com. Alternatively, Wacom pen & tablet users can use the Bamboo app Doodler, which enables you to capture any thought, idea or message and save it on the computer or share them with friends or colleagues.

There are only 26 letters in the alphabet and yet no two people have the same handwriting or signature. Handwriting is as unique as a fingerprint and an unconscious habit in which we leave our identity in subtle characteristics. The slant of one’s writing, the size, pressure and positioning on the page all reveal how you respond to situations in life. It indicates whether you are impulsive, calm, a quick-thinker or imaginative. It can say whether you are determined, introverted, sociable or have integrity.

Everybody’s handwriting has a master pattern which cannot be suppressed or changed intentionally. As such, handwriting can tell you what that person is like behind the façade. Graphology – the study of handwriting – is not predictive and future-gazing, but is an accurate science, frequently used in courtrooms.

Girls’n’Gadgets and Bamboo have teamed up with Ruth Myers, a leading handwriting analyst, to offer 50 readers the chance to have their own handwriting analysed. Two lucky winners will also be chosen to receive an in-depth report of their writing which we will post up here.

How to enter

• Wacom pen & tablet users can use the Bamboo app Doodler to write two sentences (see below for list of words to use).
• No Bamboo tablet? Don’t worry, you can go old school and write your sentences out by hand and scan them.
• Write two sentences starting with ‘I am…’ and choose from the list of Be Bamboo words below to complete the sentences. The words may but don’t have to relate to you.
• Your writing must be cursive (joined up) or printed in lower case. No block capitals!
• You must write on a plain background.
• Then email your writing sample, along with your name or alias to handwriting@raniericoms.com. There is no need to include contact details, but please make sure we can respond to your email address in case you win.
• Fifty submissions will be chosen to analyse, with two being selected for an in-depth reading.
• Then check back to the site to see if your writing has been analysed. The two winners’ posts will be posted on Tuesday 4^th January 2011.
• The closing date for entries is Friday 17^th December 2010.

Be Bamboo Words: “I am…”

What is Bamboo?

Bamboo is the first interactive tablet combining multi-touch and pen input. Providing a simple and spontaneous way of using computers at home or work, you operate it by either using your fingers or the digital pen provided. It is the perfect tool for self-expression and personalisation when communicating through social networking tools, such as Facebook and Twitter, or for producing everyday documents like presentations. It enables anyone to be creative.

There are five models in the range – Bamboo, Bamboo Fun, Bamboo Pen, Bamboo Touch and Bamboo Special Edition. Each one comes with Bamboo Apps, which are an ever-increasing series of small but useful tools that enable you to do anything from digital doodling and sketching, to adding handwritten notes to a map or playing addictive little games in your lunch hour.  Doodler is one of these applications.

A massive thank you to everyone who voted for us! I’m delighted at our win, especially as it was in the more specialised subject ‘Best Gadget Blog’ this year! Thank you to Computer Weekly for organising a lovely award ceremony at Delfina in Bermondsey Street, the nibbles were fab!!! A huge thank you and well done to my bloggers. Without them, Girls n Gadgets wouldn’t be possible!

I also just wanted to say Congratulations to Gadgets and Gizmos who were runners up in our category, Bash (Basheera Khan) who won the Best IT Professional Female and finally even more congrats to Graham Cluley and Elizabeth Harrin who cleared up yet again this year!  You guys all rock!

Funk it up this Christmas with the fun, colourful and feature packed Sony Walkman E450.

Here at Girls n Gadgets we’re loving the new MP3 players Sony have released. With their sing along with Lyric Sync and Karaoke Mode, it’s certainly going to be a hit with the younger crowd! You can organise your music into moods with Sony’s SensMe™ technology and there’s even an FM Radio if you’re bored of your music!

Sony Walkman E450

As always, there’s a great battery life – boasting 50 hours of music playback and 10 hours. It only takes an hour and a half for an 80% recharge (Full recharge 3hrs) which is impressive. It has a high quality 2.0″ QVGA LCD Screen and the Video is incredibly clear and smooth – a real surprise for such a small device. The interface is a breeze to use and backgrounds are fully customisable.

Offered in 4GB – 16GB, the Walkman E450 is a great rival to the Apple Nanos and a must have for those anti-Apple shoppers out there! It’s available in a range of colours: Black, Red, Blue, Pink and Green. Additional features such as docks, cases, speakers and straps are available as optional extras.

The Walkman E450 retails from £69.00 for the 4GB version, £88.99 for the 8GB version and finally £109 for the 16GB.

Taking everything into consideration, this little MP3 player has a little bit of everything! A Chrismas must have in my opinion. A cool 10/10 from us!

Courtesy of gemmaduds from Immediate Future.

I am very much a girly girl so anything pink always draws me in! When I was given the chance to review a set of RadioPaq Dot headphones I was very excited.

I own  a iPhone and iPod and I find that the headphones are too big for my ears and it is very annoying when they are always falling out of my ears . I have spent alot of money on headphones in the past which fit inside your ear to try and combat this problem, but I found they could be really loud which would result in earache or they were just dull and boring. This is where the Dot headphones worked their magic!

These are the key features the manufactors claim that the Dots will perform-

Half the size, twice the fun
Dots are less bulky than most earphones and are designed to be small enough and light enough to sit snugly in your ears.
Say no to knots!
Dots feature a soft rubber silicone cable finish, making the cable tangle-resistant.
More music, less noise.
Dots soft silicone ear cushions cover the ultra small sound driver, keeping the sound you want in, and unwanted noise out.
Comfy, not lumpy.
Dots come with three sizes of silicone ear cushions: Small, Medium and Large, so they stay in your ears and are more comfortable.
The colour of music
Dots lightweight metal casing is colour matched to complement you and your favourite MP3 player.
Solid gold sound
To ensure best sound quality transfer from your MP3 player, dots feature a gold-plated, 3.5mm stereo jack plug.

I really liked the fact that the headphones were a matalic pink and come with different sized silicone ear pieces to ensure you have the correct fit and not just assuming you have big or small ears! Extenal noises are easily cancelled out by the headphones and the music is crisp, I also love the face they are avaliable in 7 different colours means I can buy a pair for the fella so he doesn’t “borrow” mine anymore!

Overall these little headphones pack a punch and retailing at just £14.99 I think they are a brilliant stocking filler. They are avaliable from RadioPaq and other leading highstreet stores.

My good friend Gruff who works at moonfruit.com has just published his first novel, The Looking Glass Club, and I’ve been asked to review it for Girls N Gadgets.

I’m only a few chapters in, so the proper review will come later, but I’m already completely hooked – it’s brilliant!  It’s a high IQ, fast-paced SF thriller with some really cool geeky stuff in it, including some really clever cryptic puzzles.  Gruff’s offering prizes for people solving them, from Kindles, to iPads all the way up to a million pounds!!  So, get your thinking caps on and dive in!

Amazingly, even before the launch party it’s currently ranking #32 in the Amazon Best Sellers under Thrillers section, and Amazon are discounting the price so take advantage!

Gruff’s throwing a launch party on 18^th November and all geeks are invited.  Prize for the first puzzle to be given on the night.  RSVP here: http://anyvite.com/events/home/avw4axxbse

Hope you can come. I’ll be there!

Although I’m completely addicted to the internet, I still love a good old written diary!  There’s nothing better than curling up on your sofa of an evening and updating your private thoughts in a book, which when you pull out in a year or two, you can read back and have a good old chuckle to yourself!

Recently, I came across the very awesome My Life Story Book. It’s huuuuuge and will certainly last a very long time, if not forever! Such a great, memorable gift for Christmas. Especially for mothers to be who want to record every moment of their child’s life! You can put photo’s, receipts, tickets and anything else you might like to keep.

They’re also ideal to use as a travel journal, wedding journals or just a daily ranting journal. The choice is yours!!!

Available from prezzybox.com priced £29.99