Opinion: Other networks should follow Vodafone's debranding lead
The perception of the network in the mobile phone buying process has always been that of the bad guy: always looking to get the most money out of customers while lying to their faces.
Who hasn't, when it comes to contract renewal time, chatted to a friend about it and been told 'tell 'em you're going to leave, that way you'll get more minutes/texts/free pets' and so on.
And to a degree, that still holds true; you can often shop around and get a better deal on a mobile phone contract, or at least persuade the uncaring guy in the call centre to give you a free case for your spangly new handset.
But with the advent of smartphones, networks now have to deal with a much scarier beast: software upgrades.
This means networks have to essentially re-release a handset multiple times during its lifetime - for free.
Why are we waiting?
And when there's a delay, the villain card is played once more: network bosses are obviously sitting around in ivory towers, playing chess with iPhone 4s while the minions tell the plebs that there's no stock.
Consumers need to realise that networks have to test firmware on their devices before releasing it for all, else it could feasibly not work on the phone correctly. Unlikely, but if it did all go blue screen then the fallout would be catastrophic, so waiting a couple of weeks isn't the worst thing in the world.
The HTC Desire has made this issue more prominent than ever before, as users are clamouring to know when their expensive handset will be made sleeker/faster/less battery hungry by it being updated to the Android 2.2 OS.
And Vodafone has caught the brunt of it with its latest update to the Desire - where customers thought they were getting the Android 2.2 update early, they were treated to a '360 update' which basically ransacked through a few settings and added a load of unwanted icons.
And lo, did the forums ignite with wrathful users DEMANDING that something be done. "VF! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?????" screamed one user with his nose firmly pressed on the Shift key.
Users don't want bloatware. We don't want crap on our phone like icons that offer services we will clearly never use. We have app stores now, so if we want sat-nav software, we'll jolly well go and get it.
And if we can't uninstall it, well, that's like putting our phone in a glass box and the networks deciding when and where we can use it. Not cool.
Forum shouting
So what happened? Vodafone actually did something, announcing that the new Android 2.2 update is imminent, and will roll back the changes made.
It's been called a massive backtrack: Vodafone has been forced to admit users don't want to have bloatware they didn't ask for.
But it's better to backtrack and appease consumers than to pretend everything is fine and anger people for two years while they run down a contract they entered into based on a certain promise.
We want an unlocked and unbranded phone, free of any tinkering whatsoever, each time we shell out hundreds of pounds for the latest handset on a two year deal, and 'smuggling' stuff onto our phones should never happen.
And while this smartphone utopia is still a while away, at least networks seem to be realising there's a bloatware line in the smartphone sand that can't be crossed.
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Opinion: What social networks can learn from email
We are spoilt little brats when it comes to consuming technology. Not only do we need to be spoon-fed devices and services that cost way beyond what they should, we expect them to be interoperable.A multimedia player that doesn't stream various formats across networks and operating systems is rejected without a second thought. Yet when it comes to connecting with people online, we gladly lower our acceptance threshold as we accept an invite from a friend and join yet another social network.
That's like being asked to set up a @techradar.com account before you can email us. Just typing those words make me feel weird in the tummy. Yet that's what we do when we want to connect with friends and colleagues on yet-another-social-network.
Once connected we gladly put up and share all sorts of content without a second thought that this data isn't available to people outside the network (and I'm not even treading into the licensing and ownership issues involved).
That's a walled garden for you if you've ever heard of one. Evan Prodromou, the geeky brains behind StatusNet, puts it best: "from the point of view of a typical social web site, if you don't have an account on that site, you don't exist."
Seamless experiences
It's not that technologies, protocols, or services to give us a seamless experience don't exist. Instead of lugging login data for every network we are on, get an OpenID and consolidate all your digital identities.
Then there's WebFinger which adds meat to your email address by letting you attach public metadata to it. But there's no point getting either if the network you're on doesn't support it. OpenID is supported by several networks but there are thrice as many that don't.
Once you're inside the network, then what? There's nothing quite as irritating as filling in the same profile data over and over again. Again, what use is the good work of projects like the FOAF (Friend Of A Friend) for creating machine readable pages that describe people, if your network doesn't use it?
Evan Prodromou, whose StatusNet powers the twitter-like Identi.ca, thinks it's time to draw a line. Running a social network behind corporate borders for employees to connect with each other is the standard way to network for many global businesses.
But what happens when these employees need to connect with people outside their corporate network? The organisation won't host a network for your customers, or friends. They'd rather connect their separate networks.
His argument sounds valid.
Federated social web
To that end, Prodromou's working on what he refers to as a federated social web. He doesn't like to use the word "open" because people interpret it differently. His federated social web is made up of distinct entities that are connected to each other for a seamless experience to the users.
But is it really doable? Don't we all browse the web, which at the end of the line, is a collection of documents in a web server running an alien filesystem? Our emails penetrate corporate borders, service providers, and operating systems seamlessly. If it can work for the world wide web, and email, and lots of other systems it sure can work for a social network. Or rather 'the' social network.
For that to happen, though, we have to be more demanding as users of these networks. Let's not Apple-tise the networks. They are here to serve us, not the other way around.
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Blizzard: Developing for consoles would be easier
Blizzard has confessed that making games for console would be much easier, but the World of Warcraft maker insists that it will continue to back the platform.PC gaming is apparently responsible for twice as many hardware shipments as consoles, but developers have often baulked at trying to code for an ever-shifting platform of hardware.
With Starcraft 2 immediately becoming the year's biggest selling PC title, along with the licence to print money that is WoW. Blizzard remains one of the most significant video games makers on the planet.
Backing PC gaming
So it won't surprise anyone that the developer is backing PC gaming, although VP and managing director of international operations at Blizzard Mike Ryder did admit that it wasn't always plain sailing.
"[PC Gaming] is certainly not written off by us," Ryder told PCR. "PC development has a number of unique challenges that console developers don't face, but Blizzard is one of the few companies that is there making great PC games.
"We've spent a lot of time in development focusing on scalability, on new PC hardware and old.
"If you were just designing for a console it would be a much easier task."
Just try saying that when you try to code a decent inventory system for a console controller, Mr Ryder.
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Motorola Droid 2 lands in the US
The Motorola Droid 2, the next in the ever-expanding list of Android powered phones in the US, has finally been made available for pre-order.The new phone's specs have been confirmed as pretty high end: a 3.7-inch screen with full WVGA resolution, 8GB of onboard memory (with 8GB more in the box) and a 5MP camera.
Other specs include DLNA streaming, to turn your home into a media-sending frenzy, and will have Swype pre-installed, the fancy method of text entry previously seen on the Samsung Galaxy S.
But to help out, there's also a physical keyboard for people that like the tactile feel of the QWERTY, and Android 2.2 will bring full Flash 10.1 compatibility and Wi-Fi hotspot sharing.
These are the Droids you're looking for
And if that's not enough, the awesome news is that an R2-D2 verison of the Droid 2 is forthcoming - what's the point of having the license from George Lucas if you're not going to extract the cool?
It's going to ship with "exclusive Star Wars content and external hardware designed to look like the trusty Droid from the film saga" which is enough to send the most stoic Star Wars fan into a frenzied mouth-froth.
The sad thing about this release is there's nothing at all about an international edition - the same thing happened when the original Droid was released in the US, with the UK having to wait a while before we were treated to the Motorola Milestone.
Fingers crossed that happens again... we can't stand our US cousins having gadgets we can't get our hands on.
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Expensive virus hits Android users
A new mobile phone virus is doing the rounds that could cost Android handset users a lot of cash.The SMS Trojan was discovered by Kapersky Labs, and comes disguised as a media player that, once installed, will send out premium rate text messages to expensive numbers, hitting users' phone bills hard.
The Trojan-SMS.AndroidOS.FakePlayer.a file has been found in a so-far unnamed media player application, which prompts the user to install a simple 'media player file.'
Thankfully, the virus seems contained to Russian Android users, and Kapersky has rated the threat of the virus hitting worldwide users as 'low', so you new Galaxy S and Desire owners can rest easy.
Google: watch what you're doing
Google has responded to the issue, stating it makes it explicitly clear when installing applications users should read what they will do to the phone:
"Our application permissions model protects against this type of threat. When installing an application, users see a screen that explains clearly what information and system resources the application has permission to access, such as a user's phone number or sending an SMS.
"Users must explicitly approve this access in order to continue with the installation, and they may uninstall applications at any time.
"We consistently advise users to only install apps they trust. In particular, users should exercise caution when installing applications outside of Android Market."
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Global MMO market worth $8 billion
The global market for massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs or MMOs, for short) is worth $8 billion (£5.1 billion) in 2010.The overall revenue from MMOs such as Blizzard's mighty World of Warcraft is set to grow by a phenomenal 60 per cent this year.
Wow WoW!
The latest market predictions come from a recent industry report by Strategy Analytics.
The MMO market was worth $5 billion (£3.2 billion) last year and $8 billion in 2010, says that report.
2009's revenue is was up 17 per cent on 2008's revenue of $4.15 billion. Which shows that the market is growing a rapidly accelerating rate in 2010.
Booming Asian MMO scene
All is not rosy in the western MMO market however, with Strategy Analytics actually reporting a general decline in growth in the west (outside of World of WarCraft).
It is the increasingly lucrative Asian market that is bolstering the overall growth in revenues from MMOs, with publishers such as Shanda, Netease, Nexon and NCsoft leading the way.
"Contrary to the flattening Western market, the Asian MMORPG market has grown immensely since 2007, due to the successful virtual items-based revenue model," said Strategy Analytics' Jia Wu.
"As more Asian online game companies target US and European markets, they will become a formidable force in the global gaming industry."
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10 unboxing videos to make you go WTF?
You've bought something? Good for you! Well done. You earned it. Remember to fill in the warranty card and send it off the manufacturer, just in case. And charge it up properly the first time, else you might knacker the battery.What you shouldn't now do is film a video of yourself struggling to open the packaging and expressing interest in the fact you get a charger with it. Yet people do. People do all the time, thanks to the unboxing video having become a phenomenon, with boxes excitedly sliced open on film as if the user is the first person to see inside the miniature Tutankhamen's tomb a stressed Chinese factory worker sealed up several weeks earlier.
The poor unboxers often struggle, and it's writ large on their faces. Do they read the full specs on the box or summarise? Is their camera good enough to pick out the wording? Is their hair still looking OK, and are they sitting in such a way that their ironic t-shirt logo is visible?
As these thoughts go through the head of the unboxer, we viewers are left staring at a video of a stuttering man opening a mobile phone box who doesn't know what to say and isn't sure if he should read out the manual or simply flick through its pages and move onto talking about the cable selection.
It's a grim world. To illustrate the painful futility of the modern unboxing trend, we bring you 10 particularly awkward examples of people showing off their new stuff - with disastrous consequences.
1. Unboxing: iDox Traveler Series Case
It's a case, within some bubble wrap, stuffed inside a padded envelope. This is revealed halfway through the unboxing clip - the rest is yet more padding. What did he expect to be in there? The poor youth even has to look at the instructions. Yes, he has to look at the instructions to see how a case works. And it turns out it isn't even really a case, it's more of a stand. It's all out-take, from start to finish. A disaster.
2. Warhammer Fantasy: Unboxing the High Elf Army Pack English Subtitles!!
Here's a longshot, but do you by any chance want to watch a subtitled video of a Norwegian man opening a box of limited edition Warhammer toys? Oh go on, he goes through them in painstaking detail. He's put the effort in. You could at least help his video break the 1000 views barrier. Those Warhammer fans really care about stats like that.
3. Windows 7 Unboxing Video (HD)
The most exciting thing about this video is when the man discovers the disc is in the DVD case the wrong way up. He awkwardly pages through the manual, pausing for the odd quip. He's also cheated by cutting through the security tag with a knife before filming began, so he's probably already had a good look through the box to think of things to say about its contents in advance. That goes against the ethos of the true unboxer.
4. Demon's Souls: First Deluxe Edition Unboxing Video
There's a worrying new trend which sees the unboxing video hijacked and used as a PR technique, with company employees such as the above expressing excitement that the finished version of the product they've been working on for the last 18 months does indeed contain all the things they know are inside it. As if the unboxing video wasn't bad enough, it's been turned into another form of advertisement.
5. Metal Gear Solid 4 Unboxing, Install, and Opening
"We are going to have a party tonight" says a youth calling himself Fox McCloud DS, as he peels the cellophane off his copy of Metal Gear Solid 4 and shows the disc to the camera. The manual comes with a cartoon that "tells you like what's going on" - and then we get to watch it load. At least he stops filming before the game starts, as that's even more dull.
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6. Unboxing Ipad 64GB 3g
You worry about the poor man waving such a sharp pair of scissors so close to his face. Events take a sensational twist two minutes in when he manages to lose the scissors, and has to resort to using his keys to rip the plastic off the box. But then he finds the scissors again and... oh god. It's marginally less frightening than spending half an hour on Chatroulette, but only just.
7. Isle of Wight Blue cheese: unboxing
This one's quite arty and hypnotic, to be fair. The lack of sound adds a palpable sense of menace to proceedings, so much so that you half expect the cheese knife to start hacking off the fingers of the demonstrator. The only verbal feedback is an "Mmmmm" when a sample portion is consumed at the 1:14 mark. Sounds like a positive "Mmmmm" as well.
8. Dynex Car Charger Unboxing
He got an iPod car charger kit for Christmas, but only got around to unboxing it on January 15. The video had 34 views last night, and two of those were generated by us - once to watch it, and once again as we reloaded the page to check we really had just watched it.
9. Tactical Pants Unboxing
So we thought we'd search YouTube for "pants unboxing" to see if anyone had unboxed some pants on video. And people have, although only in the American sense of the word. So here's an American taking a pair of trousers out of a box, then giving us all a rundown of the pocket placements.
10. Unboxing TYPE A Hoover Vacuum Bags
Good god. He bought vacuum cleaner bags off eBay, despite not yet having a vacuum cleaner. And here is a video of them. A very long video of them. Some people are taking social media way too far. The clip goes black for a while at around the 0:50 mark as he has to put the camera down to open the box. He should've storyboarded it out first.
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iPhone users 'have more sex' than Android users
Apple iPhone users are said to get more sex than Android and Blackberry users, according to a recent survey.The news comes directly from research carried out on behalf of dating site OKCupid.com, with women iPhone users getting more action than the men.
Bonkers bonking survey
That's right, female iPhone users get around twice the amount of sex as both women and men with Android phones, according to OKCupid's data.
The survey was based on feedback from 10,000 smartphone users, with the results posted on the OKCupid blog.
OKCupid looked at 30-year-old female iPhone users, who, on average have had just over 12 sexual partners compared with 10 for their male counterparts.
The equivalent data for a 30-year old Android toting user was six partners, for both men and women.
The survey data also showed that the iPhone's camera was one of three cameraphones that didn't make people look much less attractive in their online photos, although OKCupid does recommend you use a decent SLR to get the best results on its dating site.
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Review: 3view 3VHD
3view may not be the first manufacturer to release a hybrid VoD and Freeview HD PVR but this UK-based company's inaugural 3VHD product has lots of features on offer if you want a media server as well as a recorder. The pun-tastic term '3view' is defined as 'watch, search and interact', alluding not just to TV but the networking and online features on offer.
Appearance and connectivity
Clad in smart-looking black plastic, 3view is roughly the same size as the average Blu-ray player and runs quietly and coolly even after prolonged use. It comes with an external 12V power supply and there are plans to offer one with a built-in Homeplug in future.
Its 500GB 2.5in SATA hard drive can be swapped for one of your own up to 1TB at the cost of voiding your warranty. The box is also unique for a Freeview PVR in having a Z-Wave chip installed, which will enable you to control lighting and heating systems at a later date.
The front fascia lacks a readout but does have a power button, standby and record indicators and a navigation pad for using the menus and channel-zapping. A front-mounted USB port would have been welcome for quickly plugging in drives when the box is sitting on a shelf, but there are two on the rear.
Also here are an Ethernet port, HDMI, single Scart, an SPDIF audio output, and an aerial loopthrough – but no modulator. Sporting a 3view sticker, the remote feels rather 'off -the-shelf', with a familiar button arrangement that's clearly labelled. It's not bad – it's just not as adventurous as the box itself.
That said, 3view is co-developing a Wii-style gyroscopic controller that could see a release by the end of the year. The receiver will work with most wired or wireless mice and keyboards; both are required if you want to use the many online features (notably web-browsing).
Setup
Getting the receiver up and running is straightforward. You select your preferred output resolution (up to 1080p with upscaling of SD sources supported) then scan for channels, after which a network setup wizard automatically detects your network settings (you'll need to add your own USB dongle for Wi-Fi) or there's a manual option if you prefer.
Scanning was slow on our early pre-production test model but channels can be re-numbered and re-named and a favourites list created. Updates can be downloaded directly via the net or transferred from a USB drive.
Basic use
With its fetching and unobtrusive red wallpaper the branching menu system is uncluttered and easy to navigate, if a little ugly in places – notably the interactive menu. We also like the way the current channel shrinks into the corner or side of the screen when accessing it.
The seven-day EPG goes above and beyond the average Freeview PVR; a conventional scrollable grid system lumps TV and radio channels together allowing six channels onscreen at a time while letting you scroll through the full seven days of data. The current channel and programme synopsis are displayed at the top.
Selecting a programme brings up a pop-up menu of options: watch this channel, record episode, record series, view upcoming (where you get a list of episodes with the option to record) or manual record. A similar menu is presented for a show you're recording with the option to play it while in progress.
Dipping into the PVR menu brings up the copious EPG search options. With an onscreen keyboard you can search by title, keywords, people, genre or 'AV Props' (whether close-captioned, Dolby or in HD or with alternative languages available).
A wishlist system will auto-search listings according to your keywords and there are plans to introduce a star ratings system. A notable omission is red button interactivity.
PVR and multimedia
Recordings can be scheduled using a manual timer as well as the EPG with the ability to specify duration and repeat options. A number of recording defaults can be set up in advance and applied on the fly when setting up recordings manually or from the EPG.
You can make them essential, high, medium or low priority, set a buffer either side up to an hour before or three afterwards, choose to record first-run episodes only or repeats too and specify if Aerial input and loopthrough you want to keep the recording as long as possible, forever or for a period of up to four weeks.
Recordings are listed with name and date and cannot be exported. You can record two SD or HD channels at once and if clashes occur you're given the option to order the proposed recordings in terms of priority.
Playback is aided by an onscreen timeline with the ability to slow it down to 1/16, 1/8, 1/4 or ½ speed or fast-forward/rewind at 3, 8, 15, 30 or 90x speeds. At present, video on demand comes from YouTube (where 3view has smartly included a section on using the box) and BBC iPlayer including HD. The latter was not enabled on our test box but has a big-screen interface not dissimilar to that found on Freesat boxes, including searching via an onscreen keyboard.
Sky Player appears in the menus but is not expected until the autumn. Other web-enabled functionality includes Opera-based web browsing via Google and widgets. Pressing the blue button brings up a row of widgets that currently includes Facebook, Twitter, weather, BBC News, RSS feeds from BBC News and Yahoo! and instant messaging from a range of providers including MSN.
As with the browser, a keyboard and mouse is essential for these as there's no provision for text-style entry using the remote. 3view plans to add shopping, information and more VoD services in future.
Media streaming is possible from DLNA/uPnP-compatible USB drives or networked devices such as PCs and NAS drives. There are separate menus for My Music, My Video and My Photo, with playlist and image slideshow options (while listening to music) and files can be copied to the hard drive. Formats supported include MP4, AVI, MKV, MP3, AAC and JPEG.
Performance
The box proved reliable for TV watching and recording. Channel-changing is quick, as is navigating the EPG, and we had no recording hiccups.
With a good reception, the tuners generate crisp-looking images from SD and HD channels that are faithfully maintained in the recordings.
We had no trouble playing a variety of media files from connected drives and YouTube video streaming also proved unproblematic.
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Review: Coosis HD Universal Converter (Scart/HDMI)
Coosis suggests that its HD Universal Converter is the solution to the 'embarrassment' of having standard-definition set-top boxes, games consoles and DVD players connected to an HDTV. Or you might simply be suffering from a lack of Scart inputs but have HDMIs to spare. The HD Universal range is designed to convert analogue AV outputs to HDMI – in this case it's Scart or S-video – but the final versions will be composite PAL/NTSC-HDMI, Scart-HDMI, or component/Scart-HDMI.
The latter makes some sense as HD component video inputs aren't always available, and it's a straight HD analogue-digital conversion.
Upscaling from SD to HD usually requires Faroudja chipsets to get decent results, and the history of TV is littered with upscaling displays that didn't meet their grand promises.
This £95 metal box isn't quite the elegant package shown on Coosis's website and it has one obvious design flaw; the DC power cable plugs in across the Scart cable, so it takes a little force to get both in unless you're using a fancy Scart that doesn't attach at an angle.
There are analogue stereo input and output mini-jacks as well as the Scart, S-video and HDMI sockets. It can be controlled with three buttons on the front, or using the credit card-sized remote, but as you'll probably only set it up once this can be tucked away down the side of the sofa to discover in a few years' time.
The remote lets you turn the HD Universal on and off, switch between Scart and S-video, change resolution and screen mode, with 4:3, 16:10 and 2.3:1 supported for those who have odd-shaped TVs or want to fill the screen with stretched/squashed pictures.
It's very easy to get started, but we didn't notice any great picture improvement on our mid-priced 42in LG LCD screen compared with a regular RGB Scart input. But the audio did seem to clear up and gain some punch in conversion from analogue to digital, which was an unexpected bonus.
But we'd suggest either investing £95 in a better screen or HD source equipment – even an upscaling DVD player with HDMI output if you have a big DVD collection. Putting gizmos like this in the chain creates more downsides like clutter than the benefits it brings.
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In Depth: SLI vs CrossFire: which is better?
For many a year even the thought of setting up a multi-GPU system has caused the most tech-savvy of PC enthusiasts to eat their own heads in complete and utter frustration.It wasn't just the fact that the mere action of setting a CrossFire or SLI system up was a tiring process of exacting component matching, BIOS tweaking and software hell, promptly followed by mental breakdown.
The fact remained that if you were one of the few with that magical golden ticket, a functional multi-GPU system, you didn't actually get that much of a performance return for the extra silicon you'd painstakingly laid in your rig.
Originally the big sell was the idea of picking up a mid-range graphics card now, then once the thirst for upgrading became too strong to countenance you could pick up another of those cards, drop it in your rig and hey-presto a million times better performance.
Many an SLI or CrossFire motherboards got sold on the back of this idea, to people wanting the ephemeral security of perceived future-proofing. Obviously it wasn't that simple and never quite turned out to give the sort of returns you really desired or deserved.
And the fact was that by the time you came to upgrade to another of those mid-range cards they had become so passé that you would be just as well spending the same again on a superior single-GPU card. And then you wouldn't have to cope with the vagaries of multi-GPU driver support either…
Software-wise though things have been steadily improving. No longer do we have the headaches we once did trying to get our drivers to recognise the extra GPUs, and hot-fixes come thick and fast to solve the inevitable problems that accompany new games releases. Yes, DiRT2, we're looking straight at you.
The rise of the multi-GPU single card has helped this; specifically AMD's change in approach leaving the high-end of its graphics options to those monstrous, dual-wielding pixel pushers. So now the multi-GPU setup is all about the high-end performance systems not adding in extra boards somewhere down the line.
That still left the fact that, at best, you were looking at a 60 per cent increase for adding in a second card, with that increase diminishing as you moved to triple SLI or quad CrossFire. But with both Nvidia and AMD releasing its new generation of DX11 compatible graphics cards it's time to see if you're still better off buying the fastest card you can or whether two cards are finally better than one.
Nvidia GeForce GTS 250
Representing the last generation of graphics we've got Nvidia's lower-end cards offering a multi-GPU setup for less than £200 - namely the GTS 250.
In modern DirectX 10 gaming you're looking at an average percentage increase that tops out just under the 70 per cent mark when you factor in a second card. With the extra graphics memory and processing power it's not a bad boost for the cash.
Obviously, when you're looking at the tougher benchmarks of STALKER: Call of Pripyat and Metro 2033 the results tail off considerably given the GPU's a couple generations out of date now.
Still, if you've got a GTS 250 sitting in your rig and a 1,680 x 1,050 monitor strapped to it, for less than £100 you can be hitting over 30fps with everything turned on in Just Cause 2.
Nvidia GeForce GTX 470
The Heaven benchmark scales brilliantly with multiple GPUs, and the GTX 470 actually manages to post a 101 per cent increase.
The results in-game aren't quite so compelling though, but the key thing to note is the disparity between the increase in the higher resolutions compared to the lower. The average increase at 2,560 x 1,600 is a remarkably impressive 80 per cent, giving a comparatively huge boost to the lucky few out there with such large-screen gaming habits.
On the flip side if you're looking to max out the frame rates at the lower res of 1,680 x 1,050 you'll be disappointed with an average increase of only 32 per cent. Still, this shows where the emphasis for modern SLI is going – the big screens.
Nvidia GeForce GTX 480
As you'd expect from essentially the exact same architecture the performance increase from adding in a second GTX 480 is almost identical to that gained by the GTX 470.
That said though, looking at the raw figures proves that if you want the fastest dual-GPU setup going, then it's time to stump up the cash and drop two of Nvidia's most powerful Fermi cards in the same machine.
That is then a graphics setup totalling almost £1,000 but when you're picking up over 100fps in both DiRT2 and Far Cry 2 at 2,560 x 1,600 on the highest settings your eyes might tell you it's worth it.
High-res gaming is where the Fermi card's SLI emphasis lies, and with these figures it's quite hard to disagree with Nvidia on this one.
ATI Radeon HD 5770
It's only the relatively poor performance increases in Just Cause 2 that stops the low-end cards of this CrossFire test posting a more impressive average increase with a second card.
The 80 per cent and 85 per cent in Far Cry 2 at 2,560 x 1,600 and 1,680 x 1,050 respectively boasts better scaling than both NVIDIA's Fermi cards.
At £260 for a pair of HD 5770s though you're getting significantly better performance than a single HD 5850, which is practically the same price. With the improvements, by AMD's driver team especially, in multi-GPU gaming you actually are better off with twin HD 5770s than a single HD 5850.
The most surprising thing though is the fact that twin HD 5770s actually beat a single GTX 470. Impressive stuff.
ATI Radeon HD 5850
If you're rocking an existing HD 5850 then the news is good. Dropping in a second card will give you some serious performance gains, especially at the high-end resolutions.
In terms of all round speed gains the HD 5850 is the best that AMD has to offer with an average increase of just over 70 per cent at 2,560 x 1,600. That's behind the impressive increases of around 80 per cent that you get with twin Nvidia cards though, but CrossFire HD 5850s still represent a conundrum.
They're almost on par with the HD 5970, but significantly faster almost across the board compared to the GTX 480, a card that's only £30 cheaper than two of these at best.
AMD's multi-GPU strategy seems to be paying off.
AMD Radeon HD 5870
These are the cards that have been propping up the fastest gaming PCs for over half a year. Put together two HD 5870's cost almost £100 more expensive than the HD 5970, but offer much more in the way of gaming performance.
That said though we're into the realms of diminishing returns as the relatively moderate gains you pick up over the HD 5970 hardly justify the extra outlay.
The interesting thing though is that with the latest Catalyst drivers improving AMD's gaming performance so much it has propelled the HD 5870 ahead of the GTX 470 in single and, despite lower percentage performance gains, in dual-card configurations.
AMD's focus on the multi-GPU to help prop up it's high-end components means it works across the board.
So SLI and CrossFire are really starting to make a name for themselves then. Ease of installation and the burgeoning returns you get for adding in the extra card now makes it a viable proposition.
As we can see though, it's Nvidia that has made the most gains in its multi-GPU technology in the performance sector. Both of its latest cards are hitting an average percentage frame rate increase of 80 per cent at the eye-bleeding resolution of 2,560 x 1,600.
It has conceded the lower end of the scale, garnering a pretty poor showing of 32 per cent at 1,680 x 1,050. But you're only going to be forking out for an extra £300 (or so) for a graphics card, if you're powering a monitor with a screen large enough to do it justice.
Despite putting much of its high-end emphasis on the value of its multi-GPU solution, the HD 5970, AMD hasn't quite got the same performance boost when it comes to adding in that extra card. Sure it's 5 series cards are better than the Fermis at the lower end, but only the HD 5850 manages to post percentage gains of over 70 per cent.
Where AMD can compete though is in the price/performance metrics. Since it released the 10.4 version of its Catalyst drivers the GTX 470 has taken a bit of a pounding. The HD 5770 in CrossFire is easily comparable in performance terms with the slower Fermi card, and a pair of them are also significantly cheaper. They likewise put the equivalently priced HD 5850 to shame and also manage to hit over 60 per cent average percentage gains too.
Click here to see the high-res version
Top performance though has to go to the insane numbers you get out of the GTX 480 when it's got a twin sat next to it. Still, that's nearly £1,000-worth of graphical componentry and unless you're powering three 30-inch panels they're hardly worth the cash.
But this whole multi-GPU thing is now relevant, rather than being simply a technical demo for GPU makers to show what their graphical gems are capable of, cash notwithstanding. And it's easy too.
At no point in the testing of these six different setups did I encounter any frustrating problems born of multi-GPU drivers. A simple tick-box in the relevant driver panels in Windows was all it took to get them playing nice.
On the AMD side too you're not looking at spending more cash just for the possibility of adding in a second card later on; most full size mobos these days are rocking multiple PCI-e lanes with CrossFire support.
On the Nvidia side things are a mite stickier; tracking down SLI compatible boards is a tougher ask and can be pricer too. But the future's bright and in the GTX 470's Heaven 2.0 benchmark we've actually seen the first time where adding a second card more than doubles performance.
Nvidia's dominance in the percentage increase stakes means that suddenly SLI is going to be a lot more interesting this summer when the mid-range Fermi cards tip up.
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Korean police raid Google's Seoul offices
Google's Korean offices have been raided by the police who suspected that the company was collecting and storing data on "unspecified internet users from Wi-Fi networks"With the Street View furore yet to die down, the company has faced anger from many governments over the collection of Wi-Fi data without permission – something it has insisted is an error.
But police in Seoul have followed that up with a raid on the offices, with the BBC reporting that hard drives were seized in the raid.
Investigating
"[We] have been investigating Google Korea on suspicion of unauthorised collection and storage of data on unspecified internet users from Wi-Fi networks," the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) said in a statement.
Google has insisted that it will not stand in the way of any further investigation and will co-operate fully with the authorities.
The company has already apologised for what it insists was an inadvertent error in seizing unsecured Wi-Fi details whilst touring around countries for its Street View data.
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Google to announce 'cool' new phone features
Google is to announce a whole host of new features for Android this week, with the search giant holding a press conference at its offices in San Francisco, where it will unveil "a couple of cool new mobile features." While some had been suggesting that Google will show off a FaceTime rival, it seems that what will be demoed will be a little more low-key.
While Android already has FaceTime 'rivals' through its third-party apps like Fring, this is probably not something we would see in a software update, given that you need the addition of a front-facing camera for the feature to really work – something that is a hardware more than a software issue.
3.0 times the charm
The new features on show could well be part of Google's forthcoming Android 3.0 update, which goes under the delicious name of Gingerbread.
This update is said to bring a new user interface, improved cut-and-paste functionality and support for WebM video playback.
So far all of the above has been rumour and conjecture so it will be great to see what Google's mobile product head Hugo Barra will show off.
But, as it is low-key, we are suspecting it will more likely be upgrades to existing software - Google loves its upgrades - or brand-new new Google apps.
As always TechRadar will keep you posted.
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Samsung Galaxy Tab to be unveiled in September
The Samsung Galaxy Tab, the Korean firm's first attempt at an iPad rival, looks set to be formally announced next month.The device, which has also been dubbed the Galaxy Tape for some reason in recent reports, will pack a 7-inch screen and run on the latest Android 2.2 platform.
"We will showcase our latest Smart TV and interchangeable lens camera models at the show," the source said, according to Korean media outlet JoongAng Daily. "We will also showcase our tablet PC for the first time officially."
Potential annoucement
The source is said to be a 'high ranking official' and although you usually can't believe anything until a company puts its name to it, September seems to make sense as a potential announcement date for the Galaxy Tab.
We started seeing prototype versions of the device a few months ago, looking not only fully formed but very much like an iPad - and when you consider that the Samsung Galaxy S is as similar-looking to an iPhone as it's possible to get, the devices make sense.
We'll be at IFA next month to bring you all the news and trust us that we'll be getting out the night vision goggles and swinging down through skylights to get a peek of this new Android tablet as soon as we can.
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Review: TrickleStar TV TrickleStar
As rising power prices are even more important than general green-ness right now, any way to cut the power consumption of a home entertainment system is welcome, and TrickleStar's new gizmo is cheap enough to pay for itself before the icecaps melt. The TV TrickleSaver (and its PC counterpart) works by sensing the drop in power consumption as a TV goes into standby and cutting power to other devices, then doing the opposite when the TV turns on again.
The aim is to reduce the drain from games consoles, amplifiers, digital TV receivers and other devices that might not have a standby mode or don't alter their power consumption much in standby.
It's quite bulky, but has a pleasant Apple-style design, with one cable going to your power socket and two inputs for your master device (the TV) and slave devices – the recommendation being that you connect this to a power strip.
TrickleStar makes a version integrated with a four-way power strip for the USA, and it would be welcome here too.
There are mounting lugs on the back so you can attach it to the wall, next to your power socket and out of harm's way.
Adjustable sensitivity
The only control is a trimmer dial, which adjusts its sensitivity for TVs that don't reduce their power consumption significantly when in standby.
Our LG and Toshiba TVs were fine with the default setting, but many older LCD and plasma TVs barely reduce their power consumption in standby – and some of the cheaper supermarket TVs aren't very efficient either.
The only drawback– fully explained on the packaging – is that almost all digital TV receivers, whether Sky, Freeview, Freesat or other, need to be left in standby mode when not in use so they can receive software updates overnight. PVRs, of course, have to be in standby to record, and they're often quite power-hungry.
However, you could use the PVR as the master device and totally power-down your TV, saving further. The only feature we'd add would be a power-consumption display (or a log that you could download via USB) to measure your savings, but that would likely push the cost to an unreasonable level.
If your 'leccy bill is a burden this might be worth the small outlay to control your AV gear, and you don't even have to add another remote control to the pile.
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Nintendo set to show off MotionPlus Zelda game
Nintendo has revealed what it will be showing off at gamescon in Cologne, including Wii Party and Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword which promises to take advantage of the underutilised Wii MotionPlus. Wii MotionPlus arrived a year ago, bringing extra accuracy to the Wiimote, but take up has been muted.
However, Nintendo's use of one of its most powerful and critically acclaimed franchises – Legend of Zelda – could give the add-on a much needed push.
Anticipation
"Worldwide anticipation continues to build ahead of the upcoming launch of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in Europe in 2011 for Wii," explains Nintendo.
"For the first time, the precision of Link's sword movements will be exactly replicated due to the required Wii MotionPlus accessory.
"Players can also enjoy the beautiful graphics which give you the feeling of walking straight into a painting.
"With a plethora of new gameplay mechanics, Link's latest adventure has been given a refreshingly different feel from all the past titles in the series."
Other games
There are a plethora of other games being shown off, although Nintendo's release makes no mention of the much-anticipated 3DS handheld.
"Charles Martinet - the voice of Nintendo's plucky plumber, Mario, and many other Nintendo characters for more than 20 years, will be present at the show, where guests can play all of the Mario games that have ever appeared for Wii and Nintendo DS, including the latest cosmic funfest Super Mario Galaxy 2," explains Nintendo.
"Visitors to the Nintendo stand will not only be able to get their hands on an exciting range of upcoming game titles – including The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Metroid: Other M, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Wii Party and many others."
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Project Canvas seeking interested manufacturers
Project Canvas has formally invited manufacturers to declare their interest in making devices to market in 2011. The IPTV project, headed up by the BBC, is looking for 'expressions of interest from consumer equipment manufacturers'.
With manufacturers declaring their intentions, Project Canvas is hoping to rapidly engage new device partners and develop a 'broad base' of manufacturers that are involved in the scheme.
Engagement
Project Canvas director, Richard Halton said, "Canvas is stepping up its engagement with industry as we get closer to releasing the final set of technical documents to the DTG this month, and launching a consumer product next year.
"Bringing on board further consumer equipment manufacturers will ensure people have the widest possible choice of devices and we remain focused on supporting the industry to stimulate a competitive market.
"We continue to work closely with the DTG to develop common standards for Connected TV".
Deadline
Interested parties have until 5pm on 25 August to declare their interest – by emailing contact@projectcanvas.info.
"Expressions of interest received by the closing date will be taken forward into a process to identify consumer device manufacturers to work with the proposed joint venture as Device Partners," adds the Canvas release.
"The number of Device Partners taken on at this stage will reflect the resources that are available within the Project Canvas programme and engineering teams."
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Review: Hannspree SJ42DMBB
A budget of £400 typically buys you a 26 or 32-inch LCD TV from one of major manufacturers. All credit to Hannspree, then, which has managed to deliver a fully blown 42-in, full HD set at this price. Finished in the currently fashionable gloss black look, there's little superficially to tell the SJ42DMBB apart from dozens of other TVs currently on the market.
For its part, Hannspree is keen to point out that the SJ42DMBB can be 'easily' wall-mounted.
There's none of the proprietary high-tech picture processing you'd expect from companies like Panasonic and Sony, although Hannspree makes reference to an 'ultra-fast' 6.5ms refresh time and 'hi-colour' processing. Screen backlighting is provided by a conventional CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) rather than LEDs.
The integral Freeview tuner boasts digital teletext and a side-mounted CI (Common Interface) slot for pay-TV upgrades, but is only compatible with standard-definition UK channels. You may pay more for a 42in, full-HD TV from one of the bigger brands, but nowadays the digital tuner will almost certainly be ready for Freeview HD.
Also on offer are an analogue tuner with 100-page teletext and Nicam stereo, three 1080p/24-compatible HDMI inputs (one of which is side-mounted), a choice of basic viewing modes and a handful of simple gimmicks.
Oddly, the shipping carton suggests that the SJ42DMBB can decode H.264/AVC – the video compression technology employed for high-definition broadcasts in the UK. This feature, if it is indeed present, would be wasted in the UK owing to the absence of the DVB-T2 tuner needed to receive terrestrial HD broadcasts.
Maybe the set has an onboard multimedia player for audio and video clips, as is common with recent examples from Sony, Panasonic and Samsung? There's a side-mounted USB port, but don't get too excited: it's just a service port and has no consumer application.
The more upmarket TVs usually build in an Ethernet port for access to home networks, and online services such as YouTube and Picasa (some will also support catch-up services like the BBC's iPlayer). No such provision has alas been made here; if onscreen access to the internet is important, then you'll need to look elsewhere.
However, Hannspree has been sensible enough to include a VGA/D-sub socket on the rear panel. Plug your computer into this, and you'll have far more online potential than any current TV – regardless of price – can currently offer.
A 3.5mm socket caters for the accompanying (stereo) audio. If you're used to a 15in laptop screen, a 42in full-HD screen could blow your mind.
Other connectivity is impressive considering the price. In addition to those three HDMI ports and the VGA terminal are two Scart sockets for older gear like VCRs and non-HDMI DVD players or set-top boxes, and a component input (with phono audio inputs). On the side of the cabinet lurks a composite AV input, with support for stereo sound.
The built-in digital terrestrial tuner is the equivalent of a basic £20 set-top box, although it integrates quite nicely with the set's user interface. In addition to the aforementioned red-dot (MHEG-5) digital teletext and CI slot are an EPG, favourite channels, plus the ability to display subtitles and select alternative soundtracks (like audio descriptions) if available.
An optical audio output, meanwhile, enables such soundtracks to be fed to a home cinema system. As a budget set, the SJ42DMBB isn't exactly bristling with features. You get PAL/SECAM/NTSC analogue video support, a choice of six picture presentations (including 4:3/16:9 aspect ratios and the obligatory picture-expanding zooms) and – unusually – the ability to underscan or overscan pictures from an HDMI source. Also on offer are picture-freeze, which, sadly, only works with the digital tuner, and a sleep timer.
As a basic flat-panel TV, with none of the trimmings of more expensive models, we're pleased to report that the SJ42DMBB is on the whole easy to use. Having side-mounted AV inputs, especially HDMI, is a real boon for games consoles and camcorders.
The menu system is sensibly-compartmentalised, with sections for picture, sound, features and parental control (channel/AV input blocks and age-ratings for digital channels). It disappears after an annoyingly short timeout period, though.
The voluminous manual, which admittedly has to cover no fewer than 19 languages, doesn't tell you how to set favourite channels so that they can be quickly recalled at the touch (or two) of a button. We couldn't figure out for ourselves how to define channels as favourites, and so our list was resolutely empty.
More sensibly implemented handset-driven features include a channel list, the basic but workable EPG with programme-type filtering, and the ability to return instantly to the last-viewed channel.
A simple onscreen list, the mere touch of a button away, switches between the AV inputs and TV tuner. The sleep timer will send the set into standby after a preset period, but the handset button to do this could be positioned more intuitively.
One of the criticisms our of review sample is that digital TV subtitles come on by default. This can be somewhat annoying, certainly if your hearing is up to scratch. However, they can be turned off in the sensibly designed menu system - and turned on when required with the handset button that Hannspree has provided for this very purpose.
What's more, we've been assured by Hannspree that this irregularity will be fixed on versions that go on sale.
The aforementioned 'overscan' mode expands the picture very slightly, so that unwanted junk at the top or bottom of the picture (such as teletext, video ident lines or analogue VCR head-switching noise) is shunted out of sight. The feature might be useful if you have been using one of those DVD recorders with an in-built VCR to convert your old VHS tapes. Some digital TV sources can also benefit from the feature.
For Blu-ray and decent HDMI-interfaced DVD players, though, keep it switched out (i.e. in the alternative 'Underscan' mode) to avoid scaling artifacts like 'jaggies' and a slight but nevertheless perceptible loss of detail. In the features menu, you'll find picture format options. We recommend 'Native', for similar reasons.
No amount of tweaking can improve a picture that is fundamentally ropey by contemporary standards. Details may be quite sharp, but they can be spoiled by fuzzy outlines, especially in areas of saturated colour.
Given the SJ42DMBB's low price, contrast range and greyscale gradations are just about acceptable, but what should be pure black simply isn't. Not even an 'X-Contrast' feature, which seems to tailor the backlight brightness to reflect scene content, makes much difference.
Skin tones have an unnaturally yellow tinge, although this can be tamed ('reddened' would perhaps be a better word) by switching 'Flesh tone' to on. You'll find this adjustment in the 'Advanced Control' menu.
Motion judder
Another criticism is the frequent presence of motion judder, certainly with Blu-ray content. The SJ42DMBB may be compatible with 24p sources, but we found ourselves switching to one of our player's alternative modes.
Unfortunately, none could address this problem, which can be just as annoying as those big-brand processing modes that make everything move as if on ice. Then there's the digital tuner.
Quite often, pictures were swimming in a sea of artifacts (edge fuzz, stepping on diagonals, macroblocking) unless you're some distance away from the set. Detailing is lacklustre, too, and there's a noticeably 'plastic' look to faces.
Noise reduction (which lives in the 'advanced control' menu) has no effect on these digital artefacts: it's been included for the treatment of analogue sources. As a computer monitor, though, the SJ42DMBB is impressive.
If the picture is lacklustre, the sound somehow manages to be even worse. An obvious hollowness makes speech fairly unpleasant to listen to, and there's little output at the frequency extremes. Hannspree has specified a graphic equaliser in the audio menu, but it makes little useful difference.
Adjusting the10kHz bar, which is the closest you get to a treble control, does little to restore sparkle. And the speaker drivers are so small that no amount of fiddling is going to give the SJ42DMBB a full-bodied bottom-end.
The sound system isn't particularly loud - but even with the volume maxed out, distortion isn't particularly problematic. Our sonic conclusion?
Here's a TV that's crying out for an external audio system - and presumably Hannspree realises this by running to the expense of that optical digital audio output. It's a pity that the SJ42DMBB doesn't have external speaker outlets – these used to be quite common, and in our experience it's the internal speakers, rather than the amplifiers or sources, that compromise sound quality.
The SJ42DMBB is inexpensive for a reasonably well-featured 42in TV with plenty of connections. Not so long ago, such TVs were perched very much at the esoteric end of the AV market. But much has changed, in a surprisingly-short space of time.
Today, the giants of the industry - companies like Panasonic and Samsung - are selling demonstrably-superior sets for little more than the SJ42DMBB's £400 asking price. If you can locate an 'end-of-line' bargain, you might even get even more TV for your money.
The SJ42DMBB is an attractive set with flexible connectivity options that include three HDMI ports, two Scarts and a VGA input that enables it to be used as a widescreen computer monitor.
Both analogue and (standard-definition) digital terrestrial tuners are built in. A great spec for the price, admittedly, but ultimately the SJ42DMBB is let down by a disappointing audio-visual performance.
We liked
The 42in full HD resolution screen, multitude of AV inputs and computer monitor potential are all definite plus points. We also appreciate the Common Interface slot, as this provides a migratory path to digital terrestrial pay-TV services.
We disliked
The picture and sound quality, which fall far short from what one can expect from an LCD TV today.
The instruction manual also leaves much to be desired
Final verdict
If you're after a large-screen computer monitor and only plan to use the TV for sporadic non-critical viewing (sports scores and news headlines, for example), then the SJ42DMBB might fit the bill.
But be warned. It's as true today as it ever was - you get what you pay for.
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THX looking into 'physiological effects of 3D'
THX has announced that it is to open up a 3D testing facility with BluFocus, which will analyse all aspects of the 3D production process.It is the first 3D certification program of its kind, offering authoring and production guidelines for those shooting in 3D and testing procedures for evaluating 3D AV quality.
It will also look into 3D Blu-ray disc and player interoperability and what it is calling "the physiological effects of 3D on home viewers."
There has been a lot of talk about the effects of 3D in a small viewing space – ie, the living room – so it will be interesting to see what the THX-BluFocus findings will be.
Added dimension
Paulette Pantoja, CEO of BluFocus, said about the new program: "The added dimension of 3D brings with it more technical challenges than traditional 2D post-production and authoring, and requires more steps in the production chain.
"The certification process we are creating with THX will help refine 3D post-production and authoring and help content providers minimise technical flaws long before 3D content is broadcast, streamed or authored on optical disc."
Hopefully this means that we don't see a repeat of the awful Clash Of The Titans remake which was retro-fitted to 3D and is now seen as an example of 'how not to do 3D' in the industry.
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Is PC market 'falling off a cliff'?
Fears are mounting that PC sales have dropped off significantly, with Intel and AMD shares both falling this week. The PC market has been buoyant, but news from the Far East markets is apparently not good.
"Checks in Taiwan indicate PC orders falling off a cliff," JP Morgan analyst Christopher Danely stated.
"We believe a host of PC companies pushed out orders throughout the supply chain."
Sharp deceleration
Baird analyst Tristan Gerra added "Our checks point to a sharp deceleration in PC order trends continuing into August, after a below-expectation July month.
"Hopes of a meaningful recovery for the September month are less and less likely, in our view, leading to a likely below-expectation third quarter."
Despite the economic uncertainty of recent years, the PC market has been remarkably buoyant.
But even with a round of upgrades for Windows 7 and the explosive growth of the mobile computing market, some are now worried that the bubble has burst.
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HP 'Project Hurricane' webOS tablet due Q1 2011
HP is having something of an up-and-down week, with news that the company is set to launch a webOS tablet in the first quarter of 2011 following the shock departure of the company's CEO earlier this month.According to a number of sources at a recent company meeting, HP's webOS is set to be made available on a tablet PC next year.
The news hardly comes as a shock, as developing and monetising webOS was clearly one of the major reasons why HP acquired Palm earlier in July this year
Project Hurricane
Engadget cites "trusted sources" that were in attendance at a recent employee meeting where HP Senior Vice President Todd Bradley mentioned a planned first quarter of 2011 launch for a webOS tablet.
The sources added that the internal code name for the project is Hurricane.
HP plans to develop and use Palm's webOS in various ways across a number of consumer product lines, from tablet PCs through to web-connected printers and smartphones.
So in addition to the new webOS tablet, HP is currently working on a Windows 7-based slate PC for the enterprise sector and an Android-based Zeen e-reader for consumers.
And who was it that said tablet PCs were a flash in the pan?
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Microsoft: How Wolfram Alpha is changing Bing
Microsoft's Bing team have outlined the way that the integration of Wolfram Alpha in the latest release of the plucky search engine will help you out. In a post on the official Bing blog, Kristin Meldahl and Natalia Burina suggest that the deal done for a collaboration on the 'computational engine' Wolfram Alpha data will be a major boon for those seeking quick answers.
"Have you given an answer that you 'think' you remember from your days in school, knowing that the information you were about to give might be very outdated?" they ask.
"Now, with the latest release of new Bing answers through our collaboration with Wolfram Alpha, you can get access to more types of answers quickly and confidently.
Common questions
"Bing and Wolfram Alpha make finding the answers to common questions that much easier by proving this information to you right in the search results," the post continues.
Other new feature sin Bing include dates – allowing you to quickly find out the date of major events like holidays. (Clue: Christmas is on 25 December).
"The next time you are confronted with the task of knowing or finding the answer to help with homework or even if you are just looking for the next time you need to cook the holiday dinner give Bing a try," the Microsoft team concludes.
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Rumour: Amazon considering movie and music gadgets
Amazon is reportedly looking at new gadgets and hardware in addition to its hugely successful Kindle range of e-readers.Amazon's online Kindle store has only recently launched in the UK but recent job postings at the company's R&D Lab 126 (the division responsible for the Kindle) shows a range of interesting new job vacancies such as Hardware Engineer and RF Systems Engineer.
The New York Times speculates that there is "a good chance these engineers will be recruited to build other gadgets that Amazon is prototyping in its secret labs."
What is inside Lab 126?
Citing sources close to Amazon's plans in this area, who chose to remain anonymous, the Times adds that, "Lab 126 has been looking into building other gadgets that it could sell to consumers."
One source said that new products were developed with one key objective – to make purchasing content available on Amazon as easy as possible. To date the focus has been on books, but this could well soon be expanded to cover music, movies and more.
"Jeff [Bezos]'s original goal for the lab was to build a range of other devices," said one source. "There was talk of music players and other electronics."
Exactly if and when we will see an Amazon-branded music and movie player is still to be confirmed, of course. Amazon has yet to comment on the rumours.
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Gmail contacts improved by Google
Google has tweaked the Gmail webmail service, with significant improvements made to the contacts section. Gmail has become one of the most popular webmail services, and the company has responded to feedback asking for improvements to the way that contacts are handled.
"You've asked us to generally make Contacts easier to use, as well as for specific improvements like sorting by last name, keyboard shortcuts, and custom labels for phone numbers," blogged Gmail product manager Benjamin Grol.
Popular request
"So, by popular request, we're happy to announce that an overhauled version of Gmail Contacts will be rolling out today.
"Contacts now works more like the rest of Gmail, so if you know how to use Gmail, now you should automatically feel comfortable in Contacts too."
The new features include keyboard shortcuts, sort by last name, custom labels for phone numbers and the ability to undo changes.
Improved layout
There is also automatic saving, structured name feeds and a more prominent note field.
"While we were at it, we also improved our layout and made it easier to get to Contacts and Tasks.
"You'll see these links are now up at the top left corner of your account (along with a link for 'Mail' that takes you back to your inbox)."
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Twitter to launch official 'tweet button' this week
Twitter is planning to roll out its own official tweet button this week, offering a one-click sharing service that can be easily added to websites.Although similar buttons are already available for sites, they are created by third-party services. Twitter is hoping that its official button will be the most accurate yet, offering precise numbers of those who have retweeted articles online.
Push the button
Twitter hasn't officially announced the service, but Mashable has got its hands on the code and says it already works, but the retweeting aspect of it hasn't been turned on yet.
Twitter is trying to make it as easy as possible to add the code – it is just one line of Javascript that needs to be added to a web page.
Although an official retweet button was always going to come from Twitter, it will be a blow to the third-party services which already offer this.
But Twitter will be hoping that the extras it is offering – attaching your Twitter account to the button, different looks, default text – will entice websites into using the official version.
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