HTC Desire 2 ready for MWC reveal, heading to Vodafone?
The HTC Desire 2 should be en route to Mobile World Congress 2011 after showing up in Vodafone Germany's internal inventory. We've already seen the handset make an appearance on the Taiwanese subway (where else?) so it comes as no great surprise that a single line of text pertaining to the Desire 2 has shown up in a computer system somewhere.
But as this is Vodafone Germany's computer system, we could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps this means Vodafone might release the HTC Desire HD in the UK as well.
That's basically all the news
The spy shots of the handset revealed a few tidbits of information, including the fact that it will have a front-mounted camera but no trackpad.
It also looks quite nice, although it's not exactly a revolution in handset design.
With MWC just days away, it won't be long before we bring you all the official news and our hands on HTC Desire 2 review, complete with real details based on more than just 10 characters on a computer screen in Germany.
 |  |
Read More ...
Asus taking on iPad 2 with 'secret weapon', says CEO
Asus CEO Jonney Shih claims that the Taiwanese company has a secret weapon waiting in the wings, ready to take on Apple's iPad 2 when it launches. Well, it's almost ready. It's kind of on its way. And we can't tell you what it is because we don't know. We're not sure even Asus knows.
Speaking to Computerworld, Shih talked about how Asus will take on the iPad 2, saying, "Also we will try to provide a 'secret weapon', something we have not shown at this time but closer to the launch time we will show."
So, that's concrete
When pressed for more detail as to whether the weapon is a tablet or component or what, Shih refused to elaborate.
He said, "I think it's best not to say now. You will have to wait until the launch." Spoilsport.
This could just be a case of Asus saying Asus is great simply because they're Asus, but let's choose to believe the company has an ace up its sleeve because we're a bit Hollywood like that.
| |
Read More ...
BT Home Hub 3 reduces Wi-Fi interference
BT has announced its new BT Home Hub 3 broadband router, which is available now on all BT Broadband packages, including the super-speedy BT Infinity option. The new router features what BT calls Smart Wireless. Unlike other routers which can just detect channels without other Wi-Fi networks, the Home Hub 3 can detect unclean wireless signals – such as from kit like TV senders, baby monitors and other radio devices – and the router's firmware will auto-adjust the current wireless channel to move away from the interference.
"We believe it's unique to our routers at the moment," said John Petter, head of the Consumer Broadband Business at BT, to TechRadar. "We've worked hard with the wireless radio suppliers to enable this.
"[The technology] allows us to scan the spectrum for interference. We know there's a profusion of wireless devices and some of these are quite unfriendly in what they do to wireless networks. The [Home Hub 3] allows customers to have a worry-free existence…with less wireless problems."
During a demo at the BT Tower, TechRadar was shown how this would work in action as BT engineers pitted the video streaming from the Home Hub 3 against streaming from a Virgin Media box.
A Wi-Fi scanner clearly showed the Virgin box was unable to recover from the interference caused by a wireless TV sender, while the BT box took a while to scan, adjust channel and begin the stream again. It took a minute or so to do this, but as was pointed out, it's likely the Home Hub 3 would do the adjustment when it is first set up rather than in the middle of a video stream you are watching.
The 350g Home Hub 3 is half the size of its predecessors (107 x 185 x 62mm) and uses "around 25 per cent less plastic and consumers would [probably] save around a third" of energy consumption versus the older model.
The unit has four Ethernet ports, one of which is a Gigabit Ethernet port, but the router can power off those ports not in use. Wi-Fi Encryption is turned on by default – with one-touch WPS push-button if you prefer – while there's a handy plastic pop-pout piece of plastic with your wireless key written on, rather than you having to write it down elsewhere.
The antenna technology is produced by Atheros and Broadcom in different units.
Existing customers with an older Home Hub can upgrade theirs for £46, but it's free for anybody taking out a new BT Broadband or BT Infinity contract.
The Home Hub 3 UK release date is March.
| |
Read More ...
Nokia N8 gets minor Symbian^3 software update and free games
Nokia has released software update 1.1 for the Nokia N8, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6-01.The Finnish company says that there are numerous tweaks and fixes to the Symbian^3 OS, but not many of these will be "directly visible to end users."
Email has had a bit of update love, with map integration for viewing locations of addresses mentioned in the body text, and the option to accept meeting requests directly from email invitations.
What exciting times these are for Symbian email fans.
Such major news
The Nokia N8 will have some additional benefits that the other handsets won't see.
There's a new edition of Quick Office for new "editing possibilities" and also the ability to zoom in and out of Word documents.
The N8 will also come with three new games; Need for Speed Shift, Real Golf and Galaxy on Fire, while existing N8 owners can download all three from the Ovi Store for free.
The Nokia C7 can enjoy the update from today, while the N8 and C6-01 will get it early next week, although country and operator-specific variants will come later.
| |
Read More ...
Updated: Humax Portal downloads begin, but Sky Player is missing
Humax has begun rolling out its OTA update bringing the internet-connected Humax Portal to its set top boxes; but Sky Player seems to be missing. When we tested the service for our hands on Humax Portal review Sky Player was present and correct, but users are reporting that the Sky on demand player is not available after the software update.
Some channels were mysteriously absent from the Sky Player EPG on our beta version of the software, which Humax told us was due to rights clearance.
Update: Humax sent us the following statement to explain the absence of Sky Player: "Humax is still in the process of completing Sky Player tests, but didn't want to delay the launch of the Portal. Sky Player is expected to launch in a matter of weeks."
Rights negotiations to blame?
It seems that the these could have hit a bit of a snag and Sky Player has been completely pulled from the portal for the time being, although Humax would not comment on whether rights clearance is the issue.
Humax insists that Sky Player is expected to launch on the TV Portal within a matter of weeks, at which point the Portal will also be made available on Humax HD-FOX T2 set-top boxes.
The update that brings the Portal is available to Humax HDR-FOX T2 Freeview+ HD boxes this weekend, with the Humax HD-Fox T2 set top box update to follow.
| |
Read More ...
EA to focus more heavily on Facebook for its games
Gaming megalith Electonic Arts has told investors that it will focus much more heavily on Facebook as a platform for its games in 2011. The rise and rise of the likes of FarmVille and Bejewelled have given EA pause for thought, and Develop reports that the company's third quarter results came with an insistence that new focus on social networks was key.
"Last year we saw a drop off in games related to changes on the Facebook platform, but we are encouraged by the recent turnaround," said COO John Schappert.
Increase in traffic
"We're seeing an increase in game traffic on Facebook and believe the site has stabilised, with a current estimate of 290 million gamers playing an average of 3.5 hours per month," he added
"Our leadership on mobile and smart phones taught us a great deal about how these new platforms evolve.
"We know that consumers are attracted to new experiences, but quickly aggregate behind high quality and the brands and franchises they recognize from other media.
"In 2011, you'll see more of EA's big franchises come to Facebook as well new, original offerings."
EA bought Playfish for this very reason in 2009, and the company has invested heavily in looking beyond the traditional mainstays of gaming, like consoles and the PC.
| |
Read More ...
LG Optimus Pad gets Mobile World Congress 2011 confirmation
It's official: the LG Optimus Pad will make an appearance and Mobile World Congress 2011, with LG confirming its existence in a press release.With the arrival of the T-Mobile G-Slate in the US, questions were raised if the UK was also going to get the G-Slate or the much-rumoured LG Optimus Pad.
While it is still unclear whether these devices are one of the same, a Korean press release does reveal that the LG Optimus Pad will be unveiled at MWC 2011.
The news was added to the end of a statement about the G-Slate which also confirmed the US-bound tablet's specs, including that it will be using a 6,400 mAh battery.
Optimus primed
Details on the LG Optimus Pad are sketchy at best, but ascreenshot of the device shows that it will definitely be running Android 3.0 – which is Honeycomb to the sweet-toothed of you.
As rumours of the LG Optimus Pad have been round for a while, some leaked specs have revealed that the tablet will have an 8.9" display capable of glasses-free 3D, 3D recording, a Tegra 2 dual-core CPU, a USB port and an HDMI connector.
If this is the case, then it trumps the G-Slate in 3D, as you will have to wear 3D glasses to view that device's stereoscopic content.
It is likely, however, that both devices – if they are not just rebrands of each other – will be using the same technology.
TechRadar will bring you the full skinny when it gets its hands on the LG Optimus Pad at MWC 2011, and hopefully we'll be able to nab a UK release date while we are out there too.
| |
Read More ...
Filesharers outline digital media manifesto to end piracy
A group of filesharers have put together a document outlining how film studios and download services can put an end to piracy by meeting their demands.With pricing, choice and digital rights addressed, the comprehensive manifesto was put together by 20 web professionals at a digital technology conference in Geneva.
Hand on heart
"I promise never to illegally download a movie if there was a legal alternative following the criteria on this page…" begins the site.
It goes on to require clear and fair pricing, wide-ranging language options, instant ad-free availability, global release dates and DRM-free files.
Driven by a love for movies, the manifesto is a bit of a utopian dream. Media moguls and rights holders from competing studios and content distribution companies are unlikely to put such a flat process in place.
Deep-rooted issues
Regardless of viability, the manifesto serves as a fair assessment of the problems in the digital media industry driving people to piracy and proves that many are willing to pay for digital media.
So far, 1,607 people have signed the manifesto.
Pierre Spring, one of the leaders of the movement, said: "I hope 'Don't Make Me Steal' will show the movie industry that people who love movies are just waiting for them to leave their legacy business models and embrace the digital distribution."
| |
Read More ...
MTV Games bails out of videogame production
MTV Games has ceased all its operations, with owner Viacom confirming that the game development company is no more.MTV Games, alongside Harmonix, was the developer behind the rather successful Rock Band and Dance Central franchises.
The death knell for MTV Games was sounded in December 2010, however, when Viacom decided to sell off Harmonix to an investment firm.
Not playing games
This meant that MTV Games was left with no clients - there was hope that it could become publisher of the Rock Band series in Europe but a deal wasn't agreed.
It is something of a fall from grace for MTV Games. Back in 2009, with Harmonix the company managed to bag one of the biggest exclusives in gaming by linking up with Apple Corps for The Beatles: Rock Band.
Considering it took Apple another year to get digital distribution of The Beatles songs, this was something of a coup for MTV Games.
Unfortunately this legacy is now marred with legal wranglings, as Harmonix and MTV Games are currently bickering over missed performance-based payments.
If only they'd just let it be…
| |
Read More ...
BT encourages better take-up of parental controls
In a move designed to better inform parents and protect children online, BT is now offering parental controls automatically as part of its broadband set-up process.The service was already free with all BT Total Broadband packages and is part of a range of security options including firewall and anti-virus protection. However, BT will now encourage better take-up by making it an integral step of setting up your new broadband package.
The move is part of a BT 'Family Protection' drive in partnership with McAfee. The phone giant is also launching a new range of printed and online safety advice in March to help parents make the right choices with regard to online safety.
BT has also said it will spam, sorry, remind customers at least once a year about the availability of Family Protection software.
BT says the parental controls settings mean that parents can "match the maturity of each of their children to what they can do on the web".
As you'd expect, parents can also block entire programs or inappropriate websites, either by age, category or by blocking an individual site. Time limits can also be set and parents can request instant alerts if children attempt to access blocked sites or post personal information that they shouldn't.
| |
Read More ...
Explained: HDMI vs DisplayPort: which is best?
Look on the back of a top-flight AMD Radeon such as the HD 6870 and you'll find, along with the now-familiar DVI ports, HDMI and DisplayPort connectors. That's three distinct digital connectors on one card. Why so many? Well, DVI is the current champion but is on the way out. It's been fun, but its reaching the end of the line. However, it won't vanish just yet, because it can carry analogue VGA signals and there are still an awful lot of analogue monitors out there. This leaves us two new contenders for high-definition video.
The two all-digital standards are not in direct competition either. They 'complement' each other, at least that's the semi-official line. However, two new standards on one card means there is competition at some level, especially when you need to drop one for budget editions. This isn't exactly a format war where only one will be left standing, though – both formats are here to stay.
So what's up then? Both offer high-speed all-digital connection for video and audio with allowance for copy protection and 3D images. What are the strengths of each and why do the card people put both onboard to entice us?
The basic specifications and capabilities are similar and while the two ports essentially do the same job they do it in different ways which reflect their origins.
HDMI hails from the world of TVs, DVD players and consumer electronics. It takes as its starting point S-VHS and composite signals. DisplayPort hails from the computer chaps and uses a more sophisticated and flexible data transmission method.
HDMI explained
The High Definition Multimedia Interface first appeared in 2003 and was designed as a digital replacement for the multitude of analogue formats used in consumer AV standards (RF, SCART, Composite, S-VHS, RGB and so forth), in a compact single cable.
It can carry any uncompressed TV signal with 48-bit colour and up to eight channels of audio as well as control connections for the rare instances where one bit of kit can control another.
A DVI signal is fully compatible, so you can use a DVI to HDMI converter no probs (although not for the analogue signals on DVI-A obviously).
The standard was put together by a consortium of big names, including Panasonic, Sony, Philips and Toshiba. The specification has now reached version 1.4.
The big gain in the later versions is the maximum clock speed, which governs bandwidth. The original specification called for a maximum of 165MHz, which is just enough to handle 1080p.
Version 1.3 upped this to 340MHz, in order to comfortably handle 1600p (technically known as Wide Quad Extended Graphics Array). The maximum data rate is 10.4GB/s.
It comes in single-link or double-link types (the 19-pin Type A and 29-pin Type B respectively), Type B equates to dual-link DVI, although we haven't seen one yet.
HDMI 1.4 launched in March 2010 and adds an Ethernet connection, an audio return channel, more control protocols and is ready for 3D signals. It can cope with a 4096 x 2160 display, enough for a very beefy home cinema setup.
Cables come in two main types: Standard or Category 1 cables can cope with the lower capacities of version 1.0 to 1.2, while High-Speed or Category 2 cables are certified for versions 1.3 to 1.4.
There's no standard set for the maximum cable length, its essentially down to the cable company to get it working properly. The signal drops off and the longer the cable, the thicker the wire and therefore the better the quality required.
HDMI: The standard 19-pin Type A HDMI connector, capable of 10.4GB/s in its latest iteration
HDMI benefits
Fully compatible with DVI, just add a converter. This only offers single-link DVI however, which means that high-end cards will still need to carry a DVI dual-link for high resolutions. A nice bit of backward compatibility, though.
HDMI includes CEC: Consumer Electronics Control. The idea is that one bit of AV kit can pass across instructions to another, such as turn on, change channel, and so forth. Nice when it works, which isn't as often as you might like. No big loss on a PC.
HDMI has native support for the xvYCC colour space. This offers a gamut 1.8 times bigger than plain-old RGB models, by effectively using negative numbers for primaries. It was developed because modern panels are more capable than CRTs of displaying richer colours. Support for xvYCC colour space is found in many graphics cards, but the main target is digital camcorders. You won't find it in Blu-Ray though and its absence on DisplayPort is no great loss.
If you've a respectably new television then it will have an HDMI port, making connecting a PC really easy, at last. This is the big bonus, games coming at you with real screen acreage (albeit not at super-high resolutions).
HDMI kit is currently a bit cheaper, especially for compatible monitors.
Three years after HDMI first made its way into homes, DisplayPort was unleashed into the world. The standard was hammered out by VESA and was designed principally to go betwixt graphics card and monitor.
Importantly, it also happens to be royalty-free (as opposed to the four cent per device royalty charged to HDMI devices). DisplayPort was adopted after the United Display Interface (UDI) standard, principally developed by Intel as a DVI replacement, was canned.
Unlike the aforementioned HDMI, DisplayPort is a completely new standard. This means that it isn't possible to produce an easy connection converter in the same way it was for HDMI.
Having said that, there is a special DP++ port, which offers multi-mode connections (including single-link HDMI and DVI signals) and can be used with a suitable converter cable. It is all a bit of a fudge, though, and requires a non-standard physical port.
DisplayPort uses a packet-based transmission system, enabling flexible use of bandwidths. It comes in one-, two- and four-link versions with increasing data capacities.
Theoriginal version could transfer a maximum of 8.64GB/s, while the 1.2 specification (which has been around since December 2009) doubles this to a delectable 17.28GB/s – considerably more than HDMI.
DisplayPort specifies a maximum cable length of three metres for copper and fifteen meters or more for fibre optic. If you are serious about putting space between box and monitor, then this is clearly the display interface of choice.
DisplayPort was designed from the outset with direct graphics card/monitor connection in mind, including the internal one. It can run a monitor directly from the DisplayPort signal, with no Low Voltage Differential Signalling (LVDS) circuitry required on the panel.
DISPLAYPORT: The full-size 20-pin DisplayPort plug, destined to be the connection of choice for monitors at a distance
DisplayPort benefits
DisplayPort is royalty-free. HDMI costs currently only four cents a pop, mind. DisplayPort has fewer rules over implementation too and is not so highly regulated, so manufacturers can have more fun with it.
Technically more accomplished, flexible and capable of carrying much more than just video and audio. At top-spec it has much more bandwidth too (10.2GB/s vs 17.28GB/s).
Supports multiple monitors on one cable, so you can daisy-chain two or more together. Thus, full DisplayPort 1.2 can drive four 1920 x 1200 monitors, one on each link, yowza.
Offers three metre copper cable at full resolution, its also been designed for fibre optics too, enabling much longer cables. HDMI has no maximum cable length and the signal can degrade.
It can run Direct Drive Monitors. This is of most significance internally in laptops, but we should see external DD monitors, which can be thinner, and one would hope, cheaper.
There's a bi-directional auxiliary channel, which can be used for input from a microphone or USB device. This can carry 1Mb/s on the first versions and 720Mb/s for version 1.2.
A proper cable retention system, a small point perhaps, but a possibly very annoying if your HDMI cable keeps falling out.
The other option: Wireless Display
Wired kit is passé. Where's our wireless connection? Well, Intel has WiDi, Wireless Display, which sends an HD signal across the room. You need a wireless router box wired-up to your telly's HDMI port.
Itimpressed the crowd at the Consumer Electronic Show in 2010, but don't you get too excited – these were suits.
It's perfect for getting PowerPoint from your laptop to a wall-mounted screen, but it's not fast enough for exciting stuff, such as games. It's laggy and testing has revealed that a lot of games freeze.
Plus, it only runs on certain Intel processors: 'M' models with integrated graphics – laptops basically. WiDi is aimed squarely at business apps, nothing to get excited about, then.
WHDI, Wireless Home Digital Interface, is more exciting. This is designed as a full AV wireless standard. The basic spec is for 3Gbps, enabling 1080p, and a range of a 100 feet. The aim is to broadcast Blu-ray from a player to screens around the house.
The players behind the standard include Sony, LG, Sharp, Hitachi and Motorola. It's all based around a special transmission system invented by Amimon, which assigns importance to individual bits, enabling error correction to be applied selectively.
WHDI: Plugs into your HDMI port and punts the signal off to a telly or receiver plugged into another HDMI port. We likey
In your video data, its the first value for a pixel element that's most important. Get this wrong and you'll get a completely whack colour, however get the last bit of a colour value wrong and you only get a very slight change in colour.
Thus the system squeezes Full HD video out of the 5GHz wireless signals licensed for domestic use by not being too fussy about dropped bits where you won't notice the difference.
All well and good for home entertainment systems, but the relatively low bandwidth means it'll be a nice extra for a PC rig, being able to send a movie or game to another screen, but it won't replace the primary display.
WHDI is due to be updated to cope with 3D and version 2.0 should bring higher bandwidths in the future. However, given the legal limits on the frequency and power levels of an unlicensed domestic wireless system, wireless will always struggle to offer the high resolutions of wired systems.
| |
Read More ...
O2 to launch NFC mobile wallets this year
O2 has revealed its plans to launch a mobile wallet service using NFC technology in the second half of 2011.The network operator has trailed NFC payment services using a Nokia handset, but no doubt hopes to take advantage of the NFC capabilities of the latest Android smartphones like the Google Nexus S, as well as its rumoured inclusion of a chip in the iPhone 5.
London 2012
O2 has said that it will apply for an e-money operating licence from the FSA, which will allow the network to offer money transfers between customers, as well as contactless payments at 60,000 venues around the UK.
The e-money operating licence will allow uses to 'bank' money with the network, which can then be spent or transferred using the NFC chip.
The network operator is keen to get the mobile payments service up and running before the onslaught of the 2012 Olympics hits London next year.
The news comes hot on the heels of Everything Everywhere's announcement that it plans to roll out NFC-enabled SIM cards in Q2 2011 in partnership with Barclaycard.
| |
Read More ...
Updated: Android 3.0: all the latest updates
Now that Android 2.3 features are official, information about its successor, Android 3.0 – Android Honeycomb – is starting to emerge.Here's what we know about Android 3.0 so far.
On 20 October, we reported that Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets are rumoured to be heading out to engineers in time for Christmas. This has resulted in a huge range of tablets arriving at CES 2011, with UK release dates later in the year.
Android 3.0 release date
Android 3.0 release date is looking like early 2011.
UPDATE: In a video on All Things Digital posted on 7 December Google's Andy Rubin showed off a prototype Motorola Android 3.0 tablet and confirmed that the Android 3.0 release date will be "some time next year".
Android 3.0 features and specifications
As we reported earlier in July, a Russian podcast details how Android 3.0 Honeycomb will be restricted to high-end handsets and tablets. The podcast explained that Android 3.0 phones will require at least a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 3.5-inch or larger displays.
UPDATE: A Korean electronics firm is claiming that Android 3.0 will actually require a dual-core processor to run.
According to the Google Mobile Blog, Android 3.0 has had a huge amount of user interface refinement, and is designed specifically for large-screen devices (so, tablets). Widgets have been made more interactive, and the Home screen has received a snazzy 3D makeover.
The new Chrome browser in particular has received some major polish, with the addition of tabbed browsing, auto-fill, syncing with desktop versions of Chrome and private browsing all bringing it closer to the browsing features of a PC.
Android Market is now also web based and it's designed for the tablet - you can purchase directly from here and finally search more comprehensively for applications.
'Bubbled' widgets are also being introduced - they can present multiple stories, videos, emails or books without you having to enter the application, giving easy access to your important information without entering any apps.
Also, all applications will be able to use the fragmentation mode, meaning that, like Gmail, things like Twitter will be able to have side by side information in the same app. Support for in-app purchases is coming too.
Google has detailed more of the new features in this video:
Android 3.0 is also set to offer music syncing, as we reported on 18 January 2011.The 'sync music' option could enable Android 3.0 devices to sync local music with cloud-based services.
Android 3.0 phones
One of the first Android 3.0 phones could be the Samsung Galaxy S2 if another rumour is to be believed. The leaked details of the Galaxy S I9200 claim a 4.3-inch screen with a resolution of 1280x720.
On 27 October 2010, reports appeared that Google was planning to release an Android 3.0 powered Nexus Two with Carphone Warehouse, although we now know that the next Nexus – called the Nexus S and available through Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy – is running Android 2.3.
It's also possible that the PSP Phone will be running Android 3.0.
However, after a chat TechRadar had with Google in January, it seems quite possible that Android 3.0 is a tablet-only OS and will never be coming to mobile phones.
Android 3.0 tablets
Acer has announced 7- and 10-inch Android tablets which are slated for release in April 2011. This means they'll almost certainly be running Android 3.0.
Asus has announced a range of tablets at CES, including the 7-inch Eee Pad MeMO, which comes with a capacitive stylus for use with a dedicated note-taking app.
Pansonic has announced the Viera Tablet for use with the company's connected TVs, though it's unclear whether it will use Android 3.0 or an earlier version.
The Motorola Android 3.0 prototype that Andy Rubin showed off last year has surfaced as the Motorola Xoom, now confirmed to be sporting a dual-core processor 10.1-inch screen, front- and rear-facing cameras and HD video recording. We've been able to get some time with it at CES.
LG also got in on the Android 3.0 game at CES, launching the T-Mobile G-Slate, and the LG Optimus Pad is on its way too.
We'll also going to see a Honeycomb tablet in the form of the as-yet unnamed HTC tablet, while we are also expecting Android 3.0 tablets in the form of the MSI WindPad.
We'll bring you more Android 3.0 details as they emerge.
Android Honeycomb: 10 things you need to know
Google unveiled its tablet-specific Android 3.0 OS at CES to a flurry of excitement thanks to some pretty exciting new tablet-focused additions to the already impressive OS.But, with a preview of the SDK only just released to developers, we won't be seeing Honeycomb on our Android tablets for a little while; in the meantime, whet your appetite with our round-up of the key new features.
1. There'll be 3D-effect graphics
You can't swing a cat without hitting something 3D (literally) in the tech world these days, and Google knows it. Honeycomb offers developers the opportunity to use high-performance 3D graphics which should offer no noticeable lag, even with the extra rendering required.
This means we'll see 3D creeping into our apps, wallpapers and carousels as the developers get to grips with the extra dimension.
2. The Android UI has been redesigned especially for tablets
The Android user interface had always been intended for smartphones with screens no bigger than around 4-inches – with the advent of tablet devices, displays have shot up in the size stakes. Lucky for us, they're not short of a brain cell or two over at Google and have re-designed the Android UI taking the larger screen into account.
The updated UI isn't a million miles away from what we're used to on Android handsets – there are still multiple, customisable homescreens, universal search box and widgets galore – but the small tweaks will make it so much better to use on the larger scale.
An ever-present menu bar at the bottom of the screen will hold notifications, system status updates and on-screen navigation as well as a handy clock, with a "lights out" mode to dim the bar when you're watching a film and want the full screen.
Meanwhile, the action bar at the top of the screen is dependent on the app you're in; its look and feel are dictated by each individual app, as are the options available to compensate for the lack of dedicated menu button.
3. Recent apps will make multi-tasking a breeze
Multi-tasking is where we expect the dual-core Android tablets to shine, and Honeycomb gives it the tools to do so.
The 'recent apps' launcher lays out the last apps you used and the state you left them in, so you can quickly nip from one to another and straight into work. The tool lives in the system bar which is always onscreen, so there'll be no tedious navigation through menus.
4. The keyboard will be tablet-friendly
Of course you could buy an external keyboard for your tablet but lugging a million accessories around defeats the object of having a sleek and handy tablet.
To save you the hassle, Google has put a bit of thought into the onscreen keyboard; the keys have been reshaped and repositioned to make typing more comfortable and the targeting more natural for the larger screen, instead of simply scaling up the keyboard.
We love the inclusion of a tab key, which makes the typing experience more akin to that of a desktop or notebook than that of a phone.
5. Better copy and paste than ever before
Ah, copy and paste. Such a small function and yet so universally adored. While regular Android does allow text selection, copying and pasting, the Honeycomb system has had a few tweaks.
Tapping a single word will select it while the bounding arrows either end make expanding the selection super simple - simpler even than the one used in Gingerbread.
A menu in the action bar at the top of the screen then allows you to either cut, copy, copy to clipboard, share, paste, search the web for or find.
6. Connectivity upgrades include improved Wi-Fi and Bluetooth tethering
Google has improved Android's Wi-Fi connectivity with a new scanning system; it reduces scanning time across bands and filters, so you should be up, running and connected in shorter times.
Bluetooth connectivity has been updated too; more devices can now tether to the tablet and share its connectivity, while simple devices with no user interface (think sensors and the like) are also supported.
7. There'll be anonymous tabbed web browsing
If you fancy a spot of private web browsing on your Android tablet, then you're in luck; the new "incognito" mode lends an air of Poirot-era respectability to your secretive searching.
Google has also done away with the multiple-window browser, instead going for a tabbed browser system with your open web pages displayed in the action bar at the top of the screen.
Google Chrome users can easily sync their bookmarks to the tablet browser too, thanks to Honeycomb's option to automatically sign in to all Google sites with one supplied account.
8. Legacy apps will work seamlessly
Worried that you won't be able to make use of the thousands of Android apps already in the marketplace? Never fear, even though they were designed for a much smaller-screened device, Honeycomb is still compatible with apps developed for earlier Android iterations as long as devs add in a simple spot of code.
The menu key functions from Android phones are migrated to the Action Bar menu in Honeycomb, and there's the option for developers to create dedicated layouts for larger screens and add them to existing apps.
9. Two-pane email should mean easy inbox oraganisation
Two-paned email sounds a little familiar – oh yes, that's right. We've seen it before on the iPad where it works brilliantly. If it ain't broke, and all that.
The ability to select multiple messages in the inbox and move or delete them mean there's no excuse for a messy, disorganised inbox, while attachments can be synced to the tablet for you to view later.
10. Widgets are going to get interactive
Widgets saved to the home screen on Honeycomb tablets are going to have a whole new level of functionality available. Rather than passively relaying information to the user, they'll be interactive.
Gestures can be used to scroll through 3D stacks or lists of content, while touch gestures can also flip and move the widget's innards like never before.
If you're still crazy for more, then check out the video Google has kicked out about the new Android 3.0 OS - it's like looking at pictures but a lot faster.
| |
Read More ...
Updated: Android 3.0: all the latest updates
Now that Android 2.3 features are official, information about its successor, Android 3.0 – Android Honeycomb – is starting to emerge.Here's what we know about Android 3.0 so far.
On 20 October, we reported that Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets are rumoured to be heading out to engineers in time for Christmas. This has resulted in a huge range of tablets arriving at CES 2011, with UK release dates later in the year.
Android 3.0 release date
Android 3.0 release date is looking like early 2011.
UPDATE: In a video on All Things Digital posted on 7 December Google's Andy Rubin showed off a prototype Motorola Android 3.0 tablet and confirmed that the Android 3.0 release date will be "some time next year".
Android 3.0 features and specifications
As we reported earlier in July, a Russian podcast details how Android 3.0 Honeycomb will be restricted to high-end handsets and tablets. The podcast explained that Android 3.0 phones will require at least a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 3.5-inch or larger displays.
UPDATE: A Korean electronics firm is claiming that Android 3.0 will actually require a dual-core processor to run.
According to the Google Mobile Blog, Android 3.0 has had a huge amount of user interface refinement, and is designed specifically for large-screen devices (so, tablets). Widgets have been made more interactive, and the Home screen has received a snazzy 3D makeover.
The new Chrome browser in particular has received some major polish, with the addition of tabbed browsing, auto-fill, syncing with desktop versions of Chrome and private browsing all bringing it closer to the browsing features of a PC.
Android Market is now also web based and it's designed for the tablet - you can purchase directly from here and finally search more comprehensively for applications.
'Bubbled' widgets are also being introduced - they can present multiple stories, videos, emails or books without you having to enter the application, giving easy access to your important information without entering any apps.
Also, all applications will be able to use the fragmentation mode, meaning that, like Gmail, things like Twitter will be able to have side by side information in the same app. Support for in-app purchases is coming too.
Google has detailed more of the new features in this video:
Android 3.0 is also set to offer music syncing, as we reported on 18 January 2011.The 'sync music' option could enable Android 3.0 devices to sync local music with cloud-based services.
Android 3.0 phones
One of the first Android 3.0 phones could be the Samsung Galaxy S2 if another rumour is to be believed. The leaked details of the Galaxy S I9200 claim a 4.3-inch screen with a resolution of 1280x720.
On 27 October 2010, reports appeared that Google was planning to release an Android 3.0 powered Nexus Two with Carphone Warehouse, although we now know that the next Nexus – called the Nexus S and available through Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy – is running Android 2.3.
It's also possible that the PSP Phone will be running Android 3.0.
However, after a chat TechRadar had with Google in January, it seems quite possible that Android 3.0 is a tablet-only OS and will never be coming to mobile phones.
Android 3.0 tablets
Acer has announced 7- and 10-inch Android tablets which are slated for release in April 2011. This means they'll almost certainly be running Android 3.0.
Asus has announced a range of tablets at CES, including the 7-inch Eee Pad MeMO, which comes with a capacitive stylus for use with a dedicated note-taking app.
Pansonic has announced the Viera Tablet for use with the company's connected TVs, though it's unclear whether it will use Android 3.0 or an earlier version.
The Motorola Android 3.0 prototype that Andy Rubin showed off last year has surfaced as the Motorola Xoom, now confirmed to be sporting a dual-core processor 10.1-inch screen, front- and rear-facing cameras and HD video recording. We've been able to get some time with it at CES.
LG also got in on the Android 3.0 game at CES, launching the T-Mobile G-Slate, and the LG Optimus Pad is on its way too.
We'll also going to see a Honeycomb tablet in the form of the as-yet unnamed HTC tablet, while we are also expecting Android 3.0 tablets in the form of the MSI WindPad.
We'll bring you more Android 3.0 details as they emerge.
Android Honeycomb: 10 things you need to know
Google unveiled its tablet-specific Android 3.0 OS at CES to a flurry of excitement thanks to some pretty exciting new tablet-focused additions to the already impressive OS.But, with a preview of the SDK only just released to developers, we won't be seeing Honeycomb on our Android tablets for a little while; in the meantime, whet your appetite with our round-up of the key new features.
1. There'll be 3D-effect graphics
You can't swing a cat without hitting something 3D (literally) in the tech world these days, and Google knows it. Honeycomb offers developers the opportunity to use high-performance 3D graphics which should offer no noticeable lag, even with the extra rendering required.
This means we'll see 3D creeping into our apps, wallpapers and carousels as the developers get to grips with the extra dimension.
2. The Android UI has been redesigned especially for tablets
The Android user interface had always been intended for smartphones with screens no bigger than around 4-inches – with the advent of tablet devices, displays have shot up in the size stakes. Lucky for us, they're not short of a brain cell or two over at Google and have re-designed the Android UI taking the larger screen into account.
The updated UI isn't a million miles away from what we're used to on Android handsets – there are still multiple, customisable homescreens, universal search box and widgets galore – but the small tweaks will make it so much better to use on the larger scale.
An ever-present menu bar at the bottom of the screen will hold notifications, system status updates and on-screen navigation as well as a handy clock, with a "lights out" mode to dim the bar when you're watching a film and want the full screen.
Meanwhile, the action bar at the top of the screen is dependent on the app you're in; its look and feel are dictated by each individual app, as are the options available to compensate for the lack of dedicated menu button.
3. Recent apps will make multi-tasking a breeze
Multi-tasking is where we expect the dual-core Android tablets to shine, and Honeycomb gives it the tools to do so.
The 'recent apps' launcher lays out the last apps you used and the state you left them in, so you can quickly nip from one to another and straight into work. The tool lives in the system bar which is always onscreen, so there'll be no tedious navigation through menus.
4. The keyboard will be tablet-friendly
Of course you could buy an external keyboard for your tablet but lugging a million accessories around defeats the object of having a sleek and handy tablet.
To save you the hassle, Google has put a bit of thought into the onscreen keyboard; the keys have been reshaped and repositioned to make typing more comfortable and the targeting more natural for the larger screen, instead of simply scaling up the keyboard.
We love the inclusion of a tab key, which makes the typing experience more akin to that of a desktop or notebook than that of a phone.
5. Better copy and paste than ever before
Ah, copy and paste. Such a small function and yet so universally adored. While regular Android does allow text selection, copying and pasting, the Honeycomb system has had a few tweaks.
Tapping a single word will select it while the bounding arrows either end make expanding the selection super simple - simpler even than the one used in Gingerbread.
A menu in the action bar at the top of the screen then allows you to either cut, copy, copy to clipboard, share, paste, search the web for or find.
6. Connectivity upgrades include improved Wi-Fi and Bluetooth tethering
Google has improved Android's Wi-Fi connectivity with a new scanning system; it reduces scanning time across bands and filters, so you should be up, running and connected in shorter times.
Bluetooth connectivity has been updated too; more devices can now tether to the tablet and share its connectivity, while simple devices with no user interface (think sensors and the like) are also supported.
7. There'll be anonymous tabbed web browsing
If you fancy a spot of private web browsing on your Android tablet, then you're in luck; the new "incognito" mode lends an air of Poirot-era respectability to your secretive searching.
Google has also done away with the multiple-window browser, instead going for a tabbed browser system with your open web pages displayed in the action bar at the top of the screen.
Google Chrome users can easily sync their bookmarks to the tablet browser too, thanks to Honeycomb's option to automatically sign in to all Google sites with one supplied account.
8. Legacy apps will work seamlessly
Worried that you won't be able to make use of the thousands of Android apps already in the marketplace? Never fear, even though they were designed for a much smaller-screened device, Honeycomb is still compatible with apps developed for earlier Android iterations as long as devs add in a simple spot of code.
The menu key functions from Android phones are migrated to the Action Bar menu in Honeycomb, and there's the option for developers to create dedicated layouts for larger screens and add them to existing apps.
9. Two-pane email should mean easy inbox oraganisation
Two-paned email sounds a little familiar – oh yes, that's right. We've seen it before on the iPad where it works brilliantly. If it ain't broke, and all that.
The ability to select multiple messages in the inbox and move or delete them mean there's no excuse for a messy, disorganised inbox, while attachments can be synced to the tablet for you to view later.
10. Widgets are going to get interactive
Widgets saved to the home screen on Honeycomb tablets are going to have a whole new level of functionality available. Rather than passively relaying information to the user, they'll be interactive.
Gestures can be used to scroll through 3D stacks or lists of content, while touch gestures can also flip and move the widget's innards like never before.
If you're still crazy for more, then check out the video Google has kicked out about the new Android 3.0 OS - it's like looking at pictures but a lot faster.
| |
Read More ...
Sainsbury's breaks £200 barrier for Nintendo 3DS
Supermarket giant Sainsbury's has weighed in with its very own Nintendo 3DS pre-order offer, and you'll be able to get the gaming hand and a fistful of Nectar points for £199.99. That's £3 cheaper than rival Asda – for now at least – and Sainsbury's will also throw in 1000 bonus Nectar points.
Gurdeep Hunjan, Sainsbury's games buyer, comments: "If you're looking for a Nintendo 3DS, this is a great way to secure one now and save some cash."
Allocation
Sainsbury's pre-ordering launches in over 300 larger stores today and is also available online from http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/entertainment. The offer will run "until allocated stocks last".
The 3DS is scheduled to arrive on 25 March and brings a much-vaunted autostereoscopic 3D screen.
The mobile console is expected to be a major hit for Nintendo, despite a price tag that pitched it squarely against some of the major players in home consoles like Xbox and PlayStation.
| |
Read More ...
Microsoft introduces 'aliases' for Hotmail
Microsoft has introduced aliases to for Hotmail email – allowing you to manage multiple email aliases from a single Hotmail account.Microsoft has been making key changes to Hotmail as it looks to stave off competition from the likes of Google's Gmail, and that now includes the ability to use a different email address within the webmail service.
"The email address a person uses is a big part of their online identity," blogged Microsoft's Dharmesh Mehta.
"The average person maintains three different email addresses in order to organize different types of email, maintain different personas, or keep junk mail away from a primary email address.
"So there are many good reasons that people want multiple email addresses, but maintaining multiple accounts, with different user names and passwords that require you to check multiple inboxes, is inefficient.
"With today's update, Hotmail helps you save time by making it easier to manage your current and future email addresses in one place."
15 total
Hotmail will now let you add up to link up five email aliases a year that are completely different from your main hotmail address (so, not just the now familiar address+keyword addition).
"You might also be concerned that your address could be sold to other companies or could result in a large amount of new email that you don't want or doesn't belong in the same place as your regular email, adds Mehta.
"Or maybe you want an address that's better suited to your hard-core gaming persona rather than your normal, professional one.
"Starting today, you can add up to five aliases per year to your Hotmail account, up to fifteen aliases in total, all designed to make it a lot easier to organize different types of email and personas in one Hotmail inbox without having to give out your primary email address if you don't want to."
| |
Read More ...
Android Ice Cream to get Honeycomb flavouring?
The confusion over what will happen with the next iteration of Android continues with news that Ice Cream Sandwich, to give the OS its full name, will come with some Honeycomb features embedded.Which means it's looking more and more likely that Honeycomb will be ported on to tablets only and not come to smartphones.
Everything about the OS seems to be built around tablet architecture, but this doesn't necessarily mean that none of the features will be coming to mobile phones.
The word on the Google street is that Ice Cream Sandwich will be the next flavoursome OS for smartphones after Gingerbread, but will have bits of Honeycomb within it.
Honey monster
According to Phandroid there's a new code being built called GRI17 which will implement some parts of Honeycomb but it's not known which bits will make the cut.
What this does mean is that Ice Cream will probably become Android 2.4, with Android 3.0 Honeycomb solely used for tablets. Confusing? You betcha - but it is something that we have been expecting.
We'll be hoping that the Google I/O conference scheduled for 10 May will shed some light on Google's operating system plans for both tablets and smartphones.
| |
Read More ...
Budget Alcatel handsets hit Carphone Warehouse
Carphone Warehouse has announced that it will be stocking two Alcatel handsets, costing no more than £30 each plus £10 of credit.The touchscreen option, the Alcatel OT710, also comes with additional covers which are exclusive to the retailer.
You'd be right not to expect too much for £30; Bluetooth, GPRS, Opera Mini, a music player and a 2MP camera is pretty much your lot, but you can expand storage with a microSD card up to 8GB.
Girl's best friend
If touchscreens aren't your bag, the Alcatel OT799 comes with a full physical QWERTY keypad in candybar form.
Other than the abundance of buttons, the OT799 is very similar to the touchscreen handset with a 2MP camera and conference call-ability.
It is even described in the press release as "a girl's best friend," which is a serious downgrade from diamonds, to be honest.
The two handsets are not quite as cheap as Carphone's 1p Alcatel OT-209, but you do get a little bit more bang for your buck.
| |
Read More ...
Tutorial: How to bring Aero Snap to OS X
Mac users like to play the superiority card when it comes to Windows, sniggering behind the backs of people 'dumb' enough to use Microsoft's operating system, perhaps going so far as to point fingers and yell something about photocopiers in Redmond.But drink some reality juice and it's clear that Cupertino isn't the only place where innovation happens – often enough, Microsoft has some pretty good ideas of its own.
The taskbar introduced with Windows 95 was one such feature, providing a centralised switcher/launcher long before the Mac OS X Dock arrived. Windows 7 also has plenty of interesting interface ideas, largely centred around its taskbar and window management.
We don't see Apple warming up its photocopier, but enterprising indie developer Christian Baumgart has taken on the task. His HyperDock add-on enables you to bring a bunch of Windows 7 features to the Mac, and, despite what you might think, they may well improve your productivity.
One of the best features in Windows 7 is Aero Snap, which enables you to drag a window to a screen edge to resize it to full- or half-screen, without having to manually line things up. HyperDock includes the same feature, and it works with the majority of Mac apps.
Another feature of Windows 7 is the ability to hover over a taskbar icon to preview an app's windows. On the Mac, Dock Exposé does much the same thing, but HyperDock's implementation is useful if you're not enamoured with Dock Exposé, and also if you'd like a few extra features.
Below, we show you how to use these and other features; for more details about HyperDock, visit http://hyperdock.bahoom.de.
How to: Bring Aero Snap to your Mac
1. Snap to split-screen
After installing HyperDock, launch Safariand open two windows. Drag one to the left screen edge; when the semi-transparent box appears, release the mouse button and the window will resize to fill the left half of the screen. Drag the other window to the right.
2. Full-screen windows
Split-screen is great for comparing two windows, but sometimes you'll have a single document you want to fill the screen. Mac OS X lacks an actual 'full-screen' button, but with HyperDock you can just drag a window to the top screen edge and it'll fill the entire screen.
3. Move windows easily
Open System Preferences and select HyperDock. Select the Window Management tab. Under Window Dragging, you'll see modifiers for moving and resizing windows. Move your cursor over a window, hold Crtrl+Option and then move the cursor for window control.
4. View Dock previews
HyperDock's Dock previews are less of a 'jolt' when activated than Dock Exposé. Hover the mouse cursor over a Dock icon and you'll see the app's windows. Minimised windows show a '–' symbol. Hover over a preview to view it at full size; hover over one and click '×' to close.
5. iCal and iTunes previews
iTunes and iCalby default provide information-based previews. Hold your cursor over iCal's icon to see upcoming events. Hold your cursor over theiTunes icon to see the currently playing track; hover over the artwork to access controls and clickable rating stars.
6. Preview behaviour
Back in HyperDock's preferences, click the General tab. Here, you can disable the iCal and iTunes previews and also amend preview behaviour. Next, click Appearance. Experiment with the settings to change the size and appearance of the preview bubbles.
7. View Dock shortcuts
Still in preferences, click Shortcuts. On the left, select Any Dock Icon. On the right are actions and events. As per the events shown, hold Option and click Safari in the Dock. Dock Exposé will be invoked. Hit Escape then hold Command and click Safari's Dock icon – a new window opens.
8. Edit Dock shortcuts
To edit an existing Dock shortcut, click the up/down arrow icon at the right of the event, select Other Button/Keys and define a new shortcut. You can also use the '+' icons to add new apps to the left-hand pane or new action/event pairs to the right-hand pane.
| |
Read More ...
Nokia Windows Phone 7 announcement coming on 11 Feb?
Nokia could be about to reveal plans to get behind Windows Phone 7 on 11 Feb. New CEO Stephen Elop is set to talk to investors in London and is planning a major announcement for the speech ahead of Mobile World Congress 2011.
Describing the announcement as 'strategic', we're crossing our fingers and toes and hoping Nokia is going to take a punt on Windows Phone 7.
Symbian issues
Nokia's OS of choice is Symbian and, while not without its charms, the software has struggled to compete against the likes of Android and iOS.
After Elop's comments that Nokia must "build, capitalise and/or join a competitive ecosystem" last week, speculation that the company will get behind Android or Windows Phone has been rife.
The New York Times reports that Nokia's shares have seen a gentle increase thanks to the rumours of a Microsoft software alliance.
Elop himself joined Nokia from Microsoft – maybe he's missing the old gang. Either way, building hardware for a proven OS could be the answer to Nokia's problems; we'll bring you the news as it breaks.
| |
Read More ...
Weird Tech: Harry Potter and the tiny cloak of invisibility
Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport hit the news this week after security staff discovered 44 iPhones concealed in the stockings of a 60-something year-old woman. Security staff were tipped off by her gait, which resembled that of somebody trying to walk with 44 iPhones in their stockings. As reporter Suzzie Christodulu notes, "Putting 44 iPhones in your stockings would make walking difficult".
Etch-a-tech
If you've ever wished your computer worked like an Etch-A-Sketch, Msraynsford has the device for you: inspired by the computer controlled Etch-A-Sketches he'd seen online, he decided to take the opposite approach and add rotational controls to a PC.
MDFFED: A computer that you control like an Etch-A-Sketch. How great is that?
Brilliantly, the spec includes MDF, the guts of an old mouse and the caps from a pair of water bottles.
Full-fat VR
Ever wondered what it's like to be fat? Simply strap on some VR specs, look at a portly avatar and poke yourself in the stomach with sticks.
Bizarre as it sounds, we're describing proper science here: computer scientist Mel Slater of University College London, whose team previously explored ways of making virtual arms feel real and ways to "make men feel as if their bodies were female", hopes that the research could ultimately help people with body image-related disorders.
Speaking to Inside Science News, Slater described how such technology might be useful: "People who are unhappy with being overweight could experience how eating healthily can alter [their] virtual appearance, which could serve as a strong motivator to change future behaviour in reality."
Invisibility cloak "good for paperclips"
We have good news and bad news. The good news is that scientists have invented a cloak of invisibility. The bad news is that it's so small, it only works on things that were pretty much invisible already.
According to The Guardian, "the cloak – a lump of crystal rather than a flowing cape – can hide only small objects, such as pins and paperclips".
HIDE IT: To be honest, we thought a Cloak of Invisibility might be more ambitious than a stick of concealer
That's great should owning pins and paperclips ever become punishable by death, but does the tech have any more practical uses? "If you had a mole on your face, you could potentially cloak it so it won't be seen," lead researcher Shuang Zhang from the University of Birmingham says. So there you go. One day technology might be able to mimic an eight-quid cover-up stick.
Be a bot for business
Which would you rather do: fly around the world on business, or control a robot that can zoom around other people's offices, causing chaos? Us too, which is why we love the idea of Anybots so much.
WANT WANT: This is the best thing we've seen for ages, and really makes us want to buy an Anybot
Anybots are "your personal avatar", controlled via your browser and enabling you to conduct a reign of robot terror without leaving the house. The website includes the best diagram we've seen for months.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
Read More ...
Review: Pioneer VSX-520
Pioneer's 2010 receivers are the best looking on the market, and that applies even to the bottom-end of the range, represented in our roundup by the VSX-520. The build quality is up to Pioneer's usual impeccable standards, too. Cleverly, most of the front panel buttons are tucked into the cracks and crevices, which makes this AVR look clean and uncluttered despite its fairly high button count. Sadly, there are no AV connections on the front, just a headphone jack and a port for the setup mic.
The Pioneer's budget credentials are further confirmed by the disappointing presence of springclip terminals for the surround and centre channels, which means only the front ones are connected to binding posts. Otherwise, the feature list is pretty solid.
Aside from a healthy amount of audio and video inputs (including three HDMI v1.4 inputs ), there's an adaptor port for a Pioneer Bluetooth wireless adapter that lets you stream music from mobile phones, laptops and so forth (although there's no iPod support via USB), and Dolby Pro-Logic IIz processing, which uses dedicated pre-outs.
The VSX-520 also decodes HD audio (unlike the Yamaha RX-V367) and there's a wealth of DSPs and other sound options, including Pioneer's Front Stage Surround and Phase Control.
Tweaking the sound is easy thanks to the Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration feature, but the lack of onscreen menus makes further adjustment via the front panel display feel laborious. The remote is also fiddly to use due to its tiny keys and cluttered layout. You even have to use a shift key for certain functions, which feels too much like work for me.
Audio steerage
Thankfully, the VSX-520 atones for its operational faux pas with solid audio performance. Avatar's DTS-HD MA track is conveyed expansively, firing effects to the far-flung reaches of the room and steering them from speaker to speaker like Lewis Hamilton around Silverstone.
Meanwhile, burly bass tones lend authority to pounding footsteps and explosions, while the elegant high-frequency reproduction ensures that sounds such as tinkling glass and metal on metal sound crisp, but not grating. There's a level of control and cohesion during action scenes that's a joy to behold, and it also displays a deftness of touch that makes quiet scenes absorbing.
The Pioneer does, however, lack a little punch and dynamism.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
Review: AMD Phenom II X6 1100T BE
This new hex-core chip is symptomatic of AMD's current predicament: that its most expensive PC processors sell for barely one-third the price of Intel's. And that's not a situation the new AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition is going to change – despite the fact that it's officially AMD's fastest and most expensive chip.
With a retail sticker around £215, the AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition is priced on a par with the very cheapest of Intel's Core i7 processors such as the Intel Core i7 870. Nevertheless, it serves up six execution cores to the 870's four. Six-core Intel CPUs are far more expensive, starting around £700.
Then again, Intel's cores do much more work per cycle. Until it releases the long awaited Bulldozer CPU architecture, AMD needs to sell more cores for less cash. In the meantime, this revised six-core Phenom II X6 raises AMD's game incrementally with an increase in clockspeed from 3.2GHz to 3.3GHz.
For the most part, the AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition is not a new processor. It's based on AMD's increasingly familiar six-core Thuban die, a chip that can trace its roots directly back to the AMD Hammer CPU architecture first seen in 2003. Thus, it's a 45nm CPU with 512k cache per core and a further 6MB of shared cache memory.
As with all existing desktop AMD chips, it drops into the AM3 socket and supports DDR3 memory. In fact, the only significant difference compared to AMD's previous range topper, the Phenom II X6 1090T, is operating frequency. The new chip runs at 3.3GHz, just 100MHz more than the old 1090T.
Courtesy of AMD's Intel-aping Turbo feature, up to three cores can run at 3.7GHz. If that seems disappointing, it's worth remembering that small increases in operating frequency can also come with a big boost in overclocking headroom.
Here's hoping
A brief glance at stock clock performance brings no surprises. AMD has finessed the new 1100T's pricing carefully and it matches up well with the Intel Core i7 870 in multithreaded benchmarks such as video encoding and professional 3D rendering. There's really nothing to choose between them.
However, the World in Conflict game benchmark exposes the Phenom's weak per-core performance. Gamers looking for the best frame rates still need to look to Intel at this price point. As for overclocking, the new 1100T is slightly disappointing and fails to match the 4GHz maximum frequency we managed with the older 1090T model.
Mileages inevitably vary from chip to chip, but the 3.8GHz result suggests the 1100T is more a rebadge than a respin. Like all of AMD's six-core Thuban chips, the Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition gives you a lot of cores for not much cash. The result is excellent multithreaded throughput, with slightly ropey comparative gaming performance.
AMD's CPU architecture really is getting ancient and it certainly shows in some benchmarks. An Intel chip with lower clocks and fewer cores is often faster, and sadly for AMD, that's still where the smart money's going.
Benchmarks
Professional rendering performance
Cinebench R10 - Seconds: Faster is better
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T BE: 47s
AMD Phenom II X6 1090T BE: 47s
Intel Core i7 870: 48s
Video encoding performance
x264 HD - Frames per second: Higher is better
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T BE: 27fps
AMD Phenom II X6 1090T BE: 26fps
Intel Core i7 870: 27fps
Gaming performance
World in Conflict - Frames per second: Higher is better
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T BE: 61fps
AMD Phenom II X6 1090T BE: 59fps
Intel Core i7 870: 81fps
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
Review: Monitor Audio Bronze BX Series
Way back in the mists of home cinema history, when Dolby Pro-Logic's centre channel was a marvellous thing and LaserDisc, in analogue, was the best AV source around, I got my chance as an AV reviewer. This was because traditional hi-fi dudes spurned multichannel, and I was involved in another field of audio that loved lots of speakers. The traditional hi-fi writers were thought to have very different values to the multichannel hounds and to this day it remains the case. For stereophiles really are looking for slightly different things to cinephiles, and Monitor Audio has an illustrious heritage of making awesome speakers, two at a time.
The trouble for me, here, is while I really wanted to like these speakers, I just didn't. For, despite being so raved about by the stereo boys, these new Bronzes lacked a crucial quality for me. I just couldn't get excited and I think I know why.
To start, I had a set of the BX5 floor standers, the BX centre offering and two BXFX dipole/bipole switchable output speakers to go with the subwoofer called BX W10 (for its 10in driver.) They are vinyl wrapped for cheapness, which is a pity as Q Acoustics manages low cost, but still uses real wood.
They have cute, rubbery top brows to their cabinets, with branding upon them, plus funkily cool magnetically attached Neodymium grilles with no holes in the box fronts. And they have excellent, deeply rifled porting in lots of places so the lovely drivers can breathe deeply and play low.
The subwoofer speaker is great for the money and really does go in and out a long way, making good bass at the price. In fact, it was the strongest part of the system I had.
I played some multichannel stuff from my DTS collection and also a chunk of Star Trek on Blu-ray, but try as I might, I never got to the Spockesque moment of having 'an emotional response, captain!'
At first, I couldn't understand why. The detail is all in there, delicate and tinkly and even sweet and crisp, since the super-high technology from the Platinum, Gold and Silver product has found its pared-down way into these Bronzes, which can reach up to frequencies of 30kHz.
And the depth of the low-end cut-off of the small BX5 towers is impressive and helps the subwoofer integrate a treat. The bigger BX6 versions could be needed to get any deeper bass in the soundstage.
But something truly vital was lacking and it dawned upon me slowly. The passive crossovers, for all the vaunted development the website cites, simply have to be an area where cost has been saved.
The BX Bronzes are somewhat unemotive, and while shiny and pretty-sounding, they appear to play through a letterbox of narrow dynamics and scale with horribly low efficiency.
Power hungry
Monitor Audio claims 90dB comes out of these products when measured with one watt a single metre away, but I had to turn my amp up until it creaked to get any real level. Way before then, the sub was straining and just going 'boomp!' Instead of carrying the note, and the system as a whole just failed to reach the level that got you engrossed in the film. Lovely on multichannel music, though.
NOT ALONE: The BX W10 sub is aided by the low-end prowess of the tower speakers
I cannot help but feel that these are for brandophiles who know and love Monitor Audio's huge repertoire, especially its top stuff. But I would have been far happier with much less cabinetry and simply more cinematic sound, with greater dynamics and less power compression sucking the excitement out.
I reckon, then, that Monitor Audio's Bronze series is suited to stereophiles who like world cinema and art flicks, rather than unabashed action movie fans. Tragically, they left me lukewarm, even versus other products of a similar price bracket.
If you want to see what the brand is really capable of, find a few extra hundred quid and check out Monitor Audio's Silver series – which packs punch and power alongside the pretty cabinets
Related Links
- TechRadar's Review Guarantee
- Read more Hi-fi and AV speaker reviews
- Subscribe to Hi-Fi Choice magazine
| |
Read More ...
Review: Sony VPL-VW90ES 3D Projector
Many TV addicts are sceptical of domestic 3D. There's just not enough content available to compensate for the general inconvenience of having to wear special glasses, particularly if you like to multitask. Surfing on a laptop or snarfing custard creams are both devilishly difficult to achieve from behind Active Shutter lenses. But take 3D out of the living room and place it in a dedicated home cinema and it becomes a proposition that will make you rethink your views.
This projector is a direct descendant of the well regarded VPL-VW85 and looks very similar, but Sony's engineers have ingeniously redesigned the lens assembly to incorporate a sync transmitter for the Active Shutter spectacles.
It's been designed to bounce IR codes off a screen, and such scattergun distribution should serve a family-sized audience. The only restriction is that popcorn munchers cannot sit further than 5m from the screen.
If you're planning to install the device in a larger screening room, you'll probably need a supplemental 3D transmitter. The standard pack Sony sells for its upgradable 3D TVs will do the job. This standalone zapper connects via a length of RJ45 cable and should be placed at the front of the room facing the audience.
It uses the same 3D eyewear as Sony Bravia TVs, although an additional filter for the lenses is required.
The VW90ES is larger than you might expect, but I'd rate it as a handsome piece of kit. Irritatingly, the connection board is mounted to the left rather than at the rear (a space reserved for air vents). For professional ceiling installations this could involve a mess of cabling.
However, the projector gets a thumbs up for its motorised lens protector, which effortlessly opens when the PJ is powered up and closes when switched off.
Key inputs include two HDMI, one PC VGA, component and phono AV, RJ45 and a 12V trigger. The latter is used to integrate the projector with a drop-down motorised screen, while some basic hands-on controls have been located above the port panel.
Helpfully, the IR remote is backlit and set-up controls are extensive; with zoom focus (a nicety missing from some of its competitors) and versatile electronic lens shift (25 per cent on the horizontal and 65 per cent vertical).
Silky shadow detail
Powered up, the Sony VW90ES is undeniably impressive. Fed full HD 2D fare, it's a lot brighter than its predecessor, offering silky shadow detail and seductive colours. Sony claims a dynamic contrast ratio of 150,000:1 using its Advanced Iris 3 technology, but during my session I was not particularly aware of this iris opening or closing.
In action, the VW90 remains acceptably quiet, particularly if you keep the lamp set to Low. The SXRD panels can be driven to 240Hz, and this kind of refresh rate goes a long way to mitigating against image blur.
The brand's proprietary Motionflow has a couple of options to play with: one creates 'intermediate' frames to smooth pans and remove cinematic judder, while another inserts a black frame to improve motion clarity. Also known as a dual black insertion technique, this Dark Frame trick makes images far crisper.
The VW90ES offers an invitingly sharp static image and can maintain motion resolution pretty much up to 1080 lines. The key to keeping clarity is the Film Mode. When engaged, there's a drop in brightness, but a big jump in general detail.
To maintain smoothness, Sony has added a Motion Enhancement tweak (with Low and High settings). I found the best combination to be Film Mode 1 with Motion Enhancement set at Low.
Using this setting, the amount of detail extracted from Iron Man's armour during the final reel team-up with War Machine (Iron Man 2 on Blu-ray) is just phenomenal. The flaking paint is all on the screen, to the point where, even in 2D, the image looks almost 3-dimensional.
With these settings locked in, the projector also aced my motion resolution tests. A scrolling resolution chart devised by the Advanced PDP laboratories kept a full 1080 lines on the plate when scrolling at 6.5ppf. Dropping luminance from 100 per cent to 50, and then 30, made scant difference to clarity.
Although Sony doesn't subscribe to ISF calibration, it does offer considerable creative control. There are three cinema modes, plus Dynamic, Standard and User settings, and control over a bunch of gamma and colour parameters. The company's Real Color Processing mode allows very precise fine-tuning of skin tones and specific hues.
The projector's 3D performance is equally knee-trembling. The keys to the VW90ES' 3D success can be found in the dedicated settings menu. From here you can alter both the brightness of the 3D glasses and the zone of focus within the stereoscopic image. Both are very powerful tools.
For optimum 3D, the first thing you should do is minimise the brightness of the spex. By making the glasses darker, you effectively shorten the colour decay time between the left and right eye. This in turn reduces crosstalk.
You'll take a hit in overall brightness (indeed the 3D experience looks a lot more like that from Panasonic's VT20 plasmas), but in a darkened cinema room environment the gain far outweighs the pain.
One area where you might be tempted to increase the brightness of the glasses, though, is games. The Zombie option on Call Of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360) was just too gloomy to play with the glasses on Low. Sometimes you have to endure a little crosstalk if you want to survive a zombie attack.
The power of parallax
The other wizard feature is the 3D Depth Adjustment tool, which enables you to dial crosstalk off the screen.
This doesn't work across the entire image, but it will eliminate double imaging at various depths. Effectively, you can remove ghosting from objects in negative parallax, zero parallax or positive parallax.
Tighten background images and objects in negative parallax and credits, big closeups and effects that stick out begin to separate. Snap negative parallax into absolute focus and positive parallax images begin to drift.
I never managed to eliminate all crosstalk, but I did reduce it to a benign level. Once done, the VW90ES rewarded me with probably the best 3D experience I've yet had in the home.
Suddenly, all the tricks of 3D cinematic composition began to explode from the screen. When the black limo cruises up to the church at the beginning of Monsters Vs Aliens, the bumper threatens to park itself in your lap. This small detail is lost when viewed on a small 3D TV.
Similarly, the opening tethered bat and ball sequence that makes you smile on a small screen, causes an involuntary flinch when projected at room size. And when Jake Scully is pulled from his cryo chamber at the start of Avatar (3D Blu-ray), the astounding depth of the spaceship is enough to cause a sharp intake of breath.
For those who are bothered about the lack of available 3D content, the VW90ES also has onboard 2D-to-3D processing. This uses the same chippery as the brand's 3D Bravias and can introduce planar dimensions into any flat source. This is an unpredictable process at best, but gamers may gain some use from it.
Overall, the VPL-VW90ES should be considered a marvellous projector. It's beautifully built and delivers both corking 2D and genuinely involving three-dimensional imagery. In fact, so much so that, having lived with it for a while, I find it difficult to imagine ever being satisfied with regular 3D TV again
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
1 comment:
Thank you for sharing your info. I truly appreciate your efforts
and I am waiting for your further post thank you once again.
Also visit my web blog :: humax tv portal problems
Post a Comment