In Depth: The future of MMOs: beyond a genre
Tabula Rasa's gone. Hellgate's gone. Warhammer, Champions and Conan have just a fraction of their original subscribers…
The MMO, says the wise man on the internet – the one who knows everything and nothing – is dying.
That's nonsense. Absolute, crazy poppycock. It's because 'MMO' doesn't even begin to cover what this genre is in 2010. Hell, even using the word 'genre' to describe them is wildly inaccurate.
We're no longer in an age where people are incredulous that games have online persistence and the option to interact with untold numbers of players. That "Ooh, it's on the internet!" mentality is worthless in the here and now. The vast majority of games are now created with the internet in mind, not as an annoying afterthought.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, with its much obsessed over ranking and unlock system, is approaching what we might call MMO territory. Farmville, the gotta catch 'em all 2D Facebook game, has social networking at its core. It's sister title, Mafia Wars (also available on Facebook), is similarly styled - and barely a game in the traditional sense, but strangely addictive all the the same.
Big publishers have been getting in on the act as well. Electronic Arts has been getting busy with its free-to-play multiplayer action. The flawed but just-about-free Battlefield Heroes proved that there is the potential for a market outside of the traditional subscription-based services in the west.
It's most recent release, Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online, extended the idea of micropayments to a more reasonable gaming model. Meanwhile Need for Speed World looks set to keep piston-heads off the streets, at least for a little while. Indeed for the most part 'Online games' is increasingly a better way to think about the shifting mass of what was once MMOs.
If, however, we're talking about hack'n'slash fantasy worlds derived from the Everquest model and slavishly looking to the terrifying prevalence of World of Warcraft then yes, times have changed dramatically. The last three years saw the largest surge of mainstream, high-budget MMOs to appear on the market since the clunky original acronym 'MMORPG' was coined.
EVERQUEST II: Everquest II continues to chug on, this time adding battlegrounds for levels 80 to 90
In quick succession, we had Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons & Dragons Online, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Hellgate: London, Tabula Rasa, Age of Conan, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, Champions Online and Star Trek Online, not to mention endless imports from Korea.
They were exciting times – pick a theme or an intellectual property of your choice, and go live in a world built around it. Of those games, only Lord of the Rings Online could be said to be doing well, holding on as it is to a comfortable number two spot for subscriber numbers, behind the inevitable WoW. Plenty are holding on to a small but loyal subscriber base, but, barring a miracle, decline seems their only future.
Dungeons and Dragons Online is a fascinating exception to the decline, having recently opted for a free to play model with premium, unlockable content for a monthly subscription. Late last year, it looked weaker than an asthmatic kitten, but come its relaunch as DDO : Eberron Unlimited in September 2009, it netted itself over a million new players.
This resurgence is, in a way, the definite statement on the current state of play for MMOs. We're in a new age now: "WoW clones are going away" says Shawn Schuster, editor in chief of popular MMO news site www.massively.com.
CHAMPIONS: Champions Online has so far failed to repeat the success of City of Heroes/Villains
"Right now we're riding the waves of development from four to five years ago, because it takes about that long to make an MMO. Studios saw the success of WoW and figured it would be smart to mimic that, but that's not what the players want. If someone wants to play WoW, they will play WoW because it's a darn good product."
New model
There's one last gasp of that old model to come. Within the next year, World of Warcraft's third expansion Cataclysm should arrive, as should the Bioware developed Star Wars: The Old Republic. There isn't the slightest doubt that either of these will make an ungodly amount of money, but they're very special cases.
"Cataclysm will be important for WoW players and SWTOR will be important for sci-fi or Star Wars fans, but we can't lean on those as the most important products that will determine a 'new' direction for MMOs," says Schuster. "I honestly believe the new direction will be created by a studio with more passion than money, not the other way around."
There are several of those around already. Mortal Online, for instance, is a wildly ambitious (and complicated) independent project created by fans of MMO granddaddy Ultima Online, while the esoteric, procedurally-generated Love is the passion project of a single man.
Then there's Wurm Online, which has been around since 2006 but unexpectedly reached the limelight last year, as tales of its players' fantastic dedication and impressive constructions proliferated around the web. This is an MMO in which you can build anything you want, so long as you put the time in.
Unlike pervy creation title Second Life, this is genuinely a game of building – every brick must be hewn, every hole dug, every consequence felt. This is a game where you go to live out the imagined reality of existence in a harsh, technology-free world.
We've heard that kind of promise from other games, of course, but Wurm is very much the real deal. "I have been a bit nervous when games I consider to be in the same niche as Wurm has entered the scene such as Age of Conan, Dark and Light, Darkfall and most lately Mortal Online entered the scene," admits Wurm's Lead Designer Rolf Jansson.
AGE OF CONAN: The Godslayer expansion for Age of Conan adds much needed meat to the original
"They all have had their share of problems or unfulfilled hype and most players return to Wurm. I believe in what you could call gamer feature perversion. That is, if you have advanced features in one MMO, such as the possibility to alter the terrain or improve the skills of your pets, you will miss that feature in the next MMO in the same niche."
Secrets of success
So why has Wurm Online succeeded where other MMO titles, who strode onto the scene wearing gigantic money hats, have failed miserably?
"One reason is no doubt cost effectiveness. We have avoided costs and overhead and focused on a small, effective team instead of borrowing money or relying on funding. Another reason is, of course, niching and not doing what others did. We also gave the players massive amounts of freedom. This has cost us speed but we have gained stability and longevity."
While Wurm, along with its vague contemporaries, such as Mortal Online and Darkfall, might fall a little short in production values, they offer worlds that aren't just about hitting monsters with a sword until you've levelled up enough to go find and hit some bigger monsters.
The players drive the game as much, if not more than, the developers do. It's reflected in the very face of their polygonal lands – the buildings on them, the warring factions and even the dizzying number of neologisms all over the in-game conversations. Low cost, high ambition – and it's paying off.
But can we expect big publishers to go in this direction? "They would have to rethink their development strategies and tools a lot first," says Jansson.
"It will be very expensive. They will want it to be browser-based, and the trouble with browser-based games is that they usually have a portion of asynchronous data access and you'd need server farms that handled the data access in pretty advanced ways. It's going to be a pain for them for a number of reasons. I also don't know if they have the people with those skills or interests as employees. If they don't do it browser-based … they will take a huge risk of having a very hard time getting the people to play it."
New players
Crucially, browser gaming means no installation, no gigantic patches and therefore no worrying about whether you have the system requirements – and that makes it attractive to people who aren't traditionally gamers, let alone MMO players.
It should and will be the goal of every MMO before too long. Including Wurm: "A goal will be to make the client run in a browser. We are going to put a lot of effort into making data access and things like settlement management accessible via browser. A lot of new features such as multi-storey buildings, castles and player-made bridges are also planned. A lot of existing features are very basic and will be polished in the process. In a few years Wurm Online will be a very accessible and polished fantasy simulator."
Now we're past hungrily demanding uber-graphics in everything, low system requirements and easy access are coming to the fore. What doesn't get reported as much as it should in lamentations about the state of the MMO industry is how fantastically successful 2D, casual-ish fare, such as Maple Story and Puzzle Pirates are.
MAPLE STORY: Casual 2D MMO success stories, such as Maple Story often get overlooked
Then there's Dofus. You've probably never heard of Dofus – and yet it has 30 million players (three million of which are paying subscribers) and just happens to be bigger than World of Warcraft in several countries. French-speaking countries, pointedly.
It is available in English, and has a fair amount of fans in the US and UK, but really it's a bit of a ghost town over here in comparison. That doesn't mean it's not a new paradigm of MMO success. It's 2D, isometric and turn-based – exactly the kind of thing that habitual gamers sneer at, in other words – it was created by just a couple of guys, and its publisher/developer Ankama has barely marketed it. It hasn't had to.
Tu Dofus? Mais oui!
Back in April, PCF wandered over to Paris to attend the annual Ankama convention. As we roamed an exhibition centre filled with over 30,000 people (of all ages, but definitely skewed towards young), all feverishly buying Dofus plushie toys, cooing at cos players (proper ones, not bearded men dressed as sailors) and queuing for sneak previews of Dofus' multiple upcoming sequel/spin-off games, we couldn't believe that we were previously unaware of this quiet colossus.
"Back in 2005 Dofus was able to gather a strong French speaking community because it was known to be a French game, and there were not too many French MMOs out there back then. The game really took off in 2008 in France," says Ankama's Cedric Gerard.
DOFUS: The quietly spoken French-made MMO giant with three million subscribers
"We've managed to continue growing for the past few years for several reasons: the game is in a style of its own: a funny, manga-looking MMO with a turn-based fighting system. The low subscription fee is also one of the factors of its success, and so is the fact that being developed with Flash, it can be played on low-specced computers."
At just £3.99 per month, it's a much easier expense to justify than the £8 to £12 we're accustomed to from flashier MMOs, which, as we know, many games have struggled to sell to the punters.
"We decided to offer a free version of the game, and give players the option to access the full version and pay for it when they are able to do so. Because of the lower fee to play, the majority of the players have been able to subscribe for several accounts, which they use to play at the same time, actually playing several characters at once, which is possible thanks to the turn-based system."
English-speaking nations are very much being targeted by upcoming sequel Wakfu, which, unlike Dofus, has a more persistent world that scrolls as you move, instead of entrances and exits on one Flash screen.
Lay your preconceptions about 2D, foreign MMOs being cheap and tawdry at the door – Wakfu is genuinely gorgeous to look at, and experimenting with a concept of a living ecosystem. Unlike sleeping giant Dofus, expect to start hearing about it soon, thanks to a Pokemon-style cross-media invasion.
"There will indeed be a very big push of Wakfu in the English-speaking markets, especially in the US", says Gerard. "We're looking to make it very successful with the elements of ecology and political system giving a lot of freedom to the players. The TV series, comic books and browser game will allow us to develop different aspects of the story."
F2P Not 4Us?
Wakfu's pricing hasn't been revealed, but it seems clear Ankama are continuing to resist the conventional wisdom that the free to play model is the future of this still-young industry:
"The free-to-play (item selling) model seems to attract a lot of companies to make casual MMOs, because it generates more revenue over a short period of time. Player lifetime is usually shorter, and the community doesn't develop in the same way and the game itself therefore usually has a shorter lifetime as well.
This type of MMO game suits a certain kind of player, those that want to spend more money in order to evolve their character quicker. Some people might think of it as the fast food of MMOs. We believe there is a danger of affecting the quality of the product in the end if revenue is the only thing you are after."
Massively.com's Shawn Schuster doesn't agree, believing that the subscription model of MMOs isn't looking terribly robust. "It won't die completely just yet, but games like Dungeons & Dragons Online are proving that people are willing to bend and try something new.
Subscription payment models are unheard of in Eastern countries, and it's just a matter of time before a hybrid model (much like DDO's) will become the norm in the Western world.
"The surprise success of Guild Wars, a game which eschewed subscriptions in favour of pure purchase price and rapid-fire expansions, was a hint of what was to come. When the sequel arrives, hopefully next year, it will emerge into a changed world. 'MMO' means nothing anymore – it's an outdated label for a very particular type of game that's slowly vanishing – or at least consolidating.
This isn't about World of Warcraft and its competitors anymore. It's about finding a place, a pace, a population and a payment plan that suits you. An industry in are after."
An industry in trouble? Far from it.
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Virgin Media launches budget VM202
Virgin Media has announced a new member of its budget phone family, the VM202, which packs in a fair whack of tech for only a few notes.For £29.99, users will get 300 texts when bought with £10 of talk time on pay as you go, with Facebook, Twitter, Instant Messenger and email all offered onboard.
Opera Mini is also included for web browsing, and a 1GB microSD memory card (from Virgin Media, not included by manufacturer Alcatel) for MP3 playback through the 3.5mm headphone jack, and MP4 video playback.
Sliding fun
The main selling point of the new phone is the slide out QWERTY keyboard, with a 'soft to the touch' key system and full numeric keypad on the front of the phone. However, the camera is only VGA quality, which you'd expect on a phone coming at this price point.
"The VM202 is a great new addition to our pay-as-you-go range and we're delighted to be first to bring this stylish, affordable device to our customers," said Jonathan Kini, director of mobile at Virgin Media.
"With easy access to Facebook and Twitter plus great multimedia features, the handset is perfect for teenage socialites on the go or as a great messaging device for existing Virgin Media families to take advantage of with huge call savings to be made with free calls between Virgin home phones and Virgin Mobiles."
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Nokia announces the X3 Touch and Type
Nokia has announced a new variant on the tiny Nokia X3 handset - the Nokia X3 Touch and Type.The new handset has both a touchscreen and a 12 button keypad, meaning users can swipe and type as they see fit.
The Nokia X3 Touch and Type's dimensions are: 9.6mm deep, 106mm tall, 48mm wide and weighing in at 78g.
Swiping fun
However, with only a 2.4-inch touchscreen crammed into the chassis, it will be interesting to see how effective the combination is.
On the plus side, the phone is much upgraded from the original X3, with a 5MP camera, 3G and Wi-Fi, and will be offered with Ovi Music Unlimited.
The new Nokia X3 Touch and Type will come for around £100 at some point in Q3 - which means there's not long left for this phone to make its debut.
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i-CAN first to SkySports on Freeview HD
i-CAN has become the first Freeview HD brand to offer Sky Sports, thanks to a deal with Top Up TV.A software update, which will be available from both i-CAN's and Top Up TV's websites, adds the extra functionality to existing i-CAN Easy HD Freeview HD boxes.
Those who have yet to buy an i-CAN Easy HD box will be pleased to hear that the pay service will be installed on to all new boxes which go on sale in the next couple of weeks.
Only one offering
The update means that users will be able to sign up to both Sky Sports (1 & 2) and ESPN through their i-CAN setup.
i-CAN spokesperson Karl Tempest-Mitchell said about the announcement: "We are proud to be the only company currently offering TV viewers in the UK the combination of Freeview HD and SD channels, iPlayer catch-up HD content from the BBC and premium sports, movies and entertainment channels from Top Up TV."
Although this is something of an exclusive for i-CAN at the moment, expect many more Freeview HD box manufacturers to get this update soon, as all new boxes have been primed to receive firmware updates that add extra functionality.
Just this week, Humax announced a small update for the HD-FOX T2, which brings Dolby Digital 5.1 improvements, resolved reminder issues and resolved subtitle issues.
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ITV bags James Bond HD free-to-air rights
ITV has bagged the free-to-air UK rights to show the James Bond films in HD, bringing one of the most famous film franchises to British audiences on a non-subscription channel. Although Sky has shown the later Bond films in HD on its movie channels, ITV has renewed its long-standing deal with MGM to screen the movies, and added the HD versions to the mix.
Zai Bennett, ITV Director of Digital Channels and Acquisitions, said: "James Bond is a British cinematic icon loved by ITV's audience and we're delighted to continue the franchise's long association with ITV, as well as the chance, for the first time, to show every Bond feature film in fantastic HD."
Pleased
Gary Marenzi, Co-President at MGM Worldwide Television added that the studio was "pleased to be working with ITV on keeping the Bond franchise as vibrant as ever in high definition, which will be a big treat to Bond fans in the UK."
We'll certainly be keeping an eye out for the films when they arrive through the channels 2010 and 2011 schedules.
ITV1 HD is available on Virgin Media, Sky, Freesat and Freeview HD, with the other ITV HD channels to be only available on Sky.
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Review: OCZ Agility 2 60GB
Is the OCZ Agility 2 the low-capacity, low-cost Sandforce SSD of choice? There's only one way to find out...Anyone who wants the best performance from their PC will know the advantages of using a high speed solid state drive for system files and important applications.
The question is, which one?
There are a lot of SSDs around with wildly varying prices and performance. OCZ alone has eight different product lines in a range of sizes from 32GB to 400GB. It gets a little confusing.
There's the Onyx, the Vertex, the Vertex 2, the Vertex LE, the Vertex 2 LE, the Vertex EX, the Vertex 2 EX, the Vertex 2 Pro and, finally, the drive we're looking at today, the Agility 2.
OCZ classifies the Agility 2 as its second tier range behind the Vertex 2. As one of the very few drives which use the new and much anticipated Sandforce SF-1200 controller, though, it's a class above most existing SSDs available.
There are a load of technical advantages to the new controller but the key one is that it supports the TRIM feature in Windows 7 and Linux kernels from 2.6.33 on, which streamlines the Agility 2's ability to write data over other drives which use an older architecture.
But what does that mean in performance terms?
We pitted the Agility 2 against OCZ's other Sandforce powered option, the Vertex 2, as well as an older but similarly sized model from Kingston's V+ series.
The ATTO scores give us throughput for large sequential read and write tests, while AS SSD looks at a broader spectrum of random data access and the drive's behaviour in the most common and challenging scenario, handling many small chunks simultaneously.
Maximum sequential read/write speeds
Average read/write speeds
Burst speeds
64K random writes
There are two ways to look at the performance of the new Sandforce controller.
On the one hand, it's a game changer. By clearing a path to empty pages in the memory cells for new data to barrel through, the SF-1200 turns the read/write performance metric for common tasks upside down.
Both the Agility 2 and the Vertex 2 can lay down files into storage faster than any other SSD we've seen so far.
There is a big 'but' coming.
The write performance is only one statistic out of many. In read speed tests, which are more important for boot times and the majority of tasks that count in every day use, the Agility 2 is fast but not a clear winner.
Kingston's V+ series and even Crucial's much cheaper realSSD are competitive to the point that they're often marginally ahead.
You could easily, and in fact we will, argue that the differences here are academic. In the read tests that really matter, the movement of lots of small files, there's no difference at all.
The overall balance of performance marks the Agility 2 out as by far the superior drive.
Time for big 'but' number two, though, and this time it comes from OCZ's own overly well endowed product line.
The Vertex 2 is based on almost identical technology to the Agility 2, but marginally faster throughout. If you shop around, though, the two drives are available for almost identical cash. In fact, the 60GB Vertex 2 is £10 cheaper at two stores at the time of writing.
Which puts us in the odd situation of really liking the Agility 2 and acknowledging it as a step forward for SSDs in general, but unable to really recommend it.
Buy the Vertex 2 instead. OCZ will presumably be just happy either way.
We liked:
Up until now, SSDs have had one sided performance, reading files very quickly but being much slower to write data down onto the drive. Thanks to the new SF-1200 controller, the Agility 2 is has almost symmetrical read/write performance in sequential tasks.
We disliked:
With no real world price advantage over its marginally faster stablemate, the Vertex 2, however, it's hard to think of a reason why you'd choose this instead of its smarter sibling.Final word:
A superb drive, but no reason to buy it over the faster Vertex 2.Related Links
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Microsoft rolls out big guns for Gaming for Windows
Microsoft has backed up its long-standing defence that it is still engaged in PC gaming with a trio of game announcements at Gamescon that will all serve to boost 'Games for Windows'. Microsoft has responded to criticism of its increasing focus on Xbox to the detriment of the Windows gaming platform by insisting that it has not forgotten its biggest gaming audience.
Fable III has been the cornerstone of this argument, although the decision to launch on the Xbox exclusively and then come to PC has served to undermine this somewhat.
AOEO
However, Microsoft is hoping that the announcement of Age of Empires Online – tapping into one of its most famous game franchises – alongside an updated flight sim called simply Microsoft Flight and the latest Fable will begin the lengthy journey of persuading people that it still cares.
"With more than 20 million copies sold worldwide, the Age of Empires series redefined real-time strategy games for Windows-based PC players," said Microsoft.
"Now, the timeless franchise once again invites players to experience its rich storyline in new ways. Age of Empires Online will invite players to create a living, growing online world, shared with friends and friendly rivals around the globe.
"Together with the Games for Windows – LIVE service, Age of Empires Online delivers a rich, social experience that lets you play however you want — anywhere, any time."
At the core
Microsoft insists that the games are all designed with Games for Windows – Live "at the core".
"Log in with a single identity to earn Achievements and up your Gamerscore across Games for Windows – LIVE and Xbox LIVE," adds Microsoft's release.
"See your friends online, send and receive voice messages, text messages and game invites, and enjoy cross-platform communication.
"You even receive automatic game updates and the ability to extend the experience with Game Add-ons only found on the Games for Windows – LIVE Marketplace."
With Valve's Steam already offering much of this functionality, and PC gamers already disgruntled with Microsoft, it remains to be seen if this strategy will gain any real traction.
But at least it's a step in the right direction.
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Review: Sigma DP1s
Sigma has a solid reputation for making quality lenses for all popular camera makes, but it's less well known as a camera maker per se.In fact, Sigma has been producing D-SLRs and compacts for quite a few years now, using Foveon sensors rather than the more conventional CCD/CMOS-type devices.
The Sigma DP1s is an update of the DP1 compact that came out two years ago, and as with its predecessor, incorporates a 14.6 megapixel Foveon sensor and 28mm f/4 lens.
So what's new with the Sigma DP1s? To be honest, the new features aren't earth shattering, and centre around improved performance when taking backlit shots and the ability to change function buttons.
Styling-wise, the Sigma DP1s is quite an attractive, albeit boxy, camera, recalling the old Canon G-series.
While it's a bit of a squeeze to get the camera into your pocket with the 28mm lens extended, the camera is relatively light at 250g. Build quality is reassuringly sturdy; the Sigma DP1s is made from aluminium alloy and is clearly built to last.
When it comes to layout, less is more with the Sigma DP1s.
Sigma is pitching it as an SLR replacement, in other words a more compact, but still powerful, camera to take out when an SLR feels too bulky.
So there's a PASM dial on the top, as well as buttons for other key functions, and the layout is logical and uncluttered. It's a relief not to have to figure out a plethora of widgets and dials, and there are none of those tedious scene modes and exposure pre-sets that you get from Sigma's rivals.
Indeed the Sigma DP1s is very easy to use, though not as intuitive or slick as similarly priced models from Canon, Nikon or Sony.
As a quality compact/D-SLR replacement costing around £250, the Sigma DP1s is facing some stiff competition.
Rivals in this hard-fought-over price category include the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ8 and Canon PowerShot SX210IS; stump up another £100 or so and you can get an entry-level SLR, like the Canon EOS 1000D or Nikon D3000.
Sigma's less well-known as a camera maker than Canon and Nikon, too, so the plucky contender will have to work hard to win hearts and minds.
Let's talk more about that 28mm lens and distinctive sensor.
Sigma developed the lens especially for the Sigma DP1s and its predecessor, and it's of high quality, with minimal distortion.
While the fixed 28mm focal length may feel restrictive after a while, this is actually a good wide-angle length for landscapes.
The inclusion of a zoom button on the rear of the camera is puzzling as it's a fixed length lens; instead, it's used for digital zoom (best avoided, as always) and zooming in during image playback.
The rear screen displays 100 per cent of the image and it's easy enough to adjust brightness. This is essential actually, as out of the box you'll find your images look more washed out than they really are - don't be afraid to adjust the screen brightness.
As for the 14MP sensor, we struggle to find an immediate advantage to the Foveon technology over more conventional formats.
This is actually a controversial area, with arguments centering on the actual size of the sensor in terms of megapixels. Without getting into a technical discussion about the relative merits of competing sensor designs, suffice to say that the Sigma DP1s's sensor does deliver generally high quality, low noise images – but remember that the final image size is restricted to 2652×1768 pixels.
Again, this is probably not a major issue for the Sigma DP1s's target market, but it will restrict how big you can blow images up, for example.
Probably a bigger issue for prospective customers are the features that the Sigma DP1s lacks.
There's no facility to record HD video, for example, and no optical viewfinder as standard. There isn't a multi-point AF option or AF assist lamp, either, and in-camera tweaks are kept to the absolute minimum – you can select Normal colour, Black and White and Sepia, and that's about it.
On the brighter side the Sigma DP1s does have full support for RAW shots and the PASM dial does give you plenty of exposure options. You can also shoot in RAW when using the Auto mode, which is a bonus on a compact camera, but as we'll see, shooting RAW is not recommended for anyone in a hurry.
Sigma/Foveon claim rich colour resolution from their sensors, and it's certainly the case that colours came through rich and punchy in our test images (more so than we expected, thanks to the drab-looking rear LCD).
See full-res image
AUTO-FOCUS: The AF hunts around a bit and can be hit and miss at wider apertures. We wanted the Sigma to focus on the main flower in the foreground here but it missed it by a country mileHigher ISO performance was pretty good too, certainly comparable with similarly priced CMOS/CCD sensors. ISO only goes up to 800 however, which is a bit restrictive when you are shooting in low light and need fast shutter speeds. There is a built-in flash, however.
See full-res image
COLOURS: Don't be fooled by the drab rear LCD, colour rendition is very good, without blowing out highlights too much. The Sigma seems to have oversharpened the edges in JPEG mode thoughWe did notice that the metering system has a tendency to underexpose, so be prepared to adjust exposure compensation.
See full-res image
LENS: The lens performance is impressive for the money. It's sharp, accurate and with minimal distortion, though at f/4 max, it's not the fastestBut the big problem with the Sigma DP1s is speed. It can take around five seconds for the camera to process and save a RAW image to a typical memory card, and you can't do anything else while the electronics are whirring away.
See full-res image
WIDE ANGLE: The 28mm fixed lens is fine for wide angle work. Note the punchy colours, a benefit of the 14Mp Foveon sensor and the smart image processing technologyEven saving a high-res JPEG takes two or three seconds, and it's noticeably slower than a Canon or Nikon equivalent camera.
Needles to say, shooting in burst mode completely locks the camera up while the seconds tick away (and photo opportunities disappear). Another niggle is the sluggish AF, which hunts around way too long before locking on to where you want to focus.
Whatever the virtues of the Sigma DP1s, the sluggish write-times render it impractical for high-speed action and wildlife photography. Sigma can't blame the card either, as we were using a brand-new 2Gb SanDisk card – very similar to what most of the target market will be packing.
We tested the Sigma DP1s at every ISO setting. Here are the results:
ISO 100...
See full-res imageISO 200...
See full-res imageISO 400...
See full-res imageISO 800...
See full-res imageNow available at about half its suggested retail price, the Sigma DP1s has many virtues, but at the end of the day, there are more downsides than up.
We liked:
This is a well-built and quite stylish camera, with a decent lens and a quality 14Mp sensor.
The Sigma DP1s delivers smooth and colourful images from the box, and the 28mm lens is well made, with minimal lens distortion. Being able to shoot RAW in Auto mode is a bonus too.
We disliked:
The camera has a tendency to underexpose on default settings, the AF options feel a bit basic and the Sigma DP1s takes much longer to save images to card than its competitors.
Large RAW files we can understand, but not JPEGs. You can't record HD video either.
Verdict:
As mentioned, this camera has plunged in price since launch, and we can see why. While basically a sound device, it feels like yesterday's camera, and the enhancements from the old Sigma DP1 aren't really significant enough to make the DP1s much of an upgrade.
As a high-end compact it feels rather basic, and its sluggish performance and basic AF options diminish its credibility as a serious SLR replacement.
A bit of a white elephant, in other words, but still worth snapping up if the price ever drops below £200.
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Review: OCZ Vertex 2 120GB
OCZ's latest iteration of the Vertex 2 comes with another 20GB of space from a new Sandforce update.You know how it is. You wait for one genre defining new bit of kit to come along, and suddenly three appear at once. OCZ's Vertex 2 arrived in the TechRadar labs armed with a new controller chip that promises to revolutionise SSD behaviour, only to be followed rapidly by Corsair's Force F100 and OCZ's own Agility 2.
Both of which also boast the same advanced controller that promises to revolutionise... well, you get the idea.
The controller in question is Sandforce's SF-1200.
It's different because of the way it handles write instructions to the drive pages. In most SSDs, writing data is slowed down because the controller needs to erase information already in the target page, a technical hangover from traditional drive management.
The SF-1200, however, makes heavy use of the TRIM technology built into Windows 7 to make clear out old data well ahead of any write operation.
Drives like the Vertex 2 should therefore be unleashed when it comes to recording information.
As far as OCZ's duo of drives based on the SF-1200 go, the Vertex 2 claims an advantage over the Agility 2 in the number of input/output operations per second (IOPS) it can handle: some 50,000 compared to 10,000 for the Agility 2.
That's a lot of IOPS in its favour, does it make a difference in real world performance?
The tests here give a good indicator of overall drive performance.
The key one is the AS SSD 4K random write test which measures the performance of writing many small files simultaneously. Real world performance isn't as profoundly different as this, but it's an insight into exactly where the SF-1200's strength is.
Maximum sequential read/write speeds
Average read/write speeds
Burst speeds
4K random writes
The benchmarks bear out the Vertex 2's performance claims well.
It's exceptionally more powerful than existing SSDs when it comes to write operations, coming close to maxing out the 3Gb/s bandwidth of the SATA II interface in both directions in the ATTO tests.
It's also got the edge over the Agility 2. That's important, because there's no major price difference between the two different OCZ drives at the moment.
There's only one caveat, and that's with the size of drive that we tested.
An equally sized Kingston V+ at almost £100 less is cheap enough that the real world performance difference won't even factor into a buying decision.
The V+ is plenty fast enough for normal desktop use and gaming, and unless you're setting up a high performance webserver or doing a lot of HD video editing there's no need to splash out.
The sweet spot for SSDs right now, though, is between 60GB and 80GB.
That's enough to turbo charge your operating system and one or two games, while the rest of your data can be dumped on a separate HDD without any real performance penalty.
At that size, the OCZ Vertex 2 is the winner on all counts, performance and value, and the only choice you should make.
We liked:
OCZ's Vertex 2 is an outstanding drive on almost all counts whether its performance or value for money that you're after.We disliked:
But unless you're setting up a dedicated multimedia workstation for cutting your first HD feature, you should probably save your money and opt for the 60GB version instead. And trust us, you'll be very, very happy with your choice.Final word:
Excellent performance and value, even if the smart money is on the 60GB version.Related Links
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Google Chrome Store readied for OS launch
Google has revealed that its Google Chrome Web Store will be released in Europe this autumn, a timing which coincides with the launch of Google Chrome OS.The store will play host to a multitude of web apps which, once downloaded, will be made into shortcuts on your Chrome browser.
The store will also house games so it is no surprise that Mark DeLoura, formerly of Ubisoft and now all things gaming at Google, is at this year's European Games Developers' Conference in Europe plugging the store.
Google games
"When Chrome updates this Fall, everyone who has Chrome will suddenly have access to the store - it'll be in a prominent position," said DeLoura about the launch.
When speaking about the gaming side he did hint that it may not be the only dip into gaming Google was considering.
"Google Chrome web store is our big push right now when it comes to gaming, but there are a lot of things going on inside of Google right now, especially related to games, and when things get to the point where we can talk about them, I'll be the one jumping up and down," he explained.
Polishing Chrome
A key part of Chrome OS will be the application store and the Chrome browser. Currently 70 million people use Chrome and Google will be hoping to monetise this amount of traffic with premium applications.
At launch, the store will only take payment in US dollars. While annoying, this is something which Android users had to put up with using Market and it hasn't put them off purchasing.
When it comes to games, Edge magazine is reporting that there will be no approval process, but devs will have to look after their own source code.
Games will come in the form of trials, subscriptions and there will also be a load of free games – all of which will support Google's one-click checkout system.
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In Depth: How to keep your gaming PC cool
One fundamental enemy of the continuing quest for frame rates is plain old heat. Sitting among all the high-tech voodoo of your PC is the humble cooler, simple and vital. The boggo-standard fans fitted to most PCs are, frankly, a bit pant-like. There are much better aftermarket ones and if you plan to go overclocking then you'll need a decent one.
Designs of coolers has stabilised recently and the basic construction of all these tower coolers follows the same pattern. A spreader sits on the processor at the bottom of U-shaped heat pipes, which then rise through a stack of cooling fins, while a fan blows air across them.
The heat pipes contain pressurised fluid, this evaporates at the bottom and condenses at the top, using latent heat to transfer lots of energy in the process. The more pipes there are and the fatter the pipes, the better the heat flow.
Also look for direct touch pipes, where the heat pipe is in direct contact with the top of the processor, this is a good thing.
A PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) fan is another good cooling alternative, as your motherboard can regulate the fan speed at will, saving the full whirring fury for when you need it.
One important question to ask yourself is: are you going to regularly remove your heatsink? If you are then pay attention to the fitting, because some of these are quite unsuitable and others are a breeze. One broken plastic bit takes you out the game if you're not careful.
AMD uses a sprung clip of course, with mixed results, while Intel has the full heavyweight four point fixings with (usually) a backplate. Design approaches range from the theatrical with an eye for looks as much as ability, through over-engineered excellence to cheap and moderately cheerful. Some we loved, and some we just wanted to stamp on at times.
Titan Fenrir TTC-NK85TZ - £30
Named after the monstrous wolf from Norse mythology, the Fenrir sports a suitably heavy metal wolf's head motif.
There are four 8mm heat pipes with direct touch. The fins have, it says here in the press release, a unique low-drag coefficient, yeah whatever.
It comes with mounting options for the full AMD and Intel set and boasts a maximum TDP of 160W, above any desktop chip's figure.
The Fenrir is what we are going to call 'full-size', that is to say it stands a whopping 165mm proud of the motherboard. It's size isn't refl ected in the amount of noise it makes either.
The wide PWM 12cm fan proves to be commendably quiet, and, more importantly, has shiny silver blades. It only fits one side though, so no two-fan action. The fittings are sturdy and easy to use and the included knurled nuts (stop that), making it easy to take on and off.
Performance is more than adequate and the price, well, not bad. It does have a certain style too. Good dog.
Read our Titan Fenrir TTC-NK85TZ review
Xigmatek Thors' Hammer S126384 - £40
This gothic creation features a fetching gloss-black nickel finish and an usual design of interlacing fins. The Hammer boasts a lot of pipework too, with four main 8mm pipes with direct touch and another three inner 6mm ones on top of those.
As well as AMD's offerings it copes with LGA 775 and 1366 (but not 1156 at time of writing, so check if your motherboard). Fitting proved a proper pain in the rump as the sprung bolts can't be turned by hand readily and are rather inaccessible for the tiny supplied spanner. Not one you would want to remove very often then.
There's no fan supplied either, just the rubber fittings for two. It runs cool at idle, but isn't as chilly as we had hoped under load, more airflow is required. Just to see how useful it is without a fan, we took it off to see – we eventually powered the PC down at 100°C. You do still need a fan then.
It does have a reputation among overclockers as having potential. It is a jolly silly name though.
Read our full Xigmatek Thors' Hammer S126384 review
Scythe Yasya SCYS-1000 - £40
The aggressive-looking Yasya features a set of fins that look like they have been designed to draw blood. There are six 6mm heat pipes, rather than the more usual 8mm jobs in tower coolers, but it does fit both AMD and Intel.
The Yasya boasts tool-free fitting, which introduces us to the horrible plastic push-pin fittings and no supporting backplate for you Intel boys. These things are horrible, they break, are not suitable for repeated removal, cannot be adjusted and mean pressing down hard on your board. Mr. Dexter claims to have broken "loads".
The 12cm fan can be fitted either side using wire clips, which are not much fun either. The big extra here is a PCI backplate with a rotary fan control, which worked a treat and is either a welcome boon, or an unnecessary complication.
Its cooling ability trails behind the other big coolers a tad. For the money there are better, less dangerous, coolers, unless you are charmed by manual fan control.
Read our full Scythe Yasya SCYS-1000 review
Thermaltake Silent 1156 - £20
For a Core i7 compatible cooler this is a compact beast, with a svelte fin stack that is smaller than the 9cm fan housing. It has just two 8mm heat pipes. As you might guess from the name it fits LGA 1156 boards only, but it fitted snuggly on our test motherboard no problem, so what the heck.
If space is an issue this would do nicely. Fitting is handled by the thrice-dammed plastic push-pins. They well might be 'tool-less', but honestly, we can all get hold of a screwdriver if we need to.
Performance is no big surprise, it ran hotter than the big boys, hardly a surprise given proportions and to be fair, we are going beyond the design parameters here with a i7 920. It is still stable, but leaves little room for error, we asked too much perhaps.
It is supposed to be 'silent', and, fair dues, the fan is a quiet one. It is quite cheap; always a good thing, but lacks cooling power for the full i7 range and isn't one for exploring overclocking too much.
Read our full Thermaltake Silent 1156 review
Gelid Tranquillo - £25
This is a full tower cooler with four 6mm heat pipes without direct touch and fin stack which, for once, didn't feature blood-letting edges. It also caters for the usual suspects of AMD and Intel chips.
There's a fair bit of hyperbole on the box about intelligent fans, high airflow and optimised fan blades (what are the rest using then?).
The design is certainly very plain, but shows signs of some thought, there's a cheek piece on one side to deflect air away from your graphics card, for example. The fixings are of above average quality: heavy backplates and screws with nice big slots and knurled edges.
You can even get at the main screw heads from directly above all round, which is more than many can manage. Performance under full load lags a little behind the rivals, the smaller heat pipes playing a part perhaps, but nothing to cause undue concern.
It's the price that seals the deal, its good, easy to fit and it is good value. We like.
Read our full Gelid Tranquillo review
Noctua NH-D14 - £65
This Austrian-designed beast is in a different league to the others here. For a start it boasts two fin stacks and two fans. The quality of engineering is superb, from the solid, easy to use fittings for all possibilities, right through to the colour instructions. Even the thermal paste is 'award-winning' gunk.
The Noctua looks the business, in a no-nonsense way too, only the hospital beige coloured fans spoil the party here.
It cools beautifully, as well it should. One word of warning though, the sheer size means you'll probably be covering a RAM slot and with just 53mm clearance your stick's heat spreader could spoil the fun, as it did in our test rig.
We were even pleased by the price of the Noctua. It is expensive for sure, but considering the quality that's on offer it ain't too bad either. If you need more robust cooling and are looking for something that puts substance over all other considerations, this comes very highly recommended.
Read our full Noctua NH-D14 review
Cooler Master Hyper 101 PWN Universal - £12
Now this just isn't fair. The Hyper 101 isn't really designed for the full fruitiness of a i7 920's LGA 1366, but it fitted our tests system and was in the office, so what the heck. It's really meant for AMD K8, AM2/3 and LGA 755 and 1156 boards, hence the 'Universal' tag.
Next to the mightily tower of fins here, it is a wee beastie. It does have direct touch for the two heat pipes, which is good at this price.
The Intel fixings are not a masterpiece of design and involved plastic push-pins, nuff said. At least the fan slides off easily and it comes with a set of brackets for a second fan on the other side.
It couldn't keep our test system as cool as the big chaps and its no wonder. It was stable, despite having a maximum TDP of 95W and a i7 920 pushing out a theoretical maximum of 130W, but it was a tad too hot for comfort under load.
We want a wider margin than that for peace of mind. It goes to show that you do need to fit proper specified coolers.
Read our full Cooler Master Hyper 101 PWN Universal review
Artic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro REV. 2 - £17
The Revision 2 nomenclature here means LGA 1156 compatibility added alongside pretty much every other standard. On paper it should cope with our i7 920 despite the cooler's relatively diminutive size.
It has three 6mm heat pipes, which did have us wondering if it was really up to the task in hand. The 9cm PWM fan fits neatly over one side and it mounted on rubber springs. It also boasts a 'unique mounting system', which is no great loss to the rest of the world because it's nothing special.
It includes a mounting bracket secured by push-pins which don't like being removed much. The cooler then screws down onto this with inadequate-looking screws.
Despite our misgivings it coped with the 920 perfectly adequately, so it is an efficient design. It's good value, lovely and quiet, and has a solid reputation, but its size counts against it for more demanding applications.
If that's your path then you'll need to go bigger. Otherwise, it's the pick of the wee ones.
Read the full Artic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro review
Benchmarks for the coolers
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Sony unveils GA Series gaming headsets
Sony has released a brace of new gaming headsets, the DR-GA500 and DR-GA200, with the electronics giant suggesting that the latest peripherals are the 'ultimate weapon for FPS gaming'. Sony's DRGA500 offers 7.1 Dolby surround sound and has 40mm drive units for 'premium gaming sound quality'.
The lower specced DR-GA200 also boats 40mm drive units but not the Dolby surround, with both headsets offering 'triple enfolding' design that Sony believes offers unrivalled comfort over long periods of wear.
Very Special
"Sony is launching two very special headsets into the gaming sector," explained the release.
"Each has been designed in response to extensive user research that shows what different gamers want from the ideal headset."
The DR-GA500 offers a Dolby Pro Logic IIx decoder with Sony Virtual Phones Technology (VPT) to create 7.1ch 3D surround effects, interestingly the signal processing hardware is contained in an external unit.
"The result is a soundscape rich in precision spatial detail that pinpoints everything from a stealthy footstep to the position of an exploding grenade," says Sony.
"This audio environment is perfect for first person shooter (FPS) games where what you can hear is often as important as what you can see."
A UK release date of September has been announced but no official UK price, but expect them to retail for around £55 for the DR-GA200 and £129 for the headlining DR-GA500.
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Review: XTZ AP-100
XTZ hails from Sweden and is responsible for the room acoustics measurement system we reviewed a while back. The company's range isn't huge, but it includes an integrated amp, a CD player, a variety of speakers and some home cinema-oriented electronics and speakers, too. We have got our hands on the AP-100 power amp. There's no preamp yet, though we'd be prepared to bet on the imminent arrival of one.
Running hot
The big thing with this amp is its ability to work in Class A, the 'holy grail' of amplifiers that avoids the dreaded crossover distortion by ensuring the output transistors are always passing current. It also operates in conventional Class AB and you can select which mode it employs from the front panel.
XTZ cautions that the unit runs hot in Class A and it certainly does. It also runs pretty warm in Class AB and, in fact, it evidently runs with more standing current than most in this mode.
XTZ quotes 110 watts in Class AB and 50 watts in Class A, though with the latter mode you can still get 110 watts from the amp, they just aren't Class A watts. This means that the decision on which mode to use is entirely down to sound quality.
Power-hungry
Construction is very solid and based around an internal steel frame, which also provides screening between input, power supply and the two power amp circuit boards. Large internal heatsinks handle the heat.
Construction is good, but not tweaky, with no fancy brand-name components, but plenty of good quality parts, nevertheless. The amp can optionally be made to shut down when no music is played for a while, and it can be bridged for the power-hungry.
Full-bodied
Obviously it's tempting to play with the mode switching and see how much difference one can hear. We decided to avoid that, however, and instead had a good, long session with the amp in Class AB, so we could get a general feel for it, before switching to Class A.
This turned out to be a good plan, because we soon became accustomed to the amp's character. It's lively and full-bodied and it can do some lovely subtle things with quieter tracks, but it's not always the most detailed or sophisticated.
Very competitive
We've long enjoyed using symphonic recordings on the Water Lily Acoustics label for auditioning hi-fi. These recordings are unusually ambient due to their simple microphone technique, but they have lots of detail: it just takes a special kind of hi-fi to bring it all out.
The Class-AP100 doesn't quite get as much out of these discs as some we've heard. Despite that, it presents the music both plausibly and attractively. In other recordings and repertoire, it preserves those qualities consistently and avoids many of the pitfalls of other budget separates, including significantly the issue of coloration.
Its tonal rendition of sounds that experience has shown to be tricky, such as male vocals, is very good, with perhaps the merest trace of lower-midrange richness, but hardly the sort of thing to get upset about.
The deep bass is not quite as weighty and solid as some but has enough kick for rock and enough extension for church organ, while extreme treble is just a shade on the dry side but, in context, very good.
There's not much around that we can compare this amp to directly, at least not in the way of power amps, but among integrated models it competes with favourites from Creek, Cambridge Audio, Arcam and so on. That it does so, while retaining its own character – and its mode-switching feature too – is admirable.
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Nokia launches Ovi Music Unlimited
Nokia has announced that it is rebooting its Comes with Music service - now calling it Ovi Music Unlimited.Comes with Music previously only offered tracks for download to a registered PC and one mobile phone, heavily DRM-ed and required license checking to play, and this will be continued with Ovi Music Unlimited.
Comes with Music has been popular in some territories, like Singapore, but has never really taken off in the UK.
Free for all
But now Nokia is rebranding the service as Ovi Music Unlimited, and promises it will be easier to find the music you want, as well as improved stability for downloading.
Hopefully this means a better experience on the mobile phone, as the CwM UI on mobile phones at the moment is hard to navigate.
However, the DRM still remains, meaning you're locked into a single handset for the entirety of your subscription.
Nokia has already rebranded the service in other climes, as well as offering Comes with Music DRM-free in China - so we're sad to see that change isn't making it to the UK.
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Nokia launches Ovi Music Unlimited
Nokia has announced that it is rebooting its Comes with Music service - now calling it Ovi Music Unlimited.Comes with Music previously only offered tracks for download to a registered PC and one mobile phone, heavily DRM-ed and required license checking to play, and this will be continued with Ovi Music Unlimited.
Comes with Music has been popular in some territories, like Singapore, but has never really taken off in the UK.
Free for all
But now Nokia is rebranding the service as Ovi Music Unlimited, and promises it will be easier to find the music you want, as well as improved stability for downloading.
Hopefully this means a better experience on the mobile phone, as the CwM UI on mobile phones at the moment is hard to navigate.
However, the DRM still remains, meaning you're locked into a single handset for the entirety of your subscription.
Nokia has already rebranded the service in other climes, as well as offering Comes with Music DRM-free in China - so we're sad to see that change isn't making it to the UK.
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Cyborg RAT 9 and GLIDE 7 unveiled
Mad Catz is extending its quirky Cyborg gaming peripherals range with a wireless RAT 9 mouse and the G.L.I.D.E 7 'gaming surface'. The eccentric Cyborg RAT 7 has attracted both mirth at just how ridiculously customisable it is and glee at how fantastically it handles, and it has now been joined by a wireless version: the RAT 9.
Mad Catz is hoping to get away from the eternal problem of gamers worrying about batteries running out or problem charging with a tether by offering two lithium ion rechargeable battery packs, allowing you to swap from one to the other.
Weights and measures
The charger also doubles up as store for the weights that you adust when you get the mouse and, probably, never really touch again.
As you may expect, the mouse also offers 2.4Ghz wireless tech – and latency of less than one millisecond.
The RAT 9 will cost a whopping £119, so it's very much a mouse for those who take their gaming particularly seriously.
Next up is the G.L.I.D.E 7 which is billed as a 'gaming surface' and is, therefore, a nice mouse mat.
We're not sure what G.L.I.D.E is an acronym for, but it does offer a foam backed, laser cut, low-friction surface and has been made in conjunction with pro gaming clan TCM.
Next generation
Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz commented, "The RAT range of professional gaming mice continues to impress at retail, and critics and consumers alike appear to be universal with their praise.
"The RAT 9 introduces next generation wireless technology to the range which we believe makes this the most advanced gaming mouse available.
"When used in conjunction with one of our new gaming surfaces, we believe we are able to offer PC gamers the ideal mouse installation."
We don't have a price of the mouse mat and we are chasing a UK release date for both – but expect it to be imminent.
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Review: Synthesis Matrix Valve DAC
Sometimes a product comes along that manages to create a buzz without any fanfare whatsoever and the Synthesis Matrix DAC, from a relatively unknown Italian company, has done just that.In fact, Synthesis doesn't even feature the Matrix DAC on its website, so full credit must go to UK distributor Audio Images, for this cunning bit of stealth marketing.
Synthesis, not to be confused with Audio Synthesis of passive preamp fame, makes a system's worth of electronics and speakers and finishes it in some very Italian colours. It's clearly into the sound of valves, so it's no surprise to see two pairs lying horizontally under a vent in the top of the unit, but how they fit the transformers into such a slim box is something of a mystery.
Valves inside
The answer lies in the fact that Synthesis employs low-profile transformers. And, as this isn't a power amplifier, it doesn't need something beefy to help it drive loudspeakers.
The tube complement under the lid consists of two 12AX7WA triodes and a pair of Philbrick K2-W op-amps. This is the first time we've encountered a valve op-amp and this is an example of the first op-amp ever produced.
It was introduced in 1952 and production ceased in 1971, so this is a new old stock (NOS) component. Op-amps are the building blocks of most low-power audio circuits. They're compact amplifiers that are usually in chip form and are a lot cheaper to use than discrete circuits.
The Matrix is a compact and beautifully finished convertor with four S/PDIF inputs for optical or electrical signals, the fifth input is a USB B socket for use with PC sources.
The digital to analogue converter that beats at the heart of this black box is a Wolfson WM8740 – an upsampling 24-bit/192kHz type. In fact there are two DACs – one for each channel, which means that this convertor could be run in balanced mode if it makers so desired.
As it stands, however, it is a single-ended component with only single-ended RCA phono outputs. In use it has an on/off button that says standby but actually kills the thing dead (something you will want to do if you pay the electricity bill because it sure runs hot).
The other button selects between inputs, which you will need to do if you have multiple digital sources as the DAC stays with the last input selected rather than automatically finding the live source.
Attention to detail
The Matrix has been built with plenty of attention to detail; the casework is very well finished and the socketry is of a standard that one expects at this price. The display is large and clear if a little idiosyncratic; hooked up to a DVD-A player outputting a 96kHz signal the DAC indicates that the incoming bitstream is actually at 99kHz.
Less impressive, though, is the fact that we struggled to get our Macbook laptop to see the Matrix as a USB device whatever switch-on procedure was employed.
The competition in the valve DAC arena includes a number of models from Audio Note UK which has the DAC2.1x for £2,340, this is a non-oversampling type with transformer interfaces and a zero-feedback output in a chunky metal chassis.
It's not as pretty as the Matrix and doesn't have a display, but is likely to have offer greater transparency and dynamics.
Living voice
Coming to the Matrix after a solid state CD player you can't help but hear its classic valve qualities. It's that bit smoother, warmer and richer than a transistor device and that does wonders for the timbre of instruments and voices.
The latter, in particular, sound fabulous and convey considerable intimacy thanks to the way the DAC seeks out nuances and phrasing so well. This extends to making lyrics easier to understand in more intense passages and it revels in the character of every line.
This DAC doesn't have the same extension in the bass as a good, solid-state alternative, but it does have plenty of weight and plays a mean tune in the lower octaves. It's also excellent at delivering the attack of a snare drum or electric guitar, Synthesis also manages to avoid undue softness in the sound and with a good recording it achieves results that are simply captivating.
With lesser recordings its clean and smooth top end is very forgiving, It doesn't quite deliver the full openness and dynamics that the best valve stages can produce, but this makes it easier to live with because you don't hear the shortcomings of noisy recordings.
Enchanting
Having said that, the Matrix transforms the sound of most mid-priced CD players. We used it with a Cambridge 840C, which sounds a little too 'warts and all' through highly revealing speakers, but works a treat with this DAC.
It's a beguiling piece of kit that does a superb job with timbre and avoids the valve pitfalls of sounding vague and overblown. It images well and has a decent sense of timing. It's a pity our sample didn't work with a PC because we suspect that its qualities would suit such a source rather nicely.
This Italian DAC has a lot to commend it, not least its fluency and the way it brings singers into the room.
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Review: Vortexbox NAS Appliance
The Vortexbox name represents two things: it is a suite of Linux (Fedora-based) software applications that provide users with a music library. It is also the name of the software installed on the company's ripping NAS (Network Attached Storage) appliances. The software is freely downloadable, while the hardware – a range of fully equipped DLNA-capable (Digital Living Network Alliance) appliances – starts at the genuine value-for money price of £385.
3,000 albums at CD-quality
You can load Vortex Box software onto any PC, where once installed, it will automatically rip CDs to FLAC and MP3 files, ID3 tag those files and download the cover art. It will then serve the stored music to network media players, including those from Arcam, Linn, Logitech, Naim and Sonos.
We opted to test the complete £385, 1TB VortexBox package: the software installed on an energy-efficient hardware platform specifically designed to suit it and provide general-purpose NAS functionality, along with CD-ripping and audio server capabilities.
The compact appliance is based upon a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor and 1GB of DDR2 RAM. It connects to the rest of the world through a GigaBit (10/100/1000 Mbps) NIC (Network Interface Controller) and Ethernet cable.
Its 1TB hard disk will provide sufficient storage for around 3,000 CDs, using the lossless FLAC format level 5 (default) compression.
The box is fitted with six USB connections: four at the rear, allowing you, for example, to connect external hard disks for back-up purposes, as well as two at the front, which are convenient for quick downloads of music from memory sticks.
The silent type
The VortexBox Appliance is a very neatly assembled unit and is contained in a modestly proportioned, substantial and good-looking case. Its internal layout is made tidier through its use of an external power supply.
This is a switch-mode type, so we plugged it straight into a Russ Andrews Silencer mains unit to counter any negative effects it might have. Based on a Micro-Star 7418 mini-ITX motherboard, the unit offers connections for on-board audio, but VortexBox is keen to point out that this unit really is a NAS and ripper, rather than a media player.
Satisfying sounds
We tested the VortexBox both as a UPnP server and as a media player with a USB connection feeding a Cambridge DacMagic USB input (which admittedly doesn't deliver the DAC's optimum performance) and a small Arcam/NEAT system. The results were encouraging, nonetheless.
At the end of the day, the VortexBox works well and delivers a consistent, musically rewarding performance through all the media players in residence. It is whisper-quiet and communicates without any glitches, over a mixed Windows domain/workgroup network.
Whether auditioned through a revealing high-end system or a simpler set-up typical of the sort deployed in a music-lover's office, the tunes emerge flawlessly with no evidence of constriction or audible limitations.
Pitch accuracy, dynamics, detail and timing information all seem spot-on and the all-important pace and rhythm aspects are resolutely well defined.
Overall, this commodity-priced ripping NAS gives a commendable performance. Ticking the boxes The VortexBox Appliance ticks all the boxes. It's a well-equipped NAS and it rips capably.
It's also environmentally sound and very reasonably priced. If you want storage for your unpackaged media, then there surely cannot be a better, more cost-effective option.
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Gigabyte adopts UASP protocol for USB 3.0 mobos
Gigabyte has announced that its USB 3.0-supporting motherboards will support the UASP protocol – leading to higher data throughput and reducing CPU use. Gigabyte has explained that, by adopting the USB Attached SCSI Protocol (UASP), its customers get data throughput gains, reduced load on the CPU and less latency.
"At Gigabyte we have made it our goal to be the leading USB 3.0 motherboard brand and so we are pleased to announce support of UASP across all our SuperSpeed USB products," commented Tim Handley, Deputy Director of Motherboard Marketing at Gigabyte.
Value and importance
"As an increasing range of external USB 3.0 storage devices make their way into the market after Computex this year, we see great value and importance in UASP in driving the performance of SuperSpeed USB to reach its full potential," he added.
Gigabyte is currently selling over 30 motherboards that support 'SuperSpeed' USB 3.0, and current owners need to download the latest USB 3.0 driver from the Gigabyte website.
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Nikon announces Coolpix S1100pj projector camera
Nikon has announced the arrival of the Coolpix S1100pj – it's second stab at a camera with an integrated projector.Taking over from the S1000pj, the S1100pj offers a 40 per cent brighter projector then its predecessor (at 14 lumens), a 14.1MP sensor and a wide-angle 5x optical zoom lens.
The camera also has a 3-inch LCD screen on the back, so you can see the shots you shoot.
But the real USP is the projector, which comes with in-camera editing software. This will liven up your slideshow with some animations and even background music, if that's your sort of thing.
Low--cost shooter
Alongside the Coolpix S1100pj, Nikon has also announced the launch of the Coolpix S5100.
Interestingly, the S5100 was the name of a Fujifilm Coolpix camera back in 2004, but we're guessing enough time has passed for consumer confusion to disappear.
This is a 12.2MP shooter, which is said to work well in low light conditions. There's also motion detection on-board, vibration reduction and you will also be able to shoot 720p HD quality video.
Alongside this, there is a 5x 28mm Nikkor lens on-board and the camera's chassis is a lean 21.6mm.
UK release date for the Nikon Coolpix S1100pj is 16 September, with prices starting at £350.
Price and launch date details for the Coolpix S5100 are still to be confirmed.
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Review: Clearaudio Concept turntable
Clearaudio's impressive range of turntables is, to the best of our knowledge, just about the broadest on the planet, stretching downwards from the delightfully over-the-top 'Statement'. The company doesn't compete with the Regas and Pro-Jects of this world in the budget arena, but the new Concept model puts Clearaudio within reach of more analogue-lovers than ever, bringing the price of entry down significantly.
Predictably, with a name like that, there's plenty of piffle in the literature about how this model is a whole new design, sorry, concept – but fair's fair, it is in fact genuinely novel in some ways.
The basic outline has a particle-board chassis, plastic platter, DC motor and pivoted arm. Differences from the norm are most obvious in the arm, which has a magnetic bearing, an ingenious arrangement that functions pretty much as a unipivot but with better stability and handling qualities than those notoriously fussy devices usually provide. It's also effectively friction-free.
It's actually very simple, relying on a pair of very strong magnets: one is fixed to the top of the arm tube, the other to the top of the bearing yoke and they hold the arm up. It is prevented from jamming itself against the top magnet by a tie wire fixed below, which also transmits the anti-skating force.
The chassis is also distinctive, though less obviously so. Particleboard (MDF etc.) components on LP players are notorious for adding their own resonance unless carefully treated.
Clearaudio has addressed that with damping measures including the aluminium trim, which apparently plays a significant part – whatever the details, it's certainly very much better damped than most of its kind, as is evident from the simplest test of tapping it in a few places.
Level-headed
Another feature that is unusual, possibly even unprecedented in a high-quality turntable, is that the Concept is ready to play discs straight out of the box. Well, all right, you have to put the platter in place and plug in the power supply, but the cartridge is fitted and aligned and even the tracking force is preset.
The arm and cartridge are Clearaudio's own, of course, the latter a moving magnet design, but if you prefer not to use them you can replace either.
You can also adjust all the usual parameters – offset and overhang, VTA, tracking force, anti-skating – but the clever part is that you don't need to. A spirit level is provided so that the user can adjust the three spiked feet to set the deck level.
Drive is from a small DC motor, the sort of thing one used to find in cassette decks (remember them?), which operates via a flat belt.
The motor is resiliently mounted: Clearaudio claims it's 'completely decoupled' which is clearly an overstatement, but the small amount of noise it produces is adequately suppressed by the decoupling.
In addition to the usual 33 and 45rpm speeds, 78 is available for those who collect shellac as well as vinyl – you'll ideally need to change the cartridge as no LP stylus ever sounds great playing the relatively cavernous grooves of shellac discs, but it's a useful option to have.
The power supply is a tiny plug-top switch-mode affair and while ultra-purists may wince at that thought, it's effectively free of hum fields and both it and its associated wiring are a good long distance from the sensitive signal wiring in and around the arm. There's also no electrical path (not even an earth link) between it and the audio.
Only one feature seems to us to be missing – a lid. It may seem a small detail, but a lid both reduces acoustic feedback from the loudspeakers to the deck, and keeps dust off, and no LP collector will need reminding what a pernicious enemy dust can be.
That apart, this is a very nicely turned-out deck, attractively finished and presented. We've never had cause to query the general standard of fit and finish from Clearaudio; just about the worst that could be said is that the surfaces show dust and fingerprints, but then so do wine glasses, fine furniture and so many other things.
Anyway, this deck has more matt and less shiny surfaces than many and is quite forgiving in that regard. We can't comment on the accuracy of settings as supplied, but attention to detail certainly reflects the manufacturer's usual high standards. We were particularly impressed with the bearing, which has an admirable combination of low friction and low play.
Lacking anything in the way of a proper suspension, this deck is never going to sound its best on a structure closely coupled to the floor, so we used our usual isolation table for most of the listening.
Thus configured, the Concept produces some very good sounds, clearly much better than the budget turntables which it (very superficially) resembles and thus vindicating Clearaudio's damping measures and arm.
What's most noticeable about it is the way it largely avoids the midrange blurring that affects so many unsuspended decks. Avoiding that is one of the biggest challenges facing designers and manufacturers, and we'd say Clearaudio's team has done very well in that regard.
Scale, openness and detail
The results are most obvious in large-scale music – symphony orchestra, big rock and so on – where there's a lovely sense of openness and scale, combined with very good detail and also excellent imaging.
By the same token, simple recordings such as solo guitar are very clear and full of the little details that make the character of an instrument or player unique. Where this player does yield a little ground to dearer models is in the bass, which is decent but not astounding.
There's some quite good extension, but control and solidity aren't really up there with the best. All the same, because the upper bass is tight and dynamic, one isn't much aware of anything being amiss in recordings where most of the low-frequency action is in the bass.
High treble is probably just as much a function of the cartridge as of the deck itself, a suspicion strengthened by a brief spell with another cartridge in place, but it's somewhere between basically likeable and very good, with a slight question mark over its sweetness when it gets very busy: the sound can thicken up a little.
But as with the midrange, getting this really spot-on is invariably a costly business and for the asking price this deck does a very good job.
Devotion to the cause
As always, what's more important than the specifics is the overall musical impression and this is really where the Concept scores. It isn't perfect, but the minor technical blemishes are very much in the background and out of one's general awareness.
If the disc is rock, the Concept rocks. If jazz, it swings. If romantic, it smooches. Watching the analogue renaissance over the last few years has been a heartening experience.
Clearaudio's combination of audio and aesthetic design has produced a winning combination here which we feel sure will both win converts and keep them devoted to the analogue cause.
Related Links
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AOL launching 500 local US sites in 2010
AOL is set to launch an extra 500 local websites in 2010.The sites will be launched under AOL's 'Patch' umbrella, with AOL aiming to quintuple Patch in size by the year-end
Patch was acquired by AOL last summer. Patch president Warren Webster has revealed AOL's plans to hire 500 more reporters in 20 US states, as part of a $50m investment to expand the network of local sites.
Patch is yet to reveal its plans for local UK and European sites. TechRadar has contacted AOL for further information on this front.
Local sites, for local people
AOL's plan for Patch is to establish it as the online destination of choice for users seeking local maps, reviews and other types of localised and regional information.
"We think local will be an important part of future," claims AOL Chief Executive Tim Armstrong.
Executive Vice President for AOL Local Jon Brod, who was also a Patch founder, claims that Patch is filling a need for information and reviews at the community level.
AOL is of course not doing this out of some concern to improve the community. It is doing it because it sees a major commercial opportunity, a potential $20 billion of local online advertising.
"It's the largest commercial opportunity that has yet to be won," adds Brod.
Andy Chapman, head of digital trading at media agency Mindshare, remains steadfastly on the fence when it comes to local advertising opportunities for AOL.
"It's not clear to me whether there is enough interest. The jury is still out."
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Fable III Xbox controller shown off
Microsoft has unveiled the Fable III limited edition wireless controller for Xbox 360, which includes access to an exclusive an in-game tattoo. Fable III is a very big deal for the Xbox, with Peter Molyneux's Lionhead Studios already establishing the franchise on the console with its popular predecessor.
The Fable III limited edition wireless controller with be available in early October, to coincide with the launch of the game on 29 October.
Customise
"Outfitted in collectible packaging, the controller comes with an Xbox Live token for an exclusive in-game downloadable tattoo set to further customise your hero's appearance," says Microsoft's release.
"Feel the power of a monarch in your hands as you reign over Albion with benevolence or utter contempt.
"The Fable III Limited Edition Wireless Controller is a direct tribute to one of the core ideas behind the latest iteration of the franchise, bringing to life the regal crown of Albion – one of the many incredible pieces of concept art created during the production of Fable III."
Contours
"The hand-painted artwork wraps to the contours of the distinctive controller to create the perfect fit as fans journey from rebel to ruler in Fable III whether riding solo in this action-adventure experience or with another revolutionary by your side in dynamic couch co-op or over Xbox Live," it continues
The Fable III limited edition wireless controller has a UK price of £39.99, the game itself is available as a standard edition at £49.99 and collectors edition of £59.99.
People who pre-order will get a bribe of 1,000 in-game gold and a 'thrilling new quest'.
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Windows Phone 7: Xbox Live games revealed
Microsoft has finally revealed its Xbox Live games line-up for its forthcoming Windows Phone 7, with a genuinely impressive roster of major gaming franchises on the way to its new mobile.Microsoft has bided its time when it comes to mobile gaming, yet the latest reveal on its Xbox Live strategy for mobile shows that it is finally making significant moves into this fast-growing market.
You only need to check out the list of launch titles for WP7 handsets, including games and franchises such as Castlevania, Halo: Waypoint, Star Wars, Crackdown, and Guitar Hero to quickly realise how important Windows Phone 7 gaming is to the company.
Impressive launch line-up
Microsoft plans to launch with over 60 games on Windows Phone 7, with new games appearing on a weekly basis in Xbox Live Marketplace.
Windows Phone 7 will also allow gamers to integrate (and customise) their Xbox Live avatars with their new phones, as well as keeping on top of their Xbox Live friend lists, achievements, leaderboards and more.
"Today at gamescom 2010, the world's largest consumer-oriented games showcase, Microsoft Corp. premiered the first wave of Xbox LIVE games launching on Windows Phone 7 this holiday," reads Microsoft's GamesCom release.
"With even more games and applications to come, Windows Phone 7 is putting the power of Xbox LIVE into the palm of your hand - from Xbox LIVE Avatars to staying connected with friends, Xbox LIVE is now at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere."
A different approach to handheld
Marc Whitten, Corporate Vice President of Xbox Live at Microsoft adds: "Windows Phone 7 takes a different approach to handheld gaming, utilizing Xbox LIVE, Microsoft Game Studios, leading game publishers, and innovative indie developers, to create powerful, shared experiences for everyone."
Microsoft is keen to stress that "Xbox LIVE games on Windows Phone 7 will be specially selected from the top names in mobile, PC and console game development, making the best mobile games even better," adding that, "Windows Phone 7 brings the quality, consistency and community of the Xbox experience to gamers on the go."
"Windows Phone 7 is the launch of a major gaming platform for Microsoft," adds Matt Booty, general manager of mobile gaming for MGS.
"Just like we've done with Xbox 360, our charter is to push the envelope and deliver definitive games that maximize the platform. We will have an incredible lineup of MGS titles, and that's just the beginning."
In addition to a strong roster of first-party games from Microsoft, the company is also partnering with the likes of Gameloft, Konami, Namco Bandai, PopCap and THQ.
Full list of launch titles
"3D Brick Breaker Revolution" (Digital Chocolate)
"Age of Zombies" (Halfbrick)
"Armor Valley" (Protégé Games)
"Asphalt 5" (Gameloft)
"Assassins Creed" (Gameloft)
"Bejeweledâ„¢ LIVE" (PopCap)
"Bloons TD" (Digital Goldfish)
"Brain Challenge" (Gameloft)
"Bubble Town 2" (i-Play)
"Butterfly" (Press Start Studio)
"CarneyVale Showtime" (MGS)
"Castlevania" (Konami)
"Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst" (MGS)
"De Blob Revolution" (THQ)
"Deal or No Deal 2010" (i-Play)
"Earthworm Jim" (Gameloft)
"Fast & Furious 7" (i-Play)
"Fight Game Rivals" (Rough Cookie)
"Finger Physics" (Mobliss Inc.)
"Flight Control" (Namco Bandai)
"Flowerz" (Carbonated Games)
"Frogger" (Konami)
"Fruit Ninja" (Halfbrick)
"Game Chest-Board" (MGS)
"Game Chest-Card" (MGS)
"Game Chest-Logic" (MGS)
"Game Chest-Solitaire" (MGS)
"GeoDefense" (Critical Thought)
"Ghostscape" (Psionic)
"Glow Artisan" (Powerhead Games)
"Glyder 2" (Glu Mobile)
"Guitar Hero 5" (Glu Mobile)
"Halo Waypoint" (MGS)
"Hexic Rush" (Carbonated Games)
"I Dig It" (InMotion)
"iBlast Moki" (Godzilab)
"ilomilo" (MGS)
"Implode XL" (IUGO)
"Iquarium" (Infinite Dreams)
"Jet Car Stunts" (True Axis)
"Let's Golf 2" (Gameloft)
"Little Wheel" (One click dog)
"Loondon" (Flip N Tale)
"Max and the Magic Marker" (PressPlay)
"Mini Squadron" (Supermono Limited)
"More Brain Exercise" (Namco Bandai)
"O.M.G." (Arkedo)
"Puzzle Quest 2" (Namco Bandai)
"Real Soccer 2" (Gameloft)
"The Revenants" (Chaotic Moon)
"Rise of Glory" (Revo Solutions)
"Rocket Riot" (Codeglue)
"Splinter Cell Conviction" (Gameloft)
"Star Wars: Battle for Hoth" (THQ)
"Star Wars: Cantina" (THQ)
"The Harvest" (MGS)
"The Oregon Trail" (Gameloft)
Tower Bloxx NY" (Digital Chocolate)
"Twin Blades" (Press Start Studio)
"UNO" (Gameloft)
"Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet" (i-Play)
"Zombie Attack!" (IUGO)
"Zombies!!!!" (Babaroga)
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Windows Phone 7: Xbox Live games revealed
Microsoft has finally revealed its Xbox Live games line-up for its forthcoming Windows Phone 7, with a genuinely impressive roster of major gaming franchises on the way to its new mobile.Microsoft has bided its time when it comes to mobile gaming, yet the latest reveal on its Xbox Live strategy for mobile shows that it is finally making significant moves into this fast-growing market.
You only need to check out the list of launch titles for WP7 handsets, including games and franchises such as Castlevania, Halo: Waypoint, Star Wars, Crackdown, and Guitar Hero to quickly realise how important Windows Phone 7 gaming is to the company.
Impressive launch line-up
Microsoft plans to launch with over 60 games on Windows Phone 7, with new games appearing on a weekly basis in Xbox Live Marketplace.
Windows Phone 7 will also allow gamers to integrate (and customise) their Xbox Live avatars with their new phones, as well as keeping on top of their Xbox Live friend lists, achievements, leaderboards and more.
"Today at gamescom 2010, the world's largest consumer-oriented games showcase, Microsoft Corp. premiered the first wave of Xbox LIVE games launching on Windows Phone 7 this holiday," reads Microsoft's GamesCom release.
"With even more games and applications to come, Windows Phone 7 is putting the power of Xbox LIVE into the palm of your hand - from Xbox LIVE Avatars to staying connected with friends, Xbox LIVE is now at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere."
A different approach to handheld
Marc Whitten, Corporate Vice President of Xbox Live at Microsoft adds: "Windows Phone 7 takes a different approach to handheld gaming, utilizing Xbox LIVE, Microsoft Game Studios, leading game publishers, and innovative indie developers, to create powerful, shared experiences for everyone."
Microsoft is keen to stress that "Xbox LIVE games on Windows Phone 7 will be specially selected from the top names in mobile, PC and console game development, making the best mobile games even better," adding that, "Windows Phone 7 brings the quality, consistency and community of the Xbox experience to gamers on the go."
"Windows Phone 7 is the launch of a major gaming platform for Microsoft," adds Matt Booty, general manager of mobile gaming for MGS.
"Just like we've done with Xbox 360, our charter is to push the envelope and deliver definitive games that maximize the platform. We will have an incredible lineup of MGS titles, and that's just the beginning."
In addition to a strong roster of first-party games from Microsoft, the company is also partnering with the likes of Gameloft, Konami, Namco Bandai, PopCap and THQ.
Full list of launch titles
"3D Brick Breaker Revolution" (Digital Chocolate)
"Age of Zombies" (Halfbrick)
"Armor Valley" (Protégé Games)
"Asphalt 5" (Gameloft)
"Assassins Creed" (Gameloft)
"Bejeweledâ„¢ LIVE" (PopCap)
"Bloons TD" (Digital Goldfish)
"Brain Challenge" (Gameloft)
"Bubble Town 2" (i-Play)
"Butterfly" (Press Start Studio)
"CarneyVale Showtime" (MGS)
"Castlevania" (Konami)
"Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst" (MGS)
"De Blob Revolution" (THQ)
"Deal or No Deal 2010" (i-Play)
"Earthworm Jim" (Gameloft)
"Fast & Furious 7" (i-Play)
"Fight Game Rivals" (Rough Cookie)
"Finger Physics" (Mobliss Inc.)
"Flight Control" (Namco Bandai)
"Flowerz" (Carbonated Games)
"Frogger" (Konami)
"Fruit Ninja" (Halfbrick)
"Game Chest-Board" (MGS)
"Game Chest-Card" (MGS)
"Game Chest-Logic" (MGS)
"Game Chest-Solitaire" (MGS)
"GeoDefense" (Critical Thought)
"Ghostscape" (Psionic)
"Glow Artisan" (Powerhead Games)
"Glyder 2" (Glu Mobile)
"Guitar Hero 5" (Glu Mobile)
"Halo Waypoint" (MGS)
"Hexic Rush" (Carbonated Games)
"I Dig It" (InMotion)
"iBlast Moki" (Godzilab)
"ilomilo" (MGS)
"Implode XL" (IUGO)
"Iquarium" (Infinite Dreams)
"Jet Car Stunts" (True Axis)
"Let's Golf 2" (Gameloft)
"Little Wheel" (One click dog)
"Loondon" (Flip N Tale)
"Max and the Magic Marker" (PressPlay)
"Mini Squadron" (Supermono Limited)
"More Brain Exercise" (Namco Bandai)
"O.M.G." (Arkedo)
"Puzzle Quest 2" (Namco Bandai)
"Real Soccer 2" (Gameloft)
"The Revenants" (Chaotic Moon)
"Rise of Glory" (Revo Solutions)
"Rocket Riot" (Codeglue)
"Splinter Cell Conviction" (Gameloft)
"Star Wars: Battle for Hoth" (THQ)
"Star Wars: Cantina" (THQ)
"The Harvest" (MGS)
"The Oregon Trail" (Gameloft)
Tower Bloxx NY" (Digital Chocolate)
"Twin Blades" (Press Start Studio)
"UNO" (Gameloft)
"Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet" (i-Play)
"Zombie Attack!" (IUGO)
"Zombies!!!!" (Babaroga)
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