Life & style

PlayStation 4 vs Xbox One

We put Sony and Microsoft's next generation consoles head to head and see how they compare

Hardware When it comes to the CPU (central processing unit, essentially the heart of the machine), both consoles resemble a current mid-range PC. They’ve opted for 8-core x86 architecture from PC component manufacturer AMD which means developers will…

The newly-opened Blackfriars does justice to the memory of Black Bo's

The new restaurant is established on the site of the hip, arty and vegetarian institution

Don’t be misled by the blue Bo’s sign still hanging over the front door – you’re in the right place. The new Blackfriars, you see, has history. Co-owner and chef Andrew Macdonald, former sous chef at Restaurant Martin Wishart, was an art student before…

Hot 100 2012: 79-70

Dominic Hill, Ewan Morrison and LuckyMe among Scotland's hottest cultural contributors in 2012

The Hot 100 is our list of Scotland’s 100 hottest individuals and groups who’ve made a splash this year, from comic book writers to comedians, artists to actors. If they've contributed to Scotland's cultural landscape in 2012, you'll find them here.

Stockbridge fashion and homewares shop Dick's puts emphasis on quality and functionality

Co-owner Andrew Dick has a 'passion for well-made, functional things – from clothing to homewares'

Why did you set up Dick’s? After being in London for years we wanted to be somewhere quieter, more compact. I was working in the newspaper industry (which is in a precarious state) and we fancied being close to one set of our parents. I’m from…

Spiritual retreats for the new year

Dhanakhosa in Stirlingshire, Kagyu Samye Ling in Dumfriesshire and the EcoYoga Centre in Argyll

What are your resolutions for life after the Hogmanay hangover subsides? Drink less and exercise more? Stop smoking and start saving? How about facing 2013 with a real challenge for a new you, by resolving to take the time to find some new, positive…

Hot 100 2012: 100-90

JK Rowling, Tilda Swinton and Andrew Fairlie among Scotland's hottest cultural contributors in 2012

The Hot 100 is our list of Scotland’s 100 hottest individuals and groups who’ve made a splash this year, from comic book writers to comedians, artists to actors. If they've contributed to Scotland's cultural landscape in 2012, you'll find them here.

Krakow provides ideal getaway for a weekend city break

We take in the charms of Poland's medieval city, and look at what else the country has to offer

Many former Eastern Bloc cities have in recent years been touted as the ‘New Prague’. On the evidence, the Polish city of Kraków has the strongest chance of replicating the Czech capital’s tourist success. There’s the pretty, chocolate-box medieval…

Wii U Review: In-depth playtest of Nintendo gameing console

We give Nintendo’s fun new console a proper home trial

We tried out the demo model back in October but now we’ve got our mitts on Nintendo’s Wii U, with all the features up and running it’s time to give their latest console a serious test drive. The GamePad really does add a new element to gaming, actually…

Hot 100 2012: 49-40

FOUND, Paul Brannigan and Kerry Hudson among Scotland's hottest cultural contributors in 2012

The Hot 100 is our list of Scotland’s 100 hottest individuals and groups who’ve made a splash this year, from comic book writers to comedians, artists to actors. If they've contributed to Scotland's cultural landscape in 2012, you'll find them here.

Hot 100 2012: 59-50

Billy Connolly, Optimo and Kevin Bridges among Scotland's hottest cultural contributors in 2012

The Hot 100 is our list of Scotland’s 100 hottest individuals and groups who’ve made a splash this year, from comic book writers to comedians, artists to actors. If they've contributed to Scotland's cultural landscape in 2012, you'll find them here.

Hot 100 2012: 89-80

Daniel Sloss, Canongate and Julie Fowlis among Scotland's hottest cultural contributors in 2012

The Hot 100 is our list of Scotland’s 100 hottest individuals and groups who’ve made a splash this year, from comic book writers to comedians, artists to actors. If they've contributed to Scotland's cultural landscape in 2012, you'll find them here.

The Henderson’s 50/50 Food Festival puts an emphasis on family-friendly good food

The vegetarian restaurant celebrates good, healthy eating in this 50-day food extravaganza

Information on healthy living comes at us from all quarters today, but when these two cuties were growing up there was only one person they needed to look to for advice – their mum. For Oliver and Catherine Henderson, having food pioneer Janet…

UK Green Film Festival 2013 - Glasgow screenings

Programme highlights include More than Honey, Promised Land and Trashed

Feed your conscience.So you’ve spent the whole winter with the central heating on full, the TV showing back-to-back Game of Thrones and the fridge stuffed with fruit flown in from Kenya. Necessary for survival, right? Perhaps not. Undo your ungreen…

Risk!

The storytelling podcast has some celebrity guests, but the real stars are the everyday strangers

This fortnightly American podcast presented by Kevin Allison is ridiculously simple, with its mix of comedians, performers and members of the public sharing true stories. Grouped under themes such as ‘A Slippery Slope’ or ‘Perverse?’, it can sometimes…

Tomb Raider: Interview - Lead writer Rhianna Pratchett on rebooting video game fanchise

2013 Tomb Raider game release starts afresh with gameplay and story

Lara Croft is surely the most iconic female videogames character of all time. After 17 years (the first Tomb Raider was released in 1996), two big budget movie adaptations (with Angelina Jolie taking the title role) and a multitude of games, the…

Travel guide: Derry-Londonderry

The Northern Irish city is an ideal spot to visit in its year as UK city of culture 2013

As the rain batters down, Derry’s Peace Bridge shimmers in the early evening light. A few feet away, the Ebrington army barracks have been transformed, the parade ground morphing into a 4000 capacity pop-up venue, the barracks proper set to play host to…

Why the Scotch Beef label is your guarantee of excellence

Win a meal for two at a Scotch Beef Club restaurant

Given recent UK news coverage it could be argued that trust is at all-time low in the area of food provenance – the history, origin - and contents - of our food before it gets to us. But whilst the subject dominated the news agenda (and gifted us a…

Edinburgh's City Cafe introduces 7lb burger challenge

The mega-sandwich will cost you £30, unless you can finish it in 45 minutes

The City Café has delved deeper into its 1950s Americana and come up with a food challenge that would floor most, but undoubtedly not all, of our supersized cousins across the pond. Their Ultimate Burger Challenge offers up Edinburgh's biggest burger…

The best (anti-)Valentine's gift guide

The perfect presents for both the pro-Valentine's romantics and anti-Valentine's cynics in your life

LOVED UP Utterly lost in Loveland, but not sure what to give without seeming like a total cheeseball? Or don’t know what to offer because you’ve only just begun dating? Or only got a fiver to your name? We’ve got a few ideas: Put a mixtape on a…

Opinion: There's no need to de-clutter your life

It’s time to halt the New Year spring clean and celebrate the object preen

‘Clearing clutter and junk out of my life was so exhilarating, I began to clear up other people’s clutter, dirt and junk. I organized my own cleaning company and over the next eight years, I built it into a national organization.’ So goes the gushing…

Celebrate Scotland's national Bard this Burns Night

Events around the country pay tribute to one of the nation's finest wordsmiths

It’s that time of year again – dig out your tartan troos and practise your Toast to the Lassies: it’s Burns Night. On 25 January each year, Scots and Scots at heart around the world raise a glass to the memory of our national Bard, Robert Burns, as…

Food, print and zoo subscriptions - the perfect last minute gift

Featuring animal adoption, monthly book and magazine subscriptions and early bird ticket offers

It’s 8am on Christmas morning. All the stockings have been opened. Wrapping paper is strewn everywhere. Grandpa’s on his third sherry. But you have one trick left up your sleeve: a gift that will last all year or, at least, a few months into…

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

After EA’s furiously po-faced Medal of Honor: Warfighter, it’s nice to see Activision countering with their annual package of unashamed nonsense. Following on from events in the first game, the sequel jumps around time and space as a team of special…

Far Cry 3 (PS3/Xbox 360/PC)

Sublime and satisfying shooter set in vast and stunningly-realised island network

The original Far Cry was an ambitious FPS set on a tropical island, populated by an assortment of goons and – controversially – a menagerie of mutants. After developer Crytek split from Ubisoft to work on a new series (Crysis), it seemed like the Far…

Computer games with ridiculous scenarios

Despite the bizarre or random storylines, these video games are also remarkably fun to play

Through gaming history, some of the best titles have been based on a premise that is, frankly, ridiculous. Take Jet Set Willy for example, where Willy the Miner of Manic Miner fame has to clear up his house after a massive party. Perhaps it's indicative…