Newspaper body hits out at BBC apps
The Newspaper Publishers Association has hit out at the BBC Trust for allowing the BBC to bring out mobile apps.
The BBC Trust decided against a 'public value test' before allowing the BBC to begin the process of bringing out apps, and starting with the already popular BBC News app for iPhone.
However, the Newspaper Publishers Association [NPA] expressed its 'disappointment' in the decision, with director David Newell expressing his belief that it will have a 'significant and negative market impact'.
"It is disappointing that the BBC Trust has decided to push this through quickly and avoid conducting a formal PVT, despite the BBC's previously stated aims that 'where actual or potential market impact outweighs public value', the BBC should leave space clear for others' and that 'it must listen to legitimate concerns from commercial media players more carefully than it has in the past'," said Newell.
Significant change
"The launch of BBC mobile apps represents a significant change to the BBC Online service, and we believe it will have a significant and negative market impact upon the viability of the business models of commercial news organisations in the app market," he added.
The BBC has always had to tread carefully in relation to other publishers – with the sheer size and reputation of the broadcaster, and its unique funding through a licence fee, meaning that it can quickly become a 500-pound gorilla in new areas.
But, the public tends to side with BBC in these matters, so despite their reservations, it seems unlikely the argument from the NPA will conjure much sympathy.
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In Depth: Philips: the future of TV is personalised
The future of TV is personalised, says Philips. Aprico is a system developed by the Dutch tech giant's technology venture arm that automatically locates and filters relevant TV content. We were shown how the system works at a briefing led by Thomas Dvorak, Aprico's chief marketing officer. Once the system has learned at least some of your preferences it can immediately begin to build up a personalised channel based on your preferences.
"It automatically records relevant shows," explains Dvorak as he scrolls down a list of readily available content. The system can begin to build the channel based on a single programme selection, which it can then improve as you watch more shows and digest more content – perhaps in terms of online video which, as Dvorak points out, isn't the best experience through a TV.
CREATE A CHANNEL: It's easy to create a channel for whatever content you choose - even while you're watching other content
Crucially though, video on demand (VoD) services can also be incorporated, providing new ways for broadcasters to put premium paid-for content in front of those who are most interested in it via a recommendation engine.
Aprico says that with just 17 days of use, accurate personalised profiles can be created for each user.
Ready-made channels are already available - while content providers could also seed these – and you can also create a channel from a search term, such as a director's name, for example.
Windows Media Center app
The first public-facing venture from Aprico is called Watchmi, and is a German plug-in for Windows Media Center that brings Aprico's personalisation to the desktop. Dvorak hopes that the technology will be implemented in set-top boxes or even TVs themselves in the near future.
Unlike Philips' UWand sytem, there are no special controls; Dvorak shows us the system using a standard Windows Media Center remote through which you access a scrolling EPG.
Dvorak says that a key point of the system is to "provide new revenue streams and [better] targeted advertising".
Aprico's own publicity material calls the system a "next-generation advertising platform" and, while it's clear that Aprico is designed to bring broadcast-level advertising to consumers who are keen to channel hop, Dvorak says there's nothing to stop people skipping through ads. He also says that advertisers will only be charged if adverts are watched, though we can't see many advertisers standing for the ability for their ads to be fast-forwarded through.
FULL EPG: Aprico works like any other EPG, except that it will take note of everything you watch - or everything you skip through
Aprico says that content providers can win too, by providing a more personalised and differentiated service for consumers. Those who implement the technology inside set-top boxes (for example) will also be able to introduce extra interactive content depending on their personal preference.
As the system is software based at the consumer end, device manufacturers and broadcasters will be able to use existing kit should they wish.
The personalised TV service will provide even more options for advertising in the future. Instead of just advertising spots and banners, Watchmi allows them to run personalised videos and short films that are tailored to the user's channel profile, which will allow them to reach their target groups in an optimal manner.
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Brits say no to paid-for web content
A major survey by KPMG has found that 81 per cent of UK web users would opt to go somewhere else rather than pay for content on the internet. With the Times paywall now erected, the media world is watching with interest to see how the News International site fares.
According to early indications, and the latest survey from KPMG, it may not be a roaring success, with more than three quarters of those surveyed from the UK saying they would not pay for any content.
Bottoming out
In fact, of the 5,627 respondents in 22 countries, the UK was the least willing to actually fork out for web content.
Tudor Aw, head of technology at KPMG Europe, told the Telegraph: "UK consumers still haven't come around to the idea of paying for digital content and are clear that they will move to other sites if pay walls are put up…
"Although consumers are resistant to paying for content, they are becoming more accepting of viewing advertising and for their profile information to be tracked.
"This continues a trend we have seen in previous years and again acts as a pointer as to whether a pay or ad-funded model will eventually succeed."
The survey discovered that three quarters of people prefer online advertising to subsidise their content, with nearly half (48 per cent) saying that they are willing to have their online information tracked.
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Updated: Android 2.2 release date: when will you get it?
f you're waiting impatiently for the Android 2.2 update to arrive on your mobile, then bookmark this page, because we'll be keeping it up to date with all the latest Android 2.2 release dates.First off, the Nexus One Android 2.2 update has finally landed. "This update will be rolled out gradually to phones – and most users will receive the notification by the end of the week," Google said, with full roll-out nearly completed.
However, Vodafone UK Nexus One users were upset they weren't able to get the update at the same time - but that's now been rectified according to the network, with the new update coming over the next week or so for all those on contract.
We can also confirm that the HTC Desire Android 2.2 update is coming in Q3. HTC Wildfire and HTC Legend will also will also be getting Android 2.2 in the same quarter.
Other phones have confirmed the update - Android 2.2 will arrive on the Samsung Galaxy S later in its lifetime, although Samsung has yet to provide anything resembling a firm date.
Whether the Motorola Milestone Android 2.2 update will arrive is looking a little uncertain after James King, Motorola European marketing director, was quoted by Softpedia as saying "The decision is pending." King went on to add "It is a big undertaking that requires planning and resource and third party coordination to see this all through. As I say, once we have the decision, we will inform."
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Review: Denon Cara S-5BD
There are a lot of people out there who want great home cinema performance that combines convenience with style. They probably don't read this magazine and will shop at a Bose store or a B&O retailer for their next system. They most likely wear Jimmy Choos, only drink premium-priced wine and most likely have friends called Tarquin and Jemima, too. The average HCC reader, however, is an enthusiast in pursuit of home cinema perfection, who's happy to put up with multiple AV boxes, a matted mess of spaghetti cabling, huge speakers and multi-user interfaces that look like the flight deck of Branson's space ship.
Mind you, there are probably a lot more that fit profile A, in fact. So you can see Denon's thinking with the Cara S-5BD system. Why not bundle together a lot of its enthusiast level home cinema technology in a sleek and convenient, one-box Blu-ray/receiver?
So, on paper at least, the Cara offers Denon's premium performance along with B&O's looks and the simplicity of Bose. Open the Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rodney. I feel a touch of class coming on.
The Cara is at the top of Denon's more mass market S-series and puts a fully specified Profile 2.0 Blu-ray mechanism at the heart of a new five-channel digital amplifier. Using some clever electronics, when this is run in two-channel or 2.1 mode, it doubles the available current supply to the main left/right channels, affording greater headroom with stereo music or when using its built-in Dolby Virtual Speaker mode.
There is Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA on-board, of course, plus a suite of Audyssey EQ options, including Dynamic Volume, to reduce the volume level of those pesky loud adverts. Unlike competing B&O products, no loudspeakers are supplied with the Cara.
As Denon is very much a global brand, this affords the greatest flexibility of speaker choice, particularly as the amp can drive speakers of down to 4خ©. Of course, if forced to recommend a loudspeaker, Denon might suggest something from Boston Acoustics – also part of the D&M empire.
Lovely, like latex
The Cara's case is super-sleek, curvy and finished in the sort of shiny black that reminds me of oiled rubber, but that's just me.
There are only six control buttons on the fascia's upper edge, a single volume knob, a subtle blue display and a lip at the back of the case to hide the cables. This is understated sexy.
In practise, though, it's not quite as polished. I was damned if I could read the small, dim display in a lit room from more than a few feet away. The stag-beetle side doors, covering additional connectivity, also require the fingers of a 10-year-old pianist to open. My chubby digits simply wedged between the unit and the shelf it was sitting on.
Technically, Denon has lifted several technologies and features from its separates ranges to elicit class-leading performance. The disc mechanism is a fully damped system with metal gear trays, and is fitted low and central for the best vibration resistance and lowest centre of gravity.
The workings are divided into shielded sections to avoid crosstalk between the disc mechanism, DSP, digital amplifier and analogue stages, and the circuit boards are created with the shortest possible signal paths. You get Denon's proprietary AL24 processing, hot 32-bit DSPs and latest onscreen user interface.
Interestingly, this is almost a complete import from Denon's top-spec Blu-ray machines and receivers, to the extent that the two menus for disc and amp control are completely separate. So much for ultimate simplicity and convenience; you have to come out of one menu and then go back into the other.
The back panel is suitably adorned with gold plated connections, including v1.4 compliant HDMI output (although the inputs are v1.3a), 12v triggers, an RS232 interface and a light sprinkling of analogue and digital inputs.
Denon's proprietary iPod dock port has been upgraded on the Cara and will now automatically switch to the correct input, fire up the last track the device was playing and push the music through its excellent compressed music enhancer.
One fundamental pain is that the switching between 2.1 and 5.1-channel output. The manual states this is automatic, but somehow I managed to set it up that this could only be achieved manually – and the instructions didn't say why. I assume that is something to do with the extra switching required to push more current to the front channels in two-channel mode, but it seems like a huge faux pas to me.
Foolproof setup
Setup is handled by Audyssey, using the supplied microphone, and the system casually detected that I had managed to wire a surround speaker out of phase while in a Monday morning fug.
The remote control is one of Denon's two-sided affairs with lesser-used functions hidden behind a flap on the underside. The GUIs are suitably gorgeous, although the Blu-ray one runs far slower than the amp menus.
While the hard-wired networking over Ethernet sets itself up easily, on kit like this I'm prompted to ask where they put the Wi-Fi. I can't say I was really excited to be slipping in the first disc, as 40W amps (75W into 4خ© claims Denon) don't impress me much.
Thankfully, the eye-wateringly good HD picture lets you forget the vagaries of the spec sheet with an image that's comparable with what some of the best Blu-ray decks have to offer. Flipping heck, it is really good.
Fast action sequences in Avatar (Blu-ray) pan across the screen as if they are on rails and the colour is supremely well balanced. There isn't quite the chromatic punch or inky black depths of my reference Denon DVD-A1UD, but it gets frighteningly close.
A romp through Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring on DVD also revealed a very pleasant surprise – the 1080p scaling is excellent. The image is crisp and dynamic with good edge definition and a real HD feel, particularly on close-up shots of character's faces.
Frodo's huge eyes and Gandalf's wayward grey hair seem to gain a whole level of texture and detail and the overall picture balance is right down the middle. There is a slight lack of impact in the picture, serving to flatten the perspective somewhat, but it's a minor gripe.
The Legends of Jazz Blu-ray proved a trickier feast for the Cara to digest, not least because the downright sluggish disc menu handling serves to make track selection rather cumbersome. Skipping to Marcus Miller's The Panther the sound gains more body. It is rich and warm with fulsome bass and a top end that airs very much on the safer side of neutral.
Bass is quite heavy going when attached to a big set of floorstanding loudspeakers, but it is doubtful that will happen in most homes that buy a Cara. The system would be ideally suited to a modern compact 5.1 sub sat system and that partnership would certainly clean up the bass congestion.
Switching back to Avatar, dialogue is good with accurate placement and smooth upper frequencies. Certainly no one is going to get any added sibilance, although I ended up manually setting the centre channel to 'small' (sending sub-100Hz output to the sub) to eliminate a chesty thickening in voices.
The explosions as the Tree Home is destroyed are conveyed with convincing excitement and presence, but this is not a system to worry your foundations. The ultimate power is limited and the sound hardens quickly if you get enthused with the volume knob.
I do 'get' the Cara and its positioning, right down to the fact that it has a name rather than just a number. It's neat, simple to use and stylish, while performance-wise it dismisses the last B&O DVD system I tried a while back. So all in all it's a five-star winner.
B&O would probably do it with greater panache, such as using motorised gizmos and a more innovative design. But for HCC readers, spend your two grand on Denon's own AVR-4310 receiver and DBP-2010 Blu-ray player and you would have video and particularly audio performance that comprehensively knocks the Cara into a cocked Jimmy Choo brogue.
You pays your money and takes your choice and mine would be the separates every time.
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Review: JVC DLA-HD990
To say the JVC DLA-HD950 projector is a tough act to follow is like saying The Grand Canyon is quite big. The lightbox coasted to victory as Best Projector in our recent Home Cinema Choice annual product awards, and refines the brand's already outstanding, proprietary LCOS-based D-ILA projection technology to deliver truly jaw-dropping pictures. Remarkably, however, the HD950 is not the pinnacle of JVC's current projection range; nestled above it is the HD990. The similarities between the two models suggest that the HD990 is only an incremental improvement on the HD950. Yet the price gap is a rather non-incremental آ£3.5K. So clearly we will be focusing on whether the HD990 is sufficiently better to justify such a price hike.
We asked JVC's product specialist manager, Steven Carter, to give us JVC's own take on the HD990. For a start, why bother with it?
"Because we could", says Steven. "We were going through the selection process for the HD950's components, and we could see that the top 2 per cent of the optical systems we were producing were delivering amazing quality. So we thought we'd build a dedicated projector out of this 2 per cent and offer it to the consumer. Especially as consumers have been requesting a higher end unit over and over again.
"We're not just talking about the D-ILA device here," Steve continues. "In creating a 990 we take the best of the lenses, the best of the optical engines, the best of the optical devices [JVC's Optical Wire Grid system], and the best processing performance. And as long as they all work together to produce optimum quality, that's when we end up with an HD990."
To be more specific, the HD990 offers a claimed contrast ratio of 70,000:1 versus the 50,000:1 of the HD950. That's a truly substantial increase of nearly 40 per cent, which becomes even more potentially significant when you realise these figures are all native, rather than conjured up using a dynamic iris.
Non-identical twins
As you can probably guess from the 'top 2 per cent' criteria mentioned earlier, the HD990 is a relatively niche product compared with the HD950, aimed at the custom install market and clients who want the best, more or less regardless of cost.
Aesthetically, the HD990 initially looks identical to its predecessor, which isn't a bad thing, since it finds the projector sturdily built and sporting an extremely glossy black finish. The only cosmetic touch to distinguish this lightbox from its sibling is a silver D-ILA logo emblazoned on the upper edge.
It's extremely likely, of course, that anyone buying an HD990 will have it professionally installed. But whoever does that installation should have a pretty easy time. For instance, the projector supports a prodigious x2 optical zoom, supported by motorised optical image shifting in both the vertical and horizontal planes.
Four simple screw-down legs help you tweak any small angle issues you might have with your final image, while final focusing is also achieved via the remote, with decently fine degrees of adjustment. The onscreen menus are appealingly businesslike in their presentation, meanwhile, and mostly well organised. And, unlike some of JVC's earlier D-ILA projectors, the HD990 doesn't skimp on its fine-tuning tricks.
An essential tool at this high end of the market is a neatly presented colour management system that enables you to adjust the hue, saturation and brightness of all six of the main video colour components and stores the results into one of three memory slots.
You can also adjust the projector's block noise reduction, mosquito noise reduction and general noise reduction routines individually, switch in colour transient improvement circuitry, select from multiple colour temperature presets (including 6500K), and either choose a gamma preset, or arrive at your own gamma preference by adjusting the white, red, green and blue parts of the picture at any of 12 points along the traditional gamma curve. Among the picture presets is a worthwhile one calibrated by the THX group.
Finally, although the HD990 doesn't use a dynamic iris, it does let you manually adjust the lens aperture to fine-tune brightness based on the demands of your viewing room.
Separated at birth
So, are the HD990's pictures significantly better than those of the already exceptional HD950?
Well, they're certainly noticeably better, which is no mean feat given the latter's quality. The most obvious performance difference can be seen during dark scenes. The blackness of the backdrop to the space battle at the start of The Revenge of the Sith looks a couple of shades deeper than it does on the cheaper stablemate. And crucially this is achieved without simultaneously reducing shadow detailing.
In fact, with stars and other bright points in the image retaining their brightness to at least the same degree as the HD950, the perception - if not the reality - is that there's actually more shadow detail.
I was surprised and pleased to note that the HD990's advantages don't end with its contrast. For its picture is also slightly crisper and brings fractionally more definition to favourite Blu-ray sequences such as the scenes outside Bond's mountain-top hospital in Casino Royale.
Adding to this sense of marginally boosted, but natural, sharpness is the way JVC's Clear Motion Drive processing seems slightly better. The extra fluidity the system adds feels roughly the same, but the amount of artefacting (chiefly shimmering haloes around moving objects) looks slightly reduced, at least using the Drive's low setting.
One final area of improvement lies with the colours, which are richer and more natural during dark scenes. The HD990's incremental improvements (or more, in the case of black level response) produce the finest projection picture I've seen for under 10K. Its naturalism, dynamism and sharpness are stunning, making even the most routine of films or games a joy to behold.
What's more, the HD990 produces its exemplary images while generating remarkably little running noise. Even when sitting right next to it, I could barely hear a thing. If I had to find an excuse to spend more money, I'd say the HD990 isn't a high-brightness 'light cannon' such as the sort of machines produced by Sim2 and Runco, costing in excess of آ£10K.
So it's a little more limited regarding the screen size it can drive and the amount of ambient light it can contend with. The bottom line with the HD990 is that it succeeds in making one of the best projectors we've ever seen appreciably better and that's all we could fairly expect.
You could also argue that the HD990's small but numerous improvements might not quite add up to آ£3.5k's worth of difference between it and the HD950. But I'd argue that if you're lucky enough to be able to consider stepping up from آ£5.5k to آ£9k, matters of quality are likely much more important to you than mere financial concerns.
The bottom line with the HD990 is that it succeeds in making one of the best projectors we've ever seen appreciably better.
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In Depth: Android 3.0: 10 things Google should change
Android 2.2, AKA "Froyo," was announced amid wild phone-nerd scenes a couple of months back, although we're yet to see much of it in the wild.The only phone currently running a non-hacked version of Google's latest OS incarnation is the Nexus One, with all the other Google-powered smartphone users of the world still anxiously scrolling up and down the 'About Phone' page waiting for an over-the-air upgrade to arrive.
But that won't stop us getting excited about Android 3.0, which Google is referring to as "Gingerbread" - and is believed to be preparing for arrival in time for this year's autumn/winter smartphone collection.
Current rumour states that Android 3.0 will see Android get a complete visual overhaul thanks to the hiring of some big names in the user interface scene, but that's about all we know about the possible future direction of the mobile OS.
So what else would we like to see in the Android 3.0? This lot. In no particular order.
1. An end to custom user interfaces
This is one rumour we'd like to come true for Android 3.0. As nice as TouchWiz, Motoblur, Sense and the rest of the Android skins are, it's about time Google showed confidence in its own vision and stopped the operators sticking on their own occasionally glitchy widgets and skins. Apple wouldn't stand for it, and on this one occasion we agree with Steve. Bin the skins. Unite the world.
2. Capacitive touchscreens only
Isn't it about time Google and its Open Handset Alliance refreshed the minimum Android hardware spec as well as tinkering with the software requirements? Having a killer OS on your phone isn't much use if you can't use it very well because the screen is rubbish. Outlaw cheap resistive touchscreens. Even phone users in developing markets deserve better.
3. Cloud-based file syncing
There are numerous apps out there that claim to let us sync our files and music to "the cloud" - so why not make that a part of the OS spec? Google has enough computers, so giving everyone a terabyte or two of cloud storage alongside each activated handset wouldn't be a big deal. Let the networks worry about the apocalyptic level of data traffic this would bring. We pay them enough money every month.
4. Minimum processor and battery requirements
Another hardware spec tweak is needed. There's no point getting yourself a cheap Android 3.0 phone, only for some corner-cutting by the manufacturer to ruin it by providing a processor that's not up to the job and a battery unable to power a gnat's pacemaker. We don't want people getting turned off Android the first time they use a smartphone, do we?
5. Jazz up the keyboard
Keyboards have moved on a lot recently. The likes of Swype and SwiftKey are doing a superb job of upping our words-per-hour typing speeds, so isn't it about time Google upgraded the stock Android keyboard to something a bit more... modern? Just steal the best ideas from Swype and SwiftKey, Google. They won't mind.
6. More cursor control options
The new wave of "entry level" Android phones are saving a few pennies by removing touchpads and trackballs from the handsets - so how do we edit our emails and text messages? With extreme difficulty. So there needs to be a better system than simply aiming and trying to point at a very precise part of the screen. Get that user interface man on this one, ASAP.
7. More supplied apps
Where's the Android notepad app? The built-in to-do list? Sure, there's a calculator on every Android phone, but we're much more likely to need to leave a note for ourselves about remembering to buy more sausages in the supermarket than indulge in impromptu maths sessions, so isn't it time Google started adding a few more novelty features? Windows has been coming with Notepad for decades. Give us some toys.
8. More parental controls
As smartphones get cheaper, more kids are likely to find themselves sent off to school with something Android-powered wedged in with their PE kit. And, as Steve Jobs likes to tell us, there's a fair amount of... smutty material on the Android Market.
If Google wants to avoid a possible future tabloid-style PORN SHAME scandal,it ought to start covering its arse - literally and metaphorically - by letting users set age restrictions to block certain shady material.
9. More text management tools
We're grateful that it's much easier to copy words and URLs to the clipboard in Android 2.1, but it's still extremely tough to copy large lumps of text between apps - not to mention impossible in the standard Android email app. Surely we should be able to copy text from an email in this day and age?
10. Standard VOIP support
VOIP's been around on desktop PCs for years, but Android solutions are sketchy at best. Skype is yet to launch an unlocked version of its app for all Android phones (it offers a limited edition tool for one US network), so we're left with under-developed third-party attempts.
Google could rule the world with an official, part-of-the-furniture VOIP client. We suspect the networks would go berserk, but that's for them to worry about. The customer's always right, right?
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WIN! Two Humax HDR-FOX T2 Freeview+ HD PVRs worth آ£329
Good news, HD fans! TechRadar has teamed up with Humax to give away a Humax HDR-FOX T2 Freeview+ HD recorder to two lucky readers!The brand-spanking new HDR-FOX T2 recorder arrives jam-packed with features which will allow you to pause, rewind, record and store high definition TV content from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and S4C, plus up to 50 standard definition digital TV channels from Freeview.
What's more, it's got 500GB of built-in storage with the capacity to retain up to 125 hours of HD content, plus a host of recording features including series recording, schedule tracking and split recording.
The high definition eight day on-screen programme guide allows you to navigate through the vast array of channels, making it easy to find shows, set recordings or watch a programme.
The HDR-FOX T2 also has some exciting multimedia and home networking capabilities, such as playing media content like photos, videos and mp3s, directly onto a TV via the USB port.
Future firmware updates will also see IPTV services like Sky Player and other catch-up TV services become available via the ethernet port on the back.
To be in with a chance to win one of these super prizes, visit our competition page.
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Nokia C6 arrives in the UK
Nokia has announced the availability of the Nokia C6 slider phone, promising to 'keep your life at your fingertips'. The Nokia C6 is available now from Nokia UK online without a SIM for آ£289.
Email is the raison d'etre for the Nokia C6 and its full QWERTY keyboard, with the company promising that the handset offers easy access to all email accounts.
Style and connectivity
"The Nokia C6 offers style and connectivity. Whether it's via email, the web, social networks or IM, you are always connected." said Mark Loughran, managing director, Nokia UK.
The phone offers a 3.2-inch TFT screen with 640 x 360 resolution, A-GPS and 200MB of flash storage – which can be pumped up to 16GB via a microSD slot.
The Nokia C6 will be available from Vodafone, T-Mobile and Carphone Warehouse in July. The company is also promising that more operators will be announced soon.
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Review: Pioneer VSX-920
Pioneer is probably the coolest brand in home cinema. Its sleek, cosmetically finessed designs and cutting-edge performance make the rest of the herd look positively industrial. So how do you go about making a sub-آ£500 receiver cooler than a penguin's toes? The answer is simple: pack it with features and make it the first affordable machine to hit the market that can be fully controlled from an iPhone or iPod Touch with a dedicated app.
While the company's engineers will be keen to point out some of its other finer qualities, such as the seven channels amplification, stereo PQLS jitter elimination and Dolby ProLogic IIz for example, it is the VXS-920's homage to Apple's handheld goodies that really catch the attention.
Not only can the device be controlled by an iTunes app, but it also connects any later generation iPod via USB (without an optional dock) and gets closest yet to turning it into a dedicated home server.
But that's not all: it also takes a digital audio output from the device to decode within its own DACs for superior performance, and allows searching by cover art on screen, while using the supplied USB + RCA composite video lead. This is all controllable from the Pioneer's own interface, enabling you to hide the iPod away out of sight.
On the downside, the iPhone/ iTouch control feature isn't quite as slick as it could be straight from the box. You need to connect the VSX-920 to a wireless router via a hard-wired ethernet cable, and the iPhone/iTouch communicates with the receiver via Wi-Fi to the router and through the network.
A direct Bluetooth link up would be far better, and you can purchase the AS-BT100 adaptor for just such a scenario, although at nearly آ£100 it does add 20 per cent to the cost.
Able decoding
On the flip side of that argument, if you wanted to use the Pioneer's extensive vTuner web radio features, including the 24 programmable station presets, chances are you would be connected to your ethernet connection anyway.
Slightly annoying for me, is the fact that, although I have run ethernet to the home cinema room, my 120-year-old walls are built with iron-loaded bricks that comprehensively stop the strongest Wi-Fi signal getting through from the office. In that case, iPhone/iTouch control just won't happen without the Bluetooth module or, without temporarily moving the router into the same room at the Pioneer.
Needless to say, the machine decodes all the major HD audio formats, has 1080p video scaling of any input, whether analogue or digital and offers v1.4 HDMI connections. The latter render this receiver 3D-compatible on account of its higher bandwidth and, more significantly, enable audio back haul that lets you amplify, for example, off-air broadcast TV without any extra cables.
The latest MCACC room EQ software is fitted as standard and you can now save the data to USB stick for display on a PC rather than having to connect directly. Setting up an AV receiver is just no fun these days; you just connect the mic, press a single button and it's all done and dusted. That's probably a good thing.
The supplied remote has a rather lacklustre design, but there is a good selection of fascia controls for when the vagaries that befall handsets happen. However, the iPhone/iTouch app more than makes up for the remote's lack of cosmetic charms in the hand.
Once downloaded to my iPhone via iTunes, it connected absolutely automatically through my wireless router. No networking headaches or configuring your DNS protocol, just an immediate connection. Result!
The iControlAV App is pure class, too. It offers four screens covering basic control functions, phase and PQLS control, dialogue and bass enhancement and channel balance. The latter sums up the grace and creativity of the software, being a circular tilting table with a rolling ball representing the position of maximum sound. Roll it front left and the emphasis is front left, and so on. Great fun to play with, although I admit probably a bit redundant once you are fully set up.
There are also some beautifully animated tutorials on such topics as group phase delays, which will certainly appeal to the enthusiast.
Boom, shake the room
With the MCACC and Phase Control engaged, the audio is about as lacklustre as the standard remote control, if I am honest. The sound is rather too smooth and shut-in with mid bass doing a good impression of swamping the mix, despite the MCACC's complex reverb and standing wave calculations.
As the ship passes overhead following the opening credits in Serenity (Blu-ray/True HD) the bass is huge and heavy-handed causing me to leap for the iPhone App volume control to back down the horses. Unfortunately, doing so made the ensuing dialogue too quiet so I had to punch it back up.
Starting again in Pure Direct mode, with all the fancy EQ systems disengaged, really cleaned up the sound, particularly the mid bass. Exactly the opposite result to what you would expect. Re-running the opening sequence of Serenity, the echoing, metal-walled facility where river is kept, is neatly portrayed with a good sense of both space and containment.
After the escape, The Operative's voice is wonderfully cool and foreboding, with the sword effects cutting through the quiet scene with precision. But the VSX-920 still struggles when the going gets tough, being rather too laid back to excite at low levels, and not having the power or drive to deliver the goods at high volumes.
The classical music track, which accompanies Serenity as it flies through space, is clean and etched into the soundstage, only for the roar of the engines and the ensuing chaos of the nearby crash-landing to turn into a congested mishmash of effects. I really could not find a volume at which the VSX-920 was truly happy, and neither did it conjur any magic to really impress me with action flicks.
With less demanding material, namely a night in with Shrek, plus both its sequels back-to-back, with a bottle of Sandhurst vineyard's finest, the Pioneer is much more at ease. It conveys Myers' comedic Scots accent with all its quirks, and the feel-good score throughout the original Shrek has a good foot-tapping quality.
Voices are accurate, if a little trapped inside the centre channel speaker, and there is no shortage of rather heavy-handed LFE. The soundstage is still not exactly massive, and open sky forest scenes have nothing like the sparkle and natural ambience the best sub-آ£500 receivers can offer.
Style over substance
The VSX-920 is not going to win any head-to-head performance shootout at آ£500, but you can't fault its appeal as the hub of your home entertainment. The iPod integration is great fun, and once the album artwork has loaded (this took several minutes for my stuffed 80Gb model), it stays put as long as the machine is connected.
The searching for a song by cover art is a neat touch, and I could easily see users leaving their old iPods connected to the receiver as a fixed server when they upgrade to a new Apple iteration.
Again, sound from both the iPod and net radio fell foul of the Pioneer's rather thick balance, making me check that my iPod's own EQ wasn't set to 'bass enhancer', as there was so much mid-bass bloom.
You have got to look at the VSX-920 as more of a lifestyle product for those who prefer gadgets and convenience above extracting the last few n'ths of sound quality. The network and iPhone/Touch/Pod features are wonderful toys, but when you are sitting down to enjoy a movie, they don't count for much.
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Acer Stream UK release date: 9 August
The Acer Stream Android smartphone will be exclusive to online retailer Expansys from 9 August, and will cost آ£399, according to laptop giant. The Stream is described by Acer as a high-end multimedia smartphone and the device is apparently optimised for watching movies, listening to music and enjoying web browsing.
The phone itself has some impressive specs, including a 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED screen, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and 2GB of internal flash storage.
There's a 5MP camera, Wi-Fi n and the OS is Android 2.1 with Acer's own UI tweaks integrated.
Popular applications
"All the most popular applications are pre-installed," explains Acer's release.
"Acer Spinlets free streaming service to browse and listen to songs from major music labels and instantly post what you find to your favorite Social Networking sites, nemo Player to enjoy multimedia content to the fullest, Acer urFooz to create your virtual "look-a-like", add your profile and bookmarks and post it to your social networks, Facebook and Twidroid perfectly integrated in the phone address,"
"Elegant and minimalist in design, Acer Stream is made from highly resistant materials and offers truly outstanding technical features, all in just 11.2 mm, ensuring users a unique, unrepeatable experience," adds Acer.
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Smart electricity meters set for major rise
By 2015 more than 110 million homes in Europe will have smart electricity meters to tell us how much power we are using, according to a report. Swedish analysts Berg Insight believes that the rise of the smart electricity meter will grow at a compound annual rate of 17.9 per cent - giving the figure of 111.5 million in five years' time.
"Providing consumers with detailed information about their electricity consumption the new generation of meters give customers control over energy costs and create financial incentives for energy savings," explains the report.
"Moreover smart meters constitute the core building blocks in future smart grids that will incorporate a wide range of technologies related to renewable generation, distribution network optimisation and energy conservation."
UK lead
British Gas' decision to offer its customers smart meters is mentioned in the report, which suggests the UK, along with France and Spain, will lead the charge for the technology.
"The UK's largest electricity and gas retailer British Gas has launched the first major smart metering project for residential customers in the country, said Tobias Ryberg, Senior Analyst, Berg Insight
"These developments in combination with rollouts in several other European countries will drive strong market growth over the next five years."
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HTC Windows Phone 7 handset outed
AN HTC phone running Windows Phone 7 has been spotted, with the smartphone bringing a 3.7-inch SLCD display and a 1GHz snapdragon processor. Windows phone 7 is a major deal for Microsoft, and HTC has been a key supporter of the company's mobile OS in the past, so it is no surprise at all that a handset is being readied.
The Phone has the requisite three hard keys for Windows Phone 7, with the specs very similar to the Android-toting HTC Desire.
Non-sense
One thing to note is the UI does not bring the well-received HTC Sense UI, which many felt put the Desire above the Google Nexus One.
According to Engadget's tipster the phone also carries an 8MP camera and is all ready to go.
Just add the final version of Windows Phone 7.
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Hannspree SN10 netbook goes on sale
Hannspree has announced its new netbook, the SN10, available exclusively at The Carphone Warehouse. The Hannspree SN10 will cost آ£229, and follows on from the AV specialist's first foray into netbooks last year.
The netbook will be available in either glossy red or glossy black and includes a free 'ultra chic' black carry bag which Hannspree insists is "already a favourite with the organisers of London Fashion Week".
10 inch, Atom-toting netbook
Spec wise, the SN10 has a 1.66GHz Intel Atom processor, 10 inch-1024x768 resolution and a full size keyboard.
It also has 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, 160GB of storage, 1.3MP webcam, 3 USB ports and a 3-in-1 card reader.
The Hannspree SN10 is available at Carphone Warehouse now.
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Queen opens Royal family Flickr account
The Queen has opened an official Royal family account on photography website Flickr.Keen royal-watchers will be kept abreast of the Queen's official engagements, as well as those of other Royal family members, with plans to update the royal Flickr account with pics on a regular basis.
Buckingham Palace has also posted numerous pictures of recent royal events, as well as archive pictures of the Queen, the Prince of Wales and other members of the Royal clan.
From Victoria to Elizabeth
Over 600 photographs have been added to the British Monarchy's Photostream account.
The Royal family's Flickr account is the latest attempt by the monarchy to move into the 21 st-century, following a recently-updated royal website, the launch of the Royal Channel on YouTube in 2007 and an official British Monarch Twitter account more recently.
The Flickr account features new pictures from an exhibition 'The Queen's Year' which opens next week at Buckingham Palace.
The Flickr account has been divided into two categories – the Royal Collection, which contains the new exhibition pictures and pictures of all the Queen's children and grandchildren growing up, and the Victorian pictures.
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HTC to bring SLCD technology to Desire and Nexus One
HTC has confirmed that it will update the HTC Desire and Nexus One with Super LCD (SLCD) displays later this summer. With the company looking to ramp up production, the rumours of a shortage of OLED screens appears to have forced a change on the company.
The the Taiwanese electronics giant has confirmed in a release that the screens would arrive for a 'variety' of handsets, including the Nexus One and Desire.
High demand
"HTC is experiencing high-demand for many of our phones, specifically our phones with 3.7 inch displays, said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation.
"The new SLCD display technology enables us to ramp up our production capabilities quickly to meet the high-demand
"The SLCD displays provide consumers with a comparable visual experience to HTC's current 3.7 inch displays with some additional benefits including battery performance."
Power management and wider viewing angels aside, a comparable performance and plentiful supply means that the company can make more handsets.
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Antennagate: Apple disses Motorola Droid X
'Antennagate' refuses to go away, with Apple actively fanning the flames of controversy by adding yet another new smartphone to its list of those mobiles that the company claims suffer the same reception problems as the new iPhone 4.Apple has updated its antenna performance website with a video detailing how the new Motorola Droid X will also suffer signal drop-off problems if it is held incorrectly.
Smartphone hall of shame
Motorola joins Nokia, HTC, Samsung and BlackBerry in Apple's list of smartphones suffering from the so-called 'death grip' problem.
Steve Jobs recently announced that iPhone 4 customers would receive a free bumper case for their smartphone or, should they so wish, a full refund, which is expected to cost Apple in the region of $175 million.
Jobs demonstrated at an emergency iPhone 4 press conference that three handsets from Apple's competitors also suffered a similar signal drop-off problem - the BlackBerry Bold 9700, Samsung Omnia II and the HTC Eris.
Let's hope that Apple can soon get back to re-focusing its efforts on developing its own products instead of pointing out flaws in its competitor's products.
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Alphason Arena Soundstand debuted
Alphason Designs has unveiled its latest stand – with the Arena Soundstand offering a 100-watt speaker system and ultra-slim sub woofer built in. The UK-designed Arena Soundstand arrives in Alphason's 25th year of operation, and offers passive ventilation and glass doors.
And for those of you who want your TV cabinet and cuffs to match it comes in real wood veneer in walnut and light oak as well as satin white and black.
Plug and play
"Easily connected to a TV, it offers true 'plug and play' facilities to consumers wanting a stylish off the shelf home cinema set-up, explains Alphason's release.
"So with Alphason Arena Soundstand plugged into your TV, you've got the next best thing to actually being at the game or gig!"
The Alphason Arena Soundstand is out now with a UK price of آ£599.
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G.Skill announces 48GB memory kit
G.Skill has shown off what it terms the 'ultimate workstation memory kit' – namely 48GB of ultra-high capacity memory that's designed for workstations.Although it's not likely you'll be seeing this in your average gaming PC, the memory should take multitasking to a whole new dimension.
The memory from G.Skill is designed for the EVGA Super Record (SR-2) motherboards, and features 12 hand-picked, hand-tested DIMMS adding up to nearly half a century of GB of 1,900 Mhz, 1.65v CL8 DDR3 RAM, with Ripjaws series heatsinks.
Matched masterpiece
"Designed exclusively for EVGA's best in class Super Record 2 (SR-2) motherboard, which features dual Intel Xeon LGA1366 CPU sockets and 12 DDR3 memory slots, G.Skill has been able to match its masterpiece of 48GB DDR3 precisely to this board, making it performance for performance-hungry workstation users," explains G.Skill's release.
"Furthermore, based on G.Skill lab's internal test results, advanced users capable of understanding sophisticated BIOS adjustments will be able to reach 2,000MHz CL8 with the G.Skill Ripjaws 48GB DDR3 kit.
Apparently, the memory hits the 'upper limits' of Intel's Xeon CPUs, and is available in August for what will be enough money to discourage all of us looking at Crysis 2 and wondering if it's time for an upgrade from considering it.
But then again…
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Panasonic's consumer 3D camcorder leaked
If you fancy your chances as a budding 3D cinematographer, then you might be interested to learn that Panasonic is soon to release a consumer-grade 3D camcorder.The first details on the new Panasonic HDC-SDT750 have been leaked onto the internet.
Panasonic is expected to make an official announcement about the latest 3D kit at a Tokyo-based press event on 28 July.
For now, we already know that Panny's stereoscopic 3D camcorder - the HDC-SDT750 – is billed as the "world's first 3D Shooting Camcorder."
Upgrade to existing model
It also seems that the camcorder is not entirely new, but rather an upgrade of an existing 3MOS model with a "3D conversion lens" attached to it.
According to information leaked via Panasonic's website, the HDC-SDT750 will shoot in 1080p AVCHD at 60fps.
The new 3D vidcam will also feature Panasonic's Hybrid O.I.S. image stabilization tech.
We have reached out to Panasonic UK for further details on the latest 3D camcorder plans, and expect to hear lots more from the Tokyo event on the 28th.
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Police using 'Minority Report' prediction
Police forces are now trialing prediction software to work out who is likely to commit a crime and stop it happening, in what is inevitably being compared to Philip K Dick's Minority Report. The book saw a troika of precogs making predictions as to who would offend and where it would happen, but IBM's Criminal Reduction Utilising Statistical History (Crush) software is very much computer based.
According to The Observer, the software looks at the police databases – including briefings, criminal records and weather reports – and makes its predictions.
Big investment
Apparently the software is a result of $11 billion worth of investment in analytics by computer giant IBM.
John Williams, of the Memphis Crime Analysis Unit, told The Observer: "This is more of a proactive tool than reacting after crimes have occurred.
"This pretty much puts officers in the area at the time that the crimes are being committed."
Of course, the computer is essentially looking for patterns – a technique used by the police for years in the fight against crime.
But as long as they are developing sicksticks to slow down the 'pre-offenders' when they get to them we're all for it.
Via The Observer
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HMV launches online download store
Retailer HMV is launching its new download store this month, taking on established online offerings from the likes of Apple and Amazon.HMV has outlined its plans to become an 'entertainment superbrand' with the launch of hmvdigital.com
HMV acquired digital delivery service 7digital in 2009 and the retailer's new website launching this week represents the first outcome of that deal.
Synchronises with iTunes
The download store will be fully compatible with PC and Mac, with HMV's Download Manager synchronising with a customers' iTunes library or with Windows Media Player.
HMV's customers will be able to pre-order tunes, gift purchases to their mates and also be able to re-download previous purchases for free.
"We are delighted tolaunch a world class download store that reflects bothHMV'smusic retailingheritage and our strategyto bea broad-based entertainment brand," said HMV's head of online and digital Sarah Hughes.
"Our partners at 7digital have built for us a significantly improved new site that looks great and has never been easier to use. With so many innovative and wonderful features, it offers a truly intuitive and engaging customer experience that I very much hope will lead to HMV becoming a bigger player in the burgeoning digital market."
HMVdigital promises free tracks to selected early adopters, along with a limited time offer of 40p per track for all Top 40 chart tracks and Chart albums at an offer price of آ£4.99, with regular and ongoing discounts on classic albums and the chosen Artist of the Month.
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Wikileaks releases 92,000 secret Afghan-war files
Document-leaking website Wikileaks has obtained 92,000 secret files relating to the ongoing war in Afghanistan.Wikileaks has already made over 75,000 of the confidential files public, having sent the information directly to The New York Times, Germany's Der Spiegel, and the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper.
A devastating portrait
The Guardian has said that the information presents a "devastating portrait of the failing war in Afghanistan," revealing gruesome details on how the coalition forces have killed hundreds of civilians in previously unreported incidents, how Taliban attacks are on the increase, and how NATO is concerned that Pakistan and Iran are aiding insurgents in the region.
Wikileaks.org has already published 76,900 of the files, the "Afghan War Diary" and is delaying the release of an extra 15,000 files in order to remove names and sensitive information.
The White House has responded angrily to the leaks, issuing a statement, in which White House national security adviser James Jones said:
"The United States strongly condemns the disclosure of classified information by individuals and organisations which could put the lives of Americans and our partners at risk, and threaten our national security.
"Wikileaks made no effort to contact us about these documents - the United States government learned from news organisations that these documents would be posted.
"These irresponsible leaks will not impact our ongoing commitment to deepen our partnerships with Afghanistan and Pakistan; to defeat our common enemies; and to support the aspirations of the Afghan and Pakistani people."
The squalor of war
WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, told The New York Times: "It shows not only the severe incidents but the general squalor of war, from the death of individual children to major operations that kill hundreds."
The Guardian has already published the key incidents revealed in the files, which it refers to as "one of the biggest leaks in intelligence history" in the form of a spreadsheet.
Stay tuned for updates as we hear more.
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In Depth: 40 iLife tips and tricks you may not be aware of
The iLife suite has been around for a while now, and iMovie and iPhoto were even available long before all these programs became part of a single retail package. In fact, they've become such a big part of our interaction with Macs that it's hard to imagine using a computer without them.But the problem with owning a program for such a long while is that you can get stuck using the same functions over and over again.
The iLife suite is designed to make life as easy as possible by apparently limiting the number of options available to you. But just because you're constrained doesn't mean it has to be Apple's way or the iWay.
What many basic and intermediate users don't realise is that all of these programs have a lot of hidden features within them, designed to offer more advanced users some powerful tools and useful shortcuts that they can use to improve their workflow.
It's not a failing on your part that this isn't immediately obvious – most of these tools are undocumented, which means you'll probably happen across them by chance or discover them via an obscure comment in a forum or web page online. So to make your life easier, we've gathered together 40 tips you may not be aware of that can help you find new and efficient ways of using all of these iLife apps.
It could be as simple as using a keyboard shortcut to speed up your workflow in iPhoto, or as complex as writing some code yourself in iWeb. It's like finding 40 new features you weren't aware you even had, which should keep you going for a while – or at least until the next version of iLife.
iPhoto tips
Handy tricks for modifying and storing your pictures
1. Multiple libraries
Digital photography has exploded since the early days of iPhoto and you may find yourself needing bigger and bigger drives to store all your pictures. One of the downsides of iPhoto is that everything is saved in one location, meaning you can't split your photos up onto multiple drives.
But you can actually do one thing to help you organise yourself better, and that is to create multiple iPhoto libraries.
Hold down the Option key when you start up the program and you'll find a new window asking you to choose the library you'd like to load. You can also create a new one from there.
And best of all, these libraries can be stored anywhere, even on external drives. You could have one library for your family shots, one for work and different libraries for any project you need to work on.
2. Adjusting multiple photos
Sometimes you may need to apply identical changes to a great number of photos. If your camera wasn't calibrated properly for instance, or if you didn't change the settings for each environment, every shot you've taken in a day might well need to have the same adjustments applied to them. But manually adjusting each and every one individually would be extremely time consuming – not to mention mind-numbingly tedious.
Thankfully, there's a workaround. You still have to adjust at least one image, but once that's done, just click the Copy button, on the lower right of the Adjust window.
Next, select another photo and then click the Adjust window's Paste button (handily situated right next to Copy), for the changes to be applied instantly – saving you a good deal of time and more importantly a lot loss less headache.
3. Zooming into your work
When it comes to editing your images, you may find that doing precise adjustments is difficult because the interface displays the whole image by default with no obvious means of zooming into it. You could of course go full screen (View > Full Screen), but you still can't focus on a specific area unless you use your keyboard.
Using the keyboard you have two magnification levels: press 1 or 2 to select them. To go back to seeing the whole image, press 0. When magnified, a small floating window appears showing you which part of the photo you're currently seeing. To move to another, click and drag within that navigation window.
4. Before and after
When tweaking a photo to make it look right, you could get carried away and forget what it looked like originally. Sometimes, seeing the initial state of your photo can help you focus on what else needs to be done, or bring you back in line if you've gone too far and made your image look too artificial.
You could click on the Adjust window's Reset button (lower left) and then hit Command+Z to undo that action to switch between the original and current state.
That's all well and good, but there's a much easier way to achieve a similar result. Just hold the Shift key to see what your original photo looked like, then release it to get back to where you are now. That way you've got a quick and easy method to toggle between how your snap looked like when you took it and its latest modified version.
5. Confirm or deny
The Faces feature introduced with iPhoto '08, is a great way of seeing all the photos you took of a particular person, but setting it up can be a little time consuming.
First go to Faces, double-click on a specific person and you'll be presented with a series of photos which iPhoto thinks are a match. You then have to click once to confirm or double-click to inform the program that this selection was a mistake.
If there are a lot of errors, though, doubleclicking them all can be annoying, so try this instead: Option-click to reject the image.
6. Redirect the rejection
But what if you recognise the face that you're about to reject as belonging to someone else?
Instead of hoping to find it again in that person's series of shots you need to approve, there's another way. Ctrl-click on the image and you'll be presented with a contextual menu bearing three commands: Confirm, Reject and Name.
Select the last one and start typing that person's actual name. iPhoto will even link to your Address Book database to help you autocomplete the name, which is fabulously helpful.
7. Pins on the map
Unless you've got one of the latest cameras or you use your iPhone a lot, you may find that the Places section is of little use to you.
But if you like to see at a glance were you took all your photos, you can add that information manually. You can even apply it to multiple photos at once: select all the ones you wish to work on then click on the 'i' button, to the lower right of any of the selected shots.
Now type in the shooting location and all those photos will automatically get the same info.
8. Take your pick
If you mouse over an Event you're able to scroll through all the photos within it. Hit [space] and the image you're currently viewing becomes the one used to display the Event. You can also perform the same action in Faces, so you're not stuck with the first photo you labelled.
9. Copying location
If you find a photo you wish you'd included in a batch, don't despair – you don't have to type anything.
Just select an image which already contains the location you want and copy it. Next, Ctrl-click on the new photo and select Paste Location from the Contextual menu. Job done.
10. Date and time
What if you hadn't set your camera's time right, or you scanned a few old photos and need them to be placed in the order that you took them?
Well, you can easily alter that information: select a shot and go to Photos > Adjust Date and Time. Be aware though that if you select multiple photos, you won't be changing them all to the same date.
If you add five months to the first one, it'll also add five months to the others, time-shifting them all.
Easier ways to edit, archive and view clips with iMovie
11. Archiving
The days of FireWire camcorders and recording everything to tape are drawing to a close. Now, everything's on flash memory or hard drives built into cameras.
But this begs the question: what to do with all your footage? Importing it into iMovie is an option, but it gets converted to a format that takes up a lot more disc space.
But there is a way to save your media in its original format: connect your camera and go to iMovie's Import window. Bottom left of the interface is an Archive All button. Select it and iMovie will save the entire content of your camera into a special file.
When you're ready to import your clips into an iMovie event in the future, just go to File > Import > Camera Archive and select that file.
12. Copying adjustments
When it comes to making adjustments to your footage, you have some very powerful tools at your disposal. But just like with iPhoto, having to perform the same changes to multiple clips isn't something many people look forward to. Again, Apple's engineers have come to the rescue.
First alter one clip and copy it when you're done. Then select all the clips within the project or event you'd like to change, go to Edit > Paste Adjustments and choose the type of adjustment you'd like to apply.
Once done, all your selected clips will have been modified. You can also use keyboard shortcuts to make this job even faster.
13. Transferring data
If you've got a lot of footage stored on your Mac, you may get a little wary of adding more – especially if your disc space is running low. Even though the media you already have may be old, you're still reluctant to delete it.
But there is something you can do to free up some space – move any event you have to another hard drive. Don't do this from the Finder otherwise you would break the link between them and your projects.
Instead, connect your external drive and go to iMovie. To the right of the Event Library is a small icon representing a hard drive. Click on it to redistribute your events based on the drives they're stored in.
You can now Command-drag any event you like onto the new drive to move it to its new location, while at the same time preserving its link to any project that uses it.
14. Thumbnail selection
Thankfully, iMovie '09 brought back the idea of Themes, which had mysteriously disappeared from the previous version. They come with unique transitions which often pan over random and not particularly useful static shots from your project.
But did you know that you can actually choose which thumbnail images are displayed? To do this, click on the transition to select it. This reveals numbers along your project. Now drag those numbers to a new location to change the thumbnail to whatever you prefer.
15. Transferring your projects to one place
If you'd like to keep your projects and events together, you can perform the same action with your existing projects. Go to the Project Library. With the Event Library drive icon still selected, you should see your projects organised by drive.
When you move a project, you'll be asked if you'd like to also move the Events associated with them, or simply move the project itself. Now all you have to do is simply select your preferred option and the process will happen immediately.
16. Audio control
It's easy to add music to your film. Just drag it from the Music and Sound Effects section onto your project. But sometimes, that track clashes with your clip's audio, making it hard to hear either of them. When that happens, you can reduce the volume of specific tracks.
Double-click the track you wish to hear and select the Inspector's Audio tab. Tick the Reduce Volume of Other Tracks To box to instantly lower any other audio that also runs over this particular one. You even have a slider to choose how much of a reduction you want to apply – great for fine tuning.
17. Choose a new font
Select a title in your project and you'll see a Show Fonts button, top-left of the main preview section. Click on it and you'll be presented with a very short list of available fonts, along with only nine colours and nine sizes – but you'll be pleased to know that you're not limited by these choices.
Click on that window's System Font Panel button to reveal the regular font window from which you can choose any font, size or colour you'd care to use, adding nicely to the versatility of your finished product.
18. Font control
With the System Font window open you'll find that you have complete control over your title. You can, for instance, use the Kerning values to bring letters together, and not just for your entire title – you can affect only those that you've selected, leaving the others unaltered.
You could do the same with the Baseline controls to raise or lower letters. You could even go as far as choosing a different colour for each letter, or even a different font for each, if you're that way inclined. You're only limited by your own imagination and the boundaries of good taste.
19. Moving Ken Burns
Ken Burns has been part and parcel of iMovie since version 3, and it's been a great tool to bring some motion to still images in your project, but did you know that as of iMovie '09, you can finally apply this effect to video clips as well?
It's a great way to add some motion to a static shot if you'd come to the conclusion that panning across it or zooming in would make it more interesting.
20. Copying titles
Once you've created a unique-looking title with the two tips above, you might be frustrated to realise that you can't Copy the text layer – even when it's selected, that option is greyed out in the Menu Bar.
But don't despair, you won't have to re-create your title for every instance you'll be using it.
All you have to do is hold down the Option key as you drag your text layer to duplicate it. You can then move your copy to another part of your film, alter the text and you're done.
Making your tunes sound just like the real thing with GarageBand
21. Add MIDI files
There are hundreds of resources online where you can download free MIDI files to help with your music creation in GarageBand. These files include all the instrument information and notes for any particular song that you might need to recreate in your own style.
If you download a MIDI track from the internet and drag it onto an empty GarageBand project it will load all of the notes and instruments for that song for you to use as the basis of a new track, or even to use in creating your own remixes of an existing song.
You're also free to change any of the loaded instruments as you wish to suit your preferred style or genre, should you want to turn any of Radiohead or Vera Lynn's greatest works into happy hardcore or brass band remakes.
Of course, for some MIDI files, copyright may apply, so check your rights before downloading the files and also when publishing your project.
22. Record An iChat podcast
If you want to record an iChat conversation as part of an interview or for a podcast, you can do so in GarageBand version 5 and above.
Start by inviting friends to an audio or video chat via iChat (first letting them know you'll be recording). Now launch GarageBand and click Record. A message will appear asking if you wish to record the session. Click Yes and GarageBand will make a track for each person in your chat or conference.
If you're using a video chat, you can choose to show the Podcast Window from the Track menu where a snapshot of each participant will be shown each time they speak.
23. Play your keyboard
If you're lucky enough to own a USB keyboard then you won't have problems playing notes into GarageBand. If you don't, you have another option beyond simply clicking in the Piano Roll with your mouse.
Press Shift+Command+K to bring up GarageBand's Software Keyboard which enables you to use your Mac's keyboard as an input device. The keys are lettered so you know where to press, and there are also Velocity, Octave, Pitch Bend and Modulation controls available.
When using the software keyboard you'll need to manually click the Record button as the R key will be assigned to a note.
24. Shift octaves
If you want to adjust the pitch of an entire MIDI track you can do so in a few clicks.
Start by double-clicking your MIDI track on the GarageBand timeline to show the Piano Roll, which includes all of your MIDI notes. Click within the Piano Roll and press Command+A to select your notes.
All of your notes will now be highlighted green, denoting that they're selected. Click and drag the first of your notes up or down to adjust their pitch. An octave change will be 12 notes up or down from your original note.
25. Note expression
Notes in songs are rarely played in the same way twice unless it's part of some highly programmed dance music. If you're applying your own MIDI notes to your project you'll run this robotic-sounding risk, so make sure you make the most of the Expression feature in the Piano Roll.
Select Expression from the Piano Roll's drop-down menu, which can be accessed by double-clicking on any MIDI track. With Expression selected, hold the Command key and click on the Piano Roll to add points to determine how the expression of a note changes over time. This is especially handy for creating swelling notes for organs and string instruments.
26. Realism and swing
As with Expression, real live drummers aren't metronomic and often slip a little out of time. If you listen to a track that has perfect percussion it sounds a little too rigid.
If this is the case with your MIDI drum part, try picking a preset from the Enhance Timing drop-down menu in the Piano Roll. From here you can set a level of Swing that pushes some of your notes a little out of time for a more realistic effect.
You're also able use the Enhance Timing slider to fine-tune the rest of your settings.
27. Automation
To automate changes to an instrument as your song plays, click the downward pointing arrow next to the Lock button on any of your tracks to show the Automation section. Now select Track Volume and Pan and add other effects you wish to automate.
When selected, you can apply your automation by clicking on the timeline to add control points, which you can drag up or down to create changes over a period of time. This is especially useful for fading tracks in and out using the Track Volume automation.
28. Export song as sheet music
So you've created your first GarageBand song and you want to share it with others. Of course, you can email it around as an MP3 or upload it to the web, but what about your friends who can actually read music?
There is another way to share your project from GarageBand as long as it's made up of MIDI tracks. Start by opening the project you want to share and select the instrument you want to create sheet music for.
From the File menu, select Print, and that's it! If you want to save the sheet music as a PDF, simply choose the PDF option from the Print menu.
29. Count in and metronome
If you're having trouble playing along to your track and recording it, give yourself some warning of the start with a count in.
Head to the Control menu and select Count In. Now, every time you click record, there'll be four metronome clicks to prepare you before recording starts.
You can also turn on the metronome to help you keep time when recording without a drum track to follow. The metronome can also be turned on from the Control menu and plays every time you click the record button.
30. Multi-take recording
If you want to perfect a recording from a MIDI or real instrument you can set GarageBand to record multiple takes and then choose the best one.
Turn on the Cycle Region feature, the button to the right of the Play button on the Transport bar, and you will notice a yellow bar appear above the GarageBand timeline. Drag this bar over the area of your track you wish to record onto and click record.
You can now record your part as many times as you wish and then select your best take from the recordings. You can select takes by clicking on the number that appears at the top left of your recording on the instrument's track.
Make your website look better than ever with iWeb
31. Copying logos
Adding a logo to your pages is a great way to perpetuate your branding across your site, but have you noticed that many websites use their logo to link back to their home page? You can do this yourself very easily.
Click on your logo to select it then go to the Inspector's Link tab (second from the right), tick the Enable as Hyperlink box, choose One of My Pages from the Link To menu and select First from the Page menu.
If you did this for the first page, you can then copy and paste your logo onto every other page and its position and the link will be preserved.
32. Adding to the footer
By default, every web page you create with iWeb has a footer – a place at the bottom of your page that contains any information you'd like. No matter how much data you add in the main body, the footer will always remain at the foot of the page.
But moving an existing text box, photo or other object from the main body to the footer appears to be impossible. No matter how much you drag, this action merely extends the main body's size rather than adding it to the footer.
To move your selection into the footer area, you have to Command-drag rather than simply drag.
33. Removing the footer
But you may have no need for the footer at all and would quite possibly like to remove the Made on a Mac logo as well.
You can select it and delete it manually, or go to Insert > Button > Made on a Mac instead, but this still leaves you with an empty footer that you could do without. To remove this section from your page, go to the Inspector and select its Page tab (first on the left).
Select the Layout section and type 0 in the Footer Height field.
34. Resizing your page
You can use the Inspector tab to alter the dimensions of your page, especially its width, since most modern computers can cope with a width much greater than 700 pixels. You could also resize it to make your site more compatible with the iPhone if you so wished.
There's one problem with all this though – it only affects the page that you're currently working on. If you want to change the dimensions for your whole site, it's best to do this at the very start and duplicate the existing setting by Ctrl-clicking on it and choosing Duplicate, rather than creating a whole new page every time. This way you don't have to type in all your custom dimensions again.
35. Vertical navigation
If you're going to customise your page, why not change the most obvious part: the navigation menu?
If you click on it to select it, you'll find two resize handles – one to the left, the other on the right. Drag either towards the other to alter its dimension. As you do, the menus will start to appear one below the other. You can then move the whole thing to the left or right of your page.
As the navigation menu resides in the header section of your page, making it vertical will result in a much bigger header. You can drag items to it from the main body to fill it up using the same method described for the footer section.
36. Clickable numbers
Speaking of iPhones, wouldn't it be great if you could tap on your phone number when viewing your page on your mobile device so you could quickly dial it? This involves the use of an HTML Snippet (found in the Widget section of iWeb).
To drag one to your page, access the Snippet window, and then type in the line of code:
[your number]
Once you've entered that, click Apply, and your number will be instantly tappable.
37. Customise snippets
When adding text to a Snippet, the style never seems to match the rest of the site. But have no fear, you can change it by adding the following code to it:
You can of course change the font name, size and colour to any style or colour that you want to match your own preferred style.
The colour codes can be found in OS X's Colour Palette window in the Web Safe Colours section.
38. Static backgrounds
By default, if you add a background image to your site, it'll scroll down as you scroll down the text.
To keep the image static, do the following: go to the Page Inspector and add your image to the Browser Background section.
Next, save your site to a folder on your Mac. Open up the file using TextEdit as described in Step 40. Use the Find command to locate 'repeat scroll'. Change it to 'repeat fixed' and save the file. Your background will now remain static.
39. External navigation links
The navigation menu only links to pages within your own site. There's no obvious way to link to an external page – but you can manufacture one.
Create a new blank page and give it a relevant name. Next, remove all content from it and drag an HTML Snippet onto it and type in this code:
The page will appear in your navigation menu since it exists in your site, but as soon as you click on it, that code will handily reroute your command to the external web page URL you typed in.
40. Working on the code
If you've got any coding experience, you may wish to get your hands on the HTML code to tweak a few things here and there. You actually don't need a fancy program to do this, as TextEdit will do fine. But if you use it to open an HTML page, TextEdit will translate and display the content as if it were a web browser, which is not what you want.
Instead, open TextEdit and go to File > Open. Select a file you wish to view from there, but before you do anything else, make sure the Ignore Rich Text Commands box is ticked. Now open it and you'll see the proper code.
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2 comments:
Really nice review! Unboxing is the best part of getting something! thanks for a nice post.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. Keep it up.
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