Crimebuster CCTV site could be illegal
Snooping website site Internet Eyes has ambitious plans to charge businesses آ£20 a month in order to have their CCTV cameras monitored site members, but it has yet to go live because it's the subject of an investigation by the Information Commissioner's office (ICO), which believes it may be illegal.
In December we reported on the site's plan to offer eagle-eyed members the chance to win آ£1,000 for spotting crimes on CCTV.
Although viewing live CCTV feeds online is illegal, the site hoped to work around the ban by making the feeds unlabelled, as it would keeping anyone watching and reporting a crime anonymous.
ICO voices concern
Assistant Information Commissioner Jonathan Bamford has met with Internet Eyes as well as some of the business that had signed up for its observation services. He said: "The ICO is reviewing this response to assess whether the scheme complies with requirements of the Data Protection Act."
Everything remains on hold, apparently pending a decision by the ICO. Earlier this month on the site's blog, Internet Eyes noted: "Due to further stipulations arising with the ICO (Information Commissioners Office) we are delaying launch until these items are dealt with and approved.
"We take the ICO's views very seriously and are keen to work within their guidelines. We'll keep you up-to-date with progress..."
We would love to be a fly on the wall at Internet Eye's meeting with the ICO. Hang on, that gives us an idea for a website...
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In Depth: 5 things to know about iPhone OS 4.0 firmware
Apple might be announcing the iSlate tonight, but that doesn't mean there's not more to come from Jobs' big announcement – an updated version of the iPhone firmware to OS 4.0 is on the cards as well.
The questions have already started around this release – what will it be? What functionality will it bring? Why would Apple release this now, rather than the traditional April/May slot?
Well, we've dug around for some answers – here's what we know so far:
It's all about the Apple tablet
You may have heard that Apple could be releasing a tablet in the near future – the question is what form this will take and how it will run.
The obvious answer is any device like this, which will probably carry a 3G signal, would be offered on a contract, thereby adding to the list of Apple devices available from mobile carriers.
The danger for Apple is this may cannibalise sales of the iPhone – so interoperability is key, making the tablet a logical extension, rather than replacement for the iPhone.
Apple would obviously have to upgrade the firmware on the iPhone to carry this connection – even if it's only incremental.
Multi-tasking
The iPhone has had a few foibles up until now, and those aren't ever likely to all be fixed. One issue we need to see fixed is the ability to actually do more than one thing at a time on the device, and the good news is that seems likely to happen.
However, we doubt it will be 'proper' multi-tasking the way EVERY OTHER smartphone does – BGR sources state it will be '"A few new ways" to run applications in the background'.
After the backdoor addition of push email in the last OS update, expect this to much of the same.
It won't be soon
The notion of Apple's tablet has been around for a while – the release date has been the subject of much debate, too. The tablet will likely debut in a few months' time, possibly even in June, which is traditionally when Apple makes the new firmware available, too.
It would make sense to keep these time frames in place, especially if it intends to announce the iPhone 4G this summer, so the firmware could only be announced to keep consumers calm that this will work super-well with the iPhone.
Refreshed home screen
We're all used to seeing the standard 'rows and columns' iPhone interface, but last year that changed ever so slightly with the addition of Spotlight, where swiping left allowed users to access a comprehensive search box.
We'd imagine Apple is looking to utilise more space on the next iteration, and BGR has again been tipped this is coming, stating that there will be "many graphical and UI changes to make navigating through the OS easier and more efficient."
Swiping up, swiping down? We'd imagine widgets are a logical step for Apple, as it's something the public are giving the thumbs up for on phones using Android.
But it would only be added if Apple can keep the usual list of icons – people like simplicity, and that's been a cornerstone of the iPhone's success, so don't expect to see that going anywhere.
Multi-touch gestures
If the newly-leaked information on the Apple tablet are to be believed, there will be some pretty swish multi-touch gestures to navigate around the device.
These gestures will likely be to open applications, perform important tasks like web navigation and more, and the obvious extension to this would be to make the more basic gestures available on the iPhone.
It will be interesting to see what Steve Jobs comes out with when the tablet launches, but it could be as little as mentioning there's a new firmware update coming, all the way up to detailing the new platform with the usual myriad partners who will be taking advantage of the new opportunities.
We're usually seeing many more rumours about new firmware this close to a suspected launch, which is why we reckon there won't be a lot on it at the Apple event, bit whatever the tablet brings, the iPhone will obviously benefit as well.
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BSkyB to get آ£200 million from EDS
IT outsourcing company EDS (Electronic Data Systems) has been told by courts it must pay BSkyB آ£200 million in damages, after the company failed to build the computer system it was under contract to.
After EDS was unable to come up with its proposed customer service system for BSkyB, the broadcaster took the IT company to court and has been awarded damages and costs, which could be as much as آ£200 million, to BSkyB.
This concludes what is now known as the most expensive IT court case ever in the UK.
10-year wait
It all began in 2000 when BSkyB hired EDS to design an advanced customer service technology for its call centres in Scotland. After two years BSkyB terminated the contract and finished the project itself.
In 2004 it filed suit against EDS, claiming that the company lied about the project's time frame and budget in order to gain the contract.
The suit finally went to court in 2007 and was concluded in 2008, just as Hewlett-Packard bought EDS.
However, it's taken 18 months for Mr Justice Ramsey to deliver his verdict.
In a statement, HP noted this was a legacy issue, as it didn't own EDS at the time, but added: "While we accept that the contract was problematic, HP strongly maintains EDS did nothing to deceive BSkyB. HP will be seeking permission to appeal."
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Exclusive: Asus details Apple Tablet challenger, the Eee Pad
TechRadar recently caught up with Asus' Corporate Vice President, Eric Chen, in a wide-ranging interview in which the boss of the Taiwanese Eee PC computing giant told us more about his plans for an affordable, touchscreen, 3G-connected tablet computer – the Nvidia Tegra 2-powered Eee Pad.
When asked directly: "It looks like Apple is going to announce its tablet PC this month. Does Asus have any plans in that area?" the Asus VP gave us the following response:
"A slate? Yes, sure. We have the Eee Pad. Which right now is still under development. Basically, it will have an ARM CPU and a 3G connection so you are always connected to the internet, so just like with the Eee Book you are always connected.
"And you can choose to play video or something, when you like. Now the key is how to combine the content together. That will be the key. We have studied how people will want to connect to their content and also how they want to interact with the user interface (UI).
"You look at the iPhone, for example. The reason the iPhone is so successful – and call quality is really not that good – is the UI function, I think, is just the best. So this is also the way that we need to improve."
Specs and launch still tbc
To date, further attempts to find out more about the planned spec and launch date for the Eee Pad have proved largely fruitless. When asked about the near-future plans for Asus' new ultralight UL Series and for the Eee Pad and Eee Readers range, John Swatton, UK Marketing Manager at Asus told TechRadar:
"We are currently negotiating deals with Telcos and content providers and commercial partners."
Swatton would not be drawn on any further details on the Eee Pad's proposed spec or launch date, beyond adding: "We want to be able to offer our consumers that ideal combination of price, specification, functionality and performance [with the Eee Pad]."
Expect to hear more on Asus' affordable, Nvidia Tegra 2-powered tablet device very soon, with a number of other computing brands sure to follow in Apple's wake, following Steve Jobs finally unveiling his own tablet PC today.
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Twitter Trends finally go local
Twitter's trending topics have been given a local flavour, so fans of the service can now see what particular subject is becoming popular in their home town.
Although the service was announced last week, it was a soft launch. Now Local Trends is available to all who use Twitter.
"As Twitter evolves, and more people share what's happening in their own world, we want to provide another way for people to discover topics that may be relevant to them," says Jenna Dawn, of Twitter, in a blog post.
"Last week we began to slowly roll out a new feature called Local Trends to expose what people are talking about on the state and city level, and today we've fully launched so everyone can use it."
Nuances in our world
Trending topics have been one way to keep up with the zeitgeist on the social-networking service.
Everything from the recent Haitian earthquake to the Obama election victory have been trending topics on Twitter – with anyone contributing to the topics by simple adding a hashtag before the topic's title.
"Local Trends will allow you to learn more about the nuances in our world and discover even more relevant topics that might matter to you," continues the blog.
"We'll be improving this feature over time to provide more locations, languages, and data through our API."
As to whether the service is actually down in Acapulco, we have no idea. But instead of facts getting in the way of a terrible pun, let us know if you are Mexico-bound and experiencing any Local Trends difficulty by Following TechRadar on Twitter.
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Complaints over 'false' illegal file sharer letters
Consumer magazine Which? Computer says it has received complaints from a number of people who claim they have been falsely targeted by a law firm going after illegal file sharers.
Which? states that some of those who have received letters from ACS:Law have no knowledge of the offences they're alleged to have committed. 10 new people have approached the magazine since the law company sent out its most recent round of letters a fortnight ago.
According to the magazine's technology editor, Matt Bath: "Innocent consumers are being threatened with legal action for copyright infringements they not only haven't committed, but wouldn't know how to commit."
Out-of-court settlements
ACS:Law offers those it contacts the opportunity to settle out of court for around آ£500, and Bath fears that many will choose that route to avoid the stress and expense of a court battle.
On its website, ACS:Law claims that "80 per cent of all defendants opt for settlements outside of court, for amounts more than originally claimed," and says that it has been instructed "to increase the number of claims we issue at court by at least 300 per cent over the coming months."
However, it admitted it had dropped some cases from last year. To date none of its actions has resulted in a court appearance, and the company is under investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
According to ACS:Law spokesman Anthony Crossley, the firm represents a number of clients, including DigiProtect, a German content forum based in Frankfurt. The front page of the DigiProtect website says "We love music".
Bath advises those who are innocent but accused to "rigorously deny it and, if possible, provide physical evidence of where they were when the infringement took place," and to contact Which?.
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Paddy Power pegs iPad as odds-on favourite name
When high street bookies are taking bets on what a computer is going to be called, you know something is up!
Paddy Power is listing the Apple iPad as its 1/3 favourite out of a list of ten possible names for the new device.
Following a story on the bet published in the Economist, the name iPad soon become the odds-on favourite at the well-known Irish bookmakers.
Place yer bets
We will know just after 6pm later tonight, when Steve Jobs unveils the iPad, iSlate, iTablet or whatever else it might be called.
In the meantime, if you fancy a flutter, you might want to pop round to your local betting shop right now.
Keep an eye on Paddy Power's changing odds here.
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Microsoft planning WinMo 7 phones before 2011
Microsoft looks like it might actually beat predictions and release Windows Mobile 7 before the end of the year.
The news will be welcome to WinMo fans, as not only have they had to put up with news that the OS was delayed, but also that the first mobiles running WM7 won't be available until 2011.
But sources have told CNET that the operating system will be debuting this year, with manufacturers getting their hands on the platform this summer.
Big step
As previously reported, the OS will be a new step for the Redmond company, with integration for a number of platforms from Microsoft, such as Xbox Live and the Zune platform.
We'll be interested to see if Microsoft does show off the new platform at Mobile World Congress, and if it also releases the oft-rumoured Windows Mobile 6.6 platform, which basically makes WinMo a lot more finger friendly with larger tiles.
We'll be there on the show floor at MWC to find out all the gossip – check back for all the information on any releases from Microsoft, HTC, Samsung and friends.
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Is this the real Apple Tablet?
Apple launches its tablet computer at 6pm GMT at an event in San Francisco today.
The technology industry is rife with rumour, speculation and half-cocked theories about and analysis of the device, before Steve Jobs has even announced its existence.
These latest 'spy shots' (courtesy of Engadget) look plausible enough. But then again, we'll have to wait till later tonight to see if they are the real deal or not.
Oversized iPhone
The picture sure looks like what most folks seem to be expecting – an oversized iPhone style device, that looks to be running a version of the iPhone's Safari internet browser with tabs.
In the upper left of the screen there is a message that says "No Service," which suggests 3G in addition to a Wi-Fi logo.
We'll be covering the Apple event from San Francisco later this evening. Be sure to check back in just after 6pm to follow proceedings as they happen.
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Internet companies worried by Italian copyright law
A proposed Italian law has united internet companies and civil liberties groups. Scheduled to be approved next month, the law would make ISPs and sites such as YouTube responsible for monitoring TV content on their sites, as well as for any copyright infringement by users.
The law arrives just as Google is fighting a copyright infringement suit against Italian company Mediaset, which happens to be owned by Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian PM. Mediaset is claiming 500 million Euros in damages from YouTube.
Paolo Nuti, president of the Italian Internet Providers Association, doesn't believe the law was written specifically to aid Mediaset, but admitted that "as it is written at the moment... the law would certainly help Mediaset in the procedure it has open against Google."
Under the new regulations, internet sites would have the same liability as television stations for their content, leaving them open to large fines for violations. Next month the Italian parliament will offer a non-binding opinion to the government. From there, the draft decree will only need approval by the president to become law.
European Commission concern
Civil liberties group Article 21 claims the new law would "block any possibility of development" in a country which already has one of the lowest rates of ADSL usage in Western Europe.
The European Commission might also become involved, possibly opening an investigation to see whether the new decree infringes EU norms.
Google, meanwhile, says that the law would affect the company in Italy. The company's senior European public policy counsel, Marco Pancini, said: "The first step is to discuss this with Italian authorities to try to find a solution and we think this is do-able. The next step, if the law stays as it is, is going to be to discuss this with the European authorities."
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Review: Acer Aspire 5738PG-644G32Mn
The Acer Aspire 5738PG-644G32Mn is a laptop that boasts touchscreen capabilities designed to enhance the user experience.
We were initially sceptical at how intuitive the screen would prove, but were quickly won over. Elsewhere, this machine is well built, comfortable to use and provides good all round performance for the price.
The 15.6-inch screen features touch functionality and is designed to make using the laptop as intuitive as possible.
Acer has succeeded admirably in implementing this with the Windows 7 operating system and, while it's obviously early days for the technology on laptops – rather than Tablet PCs – this machine is certainly a step in the right direction.
Getting started is as simple as calibrating the screen. You then navigate your way through the operating system using only your fingers – we found it far quicker than using the touchpad and mouse buttons.
To demonstrate the technology and provide you with a media centre, Acer's Touch Portal software is included and lets you browse and select your music, movie and photo libraries using touch functionality – this all works well.
We found the touch functionality most successful when using Windows Internet Explorer and surfing the web was quick and extremely intuitive. The only major downside is the shiny Super-TFT screen coating in place, which quickly gets covered in distracting fingerprints.
As we've come to expect from Acer, build quality is very good, with firm plastics providing the machine with excellent durability. The keyboard is also decent, although it's very flat and occasionally easy to get lost on when typing at speed.
The Intel Core 2 Duo processor is combined with 4096MB of memory to provide fast everyday performance and you'll have no problem running office applications or the touch software.
Multimedia worker
The inclusion of a dedicated ATi graphics card also means this machine is suited to multimedia work and, even though the latest games will struggle, photo and movie editing won't be a problem.
Portability is good and we managed to squeeze a more than satisfactory 250 minutes from the battery. The 2.8kg weight won't prove an issue for regular travelling.
802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet provide the latest networking technologies. There are also four USB ports, as well as VGA and HDMI out ports.
We like the Acer Aspire 5738PG- 644G32Mn a lot and while, realistically, you'll be using the keyboard and touchpad as much as you did before, the touch screen technology is well implemented and very intuitive to use.
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Explained: What makes an HDTV a 3D Ready TV?
Just as new high definition TVs were marketed as 'HD ready', expect the first wave of 3D-capable sets to wear a '3D Ready' sticker.
DisplaySearch forecasts that 3D TV shipments will balloon from 0.2 million units in 2009 to 64 million units by 2018, raking in $17 billion along the way. The revolution will be televised. And those of us with the biggest wallets will enjoy it in 3D.
But what does '3D Ready' mean, and what defines a 3D Ready TV? Samsung's 3D-capable 7000, 8000 and 9000 Series HDTVs, for example, will include a proprietary 3D processor and emitter. These are designed to be compatible with multiple 3D standards, including half/full HD resolution formats and the recently finalised Blu-ray 3D specification.
All of which suggests that the term '3D Ready' is just a catch-all phrase for a less exciting (but more accurate) one – 3D-capable.
3D TV size and refresh rate
While there seems to be no restrictions in terms of TV size, a 3D TV needs a minimum refresh rate of 120Hz (a basic 60Hz displayed for each eye). The higher the refresh rate, the smoother the 3D effect. So a 240Hz set will be capable of outputting 120Hz to each eye.
HDMI 1.4 will also be required for full HD per eye viewing.
Until the broadcast industry settles on a standard, any '3D Ready' badge will need a graphic depicting some fingers firmly crossed.
Blu-ray 3D is the closest that we currently have to an accepted 3D standard. The Blu-ray Disc Association has given the thumbs up to Multiview Video Coding, a variant of the existing high-def H.264/MPEG-4 AVC codec. The world's first 3D Blu-ray disc, Monsters Vs Aliens, was announced at CES 2010.
Of course, how you view 3D content has also not been set in stone. Cinemas currently use three different types of 3D glasses – passive polarized glasses, active LCS glasses, and Infitec (Dolby 3-D) glasses.
At CES 2010, manufacturers such as Samsung, Sony and Panasonic all favoured active shutter technology, although these can be expensive and need a power source.
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Samsung first company to mass-produce 3D TVs
Samsung has announced its 3D intentions this week, with the news it is the first company to mass produce 3D TVs for market.
The TVs will be LCD-based, with some using LED technology and the glasses used will be called 3D Active Glasses – not the greatest moniker ever but at least it is Ronseal-esque.
The panels will be using Samsung's 240Hz technology and will come in 40-inch, 46-inch and 55-inch flavours.
From the 3D we have seen – and we have seen a lot – it may well be that the 55-inch panel becomes the most popular, as it is definitely the best sort of size to view 3D on.
As you would expect, the TVs will be Full HD and will happily play all your 2D content to the best of their abilities.
The reason Samsung is using active-shutter technology rather than the cheaper polarising 3D is because it delivers 'a more lifelike picture'.
In its release Samsung pooh-poohs polarised 3D because it "separates images for the left and right eyes, resulting in half the resolution of two-dimensional pictures as only half of the screen can be viewed through each polarised filter. Brightness was also lowered because of the polarised filter."
So there you go.
No actual model names have been given out, but we're expecting the TVs to be the same as the ones announced at CES 2010. This includes the best TV we saw at the show – the brilliant UNC9000 series.
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Review: Rock Xtreme 790
UK-based Rock is well known for its high-performance gaming laptops and offers the latest components housed within generic chassis designs. The Xtreme 790 brings Intel's Core i7 technology to the range and provides truly stunning levels of quad-core power.
Powered by an Intel Core i7 920 processor, performance goes beyond what you would expect from a laptop. Running at 2.66GHz, the CPU is backed by a staggering 6144MB of high-speed DDR3 memory and vastly outperforms every laptop that we've ever tested.
When running standard 32-bit applications, performance is outstanding. It is when running 64-bit software designed to fully utilise its multi-core CPU that the Rock really shines, however, dispatching complex tasks with a level of ease that we have never seen before.
Bulky chassis
To accommodate such powerful components, the chassis is one of the bulkiest on the market. Its 66mm depth and 5.2kg weight mean you'll struggle to move it far from your desk, as will the awful 81-minute battery life.
Built by Taiwanese manufacturer Clevo, the generic design lacks style, but proves resilient enough for regular use. A combination of four large fans and vents on the base of the chassis keep the system suitably cool, without proving noisy.
Graphics are provided by a top-of-the range Nvidia GPU for impressive gaming power. In a chassis this large, it is a shame that Rock hasn't used two cards in an SLI configuration, as the extra performance would have perfectly complimented the high-powered quad-core CPU.
The 17-inch Super-TFT screen has a 16:10 aspect ratio, rather than a 16:9 true widescreen design. Quality is excellent nevertheless, with sharp and vibrant images on offer. The panel is not as bright as we'd have liked, but it is still ideal for gaming and home entertainment use.
The keyboard is located quite far back on the chassis, forcing the user to lean forward slightly to type, but usability is otherwise excellent and all keys move smoothly and responsively.
Finally, extra features are fantastic. An integrated hybrid tuner is fitted for watching and recording TV, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet provide high-speed network connectivity and a three year on-site warranty is included for comprehensive at-home repairs.
Overall, the Xtreme 790 is a mixed bag. While performance is outstanding and is backed by strong usability and features, the lack of SLI-graphics is an odd omission considering the machine's size and price.
If you're seeking the most powerful laptop around though, this is it.
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HTC's Bravo set to trump Google's Nexus One
HTC's 'secret' new high and handset (secret being only that the company hasn't confirmed it) looks likely to offer some decent specs after new information about the phone surfaced.
Pictures of the device have appeared from Poland, and it's shown to be running HTC's fancy Sense UI overlay, on top of the Android 2.1 operating system also seen from Google's Nexus One.
There will also apparently be HD video recording on board as standard, although HTC's camera performance on its mobile phones hasn't been anywhere near industry leading, so we're not as excited about that as we might be from other brands.
Other specs have been 'released' (of course, feasibly just made up, but do fit with what we've heard before) in the shape of a 3.7-inch OLED display, 512MB of RAM and a 1GHz Snapdragon processor.
Head to head
In terms of comparisons with the Google Nexus One, the HTC Bravo looks very similar, apart from more physical buttons at the bottom of the device (which beats the slightly unresponsive touch-sensitive offerings from Google's phone).
The Bravo also sheds the physical trackball in place of a optical trackpad, so overall it looks like a spiffier device – which makes its release confusing, seeing as HTC designed the Nexus One too.
Well, at least the consumer gets to choose – the might of the Google brand or the stability of the ever-improving HTC phone range? Word is that this phone will be announced at Mobile World Congress, and will has a UK release date for the end of March.
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Jason Calacanis publishes full details on the Apple tablet
Web entrepreneur and CEO of Mahalo, Jason Calacanis, has released some interesting details about Apple's tablet computer via Twitter, possibly scuppering some of Steve Jobs' surprises for the official launch in San Francisco at 6pm GMT this evening.
Calacanis said on his Twitter account, that he has had an Apple tablet for ten days already and that: "For background: apple asked me to do press tomorrow on cnbc, cnn, etc."
Of course, it should be made clear that these are just the opinions of Calacanis, who might just be having a little joke with Apple's legions of fans. Quite possibly not, but until we hear it from the mouth of Steve Jobs later today nothing is to be taken as 'official'.
Tablet feature list
In terms of features, Calacanis notes that the tablet has an OLED screen; a solar pad for recharging on the back (the device is mainly battery-powered); is running on an iPhone OS variation; can run multiple apps at the same time; has thumb pads on each side (for mouse gestures) and has fingerprint verification (up to 5 profiles can be registered on one device).
Most interestingly, he adds that the Apple tablet also has a HDTV tuner, a PVR and a chess game built-in; has a back camera and front camera and has a wireless keyboard and monitor connection for external monitors
Justified hype
Calacanis also said the following about the new Apple device:
- It's "the most amazing device ever"
- It's "really amazing for newspapers"
- Video conferencing is "super stable"
- Battery life is "great" when it comes to reading ebooks but not so great (2-3 hours) in Wi-Fi mode or when playing games
- Tailor-made games are "sick", on Wii level
- The customised Farmville app (which Jobs is going to demo tomorrow with the CEO of the company behind it) is "insane"
- The tablet will be offered by Verizon and ATT
- It will cost $599, $699 or $799, depending on the screen size and internal memory
Calacanis could not reveal the name or show any pictures of the new Apple device. You can follow Jason on Twitter to keep up with whatever else he knows at twitter.com/Jason
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Review: Dell Studio 1557
Dell's Studio 15 greatly impressed us last year by combining power, usability and features at a truly affordable price, and even won our award for best laptop of 2009. It has now been updated with Intel's latest quad-core technology, making the Studio 1557 even better.
Performance is staggering. The Intel Core i7 processor more than doubles the power of the previous dual-core Studio 15.
Multiple applications can run simultaneously with stunning speed and reliability, making this one of the most powerful laptops you can buy at this price.
ATi powered
Graphics performance is equally impressive. The dedicated ATi graphics card is designed to smoothly process high definition (HD) video and also provides power for basic gaming. An HDMI port is in place for connecting to an HDTV.
Predictably, this power impacts on mobility. While previous Core 2 Duo models ran for as long as 293 minutes, this latest machine runs for just 186-minutes. Bear this in mind, as a Core 2 Duo machine provides ample power for most users and Core i7 will be overkill for many buyers.
The impressive build quality of the previous model remains and you can customise the chassis with various colours and designs. The glossy lid of the basic model is a magnet for fingerprints, but a tougher matt finish can be added for آ£29.
The keyboard is equally well made and extremely comfortable to use. All the keys are large and feature a smooth, tactile finish and respond accurately and quietly, even when typing at speed. The entire board is also backlit, making it easy to keep working in low light conditions.
Bright screen
The 15.6-inch widescreen panel is equally well made and ideally suited to entertainment use. Impressive brightness levels and strong colour and contrast bring photos and videos to vivid life.
The capacious 320GB hard drive will easily hold all of your music and photos, while the 8-in-1 card reader provides comprehensive support for storage card formats. A slot-loading, dual-layer DVD rewriter is also in place and can be upgraded to offer Blu-ray support for آ£100.
Rounding out the impressive specification is 802.11n Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet and an eSATA port for high speed data transfers to external drives. An integrated webcam is also in place and Microsoft Works software is installed as standard, providing basic home office tools.
Building on its already strong foundation, the Studio 1557 makes stunning quadcore performance truly accessible to the consumer market. While the restrictions it places on mobility are unfortunate, they were inevitable and do little to flaw this impressive portable.
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50 per cent of Brits would buy an Apple games console
Is there an Apple games console on the cards? According to a new poll, 1 in 3 Brits believes that there is. And 50 per cent of us would buy it.
The poll was carried out by retail website MyVoucherCodes.co.uk who polled more than 2,000 people, and now reports that 1 in 3 believe an Apple videogame console is already in development and that half of those polled would buy it if there was.
The poll results also showed that Steve Jobs is "the most respected entrepreneur" ahead of Richard Branson and Bill Gates.
In other interesting statistics news, 2 in 5 preferred Apple to Microsoft products, 81 per cent believe that Microsoft's Xbox 360 would be worst hit if Apple did launch a console and a mere 16 per cent said they would "definitely not buy an Apple videogames console if one was developed."
Apple popularity peak
Mark Pearson, founder of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk said: "It's fair to say that Apple's popularity is at an absolute peak, and I can't see wunderkind Steve Jobs and the board allowing the momentum to slow down.
"The launch today of their iSlate, if that is the name the company decide to release their iTablet under, coincides with huge consumer support for Apple. Steve Jobs, despite not being the richest entrepreneur on the block is revered by the majority, making his brand very dangerous in the open market.
"If Apple were to release a videogames console as there seems to be demand for, it would be the Kryptonite to Microsoft's Xbox 360's Superman - consumers will always play the two off against each other.
"I believe Jobs' Apple would dominate videogaming in the way iPod has become synonymous with MP3 players, and iPhones have led the charge for the title of 'must-have' mobile phone. We see it online at MyVoucherCodes – Apple products remain the leaders in their field in terms of search and sales statistics."
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HP's tablet computer range detailed in new video demo
HP has detailed its plans for its own tablet computer, which the company is developing in conjunction with Microsoft.
The HP/Microsoft slate computer was announced in Steve Ballmer's keynote at CES in Las Vegas earlier this month.
HP Minis
HP is calling the new computing category 'Minis' and the company is trying to develop a range of devices pitched somewhere between a smartphone, an ebook and a traditional laptop, with screens between 6 and 10-inches in size.
HP says the product range has been in development for around the last 5 years in its Bristol research centre.
It is only due to recent advances in processor and touchscreen tech that such machines are now being pitched to the consumer market.
HP notes that it "can hit a size, weight, battery life and price point that will make this product a mainstream offering".
We should see a release of HP's first Mini later in 2010.
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China opens door for Android phone release
China has offered the possibility of Google allowing the launch of more Android-powered phones in its country.
Google has previously blocked the release of new phones running Android – its own mobile operating system – after the cyber attack it received in China.
But Zhu Hongren, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology spokesman, said that the releases would not be altered or limited providing they comply with Chinese law.
Limited functionality
The phones – which were set to launch on China Unicom and be manufactured by Samsung and Motorola – may still be launched, but without the Google branding. Whether Motorola and Samsung want to release phones that don't have the full set of intended features is unclear.
Google has still not made a firm decision on whether it wants to 'pull out' of China following the attacks on its site – but it seems China may be willing to open talks when responding to the question on Android.
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Nintendo rejected Microsoft's Project Natal technology
Nintendo rejected the technology that eventually developed into Microsoft's Project Natal, due to concerns over cost, according to Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata.
According to a report over on CVG, the news comes from a "top insider" at Nintendo's Japanese HQ, which says Israeli firm 3DV Systems showed an early demo of its motion-control technology to Mr Iwata back in 2007.
Iwata rejects Natal
"Iwata only ever invests in something he can guarantee will work for a Nintendo audience," said CVG's source.
"3DV showed off a camera that detected motion in 3D, and had voice recognition - but Iwata was unconvinced he could sell it at a Nintendo price point. He also had some worries around latency during gameplay."
If true, the information confirms 3DV's involvement in the development of Natal. Microsoft bought 3DV in 2009, which strongly indicated that the company was behind Natal's motion-control tech.
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Namco and EA Sports to embrace Apple Tablet
Peter Moore, president of EA Sports, has claimed that Apple's soon-to-be-unveiled Tablet PC has lots of potential as a games machine.
Plus, other major games pulishers including Japanese giant Namco Bandai (who has sold 23 million gaming apps on the Apple App Store to date) are readying themselves for Apple's latest computer.
Tablet gaming
"If it's got a great screen, some buttons, you can turn it on and it connects to the Internet, it's got the ability to be a games machine," EA Sports boss Peter Moore told Bloomberg
Jon Kromrey, general manager of the Apple games group at Namco Networks America said: "I'm having fun thinking about all the wonderful things we can do with the device when it's announced."
Apple is finally set to put the many rumours about its new tablet computer to rest when it unveils the machine later today in San Francisco at 6pm GMT.
Edge noted this week that a recent study claims that at least 150 games are being developed already for release on Apple's tablet computer,
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Tablet computer industry worth آ£600 million a year
Apple is launching its new tablet computer in San Francisco later today, kick-starting what is believed to be a new consumer computing market worth آ£600 million a year.
The Apple tablet will be unveiled by the company's CEO, Steve Jobs, at a press launch later this evening at 6pm GMT. We will of course bring you the full news, opinion and analysis on the new device later today.
Business advisory firm Deloitte believes the market for consumer tablet computers is set to be worth at least آ£600 million a year worldwide, with Apple and others set to sell millions of these slate computers in the coming year.
''While it is difficult to forecast sales of devices whose specifications are unknown, some analysts estimate 12-month sales from launch of over one billion dollars. This is larger than global sales of personal navigation devices," said Paul Lee, Deloitte's director of knowledge and research.
Bill Gates called it
Of course, tablet computing has been around for some time, but mainly in the business market and specialist medical technology market.
Back in the 1990s Apple's released its own Newton tablet style devices and in 2001 Bill Gates said: ''The Tablet takes cutting-edge PC technology and makes it available wherever you want it, which is why I'm already using a Tablet as my everyday computer.
''It's a PC that is virtually without limits – and within five years I predict it will be the most popular form of PC sold in America.''
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Nokia X6 now available in 16GB flavour
Nokia has announced that its popular Comes With Music phone offering, the Nokia X6, now comes without music and 16GB less memory – all in aid of a cut-down price.
The Nokia X6 was initially announced in September and finally landed on the scene in December and is by all accounts a nicely made device.
Sporting Ovi Store connectivity, a capacitive screen (the first for Nokia) and running Symbian S60 5th Edition as an OS, the X6 is a powerful phone with myriad multimedia features.
Price slash
The X6 16GB is a full 16GB less memory than the original and is now without Nokia's Comes With Music service.
Ridding itself of these features does mean that it is nearly half the price of the original X6 – at just آ£299 SIM-free.
If you want to go down the tariff route then you should be looking at paying around آ£25 per month.
TechRadar was told back in September that the Nokia X6 would come in this slimmed-down version sans Comes With Music so we are glad to see the Nokia X6 16Gb come to market.
You don't have to wait very long to purchase the handset, as it will be available from tomorrow (27 January) from www.nokia.co.uk/shop. If you are waiting to pay monthly for the device, then tariffs will be available from 24 February.
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