Tess Daly Pregnancy Diary iPhone app released
Though Tess Daly is currently taking some discreet time off since certain indiscretions, a free iPhone app to accompany Tess' Baby Diaries book has been released.
The app will guide mothers through their pregnancy and the first six months of the baby's life, and lets user keep notes in their diary and read similar notes from Tess as well as offering helpful suggestions on what books to buy (Tess' own book featuring heavily).
The YouTube videos accompanying the apps include some remarkably prescient words about the current situation, as she tells the camera "your life as you know if goes out the window and it's all about this little tiny person" - probably summing up her opinion of her husband quite nicely.
Not big Vern?
Notably not announced was Vernon Kay's Text Diary, a continuing account of increasingly poor choices of mobile texting and general marriage etiquette followed by a guide to dealing with death threats and how to make public apologies sound convincing.
We're all for clever convergence of new media opportunities here at TechRadar, but we can't help but feel the release of this app might have been better saved for, well, any other week ever.
That goes double for releasing on iTunes, a platform with user-written reviews. The best one so far is: "while she was moving on to a chapter on morning sickness, Terry was scoring away from home". Ah yes, Vernon Terry, that great England centre-back/light entertainment host.
 |  |
Read More ...
Exclusive: Sky's Mobile TV now enabled for 3G
Sky Mobile TV is now usable over 3G, with Apple allowing the change to the app and giving users the option to stream television shows and live sports over the mobile phone networks.
Sky's subscription mobile offering launched on the iPhone back in November – offering streaming television channels like Sky Sports News, Sky News and live sports channels over Wi-Fi.
Now, for the آ£6 a month fee, Sky's channels will be available over 3G networks as well as Wi-Fi.
Available on 3G
"The UK's largest Mobile TV service is now available on 3G for all iPhone users," Sky told TechRadar.
"The Sky Mobile TV app launched in November last year and offers the best in live TV on the move initially allowing users to stream content over Wi-Fi from Sky Sports, Sky Sports News, Sky News, ESPN and At The Races.
"Sports fans will be able to watch all live televised Barclays Premier League, Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premiere League and Coca Cola Football Leagues on 3G as well as live coverage of international and domestic cricket, PGA European Tour Golf, Guinness Premiership Rugby and a range of other sports.
"Customers who already have the app will have received an update to advise them that the service is now available on 3G. New customers will need to download the app from the App store or at www.itunes.com/appstore and subscribe to the Sky Mobile TV service for آ£6 a month and register for a Sky customer ID."
Well received
The app has been well received, with MacFormat's Chris Phin commenting on a Sky Mobile TV review published on TechRadar that the 'quality was incredible'.
But will the 3G networks be able to cope with it? A spokesman for O2 was kind enough to tell TechRadar that the company was aware of the application.
"Yes, I can confirm that the Sky Sports will work over our 3G network," said O2.
| |
Read More ...
In Depth: 10 things Google should change for Nexus 2
In the wake of our recent Nexus One review, it became obvious that comparisons to other models, including one unmentionable godphone, are raising some ire.
The common view: review the phone for its actual features, not what it lacks! And yet, using the Nexus One does inspire these comparisons – like driving an automobile that is almost astounding and therefore reminds you of what the vehicle lacks.
Could Google somehow create a better phone in the Nexus 2? Yes, and here's how.
1. Fix the accelerometer
We complained about how the Nexus One would not recognize a tilt as quickly as other phones that have an accelerometer. We won't mention the godphone, but even the BlackBerry Storm 2 and the Palm Pre respond faster.
Now, we'll need to explain how the tilt works. Modern smartphones use a micro-electromechanical system that recognizes orientation. However, these tiny springs (only about 3 microns in size) which sense movement work directly with software routines.
It's possible the Nexus One has the hardware chops and Android is to blame, since the HTC hero suffers a similar ailment (at least the model we tested). The Nextus (ahem) should recognize tilt faster – rotating the device should cause the keyboard to rotate instantly.
BETTER TILT: The BlackBerry Storm 2 also responds faster to tilt, although still not quite as fast as the unmentionable phone
2. Keyboard sensitivity
OK, the tilt function is the most grievous problem. However, reports of the soft keyboard on the Nexus One have indicated it might have problems as well.
As we mentioned in our review, we did not experience any outright failures. However, the successor needs to address key sensitivity – you do need to sometimes press once or twice to register a key press, and that is just not going to work for our email happy society unless Google re-imagines the Nexus One with a flip-open keyboard. This is one major advantage the Motorola Milestone has over the Nexus.
3. Address some Android deficiencies
We're big fans of the Android OS, especially its portability to other hardware platforms including a recent Acer Aspire netbook that uses Android. There's no question that Android has a loyal following, plenty of apps, and a bright future.
However, there are some headscratchers with this OS, namely that it tends to be overly technical for simple tasks, such as deleting an email. Google, put common functions on the screen where they are obvious, such as Google Maps nav options, email functions for forwarding and deleting (for messages in a list so you do not need to open each one to find these buttons), and a few key camera settings.
Interestingly, the Nexus One could learn some lessons from Nokia, who tends to favour more obvious on-screen functions in the Symbian rather than sub-menus.
EASIER OPTIONS: Nokia phones such as the N97 tend to be less technical with on-screen options and put them right on the screen rather than buried in a menu
4. Add a screen coating
Complaining about screen grime seems like a bit, we know. After all, most smartphones do not use a protective coating like the unmentionable device, and you can always use a screen protector.
The problem is that the Nexus One screen seems to attract grease and grime, and if the successor used a protective coating, we would not need to use a screen protector. It's a minor complaint, but one that still fits our vehicle comparison where you just can't help but notice the grime.
5. Storage for app downloads
One perplexing problem with the Nexus One is that you can only download apps to a storage allocation of about 190MB. That fills up quickly with games and business utilities, not to mention media apps.
We asked Google about this one and it would not go on record to explain why this is the allotment or how it will fix the problem, but the Nexus One supports flash cards up to 32GB, so we think the successor will address this problem and free up more space for downloads.
6. Haptics is for newbies
There is a lot of debate about haptics technology, the slight buzzing sensation you feel when you press one of the four hardware buttons on the Nexus One.
Some interface experts say it's a killer feature because it means you don't have to look at the device. On the Nexus One, these buttons are imprecise at best, and unusable at worst (especially if you really do try to press them without looking).
BETTER HAPTICS: Haptics on phones such as the Samsung Instinct HD work much better than they do on the Nexus One, which tends to miss key presses
We're not big fans of the Samsung Instinct HD, which relies too much on haptics. In general, haptics only work if they are implemented extremely well; otherwise, the buzzing is more of a distraction than an aid and mar the overall phone experience.
7. Carrier partnerships
Open handsets are the future – similar to how a PC doesn't need to be locked into one particular operating system (that's a joke). Actually, we know how subsidized phones do help with initial costs, especially in the UK where you are more likely to find a free smartphone on offer than in the US. And yet, the reality in the US (for now) is that the Nexus One really only works with T-Mobile.
The successor needs to support CDMA and more carriers, but most importantly should be available in multiple versions. The process should work like this: you go to a Google store, select the carrier you want to use, buy the phone that matches that carrier platform, and then arrange a contract on your own terms, at your own price and length.
8. Make a real Android video store
Before Google makes a new Android phone, the company needs to address one glaring issue – the complete lack of a video store. Suprising, because the the wonderful 800x480 resolution, WVGA, AMOLED screen is a stunner – bright, clear, and massive compared to many other smartphones.
Movies would look fantastic, and you can easily load them with your PC. However, Google needs a video store where you can rent and buy Hollywood movies right from the device.
9. Really add 802.11a this time
When we reviewed the Nexus One, we asked about an unusual specification listed at google.com/phone – that the phone supports 802.11a. This is unlikely, we thought, because A is an unusual spec that uses a different channel from B/G.
We wondered about this because A is not that common anymore. (We have noticed the site no longer lists A capability.) And yet, perhaps there is a way to get A to work on a smartphone – Atheros or Broadcom, work your magic!
The more consistent Wi-Fi speeds could mean reliable transmissions and work with dual-band routers. If Google can pack 802.11n (which is still listed as a feature for the Nexus One but is not) into a successor, with 100MBps speeds, we'd be even happier.
10. Fix the USB problem
One last minor issue – the Nexus One forces you to mount the device as a USB drive each time you connect it to your computer. This is just an extra step and no other phone we have tested recently has this limitation.
BETTER USB: When you connect the Palm Pre, you are prompted to connect over USB, charge the device, or just add media files
The successor should work like the Palm Pre or the unmentionable phone: just mount automatically. There is no reason other phones mount automatically and the Nexus requires the mount.
| |
Read More ...
MWC 2010: Sagem gets sporty with the Puma Phone
Sagem has chosen Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to show off its latest handset – the Puma Phone.
You would never guess with the name but Sagem has teamed up with Puma – crazy, we know – to unleash this beast of a phone which, according to Sagem, "encourages an active way of life both digitally and physically."
As far as we can tell this means adding a Puma logo to the back and the top of the device to make it look a bit sporty, which is akin to adding go-faster stripes to a car in a bid to make it, well, go faster.
To be fair, there are some sport-related specs under the bonnet. These include a pedometer, GPS tracker and stopwatch and it will play a multitude of music file formats to keep you running and an integrated FM radio.
The phone also packs in a 2.8-inch touchscreen with 240 x 320 QVGA resolution, a 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash and VGA video camera.
Connectivity comes in the form of 3G, Bluetooth and USB 2.0 and the phone weighs in at a rather light 115g. It's also packing a solar cell which is actually really handy.
As it is Puma through and through, you will also be able to interact with multimedia content from puma.com, download Puma applications, and access Puma products. Oh, and Puma has also branded the menu screen just in case you forget to look at the phone's chassis and realise that the company has its paw prints all over it.
The Puma Phone has a UK release date of April, with pricing and network availability to be announced.
| |
Read More ...
MWC 2010: Symbian^3 operating system released
The Symbian Foundation has announced Symbian^3, its first fully open source release after its recent transition should be "feature complete" by the end of the first quarter of 2010.
This means that the first phones using the new operating system are on target for later this year, as was suggested earlier this month.
New features
The new software brings with it an impressive list of user-oriented features, including radio and music store integration, a gesture framework for multi-touch support and multiple pages of widgets with the ability to open several instances of the same widget, so you could monitor different Twitter accounts or email addresses at once.
There's also HDMI support for full 1080p high definition playback on an external monitor or TV, so hopefully we could see phones using powerful platforms like Nvidia's Tegra 2 powering the OS.
There are also new features for developers to take advantage of, including better memory management which promises serious multitasking, hardware acceleration in both the interface and in gaming with OpenGL ES while there's also support for 4G mobile networks.
Lee M. Williams, Executive Director of the Symbian Foundation, said that "S^3 is another huge milestone in the evolution of our platform. Now that it is fully open source, the door is open to individual contributors, device creators and third-party developer companies".
Of course, with Android already parading around as the open source system of choice, we'll have to see if Symbian can use its large profile to elbow Google's offering out of the way.
| |
Read More ...
56% of UK people want watch-anywhere movie option
The UK public has spoken and demanded – well ticked 'yes' in a survey – that it wants to watch media on a number of devices and switch seamlessly between them.
The report by QuickPlay Media found that 55 per cent of those surveyed have an interest in multi-screen services that let them watch a programme on one device and then seamlessly switch to watching it on another.
This essentially means that they want to be able to look at content on their TV then switch to the same content on their mobile phone when they got out / need to go to the toilet.
Out of the people polled, 70 per cent also said that they would come around to the idea of watching movie and TV content on their mobile phone and 56 per cent admitted that they already do.
Price point
This isn't surprising, considering the number of new handsets coming to the market which house 3.5-inches or higher screens, some of which are OLED.
The big bugbear for many is price, though, with 68 per cent of those asked stating that this was the reason they had not yet used their mobile to watch TV or video services.
The idea of multi-screen viewing is still a pipe dream at the moment – unless you physically get the content off of your TV and on to your handset.
With the proliferation of digital copies and news that Disney is looking into exactly this type of media model, however, it may actually become a mainstream realisation sooner rather than later.
| |
Read More ...
Digital Economy Bill questioned on human rights
The Government's Digital Economy Bill is coming under scrutiny from the Joint Committee on Human Rights, which has said that it needs to see more details in the law before it can be passed.
One significant issue the Committee has raised is whether the warning and disconnection system proposed in the Bill is a proportional response to the infringement targeted.
Not only that, but without more detail the Committee says it cannot make a judgement as to whether the disconnections will interfere with rights to privacy and freedom of expression.
With disconnection referred to as 'technical measures' in the Bill, the breadth of measures will also need to be specified, with the Committee adding: "As we have explained in the past, flexibility is not an appropriate reason for defining a power which engages individual rights without adequate precision to allow for proper parliamentary scrutiny of its proportionality."
Proportional response
For its part, the Government has argued that "the sending of notifications and the keeping of lists in themselves do not affect the level of service provided by the ISP and received by the subscriber," according to the report, though you would think eventually being cut off would quite significantly affect a subscriber's service.
The report from the Committee acknowledges the Government's response, but goes on to say that it considers that "there is a stronger case that these provisions may engage the right to respect for private life than has been acknowledged by the Government".
The technical side of the report concludes by recommending an assessment by OFCOM of the "necessity and proportionality" of the 'technical measures', and much better detailing of the "minimum criteria for the imposition of technical measures" including the standard of proof and the "trigger" for resorting to heavy measures.
With the Committee's report echoing earlier concerns about the lack of information about a right of appeal in the case of copyright infringement reports, it seems that the Digital Economy Bill is still far from being viable.
| |
Read More ...
Gary Marshall: Windows Phone 7 Series: now Microsoft has got mobile right
My daughter knows how to use my phone - not just pressing buttons at random but unlocking it, navigating between home screens, finding the app she wants to play with, launching it and shutting it down again.
She's two. The phone in question is an iPhone, but it looks like she'll be able to use Windows Phone Series 7 too. At long last, Microsoft gets it.
The "it" that Microsoft gets is simplicity. One of the key reasons the iPhone works so well for adults and toddlers alike is that it's simple. Simplicity isn't cramming a desktop OS into a phone; it's coming up with something that works well on a tiny device with a tiny screen. Until now, Microsoft was trying to do the former. Now it's doing the latter, it has a phone OS we're genuinely excited about.
We have our reservations, of course. The lack of Flash support is surprising. The internet experience was glossed over, which makes us think it may be horrible.
Windows Phone 7 Series is a terrible name. And if the OS is as new as Microsoft says it is, it's a version 1.0 product - and we're all familiar with how flawless and reliable Microsoft 1.0 products are. Despite this, though, we're very impressed. Windows-powered phones are looking sleek. They're looking smart. And best of all, they're looking simple.
Hopefully this is part of a bigger trend. For years, technology has become more and more complicated, often for no good reason. I do a monthly radio surgery where listeners phone in with their technology troubles, and more often than not they're being driven daft by something that should be simple, but isn't. Far from being an enabler, something that helps us get things done, technology can become a barrier, a binary bouncer that stops us doing the things we want to do.
Instead of getting furious, we've put up with it. We've even embraced it. When a gadget is so complicated that only three people in the world can use it, we've seen that as a good thing: instead of storming the manufacturer's office with angry torches, finding the design team and hanging them from the roof by their dangly bits, we've slagged off the users instead. "You can't work your gadget! HA HA!"
Look at the numbers: simplicity sells. The Wii outsells the Xbox 360 and the PS3. The iPhone outsells Windows Mobile. The iPad will outsell the Tablet PC. And if Microsoft doesn't make a mess of it, Windows Phone Series 7 will do serious business, too.
The moral for technology companies is clear: if you want to make big money from tech, don't go after the geeks. Test your tech on a two-year-old.
| |
Read More ...
MWC 2010: Orange confirms UK HD voice trials
Orange has confirmed it is to trial high-definition voice technology for mobile phones, which it hopes will banish crackly phone calls forever.
Instead of the garbled shout of "I can't hear you" every five minutes, users of HD voice will have, according to Orange, audio clarity never before heard on a mobile phone.
New era
Although TechRadar heard rumour as far back as December, the announcement was made at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where the company called the HD tech "a new era for mobile communications".
The three-month trials are expected in the UK as soon as spring and trials will soon be happening in other parts of Europe, with France, Spain and Luxembourg earmarked.
'Why HD voice on a mobile phone,' we hear you cry? Well, Orange has pointed out that phone calls are often lost in noisy or busy rooms so the technology will "create a much closer feeling of proximity between both parties, almost as if callers are actually in the same room."
Hopefully that means less shouting of the words "I'm on a train" then.
| |
Read More ...
Google apologises for major Buzz issues
Google has admitted that it was not rigorous enough in its testing of the new Google Buzz service, and issued an apology for the problems and privacy issues users are experiencing.
Buzz's early impact has been hit hard by the problems with the service – with things like the integration of third-party sites like Twitter not working as they were expected to at this point.
But it was the privacy issues – like the lists automatically created of the people you were following or being followed by – and the decision to make the lists public by default that attracted the most vitriol.
Talking to the BBC, Product Manager Todd Jackson said: "We're very early in this space. This was one of our first big attempts.
"We've been testing Buzz internally at Google for a while. Of course, getting feedback from 20,000 Googlers isn't quite the same as letting Gmail users play with Buzz in the wild."
Ch-ch-ch-Changes
"If it becomes clear that people don't think we've done enough, we'll make more changes," added Jackson.
Jackson also told the BBC that "tens of millions" of users were "rightfully upset" and that the firm was "very, very sorry".
"We know we need to improve things," he said.
It's an eye-opening admission from Google as they try to compete with the likes of Facebook and Twitter – with Buzz given a major launch and clearly seen as a key product for the company.
"We worked around the clock to make the code changes for these improvements; now we're putting them through a full testing process to identify any bugs and translating them into 53 languages so they reach all Gmail users," concluded Jackson.
| |
Read More ...
T-Mobile, Orange and Vodafone to sell HTC Desire
T-Mobile will offer the HTC Desire from 26 March in the UK, with Orange and Vodafone offering the device from April.
The Desire – called the Bravo ahead of its release – is already looking likely to be one of the most hotly desired phones of 2010.
T-Mobile has sprung a surprise by announcing it will be the first to stock the Desire, given that Vodafone took the stage at the HTC conference to be announced as a key partner to range all three phones: the Desire, Legend and HD Mini.
Patrick Chomet of Vodafone said: "This time last year, I was standing here with Peter announcing the HTC Magic.
"In the last year we've seen a lot of development in smartphones, and the progress made in that one year has been outstanding.
"We're pleased to say that Vodafone 360 services will come on these [HTC] phones and on other smartphone services."
The handset is almost the same as the Google Nexus One phone, but brings the Sense UI from HTC and a few cosmetic changes.
Eagerly awaited
"The Desire is one of the most eagerly-awaited handsets of the year, and without doubt one of the highlights of this year's Mobile World Congress," said T-Mobile.
"T-Mobile was the first network to bring Android to the UK, and we now offer our customers a larger range of Android-powered handsets than any other network".
Francois Mahieu, Director of Devices, Orange UK said, "We're really pleased to be working with HTC to bring the latest Android 2.1 device to market.
"The Desire is a truly powerful handset which will allow consumers to get to grips with all the things they love about the internet."
None of the networks has yet been forthcoming on the price of the handset, but we'll keep you posted.
| |
Read More ...
Sony stops OLED TV sales in Japan
Two years after launching its 11-inch XEL-1 OLED TV, Sony has ceased selling the product in its native Japan.
While OLED has been heralded as the future of flat screen TVs due the technology's slim profile and impressive image quality, it seems that Sony will focus on LED-backlit displays with 3D capability.
Japanese TV market research company DisplaySearch estimates that Sony produced about 2,000 OLED TVs last year, with each XEL-1 unit selling for 200,000 yen (about آ£1,400).
"As flat panel TVs are getting bigger and cheaper, hurdles for OLED models have become higher, at least in the short term," said Hisakazu Torii, vice president of DisplaySearch.
"We will continue to consider new products and applications including OLED TVs," said Sony's spokesman Shigenori Yoshida, while the company confirmed that it would continue research and development and production of OLED TVs in Europe and North America.
Several other manufacturers, including LG and Samsung have recently shown off OLED TVs of various sizes, so hopefully this isn't a sign of trouble ahead for much-vaunted technology.
| |
Read More ...
Freeview app launches for iPhone
Freeview has launched an iPhone app 'designed to help viewers plan their TV viewing while on the go'
The Freeview iPhone app is essentially another listings app, allowing you to see what is being shown on the Freeview channels – plus the HD channels on the Freeview HD service.
"Features including a 'now and next' view and 'Top 10' channel list will make it easier to plan TV viewing and keeping up to date with the most popular channels," says Freeview's release.
"Users can reorder channels so favourites appear first and customise listing to a viewer's local region."
No record functionality
Of course, the technophile audience may well be pointing out that Sky's listing app also lets you set your PVR, or that other EPG apps have been available for some time.
Tim Hunt, Marketing Communications Director at Freeview said: "As Freeview HD rolls-out across the UK, viewers can plan their HD viewing wherever they are with our new Freeview HD TV guide app.
"The launch of this smart app will allow users to cut a quicker path to their favourite channels and get the most out of planning their TV viewing."
The Freeview app is free and available for all iPhone and iPod touch users to download from iTunes now.
| |
Read More ...
Review: Mesh Edge15 Inspire RS
Mesh is a UK-based company which builds a broad range of laptops to hit a variety of prices. Despite a decent screen, the Edge15 Inspire RS is a laptop that offers very poor performance, severely restricting its overall appeal.
Despite featuring a relatively powerful Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4096MB of memory, performance is very disappointing. This is especially so considering the Sony VAIO VGN-NW20EF/P features a lower-powered, older processor and less memory, yet provides significantly better performance.
You'll be able to run office programs such as spreadsheets without too many issues, but multi-tasking with these programs, or indeed running any large multimedia programs such as photoediting suits, will cause the laptop's performance to drop significantly.
Poor 3D
The Mesh also has very limited 3D capabilities, meaning you won't be able to edit photos or even play very old games. This is due to the low-powered GPU in place, which showed some of the poorest performance we've seen of late.
Thankfully, the laptop's 15.6-inch screen is bright, crisp and clear. As with the PC Nextday Zoostorm 3389-2410 and Asus X5DAB-SX028V, the screen is slightly bigger than the Sony's 15.5-inch offering, but doesn't provide the same colour reproduction, so if watching films and viewing photos is a priority we would suggest the Sony as a better option.
A 500GB hard drive is in place and provides comprehensive storage for all your files and folders, and you won't need to worry about filling it up in the near future.
Build quality is decent, but unexceptional. The lid features a shiny black finish, which is a magnet for dust, and rather than emboss or engrave their logo on the panel backing, Mesh has chosen to employ a paper and glue sticker, which looks a little cheap.
The silver chassis is fairly tough, and there are a variety of ports dotted around the sides. A generic chassis has been used and the eSATA and HDMI ports have been blocked up where they would normally appear on more expensive models – again, this looks a little cheap.
The keyboard is very similar to the Sony's in style, although not quite as responsive, but the typing action is generally good. The 150-minite battery life falls short of our expected three hours, but still beats the Asus handsomely.
While not atrocious, the Mesh Edge15 Inspire RS is very hard to recommend over its rivals here due to its poor performance – both 3D and everyday. If, however, you're after a simple back-up machine then it may be worth a look.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
MWC 2010: In pictures: HTC's new handset range
This year's Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona is shaping up to be the best yet. But with a rather mute response to Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 Series announcement, it's taken another company to blow us away in the mobile phone stakes.
That company is HTC and below are some beautiful pictures of its latest handset range.
HTC Legend
The HTC Legend is the Hero on steroids. Packing Android 2.1 and a new aluminium chassis, the device is already shaping up to being our must-have phone of 2010.
With new features like Helicopter mode – which allows you to see all eight home screens at one – the phone nails both functionality and cool.
The addition of an OLED screen (3.2-inch HVGA) adds some imaging sparkle to the device – and will be great for watching movies on.
There's a lot of linking going on in the HTC Legend. This includes the option of having all your social-networking feeds in one place. Like, you know, having all your friends in one room.
HTC Desire
There's good reason why HTC is spitting superlatives at the moment. The aptly named HTC Desire boasts a massive 3.7-inch OLED screen and an ultra-powerful 1GHz Snapdragon chip from Qualcomm.
HTC's sense UI has also had an update, adding a more detailed calendar widget and tabbed emails which means better navigation. The weather widget still leaves a lot to be desired, however.
Facebook and Twitter integration will be welcomed by some who can't be bothered to check two social-networking feeds. There's also Exchange support, webmail and threaded text messaging.
The HTC Desire is a bit of a speed demon. Even when we tried the device over an EDGE connection, it was much faster than most phones in its field. Even websites with a stupid amount going on loaded up with ease.
HTC HD Mini
The HTC HD Mini does prove that good things come in small packages. Offering up Windows Mobile 6.5.3, you don't even need to use a stylus any more. Woo hoo!
Screen size is a passable 3.2 inches with a HVGA resolution. Not the best we have ever seen but perfectly fine for the size of the device.
The chipset inside is a rather powerful 600MHz Qualcomm 7227 – making this the Mighty Mouse of the handset market. This means that there's a fair bit of power under the hood so website viewing and heavy social-network use should not be much of an issue.
A bit like Kate Moss, the HTC HD Mini has the style factor despite its diminutive size. On the chassis are four screws holding the thing together. In short, it's gone for an industrial look – possibly hoping that a revolution will come its way too.
| |
Read More ...
Review: Asus X5DAB-SX028V
Asus is a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer currently best known for helping to launch the netbook market a few years ago with its Eee PC brand. It also makes full-sized laptops and the X5DAB-SX028V is a powerful machine that will especially suit those after multimedia functionality on a budget.
This is because it boasts a powerful graphics card, and also an impressive 512MB of video memory solely for the use of the GPU, ensuring it, and therefore your media, runs very smoothly. As a result, if you want to edit photos, movies, or even enjoy some light gaming, this machine is a very good choice.
Everyday performance is also good, although it falls just short of the Sony's VAIO VGN-NW20EF/P. The dual-core AMD processor does a good job and you will have no problem sending emails, surfing the internet and performing basic office tasks such as word processing and creating spreadsheets.
As with all the laptops here, however, very resource-intensive applications such as Adobe Photoshop will cause performance to drop somewhat. Unfortunately, this machine features a 250GB hard drive, and the Mesh Edge15 Inspire RS offers better value for money in this context.
This should be a particular consideration if you have large music, video or photo libraries you intend to carry around with you.
The 15.6-inch screen offers good quality images, and the 1366 x 768-pixel resolution allows for a detailed picture. A shiny Super-TFT screen coating is in place. Unfortunately, this creates distracting reflections in bright light and can quickly become irritating.
As with the Sony, a custom-designed chassis has been employed. We think it's very smart and also not too shiny, meaning that it doesn't pick up dust, dirt and smears too quickly. It's also very tough, meaning good durability on the road.
Woeful battery
A major problem with this laptop is its terrible battery life. We expect a minimum of 180 minutes power from a laptop, and the Asus falls significantly short with 107 minutes, meaning you'll have to carry the charger with you on all but the shortest of journeys.
Connectivity is great though and the latest wireless and wired technology is in place, to ensure a fast connection to networks in hotspots, for example. If you are after an affordable laptop with entry-level multimedia functionality, then the X5DAB-SX028V is the machine for you.
However, the battery life is truly lamentable and everyday performance is beaten by the Sony, meaning if your needs are a little broader we would probably opt for Sony's VAIO instead.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
MWC 2010: Hands on: HTC Desire review
The new HTC Desire is the phone that's got many an Android fan hot under the collar - packing top end hardware into a thin chassis.
Those that watched the Nexus One announcement unfold but wished that HTC had plugged its cool Sense overlay onto the phone will be pleased, as this is what the Desire is all about.
Essentially it's the same phone as the Google Nexus One, with the slim 11.9 depth chassis and smooth exterior making it a real joy to hold in the hand.
It's a little on the large side thanks to packing a 3.7-inch OLED screen, but HTC has had a look at the few foibles the Nexus One has and sorted them out on the Desire.
The main difference lives on the front of the phone - the trackball has been replaced with an optical option instead, meaning a less tactile feel when trying to navigate through menus.
It's not a real negative point though - it's just that some people might have to take a while to get used to not actually scrolling anything physical.
The touch sensitive buttons on the front of the HTC Desire, which our review pointed out were a little bit fiddly, have been replaced by physical keys, which respond nicely to the touch and allow easier access through the phone.
The only other differences between the HTC Desire and the Google Nexus One are the former lacks the dock ports needed for the stand, and also dispenses with active noise cancellation, which HTC says brings the cost right down.
The Sense UI is back in force on top of Android 2.1, and it's even more cracking than before. The phone is fully multi-touch enabled, and this is never better exemplified than in the Leap view.
Simply pinch inwards on one of the home screens, and the Desire shows off all the currently running displays in an easy to poke format, meaning no more scrolling to get to the other end of your screen.
The Sense overlay allows you to scroll your finger along the bottom of the device in applications to open up extra elements, and is used in the contacts, music and messaging to name but a few.
Other little additions to this new version of the Sense UI include a more detailed calendar widget showing the agenda instead of just the month, and tabbed emails allowing easier navigation through.
A 5MP camera is offered as well, with a single LED flash. In our quick tests it performed well, although it's nowhere near as good as a dedicated model from Sony Ericsson or Nokia.
The home screen widgets are back out in full force, and the 1GHz Snapdragon chip from Qualcomm makes everything on the phone whizz about with veritable aplomb.
However, the weather widget still stutters when moving through the cities - this has been a common problem with HTC devices, and we're not sure why it hasn't been fixed when everything else on the Desire runs so smoothly.
Messaging on the HTC Desire is a dream - despite not having a physical keyboard, the eerily responsive typing correction on this device is so sharp we could practically shut our eyes and mash our hands into the keyboard and still type a perfect message.
Offered in the phone is Exchange support, webmail and the usual threaded text messaging we've come to expect from Android - in short, it ticks all the boxes.
The contacts view on the HTC Desire is still good as well - Facebook and Twitter integration are now offered, as well as all your socially networked buddies' updates grouped together in the new Friendstream app.
![HTC desire]](http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/gadgets/phones/mobile-phones/HTC/HTC%20MWC%202010/HTC_Desire8-420-90.jpg)
This widget sits on the front screen and allows you to see all of you friends' Twitter, Facebook and Flickr updates in one place.
However, it's a lot of information, and if you're well endowed in the friend area, then this might get a bit much for you, as has been shown through the similar MotoBlur widget on the Motorola Android phones.
The WVGA screen is just tip-top for multimedia as well - we've moaned in the past that the Android music player is staid and boring.
But we're glad to report that this element has been put right with the Sense overlay, offering you the chance to slide through artists, albums and songs at the bottom of the device.
Video on the Desire also looks great, as you might imagine - you can watch all variety of codecs on the phone and the 3.7-inch OLED screen gives some scarily deep blacks and lovely colour saturation, as well as a terrific response time for fast moving scenes.
The internet browser on the HTC Desire is up there with the best of them - we managed to load a couple of fairly heavy websites in a few seconds - over an EDGE connection, which is miles faster than most competitors.
The text reflow option is there as well, allowing you to practically zoom in so much that you're seeing only a few letters on the screen - with the text re-sizing every time your get closer, so the words still make sense on the screen.
Flash video is also present on the device, although it didn't work very well for us, with the test movie stuttering quite badly - will we ever get Flash working properly on a mobile device?
We're mightily impressed with the HTC Desire, and can see that this is going to be a real iPhone contender in 2010, no matter what Steve Jobs brings out later this year.
If you're in the market for a new phone in the next couple of months, you could do a lot worse than check this out, especially if you've been angling to try out Android for a while.
| |
Read More ...
MWC 2010: Hands on: HTC Legend review
The HTC Hero has been around for a while, and we're waiting for an upgrade. Well, here it is - the HTC Legend, squarely picking up where the Hero left off.
HTC is trying to make out to us that the Legend is not the direct sequel to the Hero, but rather a continuation of the 'baseline' set by that successful handset.
And indeed, the Legend certainly has some upgrades - the first thing you notice is the whole body is hewn from aluminium, giving it a very MacBook look.
But we'd know that characteristic lip at the base of the phone anywhere, and if you dive below the hood as well, you'll see that the Legend has some similar specs coupled with some nice upgrades.
The aluminium body replaces the Hero's Teflon coating, and while it might be susceptible to scratching from keys or loose change, it certainly adds a premium look to the device.
Those of you worried that the signal will suffer thanks to being made all out of metal need not worry - the phone also has a plastic section behind the lip, which slots into the frame and holds the antenna.
The HTC Legend is running the latest version of Android 2.1, along with the latest version of the Sense UI as well. This adds a few tweaks, but the main alteration is Leap view.
Basically, when you're on the home screen, you simple pinch the screen in using multi-touch and an exploded view of all seven screens pops up at once, with you able to select the one you're looking for with ease.
Another big addition to the Sense UI is Friendstream, which apes Motorola's MotoBlur overlay in that it allows users to see all their friends' feeds together - Twitter, Facebook and Flickr are all lumped in together on the Legend.
We're not sure we want everything all together on a phone in this way, especially if you have a lot of FB friends and are an ardent follower on Twitter, but it's a nice option to have.
When we first used the Hero earlier in 2009, it was apparent that the phone had some serious firmware issues - we're happy to report that the Legend doesn't suffer this way, at least not from the outset.
The capacitive 3.2-inch HVGA screen might look a little bigger, but that's because the phone is actually slimmer and thinner than before - HTC tells us this is because it's been able to save space by making it all out of one solid block, thus removing the need for a frame.
Another upgrade to the screen is the fact it's now an OLED rather than your conventional LCD - this means vivid colours and drop dead gorgeous contrast ratios like those seen on the Samsung Jet. We can't wait to try watching an extended video session on this device.
The screen is as slick as can be too - gliding your finger across is is a dream, and applications opened and shut with the minimum of fuss, much like in the Hero.
This is particularly impressive when you consider that there's 'only' a Qualcomm 7227 600MHz processor under the hood - it's a slight upgrade on the Hero and Magic, but it's not packing the grunt of a Snapdragon.
Contacts and the Sense UI go together like peas and carrots here again - link a contact up with their Facebook, Twitter or Flickr account and not only will the profiles go into Friendstream, but you'll be able to see them individually with your contacts' profiles on the phone as well.
HTC has popped a 5MP camera on here as well, although this time it comes with a little flashy friend - an LED flash to be exact. A few snaps we reeled off with the camera showed a cool face detection mode, and the picture quality looked fine in our eyes - not perfect, but hopefully an upgrade for HTC.
The music player also takes a few cues from its Windows Mobile brethren as well - no longer are we lumped with the boring tiles and panel view given to us by the vanilla Android system - it's a lot more involved now, by adding in the chance to scroll along the bottom and select by artist, album, genre etc.
We know this came in the Hero as well, but for those that know Android but haven't played with that specific model, it's a pretty important feature.
The Android 2.1 addition to the system is huge in our eyes, and while we're glad that it's coming to the HTC Hero soon, we're pretty confident that users will be drawn to the new Legend instead - it's got everything the Hero has but more, and who doesn't love that?
It's likely to have a UK release date set for the end of March, but we're yet to hear about tariffs or pricing - O2 are also going to be one of the first networks to stock it too (or so we hear).
| |
Read More ...
Review: KEF C Series AV5 Package
It seems inconceivable that you'd ever be less than impressed by a set of KEF loudspeakers. Yet these, its C Series, are KEF's least expensive, so are they any good?
I grabbed my BD copy of Beowulf to find out, because the Motion-Capture system that enables a stocky geezer like Ray Winstone to become a 6ft man-god also seems to engender cool sound design.
You get raucous party scenes in the mead hall, Grendel the demon talking in Middle English to his mama (voiced by Angelina Jolie) with huge reverb and spaciousness in a vast cavern, and someone getting their arm ripped off in a scrap. It's perfect for giving your speakers a workout.
Quality tweets
Tweeters are often the most costly bit in loudspeakers and it's usually here that you will first discern excellence or lack of ability. Oddly enough, the C Series high-frequency driver – the same one from the guts of the Uni-Q devices fitted to KEF's Q series – revealed both.
As the movie opens, the background chatter of the crowd in the mead hall is remarkably detailed around the system, with perfect voice-matching. You get depth of soundfield and a sweet vocal from the queen warbling away with her harp. However, ultimate impact and HF level is a little limited, as I found out later.
The subwoofer is a super long-throw 8in design with primitive controls, but it blends perfectly. However, the dynamics of the soundtrack are wider than the small low-power woofer liked, with the explosive entry of Grendel sadly compressed. But for the money, the C4 subwoofer is vastly more musical than most – it didn't boom, or go one-note, proving that although ported, it's not a stretch-it design.
When Ray Winstone fights the monster, I ran the C Series system at a reference level zero dB, and could easily hear the burning torches crackling in the background. Dynamics are good, too: the scene where a horrible booming roar in a cavern echoes around Grendel's deformed skull needs headroom to play best and the KEFs did admirably, as they were already playing hard.
They stay nice and linear at low volumes too – a sign of quality – but when driven with vigour tend to get a bit harsh around the high-end. I am being overly critical, though: it still sounds great for an entry-level array.
In many ways, the buyers of these 'budget' babies benefit most from KEF R&D's years of cunning. That technology goes into the best models, but years later KEF uses all sorts of its heritage to put out affordable kit like the C Series.
There is proof of savings, though, like the square-edged boxes and the less than over-engineered speaker terminals. Still gold-plated, but not chunky and, of course, they don't have the KEF signature Uni-Q point source tech. Instead, the C Series gets an aluminium dome tweeter and its 'Tangerine' protective grille, but it is conventionally mounted above the bass drivers.
In terms of design, they aren't exactly up to Philippe Starcke levels. The port on the C1 subwoofer, for is not a moulded tube but a cheaper classic wooden slot design. And while there's still a nice set of spikes and a separate panel for the base plate of each C5 or C7, it's all made to a price.
Value for money
At the end of the day, these bigdomed bass drivers with the single cone-stiffening rib are KEF ones, so there is a certain 'given' about the quality.
They are fast, tight and very able for their size. Versus an awful lot of what else is out there, you'd have to audition a truckload of آ£900 speaker systems to find one that would whup the KEF C Series!
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
MWC 2010: HTC HD Mini takes Windows Mobile pint-sized
HTC has shown it hasn't forgotten about Windows Mobile by releasing the new HTC HD Mini.
The new Windows Mobile phone is running version 6.5.3, meaning it's a lot easier to use under the finger, without the need for a stylus.
In fact, a stylus won't be needed, as this is another capacitive Windows Mobile device from HTC - and it's rocking the Sense UI to boot.
The screen is 3.2-inches wide, with only HVGA resolution - so this isn't the successor to the Diamond2 we expected to see launching.
It does have some nice styling though, with four screws holding the whole thing together and providing it with an 'industrial' look.
The HTC HD Mini might be small but it's still packing a powerful punch - there's a 600MHz Qualcomm 7227 chipset under the hood as well.
We've not got a UK release date for the HTC HD Mini yet, but we're expecting it to land in early Q2 - so get your chequebooks (well, if you're over 50) out around April will be our guess.
| |
Read More ...
Review: Yamaha RX-V2065
There comes a time in the development life cycle of electronic equipment where things get a bit, well, Terminator. Your electronics get ideas of their own and start ordering you about. For instance, Yamaha's RX -V2065 receiver suggested, in no uncertain terms, that I leave the room while it sets itself up. Yikes.
Of course, this request is to protect one's sensitive ears from loud noises during set up – which is quite ironic as less than two minutes out of the box this Yamaha could be turning your liver inside out with its bass power and punch.
In fact, the interface and personal requests are all part of Yamaha's brand-new GUI, which has been designed to make setting up a complex beast like this near آ£1,000 receiver simpler than ever.
Maybe it is a lack of familiarity, but right now I don't get it. For starters, access to the set-up functions are buried at the bottom of three or four pages of source selection icons. The only feature you would not go into the menus for is source selection (you can do it via direct keys on the remote and the fascia) so why have pages of icons heading up the menu?
When you are into the features and functions area, it is laid out in a disjointed format with lots of unlinked individual pages rather than traditional left to right flowing menus. I had to refer to the manual on several occasions just to find various functions.
I'm not getting the new cosmetics either. It looks cheaper and feels less solid that Yamaha's previous AVRs at this price, although the brand says build quality is improved over last year's RX -V1900. It offers some very slick features, though.
The 5-in, 2-out HDMI functionality is brilliant, particularly as one input is front-mounted, and the claimed power figures are mighty impressive.
Moreover, the RX -V2605 is very much geared up to be a network receiver with both Ethernet and USB inputs; a port for Yamaha's optional Bluetooth receiver or iPod dock; and plenty of dedicated network audio features.
There is very simple connection to a PC-based home network, a compressed music enhancer, and tricks like pulling photos from your PC to display onto your TV.
And despite what I said about the GUI, the network side of the RX-V2065's is pretty damn straightforward to get going. Needless to say, it ticks all the boxes in terms of 1080p video upscaling and HD audio decoding although, unlike its direct Onkyo TX-NR807 competitor, it is bereft of Dolby Pro-Logic IIz.
Yamaha instead uses its Presence (height) channels at the front with bespoke processing. Equally, like the Onkyo, you will lose rear-back channel amplification to drive the fronts. running the auto-set-up, the result is a monster of sound with bass coming in hotter than Angelina Jolie on a skateboard.
The sub was set two or three DB strong and the balance with the YPAO room EQ set to 'standard' (and that's it for options other than 'off' and 'manual') was fruity and fulsome.
Trim back the bass, switch off the YPAO EQ and there is an amplifier with a heart of gold. It's smooth yet detailed, fast yet subtle, and never once gets you wincing at an over acerbic high frequency effect or belly laughing at a bulbous bass note. It feels mature, grown up and sophisticated with a fabulous balance between spacious soundstage and accurate positioning of individual sounds.
And this natural balance makes it quite an all-rounder, as happy with all-action block busters as it is with a chick flick or a Pixar masterpiece. It feels seamlessly solid and has one of those sounds that lets all the speakers, the amplifier and the mechanics of home cinema simply slip into obscurity, leaving you to enjoy the movie.
Fire and forget
Okay, it's never going to have your knuckles whitening on the arm of the sofa, and the over-complex GUI is a bit of a letdown.
But taken as a whole, Yamaha has developed the RX-V2065 as a 'fire up and forget' receiver for those who just want to enjoy a broad range of movies without too much faffing about. And on that level, it's a rampant success.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
MWC 2010: HTC Legend unveiled with top-end Android specs
HTC has finally unveiled a new phone to follow up the success of the Hero - the HTC Legend.
Although the company protests otherwise, claiming the Hero set a 'successful baseline for our other Android handsets to follow', the design is similar with a 3.2-inch screen and protruding lip at the bottom of the device.
Hewn from a single block of aluminium, the HTC Legend looks more like a shrunken Macbook, dispensing with the Teflon coating for something a little more stylish.
It's rocking the latest version of Android - 2.1 - meaning living wallpapers and integrated social networking via Friendstream - a new way of seeing all your Twitter, Facebook and Flickr feeds in one place.
While the 3.2-inch screen size has remained the same, the overall dimensions of the HTC Legend are smaller than the Hero thanks to being built from one piece of metal.
The multi-touch screen has also been upgraded - although it's still HVGA, there's an OLED in there now, meaning sumptuous colours and deep blacks.
A 5MP camera is once again present on the device, as is a 3.5mm headphone jack - although this time there's a single LED flash to help take pictures in the darkest night.
The trackball has been scrubbed out in favour of an optical device - this apparently means a sleeker chassis and fewer hardware failures, following the same road as RIM with its BlackBerry family.
It's been given a tentative UK release date for the end of March, and while no UK price has been announced, it's rumoured to be coming to O2 soon.
| |
Read More ...
MWC 2010: Google Nexus One clone announced - the HTC Desire
HTC has taken Android top-end by introducing a new high-power device: the HTC Desire.
Taking more than a few cues from the Google Nexus One (which was designed by HTC) the Taiwanese company has added a few embellishments to the Desire (formerly codenamed the Bravo).
While the chassis remains the same size, the HTC Desire has added some physical buttons at the bottom (which are welcome after our review showed some issues with the touch-sensitivity on the Nexus One).
The trackball has also been replaced by an optical version - but the main addition is the Sense UI Android overlay.
Android 2.1 might have been used on the Nexus One, but the Sense overlay turbocharges it, with the same Friendsteam social networking integration tool used on the Legend present on the HTC Desire too.
Living wallpapers (and Google Navigation for our US cousins) are all present and correct, and multi-touch capability is also enabled.
Helicopter mode
This has led HTC to create something really neat - Helicopter Mode, which allows you to simply pinch in on the home screen and see all seven of your widget-filled windows at once; a real time saving boon.
Like the Nexus One, the HTC Desire uses a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and packs a 3.7-inch OLED screen - although there's no dock connector or active noise cancellation on the Desire.
However, HTC has said that doing this allows it to keep the cost down - while there's been no work on UK pricing yet, we expect this to come in SIM free at less than آ£480, which is a pretty smart price point.
A UK release date of late March/early April has been strongly tipped for the HTC Desire, and it looks like Orange will be one of the first networks to pick it up.
| |
Read More ...
MWC 2010: Samsung shows off 'world first' LTE netbook
Samsung has shown off a N150 netbook with Long Term Evolution (LTE) at Mobile World Congress, with a chip designed in-house allowing a more portable offering with this next generation mobile technology.
LTE is causing much excitement, offering what is widely becoming called 4G connectivity for mobile devices, and Samsung is keen to be at the forefont of the technology.
To that end they have designed an LTE chipset called Kalmia, which has been integrated into the N150, a netbook that currently sports 3G and Wi-Fi versions and will only get the LTE technology 'according to service schedule and market demand'.
End-user benefits
Samsung showed off the live streaming using the company's own LTE network equipment on the N150, pointing out that the 'inclusion of LTE will deliver high speed, low latency and ubiquitous connectivity to all users who require high-volume data access whenever they want and wherever they are.'
"For the first time, operators preparing for the deployment of next generation networks can deliver high-powered products to showcase network strength and the true benefits to end users," states Samsung.
The showcase also highlighted the N150 itself, a netbook Samsung claims as the complete package for those consumers seeking a portable netbook.
"The N150 is the smart choice to meet all your essential mobile computing needs with style," said Kyu Uhm, Vice President of Samsung IT Solutions Business.
"We see increasing demand for data services, regardless of whether the consumer is indoors, outside, or even on the move. With our end-to-end Total Solution from core chipset to a variety of devices, we are providing true value to our customers."
LTE dongle
Samsung is also showing off its LTE dongle – the GT-B3710 – and states: "Samsung has developed its own access and core networks, which support multi-vendor interoperability.
"Samsung's LTE solution is fully compliant with the latest 3GPP LTE Rel-8 standard. Initial deployment of the service began in 2009 and active discussion and trial tests will continue in 2010."
| |
Read More ...
Hands on: Windows Phone 7 Series review
Steve Ballmer announced Windows Phone 7 Series (Windows Mobile 7 to you and me) and promised some big changes - but has the overhaul worked?
Ballmer apparently pushed the development of the platform back by some time in order to get it to the point he felt it could compete with the incumbent dominant platforms (such as the iPhone OS and Android).
To that end, with Windows Phone 7 Series we get a radically overhauled UI, capacitive-only touchscreens with hi-res WVGA (800 x 480 pixel count) displays and multi-touch throughout.
We got some hands-on time with the new operating system, and we were pretty impressed with the platform despite it being in its infancy.
Firstly, the home screen no longer has the boring icon layout - living tiles pepper the main display. These widgets draw information from the cloud to keep them constantly updated - so if you've pinned a favourite friend to the home screen and they change their Facebook profile picture, it's going to update with their new visage.
We like the design angle Microsoft has taken with this 'breathing' display, although it could get a tad annoying with all the motion going on, and we'd worry about the hammering the battery would get if it's being updated constantly.
The main applications can also be viewed in one long list if that's your bag, allowing the traditionalist to quickly scoot through and find what they're looking for.
Microsoft has been hard at work making cross-platform integration a big part of the Windows Phone 7 Series, and the Bing integration (accessed by tapping the front search key that, along with the Start and Back buttons, will be on the face of every such phone) works smoothly, quickly booting up a search box with text input.
The demo model we saw accessed the internet to search in an OK time - whether this will be indicative of all WinMo7 phones we don't know yet, as this was very much a prototype device.
The Windows Phone 7 Series platform is divided into Hubs, as Microsoft told us in its presentation over and over again, and essentially this divides the phone up into important areas.
The People hub was pretty cool - contact pictures were displayed in a decent resolution, and the status updates next to each person ape HTC's Sense UI offering.
It could be said that a lot of Microsoft's ideas in WinMo7 seem a little 'borrowed' from other platforms, but we don't really see a problem with that. If social networking integration has worked for one manufacturer, and it's openly available to use it, we applaud anyone that replicates that idea to give the consumer a better experience.
The Xbox Live integration was obviously highlighted strongly in the press conference, and for good reason - being able to see your avatar from your Xbox experience is cool and the availability of Achievements will spur a great number of users on to playing games far longer than they might on a mobile phone.
But there's more to the Gaming Hub than just Xbox integration - users will be able to play turn-based games directly from their Windows Phone 7 Series device, thanks to increased cloud dependency.
We sadly couldn't see this in action on the demo model, but the Hub will also apparently feature tips and tricks for gaming, as well as additional purchases, such as clothing for your avatar, right from your mobile device and synchronised with your Xbox too.
The other talked-about offering is the Zune platform, which makes up the Music and Video Hub. Put simply, this is the same as a Zune HD media player being packed with mobile telephony skills, in the same way as the iPod touch and iPhone co-exist.
The interface is clean and simple to use with a number of offerings available from the large and legible main menu. Video, podcasts, music, radio and Wi-Fi synchronisation with other devices is all offered from the opening screen - again, not original but one of the simpler ways of doing things.
Opening an album doesn't ape the iPhone in spinning around to look at track listings, rather just sliding across to start up the basic music player - animated transitions are a big part of the new Windows Phone 7 Series UI, and will likely make the casual user just picking up the device for the first time think it's pretty cool.
Next up we checked out the internet browser on the new range of phones, as this is quickly becoming a key area of smartphone use.
Microsoft declined to answer our questions on which version of Internet Explorer formed the basis of the browser on its new devices, but we'd say this element was probably the weakest part of the demonstration.
The browser skin looks a lot like the older Pocket Internet Explorer programs we've used through gritted teeth, which doesn't bode well.
While multi-touch is enabled on board throughout the Windows Phone 7 Series, the pinch-and-zoom functionality on the browser didn't work too quickly in our demonstration, showing some signs of stutter.
Some pages also took an age to load, and as we've heard, Flash isn't enabled either from the outset, so we're not thinking the internet experience is going to be a winner initially unless Microsoft gets it act together over the next nine or 10 months.
The Office section of the phone was also absent from our demo, which was irritating, but we did see the Exchange server in action, showing a decent enough list of messages that were easy to scroll through, and pulling up the 'advanced' tab at the bottom allowed access to basic functions, such as forwarding or replying to email.
We're not sure how good the keyboard is on the Windows Phone 7 Series phones, although it's early days yet. Initial indications hinted that text input was OK, although some level of inaccuracy means it's nowhere near as good as the eerily clever predictive keyboard on the HTC range.
Overall, we're very impressed with this new take from Microsoft - the UI was our main gripe with previous iterations of Windows Mobile, and this is certainly a lot better than we expected from the next release.
However, while the UI looks slick, there are a lot of unanswered questions - how much will third party developers be able to sink their teeth into it? Where will it go in the future? Why is there no Flash support on board?
We'll give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt for now, but the company needs to get this release right if it's to have any hope of staying competitive in the mobile game.
| |
Read More ...
No comments:
Post a Comment