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Nov 201526

10 Strange Facts About Thanksgiving

Joel Dear info

Today, America will celebrate their annual Thanksgiving holiday, a custom that is said to have been initiated by a feast shared by a group of early settlers and Native Americans. Here in the UK we tend to be a little clueless on the finer details of these celebrations, so we thought it would be a great idea to share some fun facts about the day with you!

The Annual Turkey Pardon

Every year since 1989, the president of the USA is presented with two turkeys, one of which will be saved from the dinner table by being officially 'pardoned'. Read more about this strange tradition here.

Forks Wouldn't Have Been Used at the First Thanksgiving Feast

The now commonplace eating utensil wouldn't have been present at the first Thanksgiving feast, simply due to the fact that it wasn't invented until 10 years later, and didn't become popular for another 200 years!

They Probably Didn't Have Turkey Either...

While Turkey has become a firm staple of the modern Thanksgiving dinner, evidence suggests that the famous feast which inspired the holiday would have more likely consisted of passenger pigeon and seafood!

Speaking of Which, Americans Eat A LOT of Turkey!

The rough figure is around 46 million of the unlucky birds, more than double those eaten at Christmas!

Black Friday Origins

The day of deals and crazy shoppers was apparently named after it's ability to get business owners 'out of the red' and into positive profits.

There are Actually Two Thanksgivings

Canada celebrate their version on the second Monday in October!

Jingle Bells Was Originally Intended For Thanksgiving!

The famous tune was originally written for Thanksgiving and not Christmas, but was so popular that it kept being played into December and soon caught on as a popular Christmas song.

What do you call a Male Turkey?

Believe it or not, this isn't intended as a joke. Only male turkeys make the recognizable 'gobble' sound, which is why they are referred to as 'Gobblers'.

690 Million Pounds of Turkey?

We've told you how many Turkeys the US consumes each year, but apparently this is how much meat was consumed at it's height - that's roughly the same weight as the population of Singapore!

Arnie Loves Thanksgiving!

We'll leave you with some, errr, 'words of wisdom' from our favourite action star. Schwarzenegger was one quoted as saying 'I love Thanksgiving turkey. It's the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts'. And on that note...

Nov 201518

Gift Guide for Workaholics

andrew gifts & gadgets, info

Some days it can be dull when you're working in an office. You're sat down staring at the same four walls and having the same old conversations everyday, it's inevitably going to get a little boring. That being said, here at Gadget Inspector we have some of the best desktop novelties and gadgets to brighten up those dull days!

Basketball Desk Tidy

just £6.99

This Basketball Desk Tidy is the perfect solution to your break time boredom. Shoot some hoops if you have writers block, and get those creative juices flowing! It's the perfect place to store all your stationary, plus It also comes with a handy dry wipe backboard, so you can remind yourself of important tasks or when it's someone's birthday in the office.

Bunny Stapler

Was £9.99, Now £8.50

This Bunny Stapler is the perfect desktop pet! It doesn't need feeding or cleaning, and as well as being cute also doubles as a stapler! Just push down on the ears and it'll hop to it, stapling your documents with utter precision. Three cheers for a gift that's both adorable and efficient!

Hot Cookie - USB Mug Warmer

From £10.00

This USB mug warmer is ideal for workaholics who survive on coffee! Simply plug it into your computer's USB port, plonk your mug down on top of it, and it will keep your beverage cosy and warm no matter how long you're at your desk. The mug warmer pad is also shaped like a delicious-looking cookie, which won't help the cravings but will certainly look good!

Mini Table Tennis

From £7.95

This Mini Table Tennis is perfect for relieving the stress of everyday office life. Simply turn off your monitor, clear away those papers, and set up the net. Et voilà, you can have your very own game of table tennis at your desk! Don't blame us if you get too into it and you start missing deadlines though...

Despicable Me 2 Minion Stuart Desktop Standee

Just £4.99

This Stuart Desktop Standee is the perfect work companion! You won't be able to stop yourself from smiling, every time you take a glimpse of his dopey facial expression while you're typing away. Your work friends will all want one of their own once they've spotted him!

Click here for more great gift ideas! Also, don't forget to share this list if you're looking to send someone a hint about what you want for Christmas!

Nov 201505

5 Things you didn't know about Bonfire Night

Joel Dear gadget inspector news, info

It's Bonfire Night, which means superb firework displays, toasty bonfires and spectacular sparklers! The tradition of Bonfire Night dates back to 1605, when Guy Fawkes mastered a plot to blow up King James I and his government on November 5th, leading to his subsequent arrest and execution, along with that of his followers.

These days, we remember the event by setting off fireworks and lighting bonfires to burn the "Guy"- a kind of totemic figure that represents Fawkes.

Here at Gadget Inspector, we thought we'd celebrate by telling you 5 things you didn't know about Bonfire Night.

The origin of fireworks:

Fireworks were first invented in the 10th century, by a Chinese cook who accidentally mixed three common kitchen ingredients - potassium nitrate, sulphur and charcoal. The cook then set this crazy concoction alight, resulting in a burst of colourful flames. The cook also noticed that if the mixture was burned inside a hollow bamboo shoot, there was a tremendous explosion following its ignition.

We've made some spectacular kitchen blunders in the past, but nothing quite like that...

The first fireworks in Britain:

The first recorded fireworks in Britain, were those at the wedding of King Henry VII in 1486. They increased in popularity during the reign of Henry VIII, and by Elizabethan times (1558-1603) there was even a fireworks master! Queen Elizabeth I created this post, with the intention that someone would be in charge of organising firework displays for great occasions.

I bet he/she was the coolest person in town!

It used to be illegal NOT to celebrate it:

Up until 1959, it was illegal not to celebrate Bonfire Night in Britain. The only exception to this rule was St. Peters School in York, which Guy Fawkes attended as a student. To this day, St. Peters refuse to celebrate Bonfire Night as a mark of respect for their former pupil.

Let's drop some science!

There's just something about drawing your name in the air with a sparkler, that turns adults into children again. Don't lie, we know you all enjoy doing it! But, sparklers can become incredibly hot, with some even reaching temperatures of up to 2000 degrees Celsius! That's more than 15 times the boiling point of water! Some seriously hot stuff!

Also, have you ever wondered why you see the explosion of a firework before hearing it? Well, wonder no more! This is due to the fact that light travels a lot quicker than sound. Sound travels about 761 mph, whereas light travels at 671,000,000 mph, which is roughly the speed you rush home at when you see you have 9 missed called from your mother.

The Most Fireworks used in a display:

The title for the most fireworks used in a single display goes to the Norwegians, who used a whopping 540,382 fireworks! This included 15,272 fireworks that were discounted because they didn't light. The Firework display lasted for one and half hours, which just about trumps the regular display you get in your back garden!

Everyone here at Gadget Inspector hopes you have a great and safe Bonfire Night!

Jun 201516

Game of Thrones: Remembering Those We Lost in Season 5

Joel Dear info

The fifth season of Game of Thrones came to a jaw-dropping end last night, and so - being big fans of GoT - we at Gadget Inspector thought that now would be a good time to look back over the last ten weeks and pay tribute to the characters who met their deaths along the way.

Needless to say, there will be LOADS OF WHOPPING GREAT SPOILERS from here on out. If you haven't watched ALL of Season 5 yet, we recommend that you go elsewhere until you're all caught up. Maybe check out our beer pong department instead.

You have been warned!

In Memoriam: Gone, But Not Forgotten

Mance Rayder (S5E1, The Wars to Come)

Wait, who? The King Beyond The Wall.

How he died: Mercy-arrowed by Jon Snow moments before being burned to death by Melisandre

What we'll remember him for: Organising the epic attack on Castle Black that dominated Season 4's penultimate episode.

Mossador (S5E2, The House of Black and White)

Wait, who? A former slave in the city of Meereen. One of the many people freed by Daenerys Targaryen.

How he died: Executed by Daario Naharais.

What we'll remember him for: Murdering a Son of the Harpy who was awaiting trail, then getting beheaded for it.

Janos Slynt (S5E3, High Sparrow)

Wait, who? Commander of the City Watch. Later, a man of the Night's Watch.

How he died: Executed for insubordination by Jon Snow.

What we'll remember him for: Being a slippery, slimy piece of work to the very end.

Ser Barristan Selmy (S5E4, Sons of the Harpy)

Wait, who? A member of the Kingsguard in King's Landing. Then, a member of Daenerys's Queensguard.

How he died: Murdered by the Sons of the Harpy in Meereen.

What we'll remember him for: Being a total badass in spite of his advancing years.

Maester Aemon Targaryen (S5E7, The Gift)

Wait, who? Maester for the Night's Watch at Castle Black.

How he died: Natural causes (which is quite an achievement in the Game of Thrones universe!)

What we'll remember him for: Giving sage advice and casting the deciding vote that made Jon Snow Lord Commander.

Lord of Bones (S5E8, Hardhome)

Wait, who? Some crazy wildling.

How he died: Beaten to death by Tormund Giantsbane.

What we'll remember him for: His unique fashion sense.

Karsi (S5E8, Hardhome)

Wait, who? A wilding chieftainess.

How she died: Mauled by zombie children.

What we'll remember her for: Making an immediate impression with her leadership, plain-spoken attitude, and fighting skills. Then dying just as quickly. Damn you, Game of Thrones!

Princess Shireen Baratheon (S5E9, The Dance of Dragons)

Wait, who? Daughter of Stannis Baratheon. BFF of Ser Davos 'Onion Knight' Seaworth. The little girl with the scaly face.

How she died: Burned at the stake by Melisandre as her father looked on stoically.

What we'll remember her for: Being adorable and making us hate Stannis, who - stern though he was - really did seem like one of the good guys until his heel turn in The Dance of Dragons.

Hizdahr zo Loraq (S5E9, The Dance of Dragons)

Wait, who? An aristocrat from the city of Meereen. Dany's fiancé, until he went and died.

How he died: Stabbed by the Sons of the Harpy.

What we'll remember him for: Um...crying when he thought he was going to get eaten by a dragon? Not all that much, to be completely honest - he was kind of lame.

Queen Selyse Baratheon (S5E10, Mother's Mercy)

Wait, who? Stannis Baratheon's wife. Shireen Baratheon's mother. Crazy religious fanatic.

How she died: She hanged herself (presumably).

What we'll remember her for: Being a terrible mother who was ONLY TOO EAGER to burn Shireen to a crisp...up until the latter was tied to a pyre, at which point she realised it was a terrible idea and tried in vain to save the fruit of her bonkers loins. Jeez, make up your mind, Selyse!

Myranda (S5E10, Mother's Mercy)

Wait, who? Ramsay Bolton's nasty girlfriend.

How she died: Pushed off a battlement by Theon 'Reek' Greyjoy.

What we'll remember her for: Tormenting Sansa Stark, mostly.

Ser Meryn Trant (S5E10, Mother's Mercy)

Wait, who? Knight of the Kingsguard. Name #1 on Arya Stark's death list. Horrid, horrid man.

How he died: Violently stabbed, eye-gouged, and throat-cut by Arya 'Faceless Man' Stark.

What we'll remember him for: Killing (?) Syrio Forel, beating up Sansa Stark, having a rather too young taste in women, being nasty ALL THE DAMN TIME.

Of course, there were lots of other apparent deaths in Mother's Mercy - Stannis Baratheon, Princess Myrcella, and (*sniff*) Jon Snow are all presumed dead, while it's not entirely clear what became of Sansa and Reek. That being said, we're cautious types here at Gadget Inspector, and we're refusing to list those people until the show confirms that they're really dead and gone.

Because, y'know...Jon can't really be dead, can he? CAN HE?!

Feb 201526

#MakeASongBritish

Joel Dear info

#MakeASongBritish is currently trending on Twitter, with people from all over the UK putting a wonderfully British spin on all of your favourite hits. We couldn't resist getting involved - here are 8 of the best BritSongs we could come up with: