We spent some time with the new Archos 70 and 101 Internet Tablets recently, to see if the all-conquering PMP maker still knows how to work video on the go.Both are running Android 2.2, and both come with much bigger screens than your average mobile phone - the 70 comes with a seven inch screen, and the 101 a 10.1-inch version.
Can you see what Archos did there with the names?
Archos 70 Internet Tablet
The Archos 70 is a device that builds on the history of the Archos range - we're talking only 300g and a ridiculously thin 10mm frame that make it more than pocket friendly, if you're wearing a pair of '90s cargo pants.
The screen is a WVGA effort, meaning it's lower-res than the Samsung Galaxy Tab, but in all honesty doesn't make a huge amount of difference.
The screen can work both in landscape and portrait modes, with the Android interface re-jigging itself to show the icons in an easy to hit manner.
Despite claiming an ARM A8-powered 1GHz processor, the movement did take a little while to happen as we everything was re-oriented, but we'll put that down to pre-production software.
The Archos 70 comes with a kickstand for easy movie viewing, but also allows you to use the PMP as we video caller (over Wi-Fi or 3G if you Bluetooth tether it to a mobile phone).
We're a little sad there's not SIM card on board, as this would be a nifty little device for surfing the web on the go.
As you can see, the lines and design of the Archos 70 are really sleek, so much so that the Android buttons are actually built into the software rather than wasting chassis space by putting them on there.
The two core functions of the Archos 70 Internet Tablet are obvious: video watching and internet browsing.
There are actually two models on offer: an 8GB flash effort and 250GB hard drive version. Why you wouldn't go for the latter for a few millimetres of extra depth and a little more weight, we don't know.
The Archos 70 can play back a dizzying array of video file formats (AVI, MP4, MKV, MOV, WMV, MPG, PS, TS, VOB, FLV, RM, RMVB, ASF, 3GP if you're asking) so it clearly can handle pretty much anything you can throw at it.
The video is crisp and clear, and the with the weight being so low holding it in the hand is a really nice experience.
We're also pleased to see a capacitive multi-touch screen on offer, as we're tired of prodding endlessly at resistive options, and multi touch also helps the internet browser too.
The experience online was slick, although we were browsing over Wi-Fi, and the zooming in and out was as fast as we've seen on many high end mobile phones.
The Archos 101 is pretty much the same as the Archos 70, except obviously with a bigger screen.
That display is actually boosted to 1024 x 600 pixels, putting it on a par with the iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab, but the screen didn't instantly leap out as a super clear display.
Android 2.2 is also present, and pressing the icons is obviously easy and accurate with a massive capacitive screen such as this.
The kickstand is also slightly modified with the Archos 101 Internet Tablet, allowing you to select a range of heights to place it on a table at the angle you want.
It only comes with 8GB or 16GB of flash memory though, meaning you have to really think about the media you want to pump on there when you're out and about - although you can pack in up to 32GB with an extra microSD card, just like the Archos 70.
It's only 480g though, which is a lot lighter than the iPad, and we can imagine a longer watching session without the kickstand would really benefit from this additional slimming down.
The 12mm profile is also ridiculously thin - it almost feels too lightweight in your hands, but the solid aluminium shell soon dispels that worry.
In our play with the Archos 101, the firmware clearly wasn't up to scratch as it crashed on us left, right, and centre - although if it's anything like the Archos 70 it will be fine.
It's easy to forget about Archos, as the world is all going gaga about phones and tablets from Apple and Samsung these days.
But when you pick up a device you realise the heritage Archos has with PMP devices they feel nice, are palm-friendly and come with all the codecs under the sun.
We can't help but wonder if Apple has permanently stolen the thunder from Archos in the portable media game, but if you're after an Android tablet (sadly without the official App Market) then you could do worse than checking out one of these devices.
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Google Earth gets its own website
Google has launch a new website for Google Earth, featuring showcases and tutorials for the more advanced features the exploration software.It looks like Google is trying to push Earth as an advanced tool, rather than the cool plaything it has been for much of its life.
Tutorials on creating tours, importing data and creating 3D buildings are included (using Google SketchUp, naturally).
The Deep Blue, the Moon and Mars
There's also a showcase and explanation of the features that Earth has developed more recently, including the ocean, the Moon and Mars (the latter two of which really should have their own program that isn't named 'Earth', if you ask us).
There's also case studies of how different businesses might using Google Earth, including media companies, non-profit organisations, data providers and educators.
Visit the site yourself to be wowed with all the things you didn't know Google Earth did. We will warn you, however, that's it's not as interesting as pottering around in Google Earth itself, unsurprisingly.
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Facebook overtakes Google in time spent
According to data from comScore, US users spent more time on Facebook than they did on Google for the first time ever in August.While Facebook had comfortably sat below Google for the last three years, it has surged recently, creeping ahead of the search giant around the time it hit 500 million users, so maybe we shouldn't be surprised.
For the last few years, Yahoo sites had ruled the roost when it came eating up the American people's time, but the chart shows that it has failed to grow for the last few years, allowing Facebook and Google to steal a march on it.
Bouncing back
Perhaps the tie-up with Microsoft will help it claw back those precious minutes as people realise the sheer joy in trolling through photos of people they don't really know.
The timing of this particular graph is a little unfortunate, coming the day after the unveiling of Google Instant, which will trim yet more precious tenths of second off the time users spend there.
Of course, as long as people keep clicking ads, we doubt Google minds too much how long you spend hanging around.
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Blu-rays for home cinema nuts: Alien Anthology
The Alien Quadrilogy boxset was a true lynchpin for the DVD format. When it came out in 2003, it revolutionised the format, with its superb DVD extras and a cracking transfer.Seven years later it is now time for the four Alien films to come to Blu-ray in a boxset which sounds (and looks) like it truly delivers.
Home Cinema Choice is so impressed with the Alien Anthology six-disc set that it has showcased stills from the Blu-ray online which tease that this may well be one of the best transfers yet for the hi-def disc.
"It's time to throw out those old Alien Quadrilogy boxsets, as Fox has taken the franchise to a whole new level with this stunning six-disc boxset," explains Anton Van Beek, news editor at Home Cinema Choice, part of the TechRadar network.
"Alien and Aliens in particular have never looked better, the completely remastered AVC encodes revealing levels of fine detail and colour accuracy that previous versions simple can't compete with."
As for the special features, well it sounds like they are still very special, with Van Beek explaining: "The care and attention put into this set is evident at every turn, from the stunning presentation of the films themselves through to the abundant special features – including the longer and more honest version of Wreckage and Rage: The Making of Alien 3, which Fox took the scissors to for the DVD release.
"Quite simply, it's the best Blu-ray release of the year by a significant margin."
Alien Anthology has a UK release date of 25 October, courtesy of 20th Century Fox, and will be priced at £49.99.
Go to hcc.techradar.com for all the details and super-large images of the whole anthology.
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Panasonic adds Netflix streaming to 2010 TVs
US owners of this year's range of Panasonic's Viera Cast TVs and Blu-ray players will find that they can now stream video from Netflix, thanks to a software update.The new service sits alongside what was already on offer, including Amazon video on demand, Skype, Pandora and YouTube.
While UK users won't be able to take advantage of the latest feature, Panasonic says it's "constantly looking to provide the best possible entertainment experience for our customers", so maybe we can hope to see it match Samsung and integrate LoveFilm streaming in the future.
Cast, Viera Cast
LoveFilm itself has made some aggressive moves to shore up its digital offerings, including the addition of MGM movies. A James Bond marathon without leaving the comfort of the sofa? Don't mind if we do…
All Panasonic online features will naturally require an internet connection, with a wireless USB dongle available to avoid yet another cable emerging from your TV.
The Panasonic 2010 range can also use USB connectivity for keyboard control when browsing, and playback of JPEG images and AVCHD videos from recent digital camcorders.
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In Depth: 25 best BlackBerry apps
A couple of years ago a BlackBerry was just for work and apps were few and far between.Now you can get more great apps than you can fit in your BlackBerry memory at once.
You can find some of the same apps as on every platform, like EverNote, Shazam, Yelp and UrbanSpoon; other apps take advantage of the famous BlackBerry security - and the business audience is the reason tools like Xobni came to BlackBerry first.
Here is our pick of the 25 best apps for BlackBerry.
1. ShortCutMe - £3.99
You won't need ShortCutMe once BlackBerry 6 comes out, but for now it's the easiest way to make shortcuts on your home screen to favourite phone numbers, apps, Web sites and commands (like turning Wi-Fi on and off). A little garish but very useful.
2. Nobex - free or £15.89/year
You can't get a BlackBerry with an FM radio in but you can stream radio stations from around the world (the US selection is better than the UK as there are no BBC stations) - see what's playing, see the lyrics and if you like it, buy the song, with Nobex. The sound quality is excellent and you can stream over Wi-Fi for hours at a time (it works over 3G but check your data costs). The premium version has more stations but the free version has plenty to listen to.
3. miRoamer free - free
Another streaming radio app, miRoamer promises some BBC stations but we couldn't get them to play. Other stations played happily, with good quality sound, but it doesn't have half the features of Nobex.
4. Didiom Pro - free app plus $9.99/year
Put the Didiom Pro app on your PC and you can stream music onto your BlackBerry; the free trial only gives you five songs, your PC has to be on, you'll probably have to tweak your network to make it work and the interface is clunky but $10 isn't a lot for your own personal streaming service.
5. Music WithMe - £11.95
Music WithMe doesn't stream music to your BlackBerry; it pushes chosen playlists from your ITunes library into the Music WithMe service and then downloads them to your handset over Wi-Fi or 3G so you don't need to be online to play music - but the download can take a long time if you transfer a long playlist. Handy but quite a pricey way to avoid plugging in a cable.
6. VLC Remote Control - £0.79
VLC Remote Control has complicated setup (expect to tinker in the .hosts file), cryptic shortcuts and a minimal interface, but when you can sit back on the sofa and control the excellent VLC media player on your PC over Wi-Fi from your BlackBerry it's worth the effort.
7. BBC iPlayer - free
Browse a mobile version of the BBC iPlayer site and play TV shows in the BlackBerry iPlayer; you can watch BBC TV channels and listen to BBC radio live or pick shows from the last seven days. You need Wi-Fi to enjoy watching, but this is TV in your pocket.
8. Slingplayer Mobile - £19.99
Slingplayer only works on recent handsets with 3G or Wi-Fi (it really needs good bandwidth), it's pricey and you have to have a Slingbox, but if you do you can watch any of your channels - or anything you've recorded on a PVR like Sky+ - on your BlackBerry (and you can set recordings when you're out.
9. Kayak - free
Kayak is one of the best sites for finding hotels and flight deals; it's even handier on the move - you can find a room, track a flight or look up airline baggage fees.
10. neoReader - free
BlackBerry Messenger 5 lets you use QR codes to add contacts - it can also use them to download software, open web pages and call phone numbers but it's not that convenient to pretend to be adding a contact every time. NeoReader (get.neoreader.com on your BlackBerry) isn't the most elegant app, but it's quicker for snapping barcodes and it recognises more functions (like sending text messages).
11. Xobni - £7.95
A few people have spent years creating their address book in Outlook, keeping it up to date and syncing it to their BlackBerry; the rest of us can use Xobni to do the work. Xobni grabs contacts automatically from emails, phone calls, meetings, text messages, LinkedIn and Facebook - and arranges them by how often you're in touch. Flick the trackball up when you're writing a message to find and add contacts from Xobni. If you have Xobni for Outlook you get even more contacts.
12. Gwabbit - free or £7.95
Simpler than Xobni, Gwabbit just grabs email addresses and (sometimes) numbers from email signatures - automatically or you can force it to scan a message. A quick way to build up your address book, but the free version tells the person you're 'gwabbing' that you've done it.
13. Linked In - free
If Linked In is your social network, the official app gives you updates, copies contact details into your address book and lets you send and accept invitations from the app. The downside is if your network is active, downloading their updates can impact performance and battery life.
14. hulloMail 1.2 - free
hulloMail offers iPhone-style visual voicemail where you can see what message you have and who from, in your inbox on the phone or wherever you read your email - or record your own Hullo voice messages to send. Pretty much what voicemail should be.
15. Documents To Go - $19.99
Pay for the premium version of Documents To Go, that comes free on most BlackBerrys, and you can create new documents, check your spelling, use bulleted lists and tables, copy text out of PDFs and actually read PDFs on screen. The handy file viewer and automatic sync of documents from the desktop software are a bonus.
16. Bones In Motion - free
It's a shame Bones In Motion is only for the Storm and Storm 2 because it's an excellent pedometer and walking tracker; it tracks your walking or biking accurately, shows your trail on a map and works out how much exercise you got. And it's free!
17. Home to Phone - $2.99
It's easier to look up a phone number on your desktop, but you want to dial the number on your phone; Home to Phone lets you send numbers to your BlackBerry ready to dial; you can also send URLs to your phone, or back to your PC if the BlackBerry browser can't cope. If you don't use Firefox you'll need to run the slightly buggy Windows app (the Chrome plug-in doesn't have all the features yet).
18. Where's My Phone? - £2.79
Left it at home or lost it in a bar? Where's My Phone? lets you find your BlackBerry by turning on the GPS, making it ring loudly or having it call you so you can listen to where it is; you can lock it with a reward message asking finders to call you or wipe it. You have to set it up and learn how to send commands, but once done you get peace of mind.
19. Twitter - free
There are plenty of Twitter apps for BlackBerry - UberTwitter is particularly good - but the official Twitter client has a great range of features including tweeting photos from the camera, making lists, the choice of retweeting or quoting - and new tweets appear right in the inbox.
20. Seesmic - free
You don't get the multicolumn view of the desktop version with Seesmic for BlackBerry, but you do get posting (via Ping.fm) to a panoply of services and there are nifty features like seeing images in tweets and even the timeline.
21. Vlingo - free or £15.89
With a great keyboard on the BlackBerry you don't need voice control as much but Vlingo does more than just taking dictation; you can use your voice to search the Web,update Facebook or Twitter and (of course) voice dial; you can also launch apps and have messages read out to you. The paid version lets you send messages and IMs or dictate into apps.
22. AstraSync - $49
Why would you need another mail app for BlackBerry? AstraSync works with Exchange ActiveSync services like Hotmail and Gmail so you get over-the-air calendar and contacts sync, it synchronises read and deleted messages in both directions - and it works without a BlackBerry data contract so you can save money, especially when you're roaming.
23. Google Maps - free
BlackBerry Maps is all very well, but Google Maps shows tube and rail lines, satellite images and traffic - and lets you search for places and addresses and get directions. It's a shame the interface doesn't make better use of the memory and trackball but you'll want to have it if you go - well, anywhere.
24. PayPal - free
Simple and straightforward, the PayPal app lets you send money from your phone in a choice of currencies (and you can see how much you have and what you've spent and received lately), directly to people in your address book.
25. eBay - free
Search eBay form your phone and log into your account to bid, check on watched items or monitor your own auctions with the eBay BlackBerry app. Another nice BlackBerry feature is the way you get notifications from the app in the inbox.
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Chrome-to-Phone coming to the iPhone?
Google has stated that it would love to bring its Chrome-to-Phone services to platforms beyond Android.This means that we could see the ultra-cool functionality of simply clicking on a button in the Chrome browser to have links, maps and Youtube videos pumped to an iPhone.
Hugo Barra, director of products for mobile at Google, said: "We'd like to bring [Chrome-to-Phone] to other platforms, but we have to figure out the right way to do it."
Magical
"The notifications infrastructure for Android [2.2] is amazing and unique; at that just doesn't exist on other platforms, so the experience wouldn't be as magical as it is at the moment," he added.
It seems unlikely that the service will be ported to any other platform in the near future, given that Chrome-to-Phone was designed with Android in mind.
Back in April Google told TechRadar that it was looking to push Google Maps Navigation onto other phone platforms as well, but given we haven't heard anything on that for a while, we can't see Chrome-to-iPhone appearing anytime soon.
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The iPod nano watch arrives – Apple on your wrist
Steve Jobs may have alluded to the new iPod nano as being watch-like, but Apple hasn't come out with a watch attachment.No worries, as unsurprisingly a watch manufacturer has come out with an iPod nano band to do just that.
The 22mm band slips through the nano's clip, and, well, makes the iPod into a watch, allowing you to see the time on a device that will need to be charged up far more often than a normal wrist-based timepiece.
We want Bluetooth
There's also the issue of having headphones plugged into your wrist, as that's just asking for a world of tangles and anger.
We need someone to make a Bluetooth attachment for the iPod nano so we can wirelessly stream music from the end of our arm to our ears – then we will officially be living in the future.
The watch strap only cost $17 (£11) from County Comm, but they're currently not available for the UK as yet – but don't worry, we reckon it's only a matter of time before a watch manufacturer realises that their stock will fit the nano and they can begin marketing the iPod nano watchstrap too.
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Review: SRM Arezzo Kinetic
SRM first came to our attention in 2009. In fact, its basic Arezzo model won our coveted award for Best sub-£1,000 turntable. The full range includes the aforementioned Arezzo; the Arezzo Reference; Ultra and the Kinetic. All are supplied with similar features, but the Kinetic adds just one more, albeit a significant one: a flywheel which is interposed between the motor and the platter.
Obviously the platter of any turntable is supposed to rotate at a constant rate and one thing that helps this happen is the inertia of the platter itself, which together with the compliant drive belt filters out any small-speed irregularities due to the motor or its supply.
The Kinetic's flywheel is driven from the motor by a single square section belt and then passes the impetus on to the acrylic subplatter via a further four belts, giving relatively stiff coupling. In this case, the rotational momentum of the flywheel almost exactly equals that of the platter, so the effect is similar to doubling the weight of the platter.
The motor itself is a low-voltage AC type, which is attached to the sub-chassis. This is a semi-suspended design, with the sub-chassis stood off from the plinth on sorbothane mounts which are reasonably compliant but don't give quite as much decoupling as springs.
The plinth stands on conical feet on a further level of acrylic, but the three-level construction is still quite low-profile.
The arm board is also acrylic and is to some extent decoupled from the sub-chassis. Our review sample came fitted with a Rega RB300 arm (not included in the price), complete with SRM's 'counterweight resonance controller' – basically a thick rubber band which wraps round the outside of the counterweight. A dust cover is available as an option.
Sound quality
Once again, tonal balance could prove a deciding factor for many listeners – in this case a small lift in the upper bass. That's going to vary in effect with different loudspeakers, of course, and with the extended but neutral Bowers and Wilkins 803S we used for most of our sighted listening, it was perceptible but not bothersome.
That's pretty much a constant: deep bass can suffer if the turntable is not isolated at least somewhat from a suspended floor.
That apart, the Arezzo Kinetic does a lot of things very well. It has a direct, even forceful, presentation and places considerable emphasis on the rhythmic side of things. One listener used the word 'confident' in describing the sound and we could easily see what he meant by that, with dynamics and attack both full-on.
The clarity the Arezzo achieves in the midrange is very welcome in separating voices from each other and from the accompaniment: it's the highest frequencies that occasionally seem a little blurred.
Despite this, imaging is good, if not outstanding.
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Qualcomm: 1.2GHz, not 1.5GHz chips, coming Q1 2011
If you were looking forward to owning a smartphone running at 1.5GHz at the beginning of next year, we've got bad news for you.CEO and Chairman of Qualcomm Paul Jacobs stated that the new chip would appear in devices in Q1 2011, but that's been corrected to the end of the 2011, according to the PR team.
Apparently he meant the 1.2GHz dual-core chips will be coming then, which makes much more sense as they've been sent out to manufacturers to begin popping them into handsets.
Could'a been a contender
The 1.5GHz chip is likely to land in the laps of the phone brands at the tail end of this year, at which point they can begin a series of tests and trials to see what can be done with the chip. We assume this will be carried out with some kind of Rocky-esque montage.
Qualcomm's share prices benefitted from the news of the impending chip, so we're assuming someone down the chain will be getting a slap on the wrists for giving misinformation.
Of course, dual core chips aren't to be sniffed at either, and given we'll be seeing them by MWC next year, we could see smartphones moving onto even cooler applications soon.
Via Slashgear
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Qualcomm: 1.2GHz, not 1.5GHz chips, coming Q1 2011
If you were looking forward to owning a smartphone running at 1.5GHz at the beginning of next year, we've got bad news for you.CEO and Chairman of Qualcomm Paul Jacobs stated that the new chip would appear in devices in Q1 2011, but that's been corrected to the end of the 2011, according to the PR team.
Apparently he meant the 1.2GHz dual-core chips will be coming then, which makes much more sense as they've been sent out to manufacturers to begin popping them into handsets.
Could'a been a contender
The 1.5GHz chip is likely to land in the laps of the phone brands at the tail end of this year, at which point they can begin a series of tests and trials to see what can be done with the chip. We assume this will be carried out with some kind of Rocky-esque montage.
Qualcomm's share prices benefitted from the news of the impending chip, so we're assuming someone down the chain will be getting a slap on the wrists for giving misinformation.
Of course, dual core chips aren't to be sniffed at either, and given we'll be seeing them by MWC next year, we could see smartphones moving onto even cooler applications soon.
Via Slashgear
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Review: Panasonic TX-P65VT20B
The whole point of 3D is immersion. The technology wants to create a 'real' space for you to engage with. So it follows that if a 3D screen is big enough to fill your field of vision, it's more likely to deliver an immersive stereoscopic experience. Especially if that size is accompanied by the full HD resolution that's fuelling the new 'frame sequential' 3D push.
With this in mind, Panasonic's TX-P65VT20B is a seriously tantalising prospect. After all, it combines the biggest yet seen on a 3D TV with full HD frame sequential playback. What's more, it uses plasma technology, which on the evidence seen so far uses its faster response time versus LCD technology to great effect when reproducing 3D images.
The P65VT20 isn't as glamorous as I'd like, though. In spite of its bronze finish, it's a bit chunky and staid in its sculpting.
But it does have both Freeview HD and Freesat HD tuners, meaning you can get HD broadcasts regardless of where you live in the country.
The set also has the Ethernet port required by both the UK's free HD broadcasting platforms for future interactive services, and this can also access DLNA PCs or Panasonic's so-so VieraCast online platform.
More multimedia strengths come via a pair of USBs and an SD card slot, with playback of photo, music and video files (including DivX HD), and even lossless recording of the TV tuners to Buffalo's JustStore Desktop HD-EU2-UK USB HDDs. The USB ports enable you to make the TV Wi-Fi ready via a dongle that's included in the box. However, it's not as elegant a solution as a built-in system.
Pictures are driven by multiple video processing tools, such as Panasonic's powerful V-real Pro 5 3D engine and 600Hz sub-field drive for producing smoother, sharper motion handling and enhanced brightness and saturation.
Not to mention the brand's latest NeoPDP screen technology, which promises to deliver enhanced colours, black levels and sharpness, as well as an extra tweak, exclusive to the VT20 series, that reduces the plasma cell decay time – an essential improvement for tackling the dreaded 3D crosstalk phenomenon. More on this later.
Third-party endorsements abound: THX provides a well considered picture preset, while the ISF has certified the screen as being possible to calibrate by one of their experts. This gives some idea of the level of picture tuning flexibility the P65VT20 affords.
Highlights include a colour management utility; various gamma presets; the ability to adjust or deactivate the set's Intelligent Frame Creation frame interpolation system; and Panasonic's new Resolution Enhancer system for boosting the sharpness of standard definition sources.
The TV ships with two pairs of Panasonic's 3D glasses, which feel uncomfortable rather quickly and let an annoying amount of light in. So much so, that you need to darken your room as much as possible when viewing in 3D.
Performance
This situation is reinforced by the way the TV loses considerable brightness in 3D mode versus its LCD rivals. Just lift your glasses while watching some 3D content and you'll be startled by the brightness gulf.
Just as well, then, that the P65VT20's immense black level response versus LCD rivals ensures that 3D images still look reasonably rich and dynamic.
From here on in, though, the P65VT20's 3D efforts really improve. Their single most important achievement is how little they suffer from crosstalk. The TV certainly isn't immune to the tell-tale double ghosting of objects in the mid-to-far distance; actually, we felt the P65VT20's size made what crosstalk problems the screen does suffer more obvious than they were on the smaller 50in P50VT20.
But the issue is far less common or obvious than you find with any active LCD 3D TVs. This immediately makes the P65VT20's 3D pictures both more convincing and less tiring to watch than those of any other 3D brand.
The reduction in crosstalk also helps the set deliver impressively on frame sequential 3D's promise of full HD resolution with 3D sources. 3D Blu-rays such as Monsters Vs Aliens look superbly detailed and crisp. In fact, the TV's 65in screen size helps it produce the most convincing demonstration yet of exactly why the frame sequential 'active' 3D approach is worth pursuing over the lower-res, passive method.
The P65VT20's sheer enormousness does, it must be said, ram home the resolution difference between full HD 3D Blu-rays and Sky's side-by-side 3D broadcasts. But the latter's images still look impressive for the most part, despite their reduced pixel count.
Switch the P65VT20 to 2D mode (it doesn't carry any 2D-to-3D conversion circuitry), and it continues to impress. HD pictures look consistently outstanding, with the massive screen emphatically delivering on Panasonic's plasma black level advantage, while also producing superbly natural, subtle colours. High-definition images look terrifically crisp and detailed, too.
Game for anything
The P65VT20 doesn't just excel on films and TV either. Its rendition of the relentlessly dark Alan Wake on Xbox 360 frequently took my breath away, for instance, on account of its outstanding black level response.
Shifting my seating position around reminded us, too, of just how convenient plasma TVs are, since they don't suffer from reduced picture quality with wide viewing angles.
In theory, if the P65VT20 was going to have a major weakness, it would be with standard-definition sources. But in practice they're really not at all bad. The upscaling engine suppresses source noise without leaving the image looking overly soft, and unlike many LCD TVs and previous Panasonic plasmas, the P65VT20's colour palette doesn't go awry when shifting down from hi-to standard-def.
That said, this is clearly a TV that's tailored to showcase high-definition, so I'd strongly recommend that you keep it on a Full HD diet as much as humanly possible.
Really my only issue with the P65VT20's pictures, beyond the occasional (but good vs LCD) 3D crosstalk issues, is the very rare appearance of gentle fizzing noise over skin tones during horizontal camera pans.
Sonically pumped
A final surprising strength of the P65VT20 is its audio. The set carries three speakers in a 2.1 configuration, delivering 10W to each, and this helps it produce a soundstage that's wide, dynamic and powerful enough to accompany the king-sized screen.
The TV is overall another superb set from Panasonic. Its contrast, sharpness and sheer size make watching it a wonderfully cinematic experience, and while there's room for improvement, it also serves up the best 3D pictures currently available.
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In Depth: Why the App Store isn't suddenly a free-for-all
Apple surprised the industry on 9 September by issuing a statement regarding major changes to App Store policy.As reported on TechRadar, Apple is "relaxing all restrictions on the development tools used to create iOS apps, as long as the resulting apps do not download any code," and has published App Store review guidelines, which Apple hopes will "make us more transparent and help our developers create even more successful apps".
It's unclear why Apple has made these changes, but online buzz about Apple capitulating to various parties seems wide of the mark. Apple isn't scared of Adobe, nor does it need Adobe technology on iOS.
Apple's statement has already been widely misunderstood as Apple allowing Flash on to the platform, but the reality is simply that Flash might now be usable as a development environment for iOS apps.
Nonetheless, this has been enough to, at the time of writing, boost Adobe's share price by ten percent; by contrast, Apple's remains stable. Nor is Apple scared of Android. While Android's marketshare is rising, much of this is due to its existence at the low end of the market, where Apple doesn't care to fight; and iOS devices remain hugely popular, highly profitable, and are also in a state of rapid growth.
TechRadar contributor Adam Banks posits that potential investigations by the US Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission into Apple's 'monopolistic' ways might have "resulted in a tactical rather than emotional change of heart," and there's likely some truth in that.
However, it's most likely that the bulk of Apple's shift is a developer issue, and while Apple calls its new guidelines a "living document", it's arguable that App Store submissions have been a living process from the very beginning.
Moving the goalposts
Apple's screwed up a number of times along the way regarding App Store submissions, but it's important to remember that Apple's not overstating things when it refers to the App Store as the "most important milestone in the history of mobile software", which brings with it an unprecedented level of work regarding curation and management.
Some argue curation shouldn't be necessary (hence the likes of OpenAppMkt providing an alternate means to get apps on to iOS devices), but approvals cut down on the likelihood of dangerous apps, along with potentially raising the bar for quality (albeit not as high as many people would like).
It's also clear that Apple is learning, even if the rate of change has been frustratingly slow. Little by little, common requests from developers have been taken on board, and now, finally, Apple is loosening up regarding development environments and the provision of guidelines.
"Developers will welcome this," reckons Matt Gemmell of Instinctive Code, creator of Favorites. "The main fear until now wasn't the restrictions themselves - many of which most of us would agree with - but the fact they were unknown. Decisions can only be 'capricious' if you can't account for their origin."
James Montgomerie, who was caught up in App Store rejection shenanigans with Eucalyptus, agrees with Gemmell, saying he's "heartened to see Apple laying out these rules frankly and clearly". Montgomerie adds that the document "still has several vague areas in it, but it's on the whole a great step forward, and removes a huge amount of unease."
Retaining standards
Although Apple's guidelines increase transparency regarding App Store reviews, it's also very clear Apple hasn't opened the doors to all and sundry - the App Store isn't suddenly a free-for-all. The available documentation, which PCalc creator James Thomson rightly calls "fascinating - and occasionally hilarious - reading" is surprisingly candid and, at times, casual.
"We have over 250,000 apps in the App Store. We don't need any more Fart apps," is one of the bullet points; elsewhere, an argument is made regarding standards and not putting apps online just to impress your friends: "We have lots of serious developers who don't want their quality Apps to be surrounded by amateur hour".
For Gemmell, the emphasis on quality within the guidelines is welcome: "Knowing the rules Apple is using, and more importantly seeing that they're generally based on themes of preserving quality and minimising offence, should be a comfort to those considering deploying apps on the Store." He does note that the remainder of the announcement, regarding developer tools, is vague but "may presumably apply to third-party tools and frameworks," adding that the "impact of the 'Epic Citadel' demo from the recent Apple event was no doubt a factor in this equally welcome change to policy."
Bob Koon of Binary Hammer is a little concerned by this particular change, arguing that the "already giant App Store can't handle an infusion of purely non-native apps," but Montgomerie counters, believing that "apps should be judged on quality, not on how they were developed". On this subject, Thomson adds that it should "remove a lot of uncertainty around certain technology," and implies we might now see an increase in third-party app-development tools for iOS.
Whatever the outcome, everyone must remember that Apple is still Apple. "It's important to note that Apple's list isn't exhaustive," says Thomson. "Even if you comply with everything, you could still get rejected for something else that's not been considered or documented yet."
However, developers are largely excited by Apple's announcement, even if they were already using Apple's own tools. "It's not that I'm going to stop using Xcode any time soon, and neither of Apple's changes affects me directly," says Thomson.
"But they make me feel a whole lot better about developing for the platform, so from Apple's perspective, it's mission accomplished."
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Weird Tech: Actual mind control device released
The XWave headset from PLX Devices claims to let users control their iPhone and iPad through the power of the mind alone. For a suspiciously cheap $99 you get a headset with a "forehead sensor" that apparently has the ability to interpret brainwaves, eventually granting users the chance to control gadgets using the power of the mind - then translating that into a wider range of control functions via an Apple app. The caveat is that users first have to "train" their minds to operate the device, so don't just bin it straight away when you can't use it to open iTunes and scroll listlessly up and down the vast collection of music you no longer like.
Real or fake? We don't care - the advert's nice.
Man made
Etsy, which is everyone's second guiltiest internet pleasure just behind looking at Christine Bleakley's choice of shoes on the showbiz section of the Daily Mail over your lunch, has thrown up another winner. Its a hand-made retro iPhone dock going under the slightly clumsy name of the iRetrofone Skyliner, offering a "fully functional" iPod dock stuffed into a retro-styled phone chassis.
iART: Untangling telephone cables - the Angry Birds of days gone by
And it's not just a pretty charger, either - the Skyliner routes voice communications through its handset. In a vague nod to modern times, the maker notes that his $250 creation "helps eliminate concerns about radiation". In much the same way that putting your mobile phone on a table far away from you also helps eliminate concerns about radiation.
It's a start
There's lots of quite difficult-to-understand science surrounding the invention of this "tractor beam", so forgive us if we just sort of gloss over much of the factual stuff and end up talking about in which order we most fancy the ladies out of Star Trek.
ENGAGE: Beats touching things other people have touched
The basic gist of this is that researchers at the Australian National University have invented a (sort of) tractor beam, able to manipulate particles. Now, it can only move very small particles about a metre or so, but it's a massive improvement on the previous best - which was moving even tinier particles a couple of millimetres. Soon it'll be moving things you can see the length of a room.
"No, really, it says so on the signs"
Microsoft's rather over-enthusiastic family-friendly policy claimed another victim this week, with keen Xbox Live user Josh Moore finding his account banned for violating the online gaming service's terms & conditions. His offence? Living in a town called Fort Gay. Fort Gay is a real place, not a description of what happened last night.
NOT EVEN A FORT: Not that there's anything wrong with being fortified (Credit Bing Maps)
"At first I thought, 'Wow, somebody's thinking I live in the gayest town in West Virginia or something.' I was mad," said Josh, pointing out that he's not even gay so it's, like, double the crime. Microsoft's already confirmed it was a mistake, and will be reinstating Josh's account. And removing the graffiti about him from the toilet walls of its office.
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Motorola now planning Android tablet too?
Motorola looks like it wants to join the Android tablet party, as it has its own device showing up in inventory lists.Over in the US, Verizon is listing three sets of such a device under the heading of the 'Motorola MZ600 tablet'.
However, they're all for the same tablet, just dummy and demo models as well as the real thing, before you all start getting TOO excited.
Given the timing of this announcement, the tablet would likely land later this year, or possibly at the beginning of next, meaning it could be packing Google's new Gingerbread 3.0 Android OS.
Nothing but big phones
Google has already stated that it wants to optimise the experience on the Android platform for larger-form devices, calling the current options that have access to Android Market 'large phones'.
Whether Motorola brings out a Galaxy Tab competitor, complete with Froyo and full voice capabilities or something a bit more substantial and powerful with the next gen OS, will likely depend on whether Google starts giving more detail on its tablet OS plans.
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Tube strikes, Rooney scores and London has the X Factor
Our look into Google's top searches has taken us to some seedy places this week. The exclusive list which Google hands to us on a gold platter every seven days – well, through email – shows just what Londoners have been searching for online.
It seems that the top results have to do with Wayne Rooney and the problems he is having with his tackle [insert knob-related gag here].
Because of this, his name is the second top search term for London. Jennifer Thompson, the person he allegedly slept with behind Colleen Rooney's back is on top – a position she is probably more than familiar with.
Rooney is uncomfortably sandwiched between Thompson and Maria Marchese in the top searches.
Surprisingly Marchese is not the other woman in Rooney's alleged ménage a trois but a stalker who was jailed for nine years in 2007 for, well, stalking.
She was the muse for U Be Dead, an ITV drama starring David Morrissey – something which landed at lucky number 7 on the top trend list.
Factor of X
Other search terms include X Factor and Cher Lloyd, a 16-year-old singer who went on X Factor, sung a bit and looked a bit like Cheryl Cole.
This means she will definitely get to the judge's house, only to be told at the last moment she is a little too young for stardom. She'll then cry and you will all lap it up like the sadists you are.
As London was subject to a 24 hour tube strike, the words 'tube, strike and London' were also Googled a lot. We cannot confirm if the phrase 'Bob Crow's head on a stick' was also a popular one, however.
Finally, a number of newspapers made the top trends list. The Sunday Mirror came in at number 8 – as it broke the Rooney-gate story – and the News Of The World is in the list twice.
Actually the actual phrase typed was 'newsoftheworld', which meant the tabloid was Googled in a hurry by people who really, really wanted to know what was going on in last week's cricketing scandal.
For those interested in the full top 20, the list is below:
jennifer thompson
wayne rooney
maria marchese
coleen rooney
cher lloyd
tube strike london
u be dead
sunday mirror
notw
bristol half marathon
newsoftheworld
moto gp
daybreak
transformers
this is england
motogp
new zealand earthquake
daily mirror
xfactor
itv.com
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Review: Pro-Ject 6 Perspex
Joy of joys – the Pro-Ject 6 Perspex is a turntable with a lid, which even if it doesn't quite enclose the whole machine, will certainly reduce the dust problem considerably. Beneath it resides a suspended turntable with some interesting ideas built in. The Perspex of the name is hardly a surprise these days, but the subchassis is made of Corian, a material which Pro-Ject claims has 'no resonances at all'. We'd question that, but it does seem to be less resonant than the more common MDF and it looks smart, too.
It's supported on a rather stiff suspension which turns out to rely on magnetic force rather than springs. Magnetic suspension is not by any means a cure-all and is difficult to get right, but this implementation seems to work very well.
It doesn't fix all the problems of conventional suspensions and, for instance, the subchassis of the 6 Perspex is very willing to yaw, or rotate about the spindle. However, if provoked externally it seems to bounce vertically rather than twisting, which is all to the good.
An AC motor is used, fixed to the chassis and therefore not suspended, and it drives the edge of the platter via a square-section belt.
The 9cc Evolution arm fitted to this deck is something of a beauty. It's made of carbon fibre composite material and is conical, which helps reduce resonance. As our photo shows, it has a truly huge bearing yoke which contains precision ball races in a gimbal arrangement, which gives a great combination of structural rigidity and freedom of rotation, but does mean that the bearing axis is a little too high.
Flexible wires from the arm lead to a pair of phono sockets: Pro-Ject includes interconnects but does not supply a cartridge as standard.
Sound quality
The 6 Perspex was much enjoyed by two listeners but less so by the third, who identified a slight lack of bass as his main concern.
The odd thing here is that the low bass is, according to our own listening, a touch on the over-full side, but higher bass and low midrange does seem a touch shy, if only by comparison. But the overall effect clearly pressed all the right buttons for the two who liked it.
Dynamics are a particularly strong point, wide-ranging but absolutely natural-sounding. We've all heard hi-fi components, particularly turntables, which have great dynamic extremes but seem oddly lacking in the middle. This one is beautifully balanced across the board, with dynamic swings which happen smoothly and convincingly.
There's plenty of insight, too, aided by a tonal balance that's just a shade lifted in the highest treble, bringing out the best in well-made natural recordings.
Imaging is wide and fairly deep and a hint of depth compression is one of the few weaknesses we could put a finger on.
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Nokia CEO out – Microsoft exec takes over
Nokia's CEO and president Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo will leave his position later this month, with Microsoft's Stephen Elop taking the reins.OPK will step down on 20 September, and will leave the Nokia board of directors immediately, although he will remain with Nokia Siemens Networks.
Elop is currently in charge of Microsoft's Business Division, and despite Nokia's dwindling market share, he's giving the mandatory battle cry.
'Market leader'
"I am extremely excited to become part of a team dedicated to strengthening Nokia's position as the undisputed leader of the mobile communications industry, with a relentless focus on meeting the needs and expectations of customers.
"Nokia has a unique global position as well as a great brand upon which we can build. The company has deeply talented and dedicated people, and I am confident that together we can continue to deliver innovative products that meet the needs of consumers. "
While we feel sad about OPK's departure (mostly because we'd finally learnt how to spell his name without have to Google it a couple of times) don't feel too bad – he's getting a payoff of nearly £4 million.
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Adobe resumes work on iPhone development
Adobe has announced it will restart its development work on it Packager for iPhone after Apple announced it was relaxing the App Store rules.The Adobe Packager for iPhone tool has been made available via the Flash Professional CS5 package, and allowed developers to create applications easily for iOS devices.
However, Apple decided a few months ago that it didn't want Flash to be used in the creation of apps, and rejected all those created using this tool.
Back on track
But now, all is well in the Adobe world, as the company has used its official blog to state 'we will now resume development work on [Packager for iPhone] for future releases.
"This is great news for developers and we're hearing from our developer community that Packager apps are already being approved for the App Store. We do want to point out that Apple's restriction on Flash content running in the browser on iOS devices remains in place."
Adobe's share price jumped 12 per cent in the wake of Apple's announcement, showing just how key the iPhone platform can be for company helping to create applications.
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Google: 'Android not optimised for tablets'
Google has stated that it currently isn't using Android on any tablets, hinting that it will have a tablet-centric OS soon.Although Gingerbread and Honeycomb have been strongly tipped to be tablet-friendly versions of Android, this is the first time Google has confirmed Froyo isn't a platform for iPad rivals.
"The [Samsung] Galaxy Tab is kind of like a large phone' said Hugo Barra, director of products for mobile at Google.
"Android is an open platform. We saw at IFA 2010 all sorts of devices running Android, so it already running on tablets.
Android Market not for tablets
"But the way Android Market works is it's not going to be available on tablets that don't allow devices and applications to run correctly.
"Which devices do, and which don't will be unit specific, but Froyo is not optimised for use on tablets.
"If you want Android market on that platform, the apps just wouldn't run, [Froyo] is just not designed for that form factor.
"We want to make sure that we're going to create a application distribution mechanism for the Android market, to ensure our users have right experience."
This echoes comments made by Archos to TechRadar at IFA, stating that Google is looking for the 'wow factor' with it's tablet platform, with custom animations and UIs, so it could be that we'll be seeing a whole different breed of Android devices to take on the iPad.
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Google adds sat nav for walkers on Android
Google has announced it will be bringing out Google Maps 4.5 for Android today, complete with satellite navigation for walkers.Speaking at a small Google Mobile event in London, Hugo Barra, director of products for mobile at Google announced that the new update will be available in 'just a few hours'.
Google wanted to offer walkers the same free and easy way to find their ways around cities that cars are afforded, and has come up with a number of feet-friendly features:
"We had the idea that people are now navigating using Google Maps, getting turn by turn navigation in your car, so now we're launching a walking version of that."
Hilly
"The new version of Google Maps will choose routes that are pedestrian only, such as not going down very hilly roads if there's an easy way to get around.
"It will also turn on satellite view automatically, which is really helpful for getting your bearings so you can know what's around immediately.
"You can also mute navigation voice guidance; sometimes you might not want Google telling you to turn left when on the street, so you can turn it right down, and it will vibrate every time you need to look at it and get a new instruction."
Enhance!
Google will also be bringing new features to Streetview on the mobile, where 3D animations and interaction will be offered.
Users can zoom around the map by clicking on almost any part of the picture, and it will zoom there in a much slicker way than before.
Android lovers can search for the new update in a few hours, so keep your eyes peeled for Google Maps 4.5 on your handset.
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Exclusive: Google adds sat nav for walkers on Android
Google has announced it will be bringing out Google Maps 4.5 for Android today, complete with satellite navigation for walkers.Speaking at a small Google Mobile event in London, Hugo Barra, director of products for mobile at Google announced that the new update will be available in 'just a few hours'.
Google wanted to offer walkers the same free and easy way to find their ways around cities that cars are afforded, and has come up with a number of feet-friendly features:
"We had the idea that people are now navigating using Google Maps, getting turn by turn navigation in your car, so now we're launching a walking version of that."
Hilly
"The new version of Google Maps will choose routes that are pedestrian only, such as not going down very hilly roads if there's an easy way to get around.
"It will also turn on satellite view automatically, which is really helpful for getting your bearings so you can know what's around immediately.
"You can also mute navigation voice guidance; sometimes you might not want Google telling you to turn left when on the street, so you can turn it right down, and it will vibrate every time you need to look at it and get a new instruction."
Enhance!
Google will also be bringing new features to Streetview on the mobile, where 3D animations and interaction will be offered.
Users can zoom around the map by clicking on almost any part of the picture, and it will zoom there in a much slicker way than before.
Android lovers can search for the new update in a few hours, so keep your eyes peeled for Google Maps 4.5 on your handset.
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Google: 80,000 apps in the Android Market
Google has confirmed the number of applications on the Android Market, following a lot of speculation over the actual number.Hugo Barra, director of products for mobile for Google, said that not only are there over 180,000 developers now creating applications for the Google Mobile portal, but there are now 80,000 applications on offer too.
This still pales in comparison to the Apple App Store number, which is well over 230,000, but it shows the growing interest in Google's platforms.
Map happy
Barra also confirmed that there are now over 100 million active users of Google Maps for mobile.
This isn't just confined to the Android platform, but includes iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Java-based platforms too.
Google has promised new voice functions will be unveiled for Europe in the near future, which means things like StreetView controlled by voice shouldn't be too far away.
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Exclusive: Next-gen smartphones set to land in 2012
ARM is predicting that mobile phones powered by its new high end Cortex A15 will be on sale two years after the chip was announced.Eric Schorn, VP of marketing for ARM's processor division, told TechRadar that the two year time frame was based on past timelines:
"We should be seeing [ARM Cortex A15-powered] smartphones by the tail end of 2012, inside handsets on the store shelves.
"Essentially we're looking at a two year time frame from when we first announce [the A15] and past releases usually indicate a two to three year time frame."
Enhance!
He also said that ARM is hoping to have chips based on its Cortex A9 dual-core architecture on the shop floors before Christmas, meaning we could see such things from the likes of the HTC Desire HD.
However, the new Cortex A15 won't be running at 2.5GHz, despite that being possible with the new chips, as Schorn said this would only be for larger devices like cell towers where cooling was less of an issue:
"With mobile phones, there's a different trade off in operating frequency due to the battery life, so they [mobile phones] are not quite in that 2.5GHz category.
"However, the users will experience a much faster experience, one that's quicker, more efficient and able to surf the web for longer."
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PS3 users play for 10 hours straight and love chips
A new survey by Sony, commissioned to celebrate Sony PlayStation's 15th birthday in the US, has unearthed some fun-ish facts about your average PS3 owner.Joystiq has got hold of the results and it makes for interesting reading.
Out of the people surveyed, Sony found 84 per cent would ditch social networking sites than give up playing games for a year and a whopping 40 per cent of those asked would not have relationship with a partner who gets in the way of their gaming.
CoD and chips…
Unsurprisingly, this meant that 38 per cent of those asked will spend a massive 6-10 hours in front of their PS3 a day.
Who needs relationships when you have CoD, eh?
When it comes to one of the most important aspects of gaming, snacking, those with a PS3 prefer pizza and chips over energy bars and popcorn.
Embarrassingly 33 per cent of those asked don't eat while playing games as they 'need to concentrate'.
Hopefully this is concentrating on the game, rather than poop socking.
Finally, Kratos from God Of War was voted the best PS3 character ever, with Nathan Drake from Uncharted coming a close second.
Poor old Sackboy got just seven per cent of the votes.
This story has been updated
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