6,500 authors opt out of Google Books service
Six and a half thousand authors, living and dead (via agents), have opted out of the Google book settlement, according to papers released yesterday.
The authors had until 28 January to opt out of the revised settlement prior to the ruling last week that would allow Google to digitise many millions of books. However, the judge received over 500 written submissions, forcing him to delay his ruling.
Among the big names still alive who've said no thanks are Jeffrey Archer, Graham Swift, Monica Ali, Bret Easton Ellis, and Philip Pullman – a litany of big sellers and prize winners.
Novelist Marika Cobbold said: "It would be like handing over my babies to a babysitter I'd never met, [and] I couldn't understand what was in it for me. I love Google, and in principle making information accessible is wonderful, but things are moving so fast, and authors are losing so much control over what we've done, that my fear was who knows, in five to 10 years' time, how this information could be used?"
The opt-out list was put together by Rust Consulting. A little over a year ago the company set up a call centre to field the opt-out requests as well as a website in 36 different languages.
Opting Out
As of the start of this month, Rust Consulting had received 42,604 replies via the website, and 1,846 hard copies. These covered over a million books and 21, 829 short stories and articles. Many of these responses came from publishers and literary agents.
Which would explain how Rudyard Kipling, Roald Dahl, and H G Wells have all managed to opt out, along with TH White and the late vet James Herriot.
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Microsoft beats Google in UK brand showdown
The Superbrands annual business survey is out and Microsoft has jumped into first place, up from last year's placing of fourth.
Google, who was the biggest brand last year, is now languishing in fifth place, despite last year pushing its Chrome browser (which was launched late 2008) and Chrome OS.
Microsoft has sailed to the top presumably because the company released Windows 7 in 2009, to much critical acclaim.
Reaffirmed performance
In third place and probably suffering a bit of a nosebleed because of the heavy ascent is BlackBerry. Rim's smartphone moniker has jumped from a lowly 42 in 2009 to a very respectable third place.
Once again tech companies are dominant in the Superbrands list, with BT, Apple and Nokia all in the top 20.
Vodafone, which was recently outed as the UK's most valuable brand, sits at 22 in the UK list.
"Once again Microsoft and Google have proved their potency by fighting it out for the top spots, while many other brands have reaffirmed their consistent performance year on year," said Chief Executive at the Centre for Brand Analysis Stephen Cheliotis about the list.
In July, the consumer version of the Superbrands list was released which also showed Microsoft nabbing the top spot.
Happy times indeed for Ballmer and co.
Go to www.superbrands.uk.com for more details and to see the full 500.
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Sunderland declared UK Facebook capital
New statistics from Experian Hitwise have found that the inhabitants of Sunderland are more likely to log on to social-networking site Facebook than people from elsewhere in the UK.
The statistic was compiled for the BBC 2 documentary, The Virtual Revolution. According to that, Sunderland's inhabitants are a staggering 24 per cent more likely to log into Facebook than people living in other cities. It's not certain as to whether that's a comment on recreation in Wearside.
Robin Goad, Director of Experian Hitwise, said: "We find social networking is more popular in smaller towns and cities compared to large ones. Our belief is people in larger cities have most of their friends living closer to them than people in smaller cities."
Not big in Scotland
Sunderland Football Club has its own Facebook page, with over 9,200 fans, and local band the Futureheads boast more than 8,000 fans on their page on the site.
Back in 2004 Microsoft awarded the city a آ£10 million web prize.
The other cities where Facebook is extremely popular are Durham, Bolton, Llandudno and Manchester.
Although Facebook is big up north, head beyond the border and the reverse is true; all the bottom 10 cities for the site are in Scotland, with the likes of Aberdeen and Perth, and Kilmarnock and Motherwell bringing up the very rear.
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Exclusive: O2 downplays Vodafone speed poll win
O2 has responded to the gratitude shown from Vodafone this morning over a recent poll putting the red network on top.
An independent poll commissioned by O2 showed that Vodafone was fastest for mobile phone web access in the most cities across the UK, prompting a message of 'thanks' from Voda's CEO.
But O2's Chief Technology Officer, Derek McManus, has told TechRadar that the survey wasn't just about who was fastest:
"Ambitious claims are made about network speeds but the situation is far from clear cut. Accurate information and transparency are crucial in helping customers make sure they get the best from their mobile network.
In the loop
"We commissioned this survey to make sure no one is misled. O2 offers faster speeds in many cities, and other operators in others.
"We offer an industry-leading 14-day happiness guarantee, so if customers are not happy with the speeds they're getting, they can bring the device back. We urge customers to use coverage checkers before they purchase a phone or mobile broadband dongle."
We're hoping that Orange, T-Mobile and 3 join in this debate, possibly ending in some kind of mobile speed-based cage fight.
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Capped mobile roaming rates about to start in EU
Brits in Europe will be limited to a maximum of آ£45's worth of phone usage as part of the EU directive on roaming.
The limit is in place to make sure that massive bills are not run up accidentally and hopefully stop the fairly regular 'man gets آ£1,000 bill after watching Top Gear on phone in Spanish hotel' stories.
Customers will be warned when they are getting close to their limit and then have their usage heavily restricted at the cap.
Ring to restore
The customer can then ring the mobile operator to insist that they do know how much data costs per meg when it's not on their usual home rate and that they can indeed afford to pay the bill, at which point they will be allowed to carry on surfing.
It's a sensible idea, especially if the necessary phone number to get the cap lifted is included in the warnings.
And maybe, just maybe, it will stop people from getting confused at just why they owe the phone companies a King's ransom just from downloading a couple of 2GB TV shows and browsing through their mates' Facebook photos whilst lying on a Marbella beach.
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MSI announces world's first 3D-ready all-in-one PC
Taiwanese laptop brand MSI has revealed its latest all-in-one 3D ready PC and a new gaming laptop, both of which are set to be on show at next month's CeBit show in Germany.
The new GT660 high-end notebook from MSI packs in pretty much everything you could want to make your latest PC games shine – including an Intel Core i7quad-coreprocessor, GeForce GTX 285M graphics, a possible 12GB of RAM, three RAM slots and a number of USB 3.0 ports.
It doesn't have a 3D-ready screen, but hey, if 3D is what you are looking for, then you might be more interested in MSI (and the world's) firstfirst Full HD 3D all-in-one PC.
CeBit reveals
"At CeBIT 2010 the world's largest computer exhibition, MSI will display a series of powerful All-in-One PCs featuring the newest Intel Core processor and state of the art ATI 3D graphics with Direct 11 features," reads MSI's release just in.
"MSI will also reveal the world's first large-sized 3D All-in-One PC with powerful computing capabilities. A 120Hz LED panel and 3D Shutter Glasses perform flawless and highly detailed 3D images"
MSI is therefore the first company in the world to announce an all-in-one PC with a 3D touchscreen.
"The combination of a 120Hz LED panel and 3D shutter glasses brings the kind of 3D video experience into your home that you would normally only expect from a modern 3D movie theater."
MSI will also be demo'ing the new high-performance Wind Top AE2420 and AE2280 all-in-one PCs at CeBit this year, 22- and 24-inch models that are equipped with the latest Intel Core processors and Intel's Turbo Boost technology, "which automatically adjusts the processor frequency, ensuring maximum performance for each type of application while also saving energy."
For more on what MSI has in store for CeBIT 2010, head over to event.msi.com/cebit_2010.
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Guide: How to master Jump Lists in Windows 7
Windows 7 is packed with new features, but none gives you as much control over your files as the new Jump Lists.
These lists provide easy access to your most common files with just a couple of mouse clicks, and spell the end of those frustrating trawls through document folders, looking for a file you use all the time.
As well as being a good way to save time, some Windows users have found ways to exploit Jump Lists to make them even more useful.
We've been playing around with Jumplist-Launcher, a free application which enables you to build custom lists that aren't tied to any particular program, meaning you can use Windows 7 faster than ever.
Step-by-Step 1. Start off
One place that Jump Lists are prevalent is in the Windows 7 Start menu. Click on this (or press the Windows key) to see that programs now have an arrow pointing to the right, which reveals the files recently opened by that application. Just click on the name of the file to open it.
2. Jump to it
If you hover your mouse over the arrow, the Jump List will fly out to the right. Some options will have shortcuts in the Jump Lists to common parts of Windows 7, which saves you stacks of time – for example, Getting Started can lead you to lots of the most useful Control Panel applets.
3. Pin it down
The Start menu is dynamic, meaning it changes according to how you use it, and the list is based upon your most-used programs. It's also possible to pin some programs in place, so they don't move or get bumped off. Right-click an item and click Pin to Start Menu to permanently fix it.
4. Super taskbar
The new super taskbar in Windows 7 works as a dock for all your programs, and you can launch your favourite programs directly from there. If there's something you use a lot, pin it to the taskbar – just right-click on the program icon on your desktop, and choose Pin to Taskbar.
5. Right-click to find the list
Most programs, including Windows Live, Windows 7 programs such as Paint and a selection of third-party apps, add Jump List functionality to the taskbar. To access a program's Jump List, just right-click on its taskbar icon – here, you can open the program or choose from recent files.
6. Save time
When you open files associated with programs on the taskbar, they appear on the Jump List. By default there's room for 10, and these change frequently as you open more files. If you want to ensure a file stays on the list, it's possible to fix items in place by clicking the pin icon to the right.
7. More for your money
Like most parts of Windows 7, the Jump List menus are fully customisable, and you can change the size of them according to your tastes using the Start menu properties. To start adjusting your Jump Lists, just right-click the taskbar and go to Properties, click the Start menu tab and choose Customize.
8. Up the number
At the bottom of the Customize window you can increase or decrease the number of entries your Jump Lists display. The default is 10, but you can type in any number you wish, to create massive lists with access to all your files, or save on space with minimalist access as required.
9. Set up Jump Lists
If the Jump Lists in Windows 7 help you work more effectively, then try supercharging your Jump Lists with Jumplist-Launcher. This enables you to build custom Jump Lists, and is available to download from here.
10. Extraction guaranteed
When you download it from the site, you'll get a folder that needs to be unzipped to access the files within. This is easily done – just right-click on the file, then click Extract. No actual installation is required because the program is small enough to run from inside the application.
11. Customise
As soon as Jumplist-Launcher is set up and running, you simply need to open it, and then drag and drop files, programs or shortcuts into the main window. Once you've done this, it's easy to order your Jump Lists so they're as efficient as possible – just click the up and down arrows at the side.
12. Ready when you are
Once you've set up Jumplist-Launcher, you want it to stay on the taskbar, or you'll be forced to reopen the program every time you restart your PC. Just right-click the Jumplist-Launcher icon and choose Pin to Taskbar. Now it will always be easy to access.
13. Ready for launch
Now when you start your computer, you can just right-click on the Jumplist-Launcher icon on your taskbar to bring up the customised list you created earlier. You can pin these in place by clicking the small icons to the right of the items, just as with all your other Jump List options.
14. Work faster
Once you're done, you'll have mastered Jump Lists in Windows 7, and can start saving real time on your day-to-day tasks. What's more, by adding Jumplist-Launcher to your taskbar and making the most of its shortcuts and customised Jump List, you can really get in control of your computer.
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Malware threats for PCs on the decrease
A new malware report from Kaspersky Labs shows a large rise in the number of total malicious programs on file, but a flattening of the numbers of new malware.
The report identified some 15 million new malicious programs in 2009, which is a very slight increase over the previous year. However, the number of malicious files in the Kaspersky collection leapt to almost 34 million, up 50 per cent on 2008.
The report lists several reasons for the changes: "The malware boom of 2008 was due not only to the rapid evolution of virus writing in China, but also due to the evolution in file-infecting technologies, which resulted in an increase in the number of unique malicious files.
"An amalgamation of attack vectors used, with a shift towards attacks on web browsers, also played a role.
"All these trends were maintained in 2009, but the increase in the number of malicious programs slowed significantly."
The drop in numbers has been attributed to gaming companies working to eliminate gaming Trojans, a drop in profits for cybercriminals, and successful efforts by law enforcement, antivirus companies and the telecoms industry.
More sophisticated crime
Kaspersky did admit that cybercriminals have become more sophisticated, with an increase in rootkit and bootkit malware, often spread via infected websites. TDSS and Clampi malware also represented innovations in cyberattacks, and the spread of the notorious Conficker worm represented a new threat.
When it comes to fraud, the report marks Russia as the leader, from phishing to sites offering services that are never provided.
There has also been an increase in incidences of mobile and Mac OS malware. So Apple owners won't be able to look smug for much longer.
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Windows Phone 7 to be locked to three models?
Windows Phone 7 Series may be locked into three distinct chassis types, according to Microsoft developers.
Speaking on an Australian podcast, Developer Evangelists Michael Kordahi and Andrew Coates said that Microsoft was going to mandate three chassis types as the Windows Phone 7 vehicles.
The first type will be the one we're most familiar with – the tablet device, running a 1GHz processor, a high resolution screen and a dedicated GPU.
Apparently, the phones mentioned by Ballmer as coming in the holidays are to be the first type.
The second chassis type is for the more advanced communicator – adding in a slide out QWERTY keyboard – something like the HTC Touch Pro 2.
Advanced communication
This would have a combination of the touchscreen and keyboard, but likely keep the high end features such as dedicated graphics processing to ensure applications would still work on it.
The third chassis type was mysteriously kept under wraps, prompting speculation it's something a little different.
However, it's more likely that this will just be the 'candybar' format, with a smaller screen and standard nine-button keypad or mini-QWERTY.
The idea of mandating the chassis types should help Microsoft streamline its mobile operation – this will help not only consumer awareness but help the company release upgrades to a stable user base.
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Google Italy execs found guilty over privacy violations
Three Google bosses in Italy have been found guilty of privacy violations, after a video of a boy with Down's Syndrome being bullied was posted online.
The video which appeared on Google Video in Italy, but not uploaded or filmed by anyone at Google, was found to break privacy laws in the country.
This was even though Google took it down within hours of knowing of its existence.
Protecting the privacy
Google has unsurprisingly posted a riposte about the incident on its blog, which it says sets a "dangerous precedent" for things to come.
"We are deeply troubled by this conviction... It attacks the very principles of freedom on which the internet is built," says Matt Sucherman, VP and Deputy General Counsel - Europe, Middle East and Africa of Google.
"Common sense dictates that only the person who films and uploads a video to a hosting platform could take the steps necessary to protect the privacy and obtain the consent of the people they are filming.
"European Union law was drafted specifically to give hosting providers a safe harbour from liability so long as they remove illegal content once they are notified of its existence."
Web will cease to exist
The blog continues: "The belief, rightly in our opinion, was that a notice and take down regime of this kind would help creativity flourish and support free speech while protecting personal privacy.
"If that principle is swept aside and sites like Blogger, YouTube and indeed every social network and any community bulletin board, are held responsible for vetting every single piece of content that is uploaded to them – every piece of text, every photo, every file, every video – then the web as we know it will cease to exist, and many of the economic, social, political and technological benefits it brings could disappear."
Google has a point – there is a lot of non-vetted information out there that's been uploaded using technology the company has created. It would be impossible for the company to 'okay' every piece of material.
Google has announced it will appeal this decision 'vigorously' – something everyone who works on or uses the internet should keep an eye on with great interest.
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Steam given major overhaul by Valve
Valve has announced brand new version of Steam that it hopes will keep the PC from sliding into obscurity as a gaming platform.
With Microsoft's attention seemingly drawn well away from PC gaming by its Xbox, it has been left to the likes of Valve to keep the flag flying for the PC, and the Half Life makers' Steam is the dominant game store/multiplayer/ social networking client around.
So the news that a brand new version has launched with an immediate public Beta is major news for the PC, with new tools including better library management, achievement tracking and, intriguingly, swapping out the old Internet Explorer-based rendering engine for WebKit – the engine behind Apple's Safari and Google's Chrome.
Hundreds of changes
"We made hundreds of changes to the Steam client as a result of customer feedback on the interface, performance, and functionality," said John Cook, Director of Steam Development at Valve.
"For example, we swapped out the Internet Explorer rendering engine with WebKit, which gives us a bunch of size, stability and performance benefits. This release of Steam leaves us well prepared for another year of strong growth."
It's a timely boost for the PC, which still attracts millions of gamers for its first person shooters, real-time strategies and, of course, the MMO leviathans.
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Nokia new C-series phones 'confirmed'
Nokia's heavily-rumoured new C-series range of phones looks likely to become a reality in the near future.
The new line has been seen over on the FCC in the US, which has validated a device known as the RM-612 – although Nokia has confirmed this as the C6.
We've seen some pictures of what's probably the first in the C-series line earlier this year, and the model shown in the FCC regulations bears a striking resemblance.
Whether it's the same is unknown, as the previously-shown phone was rumoured to be the C5 – but as we all know, these things are never set in stone and could well change before the phone's release.
Playing the waiting game
Nokia trademarked the names X-Series and C-Series a little while ago, and while the Nokia X6 and X3 made their debuts at Nokia World last year, the C-Series has yet to poke its little mobile face out.
It looks like that this may be a mid-to-high range set of devices, with rumours of a touchscreen and normal keypad together in a candybar form.
Also likely is that this is just a refresh of Nokia's 6000 series, which spawned such popular phones as the 6700 Classic.
We'll look forward to seeing this phone being unveiled – if it's this close to approval it can't be long before a UK release.
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LG set to expand its LCD TV production plans
LG has announced it is looking into extending its LCD output, due to massive customer demand.
The Korean manufacturer is experiencing an upsurge in the amount of LCD-based televisions it is selling at the moment. This is said to be because of the recent Chinese New Year and the popularity of Winter Olympics.
LG has noted that it may well build a new production line to keep up with demand, with the only thing holding the company back is the worry that while demand is high at the moment, this may eventually drop due to the cyclical nature of the industry.
Unable to meet demand
"We are considering increasing capacity because we have been unable to meet all client demand for some time," said a spokesperson at LG Display to Reuters.
"But nothing has been decided yet."
LG is currently shipping out less than 90 per cent of its orders received, something a new production line would remedy.
Recently the company announced its 3D range of TVs at CES 2010 – a technology which broaches both its LCD and Plasma series.
The company is hoping to sell 3.4 million sets, making it the biggest provider of 3D TVs in the market.
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Review: LG 42LH3000
LG's 42LH3000 scores two early victories over the contender from arch Korean rival, the Samsung LE40B550. For starters, its screen is 2in larger, while being a whole آ£20 cheaper. But can it square up in other ways?
It's not quite as nice to look at, but that's not to say that it's ugly. Quite the opposite, in fact, with its minimalist, glossy bezel, silver trim and subtle power light all producing a fairly glamorous, quality feel.
If you're in the market for a slightly bigger TV, this model has a bigger brother in the form of the LG 47LH3000.
The TV isn't particularly inspiring connections-wise, however. It's got three HDMIs rather four, and its USB port is there for service use only and not multimedia playback.
The set's onscreen menus look promising, however. For a start they are really gorgeously designed and excellently organised. But they're also stuffed with more picture tweaks than you'd ever expect to find on such a small TV.
These adjustments comprise multi-level dynamic colour and contrast boosters; a noise reduction circuit, a gamma adjustment; a wide colour gamut option and an edge enhancement system. In fact, the picture preset menus contain a couple of ISF options because, impressively, the independent Imaging Science Foundation has certified the TV as meeting their stringent calibration requirements.
If you don't fancy paying an ISF engineer to calibrate your TV and are scared by all the options available, LG offers help in the shape of a Picture Wizard facility. This sorts you out via some simple to follow, onscreen test signals.
Performance
The 42LH3000 follows the theme of this group test by being a much better performer than it should be for its money. As with most of LG's LCD flatscreens, for instance, its pictures are strikingly bright and boldly coloured. They are also decently natural in tone too, provided you avoid the 'Vivid' default setting.
They don't usually come without a respectable black level response and that's exactly what the 42LH3000 has. Blacks aren't as deep or as natural as those of our Samsung and Panasonic contenders, but they're good enough not to distract you while watching dark scenes.
HD pictures, meanwhile, are crisp and detailed, and standard definition pictures are also perfectly engaging, proving reasonably free of noise, and passably, if not exceptionally, sharp.
The set's pictures do suffer colour and contrast loss if viewed from an angle, in keeping with all of the other LCD contenders. Our sample also showed a slight dimness in the extreme corners during bright scenes, but this is seldom visible.
With a solid-to-good audio performance to back up its likeable pictures, the 42LH3000 ultimately classes as a fine budget set.
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In Depth: 20 best iPad games we want to see ported from the iPhone
Developers are gearing up to unleash their wares on Apple's iPad.
Although the device is compatible with the vast majority of existing App Store content, the iPad's larger screen has led many developers to look at reworking apps for the platform.
Games are likely to feature heavily, in part due to the iPhone and iPod touch becoming surprisingly strong competition for the DS and PSP.
But with the iPad's aforementioned larger screen, and the manner in which it's held and interacted with being very different to using an iPhone, the best games won't necessarily be those topping the App Store charts today.
Taking into account the quality of existing titles and the technical and practical benefits and limitations of the iPad, here are TechRadar's top 20 iPad games we want to see.
1. Civilization Revolution
The latest instalment of the long-running and popular Civilization series is a disappointment on all handhelds. This isn't because of the simplified overhead maps, but the lack of scale and the tiny viewing area. But on the iPad, simply being able to see more of your world would make the game ten times better. (Although, truth be told, we'd sooner see Civilization II, III or IV come to the iPad.) See also: Sim City and Settlers.
2. Monopoly
The iPad has the potential to revolutionise board games. No more fiddly pieces, setting things up, and yelling as your dog's wagging tail demolishes everything. On the iPhone, the screen is too small to comfortably play the likes of Monopoly, but the iPad's 10 or so inches should be enough.
3. Scrabble
Perhaps in part to Lexulous and people simply writing more these days, due to blogs and social networking sites, Scrabble is enjoying a new lease of life. It wouldn't work well on a single iPad - after all, you'd see your opponent's letters. But wireless multi-iPad/iPod/iPhone games would be great. Even better: have the board on an iPad and your letter rack and scores on individual iPod touches and iPhones.
4. Championship Manager
Data-intense apps suffer on tiny handhelds, meaning deeper games rarely get a look in. But with 1024 x 768 pixels to play with, the likes of Championship Manager should be able to shine on the iPad.
5. Flight Control
Firemint was tight-lipped when we asked how Flight Control, its line-drawing masterpiece, will be reworked for the iPad, only noting it'll do "more than just upsize the graphics". Bigger maps are a possibility, but what we'd really like to see is a split-screen simultaneous two-player mode.
6. GeoDefense
Th vector-based tower defence game GeoDefense would look marvellous on the iPad's bigger screen, but the increase in resolution would also enable bigger maps and precision placement of units. Other tower defence games would also benefit, especially those that require map-scrolling on the iPhone.
7. Red Conquest
Like Civilization, real-time strategy games will profit from having a resolution closer to that of a laptop than a mobile phone. In the case of designed-for-iPhone Red Conquest, this means rapid access to more of the map, but ports from the PC such as Command & Conquer will benefit even more.
8. Galcon
This real-time 'Risk in space' works nicely on the iPhone, but feels a little cramped compared to the PC and Mac versions. We'd expect an iPad version of Galcon to feel more open and have a little extra visual polish. More traditional Risk games, such as Lux, should also reap rewards from the iPad's larger screen.
9. Orbital
This one-thumb orb-destruction game is a true iPhone classic, the videogame equivalent of very addictive drugs. The iPhone version of Orbital was demoed on the iPad at Apple's live event, which the developer says was a surprise to the team. He reveals that Orbital HD is in the works, with "pin-sharp textures, a redesigned user interface, and a two-player mode, so Orbital can be played like a table-top arcade game". We can't wait.
10. 'A decent pinball game'
There are plenty of good pinball games for the iPhone, such as Pinball Dreams and Zen Pinball, but all suffer from the tiny display. The iPad should banish scrolling, not turn detailed and complex tables into mush, and be the apex of mobile pinball gaming. (Additional note: Zoo Games, pretty please release the Pro Pinball series for iPad!)
11. Solebon Solitaire
Any decent solitaire/card game should work well on iPad, where the cards can be close to life-size. Solebon is great for iPhone, though, so it's the one we'd like to see cross over first, perhaps with more drag-oriented controls.
12. Space Invaders Infinity Gene
Taito's Space Invaders revamp is one of the finest videogaming retro remakes on any platform, and just providing an overhaul of the visuals for iPad would be enough to make us giddy. But new formations and levels that take advantage of a larger screen would instantly propel the game to classic status.
13. Beneath a Steel Sky
Point-and-click adventures from 16-bit gaming systems, such as Beneath a Steel Sky, are enjoying something of a renaissance on the iPhone. iPad versions would provide scope for more detailed graphics and interfaces that enable rapid access to options. As long as developers rely on touch controls and avoid virtual mouse pointers (we're looking at you, Secret of Monkey Island), everything should be spiffy.
14. Frotz
The genre that point-and-clicks trampled underfoot during the 16-bit gaming era, text adventures (or 'interactive fiction', to use a more modern genre name), could work nicely on iPad. Imagine Frotz with a larger keyboard and beautiful, configurable typography, along with a selection of in-app purchases for top-notch Infocom, Magnetic Scrolls and Level 9 Computing classics. Mmm.
15. Missile Command
Dave Theurer's Cold War classic Missile Command converted brilliantly to the iPhone, with the arcade original's trackball controls being replaced by prod-based targeting. On the iPad, this retro title would also shine (and enable Atari to make a better job of the 'modern' remake, hitting back at Pangea's Warheads). Other retro classics could also be reborn as one-hand titles (Marble Madness, Qix, Arkanoid) or top-down cocktail-cabinet-style games (Pac-Man, Smash TV and many others).
16. Doom Resurrection
Since the iPad's primarily designed to be held in one hand and interacted with using the other, complex first-person shooters won't work well (or, at best, will have to be played flat, on a table). However, on-rails shooters such as Doom Resurrection could work nicely. To be honest, though, this entry's really an excuse to put out a public plea for House of the Dead 2 for iPad. C'mon, Sega!
17. 'An air hockey game'
Yes, we've hit the 'generic' switch again, but, let's face it, air hockey games are much of a muchness on the iPhone. (Pictured is Glow Hockey 2, one of many near-identical games.) The iPad's larger screen should make two-player battles much more fun, and you and a pal can pretend you're giants using a real air hockey table.
18. FIFA 10
EA's footie game FIFA 10 suffers somewhat on the iPhone due to a small viewing area and controls being placed over in-game graphics. With more space to play with, the experience would be so much better, although we suspect this'd be a game played with the iPad flat on a table (or docked and with a hypothetical Bluetooth controller).
19. Lucky Coins
Lucky Coins is great, like Peggle with more skill and less randomness. However, strategic play is curtailed somewhat by not being able to see enough of each level—something that can be instantly dealt with if the game is reworked for the iPad.
20. Enigmo
Although Enigmo 2 added a new dimension to Pangea's puzzle series, it's the original Enigmo we'd like to see on the iPad. Imagine insanely complicated Rube Goldberg devices taking up the whole of an iPad's screen, rather than being confined to a tiny iPhone or iPod touch - crazy-contraption-mobile-gaming heaven!
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Review: TVonics DTR-HV250
Surprisingly, the TVonics DTR-HV250 is the first Freeview PVR from TVonics to sport an HDMI output, which enables hi-def TV owners to savour the delights of upscaled Freeview programmes.
But in our eyes, a bigger selling point is the eye-catching design and superb build quality. It's compact enough to squeeze into cramped AV racks, while the curved edges lend a touch of style missing from most PVRs.
For the bodywork, TVonics favours aluminium over plastic and the gloss black finish makes it pleasingly fashionable. The display panel on the front helpfully shows the name of the programme and then the name of the channel.
Features
Aside from an HDMI output, you also get two inputs, effectively turning this unit into an HDMI switchbox. This is a first for a Freeview PVR, and is great news if you only have one HDMI input on your TV, because you can flick between Freeview, Blu-ray and Sky HD without having to keep swapping cables.
The RGB Scart output is useful if you want to make back-up copies of favourite TV shows. There are two USB ports (one front and one back). Connect a USB memory drive or card reader to either one and you can view JPEG photos on your set.
There's a 250GB hard disk on board that holds up to 125hrs of recordings, while twin Freeview tuners enable you to watch one channel and record another, or record two channels simultaneously.
Unlike the Humax PVR-9300T, the unit stops you watching a third channel while recording two others, no matter what multiplex it's on.
Freeview+ features such as series link, split recording and pause live TV are as welcome as ever, while the useful picture-in-picture mode enables you to view other channels in a small box that can be moved to any corner of the screen.
Ease of use
The onscreen design doesn't seek to wow you with fancy graphics or elaborate layouts. As per previous models from the same brand, simplicity and practicality are top priorities, which explains the use of plain boxes filled only with lists and minimal submenus.
It's a joy to use, and will suit elderly users or Freeview first-timers. Also impressive is the way the box guides you through any potentially tricky situations, and does so using plain English.
For example, when you schedule a recording that clashes with others, up pops a dialogue box that asks if you want to 'Resolve Conflict' or 'Cancel Timer'. The former option shows a list of the recordings in question to choose from.
Compare this with some of the clumsy, pidgin English Freeview+ recorders we've encountered and the DTR-HV250 really does stand out. The EPG is slick and simple to use. It shows nine channels at a time with an array of functions at the bottom, but doesn't feel cluttered.
Series Link is easy to set – if available, it pops up as an option when you set a recording in the EPG. But when it comes to channel surfing, the coup de grأ¢ce is the information banner, which lets you search any channel and any time, not just 'now and next' details.
The recording library continues the user-friendly theme with a no-frills list of programmes. The list can be arranged by name, date or duration and once selected you can view a recording from the start or choose where to start playback, just like Sky+.
Comparisons to the latter extend to the remote control, which uses a very similar layout. Is this laziness from the maker? Perhaps, but it's also rather shrewd, given the universal love for Sky's zapper.
TVonics' effort feels more plasticky, but thanks to the thoughtful button arrangement and clear labelling it poses no problems.
Picture
Picture quality is the DTR-HV250's Achilles' heel. Live Freeview images upscaled to 1080i are watchable enough, but they suffer from a gauzy effect that clouds the clarity, plus every now and again the picture stutters uncomfortably, and even appears to slow down as if the video processing is struggling to keep up.
The situation isn't particularly improved by changing the resolution to 576p, either. On the plus side, colour depth is fine and recordings look identical to the live broadcast, although sadly it doesn't clean up those artefacts when capturing video on the hard disk.
But in other respects the unit performs well: channel tuning is fast, the tuners are robust, channels change instantly and digital text pages load up in a flash.
Sound
The clear, dynamic stereo sound bursting from our speakers reveals no problems on the audio side.
The inclusion of an optical digital audio output makes it easy to send the signals to a Pro Logic II-enabled amplifier and heighten the excitement of drama shows and movies, but the Scart and HDMI outputs provide equally clear sound quality. The results are equally good whether you're watching live or recorded programmes.
Value
The DTR-HV250's price tag might put it beyond the reach of some buyers, but on the whole it justifies the outlay.
Its main asset is a fantastic feature list, which includes HDMI switching, a sizeable hard drive and a range of Freeview and recording functions that goes beyond the norm.
It's also incredibly simple to use, but sadly its below par picture quality lets the side down and puts a big dent in the overall value.
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Bishop Bob brings Facebook prayers for lent
The Bishop of Crediton, Robert Evens, has set up a Facebook page where he will take prayer requests during Lent.
Known as Bishop Bob's prayers, the page currently has a meagre 88 fans, but plenty of requests and encouragement in the wall postings.
Bishops Evens has promised to offer silent prayer for the requests from 11.30am to 1.30pm on 13 March in Exeter Cathedral. The prayer session is open to the public.
Bishop Bob explained his reason for setting up the page: "Prayer is hugely important for many people whether they are churchgoers or not.
"I want to encourage people to pray, and many people feel very supported in knowing that someone else is praying for them, or alongside them."
Travelling Prayers
The Bishop will also offer prayers when he's on the road, adding "I will be pulling over in lay-bys all over Devon, as well as adding people to my prayers at home each day."
He hopes that using Facebook, with its massive base of people, will make prayer more accessible to millions. All prayer requests, he said, will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Religion and technology have been coming a lot closer recently, with plenty of religious apps for smartphones, as we detailed earlier this week.
No word, though, on whether a prayer for Leeds United to receive automatic promotion to the Championship this season is acceptable.
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Change your TV channel by mind control
The latest research into thought-controlled technology from the University of Washington suggests that mind-controlled computer input is one big step closer to reality.
The research team has discovered that interacting with brain-computer interfaces lets patients create "super-active populations of brain cells" and that "a human brain could quickly become adept at manipulating an external device such as a computer interface or a prosthetic limb."
Or indeed, a television.
Brain-building exercises
The latest research shows how the brain can control an on-screen cursor are published this week in the 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences'.
"Bodybuilders get muscles that are larger than normal by lifting weights," said lead author Kai Miller, a UW doctoral student in physics, neuroscience and medicine.
"We get brain activity that's larger than normal by interacting with brain-computer interfaces. By using these interfaces, patients create super-active populations of brain cells."
Medical breakthroughs
Brain Control Interface (BCI) headsets are being developed primarily for medical applications, such as the possibility of helping stroke victims or those suffering from the tragically debilitating "locked in syndrome" whereby they have no means of communicating with the outside world.
Control of a TV or PC via BCI is a spin-off from this research and, while not yet achievable, is looking like it is now a real future possibility.
Research scientist Dr. Gerwin Schalk is one of the leading authorities in the field of BCI, a 12-year veteran in the burgeoning and fascinating area of brain controlled tech. Dr. Schalk is currently working on the SIGFRIED project which lets researchers understand and interpret data from the sensors used in brain controlled tech.
You can see a fascinating and revealing interview outlining how Schalk's latest research brings mind-controlled computing one step closer over at Extremetech.com.
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Review: Epson EH-DM3
Just when home cinema projectors from the likes of Epson became affordable, along came mass market flatscreen TVs to steal the sales, but this cinema-in-a-box measures up to the competition in convincing style.
Features
Arriving in our test rooms in a padded pouch, Epson's latest all-in-one is clearly trying to make projection as portable and personable as possible. It just about works, although the EH-DM3 does have some limitations.
It's very similar to its predecessor, the EH-DM2, apart from the addition of a few extra pixels: this incarnation boasts a 960 x 540 resolution where its older sibling's was 854 x 480.
The built-in DVD player also supports CDs and, new for 2010, DivX playback. So to its moveable speakers, which wrap around the front or back (your choice) and provide a few extra notches of power over the former model at 10W. There's even a Virtual Surround mode.
Together with those improvements, alongside tripled contrast ratio and almost doubled brightness, the EH-DM3 might sound like the ideal occasional movie companion.
By design the projector is light on cables by dint of its built-in DVD player, although its rear also sports a HDMI input in case you want to hook-up either a Blu-ray player, a PS3 or an Xbox 360. Further proof of its mainstream appeal comes in the shape of a microphone input, which could attract a few karaoke fans.
Ease of use
Despite its extra dollop of brightness, the EH-DM3 can't compete with daylight. Best used in a blackout, it's also important to use it in as big a room as possible because, while it's capable of throwing 300in images, there are caveats.
Firstly, at that size picture quality is terrible and, secondly, you'd have to position yourself somewhere around nine metres from the screen, in a giant room, if you want to hear the speakers. A compromise is usually best; we settled on an 80in image thrown from seven feet from the screen.
You can angle the device as much as possible using its retractable feet and then use keystone correction to level the image. But that still leaves the conundrum of where to sit.
Help is at hand from one of the EH-DM3's cleverest features: its spinning top. Sit behind the projector and you can hear some acceptable audio (even in a quasi-surround mode) from the front, or you can swivel the lamp and sit in front of the device to get audio from behind.
Despite these options, we found it best to slip on a pair of headphones. Using the USB input is similarly two-pronged. Inserting a Flash memory stick is tricky, since the power cord is in the way, although once achieved, the EH-DM3 immediately starts playing MP3 and WMA files stored within, although at unpredictably high volumes.
Select some JPEG photos and a slideshow begins, while the music continues in the background. The device defaults to USB if there's a dongle in situ.
Movie playback is limited; feed the machine some DivX or MPEG video files and they play in seconds, but there's no recognition of any other video file formats.
Picture
Blowing up a DVD to 100ins does, of course, present a few problems that won't be solved until Epson releases an HD Ready or even a Blu-ray version of the EH-DM3. We can only hope for that at some future date.
Lost In Translation on DVD boasts some reasonably well-saturated colours, although they can appear a touch muted. A murky shot of the Park Hyatt hotel lobby features some dirt in backgrounds, but there's still plenty of brightness to liven up the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. However, shots of traffic reveal motion blur, as do the camera pans between the cocky director and his assistant during Bob's Suntory advert shoot.
Nor is there a great deal of contrast on offer, but when watched in total blackout conditions the EH-DM3 does produce some acceptable black levels. You might think it futile to pump in Rescue Dawn on Blu-ray, but the lightbox can accept a full HD 1080p signal, even if it can't display it completely.
Pictures from Blu-ray are tighter, while at the other end of the scale, images from DivX video files are best kept small.
Sound
While hardly powerful, the beefed-up speakers edge slightly above the minimum level required to comfortably listen to music or for undemanding gaming.
Movies are less well catered for, with a lot of detail lost in subtle soundtracks, though dialogue-led animated fare (this projector was bundled with the Ice Age trilogy at time of writing) is fine.
Unsurprisingly, the surround option doesn't live up to its name, but audio isn't a write-off. Typically for the EH-DM3, there are options; the provision of both a headphones jack and an electrical digital output to hook it up to an amp should please most users. The headphones option, in particular, is utterly unique to a home cinema projector – and perfect for late night viewing.
Value
To call the EH-DM3 a home entertainment centre might be pushing credibility, but Epson just about succeeds.
Trying to make a projector portable is no easy task and this one is best left alone once you've found it a home and tweaked the settings. But this cleverly designed device will perfectly suit undemanding users looking for an occasional projector.
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Android market growing faster than App Store
Mobile app analytics company Distimo has assembled these easy to understand graphs, based on the latest findings on the six largest mobile phone apps stores on offer from Apple, Palm, Research In Motion, Google, Nokia and Microsoft.
Distimo notes that Android's growth rate is fastest, amassing 3,000 new apps per month (15 per cent growth rate), while Apple is growing at about 14,000 new apps per month (9 per cent).
The stats show each company's store size, rate of growth, average price of apps and the free-versus-paid-app ratio.
Size, growth, pricing
Clearly, Apple is way out ahead of the competition (151,000 apps), having had something of a head start (not to mention acres of column inches of invaluable PR) with the App Store.
Following Apple is Google's Android Market (19,300 apps). And lower down the app ecosystem we have Windows Mobile (690 apps), Palm (1,450), Nokia (6,120) and BlackBerry (4,760).
In terms of cost, RIM's apps cost the most, an average of $8.26 for apps, Windows Mobile cost $7 on average and Nokia, Apple, Google and Palm apps all fall in the $2.50 - $3.60 price range.
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Review: Denon DBP-2010
Denon's Blu-ray players fall into two camps – high-end behemoths and performance focused 'affordable' decks that still cost twice as much as your average model. The Denon DBP-2010 belongs to the latter, sitting below mega-pricey Denon decks like the DVD-3800BD, DBP-4010 and the awesome DVD-A1UD.
So, we're hoping for plentiful features, killer performance and exquisite build. It is certainly elegant and robustly built.
Available in a choice of black or silver, the casing is conservatively decorated, but the multi-layer chassis and double-layer top cover will be music to the ears of cinephiles who don't want vibrations to ruin performance.
The busy fascia includes playback keys, an SD card slot and a large, informative display panel.
Features
The DBP-2010 offers all the basic features you'd expect from a Blu-ray player, such as HD audio decoding, 1080/24p output and BD Live compatibility. But compared with the LG BD390 and Sony BDP-S760, the rest seems rather miserly.
First up, the only way of connecting to the internet is by plugging an ugly LAN cable into the Ethernet port on the rear. There's no network function either, so if you want to play digital media you'll need to load it onto an SD card or recordable Blu-ray/DVD/CD first.
Also missing is the built-in 1GB of memory for BD Live downloads, so you'll need an SD or SDHC card if you want to make the most of BD Live discs.
On the plus side, DivX HD is supported on Blu-ray, DVD and CD. Of course, being a Denon deck the DBP-2010 is packed with top-quality internal components.
Ease of use
Coming from the same parent company as the Marantz BD7004 it's no surprise that the Denon's onscreen design, remote and manual are almost identical.
The operating system is easy on the eye and logically arranged into Custom and Quick menus, enabling you to tweak just the basics or delve a little deeper if required. It's also quick to respond to remote commands. A banner menu houses the picture adjustments (Contrast, Colour, Gamma Correction, Brightness, Sharpness) and a virtual surround mode.
The uncluttered and clearly labelled remote is practical for most navigation and 'Glo-key' buttons do help in the dark, but the playback keys are too low for comfort.
There are some causes for concern: the setup menu, for example, can't be accessed without stopping the movie first, which could make you lose your place if the chosen disc doesn't support Resume. It's also a bit sluggish at scanning and ejecting discs, but its most heinous crime is taking more than a minute to load particularly Java-heavy platters.
Picture
Your reward for wading through all this operational treacle is an onslaught of gloriously sharp and vivid Blu-ray pictures.
Spinning Inglourious Basterds on Blu-ray highlights its many virtues. The crispness with which it conveys the lushly textured French countryside is a wonder to behold, as is the depth and naturalism of the green bushes and trees.
There's plenty more to admire as you progress through the movie: during the tense stand-off between the Basterds and the Nazi officer in the basement bar, its superb contrast setting enables you to pick out detail among the shadowy scenery; the brutal climax in the cinema is a mesmerising flurry of crisp orange flames and smoothly tracked motion, plus, the general subtlety and finesse when dealing with facial close-ups and gory effects shots makes for a totally visceral experience.
As impressed as we are, however, there's nothing that particularly sets the Denon's pictures apart from cheaper players from the likes of Sony, LG or Philips. Detail levels, colour depth and dark scene definition are fantastic, but not sufficiently eye-popping enough to justify that extra آ£350 or so with complete confidence. For that sort of premium it should be in a completely different league.
DVD playback is a different matter. The clarity and depth it brings to our copy of King Kong is spellbinding, and the lack of stepping, judder, block or mosquito noise is testament to the skills of the Anchor Bay's VRS processing.
Sound
Another area where the Denon enjoys an advantage over its budget counterparts is stereo music playback.
A selection of John Coltrane's jazz numbers on CD sound clean and uncoloured, while the fine frequency balance lets you appreciate the interplay between the various instruments.
Internally-decoded HD audio soundtracks also sound sensational. The smooth steering, meticulous detail retrieval and rich, muscular bass effects give Inglourious Basterds' DTS HD Master Audio encoded finale the requisite punch and openness, and you get more of the same when you pass the bitstream to a good quality receiver.
Value
Weighing up the lack of exciting features and insufficiently superior picture performance against its overdraft-threatening price tag, we can only conclude that the DBP-2010 represents poor value for money.
That said, if you aren't interested in bells and whistles and care passionately about sound quality, you may be able to justify the extra premium. Otherwise get more for your money elsewhere.
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Vodafone thanks O2 for 'fastest web access' tag
Vodafone has thanked O2 following a survey that ranked it as having the fastest mobile web page access in the most locations around Britain.
O2 commissioned an independent survey through SIRODA to test the speed of networks in 150 locations over 60 days.
Vodafone was found to offer the fastest web page access in the most locations, while O2 was head and shoulders above the competition for music download speeds.
Endorsement
"This week's independent study by O2 is a welcome endorsement of Vodafone having the best network in the UK," said Guy Laurence, CEO of Vodafone.
"We're seeing continued high demand for our range of smartphones, including the iPhone, driven by customers enjoying a great experience from our outstanding network."
O2 has seen a huge rise in mobile data use when it became the exclusive iPhone network in 2007 (a deal which has since ended).
It has invested heavily in upgrading its networks to cope with the demand posed by the device, including آ£30m of investment in London alone.
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Miyamoto honoured with BAFTA Fellowship
Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo's celebrated games designer and father of gaming icons such as Mario and Zelda, is to be honoured with a BAFTA Fellowship at this year's British Academy Video Game Awards.
Miyamoto will pick up the honour at this year's BAFTA ceremony to be held on 19 March at the London Hilton, Park Lane and hosted by comedian Dara O Briain.
A group effort
"I am very grateful to be able to receive such an honourable award from the British Academy," said Miyamoto.
"Our video games cannot be created by one person; since Donkey Kong until the most recent New Super Mario Bros. Wii, I have been working closely with a number of friends for three decades in order to develop fun and enjoyable games. I would like to receive this honourable award on behalf of all of these dependable colleagues."
The highest accolade
"The Fellowship is the highest accolade the Academy can bestow on an individual for their creative work and we are honoured to have Miyamoto with us to accept his award," said David Parfitt, Chairman of the Academy.
"With previous honourees including Hitchcock, Kubrick and Pinter, it is only fitting that Miyamoto be recognised alongside these other pioneers for his groundbreaking work. He helped to develop an entire creative industry and is still a major force in its continuing success."
Nintendo recently patented a force feedback system which many are hoping to see implemented in the next version of its popular DS handheld. We hope to hear more on that from E3 this coming June.
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Yahoo integrating Twitter into sites
Yahoo is planning to integrate Twitter into all its sites, meaning users can read and write Tweets without having to leave the portal.
The move is designed to use the popularity of the micro-blogging site to increase Yahoo's appeal to users. Yahoo already has a similar deal in place with Facebook, positioning itself to be a hub for social networking.
Bryan Lamkin, senior vice president, consumer products group, Yahoo, explained: "Let me try to capture the enormity of this integration in 140 characters or less: We're turning the key to the online social universe — you will find the most personally relevant experiences through Yahoo.
"We're also simplifying people's lives by bringing their social worlds - and the world - together for easy access."
As of yesterday, Yahoo's search engine began displaying Tweets in real time – much like Google and Microsoft, which signed similar agreements last year.
Live tweets will begin appearing on other Yahoo properties later this year.
According to Yahoo, "this will drive deeper user engagement, and create new and compelling opportunities for developers, advertisers, and publishers."
No money mentioned
Neither Yahoo nor Twitter would go into any details about how much has been spent on the deal. However, it's rumoured that together Google and Microsoft paid $25 million for Twitter rights.
A study last month by analytics firm Compete showed Facebook overtaking Yahoo as the second most visited site in the US, so Yahoo is looking to make up ground.
Twitter co-founder Biz Stone was understandably bullish on the agreement. He said: "The information in one single tweet can travel light-years farther with this Yahoo! Integration. Tweets in more places brings relevance where and when you need it most."
Via Reuters
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Google faces EU anti-monopoly probe
Google is set to face an EU anti-monopoly probe into its dominant position in the internet search and advertising industry.
The latest anti-monopoly investigation follows allegations that Google unfairly and deliberately demotes competing websites in its search results.
The move follows complaints from three firms - British price comparison site Foundem, French legal search engine eJustice and Microsoft-owned shopping site, Ciao.
Google handles 80 per cent of Europe's web searches and 65 per cent in the US, according to ComScore and has come under fire from competitors and liberal commentators alike, such as the Observer's Henry Porter, who recently accused Google of having a monopoly that was 'dangerously toxic'.
Goes with the territory?
Google's senior European competition counsel, Julia Holtz, shrugged said in a blog this week: "This kind of scrutiny goes with the territory when you are a large company.
"We are confident that our business operates in the interests of users and partners, as well as in line with European competition law."
Holtz also pointed out in her posting that Ciao is owned by Microsoft and that Foundem, is part of a trade grouping sponsored by Microsoft.
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