Updated: PlayStation 4 - everything you need to know about the PS4
If Microsoft is secretly readying its next Xbox to succeed the Xbox 360, then surely Sony must be working on a PlayStation 4?
Speculation has been rife that the next console battle will be fought around 2011-2012.
This is when Crytek's CEO Cevat Yerli and industry analyst Colin Sebastian believed that a potential Xbox 720 and PS4 could appear. But does the market really need another generation of hardware?
As Murray Pannel, Ubisoft's head of marketing in the UK, points out: "It would be nice [for the first parties to start talking about new hardware]... I don't think it's a requirement right here, right now, because there's enough new tech coming to the market... I genuinely think games can get better. Experiences can get more rich and varied, and the new platforms, Kinect and Move, can help enhance that."
But we want a new PlayStation!
Developers are usually the first to clamour for new consoles. Polyphony Digital boss Kazunori Yamauchi has bragged that Gran Turismo 5 goes "beyond the level of the current PlayStation." He went on to suggest that "the level of precision we've achieved [in GT5] is actually more suited to the next generation of machines".
Naughty Dog said that they 'maxed out' the PS3 with Uncharted 2.
While Halo creator Bungie has suggested that its has already pushed the Xbox 360 as far as it can go with Halo: Reach. Bungie.net community director Brian Jarrard told CVG that its next title is being "planned, engineered and designed to potentially span multiple hardware generations." That would include any potential Xbox 720 or PlayStation 4 that comes along.
Since the retirement of PS3 architect Ken Kuturagi in 2007, Sony has the opportunity to take a long look at the PS3's shortcomings and eliminate them for any future PS4. Valve's Gabe Newell famously raged to Game Informer that the PS3 was "a total disaster on so many levels" and that "Sony lost track of what customers and what developers wanted".
Sony can't afford to make the same multi-billion dollar mistake twice.
Motion gaming just a distraction
That said, you could argue that Microsoft is under more pressure to launch a next-next-gen console due to the lack of storage space on the DVDs it uses for its game discs. Sony, meanwhile, has the roomy Blu-ray format to play with, a gaggle of developers who finally understand how to program great games for its console, plus the promise that the PS3 will enjoy a 10-year life cycle.
That life cycle looks assured thanks to a new strategy of halfway-house upgrades. While Microsoft hopes to distract gamers with Kinect, Sony has been putting its efforts into developing PlayStation Home, the Move motion controller and 3D gaming. Even so, 3D games on the PS3 will only run in 720p (to ensure a smooth 60fps frame rate). For full 1080p 3D visuals, we're going to need a PlayStation 4.
Recycling PS3 for PS4
To imagine what a PS4 might be capable of we should look at what the current PS3 doesn't have or doesn't do well. For starters, Sony will need to closely integrate the hardware and software development for its next console.
According to SCEA's CEO Jack Tretton: "The hardware guys developed the [PlayStation 3] fairly independently, then dumped it onto the software guy's lap, effectively saying 'do something with it.'"
Considering that Sony spent around $3 billion developing the PS3, it seems likely that it will use an improved version of the Cell processor for a PS4. IBM has already released an improved version of the Cell for its blade servers. The PowerXCell 8i is a 65nm chip, with support for 32GB of DDR2 memory and eight fully-functional SPEs (compared to seven on the PS3).
The advantage of recycling the Cell is that Sony could retain a familiar development environment and use existing code libraries. The modular design of the Cell architecture could also allow extra Synergistic Processing Elements (SPEs) to be added to future chips. Twenty or more SPEs might be possible on a single 32nm Cell processor.
And if increasing the on-chip SPEs isn't an option in the proposed 2011-2012 time frame, then a PS4 could incorporate multiple Cell chips. IBM's Cell roadmap includes a PowerXCell 32iv, which appears to feature four PPEs (Power Processor Elements) and 32 SPEs, ie four Cell chips running in parallel.
Of course, this assumes that Sony will keep faith with the Cell and not opt for a multi-core processor that's a bit more, well, PC-like. The advantage for Sony would be that it would make the PS4 easier to program, eliminating the criticisms often flung in the PS3's direction.
Inside the PlayStation 4
If the PS4 is a revamp of the PS3, we're likely to see some obvious technology upgrades – 802.11n to replace the existing 802.11b/g chipset; an external power supply (to reduce the size of the box and to improve cooling); a massive hard disk; new graphics processor and an increase in the onboard memory.
The memory architecture in the PS3 splits 512MB equally between graphics and application use and it's been suggested that this limits developer freedom. You'd expect the PS4 to address this issue, giving developers more dedicated memory in which to load game levels. Although it's worth pointing out that the PS3 (and any future Cell-based consoles) can use the SPEs for maths-intensive tasks like physics.
New graphics processor
What about a replacement for the PS3's NVIDIA-built RSX graphics processor? We've already speculatedthat Microsoft could use Intel's general purpose Larrabee chip in its next Xbox to handle real-time physics and AI. Rumours also suggestthat Intel is pimping Larrabee to Sony for the PS4.
Like any Xbox 360 replacement, the PS4 is also going to have a much bigger hard disk. This will be in readiness for a wealth of downloadable content that will include games, demos, music, movies and TV shows. A terabyte HDD isn't out of the question. And in a world that will increasingly be looking to online services for content, does any PlayStation 4 still need a Blu-ray drive?
A PS4 without Blu-ray?
While the PS3 was instrumental in helping Blu-ray beat off HD DVD, there's a strong argument for dropping an optical drive from the PS4 altogether. Console owners are already downloading gigabytes-worth of game demos, video trailers, full-length movies and TV shows. With a giant hard disk in the PS4, games could simply be piped straight to the console on release day; long install/level load times would be eliminated.
Along with the Cell processor, the Blu-ray drive is one of the PS3's most expensive components. The PS3's high price has forced it into third place behind the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360. Sony will be keen not to price itself out of the next console battle.
As Acclaim boss Dave Perry recently claimed: "Because of the cost of making the PlayStation 3 and because they sold it at a loss, Sony basically has pretty much no chance of making money on the PS3, because it's lost more money than they made during the entire peak of the PlayStation 2 – it's not going to happen again for Sony."
Sony can't simply slash its prices like Microsoft has recently. And Blu-ray is partly to blame. Billy Pidgeon, an analyst at market researcher IDC points out: "Blu-ray licensees would be threatened by pricing the PS3 below stand-alone Blu-ray players. The PS3 is a bit challenged on that side."
Chasing the dream of a digital hub
Do consumers really want a PlayStation 4 that does everything? Sony's next console needs to be a machine that plays the best games. Just like the PS2 did. The PS4 could go one of two ways – a premium all-in-one box that offers Blu-ray, integrated playTV and a much larger hard disk; or a pure games machine, stripped of its expensive technology in favour of mass market appeal?
Whatever the PS4 looks like, the final question to be asked is: when will it launch? Sony's Kaz Hirai has already given us a hint: "If you look at the history of the way we've managed our console business," he said, "we always try to hit a 10-year life cycle "
That might put any PS4 launch back to 2016. But when you consider that the PS2 is still chugging along in the shadow of the PS3, a PS4 could easily sit alongside and overlap the existence of the PS3.
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Facebook to offer unsubscribe button, cleans up notifications
Facebook is set to tweak how many notifications a person receives, bringing in an 'unsubscribe' button and cleaning up the birthday section of the site.The unsubscribe feature is said to be testing at the moment, with the folks at Inside Facebook managing to grab a sneaky peak of the button in action.
Essentially, implementing this feature will mean that if you Like somebody's post and then unsubscribe you won't be sent notifications every time someone else says something on that particular post.
Five years ago the above sentence would have made no sense whatsoever.
It's your birthday
Facebook is also in the process of testing a new birthday wall which formats the look so it doesn't pollute the rest of your feed.
So, when it's your birthday, Facebook is looking to aggregate all the birthday related tweets in one easy to read post.
That is unless you don't put the words Happy Birthday into your message, as the algorithm will probably ignore whatever birthday missive you write.
These are part of a multitude of changes to the site, including the hiring of a new boss for its games division.
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Sky takes on Skype over trademark concerns
Sky has officially opposed plans for VOIP service Skype to trademark its bubble logo, with Sky fearing that consumers may get it confused with its own.Skype is currently trying to trademark the bubble design in European Union, Norway, India and Brazil, something it needs to do before it floats on the Nasdaq later this year.
Skype is obviously trying to secure the trademark sharp-ish, so having Sky coming in to flummox its plans will be frustrating for the company.
In a statement Skype said about the importance of the logo: "We regard our brand as one of our most valuable assets. The unlicensed use of our brand by third parties could harm our reputation, cause confusion among our users, and severely undermine the value of our brand in the marketplace."
Name checking
Skype will be hoping that despite the opposition, it will be able to secure the trademark – something it has already done in the likes of Switzerland.
If its appeals are not met, then Skype will find it difficult to stop third parties using its name, which means that its monetising opportunities would be limited.
Just this year we have seen the company teaming its branding up with a number of TV manufacturers, including Samsung, Panasonic and LG.
This seems to be the start of a big expansion plan for the company. That's if it can appease BSkyB somehow.
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Guide: PC memory problems: how to diagnose them
Memory is quick and easy to change, and because the result of buying new RAM is often a performance gain, it's one of the most common upgrades carried out on a PC. But things don't always go smoothly, and faulty RAM causes its fair share of heartache. Repeated 'Stop' errors, freezes and other crashes may well be caused by duff memory.
Even if you've never upgraded your RAM, if your PC has difficulties like these, memory may still be the problem. Substituting it with some new RAM may help, but if your memory isn't actually the culprit, the expense may not be worth it.
To make sure that the RAM is at fault, you need to run some tests. The most efficient is MemTest86 – grab it from www.memtest.org.
Go to the Memtest site, choose 'Free Download' and opt for the latest version in ISO image form. This will be downloaded as a ZIP archive, so browse to it and double-
click the file. Choose 'Extract All Files in Windows Explorer', then follow the wizard to extract the ISO file.
Use a free CD-burning program like CD Burner XP to burn the ISO image to CD. Launch the program and go to 
'File' > 'Write Disc from ISO File' before finally browsing to the ISO image and clicking 'Write Disc'.
See the walkthrough below for details on how to run the program.
Memtest86 is very thorough, and because it runs outside Windows you can be sure that you're checking RAM addresses that might normally be occupied by Windows components (and thus are likely to produce crashes).
Running continuous testing for a couple of hours should ensure that you've checked each address multiple times. The longer you run the test, the more accurate your results will be.
If you get errors reported and you have multiple RAM modules, remove all but one and run Memtest86 again. Swap your other modules in and retest to confirm which is causing the issue. This will save you from replacing more memory than necessary.
Once you've identified the faulty module(s), you can start looking for replacements. Your motherboard manual or PC documentation should tell you the specification of the RAM you need, but useful paperwork isn't always to hand.
Memory specialist Crucial provides a useful online tool to identify the type of RAM you need. You can either use its scanner tool (if you use Internet Explorer and you don't mind having your system probed or the possible privacy implications that this might have) or you can use Crucial's own Memory Advisor product.
This is a simple database in which you select the manufacturer, product line and model number of your off-the-
peg PC, laptop or motherboard. Once you've found out the specification for the memory modules needed, you can shop with Crucial if you like, or you can browse Kelkoo and others to find the best price.
Thoroughly test existing memory
1. Boot from CD
Once your Memtest86 ISO file has been burned to CD, restart your computer so that it boots from this disc. You may need to enable CD booting in the BIOS or select the Boot menu at startup for this to happen. You should boot directly into Memtest86 and start testing.
2. Run automatic tests
Memtest86 automatically runs a number oftests on your RAM. If all is well, the memory should pass all of these tests. You can run continuous tests to detect intermittent problems. If errors are reported, you may need to replace one or more of your memory modules.
3. Configure specific tests
You can configure the program by pressing [C] while it's up and running. This opens a menu that gives you the full choice of tests to run and enables you to set a memory address range to test. That option may be useful if you're getting intermittent problems.
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Guide: PC memory problems: how to diagnose them
Memory is quick and easy to change, and because the result of buying new RAM is often a performance gain, it's one of the most common upgrades carried out on a PC. But things don't always go smoothly, and faulty RAM causes its fair share of heartache. Repeated 'Stop' errors, freezes and other crashes may well be caused by duff memory.
Even if you've never upgraded your RAM, if your PC has difficulties like these, memory may still be the problem. Substituting it with some new RAM may help, but if your memory isn't actually the culprit, the expense may not be worth it.
To make sure that the RAM is at fault, you need to run some tests. The most efficient is MemTest86 – grab it from www.memtest.org.
Go to the Memtest site, choose 'Free Download' and opt for the latest version in ISO image form. This will be downloaded as a ZIP archive, so browse to it and double-
click the file. Choose 'Extract All Files in Windows Explorer', then follow the wizard to extract the ISO file.
Use a free CD-burning program like CD Burner XP to burn the ISO image to CD. Launch the program and go to 
'File' > 'Write Disc from ISO File' before finally browsing to the ISO image and clicking 'Write Disc'.
See the walkthrough below for details on how to run the program.
Memtest86 is very thorough, and because it runs outside Windows you can be sure that you're checking RAM addresses that might normally be occupied by Windows components (and thus are likely to produce crashes).
Running continuous testing for a couple of hours should ensure that you've checked each address multiple times. The longer you run the test, the more accurate your results will be.
If you get errors reported and you have multiple RAM modules, remove all but one and run Memtest86 again. Swap your other modules in and retest to confirm which is causing the issue. This will save you from replacing more memory than necessary.
Once you've identified the faulty module(s), you can start looking for replacements. Your motherboard manual or PC documentation should tell you the specification of the RAM you need, but useful paperwork isn't always to hand.
Memory specialist Crucial provides a useful online tool to identify the type of RAM you need. You can either use its scanner tool (if you use Internet Explorer and you don't mind having your system probed or the possible privacy implications that this might have) or you can use Crucial's own Memory Advisor product.
This is a simple database in which you select the manufacturer, product line and model number of your off-the-
peg PC, laptop or motherboard. Once you've found out the specification for the memory modules needed, you can shop with Crucial if you like, or you can browse Kelkoo and others to find the best price.
Thoroughly test existing memory
1. Boot from CD
Once your Memtest86 ISO file has been burned to CD, restart your computer so that it boots from this disc. You may need to enable CD booting in the BIOS or select the Boot menu at startup for this to happen. You should boot directly into Memtest86 and start testing.
2. Run automatic tests
Memtest86 automatically runs a number oftests on your RAM. If all is well, the memory should pass all of these tests. You can run continuous tests to detect intermittent problems. If errors are reported, you may need to replace one or more of your memory modules.
3. Configure specific tests
You can configure the program by pressing [C] while it's up and running. This opens a menu that gives you the full choice of tests to run and enables you to set a memory address range to test. That option may be useful if you're getting intermittent problems.
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Exclusive: Vodafone HTC Desire Android 2.2 update expected in 7-10 days
Vodafone has given TechRadar a more definitive date for its planned HTC Desire Android 2.2 upgrade, as well as speaking about the recent 360 Android 2.1 update.The headline-grabbing elements of the statement sent to TechRadar are that the Android 2.2 upgrade should be with us in 7-10 days, and the 360 services which were added in the last update will be removed.
"We've listened to feedback from customers on a number of points around the recent 360 Android 2.1 update and made some changes to the roll out plan," a Vodafone spokesperson told TechRadar.
"The Android 2.2 update for Vodafone HTC Desire users will be based on the HTC open market version of the software and we will customise it to ensure ournetwork settings are installed.
"We will let you know when the date for delivery of the Android 2.2 update is finalised, but, subject to testing, we expect this to be in 7-10 days time."
360 choice
The spokesperson also confirmed Vodafone will be offering customers a choice over whether or not to install the 360 services upgrade when the Android 2.2 version is made available:
"For customers who have downloaded the recent 360 update for Android 2.1, we can confirm that the Android 2.2 update will remove the 360 applications and will leave the homepage and bookmarks on your current settings.
"Customers who want to access the 360 services will be able to do so once the Android 2.2 compatible version is available and, in the meantime, can now download apps like 360 People from the Android Marketplace.
"We plan to make the 360 apps available in a separate update for the HTC Desire at a later date, giving customers the choice to download it."
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High-end MSI GX660 laptop unveiled
The MSI GX660 laptop has been announced for the UK, billed as a high-performance gaming machine with 'unparalleled' sound. MSI's 15.6-inch GX660R is a premium notebook, and apparently the result of a collaboration with audio specialists Dynaudio, as the company looked to build an 'optimum' laptop experience.
"Dynaudio have worked with MSI to meticulously place speakers inside the chassis to provide users with the finest audio experience, MSI and Dynaudio have designed high quality speaker units as well as an optimal sound card circuit based on speaker and system configuration," explains MSI's release.
1,200 hours
"Over 1,200 hours went into testing and tweaking each frequency to obtain ideal tone and balance for crisp, clean sound at all frequency levels. MSI has also added Surround Sensation|UltraPC technology from DTS to help fulfil the virtual surround sound experience either from the built-in Dynaudio speakers or through a set of stereo headphones," it continued.
The MSI GX660 also boasts an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870. MSI Cooler Boost and Turbo Drive Engine, along with 8GB of memory, 1TB of storage and 'SuperSpeed' USB 3.0 ports.
"The MSI GX660 also comes equipped with two USB3.0 ports which can transfer data at 5GB/second - that's ten times faster than conventional USB2.0 slots and also provides more power to recharge handheld devices faster," adds MSI
The MSI GX660 is available now for pre-order from Micro Anvika and has a UK price from £1699.
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Review: Toshiba 40RV753B
LED backlighting is currently all the rage, but Toshiba reserves that luxury for its top-end WL and SL Regza ranges. If your budget can't quite stretch that far, then the company's RV range packs many of the eye-catching features found on those premium models into traditional CCFL LCD sets, all for a more wallet-friendly price. Toshiba calls RV its 'everyday' TV range, presumably because it's aimed at people who aren't necessarily looking for the ultimate picture quality – just a good-value set that'll do a decent job with TV shows and the occasional Blu-ray movie.
But despite the alluring price tag you still get a lot of features for your money, the most significant of which is a built-in Freeview HD tuner that brings all three of those lovely high-definition channels to your screen through a rooftop aerial without a black box in sight.
The RV range comes in three sizes – 32in, 37in and 40in – making it ideal for modest sized rooms, but if you want anything bigger you'll need to step up to the XV range, which includes a 46in set, or the WL range, which includes 46 and 55in models.
Aesthetically, the RV sets are characterised by their sleek, gloss-black finish, curved swivel stand and a gently gradated silver strip below the screen. There's none of the flush-bezel jazziness of Sony's Monolithic or LG's Infinia sets – this frame is as chunky as they come – and compared with most LED sets, the Toshiba could be considered a little portly. But overall the 40RV735B is an attractive TV that's sure to enhance any room.
This year Toshiba has jumped on the DLNA networking bandwagon, and as a result the 40RV753B enables you to stream music, video and photos from Windows 7 laptops.
You'll need to connect the set to your router via Ethernet, or buy an optional Toshiba USB dongle and hook it up wirelessly. The dongle (WLM-10U2) supports 802.11b/a/g/n and will set you back around £60, which is a fairly hefty premium, but it's worth it for the added convenience.
At the heart of the 40RV753B is Meta Brain, the processing engine that pulls all the picture strings. Among the tech under its jurisdiction is Active Vision II, not the souped-up 100Hz or 200Hz versions found inside the SL and WL series respectively.
This aims to improve the picture in four key areas (colour, contrast, movement and detail) without any of the frame-insertion technology designed to reduce motion blur. That leaves the 40RV735B with bog standard 50Hz processing, but at this sort of price that doesn't come as a massive surprise.
Also sheltering under the Meta Brain umbrella is a 're-engineered' version of Resolution+, which is designed to make standard-definition pictures look like high-definition by sharpening up edges and detail in the areas that need it. On previous Toshiba sets the technology hasn't quite lived up to the marketing hype, doing a better job with HD material than SD, so we're keen to see how this new version fares.
Meta Brain also includes Auto View and Dolby Volume. The former uses an ambient light sensor to adjust the backlight automatically to suit to the conditions of the room (dimmer in darkness, brighter in well-lit rooms) while the former keeps the sound at a constant level to prevent aggressive double glazing adverts scaring the bejesus out of you.
Connectivity is excellent. You get four HDMI inputs, three on the back and one on the side, which should be enough to cater for most people's collection of hi-def kit. They're joined by Scart, component and PC (D-Sub) inputs, plus an optical digital audio output, an Ethernet port and a common interface slot for adding pay TV channels.
Also on the side are two USB ports that let you play MP3 and JPEG files from storage devices, which is a nice touch at this price. One of these can be used for the wireless USB dongle.
Toshiba hasn't done any major tweaking to the menu system on this year's TVs. Hit the Menu button – which is unhelpfully hidden away amid a cluster of other keys at the bottom of the remote – and up pops a black box in the middle of the screen, with a row of icons along the top and the relevant options listed below.
It's clear, concise and fairly easy to read from a typical viewing distance, but lacks the slickness and pizzazz of rival menu systems from the likes of Sony and LG.
The layout also feels longwinded in places, particularly when you want to access modes like Resolution+, which is buried in a submenu and should have been a lot easier to find. But in general the unfussy menu design makes it easy to find what you're looking for, which is a blessing as there's a wealth of options to discover.
The Picture menu puts all the basic adjustments on page one for casual viewers (including a range of presets), but tucks more advanced settings away in a submenu for those who want to calibrate the picture properly.
These include 3D Colour Management, Base Colour Adjustment and detailed colour temperature settings, the latter enabling you to tweak the balance of red, green and blue in the picture. You can also alter the black/white level, static gamma, noise reduction and loads more, while a Control Visualisation shows you the results of your adjustments. Videophiles will be in heaven.
Operating the set is a piece of cake thanks to the thoughtfully arranged remote. The central menu controls are ideally placed for the thumb, while the Return and Enter keys are positioned exactly where you'd expect to find them. Most of the other buttons are clearly labelled and carefully arranged – the only slip-up is the aforementioned poorly positioned Menu button.
Freeview is a mixed bag. The onscreen information banners are superb, packed with information (including the audio codec used and whether the programme is native HD or not). It also displays information about the current and subsequent programme, as well as recommending programmes that have just started on other channels. You can't browse any further ahead than the next programme, but hats off to Toshiba for such a intelligent, user-friendly design.
The eight-day Freeview EPG also looks great, with a programme grid that fills the screen, but during our test it was glitchy, surprisingly slow to populate and sluggish when moving from programme to programme. It's also a shame that you can't continue watching live TV as you browse.
It's great to see Toshiba embracing DLNA networking on such an affordably priced set, but it's a pity that it'll only work with Windows 7 laptops. We tried it out with a Vista laptop and although the TV could see the relevant folders, it wouldn't display the files within them.
On the whole, the 40RV753B's pictures don't dazzle like the best LED TVs, or even the best CCFL sets, but they're still highly enjoyable. Like most LCD TVs, it's at its best with high-definition material.
Tune into any of the hi-def channels delivered via the built-in Freeview HD tuner and the images instantly jump out at you with that punchy high-definition look. Shooting Stars on BBC HD is a feast for the eyes – static close-ups of the contestants reveal finely-resolved facial detail, while the gloriously colourful set and opening titles look bold and vibrant.
But detail still isn't as blisteringly sharp as it could be, particularly when there's a lot of movement in the picture – without clever frame insertion sharpening up response times, the 50Hz image shows the tell-tale signs of motion blur.
This makes moving detail look soft and there's some untidy trailing behind objects. It's not something that will greatly hinder your enjoyment, just a slight niggle that reminds you that you're not watching the very best LCD technology has to offer.
You'll also need to call on that extensive colour management, as the presets look a little unnatural and overbearing at first, particularly skin tones. Black level is fairly good for the money, but again you'll need to spend a bit of time playing with the settings to get rid of the greyness. Shadow detail is fairly clear too – you can just about make out the creases and folds in black shirts, or background objects in dimly lit scenes – although it could be better.
With standard-definition Freeview programmes, the image is bright and dynamic with surprisingly sharp detail, but there's no escaping the smearing and mosquito noise in the picture.
Camera movements also cause an outbreak of pixel shimmering that impinges on overall clarity. Many of these artefacts stem from the source broadcast but they look slightly more pronounced than we expected.
Luckily, Resolution+ does a terrific job of sharpening up standard-definition images. Fine detail, from the strands of hair on newsreaders' heads to the texture of the table in Dickinson's Real Deal, snaps into focus, bringing a lot more clarity to the overall picture. But even this newly 're-engineered' version can't make the image look anything like high-definition, and in the highest setting it can actually emphasise black and mosquito noise in the picture.
Resolution+ can be applied to hi-def material, too, and when you do it has some unexpected, but very welcome, benefits. Images look even sharper without any unwanted side effects, and with such clean high-quality sources there are no nasty artefacts to exaggerate. It can't do anything to help the afore-mentioned resolution loss with fast movement, though.
One final gripe to report is the narrow viewing angle, which means a severe loss of contrast quite quickly when you move off-centre.
The 40RV753B is equipped with Sound Navi technology, which projects sound from the integrated speakers onto the nearest hard surface where it's amplified.
On paper this method doesn't sound too promising, but in practice it works surprisingly well, producing a reasonable amount of bass and clear, audible speech that satisfies the sonic demands of most TV programmes.
But you'll definitely need a home cinema system if movies are on the menu, as the sound isn't loud or expansive enough to do justice to Blu-ray soundtracks. Turn it up loud and you get shrill, fatiguing high-frequencies. The other on-board audio technology, such as Bass Boost and Dolby Volume do exactly what they say on the tin, making this a decent sonic performer overall.
Value
For a set that offers DLNA networking, Freeview HD, plentiful connections and useful picture tech, that £550 price tag is extremely reasonable. In fact it makes the 40RV753B an absolute bargain. A similarly sized set like the Samsung LE40C650 might offer features like 100Hz processing, Internet@TV and more versatile DLNA media streaming, but it's at least £100 more expensive and offers only slightly superior picture quality.
Similarly, the Sharp LC-40CT2E also costs more but offers nowhere near as many features as the Toshiba and provides inferior pictures. So for all the 40RV753B's performance shortcomings, judged against the budget competition it's actually a very impressive proposition.
Toshiba's description of the 40RV753B as an 'everyday' TV is strangely apt – it's a solid all-rounder with a pleasing range of features and picture quality that's fine for day-to-day TV and movie viewing, but is unlikely to attract the interest of hardcore home cinephiles.
We liked:
Resolution+ does a typically decent job of sharpening SD and HD pictures, and sound is surprisingly rich.
It's great to see Toshiba adding media streaming to the feature list, especially on such an affordable set and the wide array of picture tweaks will please enthusiasts. Also impressive are the terrific onscreen Freeview banners.
We disliked:
Standard-definition pictures are noisy and Resolution+ can exaggerate artefacts if not used conservatively. And although hi-def pictures are generally satisfying, they won't blow you away.
The narrow viewing angle also means you'll need to sit head-on to get the best out of the picture.
The slow, glitchy EPG needs work too and it's a shame DLNA streaming only works with Windows 7 laptops.
Verdict:
The 40RV753B might not offer the best LCD pictures we've ever seen, but it would be churlish to complain too vociferously with a price tag this low and a feature list this generous.
With the addition of DLNA media streaming, plus the inclusion of extensive picture adjustments and the ever impressive Resolution+, the 40RV753B has enough tricks up its sleeve to make it feel like great value, particularly when you compare it with the budget competition.
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BBC creates 'malware' app for smartphones
The BBC has revealed it has created a malware-ridden app for smartphones, which crimps the location and passwords details of whoever uses it.The app, which was only made for use on one unnamed smartphone, was never released to the public but was created using regularly available software toolkits.
To create the malicious app, the BBC was helped by Chris Wysopal, co-founder and technology head at security firm Veracode.
Speaking about the experiment, Simeon Coney, from AdaptiveMobile, said: "In the PC domain the only way a criminal can generally take money from a user is by having them click on a web link, go to a website, purchase a product and enter their credit card details.
"In a mobile network the device is intrinsically linked to a payment plan, to a user's credit.
"Nothing happens on a mobile network, no call is made or text is sent, without money changing hands."
App woes
The piece of malware was hidden in a "crude game". Personally, we have had a lot of fun playing noughts and crosses but we get where the BBC is going with this, and it does highlight potential problems of what could happen when Joe Public starts creating its own apps.
Which is exactly what will be happening soon, when Google's App Inventor gathers more steam.
This isn't the first time that the BBC has caused tech controversy. Back in March 2009, the Beeb created a botnet as an 'experiment' and infected a number of computers with it.
This is something which riled a number of security experts, including Sophos' Graham Clule who told TechRadar that it was unjustifiable.
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Review: Epson Stylus Photo R2880
Why just go large when you can go wide as well? The Epson R2880's standout feature is that it comes complete with a paper roll feeder, which attaches to the printer for creating large format panoramic pictures. Indeed, stitch enough photos together in a program such as recent editions of Photoshop Elements, and the Epson can produce a single print that's an astonishing 11 metres long, with a height of 329mm.
Even sticking to the still generous constraints of regular A3+ printing, with 483 x 329mm (19 x 13-inch) output, the R2880 has plenty to offer, especially for fans of film noir.
Beneath the fairly bland and boxy exterior of the R2880 lies a heart of vivid magenta. At least, 'vivid magenta' is one of the colours that makes up the range of eight Epson UltraChrome K3 pigment-based inks, designed with professional photographers in mind.
On closer inspection, you'll find that three of the inks are given over to black, or rather various shades of grey, including Photo Black, Light Black and Light Light Black.
As such, the R2880 lays out its credentials as a super-serious black and white photographic printer. In our tests, it did a fabulous job of reproducing the subtlest nuances and tonal variations, from the darkest shadows to the brightest highlights, producing spectacular monochrome prints.
You can also swap out the Photo Black cartridge for a Matte Black option, which you need to do every time you switch between glossy and matte photo paper.
Excellence in image quality is guaranteed, but we found it quite frustrating because the printer takes about five minutes to sort itself out after each cartridge swap, and seems to waste a fair bit of ink recharging the print head.
By contrast, some competing pigment-based A3+ printers, such as the Canon Pro9500 Mark II and HP Photosmart Pro B8550, have full-time inclusions of both regular and matte black inks, so there's no need to swap.
Despite only having five different colour cartridges, apart from all the black inks, the R2880 can nevertheless deliver seriously strong colour output, with great fidelity over a very wide gamut.
Colour reproduction is particularly punchy on matte photographic papers but, as with other pigment-based printers, photo prints lose a little of their sheen on glossy paper stock. For this, dye-based printers like the Canon Pro9000 Mark II and Epson's own Stylus Photo 1400 do a better job.
Another bit of bad news is that, as well as being pricey to buy, the R2880 has running costs that are among the highest in its class.
Combined ink and paper costs for A4 and A3+ photo prints work out to around £2.30 and £5 respectively.
Print speeds are also a little sluggish, taking about five minutes for a normal quality A4 photo and nearly nine minutes for an A3 photo print in top quality mode.
With its three black inks, as well as the option of swapping between regular and matte black inks depending on what type of photo paper you're using, the R2880 is a bit of a black and white specialist, but still manages excellent colour rendition with very high all-round print quality on matte papers.
We liked
The panoramic print facility works a treat and adds (or at least extends) an extra dimension to large-format printing.
Black and white photo printing quality is absolutely outstanding.
We disliked
It's a time-consuming chore having to swap the regular and matte black ink cartridges every time you switch between glossy and matte photo papers.
Along with a high purchase price, running costs are particularly expensive and print output is a little on the slow side.
Verdict
If you like black and white photo printing, you'll love the R2880 because it's simply unbeatable in mono mode.
Colour rendition is vibrant too, and the pigment-based ink system is ideally suited to matte and semi-gloss photo papers.
It's just a shame about the cartridge-swapping niggles and the high running costs.
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Vodafone offers iPhone 4 on pay as you go
Vodafone is set to finally offer the iPhone 4 on pay as you go, undercutting Apple's prices.The iPhone 4 will be available for £480 (for the 16GB version) and £570 (for the 32GB).
The additional sweetener for the deal is the offer of free data for a year if purchased before November 2010, with 250MB per month included in the PAYG package, with a further 1GB of Wi-Fi per month through BT Openzone.
Variety
"Customers asked us to make the iPhone 4 available on pay as you go, offering them a variety of ways to pay for their mobile internet access," says Mark Bond, consumer director for Vodafone.
Vodafone also dropped a hint it will be varying its data price plans for the iPhone 4 in the near future, with Bond adding: "We'll bring in additional options later in the year which will allow even greater flexibility."
As part of the announcement, users can also pick up the older iPhone 3GS for £385, but that's from the past. And nobody wants to live in the past.
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Review: Canon PIXMA Pro9000 Mark II
Considering that you only need a 3-megapixel image for a top quality A4 print, the 12MP or more of most current digital cameras largely goes to waste. Switch to large-format printing with an A3+ printer that can output photo prints at sizes up to 483x329mm (19x13 inches) and you can view your photos in all their glory, as well as creating the bigger picture, ideal for framing and hanging on the wall.
But it's not just size that matters, as there's also the potential for plenty of sophistication under the bonnet to ensure top quality results.
Weighing in at 14.4kg, the Pro9000 Mark II is a heavyweight printer, even for an A3+ model, yet despite weighing twice as much as some competing printers such as the HP Photosmart B8550, it's still relatively compact at 660mm wide, 354mm deep and 191mm high, so doesn't demand an inordinate amount of real estate.
Most of the extra weight is down to remarkably robust and solid build quality, which is a big plus point considering the printer's below-average price tag.
There's no skimping on quality either, with a healthy 4800x2400dpi (dots per inch) maximum print resolution, generated by near-microscopic 2-picolitre ink droplets fed from eight ink cartridges.
The conventional photo line-up of CMYK plus light cyan and light magenta is boosted with additional green and red inks, the overall result being a particularly wide gamut, or colour space, for added realism in photographic prints.
It might sound a bit of a nightmare having eight individually replaceable cartridges but, over many weeks of testing, we found that the green and red inks lasted two or three times longer than some of the others, so separate cartridges make the printer barely any more expensive to run than most A4 models.
We found the combined ink and paper costs worked out to around £1.50 and £3.35 for A4 and A3+ photo prints respectively.
One thing that sets the Pro9000 Mark II apart from most of its competitors, including the Epson R2880, HP B8850 and Canon's own Pro9500 Mark II, is that it runs on dye-based rather than pigment-based inks.
This is a major upside when you're printing on glossy paper, as it gives a much smoother sheen to photo prints. Pigment inks are normally better for matte paper, photo rag and canvas prints but, even here, the Pro9000 Mark II performs very well.
It's super-fast too, outputting A4 normal photo quality prints in just under a minute, and highest-quality A3 prints in just three minutes 43 seconds, making it more than twice as fast as the Epson R2880 and over three times faster than the HP B8550.
Fast, highly effective and fairly frugal for both purchase and running costs, the Pro9000 Mark II ticks all the right boxes for an A3+ photo printer. Typical of the breed, there are no built-in memory card slots or an LCD display, but at least you get a PictBridge port for direct printing from compatible cameras.
We liked
The eight-ink line-up enables a frankly enormous colour space that does full justice to images from high-quality digital cameras.
There's direct support for a wide range of Canon's own-brand photo papers, as well as good third-party equivalents, so you can keep your options open. For a dye-based printer, it works particularly well with matte and canvas-style papers.
We disliked
At the price, the Pro9000 Mark II is difficult to fault. The only real minus point is that the omission of any 'photo grey' cartridges makes it less than perfect if black and white photo printing is your passion.
It's also noticeably heavier than most competing printers, which can be an issue if you store it away when you're not printing but, even so, we'd prefer to have the robust build quality rather than any weight loss.
Verdict
For large-format glossy colour prints, the dye-based Pro9000 Mark II leaves pigment-based printers standing, with drop-dead gorgeous and lusciously smooth print quality.
The only area in which it could do slightly better is black and white photo printing but, even here, there are some neat cool/warm tonal adjustment options.
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Updated: Top 30 best free iPhone apps
There are now well over 200,000 apps available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and, surprisingly, many of the best are free.The following list showcases our pick of the 30 best free iPhone apps, and includes iPhone applications for social networking, travel, news, photography, productivity and more.
If your favourites aren't covered, tell us all about them in the comments.
1. Facebook
Once an ugly duckling, but now - as of version 3 - a social-network-aware swan, Facebook is a triumph. The revised grid-based 'home screens' provide speedy access to regularly visited sections (news feed, notifications, and so on) and pages, and the experience is such that it in many ways beats the browser version.
2. Gorillacam
Pretty much from nowhere, Gorillacam arrived in December 2009 from the creators of the Gorillapod tripods. It mashes together a slew of features to hugely improve an iPhone's camera (timer, multi-shot, spirit-level, on-screen grid, 'press anywhere' capture), meaning you can bin a half-dozen standalone apps that offer similar things.
3. RunKeeper Free
The prospect of Nike+ but better and for free might sound unlikely, but that's what RunKeeper Free provides. The app uses an iPhone's GPS capabilities to track your jogging route, and provides mapping and details of pace and calories burned. Activities can be shared online, and treadmill runs can be entered manually.
4. Stanza
Kindle's grabbed many 'electronic book' headlines, but an iPhone or iPod touch is a perfectly competent alternative - at least if you have the right app to hand. Stanza enables you to download books from various sources (many of which offer free titles), and you can transfer your own ePub, PDF or eReader titles from the free Stanza Desktop.
5. Dropbox
Plenty of apps exist for transferring content between your computer and your device, but Dropbox is free and easier to use than most of its contemporaries. Dump files you want to sync in a folder on your computer and Dropbox for your device will enable you to access them, download them for offline viewing, and, in many cases, view them.
6. thetrainline
For anyone commuting by train, thetrainline is the free app to beat all others. Journey planning, offline results, timetables and a location-aware 'next train home' option are available via a clean, streamlined interface. The app's not quite as good as National Rail Enquiries, but it is very similar - and five quid cheaper.
7. Skype
It's imperfect and annoyingly lacks push notifications, but Skype is still an essential download. The interface is pleasingly simple and usable, enabling anyone with a Skype account to make free calls to other Skype users and cheap calls to anywhere in the world. If you're on Pay and Go, this is particularly handy, but the app also enables iPod touch users to utilise their devices for calls.
8. Movies
Although some aspects of cinema listings app Movies are disappointingly US-centric (notably regarding details on upcoming movies and DVDs), it succeeds where it matters. Select a film and the app figures out where you're located, lists nearby cinemas, and displays times your chosen film is showing. Efficiency can be further increased by pinning favourite cinemas to the top of the list.
9. TonePad
Virtual pianos and guitars are all very well, but purely digital musical toys are more suited to Apple handhelds. TonePad is the best of them, using a grid-based interface that enables you to turn notes on and off and compose pleasing and harmonious loops; your creations can be edited, saved and uploaded to share with other users.
10. Thomson Reuters News Pro
There are many free news apps, but Reuters News Pro offers a breadth of coverage that makes it a winner. Preferences enable you to tailor the app's output to the UK, and the toolbar provides swift access to news, pictures, videos and stock markets coverage.
11. Twitter (formerly Tweetie)
Tweetie was the iPhone Twitter client that other iPhone Twitter clients wanted to be. Its combination of polished interface, plentiful options and multi-account support meant everyone loved it - apart from cheapskates, because Tweetie wasn't free. Now, however, it is, because Twitter bought it, rebranded it as Twitter, and set fire to the price tag.
12. Comics
In all honesty, Comics is a little awkward compared to using it on an iPad, but you won't find a better comics experience on an iPhone. The app is free, as are dozens of downloadable comics - and once you run out of those, many more are available to buy. Reading works on a frame-by-frame automated 'zoom' basis, and is surprisingly usable.
13. Wikipanion
The Wikipedia website works fine on iPhones, but a dedicated app is a better bet. Wikipanion is a freebie which gives you quick access to article sections, in-article search, viewing options, bookmarking, and the ability to tweet about whatever odd fact you've just unearthed. Also, wonderfully, there are no ads.
14. Evernote
Clients to access the popular Evernote service for storing notes and ideas online are available for so many platforms that we half expect a ZX Spectrum app to be announced tomorrow. On the iPhone, Evernote is efficient and usable, enabling you to rapidly scan your notes and also create new ones.
15. Kindle
Now iBooks has arrived on the iPhone, you might wonder why you should bother with Amazon's Kindle. After all, the app's not as pretty as iBooks, nor is there an integrated store (you buy in Safari and sync purchases to the app). However, Kindle offers a massive selection of books compared to Apple's app and the reading experience is great.
16. Around Me
Around Me figures out where you are and lists local stuff - banks, bars, petrol stations and, er, Apple Retail Stores. The app's reliance on Google Maps info means there are gaps, but it's nonetheless handy to have installed when in unfamiliar surroundings, and the 'augmented reality' landscape mode is amusing, if flaky.
17. Dictionary.com - Dictionary & Thesaurus
A million definitions and 90,000 synonyms are available in the palm of your hand with this free, offline dictionary and thesaurus. The app is fast and efficient, includes phonetic and audio pronunciation of words, and its interface seems perfectly suited to the iPhone.
18. Air Video Free
Air Video Free can stream (and convert as necessary) video from any computer running the free Air Video Server. You only get access to a small number of items per folder or playlist, but some careful planning can get around that limitation.
19. Photoshop.com Mobile
If you're looking for Photoshop-style power, Photoshop.com Mobile won't impress. However, if you're after a quick, free, highly usable tool for making edits to your iPhone photos, Adobe's app is ideal. Use it for cropping, straightening, exposure adjustments, colour effects, sharpening and more.
20. iHandy Level Free
One of the tools from the excellent iHandy Carpenter toolkit app, iHandy Level Free turns your iPhone into a spirit level. By default, it'll show just how wonky your device's accelerometer is, but tap the calibrate button and you get an accurate and great-looking level.
21. Instapaper Free
Set up an Instapaper account, create a bookmark in Safari on your device, and you can then send articles to Instapaper Free, for a superior and focussed offline reading experience. The app also acts as a superb taster for the paid version, which adds alternate themes and iPad support.
22. PCalc Lite
"But I've already got a calculator on my device," you might argue. True, but now you can stash default Apple apps in a folder, it's easier to justify replacing them with something better - and PCalc Lite is without doubt the finest free calculator for iOS, with a great interface and plenty of options. You can also bolt-on features from the paid version via in-app purchases.
23. iBooks
Having made a big splash on the iPad, iBooks has now arrived for Apple's smaller devices. Effectively iTunes for books, the app combines a reader and store, in Apple's typically usable and integrated fashion. Usefully, iBooks includes PDF support and bookmarks automatically sync across devices.
24. Red Laser
Now free, due to being snapped up by eBay, the Red Laser bar-code scanner is pretty accurate, even if you're still saddled with an iPhone 3G. It's great for checking prices while shopping, and also enables you to get your media collections into Delicious Library if you make use of AppleScript.
25. eBay Selling
And the reason for eBay buying Red Laser? This app, which makes it astonishingly easy to sell your unwanted stuff. Use eBay Selling to scan items; you can then research prices on eBay or import items for sale far more quickly than you can using a PC.
26. eBay Mobile
Unsurprisingly, eBay also has the buying side of its operation covered with eBay Mobile. The app supports iOS 4 multitasking, and, like eBay Selling, it's fast and efficient, to the point that it's preferable to using eBay's website on a PC.
27. Google Earth
"Hold the world in the palm of your hand," says Google about Google Earth, which enables you to fly across the planet by swiping your finger. More integration with content and features from Maps would be good, but Google Earth's Wikipedia articles and a Panoramio layer at least ensure it's a great app for seeing the world from your living room.
28. XE Currency
XE Currency is a fine example of an app that does what it needs to, without fuss. You configure a list of currencies, and it shows current conversion rates. Double-tap a currency to set its base rate or to define values for custom conversions.
29. Shazam
Shazam is an app that feels like magic when you first use it. It's deceptively simple—hold your iPhone near to a music source, and wait while the app listens and tells you what track is playing. But the sheer technology behind this simplicity is mind-boggling, and while Shazam doesn't always guess right (and only allows five 'tags' per month for new users, unless you upgrade to the paid version), it's worth a download.
30. Bump
Another contender for the 'surely, that's witchcraft?' award, Bump enables you to select up to four contacts, then 'bump' your device into another iOS device running Bump to transfer details, or to compare contacts. And, yeah, we know there's an email-based 'share contact' option in Contacts, but where's the fun in that?
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Updated: Top 30 best free iPhone apps
There are now well over 200,000 apps available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and, surprisingly, many of the best are free.The following list showcases our pick of the 30 best free iPhone apps, and includes iPhone applications for social networking, travel, news, photography, productivity and more.
If your favourites aren't covered, tell us all about them in the comments.
1. Facebook
Once an ugly duckling, but now - as of version 3 - a social-network-aware swan, Facebook is a triumph. The revised grid-based 'home screens' provide speedy access to regularly visited sections (news feed, notifications, and so on) and pages, and the experience is such that it in many ways beats the browser version.
2. Gorillacam
Pretty much from nowhere, Gorillacam arrived in December 2009 from the creators of the Gorillapod tripods. It mashes together a slew of features to hugely improve an iPhone's camera (timer, multi-shot, spirit-level, on-screen grid, 'press anywhere' capture), meaning you can bin a half-dozen standalone apps that offer similar things.
3. RunKeeper Free
The prospect of Nike+ but better and for free might sound unlikely, but that's what RunKeeper Free provides. The app uses an iPhone's GPS capabilities to track your jogging route, and provides mapping and details of pace and calories burned. Activities can be shared online, and treadmill runs can be entered manually.
4. Stanza
Kindle's grabbed many 'electronic book' headlines, but an iPhone or iPod touch is a perfectly competent alternative - at least if you have the right app to hand. Stanza enables you to download books from various sources (many of which offer free titles), and you can transfer your own ePub, PDF or eReader titles from the free Stanza Desktop.
5. Dropbox
Plenty of apps exist for transferring content between your computer and your device, but Dropbox is free and easier to use than most of its contemporaries. Dump files you want to sync in a folder on your computer and Dropbox for your device will enable you to access them, download them for offline viewing, and, in many cases, view them.
6. thetrainline
For anyone commuting by train, thetrainline is the free app to beat all others. Journey planning, offline results, timetables and a location-aware 'next train home' option are available via a clean, streamlined interface. The app's not quite as good as National Rail Enquiries, but it is very similar - and five quid cheaper.
7. Skype
It's imperfect and annoyingly lacks push notifications, but Skype is still an essential download. The interface is pleasingly simple and usable, enabling anyone with a Skype account to make free calls to other Skype users and cheap calls to anywhere in the world. If you're on Pay and Go, this is particularly handy, but the app also enables iPod touch users to utilise their devices for calls.
8. Movies
Although some aspects of cinema listings app Movies are disappointingly US-centric (notably regarding details on upcoming movies and DVDs), it succeeds where it matters. Select a film and the app figures out where you're located, lists nearby cinemas, and displays times your chosen film is showing. Efficiency can be further increased by pinning favourite cinemas to the top of the list.
9. TonePad
Virtual pianos and guitars are all very well, but purely digital musical toys are more suited to Apple handhelds. TonePad is the best of them, using a grid-based interface that enables you to turn notes on and off and compose pleasing and harmonious loops; your creations can be edited, saved and uploaded to share with other users.
10. Thomson Reuters News Pro
There are many free news apps, but Reuters News Pro offers a breadth of coverage that makes it a winner. Preferences enable you to tailor the app's output to the UK, and the toolbar provides swift access to news, pictures, videos and stock markets coverage.
11. Twitter (formerly Tweetie)
Tweetie was the iPhone Twitter client that other iPhone Twitter clients wanted to be. Its combination of polished interface, plentiful options and multi-account support meant everyone loved it - apart from cheapskates, because Tweetie wasn't free. Now, however, it is, because Twitter bought it, rebranded it as Twitter, and set fire to the price tag.
12. Comics
In all honesty, Comics is a little awkward compared to using it on an iPad, but you won't find a better comics experience on an iPhone. The app is free, as are dozens of downloadable comics - and once you run out of those, many more are available to buy. Reading works on a frame-by-frame automated 'zoom' basis, and is surprisingly usable.
13. Wikipanion
The Wikipedia website works fine on iPhones, but a dedicated app is a better bet. Wikipanion is a freebie which gives you quick access to article sections, in-article search, viewing options, bookmarking, and the ability to tweet about whatever odd fact you've just unearthed. Also, wonderfully, there are no ads.
14. Evernote
Clients to access the popular Evernote service for storing notes and ideas online are available for so many platforms that we half expect a ZX Spectrum app to be announced tomorrow. On the iPhone, Evernote is efficient and usable, enabling you to rapidly scan your notes and also create new ones.
15. Kindle
Now iBooks has arrived on the iPhone, you might wonder why you should bother with Amazon's Kindle. After all, the app's not as pretty as iBooks, nor is there an integrated store (you buy in Safari and sync purchases to the app). However, Kindle offers a massive selection of books compared to Apple's app and the reading experience is great.
16. Around Me
Around Me figures out where you are and lists local stuff - banks, bars, petrol stations and, er, Apple Retail Stores. The app's reliance on Google Maps info means there are gaps, but it's nonetheless handy to have installed when in unfamiliar surroundings, and the 'augmented reality' landscape mode is amusing, if flaky.
17. Dictionary.com - Dictionary & Thesaurus
A million definitions and 90,000 synonyms are available in the palm of your hand with this free, offline dictionary and thesaurus. The app is fast and efficient, includes phonetic and audio pronunciation of words, and its interface seems perfectly suited to the iPhone.
18. Air Video Free
Air Video Free can stream (and convert as necessary) video from any computer running the free Air Video Server. You only get access to a small number of items per folder or playlist, but some careful planning can get around that limitation.
19. Photoshop.com Mobile
If you're looking for Photoshop-style power, Photoshop.com Mobile won't impress. However, if you're after a quick, free, highly usable tool for making edits to your iPhone photos, Adobe's app is ideal. Use it for cropping, straightening, exposure adjustments, colour effects, sharpening and more.
20. iHandy Level Free
One of the tools from the excellent iHandy Carpenter toolkit app, iHandy Level Free turns your iPhone into a spirit level. By default, it'll show just how wonky your device's accelerometer is, but tap the calibrate button and you get an accurate and great-looking level.
21. Instapaper Free
Set up an Instapaper account, create a bookmark in Safari on your device, and you can then send articles to Instapaper Free, for a superior and focussed offline reading experience. The app also acts as a superb taster for the paid version, which adds alternate themes and iPad support.
22. PCalc Lite
"But I've already got a calculator on my device," you might argue. True, but now you can stash default Apple apps in a folder, it's easier to justify replacing them with something better - and PCalc Lite is without doubt the finest free calculator for iOS, with a great interface and plenty of options. You can also bolt-on features from the paid version via in-app purchases.
23. iBooks
Having made a big splash on the iPad, iBooks has now arrived for Apple's smaller devices. Effectively iTunes for books, the app combines a reader and store, in Apple's typically usable and integrated fashion. Usefully, iBooks includes PDF support and bookmarks automatically sync across devices.
24. Red Laser
Now free, due to being snapped up by eBay, the Red Laser bar-code scanner is pretty accurate, even if you're still saddled with an iPhone 3G. It's great for checking prices while shopping, and also enables you to get your media collections into Delicious Library if you make use of AppleScript.
25. eBay Selling
And the reason for eBay buying Red Laser? This app, which makes it astonishingly easy to sell your unwanted stuff. Use eBay Selling to scan items; you can then research prices on eBay or import items for sale far more quickly than you can using a PC.
26. eBay Mobile
Unsurprisingly, eBay also has the buying side of its operation covered with eBay Mobile. The app supports iOS 4 multitasking, and, like eBay Selling, it's fast and efficient, to the point that it's preferable to using eBay's website on a PC.
27. Google Earth
"Hold the world in the palm of your hand," says Google about Google Earth, which enables you to fly across the planet by swiping your finger. More integration with content and features from Maps would be good, but Google Earth's Wikipedia articles and a Panoramio layer at least ensure it's a great app for seeing the world from your living room.
28. XE Currency
XE Currency is a fine example of an app that does what it needs to, without fuss. You configure a list of currencies, and it shows current conversion rates. Double-tap a currency to set its base rate or to define values for custom conversions.
29. Shazam
Shazam is an app that feels like magic when you first use it. It's deceptively simple—hold your iPhone near to a music source, and wait while the app listens and tells you what track is playing. But the sheer technology behind this simplicity is mind-boggling, and while Shazam doesn't always guess right (and only allows five 'tags' per month for new users, unless you upgrade to the paid version), it's worth a download.
30. Bump
Another contender for the 'surely, that's witchcraft?' award, Bump enables you to select up to four contacts, then 'bump' your device into another iOS device running Bump to transfer details, or to compare contacts. And, yeah, we know there's an email-based 'share contact' option in Contacts, but where's the fun in that?
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Microsoft set to issue Kinect beta invites
Microsoft is set to kickstart the "Xbox Live and Kinect Beta Program" soon, with a number of invites already having been sent out to a lucky chosen few.Joystiq was first to report the news, with a number of readers sending in the invite (despite being told to not forward it on by Microsoft!).
The invite was issued via Microsoft Connect, a service which the company uses to obtain customer feedback on new products.
The invitation carries the tantalising promise of "a unique opportunity to see pre-release software."
Extensive testing
"This isn't unusual. Microsoft always runs extensive beta tests of all its new products, and Xbox is no exception," says Jon Hicks, Editor of the UK's Official Xbox 360 Magazine. "Similar invites went out ahead of the launch of the NXE interface update."
An "audio change" will not let Kinect testers use individual or party chat with anyone that is not in the beta.
Microsoft has yet to respond to our requests for further information on the "Xbox Live and Kinect Beta Program."
We expect to hear lots more about the latest plans for Microsoft Kinect at the company's GamesCom press conference in Cologne next Tuesday 17 August.
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Microsoft hits back at Apple with PC vs Mac page
Microsoft has put up a PC vs Mac page, with the software giant defending Windows PCs against Apple's increasingly popular computers. With Apple's computer sales buoyant, Microsoft appears to have decided to throw down the gauntlet to its rival, despite the huge success of Windows 7.
A 'Deciding between a PC and a Mac?' page is already being widely discussed on social networking sites, with Microsoft not pulling its punches.
Spoil your fun
"Macs might spoil your fun" says part of the text, with Microsoft explaining: "You can't get a Mac that ships with a Blu-ray player, TV tuner, Memory Stick reader, or built-in 3G wireless. You can with PCs running Windows 7.
"Most of the world's most popular computer games aren't available for Macs. And Macs can't connect to an Xbox 360. PCs are ready to play."
And the attack continues; Macs 'have a learning curve' asserts Microsoft, 'don't like to share', 'don't let you choose' and 'might not like your PC stuff'.
Incendiary stuff from Microsoft, although the company will point out that Apple has been having a pop at the PC for years.
But, dignified silence would at least have stopped the multitudes of accusing Microsoft of running scared by reacting.
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Review: Galaxy Link Tsunami Wi-Fi Booster
You know the problem with living inside a house? Throwing wireless signals through brick walls is mighty tricky. What you need is either cardboard walls or a WiFi booster then, right? Well, I've got to say that I'm not entirely convinced.
I live in a house in Bath that was built at the turn of last century and as such is built of pretty solid rock. With my cheapo Virgin Media router in the front of my house I get practically no signal in my bedroom, so Galaxy Link's booster should be the answer.
Unfortunately my cheapo D-Link router has antennae you can't replace so that was a write-off straight away. But that wasn't the booster's fault, so I tried a different router that came with removable antennae.
This new, less-cheapo router meant I now had decent signal in my bedroom. However, there were spots where it wasn't so good, so hopefully the booster would help there, I thought.
Except it didn't. No boost, no extra li'l bit of signal, no nuffin'. At £36 it's not going to break the bank if your router is a bit poo and you're after a boost. But it's not chump change either.
So the fact that it did nothing in my stone house would seriously annoy my wallet gland. If you did have cardboard walls then the 5dBi signal gain might help, but then how many beggars in carboard boxes are that fussed about their wireless network?
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Review: Chillblast Fusion Magnum
There is now a certain set of components that make up what is pretty much the perfect sub-£2,000 gaming PC. You need a mid-price Core i7 of the X58, LGA 1366 ilk, a decent oveclocker's mobo and either a HD 5970 or GTX 480. Get all those into one chassis, with an optional SSD, and you're laughing. Well, so long as you can squeeze the price down below that of the 3XS Cyclone from Scan we checked out last issue.
Combined with the Core i7 920 overclocking goodness (4 whole GHz!) you also got a water-cooled, overclocked GTX 480. And if we hadn't got the price wrong on the 3XS Cyclone then its £1,500 pricepoint wouldn't be impossibly hard to match.
Unfortunately the 3XS Cyclone is actually £1,400, and the extra £300 you'd be expected to pay for this Chillblast rig really doesn't get you much extra.
The overclocked GTX 480 in the Chillblast does a decent job of trying to keep pace with the water-cooled beast in the Cyclone and twin-GPU HD 5970 in Overclockers' £1,641 Titan Viper. Unfortunately, it just can't beat either.
The two cheaper Scan and Overclockers machines are faster almost across the board. By virtue of the excellent Asus X58 motherboard in the Chillblast rig, it does best the same Core i7 930 the Titan Viper boasts. But the dual-GPUs push the Overclockers' rig ahead in the pixel-pushing stakes.
The cold shoulder
Scan has managed to keep the costs down on the Cyclone partly down to its size, but mostly because it has eschewed the current trend of using expensive SSDs as the boot drives. It's still a tough call as to which we prefer: a decent SSD can boost level loads and the like, but it's still difficult to notice the difference in real-world usage between a good HDD and an average SSD.
Apart from the lack of SSD and non-factory overclocked, water-cooled GTX 480 the Scan and Chillblast rigs are almost identical. They both come clothed in the solid CoolerMaster CM 690 II chassis and both use that overclocking-friendly Asus P6X58D-E mobo to look after their CPUs.
Scan has gone for the cheaper, slightly slower CPU, but has overclocked it past the Core i7 930 in the Chillblast machine.
Unfortunately for Chillblast, Scan has taken a chance opting to save money in a few very smart areas. The CPU choice, the decision to overclock the GPU and drop the SSD has meant that the £1,700 rig looks decidedly over-priced for the performance you're getting from it.
It's not a bad rig by any measure. It's just a little too expensive to compete in this crowded market.
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Palm Pre designer leaves company
Palm Pre designer Peter Skillman is the latest senior exec to leave Palm/HP, following the scandalous exit of HP boss Mark Hurd earlier this month.TechCrunch reports that Skillman, designer of the Pre, has left HP/Palm after an 11-year tenure with the company.
The Palm Pre was critically well received, although didn't achieve the commercial success the company had hoped for.
HP developing webOS
HP bought Palm earlier this year, and the company is set to develop Palm's webOS mobile operating system in the future.
Skillman's departure follows soon after a number of other senior Palm execs have left the company, including Mike Bell (ex VP of Product Development), Matias Duarte (who used to head up webOS design work), and Michael Abbott (who headed up webOS).
Former Palm CEO Jon Rubenstein is still at Palm/HP, and it seems those rumours that he was also set to leave the company were off the mark.
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Texas Instruments signs up for ARM's Eagle processor
Texas Instruments has announced that it is the first company to licence ARM's 'Eagle' Cortex A series processor core, as it extends its plans for smartphones and mobile internet devices. TI is the fourth biggest chip manufacturer in the world, and has signed up with British company ARM to use the Eagle processor for its OMAP family – primarily focused on portable devices like smartphones and MIDs.
"Building on its rich heritage of collaboration with ARM, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) today confirmed that it was the first company to partner with ARM in the conception and definition of the next generation ARM Cortex-A series processor core (also known as "Eagle") to be announced later this year," announced TI.
"TI intends to use the new processor to further strengthen and extend its future OMAP platform offerings.
"This engagement accelerates TI's ability to get to market early with high-performance OMAP products based on the new ARM processor core, following up on its popular OMAP 4 platform that uses the powerful Cortex-A9 processor core.
Mobile advances
"The partnership's efforts also reiterate TI's commitment to spearheading high-performance, low-power mobile advances," the release adds.
The upshot is that Texas Instruments is hoping to offer to manufacturers 'intense performance capabilities and low power consumption' by combining Eagle and the company's SmartReflex power and performance management.
"Our position as ARM's advanced lead partner for its next-generation Cortex-A series processor core underscores TI's unwavering commitment to helping customers achieve success in the competitive mobile world," said Remi El-Ouazzane, vice president, OMAP platform business unit TI.
"We are thrilled to know that our customers will be the first to leverage the new ARM processor core's far-reaching innovations via our industry-leading OMAP products.
"Successful mobile industry achievements revolve around the 'high-performance, low-power' mantra, and we believe the results of our collaborative effort echo the importance of this must-have balance."
TI and ARM have a long-standing relationship stretching back to the early nineties, and the former has shipped more than 250 million chips using the latter's architecture.
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Facebook hiring games boss
Facebook is hiring a dedicated games boss, to deal with games publishers and development studios, indicating the increasing importance of gaming to the social networking giant.Facebook now has over 500 million active users and gaming has become increasingly popular on the network, with titles such as Zynga's Farmville demonstrating the huge potential of casual gaming.
Google vs Facebook
Google recently invested in casual gaming company Slide in a $182m deal, with Facebook clearly not planning on being left behind in the casual gaming market.
"Facebook is seeking a leader for our Strategic Partner Development team to develop and enhance successful partnerships and influence internal and external partners and industry stakeholders in the Gaming industry," reads Facebook's most recent job posting.
"This job requires high levels of creativity and strategic thinking, as you'll be called upon to help both large, incumbent gaming companies as well as venture-backed gaming start-ups develop innovative social gaming experiences building on Facebook Platform."
The lucky candidate will need a minimum of ten years' gaming industry experience in order to lead a team to build successful games for the network.
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Google and Verizon outline vision for open internet
Google and Verizon have outlined their vision of the future of an open internet, although net neutrality supporters are still concerned that we could see a two-tier service.The two companies see it as 'imperative' that we find ways of keeping the internet open and encourage the rapid spread of broadband worldwide.
"Verizon and Google are pleased to discuss the principled compromise our companies have developed over the last year concerning the thorny issue of 'network neutrality'," write Alan Davidson, Google director of public policy and Tom Tauke, Verizon executive vice president of public affairs, policy, and communications on the Google Public Policy Blog.
"The original architects of the Internet got the big things right. By making the network open, they enabled the greatest exchange of ideas in history. By making the Internet scalable, they enabled explosive innovation in the infrastructure."
Wireless gets different rules
However, while both companies are keen to promote a transparent and open wired broadband service, the same rules do not apply for wireless.
"We both recognise that wireless broadband is different from the traditional wireline world, in part because the mobile marketplace is more competitive and changing rapidly," said the two companies.
Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said in a conference call: "This is a real step forward. Google cares a lot about the open internet. It has made it possible for its two founders to turn a powerful idea into this phenomenal business."
Net neutrality concerns
Net neutrality supporters are already expressing their concerns about the latest moves from Google and Verizon.
Joel Kelsey of public policy group Free Press told the BBC: "If codified, this arrangement will lead to toll booths on the information superhighway.
"It will lead to outright blocking of applications and content on increasingly popular wireless platforms. It would give companies like Verizon, Comcast and AT&T the right to decide which content will move fast and which should be slowed down."
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Exclusive: Google denies testing out unmanned spy drones
Google has denied reports that it is looking to use unmanned flying spy drones to augment its Street View and Maps features in the future.Earlier news reports claimed that Google was working with one German manufacturer, Microdrones with the latter company claiming to have sold an unmanned flying drone to Google.
Microdrones has already supplied such unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to British police and special forces.
Speculation as to why Google would want to purchase and use such a device began in earnest, particularly after Microdrones' CEO Sven Juerss told German business publication Wirtschafts Woche that:
"The drones are well suited to deliver up-to-date image material for Google Maps."
Google denies drone plans
When contacted about the news, a Google rep told TechRadar that the company was, "always looking at ways to improve our mapping services," though was quick to add that, "as part of this effort we explore many different technologies but we are not using or testing this one."
The Google rep also informed us that Google currently has no current 'business relationship' with Microdrones, suggesting that the current spate of news stories was based on little more than the fact that the company has bought a single flying drone from the Germany company.
Additionally, while Google claims that it has no current plans to roll out the use of such flying photographing drones to augment Street View or Google Maps, should the company want to pursue such a plan in the future it is also likely that Google would require authorisation from the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to ensure the use of such unmanned drones was not a threat to public health.
A CAA spokesperson told PC Pro earlier this week that: "Any systems like this would need CAA approval, particularly if it was a new system that we hadn't seen before, [as] we didn't know how safe the device was.
"The prime consideration would be over safety and if it is a system that we have already approved that would be taken into account."
"A lot would depend on the purpose. For example, a celebrity wedding might attract special attention, and the area that it planned to fly in might make a difference, but if the UAV was safe then we would consider allowing use."
You can see more about German drones manufacturer Microdrones over on its website.
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Is Facebook reaching its saturation point?
New statistics for Facebook show that its UK growth has slowed somewhat, compared to the massive drive in traffic the site has seen in the last five years.While there won't exactly be panic in the social network's offices, the latest stats from Hitwise do show a levelling out with both page views and session time on the site.
The new figures show that the average session time on the site has levelled out to around 27.36 minutes in June/July, down from a seasonal peak of 30 minutes in December.
When it comes to page views, these are at 16.73 per cent (of total UK market share), which is a slight dip from what was seen in April.
Number crunching
In real terms, this levelling out still accounts for phenomenal traffic for the social network.
At 16.73 per cent the site gets more than double the page views in the UK than its nearest rival (Google with 8.22 per cent), which means that one in six page views from the UK is Facebook.
Google is still winning the numbers war when it comes to visits, with Facebook accounting for 7.14 per cent to Google's 9.59 per cent.
Hitwise, though, is questioning whether saturation point for the site could well be on the horizon, explaining: "Cleary Facebook is not losing traffic in the UK, but do these stats point to a stabilisation?
"The rapid period of the site's growth is now probably over in the UK, but does that mean Facebook has reached saturation point?"
With 26 million people in the UK already signed up to the site, Hitwise may well have a point that they could be running out of users.
Recent government statistics puts the amount of adults online as 37.4 million, so the site still has a few more people to entice in with the thrills of Farmville.
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Is Facebook reaching its saturation point?
New statistics for Facebook show that its UK growth has slowed somewhat, compared to the massive drive in traffic the site has seen in the last five years.While there won't exactly be panic in the social network's offices, the latest stats from Hitwise do show a levelling out with both page views and session time on the site.
The new figures show that the average session time on the site has levelled out to around 27.36 minutes in June/July, down from a seasonal peak of 30 minutes in December.
When it comes to page views, these are at 16.73 per cent (of total UK market share), which is a slight dip from what was seen in April.
Number crunching
In real terms, this levelling out still accounts for phenomenal traffic for the social network.
At 16.73 per cent the site gets more than double the page views in the UK than its nearest rival (Google with 8.22 per cent), which means that one in six page views from the UK is Facebook.
Google is still winning the numbers war when it comes to visits, with Facebook accounting for 7.14 per cent to Google's 9.59 per cent.
Hitwise, though, is questioning whether saturation point for the site could well be on the horizon, explaining: "Cleary Facebook is not losing traffic in the UK, but do these stats point to a stabilisation?
"The rapid period of the site's growth is now probably over in the UK, but does that mean Facebook has reached saturation point?"
With 26 million people in the UK already signed up to the site, Hitwise may well have a point that they could be running out of users.
Recent government statistics puts the amount of adults online as 37.4 million, so the site still has a few more people to entice in with the thrills of Farmville.
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