VLC Media Player, the platform that's designed to play back virtually any media file, has landed on the iPhone and iPod touch platform.The new Version 1.1.0 brings about a few new improvements on top of making its way from the iPad only to the smaller screen.
You can now edit (well, delete) files from within the application rather than having to go through iTunes to clean things up, and more extensions are now being recognised.
Faster, better, slicker
More importantly VLC promises faster decoding, meaning it's likely that the dreaded MKV incompatibility (due to 'too slow' iPads) could be a thing of the past.
The faster decoding is due to assembly optimisations, so we assume that means it can put the video together quickly enough to run smoothly. We also want to see MPG and WMV supported on our iPhone 4 to make this a compelling product.
We're currently testing out the new VLC Media Player on the iPhone, so we'll let you know our findings as soon as we can.
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Buying Guide: 10 best Windows Phone 7 apps - paid apps
Sure, Windows Phone 7 has a fast and fluid user experience, and maybe the best smartphone camera interface we've seen.But does it have the kind of apps you buy the iPhone for? Not quite yet.
We haven't yet seen a killer app for Windows Phone 7 apart from the built-in OneNote with SkyDrive sync and it will be a while before we see GPS navigation apps (we know of at least one in development) but even in the first week there's plenty in the Marketplace beyond the obligatory flashlights and fart apps.
Here are the Windows Phone 7 apps we'd pay for.
1. Pictures Lab
Tilt-shift effects, crop and rotate... Pictures Lab combines the fun effects of an iPhone photo app like Hipstamatic with the useful fixes you're mostly likely to need (sharpen and - in the imminent update - crop) in a beautifully designed app that crosses the power of Silverlight with the tools of the Windows Phone 7 interface. Pick a photo, see all the possible effects as thumbnails or swipe up and down to try them one at a time.
2. Newsroom
If you live in RSS feeds, you may want both of these newsreaders for Windows Phone 7. Newsroom saves you time by grabbing full stories and pictures, even from truncated RSS feeds, and battery by compressing them first, so you can go from the headline to the full story far more quickly than clicking through to a browser window - but it doesn't handle Google Reader.
3. gReadie
gReadie - as you'd expect from the name - specifically handles Google Reader, and does a great job of keeping the details of what you've read elsewhere in Google Reader in sync so you only get new items (and ones you've starred). You can star posts to remember, send them to Instapaper and share them in plenty of ways - including Twitter.
4. DoodleDoodle
There are several drawing apps in the marketplace but this simple one is our favourite so far; pick a colour and a pen thickness and draw with your fingertip. Good for amusing kids, a quick game of hangman, drawing a map or a basic diagram.
5. Password Padlock
If you're trying to make your passwords more secure, they get more complicated and harder to remember. Microsoft doesn't let tools like this handy password utility integrate with the browser but it does encrypt all your passwords using AES and a master password of your choice (that's never stored on the phone, so write yourself a good hint); now you can safely get reminders when you need to log in.
6. Virtual Remote: Media Control
Connecting a remote to a PC in your living room usually means a tangle of wires and infrared repeaters; not the look you want. Run the companion PC software and Virtual Remote turns the phone you have in your pocket into a remote control with media buttons; it works with ITunes and several DVD software players as well as Windows Media Player and Windows Media Centre - it even has the green button to start Media Center.
7. Twozaic
Why pay for a Twitter client when there's Seesmic and the official client, both free? Because the cloud view that arranges user pics and excerpts around the screen is just such a nice way of reading tweets - although you get all the usual views like timelines as well.
8. PCconnector
The setup could be easier - and the instructions and interface could be a lot clearer, especially for setting up the client you have to run on your PC - but once you get it working you can connect to your PC from anywhere to download files or send them by email. Not everyone needs this but it's the kind of powerful app we weren't sure Windows Phone 7 would allow.
9. BluesBox
Who needs Guitar Hero? You can play your own blues solo (or any other style) on screen; pick a song to play along with from your music collection, pick bass or guitar and strut your stuff. This makes great use of the multitouch screen for chords and fast play.
10. XKCD
If you don't love XKCD… no, we don't think there's anyone who doesn't love this mix of philosophy and stick figures. The app does little more than start with the most recent comic and read backwards (you can also jump to a specific numbered strip); it doesn't even zoom because then you couldn't read the text. But it's XKCD!
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Virgin Media's 100Mbps broadband arriving this week?
Virgin Media's 100Mbps internet service is expected to arrive this week with Prime Minister David Cameron teasing the arrival of the next generation super-fast service from the cable giant. Cameron's speech on a 'new economic dynamism' to the CBI included a nugget of information, that was presumably cleared by Virgin Media, talking about a new service.
With Virgin Media continuing to hint that its 100Mbps service is arriving this year, the writing is very much on the wall for a launch this week.
New service
"…we'll work with utility companies to get more investment in our energy, with construction companies on our roads, with the telecommunications industry on broadband," said Cameron.
"This collaboration is already working. Virgin Media is rolling out a new superfast broadband service this week."
Virgin Media is not ready to confirm the news just yet, with a spokesman keeping the 'coming soon' line for now.
"Virgin Media currently provides the fastest broadband service in the UK, with our 50Mbps service, and we're excited that we will soon be revealing the details of our new ultrafast 100Mbps service," he said.
The arrival of 100Mbps is a significant landmark in the UK, which is struggling to keep up with some other nations in terms of its communications infrastructure.
With BT now investing in more fibre optic network, and Virgin Media reaping the benefit of its cable purchases in the past superfast broadband is, at least, becoming a common term in the UK.
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Glasgow gets UK first 3G Underground coverage
The UK's first 3G and Wi-Fi network on an underground transport network has arrived for Glasgow Subway – with The Cloud and Arqiva partnering to bring connectivity to the commute. Although the wait remains for London's Tube to be given network coverage, Glasgow's Subway has now been connected up – with the first service of its kind in the UK.
"There are around 14 million passenger journeys on the Glasgow Subway each year," explained Andy Norris, Services Director for Arqiva's Government, Mobile & Enterprise business unit.
Widespread adoption
"The widespread adoption of smartphones and other cellular hand held devices means that more and more consumers want an 'always on' experience from these devices," he added.
"The addition of Wi-Fi to the existing 3G network demonstrates our ability to design and deploy communications infrastructure that can be used for more than one purpose.
"It also demonstrates our expertise in deploying communication networks in some challenging environments.
"From the onset of the project, we were aware that Wi-Fi was necessary to allow commuters to enjoy seamless connectivity at rush hour as well as quiet periods and The Cloud was the clear choice to help us achieve this goal."
All 15 stations and subway platforms are covered by the partnership's effort, but although The Cloud is offering the first 15 minutes of Wi-Fi free to all – further minutes will need to be bought on PAYG.
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BBC to change way it manages websites
The BBC is making a significant change to the way in which it manages its websites, with the corporation adopting a project management system that will see each site allocated a life-cycle. The BBC is keen to improve the way in which it deals with its websites, and Erik Huggers has explained how a move to a project management system will help.
"By 2012 it's estimated that around 90% of UK homes will have access to our services via the web so it's important that we get this right," he blogged.
"Product management will enable us to think more strategically about developing our online presence, and deliver a better quality and more innovative service for audiences."
Damp squib
Huggers insists that there will be no poorly judged launches with no continuation, and that failures will be canned quickly.
"We'll no longer build websites which are published and which sit unattended and slowly degrade; products will be managed within a life cycle," he stated.
"This could mean gradual addition of new features, new content, new releases, but also includes the ultimate decommissioning of a product."
The BBC has also published a survey on why it is adopting product management.
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Updated: Windows 8 rumours: everything you need to know
What we know about Windows 8 is still incomplete and unofficial - garnered from job postings, rumours and the slides allegedly leaked by a software engineer at HP responsible for OEM relations (available through the Italian Windows Ette site).The slides include plenty of marketing ideas rather than technical details, they show that Microsoft has its eye on what Apple is doing to make its operating systems so popular and they declare themselves a work in progress.
Not only is every page marked 'this is not a plan of record' but the opening discussion includes the line "reality: there are currently more ideas than there is time to implement them". That's especially true if Windows 8 release date is as soon as we think it might be.
Windows 8 release date
Windows 8, say the slides, will be available "for the holiday" - but not which one.
There's a timeline that doesn't have many dates; the one suggesting that the coding would begin in June is suspect when some sources say the M1 (milestone 1 build) is already done and there's what we assume is a typo that we'd correct to say the third Forum (rather than the second) would be in July (there are several points where the slides are incomplete or confusing; for instance a pointed reference to "creating great Dell + Windows Experiences" in a deck that otherwise tips the hat - and appears to have been intended for - HP).
It puts the first beta of IE9 in August, along with the shipping date for Windows Live wave 4 which fits other rumours and positions them just after the third Forum.
That makes the forums three-to five months apart; assuming an average of four months - and assuming the chart is to scale and that the dates don't slip - that puts Windows 8 beta release date a little before March 2011 and Windows 8 RTM shortly after July 2011 (a date suggested on the blog of a now-ex Microsoft employee which you can find preserved, with the boxed version following in the autumn - for the holiday).
We've said before that we expect Windows 8 in late 2011 or early 2012 and we don't expect Microsoft to talk about a date until the Milestone 3 build, which would be around November 2010 by these calculations.
The fact that Microsoft hasn't announced whether the Professional Developers conference (usually held in November and used to preview new versions of the OS) will happen this year makes this a little less likely and it could all be some months later.
There are several statistics (typical RAM, network connected TVs, mobile broadband penetration and 4G deployment) that talk about the specs that will be common - in 2012.
Interestingly, the timeline shows Windows Live Wave 5 with a short development cycle that finishes before Windows 8; that matches suggestions that Live will offer more cloud services for Windows 8.
UPDATE: On 25 October 2010, Microsoft Netherlands said "it will take about two years before 'Windows 8' [is] on the market."
Windows 8 tablets are coming
The leaked slides are aimed at PC manufacturers who are interested in new form factors - and in getting a share of the iPad market - so it's no surprise one of the key PC form factors is a 9" slate (which Microsoft, having obviously got the point of all those iPad ads, is calling a Lap PC), optimised for web and media, casual gaming, reading and sorting email, IM and social networking.
LAP PC: Is that the HP slate? Using the Lap PC to read a magazine and play a driving game
Microsoft promises big improvements to the on-screen keyboard: it will be "easily launched, text prediction is more accurate, the UI is more usable, and throughput is increased for everyone".
There's also the workhorse PC (which is also referred to as a laptop, because Microsoft is only talking about consumers and not business users) and the family hub (an all-in-one touchscreen system that can go in the kitchen or the living room as a media centre) which is for casual gaming, web and media as well as more demanding apps like organising and manipulating media.
Key to making a successful Windows tablet is apps with user interfaces that change depending on the form factor (touch and gestures instead of keyboard and mouse), but Microsoft is also looking at stereoscopic 3D and high colour displays and natural input that uses touch, voice, 3D gestures ("on the horizon"), and facial recognition.
3D SUPPORT: Windows 8 will play 3D movies and games, but don't ask Microsoft to pick its favourite format yet
Optimising "for smaller screens" will help netbook users as well; Windows 7 gets key dialog boxes to fit on a small screen but not all apps do.
Another app store
More than 30 app stores have launched in the last year and Microsoft isn't the only company copying Apple here; Intel has its own app store for Atom PCs. PC makers like the idea - apparently at the first forum they commented that it "can't happen soon enough".
With an app store, Microsoft hopes to attract more of the type of developers who are currently building smartphone apps and it wants them to create apps that make Windows the best place to use web apps (a job advert last October claimed "we will blend the best of the web and the rich client by creating a new model for modern web applications to rock on Windows".)
According to the slides, "Currently the indication is that app development will move to the Web. There is significant opportunity for Microsoft if hardware capabilities, and OS services and Web could be integrated into a hobbyist developer toolset."
The 'tailored experiences' Microsoft talks about for Windows 8 sound like smartphone apps; the checklist includes fast installation and updates for engaging, social, extensible, ad-supported or 'freemium' apps.
If smartphone-style apps sound too simple to be worthwhile on Windows, Microsoft wants apps to be extensible so you can share information between them - perhaps using a mix of simple apps together. It sounds like the 'mashups' that we were all going to be making online until it turned out you'd have to learn to program.
The Windows Store will be branded and optimised for each PC manufacturer. Your settings will follow you from PC to PC, as will your apps (although some slides refer to this as a possibility rather than a definite plan) - but you'd need an HP ID to log into the 'HP Store powered by Windows' and get your HP-specific apps. Microsoft doesn't plan to make money from the store; the slides call it "revenue neutral".
Windows 8 multimedia
Windows 8 will have better media playback and recording, but it will balance using hardware acceleration to save battery life and using the CPU when it gives a better result.
Audio will use hardware acceleration more because that does improve battery life. There will be post-processing to take out blur, noise and shakey video filmed on a phone or webcam, and support for more codecs including AVC and as-yet-undetermined 3D video codecs (stereoscopic3D support is coming, for games and for 3D movies in Media Center, but there are format issues).
Microsoft talks about sharing 'with nearby devices'; one way that will work is adding the Play To option currently in Windows Media Player to the browser for HTML 5 audio and video content, so you can play it on any device that supports DLNA, another is APIs to let other software do the same.
That will work with DRM content, if it's protected with DTCP-IP (digital transmission content protection over IP) or Microsoft's own PlayReady and hardware acceleration will speed up DRM decoding.
There's also a new 'remote display' option that will let you send your screen from a laptop to a large monitor (which will use DirectX hardware acceleration and the same multimonitor interface that's already in Windows 7, but for wireless displays as well, which could be an Internet-connected TV - Microsoft refers to 35% of TVs having network connectivity by 2012 and wonders whether to prioritise Internet TV over further improvements to broadcast TV).
The 'fundamentals' Microsoft is aiming for with Windows 8 include "a fast on/off experience, responsiveness, and a great level of reliability from the start".
The 'big three' are boot time, shutdown time and battery life ("Windows 8 PCs turn on fast, nearly instantly in some cases, and are ready to work without any long or unexpected delays") but Microsoft is also thinking about how long it takes to get things done - how long until you read your first email, see the home page in your browser or start playing media. PCs should feel like an appliance that's ready to use as soon as you turn on the power.
FASTER STARTUP: Windows 8 will show you what slows down startup and if removing an app you don't use improves it
Mobile PCs should resume 'instantly' from sleep (in under a second from S3 sleep), and booting up will be faster because of caching, with a boot layout prefetcher and the ReadyBoost cache persisting even when you reboot.
As only 9% of people currently use hibernate (which will work more quickly in Windows 8 because system information will be saved and compressed in parallel), Windows 8 will have a new Logoff and Hibernate combination that closes your apps like shutting the PC down does and refreshes your desktop like restarting does, but actually caches drivers, system services, devices and much of the core system the way hibernation does.
Turning the PC back on will take about half the time a cold boot needs (and the slides point out that on many PCs the power-on tests take longer than the Windows startup, so BIOS makers need to shape up).
It will be the default option but it won't be called Logoff and Hibernate; Microsoft is debating terms like Shutdown, Turn Off, Power Down and thinking through how the other options for turning the PC off will show up in the interface.
You'll be able to use an encrypting hard drive to boot Windows 8 and they'll integrate with BitLocker and third-party security apps.
Improving battery life will be based on some deep changes to the kernel; removing an interrupt in the kernel scheduler completely and removing more of the timers that interrupt Windows when it's trying to save power.
Windows 8 might get the same option for powering down unused areas of memory to save power that's on the cards for Windows Server, it will block disk reads and writes and some CPU access when you're not doing anything on your PC and PCI devices can turn off completely when they're not in use (assuming the drivers for specific devices support it).
Windows 7 stopped laptops waking up automatically when they're not plugged in; Windows 8 will get a new 'intelligent alarm' that can wake them up for things like virus scans, but only if they're plugged in.
OEMs will get new test tools that check the performance, reliability, security and Windows Logo compatibility of the PC, as well as measuring performance in Outlook and IE. And depending on whether partners have "concerns" about it, Microsoft might give the same tools to journalists, IT pros and users.
Help and support is back
In Windows XP the Help and Support centre was a branded hub of tools and links; in Windows 7 it's far more minimal. Windows 8 will go back to the branded experience, with integrated search for support forums run by your PC manufacturer but add the Windows 7 troubleshooters.
It will also link better with the Action Center, with tools that show more clearly what's happening on your PC; what apps are running, what resources are being used (like Task Manager showing which apps are using the most network bandwidth), how and when things have changed and what they can do about it. It will also include an Application Management tool that will let you find what apps are causing performance problems and adjust or remove them.
IMPROVED TASK MANAGER: Task manager will make it easier to see why an app might not be performing; here the Zune software is using all the network bandwidth to download podcasts, so video in the browser keeps pausing. We hope the white on black isn't the final design!
The Windows pre-boot recovery environment will be simpler, combining the safe mode and 'last known good' options into one interface. It will use what Microsoft calls 'superboot' to remove malware and rootkits
If you have to reset your PC, Windows 8 will restore "all the files settings and even the applications" although you'll have to go to the Windows Store to download apps and get a list of apps that didn't come from the store, so it's not clear how automatic this will actually be.
Devices matter (almost) as much as PCs
One of the reasons that Windows took off in the first place was working more easily with devices - in those days, printers. Support for a wide range of devices is one of the reasons it's hard to other OSes to challenge Windows but Microsoft would like to get hardware manufacturers to do more with the sensor platform and DeviceStage interface it introduced in Windows 7.
With Windows 8, Microsoft wants to see "PCs use location and sensors to enhance a rich array of premium experiences. Users are not burdened with cumbersome tasks that Windows can accomplish on its own. Users are neither annoyed or disturbed by the actions the PC takes. Instead, the PC's behaviour becomes integrated into users' routine workflows. Devices connect faster and work better on Windows 8 than on any other operating system."
The 'current thinking' is for Windows 8 to include Microsoft's own Wi-Fi location service Orion (which has 50-100m accuracy in North America and Western Europe but falls back to using the location associated with IP addresses elsewhere, which can be as bad as 25km).
Orion will be used in Windows Phone 7 (as well as Hawaii, a Microsoft Research project to build cloud-enabled mobile apps which refers to Orion as a 'prototype service'). Microsoft partnered with Navizon in March to use their Wi-Fi and mobile network location database but the slides claim that Orion is buying a bigger database than Navizon's 15 million access points, giving it 40 million compared to Google's 48 million (neither matches the 120 million Skyhook gives the iPhone).
Location will be available to the browser as well as to any app that's written to use it (music players as well as mapping tools), and web apps will get access to webcams.
Microsoft is emphasising the privacy aspect of location and webcam use, with mockups of how apps can ask for location and users can choose to deny it or only allow it once. And it's also asking PC manufacturers how many devices they plan to put GPS in and offering a Device Stage interface for using a PND like a Garmin nuvi as a GPS source for your PC.
LOCATION PRIVACY: Web apps can see your location and use your webcam – but you get to control that to protect your privacy
As we've said before, Device Stage will become the standard way you work with devices; Microsoft previewed the options you'll get with a featurephone and a webcam as well as GPS.
Along with GPS, Microsoft is expecting PCs to include infrared sensors as well as the ambient light sensors that are becoming common, and the accelerometers that are in tablets with rotating screens.
Put that together and the PC could know which way up it is, whether there's anyone in front of it - or near it and what the lighting is like in the room. So when you walk into the room your PC notices and wakes itself up so by the time you sit down the webcam is ready to recognise you - and no waiting or having to line your face up with a box on screen.
If this works, the camera will pick your face out of the room, like Photo Gallery finding a face in a picture (hopefully without thinking the face in a picture on the wall is you). When you walk away it goes back to sleep again.
We like the idea of rotation lock buttons on 'Lap PCs' so you can move them around to control a game without flipping he screen repeatedly; again, if you look away from the game, Microsoft envisages it pausing automatically and if you pass a slate to someone it will switch to their account automatically.
What's in: USB 3, Bluetooth hands free and headset profiles (mono and stereo audio).
What's out: Microsoft has no plans to support Bluetooth 3.0 + High Speed, 1394 might be deprecated and Microsoft seems to expect USB 2 ports to be phased out in favour of USB 3 within the lifetime of Windows 8.
What's under consideration: Bluetooth Low Energy (from Bluetooth 4.0). What's not mentioned: Intel LightPeak, although Microsoft does ask if it's missing anything on its list of connectivity.
Windows 8 will know who you are
With better ways to log in to your PC, like your face, Microsoft is considering giving Windows 8 a way to "securely store usernames and passwords, simplifying the online experience".
Your Windows account might connect more directly to the cloud than just having a Windows Live ID, logging into web sites on your behalf; there's very little detail on this but it could revive the CardSpace technology introduced in Vista but not widely adopted.
FACE LOGIN: Forget passwords; Windows 8 will use the webcam to find and recognise your face (probably)
Put it all together and you get some welcome improvements. It's impossible to say if Microsoft can come up with a simple enough programming system to appeal to the developers it wants to create Windows apps to rival Apple's App Store.
Until we see some code in action it's also hard to say if the 'instant on' and better battery life will transform the PC experience to compete with lightweight systems based on Android (or if Microsoft can deliver them) and make the PC scale from the tablet to the heavyweight systems we have today – which Windows has to do if it's going to stay the dominant PC OS.
Everything else here is incremental – as it would have to be if Microsoft really expects to release Windows 8 by 2011, but it's potentially disappointing if it comes in 2012 and there's nothing else exciting in Windows 8.
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Review: G.Skill Phoenix Pro 40GB SSD
To RAID or not to RAID. That is the question. At least, it's an increasingly interesting question with the number of smaller, more affordable solid state drives (SSDs) on the rise. The latest example of just such an SSD is the new G.Skill Phoenix Pro 40GB.The key issues here are performance, capacity and cost. SSDs deliver a number of knock-out performance and efficiency advantages compared to conventional drives, which are based on rotating magnetic platters. But they also tend to be much smaller, while costing a bundle more. Consequently, this relatively puny 40GB SSD is priced on a par with magnetic drives offering 1TB or more.
In fact, it's debatable whether 40GB is actually big enough to be useful as even a boot drive. With that in mind, one obvious solution is pairing up two 40GB drives in a RAID 0 array and thereby doubling up capacity at the same time as pushing performance to a whole new level.
If a single SSD delivers a massive improvement in storage performance against the clock and subjective computing experience, then just imagine what a pair in RAID will do.
If that's got your attention, the G.Skill Phoenix Pro 40GB is certainly a promising candidate. It's powered by the SandForce SF-1200, which is arguably the best SSD controller chip currently available and certainly one of the most popular around.
On paper, there's little to separate this 40GB 2.5-inch SSD from the likes of Corsair's Force F40. For the most part, that's a good thing.
The most significant common component shared by both is the SandForce SF-1200 controller. Our SSD technology lessons have sometimes been painful, but we've come to learn that the most important single component in any SSD is the controller chip, and the SandForce is a good 'un.
For the record, the SF-1200 uses an ARM-based Tensilica DC 570T processor core. However, it's not the core itself but rather how it's programmed and supported that counts. Notably, the SF-1200 doesn't use cache memory. That would seem like an obvious disadvantage. After all, SSD cache is used to both reduce the need to access the flash memory cells and to help speed up data mapping and retrieval when accessed.
The SandForce controller's trick is to reduce something known as write amplification. Put simply, write amplification is something that SSDs suffer due to the way data is stored and written in blocks. In the bad old days, a stuttering SSD might write as much as 10 or 20 times more data than was actually being stored.
SandForce claims that not only does its controller reduce write amplification, it actually takes it into negative territory. In other words, when the operating system sends 1GB of data to a SandForce drive, less 1GB of data is actually written.
All SandForce-based drives sport this feature. However, G.Skill says that its version of the controller has been further tuned for what is known as 4k random access. That's tech speak for the itty-bitty data transfers that make up much of the traffic into and out of an SSD during normal usage. Not transferring large chunks of sequential data.
Moreover, G.Skill claims this drive is highly optimised for use in RAID configurations.
What you really want from a RAID 0 array is double the performance, especially considering the not inconsiderable outlay you'd be spending on twin SSDs.
In synthetic terms, things look good – both the read and write speeds get the expected boost. It's the real-world tests that don't bear out doubling your purchase. The application performance in both decompression and application installation times don't really tally with the synthetic scores. However, this is probably down to the old SATA II interface than the drives themselves.
Size
Formatted capacity: Gigabytes, bigger is better
Corsair Force F40 40GB: 37GB
Intel X25-V 40GB: 37GB
G.Skill Phoenix Pro 40GB: 37GB
G.Skill Phoenix Pro 40GB RAID 0: 74GB
Synthetic drive performance
ATTO Sequential read: MB/s, bigger is better
Corsair Force F40 40GB: 285MB/s
Intel X25-V 40GB: 196MB/s
G.Skill Phoenix Pro 40GB: 284MB/s
G.Skill Phoenix Pro 40GB RAID 0: 572MB/s
Synthetic drive performance
ATTO Sequential write: MB/s bigger is better
Corsair Force F40 40GB: 265MB/s
Intel X25-V 40GB: 46MB/s
G.Skill Phoenix Pro 40GB: 271MB/s
G.Skill Phoenix Pro 40GB RAID 0: 534MB/s
Synthetic drive performance
HDTach Burst rate: MB/s, bigger is better
Corsair Force F40 40GB: 261MB/s
Intel X25-V 40GB: 246MB/s
G.Skill Phoenix Pro 40GB: 247MB/s
G.Skill Phoenix Pro 40GB RAID 0: 2,280MB/s
Synthetic drive performance
AS SSD 4K random writes: MB/s, bigger is better
Corsair Force F40 40GB: 45MB/s
Intel X25-V 40GB: 28MB/s
G.Skill Phoenix Pro 40GB: 54MB/s
G.Skill Phoenix Pro 40GB RAID 0: 55MB/s
Application performance
File decompression: Time taken, lower is better
Corsair Force F40: 38s
Intel X25-V 40GB: 50s
G.Skill Phoenix Pro 40GB: 35s
G.Skill Phoenix Pro 40GB RAID 0: 30s
Two drives. Double the performance. That's ultimately what we were looking for from this pair of 40GB SSDs. But can the G.Skill Phoenix Pros deliver? Sometimes. As a single drive, the G.Skill Phoenix Pro is in line with expectations given that it's a bang up to date drive based on our favourite SSD controller. As an all-round performance proposition, it's about as good as it gets.
Its sequential read and write throughput of 284MB/s and 271MB/s respectively, and random write performance of 54MB/s make it competitive. It's no slouch in our real-world application tests either, even if it is a little slower in our application install test than we expect from a SandForce-powered drive.
Where things get really interesting is in RAID 0 configuration. RAID 0 involves striping data across the two SSDs to create a single, larger data volume. Theoretically, performance also improves because the drives can be written to and read from simultaneously. By contrast, a RAID 1 array mirrors data on the drives, increasing reliability.
Going by several of our benchmarks results, these drives do exactly what it says on the RAID 0 tin. Sequential read and write performance effectively doubles to 572MB/s and 534MB/s. As if those numbers weren't staggering enough, the 2,280MB/s result in the HDTach Burst test is simply out of this world. However, these don't accurately reflect real-world performance. But it does confirm that when it comes to RAID 0, one plus one sometimes adds up to more than two.
Of course, the maths can work the other way, too. The G.Skill Phoenix Pros in RAID 0 deliver very little additional performance over a single drive in the random write test. But what about the tests that matter most, the real application benchmarks?
The answer is mixed. Decompressing a 1GB zip file drops from 35 seconds for the single drive to 30 seconds in RAID 0. Meanwhile, the time taken to install a 1.5GB application tumbles from 42 seconds to just 26 seconds. If that sounds impressive, it's worth noting that the single drive rather underperformed in the application installation test.
Performance concerns aside for a moment, it's worth noting that the Phoenix Pros make a good impression thanks to their quality brushed alloy enclosures and bundled 2.5-inch-to-3.5-inch drive bay adapters.
We liked
SandForce's SF-1200 has been our favourite SSD controller for some six months and G.Skill's new SSD certainly backs up that positive impression. It's a seriously quick little SSD. Strap two of them together and the results, at least some of the time, are stunning.
We disliked
£90-plus for a 40GB drive is a painful proposition. Buying two of them for double the price doesn't really provide relief, even if the result is a more usable overall data volume and increased performance. Partly that's because you're still left with a pretty puny amount storage. But it's also because the real-world benefits of the RAID 0 configuration are often modest.
Verdict
Given the mixed real-world benefits of a RAID config, there's better value to be had from larger SSDs.
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Virgin Media seals on-demand deal with NBC Universal
Virgin Media has announced a key deal with US television giant NBC Universal to use its shows on its on-demand service. With Sky's Anytime+ beginning its long awaited roll-out tomorrow, Virgin Media is keen to remind people of it's own well-established TV Choice on Demand service.
Inevitably the battle for the best on-demand content will be a major factor in the services' success, and sealing NBC Universal is a major landmark for Virgin Media.
We can see Heroes (and not just for one day)
NBC Universal's biggest TV hits include Heroes, House, The Office (US) and 30 Rock – and past seasons will be available on TV Choice from 1 December.
The terms of the deal will see NBC Universal titles made available across the Virgin media troika of TV, online and mobile.
Cindy Rose, executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media said: "Our pioneering TV On Demand service continues to offer the greatest choice for all the family and we're delighted to bring our customers these great shows in HD from NBC Universal.
"With more and more consumers enjoying the flexibility of watching TV whenever they want, our new online and mobile services also give our customers a fantastic way to enjoy content wherever they are."
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Review: Gigabyte X58-USB3
There has been a battle brewing in the motherboard world, and predictably it's been between the Taiwanese motherboard giants Gigabyte and Asus. And the battle has been fought on the LGA 1366 battlefield.So Gigabyte hits back with the X58-USB3 motherboard, the cheapest full Core i7 board on the market.
Performance of the full Nehalem Core i7s has never been an issue, but the cost of the platform as a whole has. With prices of DDR3 remaining high, the fact you needed three sticks of RAM to properly populate the X58's triple channel memory configuration, the price of the frankly awesome LGA 1366 CPUs and all bound with the cost of the motherboards meant that it was incredibly expensive as a platform.
While chip prices haven't dropped that much, DDR3 prices have. And with Gigabyte and Asus battling it out for the volume segment of the X58 motherboard market, the price of the base boards has come down, too. This latest X58 from Gigabyte is by far the cheapest, though.
In pure performance terms, the cheaper Gigabyte board manages to hold its own against pricier Asus mobos, coming out slightly ahead at the same clockspeeds, in fact. Where it falls down a little is in the overclocking stakes. The X58-USB3 hits a limit of 4.2GHz, while the Asus P6X58D-E was able to push that to 4.32GHz. Still, bargain boards aren't usually bought for their overclocking potential…
CPU rendering performance
Cinebench 11.5 – Index: higher is better
X58-USB3 – 50
P6X58D-E – 50
Video encoding performance
X264 v3 – FPS: higher is better
X58-USB3 – 27.8
P6X58D-E – 27.6
Gaming performance
World in Conflict – FPS: higher is better
X58-USB3 – 269
P6X58D-E – 264
With the impending Sandy Bridge platform set to replace the Lynnfield LGA 1156 range in the coming months, and considering the Nehalem platform's relatively elderly status, you'd be forgiven for thinking its days were numbered. And that's true – but we wouldn't be that pessimistic about the setup just yet.
After all, the X58 chipset is still overpowered for what the day-to-day user needs, being based on a server setup in the first place. The fact that now it's not that pricey a platform either, with boards like this arriving for just over a ton, you're getting a frankly insane amount of performance for a relatively small outlay.
And the performance you can get out of this budget board is incredible. We loved the P6X58D-E from Asus, but this board manages to just about outperform it when the clocks are identical. The performance increase is infinitesimal mind, but it's there.
You're not really sacrificing too much going for this 'budget' X58 board either. You've still got both CrossFire and SLI certification on the PCIe x16 lanes, and you're also getting full USB 3.0 support. What you are missing, though, is the advanced SATA 6Gbps interface.
Having said that, we prefer it this way round – the USB 3.0 interface offers an incredible advantage over the preceding USB version, and new devices using that tech, such as Kingston's DataTraveler Ultimate, are hitting the shops without a massive price premium.
SATA 6Gbps devices, though, aren't as prevalent, and don't offer as much of an advantage yet. Until there are more SATA 6Gbps SSD drives around for a decent price, it's not going to be a must-have interface.
The only place where the competing Asus P6X58D-E mobo beats this Gigabyte board is in the overclocking stakes. Still, the X58-USB3 does break the 4GHz mark without any voltage tweakery necessary, but the Asus board goes a little further.
But that's not why you buy a cheaper X58 board, and chances are most people picking up either board aren't looking to cook the chip at all. Stock performance is more than satisfactory for most of us.
So Gigabyte wins this round with a feature-packed and incredibly cheap X58 board. There's little sacrifice to hit this price-point, and a lot to gain.
We liked
At £124 it's an incredible price for the performance you can get out of it. While the Asus board beats it in the overclocking states it still managed over 4GHz with the cheapest Core i7.
We disliked
There's very little to dislike about the X58-USB3, the lack of SATA 6Gbps connections may become an issue once relevant SSDs become more prevalent and cheaper, but right now it's not that important.
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Review: Samsung PS50C6900
Samsung insists it will continue to sell plasma TVs for as long as anyone wants to buy them, but the brand's heart seems to lie elsewhere.The South Korean firm has been busy trumpeting and showing off its undeniably impressive edge LED TVs whenever and wherever it gets the chance, but has had precious little to say about its plasmas, even those equipped with 3D playback.
So it is that Samsung's new 50in, 3D capable PS50C6900 plasma TV has arrived almost unnoticed. In fact, it even seems to have crept up on its manufacturer; it couldn't even be found on its UK website at time of writing.
With its £1,300 price tag and an extensive secondary feature count that includes access to Samsung's impressive Internet@TV platform, it has the potential to become the first bona fide 3D bargain.
Samsung does have a more highly specified 3D plasma range: the C7000 series. Available in 63in and 50in sizes, the C7000 models add to the C6900's spec a Real Black Filter, designed to improve contrast and reduce reflectivity from your room.
There is also an expansive range of LCD 3D TVs, headed up by the extraordinarily thin, metallic-finished and edge-lit C9000 series. Down from those are the slightly chunkier C8000 models and beneath these you'll find the C7000 sets, which ditch the fancy design and use a less sophisticated picture processing engine.
Samsung's cheapest 3D option prior to today was its only CCFL LCD model, the 46in LE46C750. There's a problem with all Samsung's LCD 3D options though: crosstalk noise, where you see double ghosting around some objects in a 3D picture. Hopefully, this is an issue the PS50C6900 will avoid.
The PS50C6900's surprisingly svelte design is given added panache by a high-gloss finish, an appealing deep grey colour and attractive transparent edging.
Inevitably, the screen lacks the extreme glamour of Samsung's extraordinarily thin edge LED 3D TVs, but does make Panasonic's 3D plasmas look like they've gone a few rounds with the ugly stick.
The PS50C6900's slightly greater thickness makes the screen's connectivity more straightforward than it is on Samsung's edge LED models, but only in the sense that there's less need to use 'shrinking' adaptors. There are still plenty of connections on hand to satisfy even the most sophisticated home cinema setup.
These include four HDMI inputs, a couple of USB ports, a LAN interface and a D-Sub PC input. What's more, perhaps surprisingly for the PS50C6900's price point, both the USB and LAN ports have multiple functions.
The USBs triple up as players of a wide variety of photo, music and video multimedia file formats, as a means of making the TV Wi-Fi ready via an optional extra dongle, or most surprising of all, as a way to timeshift programmes to USB hard-disk drives from the built-in Freeview HD tuner.
The presence of such a tuner immediately explains the Ethernet port. But again that's not it's only use: it also functions both as a wired means of accessing Samsung's Internet@TV platform and files stored on a networked PC.
Samsung's Internet@TV platform is one of the finest online TV engines around. The stars of its show, so far as we're concerned, are the BBC iPlayer (Samsung was the first brand to offer this on a TV) and LoveFilm, whereby you can sync your account to the TV and downstream rented films.
The system also includes the inevitable YouTube, plus rovi TV listings, a simple History Channel app, both Twitter and Facebook access to keep social networkers happy, Googlemaps, and Getty Images.
Turning to the PS50C6900's picture technology, the screen delivers a full HD resolution, a so-called 'Mega' contrast ratio, and the increasingly common '600Hz' sub-field drive technology, which pulses the plasma cells faster to reduce motion blur and increase the image's general stability.
Setting up the TV uncovers a number of interesting features amid the PS50C6900's attractive onscreen menus.
For a start, you can adjust the Cell Light level – a different approach from the normal brightness adjustment (which is also present) that could be considered the plasma equivalent of the backlight adjustments common on LCD TVs.
The set also carries a couple of potential contrast aids: a Dynamic Contrast system that adjusts the image's brightness and contrast settings based on an analysis of the incoming video source, and a black level booster with three different darkness settings.
More useful to serious calibrators are the gamma presets, the facility to adjust the offset and gain levels of the red, green and blue components of the TV's white balance, and –even better – user-friendly white balance adjustment where you can tweak the red, green and blue levels of the white balance at any of 10 different intervals.
Also worth a little careful experimentation is a flesh tone adjustment, while potentially interesting to some people with different image tastes are noise reduction and edge enhancement systems.
Finally, tucked away within a Picture Options sub-menu are a selection of tools to aid that old plasma issue of image retention and four different settings for the TV's motion processing, including, sceptics of such systems will be pleased to note, the option to deactivate it entirely.
The most notable feature of the PS50C6900 is, of course, its 3D capability. Naturally, it goes for the full HD, alternate frame approach, with the necessary transmitter built into the TV.
What's really pleasing, though, is that you also get one pair of 3D glasses free with the PS50C6900. And this is now Samsung's official policy with all of its 3D TVs, apparently, replacing the clumsy old system where you only got sent a single pair if you first registered your set with Samsung.
The PS50C6900 handles Sky's side by side 3D images as well as Blu-ray's alternate frame ones and carries a 2D to 3D conversion system.
The PS50C6900 suffers far less from crosstalk noise than any of Samsung's LCD/LED 3D sets.
The Golden Gate Bridge sequence on the Monsters Vs Aliens 3D Blu-ray seems tailor-made to highlight this problem but the usually distracting degree of double ghosting around problematic objects like the bridge support cables is hugely reduced.
So much so, in fact, that on the rare occasions where it's visible at all, it comes as quite a shock, despite the fact that even when it appears, it's generally on a much more subtle level than with the LCD TVs.
Three-dimensional pictures are so much more believable, engaging and crisp where there's precious little crosstalk to worry about and, despite one or two perhaps inevitable flaws, the PS50C6900's 3D pictures are the most watchable ones Samsung has yet achieved. Which is mildly ironic, given the brand's emphasis on its far more expensive LED 3D models.
The sharpness of 3D images is another pleasant surprise, despite levels of brightness and colour vividness reducing markedly more in 3D mode than you get with the ultra-bright LED 3D screens.
In fact, the PS50C6900's 3D pictures are slightly punchier than those of Panasonic's 3D plasmas, as well as retaining slightly more shadow detail during dark scenes.
Panasonic's 3D dark scenes are a little, well, darker, though and its screens still have the edge when it comes to crosstalk, suffering even less from it than the PS50C6900 (result, perhaps, of Panasonic's 3D-focussed 'fast decay' plasma cell technology).
While this extra immunity to crosstalk keeps Panasonic at the top of the 3D performance pile, however, it's worth stressing just how watchable the PS50C6900's 3D pictures are and the fact that the Samsung model is many hundreds of pounds cheaper than Panasonic's P50VT20 50in 3D plasma model.
What this all adds up to is that in many respects the PS50C6900 is already precisely that 3D bargain it always promised to be.
The PS50C6900 saves most of its compromises for 2D playback. For instance, it's immediately clear that the screen can't deliver blacks nearly as profound as Panasonic's VT20 models. It gets closer in this respect to the Japanese brand's new smaller and more affordable GT20 sets, but still doesn't quite match up.
There's a little less vibrancy and naturalism to the Samsung's portrayal of rich reds and deep greens than you get with Panasonic's latest NeoPDP TVs too and a slightly patchier, stripier appearance to colour blends.
There is a little more short-term image retention than is ideal, but this doesn't last long, is only seen for the most part over very dark shots and is considerably reduced if you're sensible with the Cell light level and brightness settings. Plus – in theory at least – it should disappear over time.
Finally in the negative column, the PS50C6900 can suffer from a little judder and softness when watching standard-def, 50Hz sources. The motion processing reduces the judder problem, of course, but can cause artefacts if set any higher than its lowest operating level.
As is often the case with plasma TVs, the PS50C6900 is much more at home with HD material. The picture suddenly kicks up a whole bunch of sharpness and clarity gears, and colours look both subtler and more natural. Motion looks better too, and even the set's contrast range looks slightly better.
One little area in which the PS50C6900 noticeably improves on Panasonic's plasmas (the cheaper ones, at least) is in the eradication of dotting noise over skin tones during horizontal camera pans.
Black levels still look a little less profound with HD than you might prefer, which is something the extra Real Black Filter on the C7000 plasma models might fix. But black levels are pretty respectable overall, especially in the context of a 3D-capable 50in TV costing less than £1,300.
One final point is that, as with all plasma TVs, the PS50C6900 can be watched from a much wider angle than any LCD screen without losing contrast or colour.
Samsung's previous range of TVs were pretty legendary for falling short in the sound department while over-achieving in most other areas. So it is a pleasant surprise to find the PS50C6900's speakers doing a respectable job, with an open and powerful mid range that's strong enough to prevent the thin, feeble sensation that was Samsung's audio trademark last year.
As with so many flat TVs, a little more extension into both the treble and especially bass frequencies would be much appreciated. But at least the PS50C6900 sees Samsung raising its audio game to the point where it's at least on a par sonically with the majority of its flat TV rivals this year.
Value
It's here that the PS50C6900 makes its biggest impact. Getting a 50in plasma TV with decent performance for £1,300 would be a compelling proposition, even if it was only a 2D set.
Add in Samsung's most engaging 3D performance yet, plus excellent multimedia support, and you've got a bargain of quite colossal proportions.
Ease of use
Although the PS50C6900's main onscreen menus are easy on the eye and look suitably slick, there are one or two oddities about the way they're structured.
The arrangement of the Advanced Settings and Picture Options submenus is particularly peculiar, with some pretty important adjustment features divided along apparently arbitrary grounds.
There's room for improvement with the Internet@TV interface, too. It looks rather clunky by Samsung's usual standards, doesn't structure content particularly helpfully or intuitively, and generally feels a bit like an interface that's been outgrown by the amount of content it needs to support.
On the upside, while the remote control isn't particularly pleasing on the eye and initially looks rather overwhelming with the number of buttons it carries, it doesn't take long to feel comfortable with the layout.
There is also, happily, a dedicated 3D button for quick access to 3D features: something conspicuously, frustratingly absent from the remotes of numerous other 3D TVs.
For anyone very keen on 3D but less so on the high price demanded by most suitably equipped TVs, the Samsung PS50C6900 could be a dream come true. It offers 50in of full HD 3D pictures for a mere £1,300 - or quite a bit less, if you look around online.
What's more, this budget 3D offering is no one-trick pony, for as well as that headline-grabbing 3D capability, it's also very easy on the eye, crammed with handy connections and multimedia features, and even enables you to go online with Samsung's impressive Internet@TV platform.
Yet more good news comes with the PS50C6900's 3D performance, which mercifully suffers far, far less from crosstalk noise than any of Samsung's LED/LCD 3D TVs.
The TV doesn't have the best black levels we've seen in the plasma world (we're hoping Samsung's step-up C7000 models might improve this) and nor is it a particularly good standard-definition performer, with evident colour and judder issues.
But with its sound performance proving rather better than expected, it still delivers an awful lot of bang for not very much buck.
We liked
Although not as stylish as some of Samsung's previous TVs, the PS50C6900's has a simple elegance.
Also impressive is how far the TV goes to jack into today's multimedia world and the fact that its 3D pictures aren't spoiled by oppressive amounts of crosstalk noise and even look punchier than you'd expect from a plasma.
It's also a good HD performer, though it's standout feature is its stunningly low price.
We disliked
The PS50C6900 doesn't hit the sort of black level depths we would hope for from a plasma TV these days, and its standard-definition pictures are a little rough around the edges.
There's also a touch more crosstalk during 3D viewing than you get with Panasonic's 3D TVs, but its 3D pictures are eminently watchable and crisp.
Final verdict
While it's certainly possible to find fault with the PS50C6900, it's also got plenty going for it, including pretty looks, tons of connections, copious quantities of multimedia support and, of course, full HD 3D support, all built in with a free pair of glasses to boot.
All of which turns out to be merely an appetiser for that exceptionally affordable price, which makes it easily one of the biggest TV bargains of the year.
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Review: G.Skill Eco DDR3
Spare a thought for memory makers. In this age of integrated controllers and copious BIOS options, the need for high-end RAM is increasingly questionable. Then again, the G.Skill Eco 1.35V CL7 memory kit doesn't suffer from too many high falutin' performance pretensions. Instead, the emphasis here is on sustainable, efficient performance. That's right, this is a memory kit for tree huggers.That's not to say the specifications are poor. On the contrary, the G.Skill Eco 1.35V CL7 is a dual-channel DDR3 memory kit suitable for Core i3, i5 and i7 systems based on the LGA1,156 socket and comes with some speedy specs. The official frequency of 1,600MHz qualifies as quick, if not warp speed, while the 7-8-7-24 timings are hardly tardy.
However, it's the supported operating voltage of 1.35V that really sets this kit apart. It's significantly lower than the 1.65V specification of most DDR3 kits and translates into what G.Skill claims can be improved efficiency and environmental friendliness. Note the use of the conditional here – it will be interesting to see whether G.Skill can really deliver.
Modern CPUs with integrated memory controllers are increasingly insensitive to memory performance. Put simply, when you have bandwidth to burn, a gigabyte here or there isn't going to hurt. Nevertheless, fast memory can help you get the most out of your CPU when overclocking. Moreover, stable memory makes for a happier system when performing all manner of tweaks.
Bandwidth
SiSoft Sandra: Gigabytes per second, bigger is better
G.Skill Eco 1.35V 1,600MHz 4GB @ 1,333MHz 16.76GB/s
OCZ Platinum 1,600MHz @ 1,333MHz 17.65GB/s
AData Extreme 2,000MHz @ 1,333MHz 17.23GB/s
Latency
SiSoft Sandra: Nanoseconds, lower is better
G.Skill Eco 1.35V 1,600MHz 4GB @ 1,333MHz 78ns
OCZ Platinum 1,600MHz @ 1,333MHz 69ns
AData Extreme 2,000MHz @ 1,333MHz 59ns
3D rendering
Cinebench R10: Time in seconds, lower is better
G.Skill Eco 1.35V 1,600MHz 4GB @ 1,333MHz 50s
OCZ Platinum 1,600MHz @ 1,333MHz 50s
AData Extreme 2,000MHz @ 1,333MHz 49s
Gaming
World in Conflict: Frames per second, lower is better
G.Skill Eco 1.35V 1,600MHz 4GB @ 1,333MHz 58fps
OCZ Platinum 1,600MHz @ 1,333MHz 61fps
AData Extreme 2,000MHz @ 1,333MHz 59fps
Peak power consumption
Total system power: Watts, lower is better
G.Skill Eco 1.35V 1,600MHz 4GB @ 1,333MHz 200W
OCZ Platinum 1,600MHz @ 1,333MHz 200W
AData Extreme 2,000MHz @ 1,333MHz 200W
Overclocking
Maximum overclock: MHz, higher is better
G.Skill Eco 1.35V 1,600MHz 4GB @ 1,333MHz 2,000MHz
OCZ Platinum 1,600MHz @ 1,333MHz 2,000MHz
AData Extreme 2,000MHz @ 1,333MHz 2,133MHz
Wheeling out the eco-friendly narrative may seem like a winner in this environmentally-aware age. But if you don't deliver, the result is an undesirable combination of gimmickery and cynicism. Which way does it go for the G.Skill Eco 1.35V CL7 1,600MHz low voltage DDR3 memory kit?
Unfortunately, the jury is out. We ran this kit at both the lower 1.35V and default 1.65V settings and found overall peak power consumption is unchanged at 200W. That's on a par with other 4GB dual-channel DDR3 kits running at 1.65V.
Given that power consumption can go up markedly when using higher memory voltages during overclocking, that's surprising. Ultimately, we're not entirely confident that our test motherboard was correctly applying the voltages, so we'll give G.Skill the benefit of the doubt other than to note that running low voltages may cause compatibility problems.
Moreover, we doubt the lower voltage will deliver more than 10W of power savings under full load. During idle or low load scenarios, it'll be more like one or two Watts. Not exactly planet-saving proportions.
As for conventional metrics of performance, the G.Skill kit didn't blow our doors off. But again, minor platform variations in our testing compared to other kits can skew the results, especially when the margins are this tight.
What we can say with confidence is that this kit clocks up very nicely indeed. A maximum overclock of 2,000MHz is good enough for starters. But it's the total absence of nasties in the performance numbers, including everything from bandwidth to latency and application performance, that most impresses.
We liked
They say every little helps and, with our planet on an apparent precipice, the promise of reduced power consumption is always welcome. That said, performance enthusiasts will appreciate this kit's ability to hit high clocks while maintaining decent latencies and delivering nice, clean performance. Few people will need more than this kit can deliver.
We disliked
We have a nose for gimmicks and we're not entirely convinced by the eco-friendly sales pitch. Our testing was inconclusive, but we doubt the upside in terms of low voltages are terribly spectacular. The G.Skill Eco 1.35V CL7 kit was also a little underwhelming in terms of performance at the default 1,333MHz setting.
Verdict
A solid 4GB kit at this price point, but we're not convinced by the eco credentials.
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Review: Sennheiser PC 333D
Whenever we plug in a new headset to review here on TechRadar, we inevitably end up using Sennheiser's PC 350 or PC 161 as one of the key comparisons for what a high-end set of headphones designed for gaming should sound like. This much-loved pair are getting on a bit now, though, and a complete range refresh from Sennheiser just arrived in the office. Will our well-used reference kit finally get put to one side?
The PC 333D isn't a direct replacement for the PC 350 – for that you'll want the more costly PC 360s – but it is priced more or less identically to the outgoing favourites. It's a lighter-weight kit, with smaller drivers and a more plasticky feel.
While the build quality may not feel quite like a £100 headset, it's tough and there are a few features designed specifically for gaming. The volume control is built into the right-hand earpiece for quick access, for example, and the mic mutes itself when you push the boom up.
The most impressive part of the whole package is, as it should be, the audio characteristics of the speakers themselves. A massive 14 – 22,000Hz frequency range suggests that this is no ordinary set of cans.
The PC 333D is a stereo headset with standard 3.5mm jacks at the end of its 2-metre cables, but it comes with an inline USB sound card that can be fitted if you need it. It's useful if you don't already have a decent internal sound card, or game on a laptop, because the USB adaptor mixes in 7.1 surround effects and has a switch for activating Dolby Headphone support.
We'd hope, however, that anyone spending this much on a headset has looked at the ASUS Xonar DG with its on-board headphone amp and support for Creative's EAX. Turning on the Dolby booster here simply seemed to add an unacceptable amount of reverb in most games. Instead of giving environmental effects depth, it just makes them sound like you're in a tunnel.
As a straight stereo headset, though, the sound quality lives up to the price. There's a carefully balanced tone that puts just the right amount of emphasis across the whole range. Bass tones are rich and chunky, but never overwhelming, while in the mid- to high-end voices aren't drowned out by background explosions.
They aren't just tuned well for games either. In favourite arias or clanging folk rock, guitars and vocals have a powerful edge, but you'll still be able to pinpoint the triangle player in the background.
For all that, though, the PC 333Ds are going back in their box and we'll be sticking with Sennheiser's older models (until we've had chance to review the PC 360s, at least).
The acoustic engineering that packs such a powerful sound into so compact a headset is admirable, but the PC 333D isn't comfortable enough to wear on a man-sized head for long gaming sessions. The clamp pinches the skull and the small earcuffs sit almost painfully on the pinnae.
If we had this amount of money to spend on a headset, we'd go for something more comfortable, such as the Logitech G35s or Steelseries 7H. Or just stick with the PC 350s we already have, of course.
We liked
The Sennheiser PC 333D is capable of exceptionally good sound quality considering the size, and comes with a useful, but far from essential, USB sound card. The silver flashes on the sides are from the cheesier end of the design spectrum, but although its lightweight, it feels well built, too.
We disliked
The small ear cuffs just didn't sit well on our jug-eared skulls, and at this price we'd want over-the-ear noise reduction too. Definitely a case of try before you buy, or long gaming sessions will leave you sore.
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Review: Sharp LC-22DV200E
The Sharp LC-22DV200E is certainly big on up-front appeal. It features a built-in DVD player as well as a 22in LCD screen and also delivers a surprisingly svelte profile despite its double function, avoiding the dated, chunky appearance of so many combis.It wears its slimness well, thanks to a high-gloss black fascia with subtle curves in all the right places.
The 22DV200E's connections, however, are really pretty basic, with only a single HDMI and a PC port catching the eye. It's worth reflecting, though, that the integrated DVD player relieves the TV of the need to cater for one very notable external source. Furthermore, the latter can play JPEGs, audio files and even DivX video, making the lack of a multimedia-capable USB port easier to accept.
In action, the 22DV200E uses its HD ready (1,366 x 768-pixel) screen and CCFL backlighting to reasonable effect. Particularly striking is how bright its pictures look compared with most small-screen LCD TVs. This boosts colours, ensuring good levels of vibrancy and fewer rogue-looking tones than we might have expected.
Fed an HD source through its solitary HDMI, the 22DV200E manages to reveal the 'HD difference', with obvious extra clarity and detail and more convincing and consistent colours. It doesn't harm the clarity, either, that the 22DV200E is better than many small TVs at suppressing motion noise.
Once you've wrestled a DVD into the stubborn slot, meanwhile, you are again presented with an enjoyable picture. The set upscales the standard-def source well, without emphasising noise or creating jagged curved edges and there's minimal DVD MPEG decoding noise.
More good news is that colour and contrast tend not to fall away too badly when the screen is viewed from an angle.
The 22DV200E has notable flaws, though. The sound quality from the set's speakers is very flimsy indeed, with practically no power or range. The electronic programme guide used to browse Freeview listings is ugly, hard to use and glitchy.
Finally, while the 22DV200E's contrast range and black level response are generally OK, there is both brightness inconsistency along the screen's edges and general clouding over dark scenes.
While these issues stop the 22DV200E from being a classic small TV, it's still an affordable combi that should appeal to many.
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Review: Asus Crosshair IV Extreme
Another week brings with it another motherboard toting Lucid's HydraLogix 200 (nee Hydra 200) mix-and-match graphics technology. This time, however, it comes not from MSI, but from archrivals Asus. It's taken Asus a while to launch a board based on the technology, but one's now a reality in the form of the Asus Crosshair IV Extreme.
The Crosshair IV Extreme is the latest addition to the AMD branch of Asus's RoG (Republic of Gamers) family and – just like the rest of the RoG motherboard lineup – has all the bells and whistles you expect from a top-end Asus motherboard. Like its brethren, it also comes in a box that's pretty much crammed with hardware.
It's worth noting that the Crosshair IV Extreme is the new flagship of the Crosshair range and hence is aimed at the higher end of the market, carrying a price tag to match.
The last high-end board to carry Lucid's technology, MSI's Big Bang Fuzion, was also the first mainstream board to use it. Ultimately, it suffered from a combination of a high price tag and early-to-market technology.
Asus, by allowing the technology to mature a little and putting it on a RoG board, are hoping they can entice high-end users back to give the technology another try.
Unlike MSI's AMD AM3-based board offering HydraLogix support, the 890A Fuzion, Asus's Crosshair IV Extreme uses the full-fat version of AMD's 890 chipset: the 890FX. So even without Lucid's chip, you get full x16 dual and triple CrossfireX support, while the SB850 Southbridge provides native SATA6 and USB 3.0 support.
The 890FX Northbridge, Lucid chip and the voltage regulators all sit under what at first glance looks like a large passive heatsink, but which actually has small cooling fans underneath. The Southbridge sits under a heatsink too, with a hefty heatpipe connecting both cooling plates.
There are five x16 PCIe slots. Take care to use the ones that suit whatever graphics setup you're running. Slots one and three are the ones for straightforward dual-card Crossfire use – these are taken care of by the 890FX, which eliminates the latency within the HydraLogix controller.
The 890FX will also support four cards in a Quad CrossfireX setup, but not at full x16 speed. The HydraLogix chip takes care of slots two, four and five, and can be used in only in dual- or triple-card setups presently, although Quad GPU Hydra support will follow later in Q4 2010.
Nine SATA ports are provided; six SATA 6GB/s ports (coloured red) and two SATA 3GB/s (black) ports are edge mounted at 90 degrees, while the third SATA 3GB/s port is vertically mounted next to them. The SB850 provides RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10 support for the SATA6 ports. There's also integrated Gigabit Ethernet and eight-channel audio.
Since it's a RoG board, Crosshair IV Extreme comes with a RoG Connect module, which enables you to tweak and overclock the board either from another PC (via the supplied cable) or from the comfort of your armchair via Bluetooth using a laptop.
Unlike previous motherboards we've looked at carrying Lucid's chip, Asus's Crosshair IV Extreme offers a wide range of options when it comes to setting up the graphics in dual, triple or quad modes.
A word of caution when setting up cards with large third-party coolers to use the Hydra chip, though: we fitted a card into the second PCIe slot and adding a card into the fourth slot proved a problem. There was little airflow around it, which forced us to use the fifth slot. Unfortunately, this runs at x8 speed unlike the other four, which run at full x16 speed.
Cinebench R11.5
Ranking 5.90
Cinebench R10
(seconds to complete multithreaded task) 51.01
X264v2
Pass 1 (avr) 84.945fps
Pass 2 (avr) 30.203fps
X264v3
Pass 1 (avr) 75.342fps
Pass 2 (avr) 32.495fps
Games Performance
FarCry2 
(1680 x 1024 small ranch benchmark 4xFSAA, Ultra in-game settings, in average fps)

HD5830 68.05
HD5830 Crossfire 88.86
GTX460 73.64
GTX460 SLI (Hydra) 60.27
GTX460+HD5830 59.56
(1920 x 1200 small ranch benchmark 4xFSAA, Ultra in-game settings, in average fps)

HD5830 59.88
HD5830 Crossfire 76.58
GTX460 63.15
GTX460 SLI (Hydra) 54.39
GTX460+HD5830 55.98
Just Cause 2
(1280 x 1024 4xFSAA, 8x AscF Dark Tower map, in average fps)
HD5830 47.87
HD5830 Crossfire 59.56
GTX460 55.47
GTX460 SLI (Hydra) 55.25
GTX460+HD5830 55.29
(1920 x 1200 4xFSAA, 8x AscF Dark Tower map, in average fps)
HD5830 40.21
HD5830 Crossfire 51.56
GTX460 41.33
GTX460 SLI (Hydra) 41.30
GTX460+HD5830 41.66
DiRT2
(1280 x 1024 4x FSAA, Ultra settings, in average fps)
HD5830 89.59
HD5830 Crossfire 89.30
GTX460 92.14
GTX460 SLI (Hydra) 94.67
GTX460+HD5830 95.21
(1920 x 1200 4x FSAA, Ultra settings, in average fps)
HD5830 84.08
HD5830 Crossfire 88.79
GTX460 90.36
GTX460 SLI (Hydra) 91.03
GTX460+HD5830 91.62
Power (system power measured at wall, peak running Everest burn-in test for five mins)
Idle 132W
Peak 209W
Compared to any of the other motherboards we've looked at carrying Lucid's HydraLogix 200 chip lately, Asus' Crosshair IV Extreme is packed to the gills with features both visible on the PCB and in the BIOS – as you would expect from a board carrying the RoG label.
Unlike MSI's 870A Fuzion, which uses an AMD 870/SB810 chipset combination to keep the price down, Asus have firmly aimed the Crosshair IV Extreme at the high-end, fitting it with a flagship AMD 890FX/SB850 chipset combination.
When it comes to how the board performs, it's pretty impressive. Not quite as fast as Asus's 'pure' 890FX board, the Crosshair IV Formula, but it's pretty close in terms of overall performance. And with all those graphics slots, the Crosshair IV Extreme is far more flexible when it comes to graphics setups too.
In a pure Crossfire setup using the 890FX chipset you won't need to worry about frame rates, but when it comes to using the Hydra chipset in SLI there are still some issues. Hopefully, these will be ironed out with subsequent driver releases.
In mix-and-match mode, the performance shows a good deal of promise.
Since the Crosshair IV Extreme is a member of the RoG gang, you shouldn't be surprised to find extra 'goodies' placed around the board and a very interesting group of these appear on the top-right-hand edge, next to the four DDR3 DIMM slots (which support memory speeds up to 2000MHz). Alongside the large start button (which lights up) and buttons for resetting, OC and Core Unlocker are seven Probelt points.
These points enable you to measure the true voltages being used by CPU, memory, chipset bridges and so on when overclocking by using a multimeter directly, or via the extension cables that are included in the box. Next to these sit five small on/off switches, which turn the PCIe slots on and off.
So if you're feeling lazy and can't be bothered to remove a card, you can simply switch the slot it's sitting in off.
Any motherboard carrying a RoG label pretty much guarantees that not only will the board be crammed with features, but the box bundle will be pretty impressive too.
The Crosshair IV Extreme doesn't disappoint and opening the box shows real skill in the art of packing of nothing if else.
The impressive list includes a RoG Connect Bluetooth module, a couple of thermal sensors, the really useful Asus Q Connector (extension plugs for the front panel case leads, so no more fiddling about), a USB RoG cable, an I/O plate with single eSATA and dual USB 2.0 ports, two 3GB/s SATA cables and three 6GB/s SATA cables.
We Liked
The Crosshair IV Extreme is a well put together board with plenty of features to keep the high-end enthusiast or hardcore overclocker happy, but this should come as no real surprise as it's what Asus's RoG range is all about.
The combination of AMD's 890FX/SB850 chipset combination and Lucid's Hydra technology together with the multitude of PCIe graphics slots make for an interesting addition to the Asus high-end motherboard collection.
We disliked
There's not much to dislike about Asus' Crosshair IV Extreme apart from the price tag. But since Asus hasn't compromised with any of the hardware, the high price was almost a given.
Verdict
The Asus Crosshair IV Extreme is a mightily impressive board aimed at more of a niche market than the recent MSI Lucid boards we've looked at. It'll be interesting to see how well the Lucid technology goes down with the enthusiasts and/or overclockers this time around.
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Review: Corsair HS1
If you're familiar with Corsair, it'll be because you're the type of person that likes to open up their PC and fiddle. A well-respected brand for memory, power supplies, solid state hard drives and USB keys, Corsair isn't a name that you'd normally associate with audio.That's because the HS1 is the first headset that Corsair has ever designed. Don't think for a moment that the HS1 isn't still quite techie, though.
It's pitched directly at demanding gamers with its large, 50mm stereo drivers and support for Dolby Headphone surround effects, while a swinging boom on the right contains a unidirectional condenser mic to pick up your desperate calls for more DOTs.
As impressive as the spec sheets for the HS1 look, this sort of price point isn't for the faint-hearted. It's inhabited by highly established names such as Sennheiser, Logitech and Steelseries. Has Corsair got what it takes to compete?
Design-wise, the HS1 gets everything right. The headphones themselves are fully hinged on the brace so that the entire bulky kit folds down for taking to LAN events and the like.
Once unravelled, the build quality is excellent and while adjusting the position of the ear cuffs is a little stiff, once it's on your head it's an exceptionally comfy set of cans. You should find the HS1 unobtrusive for however many hours you game.

The only slight complaint is that the mic boom sits a little too far from your mouth, so you'll have to increase the gain and pick up background sounds to be heard.
When it comes to sound quality, the HS1 is balanced for powerful midtones rather than booming bass response. The headphones are distortion-free and give a hi-fi feel to music and movies, but they can sound a little clinical when blowing the heads off of zombies in //Left 4 Dead//.
Still, most gaming headsets err too far towards the low end and threaten to shake your eardrums loose. The Corsair is preferable to those, and the sound is worthy of the high price point, competing comfortably with similarly high-end sets.
There is, however, one big drawback: the HS1 is USB-only, with no 3.5mm jacks to attach to an internal soundcard.
If you're gaming on a laptop, it's a credible way to get accurate surround effects mixed into a stereo feed. On a desktop PC, however, the Steelseries 7H is a better set of cans and can be combined with a cheap pre-amplified soundcard such as the ASUS Xonar DG for an overall package that's more powerful, more flexible and sounds better than the HS1.
A good first attempt from Corsair, nonetheless.
We liked
An excellent design that feels professional, tough and comfortable, the Corsair HS1 has a cool and crisp sound that doesn't overwhelm the ears no matter how frantic the in-game action and brings almost hi-fi clarity to music and movies too.
We disliked
The distant mic boom is a small niggle; the real problem is the USB-only connection. It can be installed driver free, but the quality of cheap soundcards these days means we can only recommend the HS1 if you're a laptop gamer who can't upgrade.
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First 3G Windows 7 tablet PC arrives
If you have been holding back on investing in an iPad or other tablet PC until a Windows 7 machine arrived, then your wait is over.Dutch outfit Ambiance Technology has launched the AT-Tablet, the first 3G-capable Windows 7 Home Premium powered tablet PC on the market.
Congratulated by Microsoft
"Introducing the 10 inch AT Tablet, Dutch Ambiance Technology is the first company in Europe to launch a consumer 3G touchpad operated by Windows 7 Home Premium," reads the company's release just in.
"The new tablet PC performance matches every modern laptop and – unlike his famous counterpart the iPad – allows all Windows software to be used."
Ambiance Technology MD Eric Schouten expresses surprise that nobody else has beat them to market with a Windows 7 tablet PC.
"Microsoft even called to congratulate us with the fist professional answer to all the Android commotion," notes Schouten.
AT Tablet users will now be able to use the same programs they are familiar with on their PC, which Schouten clearly hopes will be the key USP attached to his new device.
Do everything you do on a PC
The tablet lets you surf the web wherever you are with a 3G-connection, as well as allowing you to do pretty much everything else you might do on your home PC or laptop – "watch movies, listen to music, read e-books, watch or alter their documents, visit social networks and do everything they normally do behind their computer."
Well, apart from touch-typing on a traditional keyboard, perhaps…
"You carry your digital life with you. This tablet makes you more mobile, frees you from an endless dependency on wires, sockets or special app stores," Schouten says.
For more on the AT-Tablet, which should be on shelves in November – and which packs lots of extras that the iPad doesn't have such as a built-in 1.3 mega-pixel webcam and microphone, a 160 Gb hard drive, USB ports, card readers, LAN, Bluetooth and a mini VGA connector to a LCD monitor – you can head over to www.attablet.com
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Google and Samsung sued over Android
Google, Samsung, Motorola and HTC have all been sued by a digital security firm over their implementation of Android.Gemalto, an international firm specialising in smart cards, terminals and software, has claimed that its Java Card technology has been used without permission.
It's suing the firms based on the implementation of this technology in their smartphones, which enables more efficient running in the devices.
We want that Gingerbread statue and a plate of biscuits
There's no word on the demands placed on Google et al by Gemalto, but its clear that it wants compensation by going after the handset manufacturers rather than the developers of the OS, believing them to have used a patent without license.
It also claims that the tech was developed back in the 1990s, back when the firm was simply Axalto, before it merged with Gemplus to create today's plaintiff.
This is the latest in a long line of lawsuits aimed at Google over Android after Oracle sued the company over the use of Java in its OS.
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Google and HTC sued over Android
Google, Samsung, Motorola and HTC have all been sued by a digital security firm over their implementation of Android.Gemalto, an international firm specialising in smart cards, terminals and software, has claimed that its Java Card technology has been used without permission.
It's suing the firms based on the implementation of this technology in their smartphones, which enables more efficient running in the devices.
We want that Gingerbread statue and a plate of biscuits
There's no word on the demands placed on Google et al by Gemalto, but its clear that it wants compensation by going after the handset manufacturers rather than the developers of the OS, believing them to have used a patent without license.
It also claims that the tech was developed back in the 1990s, back when the firm was simply Axalto, before it merged with Gemplus to create today's plaintiff.
This is the latest in a long line of lawsuits aimed at Google over Android after Oracle sued the company over the use of Java in its OS.
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Blizzard talks up post-Cataclysm WoW expansion
Blizzard reps have been talking up the fourth planned World of Warcraft expansion at this year's Blizzcon event.While fans patiently await the third WoW expansion, WoW: Cataclysm which is due to arrive later this year, Blizzard's senior producer John Lagrave has already started telling press about the plans for the follow-up.
Pretty freaking awesome
"The thing we're trying to do in the next expansion is pretty freaking awesome," Lagrave told Game Informer at Blizzcon, telling them that the developers have already decided on the central idea for the next one.
"We've now got a central idea that makes me happy and gets me excited, and it makes everyone else happy and excited," he said.
"When everybody gets happy and excited, we know we're on to something. We don't know if it's going to be the final thing, but we know something good is coming. Will it top Cataclysm? I think it's pretty freakin' awesome. I'm really hopeful."
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is due for release on December 7.
We will, as ever, be bringing you the news of the launch from a chilly retail store on Oxford Street at midnight on that date – an annual event that has now become an essential get-together for WoW-fans in London.
Elsewhere at this year's Blizzcon, Jack Black and Tenacious D rocked out at the closing ceremony in front of a crowd of around 20,000 fans at the Anaheim convention center.
You can see a video of the Black's performance from YouTube right here.
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In Depth: 10 best free Windows Phone 7 apps
Even this early on, Windows Phone 7 has a strong list of the apps you expect to see on every platform; Twitter, Seesmic, Flixster, OpenTable, Yelp, IMDB, LastFM, Iheartradio, Slacker, Netflix… These aren't just basic, 'tick the Windows Phone box' apps; Netflix lets you stream titles on your phone, not just pick which DVD gets posted next.
There's even a Facebook client, although there's so much Facebook integration in Windows Phone you only really need it to see events.
There are vintage apps from other platforms like the iSilo and Freda ebook readers, plenty of handy little apps that do one useful thing (like the PicFx tool for tilt-shifting photos or the pictures downloader that lets you grab the latest Bing backdrops) and we're expecting a lot more.
Here are our current top 10 free Windows Phone 7 apps.
1. Shazam
This is one of the nicest Shazam clients we've seen for any phone; the panoramic interface works well and (at least for now) you can tag an unlimited number of songs to find out what that catchy number on the radio is.
Once you've found the track you can jump straight to Zune marketplace to hear 30 seconds of the song and buy it, or listen to the whole track if you have a Zune Pass.
2. Iheartradio
Streaming internet radio US style, with 750 stations from across America, organised by city or genre, plus some celebrity channels. You get lyrics for the track playing and a link to buy it in the marketplace, or you can sign up for a free account to build your own stations – though like Slacker (which streams Internet-only genre stations) you need to give a US ZIP code to sign up (Beverly Hills anyone?).
3. Foursquare
Another well-designed and comprehensive Windows Phone 7 version of a familiar app. Past check-ins, mayorships, friends, tips you've left, badges you've earned and locations you've saved to visit are all there; but they're tucked away under Your Profile, which for some reason is buried in the extended menu so you might well miss it.
4. Adobe Reader
You can't get Flash for Windows Phone 7 yet, but the official Acrobat app lets you open PDF files from web pages and email attachments (and any that you've saved on the phone). You can pinch to zoom in and out and swipe to move from page to page (but you can't search inside a file).
5. Twitter
You're spoiled for choice between the official Twitter client, which has every feature you can think of (though you can only see lists you've made), and Seesmic, which has a similar full set of features (including lists you follow). Twitter has predictive text, so it wins for now.
6. eBay
The eBay client looks simple but it's crammed with features. Set a price range for a search, browse by category, watch items or bid straight from the phone (including making a Best Offer), then pay with PayPal. You can see what you're watching, buying and selling – the only thing you can't do it list an item for sale.
7. YouTube
With no Flash, the YouTube app is a vital stopgap that doesn't do any more than the minimum; click a YouTube video on the web and it will play in this. Videos start quickly and look good, although controls are minimal (pause and restart, basically, as you can't drag the progress bar) and the 'app' is just a wrapper to load the mobile YouTube site.
8. Messenger
Oddly the Windows Live IM client doesn't come from Microsoft and it doesn't get to use the Live ID you've already put in the phone, but it uses notifications so you get messages even when you're in another app. And you can send graphical emotions that show up properly in Live Messenger on the PC.
9. Cardstar
If your wallet is stuffed with loyalty cards but you never have the right one with you, take the time to type the numbers into this app and when you get to the store you can pull out your phone and get a barcode on screen to scan in at the till.
10. Flickr Manager
There's so much Facebook integration in Windows Phone 7, but you only see Flickr images from friends who link their account to Windows Live; Flickr fans will want this a comprehensive, well-written app that lets you enjoy your own photos as well as your friends' pictures and the groups you're in – you can upload photos from your phone, add comments andeven see basic account traffic stats.
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Sony cans tape Walkman in Japan
Sony has finally pulled the tape Walkman from retail stores in Japan, 31 years after revolutionising the music industry with its portable sound system. With little fanfare or official announcements, Sony Walkman's home page now carries a short note saying production finished.
Leg-warmers, jumpers for goalposts
So as we nostalgically recall happy memories of growing up in the early 1980s – an era defined by Walkmans, leg-warmers and massive roller-boots with big chunky rubber brakes on the front – it is time to celebrate one of Sony's most iconic pieces of consumer tech.
The Sony Walkman appeared back in July 1979, ushering in the modern era of portable music on the move.
It is difficult to imagine a time when leaving the house actually meant leaving your music behind, sitting in the shelves underneath your hi-fi in the shape of massive vinyl LPs and 12-inch singles.
Audiophile-friendly brand
Yet while the Apple iPod currently dominates the portable music market, Sony's iconic Walkman brand still lives on, and is proving to be particularly popular amongst audiophiles – those strange hi-fi-loving beasts that value audio-quality above and beyond convenience and gadgetry.
Sony has sold over 220 million Walkmans over the products lifetime to date. Sony will still sell tape Walkmans in developing countries and emerging markets in in Asia and the Middle East.
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Nintendo sees Apple as bigger threat than Microsoft
Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime sees Apple as a bigger short-term threat to Nintendo's business than Microsoft, according to comments made in a new interview.Xbox platform holder Microsoft does not compete directly with Nintendo in the portable gaming market, although all of that may well change if gaming proves to be popular on the recently-launched Microsoft Windows Phone 7 platform.
What is Nintendo's competition?
For the time being though, Fils-Aime told Forbes: "I compete with Zynga, I compete with surfing the net, I compete with the newspaper."
And as for the competition? "Do I think that in the near term they [Apple] can hurt us more than Microsoft? Absolutely."
The Nintendo boss hopes that the depth of gaming experiences on Nintendo DS and Wii will continue to give the Japanese gaming giant the edge, when compared with casual bite-sized gaming on social networks or smartphones.
A hardcore gamer through and through, Fils-Aime added that he has so far spent around 150 hours playing Nintendo's Dragon Quest, taking the opportunity to also point out that Nintendo currently has 14 of the 20 best-selling games for the current generation of gaming platforms.
But how long can it maintain that hold on the market?
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Sky to rebrand Living as Sky Living
Sky has confirmed that it will rebrand the recently acquired Living channel to Sky Living from next year, and move it up to channel 107 on its EPG. Living, along with Bravo and Virgin 1, was recently snapped up by Sky from Virgin Media, giving the satellite giant yet more of the key non-digital terrestrial television channels.
Sky believes that Living sits perfectly alongside its two other key entertainment channels – Sky1 and the forthcoming Sky Atlantic, which will bring the best of HBO and other key US programmes.
To that end, the company has announced that Living will be rebranded from 2011, and, significantly, the channel will be given a 25 per cent hike in its programme budget.
Build on success
"Living, the home of programmes such as Britain's Next Top Model, Four Weddings, Chuck and upcoming UK drama series Bedlam, was acquired by Sky from Virgin Media earlier this year," said Sky's release.
"To build on the channel's success as one of the UK's leading pay TV channels, it will re-brand as Sky Living from early 2011 and benefit from a 25% increase in on-screen investment.
"It will move to a new slot of #107 on the Sky EPG from its current position at #112."
Strong line-up
Sky Atlantic is set to launch 'from early 2011' and the triumvirate of channels will give Sky a stronger entertainment line-up than ever before.
"In Sky 1, Sky Living and Sky Atlantic we have three outstanding channels which will sit loud and proud at the top of the EPG, said Sky's MD of entertinament, news and broadcast operations Sophie Lain/
"Investment in stand-out content is at the heart of our strategy and we're delighted to be able to offer customers so much choice and quality across our expanded entertainment line-up. Taken together, these channels will have real cut through.
"Quite simply, they will be channels worth paying for and will give even more customers reasons to choose pay TV."
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Google in the dock over domestic data breaches
The UK's privacy watchdog launches a new investigation into domestic data breaches allegedly committed by Google when gathering information for its Google Street View service in Great Britain.The inquiry has been set up after Google admitted to copying personal, confidential emails and passwords from unsecured wireless networks in UK households while setting up Street View.
ICO investigates
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has set up the new investigation following a recent report in Canada that Google had allegedly captured very sensitive personal info from Canadians with its Street View mapping cars.
The initial concerns with Google Street View cars obtaining personal and confidential data dates back to May earlier this year.
Google has published a statement on its official blog noting that it had inadvertently obtained emails, passwords, usernames and other data from unsecured wireless networks.
Google's VPof engineering and research, Alan Eustace, adds: "We want to delete this data as soon as possible, and I would like to apologise again for the fact that we collected it in the first place. We are mortified by what happened."
"While most of the data is fragmentary, in some instances entire emails and URLs were captured, as well as passwords".
Google director of privacy, Alma Whitten, adds: "We are profoundly sorry for having mistakenly collected payload data from unencrypted networks.
"We are now strengthening our internal privacy and security practices with more people, more training and better procedures and compliance."
We will bring you the latest updates on the ICO's latest investigation as we get them.
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Window 8 in 2012 rumours re-surface
We've long suspected that Windows 8 would make an appearance in 2012, with the company moving away from the interminable development processes of past versions.According to Microsoft Netherlands, Windows 8 is around two years away, with a mention on an official press release celebrating the first birthday of Windows 7.
Windows 8 two years away
The Microsoft Netherlands release contains the following phrase: "Furthermore, Microsoft is of course the next version of Windows," continuing with the vague disclaimer, "But it will take about two years before "Windows 8" [is] on the market."
There has been talk of Windows 8 appearing as early as 2012 for some time now, based on some info spotted in slides at Microsoft PDC 2009.
Microsoft Netherlands has not yet commented on the mention of Windows 8 in the afore-mentioned press release.
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