In Depth: iPhone OS 4.0 vs Android 2.1 vs Windows Phone 7
When Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone OS last week, he at least admitted that Apple were somewhat late to the party in terms of features like multitasking.
Pretending anything else would have been patently untrue. For while Apple's OS has made great strides in terms of market share since we first glimpsed it back in Jaunuary 2007, Android has really laid down the gauntlet and continues to improve.
And with Windows Phone 7 on the horizon, it's looking like the competition is about to get hotter. So now's the time to look at where the three platforms are at.
Interface and personalisation
The iPhone's new folders functionality is an admission by Apple that things are getting out of hand, but we're surprised not to see Android's five "up and down" home screens as well, rather than the endless scrolling to the right. And although the folders will auto-rename, we're disappointed there are no auto-grouping options based on App Store categories.
Customisation in Android is impressive with widgets, if not super-helpful, while we like the new app launcher in 2.1, too. We expect that Windows Phone 7 will make it easy for people to have their handsets exactly as they want them.
At a time when Apple's iPhone UI still holds major influence over the market (look at Samsung's latest phones to see why), Microsoft has managed to at least mix things up a little with Windows Phone 7. Taking the best aspects of the Zune interface and combining them with the dynamic tiled approach is clever – we're fans.
Wallpapers have also finally arrived on the iPhone, but even that's in the shade compared to the "live wallpapers" in Android 2.1.
Multitasking
The multitasking in iPhone OS 4.0 features a four-app overlay that's light years beyond the nasty multitasking on, say, S60 handsets, but still behind Android 2.1's clever app-switching.
The Apple system is also restricted to certain types of services using so-called local notifications. Multitasking is something even Windows Mobile 6 could do, so we'd expect Microsoft's new OS to be able to make a smart job of this now that phone hardware is really starting to pick up, too.
Game Center takes on the Games Hub
The Game Center was one of the more surprising announcements during the iPhone OS 4.0 keynote, after all gaming is working well on the handset and is certainly reeling in the cash for developers.
However, it will bring a new social, cloud-based side of gaming to the iPhone, while there's even a way to find gaming buddies online as well as leader boards and possibly gaming points. Apple clearly sees this will roll out in a big way to the iPad, too.
Microsoft also talked up gaming in its Mobile World Congress keynote, showing images featuring the Games Hub with Xbox Live integration in Windows Phone 7.
Android certainly appears to be lagging behind in this sphere. 2.1 hardly improved the experience for Android gamers and this is one area where Google's OS lags badly.
Email and communication
The iPhone's new unified inbox has been around on other handsets for a while and Windows Phone's People Hub will even bring social networking into the equation, too.
It'll be interesting to see if it integrates other social networks (and if you can totally configure this). Finally, you'll be able to use email attachments in other apps on the iPhone, although it seems there's still no file management as such.
Business stuff
Windows Phone 7 will excel at business – Microsoft won't turn its back on its cash cows. But the iPhone wants to catch up. For the first time in iPhone OS 4.0, you'll be able to configure more than one Exchange account on the iPhone – essential if you want to use a corporate account as well as using something like Google Sync.
Android and Windows Phone 7 have no problems with this. Apple is also talking up wireless app distribution for the iPhone, something that will also be supported in Windows Phone 7. There's VPN support for the iPhone, too. However, we reckon the best balance will be struck by Microsoft.
Apps and openness
Obviously, Android's 20,000-strong app Android Market catalogue is dwarfed by the 100,000 apps available in Apple's App Store.
But with Apple starting to annoy developers with its stance on Adobe's Flash Converter as well as other non-native development methods, surely Android has to be in the ascendency? Windows Phone 7 apps are still a bit of an unknown.
While we don't believe Microsoft will make as much headway with Marketplace as Apple has with the App Store, there will still be plenty of opportunity and flexibility for developers, a demographic Microsoft is keen to get on with.
While Windows Phone 7 certainly isn't as open a platform as Android, Microsoft will welcome anybody who wants to put apps on it in any way.
Who else?
And, of course, these three platforms won't always have it their own way. Symbian may be the world's most popular mobile operating system, but Series 60 certainly lags behind in terms of usability and features. But that will change.
Symbian^3 is the first fully open source version of the Symbian platform and looks like it will make a bit of a splash, with improved graphics, HDMI support and far improved data performance. Symbian says it has worked on the user interface to make it far easier to use with "single tap" actions.
And then there's Bada, Samsung's smartphone OS. While we're still not impressed with Samsung for launching yet another platform, we have used the OS on the Samsung Wave. And although the handset itself hasn't yet hit these shores, the UI is pretty slick and works every bit as quick as an iPhone or Android-powered handset. However, Bada still has one problem - it can't multitask!
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Exclusive: "Use more recent browser" Microsoft tells Chrome users
People who use the Google Chrome browser to view Microsoft's impressive MSN Video Player are being urged to upgrade to a 'more recent browser'.
The MSN Video Player has only recently come out of beta, and the added support for those who use Silverlight has been applauded.
However, with Chrome not yet supported by Silverlight, users are getting a curiously worded message that suggests their browser is out of date.
More recent
"To experience the best that MSN Video has to offer, we recommend a more recent browser such as Internet Explorer 8 or Firefox 3," reads the message - displayed prominently at the top of the page.
Some Chrome users have contacted TechRadar to ask if the message is indicative of a feud between Microsoft and Google, whose Chrome browser is picking up a significant market share.
However, the indications from Microsoft are that this is all about Silverlight, Microsoft's rival to Adobe Flash.
Silverlight 4
In fact, the next version of Silverlight - Silverlight 4 - is compatible with Chrome, and although no firm release date has yet been announced, a release candidate appeared in March.
Of course, the message is similar to one that users of IE6 would see if they use Google services like YouTube or Google Docs.
And with Microsoft recently stating that users who moved away from IE were more at risk, a war of words, or in this case wording, does appear to be close.
TechRadar is awaiting comment from Microsoft on this story.
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In Depth: 10 alternative tools for working with PDFs
Everybody deals with PDFs at some point, but most use Adobe Reader and remain unaware of other excellent apps that provide extra features and work much faster. Let's look at some great alternatives.
1. Split and merge files
PDF Split and Merge enables you to combine multiple PDFs into a single file. For example, you could archive a year's invoices as a single document instead of individual files.
Go to here, install the program and click 'Add files'. Browse to the files you want to merge and select them, holding down [Ctrl] to make a multiple selection. Click 'Open', followed by 'Merge/Split'.
The merged file is saved in the source location as 'output.pdf'.
2. View in Gmail
Gmail has a built-in PDF reader courtesy of Google Docs. This makes it easy to view attached PDF files without having to download them and open them in a local application. Click 'View' next to the attachment in Gmail and it'll open in a new tab in your browser.
You can print directly from this reader and move between pages using its thumbnail views. Select text and copy it using [Ctrl]+[C].
3. View as plain HTML
Gmail used to display PDF attachments as plain HTML, which meant you couldn't see any embedded images or much of the formatting.
You may find this format easier to use if you want to highlight, copy or paste any of the text in a PDF. Get this view by clicking 'Plain HTML' in the Gmail PDF viewer.
4. Reorder pages
The PDF Hammer tool provides you with simple PDF-editing capabilities in your web browser, including page reordering. Go to here and click 'Start PDF Hammer'. This launches the online application.
Click 'Browse' in the right-hand pane and select a PDF file from your computer – you can use multiple files if you like. Click 'Upload' to transfer them to the web interface.
Now select a page and use the arrow buttons to move it forwards or backwards in the document. Alternatively, click 'Delete' to remove it.
When you've finished editing the document, choose 'Export Final PDF' and then save the file to your hard drive.
5. Edit PDFs offline
For the ability to edit PDF files offline, try PDFill. You may need to download and install Ghostscript if you don't already have it.
Once done, launch the program and choose 'File | Open new PDF project'. Browse to your PDF file and wait for it to be imported. You can now edit it, import images or fill in forms.
When you're done, choose 'File | Save the edited PDF as…' and enter a filename and location.
6. View files quickly
Adobe Reader has a heavy footprint and can drag its feet when loading. If you want an app that will open PDF files quickly, you're better off with something smaller.
Foxit Reader is a fraction of the size and makes opening PDFs much less of a chore. Get a free copy from here.
7. Add arrows and notes
PDF Escape is a free way to edit PDFs online. Go to here and hit 'Click here to use PDF Escape now free'. Opt for unregistered use.
Click 'Open a file from your computer' and browse to the PDF that you want to edit. You can now edit the file by adding arrows, sticky notes, text or form fields. When you're finished, click 'File | Save and Download PDF'.
8. Create PDFs quickly
Generate PDF files from anything that can be printed in Windows using PDF Creator, which is available to download from here. The program adds a virtual printer to your PC.
When you want to create a PDF, opt to print using whatever app you like and then select 'PDF Creator' as the printer. This brings up a dialog where you can enter document details such as the title and author. Click 'Save' and provide a filename and location to finish.
9. Turn PDFs into Word docs
PDF Online enables you to convert PDF files into editable Word documents and vice versa. Browse to here and select 'Free PDF services'.
You can choose 'Doc2PDF online' or 'PDF2Word online'. Browse to the file you want to convert, select it and click 'Upload and convert'. You'll be given a link to download the Word or PDF document, which you can then open on your PC.
10. Fill in forms
PDF forms are becoming more common. You often have to download the form, print it out, fill it in by hand, then scan in the pages to upload it and send it back.
A simpler option is PDF Filler. Upload a PDF or provide its URL and click 'Fill Now'. Once it's uploaded, you can type directly onto the form. Download the finished article or send it by email to those who need it.
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Apple announces new Core i5 and i7 MacBook Pro range
Apple's worldwide online store went down today, which could only mean one thing – new fruit-based products.
While the tech world waited with bated breath for word of official iPad pricing in the UK, what actually appeared were some brand-new MacBook Pros.
There are three sizes in the range 13, 15 and 17 inch and six new models overall. Even at the smallest screen size the new MacBook Pro range packs a massive memory punch – as standard, all the laptops come with 4GB memory.
The 13-inch models come with Intel Core 2 Duo processers, either 2.4GHz or 2.66GHz. Hard drive space is palatial, with the option of 250GB or 320GB storage. And there's also a Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics card on board.
New range
The 15-inch range comes in three flavours: a Core i5 2.4Ghz, Core i5 2.53GHz and Core i7 2.66GHz.
These are all about power, with 4GB memory as standard (this is upgradeable to 8GB). Hard drive wise, you are looking at 320GB minimum, which can be pushed to 500GB.
The 15-inch models also house a NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with either 256MB or 512MB dedicated memory – which will save on battery life.
In fact battery life is a strong point for the whole range, with Apple boasting around 10 hours on a single charge.
Big power
The final model is the 17-inch 2.53GHz MacBook Pro range. This uses the Core i5 chip, comes with 500GB hard drive and 4GB memory, which is expandable.
In fact, there are a number of features you can add to all the MacBook Pro range, including the introduction of Solid State Drives, from 128GB all the way up to 512GB. Processors can also be 'turbo charged' if you so wish.
As with all Apple products, quality comes at a price. The MacBook Pro range is no different.
The 13-inch 2.4GHz starts at £999, while the 17-inch model is £1,899. Add some extras on and you may need to call the bank manager.
All the MacBook Pros have a UK release date of now.
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African app developers tackle poverty
While many of us associate the word 'app' with gaming and frivolous, throwaway party games for our iPhones, there are a number of forward-thinking developers in Africa that are creating basic mobile apps that help to combat poverty and promote positive social change.
26-year-old Kenyan dairy farmer, Amos Gichamba saw how farmers were being exploited by the buyers of their cows' milk who were selling it onto dairy companies at a massive profit.
"The price of milk at the farmer level is very low compared to how much it's sold to consumers. So they end up getting very little money for a lot of work," told CNN.
Information is power
Seeing a clear information gap, Gichamba, decided to create a mobile phone app to help share useful information between rural farmers.
The Kenyan farmer developed a text message-based system so that farmers can send questions to a central computer, which will contain a growing database of information about local dairy markets – and will text the farmers the vital information they need in 140 characters or less.
"As Africans, we are the ones who understand Africa the best," Gichamba told CNN. "We see situations from the ground. We are involved with what's happening. So, when we are coming up with solutions, we come up with solutions for problems we know."
Mobile use in Africa is exploding
Wired phone lines and broadband connections are very rare in rural Africa. Cell phone use, however, is exploding, with mobile phone subscriptions growing at a rate of about 50 per cent per year, faster than that of any other continent, according to the International Telecommunication Union.
27-year-old developer Jessica Colaco, a researcher at Strathmore University in Nairobi, Kenya, has started a "boot camp" program for young people who want to become app developers.
"What we need is more evangelism," the app evangelist told CNN. "People need to know what Africa is doing -- and how they can adopt from us… People in the environment know exactly what they need," Colaco told CNN.
Jon Gosier, founder of a Uganda-based company Appfrica, noted that new apps offering rural farmers essential market data are "being tried a lot and I think there's a lot of use, but it has to be more ingrained just in.. people's daily workflow than it is."
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Gordon Brown says paywalls don't work
Gordon Brown is certainly doing everything he can to court the music and tech fans and that all-important 'early adopters' vote this week, coming out in favour of BBC 6Music and then, if that weren't an impressive enough move in itself, dismissing the idea of digital paywalls (much beloved of Rupert Murdoch right now) as unworkable.
Oh. And did we mention that there is a general election next month?
All cynicism aside, the Prime Minister said plans to make Brits pay for news online cannot work, simply because "people have got used to getting content without having to pay."
Paywall problem
Brown continued: "People will pay for certain things, and should pay for certain things, but I think there's a whole sort of element of communication that's got to be free. People mind paying for basic news," speaking in an interview with The Radio Times.
News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch recently announced that the online versions of The Times and The Sunday Times will be paid-for-only as of June.
Perhaps there is a link to be drawn between the PM's latest comments on paywalls and the fact that Murdoch's leading UK tabloid The Sun has announced that it was backing the Tories in the General Election next month.
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Facebook still saying 'don't panic' to CEOP
Facebook has still not full green-lit the use of a panic button on its site, despite increased pressure from CEOP – the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre.
CEOP re-started discussions with the biggest social-networking site this week and while it hasn't opted for a link to CEOP on its site, it has said it will forward all links to the centre.
Jim Gamble, CEO of CEOP, said about his meeting with Facebook: "I felt that at the end of what were lengthy and at times tense negotiation we are able to move towards a position. They are one small step away from doing the right thing.
"I am more optimistic than when I came. They are not saying no, that is very clear. But they were equally direct and they came with their own agenda.
"There is no doubt they are looking to improve their position around child safety and we recognise that. What I am looking for is turning words into action."
Not yet a partner
Facebook's struggling rival BeBo added a CEOP report button to its site last November and the likes of Microsoft have also become partners.
If Facebook were to eventually bow to CEOP, who want a one-click solution to help those vulnerable on social sites, then it would be the ultimate coup for the centre.
Despite Facebook's reassurance it will cooperate with CEOP, it still seems that the site wants to protect its users in its own way.
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Flip SlideHD announced
The Flip SlideHD has been unveiled, bringing a touchscreen user interface and a price tag of $279 (£181).
Flip – owned by Cisco – is billing the SlideHD as 'the world's best shoot and show camcorder' with a 3-inch screen and 12 hours of record time.
The normal Flip tools, like a fold out USB connector, are present and accounted and the video quality is up to HD 720p at 30fps.
Relive the moment
"With SlideHD, anyone can capture an exciting event and then relive the moment with immediate playback as friends gather around, said Flips' press release.
"Playback makes it ideal for many occasions such as entertaining the kids with their own personal video show or fine-tuning a tennis serve."
And, just in case you are the kind of person who clumsily deletes clips when you are trying to organise things there is also a 'Child Safe' mode to prevent accidental deletions of clips.
No UK release date or price as yet - but we'll keep our eyes peeled.
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Exclusive: Will Windows 8 run on ARM processors?
Every time we ask about whether Windows will ever run on anything other than x86-compatible CPUs, we get Steven Sinofsky's famous poker face: "[there's] nothing I would say right now," was the Windows President's most recent reply when TechRadar specifically asked him about rumours that kernel guru Mark Russinovich was working on an ARM version.
But the view from the Windows Phone side of the house suggests that there's plenty of cross-pollination between Windows, Silverlight and Windows Phone going on.
Explaining the optimisations for animation performance and graphics parallelisation in Silverlight on Windows Phone, vice president Scott Guthrie told TechRadar that "All that work will also show up in Silverlight on the desktop; you'll probably see it in an update to Silverlight 4 and certainly by V.next [the next version].
"The nice thing on the desktop is that you can get away with not having all those optimisations because you have a more powerful processor, but we'll certainly take them from mobile back to the desktop."
And Windows Phone partner group program manager Charlie Kindel suggested that not only will future versions of Windows Phone have more desktop features but that a future version of Windows could indeed move away from the PC.
Optimised for ARM
"We've done a bunch of work to make sure all the layers we put above that [Windows Phone runtime] are independent of that, because - over time - we'd like to get some of the advantage of the core CLR onto the phone and take some of the advantages that .NET compact framework has into 'big Windows'. For example it's optimised for ARM processors and battery usage…"
In the past Microsoft has used the term 'fluid' to describe its vision of how Windows will scale from the smartphone to the cloud, although that's been more about moving computation to where it runs best than having the same kernel everywhere.
We've also been hearing that reducing the amount of power used by PCs is a priority for the Windows team (which should be a more sophisticated approach than putting a phone OS like Android on a netbook and adding a big battery).
Whether that translates into Windows 8 running on an ARM netbook or Windows platforms that have the same sort of relationship as Mac OS X and the iPhone OS is anybody's guess at this point, but it's more of a conversation than the Windows Mobile team ever seemed to manage with their 'big' Windows colleagues.
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Ofcom: Accused file-sharers to have 'robust' appeals process
People accused of illegal filesharing will be have access to a 'robust and effective appeals mechanism' according to Ofcom.
The communications watchdog has been tasked in the controversial Digital Economy Act with ensuring that ISPs crack down on people who illegally propagate copyrighted files.
It's an unpopular measure with the ISPs, who fear that they will be harshly judged for being the instigators of action against their own customers, but Ofcom has now laid out its obligations under the new Act.
People accused by copyright holders must be contacted by their ISP, but it is up to the copyright holders to launch legal action and they will be expected to provide a Court Order to get the personal information of the accused.
Notification and challenges
"Qualifying ISPs will be required to notify subscribers of allegations made by copyright owners that their account has been used for unlawful file sharing and to maintain a list of the subscribers who receive multiple unchallenged notifications," explains Ofcom.
"Subscribers must be provided with sufficient information in any notification such that they can challenge the basis under which the notification has been sent. They must also have access to a robust and effective appeals mechanism.
"Subscribers on those lists may have their details passed to relevant copyright owners who may pursue legal action, though any such transfer of personal information will require a Court Order.
"Any processing of subscriber data must be in compliance with the relevant data protection laws."
Code of conduct
Ofcom is still considering letting the ISPs themselves draft the code of conduct, with a deadline of 8 months to come up with an agreement.
"Our first task will be to establish the feasibility of an industry drafted code," explains Ofcom.
"Such a code would need to have the support of a sufficiently wide range of stakeholders for it to be credible and would need to be submitted to Ofcom within a period of time which would allow Ofcom to satisfy the deadline for implementation.
"Failing this, Ofcom will move quickly to draft an appropriate code on which we will seek input from all stakeholders."
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Nokia E5 QWERTY smartphone unveiled
Nokia is no stranger to QWERTY smartphones, having launched the E71, E63 and E72 in the past – and now the company has announced the latest addition to the family, the Nokia E5.
Boasting a look Nokia is hoping will tempt consumers away from their Blackberries – a difficult task considering they are usually surgically welded – the E5 has high-speed HSDPA/HSUPA and WLAN web access, full QWERTY keyboard and a number of protective measures to make sure that if your phone is lost the data will be kept personal.
These include remote locking with SMS, lock and wipe password enforcement and 24hr access to your own secret service agent.
We may have made that last bit up.
Thanks for the memory
Other features include a 5MP camera with LED flash, Ovi Store, Maps and Share access and full support for the most popular email accounts.
The screen is a disappointing 2.4-inch QVGA and internal memory is a so-so 256MB. Luckily there is support for 32GB microSD, which is a welcomed addition.
The whole thing runs on Symbian 60 and will keep on going for an impressive 5 hours when using 3G.
The Nokia E5 has a UK release date of Q3 this year and is set to cost around £160.
Oh, and since you asked, you can get the E5 in following colours: Carbon Black, Chalk White, Sky Blue, Copper Brown, Silver Grey. Apparently, Pretentious Pink wasn't available.
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Review: Palicomp Excalibur 630OC35
AMD made a serious switch in emphasis a few years ago, eschewing the traditional 'biggest is best' mantra, which had become the hallmark of its struggles against Intel in the CPU war (and with its ATI hat on up against Nvidia), in favour of the more practicable notion of value.
It ceded ground to the far superior Core chips of Intel focusing on producing speedy budget processors and up against Nvidia it went for scalable GPUs which could happily double up to take on the monolithic designs of its green-eyed competitors.
So if you want a machine capable of throwing around the latest games like the arcade cabinets of old, but don't want to go north of £1,000, then surely it's all about the AMD systems.
Nvidia graphics are far too pricey and Intel's incredible Core processors also require expensive motherboards, so it's a no-brainer then.
Palicomp obviously thinks so and this Excalibur machine is based 100% on AMD technology providing the heart of this budget gamer.
Budget drive
Things have changed recently, though. Sure, AMD has still got the value side of the graphics divide locked down, with Nvidia's belated GTX 4xx cards coming in at the top-end with no mid-range on the near horizon, but Intel is definitely clawing back ground on the value CPU segment.
With the release of the dual-core Core i3 series of CPUs, offering multithreading support to match up against AMD's budget quad-core chips, the value end is suddenly a lot more crowded. Instead of opting for a more competitive Phenom II chip, Palicomp has instead dropped in a quad-core Athlon II.
With many modern games still struggling to scale properly with extra CPU cores switching to a lower grade, quad may seem like a slightly backwards step, but the performance figures bear up Palicomp's choice.
The gaming performance of the Excalibur though is definitely down to the impressive £100 5770 thrumming away in the sleek CM Storm Scout chassis. Being able to chuck polygons around at 2560x1600 is not what this machine is all about, and yet it still manages playable frame rates only a little short of the 30fps milestone.
The more reasonable 1680x1050 res is where this rig is pointed and it really comes into its own, capably dealing with full settings on all our benchmark titles.
Our only real issue with the Excalibur though is that much of its components are based on last generation hardware. The Athlon II X4 is a thoroughly reasonable quad-core, but is lacking in the more modern cache memory side. The use of DDR2 memory and the 770-chipset motherboard also means that there's little chance of future upgrades.
One of the best things about AMD's change has been the fact that cheaper AMD DDR3 boards would support its future AM3 chips down the line, and there isn't as huge a price premium between the two memory standards as there was even six months ago.
But it all works now and does its job admirably. For £600 you'd be hard pushed to find a machine as well specified and as quick off the blocks as this.
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Nokia C6 slider phone announced
Nokia has introduced a slew of new phones to the market today, with the pick of the bunch being the Nokia C6.
The C6 has similar traits to the N97 and 97 mini, in that it has been given a slide out keyboard - for those who want to quickly write a message or two - and runs on Symbian S60 5th gen.
It has been given a 3.2-inch TFT screen with 640×360 resolution and there's also a number and FM stereo, 5MP camera and all the Ovi goodness you can shake a stick at.
Connectivity comes in the form of A-GPS, Bluetooth and 3G, and Nokia reckons you'll get five hour's talk time even when you have the 3G cranked right up.
Email of the species
Unlike the N97, there's little in the way of storage. What you get on board is 200MB but this can be enhanced to 16GB, courtesy of the microSD memory card slot.
As this phone is for those who like to bang out a message or two, there is a number of email clients supported, including Gmail and Hotmail and there's also a number of IM clients available.
Colours come in a simple black and white and while the UK release date is still to be announced, expect the Nokia C6 to cost around £195.
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Review: Western Digital SiliconEdge Blue 256GB
For such a big noise in storage, Western Digital is awfully late to the SSD game. It's enough to make you suspect WD has been in a sulk for the past year or two.
Only now is it reluctantly facing up to the undeniable fact that solid state is clearly the future. The millions, perhaps even billions, of dollars it has buried in the development of spinning magnetic platters are soon to be as nought.
But no matter. We're much more interested in the performance, reliability and value proposition of WD's first solid state drive launch than its timing or emotional disposition. Enter, therefore, the new SiliconEdge Blue 256GB.
In WD's new colour coded nomenclature Green drives are tuned for energy efficiency, Blue are mainstream items and Black indicates ninjascopic performance.
Solid control?
The context here is SSDs, of course, so don't go thinking this drive's mainstream status translates into affordability. Frankly, prices for the SiliconEdge Blue are all over the e-shop. But as we go to press the lowest is £415. Hardly affordable, then, but certainly competitive with other 256GB SSDs.
Intriguingly, WD says compatibility and reliability rather than speed are the focus for this drive. That's something we're perfectly happy to hear. There's no shortage of SSDs that deliver lightning throughput out of the box. The problem usually comes a month later as performance falls off a cliff. If this drive can deliver sustainable long term grunt, it'll be a winner.
Our number one concern is the identity of the controller. Worryingly, this isn't something WD is being terribly forthcoming about. But our best info suggests that it comes from JMicron. For many an SSD aficionado the mere mention of a JMicron controller co-existing in the same postcode as an SSD is cause for concern.
But fear not. The controller in question is not the infamous, stuttering JMF602. Rather it's likely to be the new JMF612. What's more, it's backed up by 64MB of speedy DDR2 memory and feeds into 256GB of the latest Samsung MLC flash memory.
It's also worth noting that WD claims to have cooked up a custom version of Jmicron's firmware tuned for compatibility and reliability.
As for claimed performance, the official peak figures clock in at 250MB/s read and 170MB/s write. Not world beating stuff but more than good enough if maintained over time, then.
And for the record, yes, this drive does support the memory-block cleaning TRIM command. All of which just leaves us with the minor matter of actual performance.
Out of the box, things look good with peak read and write performance broadly in line with the claims. Even better is the random write performance. Often a weak point for SSDs, Western Digital finds itself losing out significantly only to drives based on Intel's technology.
But what about long term performance? After a quick brim-and-empty cycle we did detect a fall off in both peak and random performance, but it was very small indeed.
As with any new SSD, we're reluctant to give an unreserved buy recommendation. But WD's first foray certainly looks promising.
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Nokia C3: budget-friendly smartphone outed
Nokia has announced its latest Symbian S40 smartphone to enter the mobile market, the entry-level C3.
The Nokia C3 is primed for those who love getting flirty with QWERTY. It's the first S40 device to offer a full QWERTY keyboard and is one which is also friends with your social networks.
Nokia really wants you to text on this device, offering one-click access to Nokia Messaging and the ability to talk and text at the same time.
To access IMs like MSN Messenger, there's a Communities app of the home screen.
Feature focus
With style trappings not too dissimilar to the E72, there's a 2.4-inch QVGA display, alongside an FM radio, 3.5mm audio jack and 2MP camera complete with 4x zoom.
Connectivity-wise, you are looking at WLAN, 3G, Bluetooth and the ability to have up to 8GB storage.
When it comes to colours, you have the choice of Golden White, Slate Grey and the oh-so macho Hot Pink.
The Nokia C3's UK release date and pricing are still to be annouced, but expect the handset to come out late April, early May.
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Hands on: Opera Mini for iPhone review
People in Hell might well be staring at the floor wondering if it's looking a little icy following the news that Opera Mini has been allowed through the Apple vetting process for iPhone and is offering the first true competitor to the default Safari browser.
Opera made a fairly typical big song and dance about submitting its app, and to collective gasps of shock, the browser has been allowed through the Apple approval process and is available for free right now.
TechRadar has had a little time with the new Opera Mini for iPhone, and the early signs are that it is significantly faster.
Loading the TechRadar home page on the Safari browser takes approximately 18.5 seconds, but on Opera it loads the text (without the piccies) in 7 seconds and the entire page in 16.
Some of the headline additions are worth mentioning; Safari for iPhone's clunky multiple page option has been bemoaned by many, but Opera offers a more elegant and speedier solution.
The capacity to flick between multiple pages and quickly close ones that you don't need is certainly useful, and although not quite tabbed browsing it's a nice system.
There is an upper limit of five pages set by the browser, and it seems to handle flicking between this many relatively well.
One of Opera's other major features is the speed dial, aped by Google's Chrome, which offers multiple favourite pages as your home page.
Adding to this page couldn't be simpler, with plus signs on empty spots which you tap to fill with bookmarks, history or by typing in the page you want.
Getting rid of the defaults (or erroneous additions) is slightly clumsier, but once you've worked out how long you need to hold before letting go of the icon you'll soon be setting things up as you want.
There was some criticism of Opera Mini not having pinch to zoom when it was shown off at Mobile World Congress, but it is in place in the final release.
However, it is the double tap system that works best for zooming in and out of pages, and the chances are that pinching will not be your primary mechanism for getting to where you want to go on a given page.
But it is the pace that will attract people to Opera Mini; over 3G and Edge you can really notice the speed difference as the Turbo boost kicks in and gets the information you need quickly.
Opera's case for getting Opera Mini for iPhone through the vetting process was that it happily co-existed alongside Safari because it doesn't render HTML but a customary binary representation of the website, and that Safari still dealt better with rich and content heavy websites.
But make no mistake, the early indications are that is a browser that may well lure people away from the default – offering a faster, friskier and far more satisfying browsing experience.
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'Wii 2 must be unique' says Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto has stressed that the Wii 2 'must be unique' and that Nintendo is not all about new technology, as is the case with some of its rivals.
Miyamoto argues that since new gaming technologies are now pretty much equally available for most manufacturers, Nintendo's focus for Wii 2 is on how they use technology to differentiate themselves from Sony, Microsoft and others.
Wii HD, Wii 2
"In the next generation of hardware, the challenge is how unique and different a product Nintendo is able to make," he said.
"Whether that be Wii HD, Wii 2 or an entirely new console, I am not in a position to say at this point."
"The only thing I can say is that technology is available to all equally today, and how we decide to make use of that technology and in what format is what will make our hardware unique in comparison to the hardware from other manufacturers."
"I think that in the next generation of hardware, the challenge is how unique and different a product Nintendo is able to make."
Hopefully we should hear more on Nintendo's plans for the future of Wii at E3 this coming June.
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Review: Asus M4A89GTD Pro/USB3
Pity AMD's current CPUs aren't a bit more competitive, because there are some cracking AMD-compatible motherboards available. They really do stick it to Intel in terms of features and value. Asus's new M4A89GTD Pro/USB3 is a prime example.
The big news is the arrival of the 890GX chipset from AMD. With it come a number of upgrades – some significant, some less so.
You'd think a new integrated GPU, known as the Radeon HD 4290, would be worth a butchers. But apart from an incremental step from DirectX 10 to DirectX 10.1, there's not much to get excited about. The paltry total of 40 shaders hasn't been increased, for example.
Compared to AMD's fastest discrete graphics chip, the 1,600-shader Radeon HD 5870, that's totally feeble. Even AMD's upcoming CPU-GPU 'fusion' processor will have 480 shaders.
Anyway, the take-home point is that the 4290 won't get the job done if gaming matters to you even slightly. Like pretty much every integrated GPU since time began, it's hopeless for 3D rendering, as in can't-even-cope-with-CoD4-at-low-res hopeless. That's something even 128MB of dedicated 'SidePort' graphics memory can't help.
Of course, a pair of PCI-e x16 ports await the insertion of proper graphics firepower. But if that's what you have in mind, what do you need the integrated GPU for in the first place?
Home cinema friendly
However, if the context is 2D or more specifically home cinema larks, this board really comes into its own. For starters, it sports VGA, DVI and HDMI ports and includes HDCP compliance for playback of nasty content-protected sources such as Blu-ray. As it happens, it does a stand-up job of Blu-ray acceleration, reducing the CPU load into single-digit territory.
For the record, the DVI port also supports dual-link operation. That means you can drive one of the latest uber-resolution 27-or 30-inch panels with the fun-sized integrated GPU. That may seem a bit of a mismatch, but gaming aside, what more do you need?
The other key feature of the chipset is the SB850 southbridge, which brings 6Gbps SATA support. That's a welcome addition and something Intel currently doesn't offer. Without it, an extra chip is required for 6Gbps storage. That makes for more cost and complexity on the one hand and typically a confusing mix of 3Gbps and 6Gbps ports on the other. Not so for the M4A89GTD series. All six ports are the full 6Gbps monty.
Sadly, however, what the 890GX doesn't deliver is native USB 3.0. That comes courtesy of a dedicated controller chip and is limited to a pair of ports on the rear panel.
This board is our first experience of Asus's new Core Unlocker tech. AMD has removed support for unlocking hidden CPU cores with the new 8 Series chipset, so Asus has developed a workaround. We can confirm it works splendidly, transforming our puny little Phenom II X2 into a fully functioning and ludicrously cheap quad-core beast.
Maybe those AMD chips aren't so bad after all.
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Google hires its first games boss
Mark DeLoura, formerly of SCEA, has been named as Google's 'developer advocate' for video games, the first time Google has appointed an exec in charge of gaming.
DeLoura was previously manager of developer relations at Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) and VP of Technology for Green Screen Interactive.
Google gaming
"I personally feel that Google hiring someone specifically to focus on games is a signal from the company that they recognise the growing importance of games as a medium," DeLoura told Gamasutra.
"Now how do we make it easier for developers to express themselves and share the experiences they create?"
The position of developer advocate for games at Google is "both inward- and outward-facing," added Google's new games chief.
TechRadar has contacted Google UK for further information on what the company's plans are in the gaming space. Stay tuned for updates on Google gaming as and when we hear more.
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Warning: 3D TVs not fit for pregnant women or drunks
Samsung is releasing a new range of 3D TVs this year, along with some rather interesting accompanying safety information that says the TVs should not be used by pregnant women, the sleep deprived, those suffering serious medical conditions or those under the effects of alcohol.
That's right, if you have a 3D TV, you had better stay stone cold sober to enjoy that Blu-ray of Avatar you are looking forward to getting for Christmas 2010.
No drinkers, no kids
Samsung's safety advice for using one of its new 3D TV sets includes the following:
"Children and teenagers may be more susceptible to health issues associated with viewing in 3D and should be closely supervised when viewing these images. Children under the age of six should not view 3D TV."
"Pregnant women, the elderly, sufferers of serious medical conditions, those who are sleep deprived or under the influence of alcohol should avoid utilising the unit's 3D functionality."
"Viewing 3D television may also cause motion sickness, perceptual after effects, disorientation, eye strain and decreased postural stability. It is recommended that users take frequent breaks to lessen the potential of these effects. If your eyes show signs of fatigue or dryness or if you have any of the above symptoms, immediately discontinue use of this device and do not resume using it for at least thirty minutes after the symptoms have subsided."
"Watching TV while wearing 3D glasses for an extended period of time may cause a headache or fatigue. If you experience a headache, fatigue or dizziness, stop viewing TV and rest."
Whether or not anybody will actually heed Sammy's 3D TV safety tips is, of course, a different matter entirely…
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Sony unveils new 7.4-inch OLED monitor
Sony has revealed its latest OLED-toting device – a 7.4-inch monitor for professional videomakers.
After Sony decided to stop producing its XEL-1 OLED display in Japan, it did seem that the writing was on the wall for the technology, but now the screens have found their way into the new PVM-740.
The monitor is the opposite of what you expect an OLED display to look like. It's bulky for a start and looks like something Magnum PI would whip out of his man bag, but it's designed to be bolted into OB trucks and various camera rigs.
3D ready
OLED is fantastic for videomakers as the screen resolution is so vibrant. Offering 960 x 540 pixels, the screen has an AR coating so reflection is kept to a minimum and has technology inside to emulate a CRT. That's right, a CRT – which is still the trusted choice for those monitoring filming.
Other features include a HDMI connectivity – though if you pipe an HD source through it will only display the central portion of the image – and it has a flip mode, which makes it decent for 3D camera rigs.
It may have a completely different function than the XEL-1 – and a shed load more features – but the pricing is pretty similar at $3,850.
The Sony PVM-740 is being shown off at this week's NAB show in Las Vegas. UK pricing and release date are still to be announced.
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Google unveils next-gen Google Docs
Google is set to roll out the next version of its popular Google Docs, with increased collaboration meaning that 50 people can work on the same doc at once, but a lack of Gears support meaning that offline editing is disabled.
Google Docs have always been built for collaboration, but the new version will not only allow more people to edit at the same time, but will also offer faster and more responsive editing.
"We've extended Google Docs' collaboration capabilities too, with support for up to 50 people working together at once, and in documents, you can now see other people's edits as they happen character-by-character," said Google on its official blog.
"And now you can also collaborate on flow charts, diagrams and other schematics in real time with a new editor for drawings on Google Docs."
Uploading
Uploading files to the cloud will also be easier – and take advantage of the 'upload any file' functionality brought in last year.
"We've responded to many of your requests for features you're used to in desktop software," added Google.
"In documents, we've added a margin ruler, better numbering and bullets and easier image placement options.
"And in spreadsheets, you'll now find a formula editing bar, cell auto-complete, drag-and-drop columns and other features not possible with older browser technologies."
Gearing up for HTML5
However, some functionality has been changed or removed; Auto-translation and the lack of offline editing for now will be a major blow for some.
"Please note, these new editors are not compatible with Gears (the technology that powers offline access), so they do not have offline support today," confirmed the Google Docs blog.
"However, we plan to bring back offline support in the future, taking advantage of new technologies like HTML5 and advancements in modern browsers."
Preview
Because of the changes Google will offer a preview option for a few months and keep the old version in place.
"The drawings editor will be available later today, and preview versions of spreadsheets and documents will roll out to all individual users over the next few days," concludes Google.
"To try them out, click 'New version' at the top of any spreadsheet or go to the 'Document Settings' page and select 'New version of Google documents."
Office 2010
Of course, Microsoft's next version of Office – Office 2010, arrives soon and will bring extensive online functionality.
The software giant is aware that the cloud represents the first major threat to its domination of the Office application market, and is keen to ensure that it does not fall behind Google's offering.
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MIT develops augmented reality TVs
MIT researchers are developing a new way of bringing augmented reality tech to your TV, so you can watch more than what is just playing in front of you, using a mobile phone or portable device in combination with your telly.
The tech is called 'Surround Vision' and uses footage taken from different angles, which means that when you point your phone towards the side of the screen you can see the additional content.
Watch off the screen
The use case for this type of tech is clearly compelling. If you are watching a football match, for example, you might want to use your phone to have a look around the rest of the pitch that you cannot see on the screen.
"This could be in your home next year if a network decided to do it," according to Media Lab research scientist Michael Bove.
MIT's Surround Vision prototype adds a 'magnetometer' (a compass to you and me!) to a phone, as the accelerometers in most phones are not sensitive enough to detect the slight differences in moving your phone to the left or right of your TV.
You can see the tech demonstrated in MIT's video – with the future of TV being shown off by Santiago Alfaro, a graduate student in the lab who's leading the project.
Alfaro says MIT Media Lab will be testing the system using sports broadcasts and children's programmes. This is certainly a tech that has a lot of potential and we will be keeping a close eye on developments at MIT in the coming months.
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Twitter reveals Sponsored Tweets ad plan
It's been a long time coming, but Twitter has finally revealed its grand advertising plan, and it comes in the form of Sponsored Tweets.
Set to be officially unveiled at the company's first-ever developer's conference this week, the Sponsored Tweets advertising programme will make official what businesses have been doing for some time – promoting their brand through the Twitter service.
The sponsored Tweets idea isn't exactly ground-breaking and some may have been thinking that Twitter were sitting on something much bigger, considering it has taken so long to reveal just how it will make the site profitable. But it seems the micro social-networking site has gone for the tried and tested formula of sponsorship for ad revenue.
This tweet is sponsored by…
The Sponsored Tweets service will be rolled out initially in search results – where you will be prompted to re-tweet an advert – but the ads will eventually make their way to users' Twitter feeds.
The first companies to take advantage of the service will be Starbucks, Bravo and Virgin America – all of these are currently prolific Twitter users.
The advertising system isn't the first time Twitter has come up with a money making idea. Just last month, the site announced the @anywhere platform which allows sites to embed the ability to use Twitter on any website. But it is the first time advertising has been this prolific on the site.
Twitter has had massive success in a short space of time. With $160 million of venture capital behind the site, it's got to start making money somehow.
Only time will tell, though, how intrusive the introduction of adverts will be to the website's talkative user base.
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Opera Mini for iPhone approved
It's a great month for Opera, with the company having recently hit the magic 100 million users worldwide mark, followed by the latest news that Opera's speedy mobile browser for iPhone has finally been approved by Apple and is available for iPhone users to download from the App Store for free right now.
For many, it is quite a surprise that Apple even approved the browser – with it being faster than Apple's own Safari browser on the iPhone.
5 times faster than Safari
Opera has claimed that its browser is 5 times faster than Apple's Safari on iPhone. The browser was submitted to Apple late last month, with many expecting Apple's iPhone app approval team to knock it back. Thankfully, they didn't.
You can grab it now and try it out for yourself to put that claim to the test – as the Opera browser for iPhone is on the App Store available to download now.
Opera for iPhone features data compression of up to 90 per cent before the website loads on the iPhone.
The browser caches previously visited pages so there is also no need to reload webpages when hitting the back button, which means a faster browsing experience all around.
There are downsides, of course. Apple's Safari will remain the default browser when you hit links in emails, text messages and from RSS feeds and the like.
We've already downloaded the Opera Mini for iPhone browser so stay tuned for our detailed first impressions.
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