Sony PS3 gets arty with MUBI cinema service
Sony has announced the arrival of a new movie-streaming service for the PS3, which offers cult classics on tap and ready to download.
Called MUBI, the service is offering a "quality over quantity" approach, packing in as many independent movies as possible and focusing on festival favourites.
Much like Vidzone, MUBI is a free downloadable app for the PS3 which will appear in the XMB.
Once downloaded, you can access the movies on offer in a variety of ways. According to Sony there will be free content, movies to rent and even the opportunity to sign up to a monthly all-you-can-eat subscription.
Cinema to TV screens
The launch of MUBI took place at the Cannes Film Festival, with MUBI founder Efe Çakarel saying: "MUBI is the fastest growing online destination for lovers of independent, foreign and classic film - and it is amazing how many people that covers.
"Our partnership with PlayStation brings online cinema to TV screens in homes around the world giving PlayStation owners a whole new world of entertainment to explore."
MUBI has a UK release date of the autumn and, at launch, will have 300 films available.
The arrival of MUBI strengthens an already meaty movie download service from Sony. Couple this announcement with the PSN Video Store and news that BlinkBox is readying its service for the PS3 and it seems that Sony is tackling movie downloads the right way.
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Shazam puts on 25 million users in six months
Shazam has added 25 million users over the last six months. Official stats released by the music discovery service also show that over a billion songs have been analysed during that period.
"Shazam has become synonymous with music recognition and discovery on mobile phones," commented Shazam CEO Andrew Fisher.
"In the future our fans will continue to see further innovation from Shazam."
Shazam was originally famous for its ability to phone a number and identify the song playing, but the firm has found a new lease of life in the smartphone era, combining 30 second preview clips with song purchasing and tour information.
The service now has 75 million users worldwide. The sharp rise in the figures is largely to due with the rise in Shazam apps being downloaded for smartphones such as the iPhone as well as Android, BlackBerry and Nokia handsets.
Shazam has become the most downloaded mobile app in Europe according to analyst ComScore, while Fisher believes there will be 100 million Shazam users by the end of the year.
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Twitter's first 'twitcom' gets full series
The first sitcom based on a Twitter feed has been picked up by CBS and will star William Shatner.
Based on Twitter posts by Justin Halpern, which go under the Ronseal-esque name sh*tmydadsays, the sitcom has successfully gone from being a pilot to becoming a fully fledged show.
In a pop-will-eat-itself moment, Shatner announced the news on his Twitter feed, explaining: "I'm on CBS this fall. I just heard so I'm passing it on to you! My best, Bill."
Bring out the dad
Currently followed by 1.3 million Twitter users, the feed, which charts the ramblings of Halpern's 74-year-old dad, has proved ridiculously popular and has even been made into book form.
Examples of wisdom from the feed include: "Pressure? Get married when you want. Your wedding's just one more day in my life I can't wear sweat pants."
And, well, the rest are chock-full of swear words that they would look a little out of place on your family friendly TechRadar.
The sitcom will start in the autumn, with the rather safe tentative title of Bleep My Dad Says.
Although Shatner survived the pilot, CBS is currently looking for an actor to play the son.
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Gary Marshall: Is this the end of Spotify Free?
The launch of two new Spotify services - Unlimited and Open - means two things. One, you don't need to spend a tenner to get rid of the ads; and two, Spotify Free's days are numbered.
It's clear that Spotify Open, which delivers 20 hours of ad-funded music per month, is going to replace Spotify Free.
If you're already a Free user then things won't change in the foreseeable future, and you can still offer invitations to others; however, we wouldn't be surprised if the ability to invite people to Spotify Free disappears fairly quickly.
Check out Spotify's exact words: people are "still able to sign up… by obtaining one of the many millions of invites currently available." The key word there is "currently".
A refreshing admission
On the face of it the inevitable demise of Spotify Free is a bad thing, but we think it's actually quite refreshing. Spotify is basically saying "look, we can't afford to run unlimited streaming for everyone for free, so here's your choice: 25 albums a month for nowt, or as much as you want, ad-free, for a fiver."
The problem for Spotify is that the music business doesn't care whether you're a paying customer or not; it just wants to be paid for the music Spotify streams. In an ideal world the odd advert would cover the cost of the relevant licenses, but this isn't an ideal world. There simply isn't enough advertising cash to go around.
That means Spotify had a stark choice. If it carried on as normal, it would have to find ways to make more money from free customers. That means more ads, more invasive ads, and more attempts to mine personal data from profit.
It's what you might call the Facebook model, and while it works for Facebook - so far, anyway - there's no guarantee it'd work for Spotify. This way is better. The free service isn't too limited, and the ad-free version is now half the price it was previously (Premium remains, but you only need to pay the extra fiver for that if you want offline access or the mobile service).
Where Spotify got it wrong was in having a free service that was just too good, and a paid-for service that was just a little bit too pricey. It's addressed both of those issues, and the result should be an increase in the subscription numbers.
It's a smart move - but it might also be too little, too late. If the rumour mill is correct, a streaming, subscription-based version of iTunes may be launching in just a few weeks time.
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Review: Samsung NX10
Samsung's been trying to break into the lucrative keen-amateur camera market for some years now, and the Samsung NX10 is its best effort to date.
Previous Samsung bridge cameras and GX-series SLRs were bulky and expensive affairs; while not bad cameras in their own right, they simply couldn't ace similar models from the big Japanese makers.
Despite Samsung's deep R&D pockets, not enough consumers could be persuaded to buy their cameras – after all, Samsung makes tellies and phones, right?
With the advent of the advent of Micro Four Thirds-based hybrid cameras, Samsung's seen a fresh opportunity to take some market share from Canon, Nikon and the rest. But we need to remind readers from the outset that the Samsung NX10 is not based on Micro Four Thirds technology.
Samsung's boffins have come up with their own solution, but the outcome is basically the same; namely a mirrorless, interchangeable lens camera with Electronic Viewfinder.
The nature of hybrid camera technology levels the playing field somewhat between DSLR makers, who can draw on a strong optical and 35mm camera heritage, and consumer electronics specialists, such as Samsung and Sony. Suddenly it's less about esoteric mirror arrangements and reflex viewinders and more about circuit-board wizardry.
Another selling point of the Samsung NX10 is the inclusion of a three-inch OLED screen. As you'd expect from a big player in TVs, Samsung claims this offers a wide range of viewing angles and better contrast than more conventional rear screens.
The Samsung NX10's resolution is right up there too. While some Micro Four Thirds hybrid have felt a bit compromised when it comes to sensors, the Samsung NX10 packs a 14.6 megapixel, APS-C sized chip.
The size is significant, as sensor-wise at least, it puts the Samsung NX10 on the same level as a consumer DSLR.
Currently selling for around 500 quid, the Samsung NX10 is very keenly priced. It takes the fight to the similarly priced Panasonic GF1 and Olympus Pen family, and also competes against entry level D-SLRs, such as Canon's EOS 500D.
So plucky Korean contender Samsung has certainly got a fight on its hands.
When first handling the Samsung NX10 you need to keep reminded yourself this is NOT a conventional DSLR.
When it comes to form and styling, the Samsung NX10 feels very similar to an entry-level DSLR from Nikon or Canon. So you can't help but feel slightly deflated - it lacks the pleasingly diminutive shape of the Panasonic GF-1, for example, or the retro charm of the Olympus Pen series.
Another disappointment is the lack of a hinged rear LCD display; OLED technology or lot, this feels a bit of a let-down when articulating displays now come on several Micro Four Thirds models. Reason being, they make it easier to take photos.
Although the Samsung NX10 is easy to handle and use, it's not quite as well thought out as a Canon or Nikon DSLR.
Take the rather oddly placed Menu button to the top left of the screen. You need to access the Menu button quite a lot, as there isn't a dedicated ISO (light sensitivity) or White Balance button. Until you get used to it, you tend to hit the flash button instead of the Menu button as they're quite close, and this soon gets very annoying.
The built-in Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) is a decent performer, certainly as good as you get with the Panasonic G1. Raise the Samsung NX10 to your eye and the viewfinder automatically takes over from the rear screen, which is a nice touch.
As for the much-vaunted OLED rear screen, it's crisp, clear and colourful, though the fancy technology doesn't make that much difference to visibility in bright sunshine.
The onscreen interface is a cinch to use, and a rather helpful Function button makes it easy to adjust exposure settings and other parameters.
The Menu categories accessed via the EVF or rear screen are nigh foolproof, with the exception the Picture Wizard setting. This enables you to choose various picture styles (Landscape and Vivid for example). Simple enough, but we're not sure why black and white is called 'Classic' or what exactly 'Retro' is supposed to be (a sort of hand-coloured effect?)
We'd also like to see the image preview magnification implemented as a lever rather than a fiddly little button, and the lens cap is RUBBISH – it's cheap and nasty and kept falling off in our bag. There's no excuse for such plasticky crap on a camera of this calibre.
See Samsung NX10 video sample in HD
So it's close, but no cigar, for the ergonomics. Will the Samsung NX10 impress is more with the quality of its output?
In a word, yes. While there's not a huge difference in practice between the performance of a 12 or 14 megapixel sensor, the APS-C sized chip inside the Samsung NX10 really delivers the goods.
Images are nice and colourful with bags of detail, and the resolution matches anything from a similarly priced Japanese DSLR.
This is also a testament to the quality of the lens. Cheap lenses are the Achilles heel of otherwise good-value DSLR bundles, but the Samsung NX10's glass is an impressive performer for the money.
Chromatic aberration and other distortion is kept to the absolute minimum – we're impressed.
ISO performance is good too. It's a bit of a pain to have to keep adjusting it via the Menu button, but once set, you'll be impressed by the results.
As our test shots from a gloomy Gloucestershire church show, you can get good detail with minimum noise in environments where you don't want to use flash. While the high performance ISO isn't quite as clean as the Canon EOS 550D for example, the Samsung NX10 delivers very usable results up to 1600.
To return to colour performance for a moment, we often used the Vivid style in the Picture Wizard menu, as it added an extra bit of punch to the Samsung NX10's JPEGs without making them look garish.
You can shoot in RAW, and you'll reap the benefits in terms of maximum detail and editing flexibility (but stick to Photoshop for fine-tuning your shots as the supplied RAW editing software is pretty basic, and PC only).
For less experienced users, there are the usual range of 'helpful' widgets that you tend to find on hybrid cameras. Samsung claims the new Smart Auto setting on the PASM dial will automatically work out the best settings to save newbies the hassle of reading the manual, but as with all Auto modes, it's no panacea for poor light or a fast moving subject.
You're better off learning how to adjust aperture or shutter speed yourself – after all, it's easy enough to make adjustments via the top wheel.
The picture styles and in-camera photo editing proves more useful in practice than Smart Auto, and the range of in-camera tweaks provided by the Samsung NX10 is quite impressive. This is certainly a good upgrade for less-confident compact camera owners eager to try new things.
There is the usual range of AF and metering options, and they all work well. Despite Samsung's claims about the "ultra fast AF speed", we found our review sample tended to 'hunt' a bit more than we expected, particularly when shooting at wide apertures.
It's worth fine-tuning the AF points for the most consistent results, but this is a good photographic habit to get into anyway.
HD movie capture maxes out at 720p, and you can choose from Program or Aperture Priority AE modes.
The quality of movie recording is fine for the money, with good contrast and reliable AF; while 720p falls short of full HD quality, it's comparable to the excellent Panasonic GF-1, and having some control over exposure settings is a big help.
There's a lot to like about the Samsung NX10, but there's one niggling question that keeps cropping up. Despite being a mirrorless hybrid, it looks like an SLR. It feels like an SLR to use. It's got an SLR-sized sensor. So why not just buy a conventional SLR rather than the Samsung NX10? Er…
We liked:
The Samsung NX10 is well made (apart from the grotty lens cap) and good value, with an excellent range of shooting options, quality Electronic Viewfinder and high-performance rear screen.
While being generally easy to use, with a comprehensive menu of in-camera picture tweaks and edits, it's also got enough advanced features to attract more experienced users (such as RAW shooting and Manual mode).
The 18-55mm lens on our sample is great value for money (you can also buy the Samsung NX10 with a 30mm pancake lens).
We disliked:
In the rather staid world of camera design, hybrid cameras have earned cool points for their articulated rear screens, comparatively small bodies and hip retro looks - so it's a shame that the Samsung NX10 offers none of these.
The layout and menu design miss the mark sometimes, and there's a smaller choice of lenses than with a conventional D-SLR.
Verdict:
Samsung should be congratulated for finally shaking off its 'camera maker wannabe' reputation and bringing out its best ever model for serious amateurs and even semi-pros.
This is a sturdy, high resolution shooter with a great lens for the money and respectable HD movie mode. But it's such an SLR-a-like you're left wondering why you don't just buy a comparatively priced Japanese SLR, and benefit from the more competitive discounting deals and wider range of lenses and accessories.
This could be a problem for Samsung, as its cameras still don't engender the same brand loyalty enjoyed by its rivals (unless you determined to have the same brand camera as your telly). The Samsung NX10 is a good hybrid at a keen price, but we peg it as a worthy contender rather than a market champion.
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Google bids $68 million for VoIP company
Google has made a substantial cash offer to buy up VoIP firm Global IP Solutions, prompting speculation about what the search giant has in store for the company.
Google has been tight-lipped about the proposed acquisition, merely saying in a statement that: "The web is evolving quickly as a development platform, and real-time video and audio communication over the Internet are becoming important new tools for users.
"GIPS's technology provides high quality, real-time audio and video over an IP network, and we're looking forward to working with the GIPS team at Google to continue innovating for the web platform."
Bring out the GIPS
Google has laid down an offer of $68 million (£47 million) and while this needs to be approved by 90 per cent of GIPS board, it is likely to go through.
Speaking about the link-up, Emerick Woods, Global IP Solutions CEO, said: "With Google's global reach, scale and widely recognized leadership, we are confident that our existing customers will continue to be fully supported while we continue to enhance and extend our products and technology at Google."
Those existing customers include Yahoo, who uses the tech in its messenger service.
While Google isn't being forthcoming about what it will use the tech for. Google already offers video chat through Google Talk but just last month Global IP Solutions announced to developers that its tech could be used to develop Android based VoIP clients.
Coincidence? We very much doubt it.
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Kindle app announced for Android
Amazon has announced that it is to launch a Kindle app for Android, which allows you to view ebooks from Amazon without the use of the Kindle device.
Although this app is available already for the iPhone, there is one new major bit of functionality that comes with it: the ability to buy books straight from the app.
Considering Apple has its iBookstore service, it is understandable why this functionality is not on the Apple version.
But Apple's loss is Android's gain and it now means that Google's platform has a real viable ebook alternative.
Kindle Store access
The app will give users access to 500,000 books (though this number may change for the UK) and synchronises between devices – so, if you are reading a book on the Kindle or a PC, then pick it up again through your phone it will remember your last page read, bookmarks, notes and any highlights you made.
Amazon has optimised the Kindle Store for Android phones, so you can download books wherever you are.
Things like newspapers, magazines and blogs, though, are not yet compatible with the app.
The application currently doesn't have a UK release date – it's stated as coming soon – but when it's released, it will be available for those with Android handsets sporting 1.6 or higher.
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In Depth: 10 best iPad games worth paying for
Yeah, we know - the iPad is a giant iPod touch. But then a swimming pool is a giant bath, but all that extra space provides more scope to do exciting stuff.
With the iPad, the larger screen and extra clout from Apple's A4 chip creates a gaming experience markedly superior compared to that on the iPhone, and already there are plenty of fantastic titles for the system.
Here are our ten current top 10 iPad games.
1. Plants vs. Zombies HD (£5.99)
PopCap's bonkers tower defence game Plants vs. Zombies HD should appeal even if you're sick of the genre. On iPad, the graphics are fantastic, and the multi-touch screen perfect for positioning your plants to battle the undead. There's also an iPad-only minigame, 'buttered popcorn', where you 'butter' multiple zombies and fire corn-cob cannons at them.
2. Flight Control HD (£2.99)
Firemint's line-drawing classic Flight Control HD brings its iPhone baggage to iPad, offering all the original airfields in big-o-vision. However, new stuff makes the game worth three quid, including improved controls and three 'HD' airfields. These feature two landing areas and are like juggling two Flight Control games at once.
3. Pinball HD (£1.79)
Gameprom cornered the iPhone pinball market with three great tables, which are compiled for the iPad release of Pinball HD. Each table now gets three viewpoints (overhead, 3D, dynamic) with optional 'camera tilt', along with a major boost in detail and performance. For the record, The Deep's futuristic, feature-packed table is our favourite.
4. Civilization Revolutions for iPad (£7.49)
This action-packed 'Civ lite' works much like it does on other handhelds, but Civilization Revolutions for iPad hugely benefits from the iPad's large screen, enabling you to rampage around a virtual world, conquering your foes. The iPad version also boasts a customisation feature, enabling you to adjust parameters and create almost limitless scenarios and game types.
5. Real Racing HD (£5.99)
If you've played Real Racing for iPhone, Real Racing HD is basically the same game with a few upgrades (replays, ghost racers, car skins). However, what was a little fiddly on an iPhone suddenly becomes immersive and far more exciting on iPad, with you using your device as a virtual steering wheel, careering round courses to take the chequered flag.
6. Labyrinth 2 HD (£4.99)
Roll a marble to the exit. It doesn't sound exciting or even good, but Labyrinth 2 HD is a surprisingly compelling iPad game. Part of the magic is in how tactile it feels—your view updates using a subtle 3D effect as you tilt your device. The rest is in the excellent course design—things start simple, but levels soon resemble an explosion in a pinball factory.
7. Strategery (£1.19)
The sole 'universal' app in this round-up, Strategery will work on your iPad and iPhone. The game itself is a hugely addictive simplified Risk. Conquer countries by tapping and automated dice rolls, and be mindful of the fact that since there's no stockpiling (each country can hold a set maximum number of army units), you need to think ahead to win.
8. Zen Bound 2 (£4.99)
Zen Bound for iPhone was a surprise hit, with many thousands of people infatuated with tying bits of rope around sculptures. Along with offering superior visuals and a 45-minute soundtrack, this iPad-exclusive sequel, Zen Bound 2, provides even more tactile controls, and a bunch of new levels and features, such as paint bombs.
9. Geometry Wars: Touch for iPad (£5.99)
Although we'd like to kick squarely in the goolies whichever idiot placed the bomb button in the middle of the screen, Bizarre's dual-thumb shooter Geometry Wars: Touch for iPad is a triumph on iPad. Including seven gameplay modes (one exclusive to iPad), the game provides ample short bursts of adrenaline-fuelled carnage for any wannabe destroyer of vector-based alien scumbags.
10. Let's Golf! HD (£2.99)
Tiger Woods has yet to make his way to iPad, but Gameloft's Let's Golf! HD effort is a suitable alternative. In some ways, it's actually more fun than EA's stalwart, the cartoonish graphics bringing some Nintendo-like vibrancy to what's otherwise a somewhat serious sport. Customisable players, 63 holes, Wi-Fi multiplayer and optional advanced controls ensure you get a lot of game for your three quid.
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Humax releases new Freeview HD recorder details
Humax has announced details for its new Freeview HD recorder – the HDR-Fox T2, due for launch in July.
With the World Cup starting in June, the HDR-FOX T2 is missing one of the key HD events of the year, but the recorder does offer some impressive features.
They include a 500GB hard drive – which still seems on the small side for HD recording – an eight-day EPG, series recording, schedule tracking and split recording.
Other features include photo and MP3 playback through a USB port, and Ethernet connectivity.
High-quality
"Humax was first to market with a Freeview HD receiver, the HD-FOX T2, allowing users to access outstanding HD content through their rooftop aerial for the very first time, said Humax's Graham North.
"The forthcoming HDR-FOX T2 continues our reputation for delivering easy-to-use, high-quality products, with a feature-packed digital TV recorder that is set to provide the very best in recording and viewing features for Freeview HD+."
The new box has a UK release date of July and will be priced at around £349.
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Space Tourism project employs ex-NASA Chief of Staff
Virgin Galactic has appointed its first Chief Executive this week, as the space tourism company moves ever closer to making commercial travel into space a reality.
Virgin Galactic is now headed up by ex-NASA Chief of Staff George T Whitesides.
"In this role, Whitesides will guide the business through its transition from a development project to a commercially operational business," Virgin Galactic announced on its website.
"Whitesides joins Virgin Galactic from his recent role as Chief of Staff of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
"At NASA, Whitesides was responsible for working to implement the NASA Administrator's policy agenda and staffing decisions."
Start saving for that space trip
It is a canny hire. Whitesides formerly worked as a member of the NASA Presidential Transition Team, Executive Director of the National Space Society, and Chair of the Reusable Launch Vehicle Working Group of the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee.
He is also, "a licensed private pilot and certified parabolic flight coach, a graduate of Cambridge and Princeton Universities and a former Fulbright Scholar."
Virgin Galactic President, Will Whitehorn, said of his new CEO: 'We are delighted that George has agreed to become our first Chief Executive to guide the Galactic project as it transitions into a fully fledged operating business.
"He joins Virgin Galactic at a momentous moment in the development of the company. Test flying of the first SpaceshipTwo (VSS Enterprise) has commenced and our future home at Spaceport America in New Mexico is at an advanced stage of construction. In addition our commercial team has accepted over $65m worth of reservations from 335 future astronauts and the Company is holding deposits of over $45 million."
Whitesides adds that there is, "much to achieve at Virgin Galactic over the coming years as the company moves from the extensive test flying program and FAA licensing process into commercial operation of frequent spaceflights from our new home at Spaceport America in New Mexico."
Fancy that trip into Space in 2015? You better start saving now...
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Vodafone doubles profits, loses ground in UK
Vodafone has announced a massive surge in its pre-tax profits, growing to £8.7 billion from £4.2 billion the previous year.
It seems that consumers using their mobiles to actually phone people isn't the reason for the profit increase, though, but an increase in data package and broadband use.
Another reason for the profit growth is to do with company initiating a £1 billion cost-savings programme.
Although Vodafone has been prolific in bringing the latest handsets to the UK, including the HTC Desire and the iPhone, it did see its revenue in the UK slip by 4.7 per cent and earnings by 16.6 per cent to £1.14 billion.
Again this was put down to consumers not actually picking up their phones to speak and the fact that there has been some "intense" competition in the UK market.
Exceeded expectations
Speaking about the results Vittorio Colao, CEO of Vodafone, said: "Vodafone's financial results exceeded our upgraded guidance on all measures.
"Revenue trends have improved again in the fourth quarter, driven by growth in mobile data and fixed broadband."
Just last week, Vodafone announced its decision to drop unlimited internet on its data packages, something which has received a mixed reception from users.
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Official Twitter app for iPhone imminent
It looks like Twitter's acquisition of the developers of the Tweetie app for iPhone is about to serve up the 'official' Twitter app for Apple's smartphone.
Tweetie 2 has disappeared from the App Store this week, suggesting that the developers are about to finally release the first official Twitter app for smartphones.
The cannily-named "Twitter for iPhone" should arrive within the next few days, we will be sure to update this news story the second it does.
Whether or not we will see an iPad version bundled with it is still to be seen.
Twitter has previously confirmed that it was preparing a dedicated "Twitter for iPad" app and that it was is coming shortly.
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Hands on: new Hotmail review
What's in your Hotmail inbox? If it's crammed full of special offers, newsletters you can't seem to unsubscribe from and all the other detritus that clogs up most inboxes, you'll want to try the new version of Hotmail (coming in June or July this year).
It still has Microsoft's SmartScreen filters for spotting and blocking spam, but it also has two handy tools for dealing with message that aren't actually junk – even though you might be marking them as junk to get rid of them.
We sign up for online newsletters – or more often we order something or sign in to a site and forget to tick the box saying we don't want the newsletter – and then we never unsubscribe.
Having users mark all those unwanted messages as spam makes it harder to find the real spam, and it's bad news for legitimate senders who get a reputation as spammers when it's just us users being lazy.
CLEAN UP: Just hovering your mouse over an email gets you the option to delete all the messages from a mailing list you no longer want
Hotmail will be adding a new Sweep menu with two new commands, Move all from and Delete all from (as well as the self-explanatory Mark this folder as read and Empty this folder).
If you want to keep a newsletter but you don't want it clogging up your inbox, you can move it – and all the previous copies of it you haven't got around to reading - and the next time that newsletter arrives, it will automatically get moved, too. Delete the mail and you have the option of deleting all future mails, too.
QUICK CLEAN: Choose to delete all messages and you can block future messages at the same time
Hotmail Quick views
That's enough to reclaim a Hotmail inbox you haven't been able to use for years, but the new Quick views are just as useful. You can see just the messages you've flagged, just the emails with photos or documents attached - or just shipping notifications.
Initially this only works with US Post Office deliveries, but it will work with UPS, Fedex and other delivery services around the world; not only does it filter the shipping messages but you also get a live view of where the package is and when it's going to arrive and you can click to get a popup with the details from the shipping site.
FLAGGED VIEW: See just the messages you've flagged to deal with later
You can filter the main inbox or the Quick views to show unread messages, messages from people who are in your address book, messages that show you what's going on in your social network or messages from the mailing lists you've decided to keep.
Filtering your inbox like this lets you look through to see what's interesting and important very quickly. If none of that finds what you're looking for, not only does search filter messages as you type, and autocomplete to match names in your email – but it also lets you choose to further filter messages by searching for from, to or subject. Hotmail's always had powerful search but this is much easier to use.
Hotmail and Office Web Apps
Emails with documents attached have links to download the file, but if it's an Office format document you can also click to view the document in the Office Web Apps – and if you want to edit the document it's automatically uploaded to your SkyDrive.
Save any changes and Hotmail prompts you to mail back a new version (so if you're using Hotmail to keep a copy of your own documents you always have a link to the most recent file).
WORD UP: Your Word document in the Word Web App; it doesn't have every Word feature but it's got the ones that matter
SEND BACK: Save changes to the document and Hotmail asks if you want to mail those changes back
PRE-WRITTEN: Say yes to sending the changes and Hotmail even writes the message for you
Emails with photos attached automatically show image thumbnails as an album in the message; that works whether the photos are attached or whether they're links to an online service like Flickr or Smugmug (in a future version Hotmail will be able to log in for you but for now this only works if the images are public).
CREATE ALBUM: You can just send your photos – or you can choose how long the album will last and who can add photos
So if someone mails you a URL promising it's a funny photo, you can see the image right in your Hotmail inbox without clicking the link – and if there are multiple images you can open them in a Silverlight slide show.
The same goes for videos; links to YouTube (Hulu in the US and other video services in future) appear as thumbnails you can click to play in a Silverlight browser. (If you don't have Silverlight you'll get the previews and you can click through to the site to see the content).
WARNING: Images are automatically shown as a slideshow – but viruses pretending to be images are marked as malware
Sending photos and videos
When you're sending photos, links, maps and videos, Hotmail can help with that, too. Send photos as a SkyDrive photo album and all you have to do is pick the images as if you were attaching them to get an album that's automatically shared with the people you mail it to, that gets deleted after three months (you can change the options in the email to make it permanent, delete it sooner and let other people add images to the album).
SLIDE SHOW: Images you attach to email upload to SkyDrive while you're writing the rest of your email
The mail that arrives gets the same photo album layout whatever service you send it to, so Gmail users can click the slideshow link and get the Silverlight viewer. Instead of attaching a file you can choose to upload it to SkyDrive and send the link in email, which makes it a very easy way to start collaborating on a document.
CLICK TO VIEW: When the email with your photos arrives, the images are arranged in an album with a link to click for this Silverlight slide show
And the From Bing dropdown lets you search for and inset images, video, maps and annotated URLs; you search in a task pane at the side, preview the results and clip them into your mail.
A map thumbnail is much more useful than just a long map URL, and if you search for a film you can embed what time it's playing at nearby cinemas – you have to use Bing for the search but the information you send is more useful and looks less ugly.
More than mail
Hotmail is turning into more than mail. Your Windows Messenger contacts show up in the folder bar under the Quick Views; send IMs to two people and you get a tabbed window in the corner for chatting.
As almost all smartphones - including Android ad iPhone - use Microsoft's Exchange Active Sync to sync email to the phone, Hotmail is supporting EAS. You'll finally be able to get contacts and calendar on almost any smartphone, as well as your email.
Put it all together and this is a whole new Hotmail, full of useful tools but without feeling complicated.
This simplicity can make Hotmail feel less powerful than a service like Gmail; actually it has all Gmail's features apart from selective forwarding to another account and we'd say the new version of Hotmail will leave Gmail with some catching up to do.
If your Hotmail inbox has been drowned in messages you didn't want, you can reclaim it and get rich tools for sharing information in a really powerful way.
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Blu-ray is still the primary reason to buy PS3
Research company Nielsen has published a new report which claims that Blu-ray (and not gaming) is still the primary reason most consumers buy a PlayStation 3 console.
Nielsen's latest research was based on an in-depth poll of 700 people, quizzing each of them on the various factors and reasons behind their decision to buy (or not to buy) a Sony PlayStation 3.
65 per cent of respondents said Blu-ray playback was the main reason they wanted to buy a PS3 hardware, compared with 62 per cent who were buying the console for its gaming features.
God of War III test
"The prevailing logic goes: make a must-have video game and it will have an influence on the consumer's decision to invest in the necessary hardware," reads Nielsen's report.
Not so, it would seem, going by the latest results.
"While it is assumed that high profile game titles can move gaming systems, recent Nielsen Games research suggests that consumers are driven by a myriad of factors. Surprisingly, the purchase of a specific game title actually ranks lowest in a list of purchase motivators.
"Over a three week period prior to, during and after GOW III was released, Nielsen interviewed more than 700 active gamers ages 7-54 who do not currently own a PS3 but are definitely or probably interested in acquiring the system in the next six months to better understand the factors behind their purchase intent.
"Among those gamers motivated to acquire a PS3 because they are looking forward to buying a specific game, GOW III was the clear winner. However, overall results indicate that specific game titles rank as the least frequently cited reason for being interested in purchasing a PS3."
You can see the full report over at Nielson
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New MacBook arrives on Apple UK store
The MacBook update that was leaked over the weekend has gone official, with the UK Apple store offering the latest laptop for £849.
The new entry level MacBook features a 2.4GhzIntel Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR3 RAM and 250 GB of storage.
The MacBook – which is priced at £150 less than the 13 inch MacBook Pro, also boasts an extended 10 hour battery life, a significant increase on its predecessor.
Graphical change
"With the new 13-inch MacBook Apple has pushed the processor up to 2.4GHz from 2.26GHz, but more importantly upgraded the graphics card to the same NVIDIA GeForce 320M that features in the MacBook Pro line-up," commented MacFormat editor Graham Barlow
"The new graphics chipset has a powerful discrete GPU that can intelligently take over graphics processing when required, but power down to save battery life when not.
"For just £33 more than the previous model that's not a bad deal in my book."
Nvidia
The new MacBook offers Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics, is 274 mm thick and weighs in at a shade over 2.1KG.
You can of course increase the specifications, with the upgrades including the opportunity to ramp things up with 4GB RAM and a 500GB hard-drive.
So, if Macs are your thing, and you are in the market for a new one, then this one has a UK release date of right now at http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook .
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New Microsoft Hotmail launches in July
Microsoft's web-based email is still the most popular service of its type, although Hotmail has trailed behind Google's Gmail in terms of its features and overall ease-of-use for some years now.
Microsoft hopes to change all of that with the latest version of Hotmail, previewing the various new features on offer this week.
The latest version of Microsoft Hotmail is due to launch later this summer, at some point in July. The key question for techies being: "can Microsoft entice long-term Gmail users back to Hotmail?"
In-message previews
Firstly, the new Hotmail will allow you to preview YouTube videos and Flickr photos within the message.
Secondly, for business and work use, Microsoft is integrating Office Web Apps into Hotmail, allowing users to edit and save their work documents using Microsoft's online storage service, SkyDrive in combination with Web Apps. So users won't need Office on their PC to edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint docs.
Microsoft has also introduced a range of new spam-fighting features and inbox-management tools to help users finally cut-out junk mails and better control the flow of necessary emails to their primary inbox.
Rob Bamforth Principal Analyst, at Quocirca Ltd said of the new Hotmail: "Email users are being faced with challenges from inbox overload to an abundance of rich content format options; they are also increasingly on the move, with small screens and precious wireless connection time.
"Time is of the essence and they need help to get the most useful and valuable stuff fastest, without being put off by not having the right app to access it, the cost of mobile download or the wheat being lost in the chaff.
"The new features in Hotmail reduce inbox overload by cutting down on clutter and help plait the long tail of email. The integrated cloud services offer people a chance to review documents in the cloud, before deciding whether to download them.
"Collaborative work is made easier as users can view, share and edit Office documents in the cloud"
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Microsoft goes on offensive over Google Apps
Microsoft has gone on the offensive in its battle with the paid for Google Apps for businesses, publishing a series of case studies from companies that are glad they plumped for Exchange.
Microsoft is a distant market leader with Exchange, Outlook and Office, but Google's increasing focus on its own paid-for Google Apps Premier has seen increasing friction in this area.
Software giant Microsoft has already introduced a much-enhanced online suite for Office 2010, and is keen to ensure that Exchange and Outlook keep their place ahead of Google's offerings.
Case studies
Two case studies were offered by Microsoft back in April, and the Microsoft Exchange Blog has now published what it terms "the first in a series of customer testimonials we bring you to highlight what we're hearing about Exchange 2010 from our customers."
That testimony comes from Phaeton Automative Group – which switched from Google to Exchange.
"We'd been using Google Apps to manage employee messaging and collaboration needs but wanted better security and privacy, said Phaeton's Jonathan Pisarczyk.
"Google Apps was inadequate in meeting business needs. It didn't allow single sign-on service, user migration and couldn't help us centrally manage multiple domains.
"Ultimately we determined that an in-house messaging platform would be best suited to our needs and switched to Exchange 2010."
Nobody expected Microsoft to sit back and watch as Google stepped on its lucrative business market toes, but now the blue touch-paper is well and truly lit.
Stand back everyone.
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Seagate launches 3TB 3.5-inch disk drive
Seagate has confirmed it will soon offer a three terabyte 3.5-inch hard drive later in 2010, although PCs running Windows XP will apparently not be able to handle the new HDD.
Seagate reps have also explained that the launch of the new 3TB drive depends on operating system, motherboard BIOS, and RAID vendor support.
Providing all of that falls into place as planned, Senior Product Manager Barbara Craig, told Thinq that Seagate expects to launch the 3TB drive by the end of 2010.
HDD pub knowledge tip
Also note that only 64bit Windows 7, Vista, Mac OS X and "modified versions of Linux" are currently able to read drives larger than 2.1TB.
This is because the LBA (logical block addressing) standard built into the original version of DOS is not able to assign enough addresses (identifiers) to all the sections of a drive beyond 2.1TB. This is circumvented in 64bit systems by what is called a 'Long LBA'.
Remember that last sentence. Memorize it. And then say it word perfect to your mates in the pub if and when they ask you the question: "I wonder why my XP machine cannot handle anything larger than a 2.1TB hard drive?"
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Spotify launches new services
Spotify has announced two new levels of service – Spotify Unlimited and Spotify Open, but insists that the Spotify Free model will continue for now.
The new models – Unlimited offering a Premium level but only for the computer and not mobile, and Open offering 20 hours of listening – will inevitably lead to fears that the invite-only Spotify Free is going to be phased out.
Spotify Unlimited will offer all you can eat access to the tunes for £4.99 per month for the computer, while the Spotify Open model is a free ad-supported service offering the full music catalogue without Spotify Free's invite system, but only for 20 hours a month.
Not the end of free
Spotify insists that this does not spell the end of Spotify Free – stating that the two new services are being introduced to 'complement' Spotify Free and the Spotify Premium offerings.
Spotify Premium will continue to offer the full service on both PC and mobile.
"Spotify Free will continue to provide ad-supported music to our 7m+ users across Europe, with new users still able to sign up to the current Free service by obtaining one of the many millions of invites currently available."
Ek-ky thump
Daniel Ek, CEO and founder of Spotify, said: "Up until today, new Spotify users have had two options - either subscribe to the full Spotify Premium experience or receive a Spotify Free invite from a friend.
"Following Spotify's major upgrade, we wanted to give music fans new ways to enjoy the service.
"Now everyone who wants a great introduction to Spotify without an invite, or who wants to enjoy unlimited, ad-free music just on their computers, can do so."
So, those Spotify Free invites are beginning to look mighty valuable, unless you are happy with a 20 hours a month limit.
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Apple iPad cannibalizing iPod sales
The first sales data from the US on sales of Apple's iPads shows that the new tablet PCs could well be cannibalizing sales of another popular product from the Cupertino computing giant – the humble iPod.
Luckily though, in addition to healthy launch sales of iPads, sales of Macintosh computers are also on the up this year, according to the latest market data from the NPD Group.
iPod sales declining
The new research report from NPD Group shows a 17-per cent year-to-year drop for April iPod sales, but a healthy 39 per cent increase for Mac sales, compared with the same time last April.
While British Apple fans still await its arrival, the iPad was released in the US back on April 3. Gene Munster, an analyst from Piper Jaffray thinks that the launch of the new tablet PC is adversely affecting sales of iPods, claiming that the NPD data shows:
"The first sign of the degree to which the iPad cannibalizes iPod or Mac sales." Munster adds that, "from the early NPD data, it appears that the iPad has a minimal cannibalization impact on Mac sales, and could be slightly cannibalizing iPod sales."
It is not yet clear if the iPad is going to have a significant impact on netbook or laptop sales from other manufacturers. Although industry analysts are keeping a close eye on those developments.
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Acer will not show off Chrome OS netbook in June
Acer has moved to deny that it will show off the first laptop to use Google's Chrome OS at Computex in June.
It had been suggested that the laptop giant was poised to use the Computex show to put a Chrome OS device on show, but the company has insisted that this is not the case.
"Despite recent rumours in the press regarding the launch of Chrome OS based netbooks at Computex, Acer confirms that it has no short-term plans for such a product," said a hastily written statement from the company
"Acer believes that Google Chrome OS is without doubt an exciting product announcement and deserves its full attention as well as an in-depth study of its potential from a consumer's perspective.
Naturally interested
"Acer is naturally interested in any product or service that enhances the overall experience of its products and will of course be following the development and progress of Google Chrome and the evolution of Google's overall product strategy very closely," the statement continues.
This will be a disappointment to those who were hoping to see if Google's idea of an operating system for the cloud was going to be a success.
In fairness Google has always insisted that netbooks will begin to have Chrome OS by the end of 2010, which made the timeline for Acer look a little off.
However, it is likely that we will begin to see devices in the coming months so keep your eyes peeled.
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London Mayor launches hybrid-powered Routemaster bus
London is set to get a fleet of electric Routemaster buses, with the city's Mayor, Boris Johnson, finally delivering on his promise to bring back the classic design to the capital's streets – in a sleek new hybrid-powered, eco-friendly format.
The Routemaster is one of London's iconic sights. Tourists immediately associate the large red double-deckers with the city. And the demise of the old-style Routemaster is still mourned throughout the capital.
What we don't particularly miss, however, is the diesel fumes and the smog. Which is why the new hybrid Routemaster 2.0 is being introduced back into circulation on the streets of London.
Hundreds of Routemaster 2.0s planned
Johnson released the information to the press and public this week, noting that:
"This iconic new part of our transport system is not only beautiful, but has a green heart beating beneath its stylish, swooshing exterior.
"It will cut emissions and give Londoners a bus they can be proud of. I expect to eventually have hundreds of these on London's roads, and for cities around the globe to be beside themselves with envy for our stunning red emblem of 21st Century London."
There is already some opposition from British taxpayers to Johnson's ambitious plans, seeing as the buses cost £290,000 a pop.
However, when you consider that the new Routemaster will be 15 per cent more fuel efficient than existing hybrid buses, and a considerable 40 per cent more efficient that more than current diesel double deckers, the plan makes more sense.
Routemaster 2.0 designer Thomas Heatherwick has changed the iconic design only a little – in order to increase the passenger's overall pleasure in the ride – with the new bus featuring three doors and two staircases, one which features a window all the way up the stairs.
"It suddenly becomes quite distinctive because, as a bus user, you'll suddenly be able to see out as you walk up the staircases," the designer explains.
Transport spokesman Kulveer Ranger added: "We want it to be inspiring, we want it to be fun, we want this new bus to encompass everything that is great about traveling around London on an icon like the old Routemaster was."
Routemaster's manufacturers, Wrightbus, are aiming to get the first fleet of Routemaster 2.0s on the streets of London by 2012 in time for the Olympics.
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Virgin Media to offer HTC Wildfire
Virgin Media has confirmed that it will be carrying the upcoming HTC Wildfire – the cheaper alternative to the HTC Desire and HTC Legend.
With HTC's Desire and Legend already flying off the shelves, the arrival of the Wildfire – a lower cost version which has much of the same functionality with lower specs – will no doubt prove popular.
The HTC Wildfire has a UK release date for the Virgin Media network of the third quarter of this year, with pricing and tariff information not yet available.
Pricing to come
"Virgin Media would like to announce that the hot new Android handset, the HTC Wildfire, will be available from Virgin Media," said Virgin Media's press release.
"The handset is due out in Q3, and we'll update as soon as we can with tariff information, which as usual will include exclusive benefits for Virgin Media customers."
The HTC Wildfire is very much aimed at the social media loving generations, and the lower cost may well make it an attractive option for students.
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