Amazon has just released the pilots for six new kids’ shows commissioned by Amazon Studios. Launched in 2010 Amazon Studios enables anyone to submit a script online for review and the possibility of getting made into a pilot. Scripts can be for films or episodic series.

The new kids’ shows include four animated pilots and two live-action shows, and all six are available to watch for free. This can be done via either the Amazon Instant Video app on smartphones, Kindles, and gaming consoles or through smart TVs, or by going to Amazon Studios online and viewing them under the Amazon Pilot Season section.

Amazon are then asking viewers to leave feedback which will help decide on what pilots get made into a full series—a method Amazon see as empowering viewers and integrating them into the decision process. The shows that become a full series will available to view on Prime Instant Video.

“We are working with great storytellers on some fascinating ideas for the year’s first pilot season,” said Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Studios. “We look forward to seeing our customers’ response to these new projects.”

Buddy: Tech Detective

One of the pilot kids’ shows is called Buddy: Tech Detective and is aimed at preschool children. The show is written by Jennifer Hamburg, produced by The Foundation—part of premier children’s entertainment company Zodiak Kids—and is animated by Jellyfish Pictures, a BAFTA-winning animation and VFX studio.

“Jellyfish were thrilled to once again collaborate with Zodiak Kids/Foundation on such an innovative and fun show.” said Jellyfish CEO Phil Dobree. “To be able to animate and work with funny and engaging characters that appeal so strongly to small children, as well as working for a new and exciting delivery format such as Amazon meant that this was a show we had to take on with passion and commitment.”

The show revolves around a super-sleuth called Buddy, his best friend Trudy, and a furry ferret called Ferdo. It invites viewer participation as kids help choose the technologies that Buddy and his team will use to gather evidence, follow cues and crack the case.

Buddy: Tech Detective

“Amazon Studios’ method of connecting parents and children directly to breakthrough content like Buddy: Tech Detective is very smart, and we are thrilled to be part of their 2015 pilot season”, said Michael Carrington CEO of The Foundation. “Buddy’s focus on cool technology, problem solving and investigation are themes that will resonate with modern kids and the innovative way in which the viewer becomes part of Buddy’s team takes the show to a new level.”

Other kids shows in the pilot season are The Stinky & Dirty Show by Guy Toubes and animation studio Brown Bag Films Ltd about the adventures of friends Stinky the garbage truck and Dirty the backhoe loader, Sara Solves It by Carol Greenwald, Angela Santomero and animators DHX which follows 9-year-old whiz kid Sara and her younger brother Sam working together to solve mysteries, Niko and the Sword of Light by Rob Hoegee and animated by Titmouse which is a fantasy adventure following ten-year-old Niko on an epic quest to bring light back to his land.

Along with two live-action shows Table 58 by May Chan and directed by Gil Junger about a group of outsider school kids who lunch together at Table 58, and Just Add Magic based on Cindy Callaghan’s book, adapted by Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco and directed by Joe Nussbaum. It follows Kelly Quinn and her two BFFs, Darbie and Hannah, who stumble across her grandmother’s mysterious cookbook in the attic and discover it has some interesting recipes.

You can watch a roundup of all the kids pilots, below.

Wes Anderson fan? Then you’ll be glad Prada gave the auteur a shitload of money to put together an advertisement for them, starring Jason Schwartzman as a racing driver who crashes his car it’s full of the stylistic tropes and caricatures that fans are familiar with, along with having a few nods to the great Italian director Federico Fellini.

Rockstar games are like the virtual drug-dealers of the video game industry, every year or so they develop a new game that is even more addictive then the last and hand out samples of their latest creation for us to get completely addicted to before they go mainstream and launch it on the street and we lap it up like the addicts we are. GTAV is their latest incarnation, always at the forefront of cutting edge game play and next-gen storytelling – and we can’t stand the fact that it’s still soooo long before the official release date. Can Michael finally live the American dream?

Are you ready for the coolest party of the rest of your life? If the answer is ‘yes’ then we need some essential goodies to make this happen – Cool location. Check – Friends and family (yes, they are invited). Check – Awesome music. Check – Amazing video visuals. Check. All the latest video games. Check – As much time as you want to indulge yourself in all of the above. Check – But how i hear you ask? Well, it’s as easy as saying ‘Sony Entertainment Network’ – One account and one login is all you need to get started. Plug in, turn on and tune out.

Looks like the celebs and residents of London crossed over to the dark side last night and meddled in the dark arts, Sir Tom Jones, Wretch 32, VV Brown and Razorlight led 1,000s of Londoners in a remarkable toast for Arthur’s Day 2012. There was not a dry eye (or glass) at the event as they gathered to honour the great man behind the pint, Arthur Guinness. Cheers!

Ever wondered how it feels to be moments away from stepping onto the stage and performing in front of a roaring crowd? Sony is inviting you to immerse yourself in this electrifying atmosphere. Enjoy a multi-dimensional journey featuring a seamless mix of fast-paced imagery, combining photography and ground breaking three dimensional sound. Grab your headphones and join this exciting audio-visual journey created using 3-Dimensional sound – technically known as binaural – that will make you experience rock stardom.

Want to know how this was done? Meet the men behind the magic. The sound designer is a world leading expert in binaural sound, Nick Ryan. He is a multi-award winning sound designer and audio media specialist widely recognised as the world’s leading binaural sound expert, and was in charge of designing and recording the binaural soundscape for this project.

This piece was produced by employing the technique of binaural sound, where sound is recorded using two microphones arranged in the same distance as human ears are apart, to create a sensation where the listener hears like they were actually in the room with the performers or instruments or sounds they are hearing.

The sound designer in this project used ‘dummy head recording’, where a mannequin head is fitted with microphones in each ear, to record the sounds you hear in the piece. A binaural recording is intended for replay using headphones and will not translate properly over stereo speakers.

This year alone he has created binaural campaigns for Nike, launched a real time 3D audio iPhone game with no video and interpreted a novel into an audiobook – www.nickryanmusic.com

Complementing Nick’s sound design is photographer Andrew Scriven, who was a finalist in the SWPA 2011 Open category and was chosen to take part in this project because of his attention to detail and consideration he puts into every shot. He is British and previously worked as an Analyst in the city of London.

He gave up his job to pursue his dream of becoming a photographer and recently took a 12 month journey around the world which took him to Antarctica, on-board a 3 mast tea clipper where he captured the photos which lead to him being a finalist in SWPA. www.andrewscriven.co.uk

For more information about how you can start using this amazing technology check out this information pack and see how it is all done.

If you’re one of the many addicts who suffers from the ‘Blackberry Thumb’, or a cat on the next stage of it’s supreme evolution (and waiting to develop opposable thumbs) then this gadget’s at the top of your ‘Must-Have’ list. It has more tricks up it’s sleeve than a crooked politician and aside from doing all the stuff (and more, thank you Flash) that an iPad can perform, it comes with a demonstrator who will break his own fingers just to show you how much he believes in it. Ouch.

With the new iPad 2 Apple will once again change the world. By making us all lust after something we don’t really need and can’t really afford. Technology we didn’t know we needed until all our friends and fellow human beings who sit opposite us on the bus had it and then made you realise if you don’t get one you’ll no longer feel the need to wake up each morning.

So, it now seems the iPad is the musical instrument du jour for the discerning pop star about town. And playing live? Forget using a stage, that was so 1998. Now it’s all about an impromptu gig at your local mobile phone retailer, preferably you have a friend who works there and can grant you access to the iPad store cupboard. More street than concrete!