Review: Philips 42PFL7404H LCD TV
Philips' high-end TVs are some of the most feature-packed on the market, boasting more high-powered processing than NASA mission control. But if the recession has forced you to set your sights a little lower, it doesn't necessarily mean you have to miss out on those enticing features completely.
That's because the processing modes inside Philips' mid-range sets do the same basic job as the versions on Philips' high-end sets, but with less grunt behind them.
So instead of Perfect Pixel HD Engine on the 9000 series you get Pixel Precise HD; 100Hz LCD replaces 200Hz Clear LCD; Perfect Natural Motion is substituted by HD Natural Motion – you get the picture.
The lower horsepower brings the 42PFL7404H's price down to around half that of the equivalent 42-inch 9000 series set, which is a pretty good saving in anyone's book.
This particular TV is part of Philips' 7000 series, which sits below the all-singing, all-dancing 9000 and 8000 series but above the 5000 and entry-level 3000.
The screen size is 42-inches, but if you need it smaller or bigger then the 7000 series also includes 32, 47 and 52-inch sets. They're all Full HD 1080p models, and as we'll discover they actually offer a much better range of bells and whistles than you may expect from a mid-range model.
And that mid-range positioning doesn't mean Philips has skimped on design either – the 7404H is a great looking set with an ultra slim, gloss-black bezel, which is designed to maximise the perceived screen size, plus the curves in each corner give it that distinctive Philips vibe.
Sadly, Ambilight is a casualty of Philips' cost-cutting and therefore you won't get the gorgeous picture-enhancing aura on the wall behind, but at this sort of price that's only to be expected.
The transparent plastic hood that surrounds the bezel would normally be used to catch the rays, but here it's nothing more than a sad reminder of Ambilight's absence.
It's worth mentioning at this point that the tuner inside the 42PFL7404 is a straight-up Freeview affair and not Freeview HD – getting that from a TV at this price really would be a steal.
At the heart of the 7404 is Philips' Pixel Precise HD engine, not to be confused with the more powerful Perfect Pixel HD engine found on the company's high-end sets.
If you're not already familiar with the technology, allow us to recap: this picture engine is a descendant of the top-end Perfect Pixel HD engine and is capable of processing 250 million pixels per second.
Its purpose is to put the boot into bothersome picture artefacts and boost detail levels to eye-popping levels. What's more, the 14-bit colour processing generates four trillion different hues, about the same number found in the studio décor of Loose Women.
Under Pixel Precise HD's rather large umbrella you'll find a host of modes designed to enhance various aspects of the picture. These include 100Hz LCD, which ups the refresh rate using Double Frame Insertion to reduce motion blur, resulting in a response time of 3ms, which Philips claims is twice as fast as 'conventional' LCD sets.
Pricier Philips sets up the refresh rate to 200Hz using Clear LCD technology, but from our experience the 100Hz version also does a great job of removing motion blur.
It's joined by HD Natural Motion, which uses complex algorithms to estimate movement, thereby eliminating judder and making movement look much smoother than regular LCD pictures.
That's ideal for watching movie material with a low frame rate (such as 1080/24p Blu-ray films), or stuff that contains a lot of fast movement like sport, although in the past we've found that HD Natural Motion can sometimes make movement look a little unnatural.
Excellent contrast
In terms of contrast, the 7404 generates a ratio of 80,000:1 thanks to its Dynamic Contrast mode, which is designed to offer bright pictures, deep blacks and decent definition during dark scenes.
There are more than enough connections to go round. Four HDMI inputs cater for all your HD sources, and one of these is handily fitted on the side. Fork out for one of Philips' top-end sets and you get a fifth HDMI, but in all honesty four should suffice for the average user. You also get component, PC, composite and S-video inputs.
Also on the side is a USB port, which lets you play MP3, JPEG and MPEG-1/-2/-4 (AVC) videos – it's pleasing that Philips has included this feature despite the 7404's midrange price tag. You also get two RGB Scarts and a coaxial digital audio output for piping sound to your amp.
There is, of course, a Freeview tuner on board with an 8-day EPG and common interface slot that lets you add pay TV channels. It would be wrong to expect a TV at this price point to sport a Freeview HD tuner, but if you buy this TV it does mean you'll need to add a set-top box if you want terrestrial hi-def when it comes to your region.
Among the other features is a range of picture presets, including Game, Movie, Vivid and the eco-friendly Energy Saving mode. Audio-wise you get Incredible Surround, which is designed to make sound from the invisible speaker system hidden below the screen seem more expansive.
Internet TVs are all the rage right now and Philips' higher-end TVs boast its Net TV service, which zaps web content to the screen over a wireless connection. This feature unsurprisingly isn't included on the 7404, which is a shame but not a deal-breaker.
There's a simplicity and friendliness about the Philips' onscreen design that will appeal to anyone who's fed up with wading through illegible text and illogical submenus.
The operating system is based around the Home menu, which displays six shortcuts denoted by large, stylised icons. You can add any source you like to this menu, offering quick access to your most-used devices.
Select Setup and the menu is presented in a wonderfully simple way – the submenus progress from left to right across the screen, using large, 'glowing' text. It can get a little sluggish when you give it too many commands in quick succession, but all of the options are grouped exactly where you'd expect them to be and there's a lot of stuff to play around with.
Optimising the picture is child's play. The settings assistant displays a series of splitscreen images, asking which side you prefer, but the manual method is more fruitful.
Brilliant interface
All of the Precise Pixel HD modes are bunched together in one menu, so it's easy to make them all sing from the same hymn sheet.
Channel tuning is easy to find and quick, and the unusual EPG layout is slick and easy to follow. Press Options on the remote and a separate mini-menu appears, offering the most-used options and picture settings. Other features like digital text and USB playback operate quickly.
As for the remote, it's hardly the epitome of elegance bit does a solid, functional job. The silver ring of direction buttons is an eye-catching touch and the rubberised keys have a nice, clicky feel when pressed. The arrangement is fine and there are several shortcut buttons for zipping straight to often-used functions.
Play about with those picture settings and you can get some superb-looking pictures out of this TV.
They're not quite as incisively sharp and clean as the 9000 series sets, and the quality can suffer if you pile on the processing too heavily, but on the whole we're very pleased with what's on offer.
Blu-ray pictures are naturally the most impressive. The set is more than comfortable with the breakneck action in Transformers – HD Natural Motion reproduces the fast movement of robots and helicopters with unerring smoothness, while 100Hz masks motion blur effectively.
Amazing colours
Set to maximum the effects of HD Natural Motion look a little unnatural, but overall it's hard not to be impressed by such effective judder removal.
It also displays 1080p images with the sharpness demanded by the format, and when coupled with impressive black levels they possess an entrancing depth and punchiness. Dark scenes contain plenty of detail too, and it's easy to pick out the shading within the bleached white desert sand.
Colours are simply stunning – Optimus Prime's paint job looks bold, bright and convincing, yet the Philips also conveys subtle skin tones and shading in the same frame with equal aplomb.
It's not all hunky dory however – the picture suffers from some break up and shimmering around some edges with HD Natural Motion and 100Hz LCD engaged at the same time, and noise reduction compromises the sharpness of the picture.
Freeview pictures look fine apart from a dusting of mosquito noise and processing artefacts, while DVDs are displayed with reasonable sharpness and depth, although once again there's a little too much noise in the picture to nail that five star picture rating.
Incredible Sound opens up the soundstage nicely, making audio less compact and stuffy. Dialogue is clear and direct, cutting through the booms and bangs of our test movie, and although it won't wake the neighbours there's a decent amount of bass on board.
Value
Despite sacrificing many of the features that make Philips' high-end sets so special, the 7404H still offers great value. The on-board processing modes on board do a good job, while the inclusion of a USB port, four HDMIs and plentiful picture tweaks is fairly generous. Picture quality is also exemplary for the money – all of which makes this a solid purchase if money is tight.
If you've ever dreamed of owning a Philips TV but don't have the budget for one of its incredible top-end sets, then the 42PFL7404 is a brilliant compromise.
Unlike some rival budget or mid-range sets, the 7404 doesn't feel overly stripped down or basic – you get a lot of TV tech for your money and there's a healthy dose of features to keep you entertained.
OK, there's no Net TV and the picture modes aren't the most powerful in Philips' arsenal, but the versions included here still deliver very good results. Some of the omissions are harder to swallow than others – Ambilight for one – but on the whole this set is a terrific choice for people on a sub-£1,000 budget.
We liked:
What stands out is the Philips' outstanding picture quality. Hi-def material looks eminently crisp and clean, and this clarity is helped no end by the complete absence of judder or motion blur – hats off to HD Natural Motion and 100Hz LCD.
Colours also blaze from the screen and there's some surprisingly deep, solid blacks in the picture too.
Aside from picture quality, there's lots more to admire. The 7404 is incredibly easy to use, thanks largely to the simple-but-effective on-screen design, and despite the inevitable cost cutting there's still a decent amount of features on board, including detailed optimisation tools, a USB port that supports playback of several digital media formats and a healthy array of sockets.
Let's not forget either that this is one good looking TV, almost as attractive as the price in fact – at around £750 the 7404 is terrific value, which will be music to the ears of anyone looking for a feature packed 1080p LCD with decent performance on a tight budget.
We disliked:
As much as we love the images mustered up by the 7404, it has to be said that they're not perfect. On occasion the 100Hz LCD and HD Natural Motion processing cause some shimmering around moving objects, and standard definition pictures do look a tad waxy at times and contain a noticeable amount of noise.
We're also slightly miffed that Philips couldn't stretch to some form of Ambilight – even the bog standard version would have been better than nothing – and some people may be aggrieved at the lack of Net TV access.
Verdict:
Anyone with a sub-£1,000 budget would be absolutely mad to ignore this impressive LCD proposition, which boasts features-a-plenty, solid performance and a terrific operating system.
This review was written in conjunction with:
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Apple adds an iPad-ready web page list
Apple has added a section to its website which lists key sites which are 'iPad ready' – including the likes of CNN, Reuters, Time and People magazine.
Apple has produced a list of major mainstream content providers, and there is also a form to allow you to submit your site, with a how-to guide for webmasters.
Obviously the big no-no is Flash, which is still not supported on the iPad, despite claims from Apple that this is the ultimate gadget for surfing the web.
Desktop experience
"Safari on iPad is capable of delivering a "desktop" web experience," explains Apple's guide.
"iPad has a large, 9.7" screen and fast network connectivity, and Safari on iPad uses the same WebKit layout engine as Safari on Mac OS X and Windows.
"You can ensure that your website looks and works great on iPad, and even create new touch-enabled web experiences for your customers, by considering a few specific differences between iPad and other platforms."
Touching
Constructing for the touch interface is clearly a key factor for Apple – with the guide adding: "Although an external hardware keyboard is an option for use with iPad, the primary means of interacting with web content in Safari on iPad is through touch.
"The software keyboard appears in Safari on iPad and iPhone when a form control that requires text input…gains focus.
"Users should not be forced to rely on a keyboard to navigate your webpage."
So which media outlets will be featured on the UK Apple iPad site? We can hardly wait to find out.
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Review: Flip MinoHD 8GB
We've already seen what Creative is doing with its 3rd generation Vado HD and now the Flip pocket camcorder is getting it's latest incarnation in the new Flip MinoHD 8GB edition.
It's not just a larger capacity than we've seen in the MinoHD's of the past but it's also much heavier and with a better screen. We're starting to see the pocket camcorders making real names for themselves, but can this Flip get one over on Creative's latest?
The first thing to notice when you compare the two devices is the MinoHD is a far chunkier beast.
Not only is it heavier than the Vado HD, it's also got a bit on it in terms of girth too. Styling wise it's on to a bit of a downer too, looking as it does, like a mid-noughties, small-time Chinese branded .mp3 player.
Like the Vado HD it's got a big red record button in the middle, but again like the Vado HD it's also surrounded by fiddly touch-buttons including an all too prominent delete button. Luckily there's a delete lock you can activate but you can't help feeling like that was a reaction to the simple fact that it's so easy to press by accident.
Click to see this video in 720p HD
We liked:
The screen is the saviour of the MinoHD, it's got half an inch on its 4GB brethren and the screen is a picture of clarity. Quite literally. Compared to the more washed out panel of the Vado HD it's a clear win for the Flip camera on this battle.
It's very simple to use and outputs to a decent standard; we didn't feel it quite matched the Vado HD in terms of output quality on either the PC or HDTV, but it was still impressive from a pocket camcorder.
We disliked:
Unfortunately the Flip MinoHD just doesn't have that feeling of up-to-date tech you get from the sleek Vado HD.
It's chunky and with a rather retro styling. It's also missing key features like a bundled mini HDMI cable and a microphone or headphone jack.
You're not going to want to be going through your holiday videos on the plane back without muting the sound on the MinoHD. The software is simple and easy to use, but lacks the trimming functionality of the Creative software. That said, the Flipshare software does allow you to string movie clips together and add titles and soundtrack files so it does have a fair amount of functionality in there.
It's also a good £30 more expensive than the Vado HD.
Verdict:
In the end it doesn't even have to come down to a value call between the Vado HD and this MinoHD 8GB edition.
We were expecting it to be much more of a close run thing, but the Flip camera is simply too expensive in the context of the competition.
The Creative bundle is just far better value; we'd recommend it for the bundled mini-HDMI cable alone if it was level on quality. But it isn't and so the Vado HD wins there too. The MinoHD's screen may be sharper, but the final image quality award has to go to the Vado HD.
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Review: Creative Vado HD 3rd Gen
The new Vado HD is the third iteration of Creative's innovative pocket camcorder series. We've previously seen the original Vado, and last year we reviewed the original Vado HD.
The mini, mobile phone-sized camcorder has been with us for around four years now but has never been all that popular.
While it was great to have something the size of a mobile phone that you could take around with you to record incredibly low resolution video of your friends being sick outside kebab shops, you could increasingly get to do that on any modern mobile phone.
What's more many digital cameras had a fairly usable video function bundled in to them as well, and while still low res they at least had the benefit of generally having better quality lenses than either the pocket camcorder or phone. So why blow your cash on a pocket camcorder?
With the advent of the HD pocket cams though things have got far more interesting. While they are still the size of a mobile phone the technology is suddenly much better allowing the pocket cams to overtake the average mobile phone in terms of resolution and clarity.
Representing the third generation of it's HD pocket cam is Creative's Vado HD and it's an impressive little bundle.
Click to see this video in 720p HD
We liked:
This Vado HD is as sleek as they come with a great finish. It feels light, but is still reassuringly solid; definitely something you can sit happily in the breast pocket of your ski jacket confident you wont be emptying it out as shards of silicon at the end of the day.
The simple interface allows for easy one-button recording with a single big red button on the front.
Unfortunately it is surrounded by some awkwardly touch sensitive buttons controlling zoom and exposure. They're far too easy to press without meaning to.
The screen, though a decent two inches, is a little washed out and isn't as clear as other pocket cams we've tested, specifically the new Flip MinoHD 8GB. That said though, the actual output quality of the video is far superior.
The Vado HD has also got an impressive wide-angle lens on the front giving it a far broader field of vision than the more expensive Flip camera.
The Vado HD will also double as a stills camera, hitting back at the digital stills cameras trying to muscle in on the video market. It's only capturing the images at the same 720p resolution but it's a handy extra feature.
Of course, you can always capture still frames from videos you've recorded via the simple, but effective software loaded onto the camcorder itself.
The Vado Central software loads when you plug in the Vado HD via the USB port and gives you access to the videos and images you've captured. It also gives you the option to trim down the videos, export them to your PC, email them or upload them to sites like YouTube and Facebook.
Impressively, it comes with a mini HDMI cable for hooking it up directly to a HD telly and a USB extension cable, something the pricier Flip MinoHD doesn't give you.
We disliked:
As we've said the touch sensitive buttons are a little over-sensitive and the screen is a little washed out, but there really is very little else not to like about the Vado HD.
Our only real problems came from the actual editing software which gave us a little choppiness in trimmed down versions of the video files in media player, VLC.
Verdict:
This 3rd generation of Creative's Vado HD makes an impressive outing.
It packs a surprising amount of functionality in something normally considered more of a toy than a proper camcorder.
The addition of an external mic jack (which also serves as the analogue TV out and headphone jack) and manual exposure settings make this a very functional little device indeed.
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BlackBerry App World celebrates birthday
BlackBerry App World is celebrating its first birthday, with RIM's application store arriving on April 1 2009 in Canada, the US and the UK.
BlackBerry App World – now available in 46 countries – finally brought apps for the popular BlackBerry devices, and aided in making the handsets more consumer friendly.
"Whilst the BlackBerry platform has always been built to accommodate applications, the launch of BlackBerry App World has made it easy for consumers to browse and download apps safe in the knowledge that whatever shows up in the store will work for their model, on their network," explained RIM.
6,000 apps
"The store now contains over 6,000 apps for consumers and businesses alike, including a growing number of Super Apps such as BlackBerry Messenger, Facebook and Poynt – these are the apps people really love and use every day, as they tightly integrate into the device's inbox, calendar, address book and other native apps," the company added.
Apple's App Store was the key in making applications for phones a popular and key part of every major mobile phone platform.
As well as BlackBerry App World and the App Store, there are also offerings from Nokia – the Nokia Ovi Store – Android and Microsoft with the Windows Phone Marketplace.
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Revealed: BBC, ITV and Channel 4's Freeview HD DRM
At the UK launch of Panasonic's VT20 plasma 3D TV series, TechRadar was also given the opportunity to see the company's Freeview HD / Blu-ray recorders in action – the DMR-BW880 and the DMR-BW870.
With Freeview only officially launching this week, it meant that we were among the first to see what restrictions are being put into place by the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 to make sure their HD content isn't pirated.
This is a real concern for broadcasters as, with devices like Panasonic's recorder, it is easy to rip the HD content from the Freeview signal and burn it to disc.
Panasonic wants you to use its machines for personal archiving purposes – as you would a DVD recorder – but it does seem that some restrictions have been put into place to stop you from making multiple copies.
From the demo given, it was shown that all of the HD broadcasters for Freeview HD will be using a Copy Once system when it comes to burning Blu-ray discs, but not for all of their content.
Interestingly, the BBC is being the most lenient with its protection, with a Panasonic spokesperson explaining that the broadcaster is only going to use the Copy Once option for its premium programmes like Doctor Who, which will eventually come out on Blu-ray.
As a system it is not perfect – say the copying fails halfway through, what happens then? – but at least it shows that there won't be complete restriction for copying shows to Blu-ray.
No restrictions will be put into place for standard-def content, so this really is a quality issue.
Interestingly, as the DMR-BW870 and DMR-BW880 have the ability to stream video to other DLNA devices, it won't allow this to happen unless you use an encrypted signal.
The BBC is still wrangling with Ofcom over copy protection, so this may change in the future. But, for now, you will be able to archive Freeview HD content without fear that you are breaking the law.
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Only 35 people turn up to Digital Economy Bill flashmob protest
Online copyright reform campaigner, the Open Rights Group delivered 'Disconnection Notices' to the headquarters of all three major parties, rounding off with a flashmob protest outside the headquarters of the artist's rights group UK Music.
Around 35 people turned up to the protest on Berners Street, wearing policeman's helmets and carrying clipboards, pretending to look for an excuse to cut off UK Music's broadband supply.
The notices were part of an April Fools Day campaign to try and halt the progress of the Digital Economy Bill scheduled for a Second Reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday April 6.
Rubber stamped
It's expected that the bill will be rubber stamped by Labour and Conservative MPs as part of the 'wash up' process before the election, despite a last minute amendment inserted this week which has received no parliamentary scrutiny. The Liberal Democrats yesterday announced that they would not be supporting the Bill.
UK Music and its CEO, Feargal Sharkey, are keen supporters of the Bill.
"We dropped a disconnection notice off at Labour's headquarters this morning," explained ORG campaigner Florian Leppla, "But they just got very angry with us, The Conservatives sent someone down to quietly accept it and the Lib Dems were really friendly."
Members of the flashmob included independent film producers Obhi and Jayanta Chatterjee, of Inner Eye films, who have lobbied the Liberal Democrats to clarify their position on the Bill, and students from Gloucestershire.
"It's definitely a big issue for me and anyone who follows tech news," said one protester, Elliot Hughes, "I'm just keen for it to at least be an election issue, and not be rushed through before."
A spokesperson for UK Music said nothing, and just locked the front door.
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In Depth: Panasonic: Full HD 3D 'is epoch making'
Panasonic officially unveiled its plasma 3D TVs in the UK this week, choosing London's historic Air Studios to showcase the technology.
Speaking at the event, Keith Evans, Managing Director of Panasonic UK, explained how much the company was behind 3D in the home.
"In this industry, we get used to innovation. But sometimes new technology comes along which is epoch making – Full HD 3D is it."
Once again, Panasonic re-iterated why the company is best prepared for 3D, with Evans explaining: "We are the only brand that has expertise to be required for every part of the 3D chain.
"In terms of 3D we got the first award for any TV in the world at this year's CES. Not only was it the best 3D product, it was voted best product over all."
This view was backed up by Fabrice Estornel, Plasma Manufacturer for Panasonic:
"We truly believe that 3D is the natural step in the TV evolution.
"Not only is the VT20 series the best 3D TV you can buy in the market, it also the best 2D TV you can buy."
To promote the VT20 series and the company's 3D Blu-ray player, the BDT300, Panasonic has lined up a number of 3D Blu-rays which will only be available to those who have purchased a Panasonic 3D TV. These are: Ice Age 3 (exclusive until March 2011) and Coraline (September 2010).
This is a similar road most of the main 3D manufacturers are taking, with Samsung having exclusive rights to Monsters Vs Aliens and Sony nabbing Cloudy, With a Chance Of Meatballs.
To demonstrate its 3D production facility, Panasonic used Air Studios recording space to film singer/songwriter Paul Carrick in 3D live and pipe back the footage to the company's 103-inch 3D Ready plasma.
The demonstration wasn't without its faults. We were told that this was because the 3D cameras were set up on short notice and were not synched 100 per cent with the glasses. This caused some doubling in the images and some unnecessary shadowing. When we saw the same live feed on the plasmas which will be entering the market, this was thankfully significantly reduced.
It is in the live arena that 3D is set to explode. This weekend will see the launch of Sky 3D in pubs, with over 1,000 pubs kitted out with LG televisions.
These will showing the Premiership match between Manchester United and Chelsea in 3D.
Sky's Brian Lenz was also at the Panasonic event, explaining the importance of 3D to the broadcaster and that "it's important that there are TVs in the market compatible with its feed".
He also mentioned that its 3D channel is now live (channel 217), even though it is just showing a logo at the moment.
The channel will broadcast the Premiership clash in 3D to homes some time next week.
It seems that the scene is set for 3D to kick-off in the home. Panasonic will be hoping that the UK has the same sort of thirst for 3D as the US does, where it's plasma TVs sold out in their first week on sale.
Bob Johnston, who is a 3D content producer, isn't worried as he is confident that enough time has been spent making sure the technology is going to be a success.
"The trials and tribulations of generating 3D content have been going on for the last three-and-a-half years, now we can finally see it happening.
"And it's happening everywhere. Korea, Japan, Canada, Rio, Bejing, Paris, Mexico City, Germany – [like the UK these] there are now 3D broadcasting strategies in place.
"3D is coming and we are trying to make the content come as fast as possible."
Panasonic's VT20 series has a UK release date of late April (50 inch) and July (65 inch).
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10 best April Fools' Day hoaxes on the web today
Ahh, April Fools' Day, just when we thought it had been milked dry of every last tiny drop of humour the whole technology world goes and give it one last twist.
Now obviously we object in every way to April Fools' Day and its bevy of distractions from real news, but, just to prove that we aren't in any way curmudgeons we have strung together a list of some of today's 'hilarious' pranks and/or japes.
Google releases Translate for Animal Android app. Our very own exclusive from the Big G and definitely one of the better ones. Not only did Google take the trouble to go and do a film at a farm, but they also actually created the Android App. So even though you won't be translating from donkey to human ("I love you") you can at least pretend you can to your mates.
Virgin Media using ferrets to lay broadband cables. Mark Craven at Home Cinema Choice was so adamant there was truth in this he actually sent us a link to an old BBC News story. We laughed, and then we cried. Then we went out and adopted a ferret in a high visibility jacket.
Swinton offers insurance against alien abduction. An obvious hoax, but, for people in the Todmorden triangle this might be worth probing into.
iWoot's PR rang up and told us we just had to hear about their iPad/iPhone prank. We put the phone down on them of course, but they emailed it through anyway so we felt honour bound to put it in the round-up because we felt bad about being rude.
iFixit – the tear-down legends – provided us with a look inside the Apple tablet. Of course they didn't actually say which Apple tablet. Nicely done guys.
One of our favourites of the day was from gaming peripherals specialists Razer – who threw us a link to its Razer Venom professional gaming enhancement solution. We especially liked the "5 gold-plated various needle sizes for to suit your vein sizes" and the photo of the guy after 120 hours of gaming.
The Register also got a bit of Google love – and ran a story about how the company was to digitise the world and its dog, scanning every single person, in its pursuit of all the world's information.
The Daily Mail doesn't often get a favourable mention on….anywhere really, but its AA jetpack story raised a chuckle. Not in our office, obviously, but somewhere in middle England.
YouTube – not wanting to be left out following its shiny new redesign – showed off its text only mode. Amusingly it would probably have raised less objections than the decision to move the subscribe button a bit. Great video.
Last, but not least, Laptops Direct got in on the fun and suggested you put your baby to work. Good effort.
There's about a squillion more around – so put the best ones in the comments, and thanks to Anthony Grimley, Chris Hardstaff, James Pearson and David Isaacson for their various suggestions.
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O2 dubbed best mobile broadband provider
O2 has been voted the best mobile broadband provider in an independent survey by JD power.
The bubbly brand beat off competition from Orange and T-Mobile to be dubbed top dog, with a customer satisfaction score of 653 out of a possible 1,000.
Orange was close behind with 650, and T-Mobile managed 644, on a scale that measured performance, reliability, cost, offers and promotions and customer service.
Air appeal
It was also ranked by customers as among the best in the industry, along with Orange. T-Mobile was next up, followed by Vodafone and 3.
In fixed broadband, O2 was once again top of the pile, with a customer satisfaction index of 766 out of a possible 1,000, with Plusnet (703) and Sky (676) in second and third place.
O2 was also the only fixed line provider to be ranked as 'among the best' by those surveyed.
The fixed broadband ISP customer satisfaction study is based on responses from 2,048 residential customers with fixed line broadband services and the mobile broadband ISP customer satisfaction study comes from responses from 1,274 mobile broadband customers.
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In Depth: Dolby: Why mobile audio and video quality matters
"We're two years into this market and so we're on a high trajectory," muses Dolby's President of Europe, Robin Dyer. The market he's talking about is mobile, something Dolby is becoming increasingly involved in.
LG is rolling out Dolby Mobile - now on version three - across its range, having employed the technology on the LG Renoir and Arena previously.
"In the mobile space we've never really had a good encoding solution, that's why we've launched Dolby Media Generator. That gives content providers the power to adapt their content for mobile," says Dyer.
Dolby says it is targeting both content producers and handset manufacturers with its strategy. "We are playing the double-ended play, so now we've got Dolby Media Generator out there we can start to see content that's encoded properly, optimised for the mobile phone.
"Once you then get the mobile phones out there that have playback and decoding solutions in, then you get the best immersive experience. It's just a case of continuing momentum.
"There's an awful lot of content out there now and this gives consistency - if Dolby is going to put its name to it, we want to get consistency. Another element is that we can compress down to low bit rates - 24Kbps. That will give you, say, 25 per cent of the file size of a normal MP3 file.
"So you're looking at 1MB for a three minute music file, so there's a lot of advantage in terms of storage."
Are consumers bothered?
When quizzed about whether consumers are that worried about content quality on mobile, Dyer is nonplussed. "When you speak to mainstream consumers - obviously traditionally we've always spoken to audiophiles - you get a sense that the content [on mobile] is personal. I don't feel this personal affinity to my LCD TV or DVD player, but my mobile phone I do.
"People will want to use it in different ways. It's a bit like when people first heard surround sound – it's hard to go back to mono or stereo. But that's what Dolby's about – making that experience real. If you then transplant that onto a mobile phone, yes they want that experience.
"If you're watching a movie for, say, two hours on a phone and you get this 'in the head' experience, it gets a bit full on. If you can press a little Dolby Mobile button and get completely immersive surround sound on a phone, that's something that once people hear, they won't go back to normal stereo. But it's getting them to hear it in the first place.
A tough sell?
"How are people going to hear about it? Well, when they think about Dolby they think about quality and they think about sound. If it was a case of Phone A and Phone B and one had Dolby and one didn't, they'd probably go for the one with Dolby on it, because they know it would sound good.
"We've done some research to find how much more people would be prepared to pay [for a phone with Dolby mobile], but European phones are generally about subscriptions. People do care, so we say to manufacturers that it gives them a... selling point."
Dyer adds that the ability for handsets to connect to other devices opens up more possibilities. "It's really now enhancing handsets even more – it's about bringing the mobile into the home.
"You've had this multimedia phone before, but being able to take that and plugging it into a 1080p flat panel with HDMI... what you'll see this year is a range of devices with HDMI out, so you get a full 5.1 discreet multichannel playback with somewhere between an SD and HD experience.
"Not as crisp as Blu-ray, but certainly better than SD DVD. So that's going to be quite exciting."
Tags: PlayStation, Media streaming, video
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Gary Marshall: Happy sixth birthday, Google Mail!
Google is famous for its April Fools' Day jokes, and the one it did in 2004 was a doozy.
In a rib-tickling press release that quickly circulated online, it said "Search is number two online activity - email is number one; 'Heck, Yeah' say Google founders" and announced something very silly indeed: free, web-based email with a gigabyte of storage.
You couldn't get it, of course: it was a beta, and you needed a magic invitation to take part, rather like the golden tickets for Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. "Heck, Yeah? Yeah, Right, more like," the internet scoffed.
Some joke that turned out to be. Six years down the line, Gmail is a really big deal. It changed our expectations of what we could get for free - at the time it launched nobody was mad enough to give you a gigabyte for nothing; now Gmail gives you seven, with other providers routinely offering two gigs of free storage here, five gigs of free storage there - and it showed that Google wasn't just a search company.
As if decent email wasn't enough, Gmail added chat, then a calendar. It moved to mobile, first as a Java app and then as a web-based one. It became integrated with Google Docs and Spreadsheets, added Labs and Themes, became an offline app with Gears and finally came out of beta in late 2009.
Then, triumphantly, it added Google Wave and Google Buzz, two services that revolutionised the way we communicate and that fill their billions of users with joy and hope for the future.
OK, maybe not those last two. But Google has put a lot of effort into Gmail, and that's still going on: just last week, everyone got a new tool that lets you see whether you're being hacked by the Chinese, and this week Google said that the file transfer features currently rolling out in iGoogle and Orkut will be coming to Gmail, too.
In the long term Gmail is likely to be part of a unified inbox: Google vice-president Bradley Horowitz spoke last month about the need to "provide something that is a tool for managing attention" and to blur the lines between Google's various products.
No matter what Gmail has up its sleeve, it's already done something incredibly important: it started an exodus from the desktop to the browser that's still going on today. It showed that AJAX, a system for building web-based interfaces, could be used for massive projects, and that helped to make AJAX the default method for putting applications online.
That in turn restarted the browser wars, with browser makers trying to outdo one another with ever-faster JavaScript engines for better web-app performance - and the rash of new browsers means the internet is a faster, smarter and safer place. Not bad for an email service, eh?
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Review: Asus UL50AT
The Asus UL50AT is a high-powered and highly portable machine that continues Asus' reputation at building quality laptops. Although it is not the lightest laptop around, at 2.5kg it is more than light enough for frequent travel.
The slim chassis adds little burden to hand luggage and the fantastic 539-minute battery life provides almost nine hours of use.
This level of mobility is provided by the use of a CULV Intel processor – a chip designed to minimise power consumption. Despite its low power requirements, it is a dual-core CPU and provides ample performance, so all but the most demanding tasks run with speed and ease.
Graphics performance is less capable. Due to the slim chassis, an integrated Intel GPU has been used. While it allows smooth processing of high-definition (HD) video and enables basic photo and video editing, it is not designed for regular multimedia use.
That's not to say there is no multimedia potential on offer. An HDMI port is in place for connecting to an HD monitor for viewing movies on a big screen and the 4-in-1 card reader makes it easy to download photos from your digital camera.
On its own merits, the Asus' own 15.6- inch Super-TFT screen is also excellent. Offering bright and sharp images with strong contrast levels, photos and videos look great.
Colours are slightly muted, however, so bear this in mind before buying if optimum image quality is essential.
Poor build
Where this laptop is flawed is in its poor build quality. While the glossy interior and matt-finish lid looks good, the plastics feel quite cheap and the palm rest flexes a great deal under even slight pressure, adding to the chassis' low-quality feel.
Whilst the build quality impacts on usability, the keyboard is otherwise excellent. Using the isolated-style, each key is cut through an individual hole in the chassis. All keys are very responsive and there is a full numeric keypad for easy data input.
Rounding out the package is impressive storage and connectivity. The 500GB hard drive will easily hold a family's files, while 802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet provide high-speed wireless and fixed connections.
Offering fantastic mobility and connectivity, without greatly sacrificing performance or screen size, the UL50AT is ideal for staying productive on the move. Its poor build quality lets it down, however, so carefully consider what is most important to you before buying.
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Review: Teufel System 8 THX Ultra2
What we have here, in the shape of Teufel's THX Ultra2 System 8, is a set of speakers designed from the ground up to adhere to the excitement levels that George Lucas and Tom Holman decided were appropriate all those years ago when they formed THX.
Of course, THX has evolved so much further. It's an independent company, and isn't resting upon Tom and George's laurels. Instead, it's evolved and enhanced their concept, dividing it up into two levels for different sizes of rooms found on each side of the Atlantic.
The System 8 is the mid-to highest level of THX Ultra2 kit that Teufel makes (the brand also produced the world's first speaker set to adhere to this newest Ultra2 specification) and, to put it bluntly, it is stonking.
I was so rude about a previous Teufel system's looks that one of the UK-based public relations team called me up to take me to task over what I wrote in the review… something about being hit with the ugly stick. But I reckon that's missing the point – all that a serious THX user cares about is the sensation and the emotion the experience brings.
Shiny good looks were not part of Holman's original specification. Indeed, I recall early JBL THX stuff looking like pro audio thuggery wearing a dinner jacket of black wood veneer. For me that was exciting. But I'm odd.
However, Teufel's System 8 is deeply sexy, as well as being able to raise the goosebumps on the performance front.
Sizable subwoofer
This £2,700 setup comprises two kinds of small boxes (the S800 front channel speakers and the S 800 D dipolar rears), and one ruddy great lumpy box, the S800 SW subwoofer.
Starting at the bottom end, the subwoofer is a simple application of physics. Massive cone plus massive amp plus massive deep-breathing slotted box equals room-shaking bass. The S800 SW is a big cubic beast with has a definite front and back.
The behind has fins, a bunch of connectors for phono or speaker in and out (just in case you want, like, four of them…) and a single frequency knob to fix your crossover point between 40Hz and 240Hz. And that's your lot, because the woofer is supplied with a natty remote that does other functions – not many, but the ones that matter. For instance, press one button and you have the THX setting at the right gain.
Or you can choose to alter the playing level with the gain up and down, and even choose to flip the phase from the remote. All this is monitored by a panel of LEDs in the sub's front fascia.
The exterior of the subwoofer is deliciously pretty and quite unsuited to a house as cat-filled as mine – I quickly got a lot of moggy-on-the-car-bonnet-looking paw prints all over the deep lustrous piano black finish.
This same finish is applied to the other enclosures, which are quite small scale for what they do. The rears are classic Dipoles, a bit less common now that many systems are so very discrete channel-capable.
I'm less a fan of diffuse dipolar rears than I am of big in-your-face (well back of your head) direct radiating designs, but these are the real THX thing. They have a small bracket on their back as well as two stand-off rods at their bases to make sure they are correctly boundary loaded against the wall.
Likewise, although you can get stands for the fronts, these also have a brace of hole brackets on their rears to cater for wall mounting. Each speaker has an interference fit grille (called a 'grid' in the otherwise well-translated English manual), with the dipoles, of course, having two, hiding the tweeter and 4in midbass cone. Each dipole's rear face also has a bigger mid-bass driver that bumps the lower tones out.
I had to open up one of the S800 FCR speakers as it rattled dully and didn't work. It turned out that a) these were the very first ever set off the production line and b) someone had probably dropped the carton and managed to snap the meaty internal passive crossover away from where it was secured to the back of the speaker terminal cup. I attempted to repair it, but instead found myself on the receiving end of Teufel's brilliantly efficient replacement service.
For, apart from the long trial period you are allowed in case you don't like them, having bought them at long range as it were, they have to be better than most at curing any issues, as they are a direct seller.
Opening up the FCR revealed that the big midbass drivers share an acoustically-damped internal space, but that the smaller midband driver has its very own cylindrical internal enclosure to play in. This keeps those hard working-by-necessity 5.25in diaphragms pumping without beating up the smaller driver. It's a very neat piece of engineering.
Like the sub, all the satellites boast a lustrous piano black that does make them look desirable. And I love all the aluminium trim, too.
Up and away
As regular readers will know, I love a good bit of animation, not only due to often brilliant mix of Hollywood voices and top-end CGI, but the inventive surround soundtracks. For this test, I stuffed Pixar's Up into my latest acquisition – a Sony BD deck – lowered the lights and relaxed in front of my Panny plasma. I then, however, simply wallowed in what I knew would be a treat, making no notes! This is something that happens to AV reviewers from time to time.
Anyway, Up starts with a 1950s cinema newsreel, complete with a sonic overlay to convey the vintage feel. As the film goes on, different sonic challenges appear. The story involves a floating house, and is crammed with all sorts of action, but the really superb tester is the wonderful premise that if you tie enough balloons filled with helium to your house, it will fly.
Now, the sound a balloon makes as it bumps against another in a bunch has as many mad overtones as pebbles scattered onto ice. There are all the squeaky sounds, obviously, but there're deep noises, too, as masses of enclosed gas bounce.
This is quite deep if you have a few of them, and the bunch that raised the house was supposed to be huge. Teufel's System 8 set absolutely ate it for breakfast. It's detailed, beautifully balanced and rich with weight and scale – really impressive.
The huge woofer can produce giant wave front explosions and the rest of the system is adept at placement and delicacy.
Teufel's System 8 THX Ultra 2 is an absolute treat, and I can recommend it unreservedly. It mixes top-grade performance with quality looks, and while its direct sale nature might not be everyone's cup of tea, its direct sale price certainly sweetens the deal.
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In Depth: 10 top tools to automate repetitive tasks
Anyone who's performed the same mindless task more than a dozen times will know the benefits of finding some tool to do the job for you.
After all, why take five minutes to perform a set of repetitive commands when you might be able to press a single button, sit back and watch the task whizz by?
We've dug out 10 free tools that are designed to do the hard work, so you don't have to. Sit back, press a button, and enjoy...
1. FastStone Photo Resizer
Don't be fooled by the name, FastStone Photo Resizer does more than simply resize photos. Tick the boxes to rename or convert between various formats. If that's not enough, enable the advanced options and you can also resize, change canvas size, crop and rotate your photos, plus add watermarks, border effects and apply various adjustments (such as gamma or brightness).
In short, everything you could possibly need for bulk photo processing. It's free for personal use and just $19.95 for commercial use.
2. Phrase Express
Ever wished you could apply AutoText outside of Microsoft Office? Phrase Express enables you to do just that. Unlike AutoText you can assign keyboard shortcuts to your favourite text shortcuts, use a scripting language to produce more complicated macros, and there's a nifty predictive text option that throws up suggestions based on what it detects you're typing. Again, it's only free for personal use – prices start from US$29.95.
3. Format Factory
There are plenty of free tools for converting audio, video and photos between different formats, but Format Factory is unique in handling all three types with aplomb. Better still, it can mix and match different processing tasks in one batch, so you choose your files and how you want them converted, then leave it to its own devices.
4. Rename Master
If you find yourself facing the mind-numbing prospects of renaming a group of files, Rename Master will do the job for you in a fraction of the time. You can add, remove, append or replace part or all of the filename easily, and a built-in preview means you can easily exactly what you'll get before committing to the change.
5. Quick Search & Replace
One of the drawbacks of find and replace is that it only works on the currently open file. Quick Search & Replace enables you to search entire folders or drives for matching text strings in ASCII file - use wildcards to limit your search to specific files or types – then use the Search & Replace tab to make sweeping changes quickly.
6. AmpSoft WinOff
If you want to shut down, restart or put your computer into low-power mode at a specified time (or after a set period of time) then AmpSoft WinOff is the tool for you. It's particularly suited for that file server you installed in the attic...
7. Start-Q
Start-Q is designed for those systems where so many programs are competing for start-up resources your PC practically grinds to a halt after logging on to Windows. Use this to set the order in which your programs load, enabling you to reclaim system resources and start using your PC as soon as possible after the desktop appears.
8. Print Conductor
Need to print a load of documents in a hurry? Print Conductor might be the solution you need. It supports up to 16 file types, assuming you have the required programs (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Reader) installed. Sadly, the program cannot print web pages if you have IE8 installed as it doesn't recognise the installation.
9. Batchrun
Batchrun is designed to help create simple batch files for launching programs, performing various file tasks and killing processes (gracefully or otherwise).
10. AutoHotKey
AutoHotKey enables you to create your own macros for use in any – or selected – programs. Either program your own scripts or – if you're lazy like us – record a combination of keystrokes and mouse clicks to generate your macro. It's based on AutoIt for those who want something even more powerful – if equally more complicated.
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Review: MK Sound S150 THX Ultra
The only trouble with truly durable performance-bred professional items is that they don't need upgrading or replacing too often. Which might be why Miller & Kreisel, renamed MK Sound after a restructuring a while back, now sells regular consumer speaker systems.
These S150 THX cabinets aren't to be underestimated, though; they're big boxes that sound rich, sweet, damned loud and breathtakingly dynamic.
In the jungle
The children's 'toon Madagascar is a great test disc, with the surround mix provoking a lovely sense of Africa, and this MK Sound array revelled in it.
The susurrations of the grasslands and the night sounds were deliciously clean and divorced from the boxes, and I was immersed into the environment the sound designers created. That all the many zebras are voiced by Chris Rock is funny, and yet I could make out dozens of slightly different Chris Rocks chattering away during the herd scenes.
Cranked up, and it just got louder without any trace of stress or effort. The flashback sequence where Alex the lion is stolen and nailed inside a crate nearly lifted me off the seat with each hammer blow.
Now this has to be down to the incredibly efficient subwoofers I had on test. Although sold as a package with one MX350 MkII, HCC also auditioned a 5.2 set and, oh my, was it better than just twice the bass! The sheer scale of all of the sound was immense – with four 12in drivers and around 750W of a power, the air-shifting ease is fabulous.
The woofers pack their twin drivers in a push-pull configuration, so when one is all the way into its magnet gap and ready to shove violently back out, the other is at its mechanical limit and ready to spring back into the chassis. This offers both cones a degree of electro-mechanical support to each other and, with the lower driver's acoustic loading (I reckon the bottom chamber is in fact a massively wide-angled ported device rather than simply an exit point) the result can de-bone you down to way lower than 20Hz. Blimey.
The rears are what MK Sound calls 'Tripoles', as they have a regular direct radiating midbass and tweeter on the front but also a pair drivers firing fore and aft, dipole style. These 3.5in cones are big enough to play mids but small enough to reach into high frequencies, and add the dipolar ambience that gives them THX adherence and a great snappy presentation.
And the fronts? Well, these big, sealed lumps are pig-ugly with their grilles off, as the designer has simply slapped a lump of foam on the front baffles to keep the three tweeters' outputs from interfering with each other close to the box.
As the sound extends a bit further out, though, you get the synergy of all three tweeters added together, along with some real dark-arts stuff going on in the internal crossover department.
The resulting sound makes them professional grade – there's a set of these in the sound design and editing suites at Lucas film's Skywalker Ranch.
Rick McCallum, producer of the originally Star Wars trilogy swears by 'em, apparently.
Décor dilemma
Anything good enough for Rick is good enough for us, but remember these are for dedicated cinema rooms only, where the lights are dimmed and you won't be able to see the speakers mounted on walls via their threaded bushings.
As they only come in Henry Ford's choice of shades, they are meant to be heard and yet visually ignored. In normal living rooms, they'll look as domestic as a HumVee in khaki. But if you're planning a full-on cinema install, do yourself a favour and audition this system.
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Amazon signs up to new e-book pricing deals
Amazon.com Inc has struck two new deals with major book publishers on the pricing of e-books
The Wall Street Journal reports this week that CBS Corp's Simon & Schuster and News Corp's HarperCollins will set their own prices for e-books on Amazon.com
Amazon versus Apple
Selected new best sellers will be priced at $9.99 (£6.55), though most new e-books will be priced between $12.99 (£8.52) to $14.99 (£9.83).
Most older e-books on Amazon.com from the two publishers will cost less than $9.99.
It is a similar deal to that made by the two publishers with Apple for the iPad's iBookstore application.
The Apple iPad, as you most likely know, launches in the US on Saturday.
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Review: LG N2B1 DD2 NAS
LG's N2B1 is the world's first NAS (Network Attached Storage) box with an integrated Blu-ray writer. The benefit of this is obvious: you can quickly and easily archive off upwards of 50GB of files to Blu-ray media as and when you need them.
However, this burner won't play commericial BDs or rip them to the drives.
The unit itself is well designed. The glossy white casing with black door means you won't immediately feel a need to quarantine it in a boot room, and there's a pop-up cardreader (SD, XD, MS) and USB in the roof for easy backups.
In use, it's pleasingly quiet. A peek around the back reveals a Gigabit Ethernet port, Kensington Lock, two 2.0 USBs and one eSATA connection. The USBs allow you to bolster storage with extra drives.
The N2B1 is reasonably straightforward to use, and the web interface is also one of the cleanest dashboards you'll find, although not as intuitive as I'd like.
As a media server it's appropriately appointed, too. It can be UPnP-enabled, meaning that it can be seen across a network without further configuration by other UPnP devices, and has both an iTunes server and integrated BitTorrent support in the shape of the lightweight Transmission client.
On my network, I could stream files to an Xbox360 and PS3, as well as a Popcorn Hour HDX box and WDTV client, without problems.
Drive time
There's a variety of configuration options for the two drives. You can run them stripped for 2TB worth of space, a 1TB mirror or a combination of the two. The Selective Mirror mode allows you to specify which folders you want to back-up.
Other niceties include a programmable hibernation mode – instead of sucking juice relentlessly through the night, you can put the unit to sleep, reactivating it when it's likely to be used. Mac users will also be pleased to note the device supports Time Machine, the Apple back-up system.
Overall, the N2B1 is an attractive option for those who are looking for a versatile media server. Additional server support would have been welcome (I'm thinking that Twonky would have been a nice fit), but all in all this is a smart, fast choice for network AV fans.
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Evony drops libel lawsuit against UK blogger
Games company Evony has dropped a libel lawsuit it instigated against UK games industry veteran Bruce Everiss, following critical remarks Everiss made about the game on his blog.
The American-registered games company abandoned its Australian lawsuit only two days into the hearing. Evony now faces a bill for the defendants court costs of A$114,000 (£68,767).
Player power
The company claims it dropped the lawsuit due to negative reaction by its game's players.
"A lot of our players expressed opinions about the lawsuit and we reacted to that," Benjamin Gifford, the "vice development director" of Evony's legal and intellectual property division, told the Guardian.
Sources claim that the company doesn't want the negative publicity to overshadow the release of a planned sequel to Evony.
You can see the original posts that caused this whole kerfuffle over on Everiss' industry blog in which he likened Evony to a Chinese gold farming company and accuses its owners of click fraud on search engine adverts.
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YouTube redesign goes live, crashes site
YouTube finally launched its video page redesign this week, only for the site to go down replaced by the words: "Sorry, something went wrong. A team of highly trained monkeys has been dispatched to deal with this situation."
Once it was back up and running, the new, simplified design was revealed. The main changes are to with the video controls, the rating system and new save options.
It's now easier to choose the size you want to view your video at, with YouTube saying it will optimise the quality of the video depending on the size you choose.
There is also an extra button to make the video wider if you so wish.
Biggest ever redesign
As we have explained before, the five-star rating system has been ditched in favour of a Facebook-style Like/Don't Like.
It is also easier to save videos to your favourites and send them on to others. This is because YouTube has added the following options: Save to Favourites, Save to an existing Playlist, Create a new Playlist to save to.
"This new video page makeover is one of the biggest redesigns in YouTube history – and we're excited to make YouTube a better place for you and your content," said YouTube about the makeover.
One thing it has also announced is new for April and is a 'Textp' quality option. This converts videos to text, saving the site $1 a minute in bandwidth.
You would have to be a Fool not to try it out.
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Sky unveils pub finder for 3D footy venues
For those keen to check out the next generation of television, and watch the Manchester United clash against Chelsea in 3D, Sky has created a handy online guide to help you track down your nearest 3D-Ready pub.
Fans can log onto: http://www.sky.com/3Dpubs to find out their nearest venue, with pubs rushing to join the 3D revolution.
"Over a thousand pubs and clubs will be showing the game, with new venues being added to the pub finder daily and further venues expected to sign-up before the end of the season," explains Sky.
Five prem and the Play-Offs
"Following this Saturday's game, Sky will show at least a further five Premier League games - to be announced - before the end of the current season (Sunday May 9) and the Coca-Cola Football League Play-Off Finals from Wembley Stadium at the end of May, all live and all in 3D," it added.
"Sky's installers have been working hard to ensure the vast majority of pubs on the finder have been kitted out with 3D TVs and 3D glasses in time for the match.
"To be sure their local is one of them, fans are advised to check with their pub before the game."
If you haven't checked out 3D TV and fancy watching one of the Premiership's biggest games of the season with a little more depth, then put your postcode in and find out where you can don (and down) the glasses.
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LG LD950 passive 3D TV: specs revealed
After TechRadar exclusively revealed that LG would be bringing its passive 3D TVs to consumer homes and not just to pubs, the company has revealed official details of the LG LD950.
While pubs will be given the LD920 product, the LD950 will be the model making it homeward bound. The only difference between the televisions seems to be that the LD950 uses HDMI 1.4, instead of HDMI 1.3.
This means that you get extra 3D functionality on your TV, including automatic switching between 2D and 3D.
Specs appeal
The specs in full are as follows:
- 3DTV (passive)
- Full HD 1080p
- Intelligent Sensor
- TruMotion 200Hz
- USB 2.0 (DivX HD, MP3, JPEG play)
- HDMI version 1.4
- 4 polarised glasses included
- Invisible speaker
- USB 2.0 (DivX HD, MP3, JPEG play)
- 4x HDMI
Prices are to be confirmed but expect the panel to be more expensive than its active shutter counterparts – in LG's case this will be the LX9900 and LX6900.
This is because adding a polarized screen to the TV adds extra pounds. This is counteracted by the fact that the glasses are so cheap.
You will get four polarized glasses in the box, but you should be able to pick them up for around £1 each.
Buying a passive 3D TV does mean that you won't see 3D in Full HD. The technology means that resolution is effectively halved and piped to each eye. However, LG did explain to TechRadar that this does fool the brain into thinking it is seeing a clear, high-resolution 3D image.
The technology is also compatible with Sky's 3D channel and 3D Blu-ray discs. With the Blu-rays, the televisions have processing power within them to change the 3D signal to suit the passive technology.
The LD950 comes in 47-inch size only and has a UK release date of May.
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Ofcom slashes UK mobile phone charges
Callers to UK mobile phones will see significantly cheaper bills from 2011 says telecoms regulator Ofcom.
Ofcom has called for operators to cut the cost they charge for connecting a call from another network or landline down from 4.3 pence per minute to 0.5p - by 2015.
Easier to switch
Ofcom also wants to make it easier and quicker for customers to switch between mobile phone providers – wanting the process to take one working day by next year, as opposed to two.
Mobile operators will be required to issue users with the PAC code for them to keep their existing mobile number by text within two hours, instead of making the customer wait days to receive a letter with the details.
Ofcom says the latest moves will mean cheaper calls to mobiles for the more than 32 million households and firms in the UK with a landline.
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Ordnance Survey frees up mapping data
Mapping agency Ordnance Survey launches a new service this week offering free and unrestricted access to many of its maps for the first time.
Following extensive public consultation, OS OpenData is set to be launched by Communities Secretary John Denham today.
Denham hoped it would attract "a new wave of entrepreneurs" to reuse the OS' mapping data in new and innovative ways and help to place the UK at the "cutting edge of a digital revolution".
Wider cultural change
Mr Denham said the new scheme was part and parcel of changes which, "signal a wider cultural change in Government based on an assumption that information should be in the public domain unless there is a good reason not to - not the other way around.
"Greater openness, accountability and transparency in Government will give people greater choice and make it easier for individuals to get more directly involved in issues that matter to them."
People have used the limited free data that was previously available via OS OpenSpace to create safe cycling and rambling routes, or provide maps with locations of local post and phone boxes.
OS OpenData is part of the government's "Making Public Data Public" initiative launched by the Prime Minister last November.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee said of the move: "I'm delighted that the Ordnance Survey is releasing this data for free re-use," said Sir Tim.
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PrimeSense outed as sensor maker for Natal
PrimeSense has been named as one of the key technology partners for Project Natal – Microsoft's soon-to-be released motion detection kit.
PrimeSense certainly has something of a pedigree for motion-based tech. Last year it was announced as the best new technology at CableLabs' Innovation Showcase in the US.
At the time, TechRadar mentioned that the gadget "sounds like another Project Natal". Turns out it was part of Natal.
"PrimeSense's technology enables a paradigm shift in the way people interact with consumer electronic devices. The engagement with Xbox 360 establishes PrimeSense's position as a leading supplier of 3D-sensing technology," explained Inon Beracha, Chief Executive Officer, PrimeSense. "We are especially honoured to have a partner like Microsoft who share our vision for bringing innovative and engaging natural experiences to consumers."
Controller-free entertainment
Ian Spillinger, Vice President of Xbox 360 hardware also noted: "PrimeSense has delivered an important component to the technology, helping us deliver revolutionary controller-free entertainment experiences in the living room."
Project Natal – which now officially boasts a sensor based on PrimeSense – has a UK release date of Christmas.
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