In Depth: PS4 rumours: what you need to know
When it comes to rumours about the next Xbox, there's some wild speculation to get your teeth into.Over on the PlayStation 4 rumour mill, things are turning much slower. As Kaz Hirai said recently, "we're not deliberating on a PS4 or a next generation machine, whatever you call it."
Instead, Sony seems to be concentrating its efforts on the PS3 and forthcoming NGP, while extending the PlayStation brand into the mobile phone market with the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play.
But if Microsoft is now hiring engineers to spec the next Xbox, what could we expect from the PlayStation 4?
The PS4 specs could abandon the Cell processor and return to x86…
In February, there were rumours of a failed Sony/IBM research project to develop a PowerPC chip for future PlayStations. Going forward, Sony will surely stick with the advanced, multi-core, bitch-to-develop-for Cell processor that it dropped $3 billion on. Here are three reasons why:
1. Easy backwards compatibility with the PlayStation 3
2. A familiar development environment. By 2015 (or whenever a PS4 comes out), games developers will have had much more experience working with Cell and its software tools
3. Toshiba recently sold its Cell factory in Nagasaki back to Sony for آ£400 million. Sony is hardly going to abandon the chip now it owns the means to manufacture it in bulk
What are the PS4 features we'd most like to see?
PS4info dreams of a next-gen PlayStation with a 32nm Cell processor an up to 16 SPEs, double the number in the PlayStation 3. While over on gamrConnect, there's talk of a greater partnership with Google. Sony's new fondness for Android on the Xperia Play is an interesting strategy.
Blu-ray on the PlayStation 4 is a dead cert. While digital distribution is undoubtedly the way forward, not every PlayStation owner has access to a fast broadband connection.
As Kaz Hirai told Develop, "we do business in parts of the world where network infrastructure isn't as robust as one would hope. There's always going to be requirement for a business of our size and scope to have a physical medium."
As for the PlayStation 4 controller, Dr. Richard Marks (Sony Computer Entertainment's US R&D manager of special projects) says that "anything that lets us get the player's intent into the system more" is technology they'll be looking at. No brain wave gaming just yet.
What about a PS4 release date?
Tricky. If you side with the likes of ITProPortal, you might believe that "the whole concept of a single lounge-bound gaming device may become obsolete". The future of gaming may well lie in a more portable device/controller that you can play on the move or plug into your TV. Epic's Mark Rein has some interesting thoughts on this here.
Sony claims that the PS3 will have a 10 year lifecycle, suggesting the next PlayStation will arrive by the end of 2016 at the latest. Or we might not get a PlayStation 4 at all. Developers haven't yet maxed out the potential of the PS3, while the release of PlayStation Move has given it an extra dimension…
"Where we go after this is an interesting one," says Sony Computer Entertainment UK boss Ray Maguire. "The online side is very interesting and is a big part of our business going forward. But in terms of what sort of technology we'll be using, it's far too early to say yet because we're only half way through the lifecycle of PS3 - there are many years to come on that machine."
Long live PlayStation 3.
 |  |
Read More ...
Wii rules living room, 360 owns bedrooms
The Wii rules our living rooms, while the 360 takes pride of place in gamer's bedrooms, according to Nielsen's latest annual report on gaming habits.The new Nielsen survey claims that the Wii is found in 59 per cent of all US living rooms that have games consoles, while the PS3 is in 45 per cent and the Microsoft Xbox 360 is in 42 per cent.
Gaming on the patio
The Xbox 360 dominates gamers' bedrooms, however, with the console to be found in 28 per cent of all console-owning households, followed by the PS3 at 16 per cent and the Wii at 14 per cent.
"Today's video game consoles offer many entertainment options beyond gaming, including DVD/Blu-ray playback, Netflix, ESPN3, Pandora, Facebook and YouTube on some or all platforms," reads Nielsen's intro to the new survey.
"As part of understanding the potential audience for services like these across the entire family, it is important to think about the household location of gaming platforms."
10 per cent of console-owning households keep a console in the master bedroom and, somewhat weirdly, 1 per cent of them keep it on the patio!
| |
Read More ...
Review: Exclusive: Acer Iconia Tab W500
Tablet or notebook? It's a question not only for the new Acer Iconia Tab W500, but for anyone looking to buy a new portable PC at the moment.Tablets are clearly all the rage; you only need to look at the excitement surrounding the launch of the Apple iPad 2. Many perceive these tablets as holding the key to moving mobile computing forward.
The problem is, tablets aren't particularly productive devices. They're about watching movies or listening to music. They're about surfing the web on your sofa, or reading a book in a hammock. Tablets are about entertainment. They're rarely about actually creating the content that they are consuming.
Anyone looking to do work or create content on the move is generally limited to using a standard computer.
There is a place for showing reports using a tablet, or for extreme working conditions where a keyboard isn't practical, but in the most part, we're limited to netbooks and notebooks.
This is something Acer is looking to challenge with the release of the Iconia Tab W500. Here is a machine that bridges the gap between the aesthetics of a tablet and functionality of a netbook.
This 10.1-inch tablet not only ships with a keyboard dock (which costs آ£80 extra - آ£529 with keyboard, آ£449 without it) to afford it more sensible working credentials, but it also comes with Windows 7 Home Premium, which means you can use all the applications that you use on a normal desktop on the Iconia Tab W500 without any more fuss.
There's no need here to learn how to fight your away around an unwieldy app store full of unknown names. This machine will handle the applications, utilities and tools that you know and love - the likes of Microsoft Word and Excel, Paint.net as well as media players such as VLC, and security programs like McAfee AntiVirus Plus.
There are no worries about whether it supports Flash or Java either, as they just work. It has no problems running with system specific plug-ins either, as the likes of Unity simply install and run flawlessly too.
And while Apple may be crowing about the capabilities of the new PowerVR graphics engine in the iPad 2, there are still slim pickings when it comes to actual games that fully exploit the machine.
The PC however is awash with great games, including some of the finest titles ever created on any platform - Half Life 2, Diablo and Civilization to name but a few. And all these games will run on the Iconia Tab W500.
This makes the decision to side with Microsoft for the operating system compelling, although this isn't the only option out there. Apple's iOS isn't about to appear on a third party machine, but the imminent release of Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) for tablets must surely have tempted Acer as well. While it lacks the straight compatibility that Microsoft Windows OS offers, it does potentially make for a more suited OS for day-to-day tasks.
The keyboard cum docking station of the Iconia Tab W500 is an interesting idea.
The chiclet-style keyboard is comfortable to use and roomy. The inclusion of standard notebook function shortcuts is welcome, and if you're going to be doing any extended typing, it's a far more comfortable experience that using the onscreen keyboard - which under Windows 7 never quite seems to be the right size to be easy to use.
You'll find a pair of USB ports either side of the keyboard, along with an Ethernet port on the left-hand side of the machine.
We're less convinced about 'nipple' mouse though, and you'll be more tempted to tap the screen to get what you want. This does highlight a problem with the docked Iconia Tab W500 though, and that is it's back heavy in place, and rocks easily with the slightest touch.
There is a temptation with this design to fold the screen forward on top of the keyboard, but the holding mechanism doesn't support this, and will actually break the connectors if pushed.
The actual connection mechanism is fairly basic - the keyboard plugs into the Iconia Tab W500's single USB port and is held in place by a pair of prongs either side of this port. It's a simple design, but lacks the finesse of the Asus Eee Pad Transformer.
You can clip the keyboard in place on top of the screen for transportation, although this does add to the bulk considerably, so is unlikely to be something you'd want to do often.
The keyboard dock and Windows 7 installation aren't the only shout out feature features for the Iconia Tab W500 though, as this is also the first outing for a new processor from AMD.
Specs
The blandly titled AMD T-50 may not sound like much, but it's actually a new member of the AMD Fusion processor family. This is a dual-core processor running at 1GHz. The CPU is a little underpowered compared to most normal notebooks, managing a score of 0.33pts in Cinebench 11 and 1.97fps using the X264 HD benchmark.
ACER RING: Acer includes its own software overlay, called Acer Ring, to access your media. It kept crashing for us though
Raw processor power has been sacrificed in order to keep the power usage down, and AMD claims a thermal design power (or TDP) of just 9W for the T-50.
That said, we only managed four and a quarter hours of battery life (258 minutes to be exact), out of the Iconia Tab W500 when playing back HD movies. You'll get up to twice that with less demanding tasks, but we would have expected more from the machine.
This is only part of the story for this Fusion chip though, as aside from the traditional processor core, AMD has also squeezed a Radeon HD 6250 graphics core into the processor as well.
This is a DirectX 11 GPU, which means that in theory at least, it can handle all of the latest games. In practice it lacks the raw power to do so, but it does produce reasonable enough performance to handle slightly older games at lower settings.
3DMark06 managed a score of 1,589, while the older 3DMark03 produced a result of 3,991. We even tried running a recent game on the Iconia Tab W500, Rift, which was playable at the minimum settings, which isn't to be sniffed at.
The Acer Iconia Tab W500 has a huge bezel, but does boast a beautiful 10.1-inch screen with a native resolution of 1,280 x 800 pixels.
This is fine for watching back HD video, something that the Fusion T-50 processor ably coped with. Images are bright, colours vivid and the viewing angles are excellent (something that the Advent Vega can't claim). The sound quality is merely passable meanwhile, although there is a headphone jack if you want to listen to music or watch a film.
The rest of the specification is reasonable - there's 2GB of RAM as standard, along with 32GB of storage space for Windows and your files - not exactly a lot. WiFi support is integrated into the main unit, and wired Ethernet coming from the docking station.
We did find that the Wi-Fi connection was more prone to disconnects than other devices we've used though, and it kept dropping the connection as we moved around. It was much more stable in the dock.
When we first used the machine, there was a notable lagginess to every operation - even pressing the Windows Start button instigated a 3 second wait before the menu appeared. After a few updates, this behaviour disappeared and the machine was a lot more responsive in every area bar one.
Redrawing the display to accommodate a change in the orientation of the Iconia Tab W500 takes at least five seconds to redraw, which is infuriating. This will have you reaching for the orientation lock on the base of the unit, which does negate the usefulness of its tablet form factor somewhat.
A far more fundamental problem for Acer though, is that Windows 7 simply isn't designed for tablets. Yes it supports four touch points, but icons are too small, double-clicking isn't so easy, and the default Windows menu system is simply unworkable.
Acer has had a good stab at the hardware, but much of this is completely undermined by its choice of OS. Yes it offers great compatibility with your existing applications and data, but at an unsuitable cost to the end user experience.
With Windows 7 installed, the keyboard dock is the only real way to use the Iconia Tab W500, which negates its tablet leanings. After using the machine with Windows 7, it simply makes us lust after a Honeycomb version.
The Acer Iconia Tab W500 is a frustrating tablet. From a hardware perspective it ticks a lot of the right boxes, and apart from the surprisingly large bezel, it's an attractive enough machine - although not in the same league as the Apple iPad 2 by any means.
The decision to go with a keyboard dock isn't the most logic thing to do with a tablet, but it does work to a certain degree - and means you'll get a bit more life out of this tablet than you would many others.
We liked:
The familiarity of Windows 7. There's no need for an app store, specific builds or worries about whether it supports Flash. Everything you know and use on a daily basis simply works - including your games catalog.
The screen is bright, clear and vivid and offers great viewing angles. The native resolution of 1,280 x 800 makes watching HD video a delight as well.
The AMD Fusion processor is powerful enough for simple tasks, and the inclusion of a DX11 graphics core is impressive
We disliked:
Windows 7 is horrendously frustrating on tablets. The icons are too small, menus are unworkable, the soft keyboard is cramped and there's so much that is simply bloated and unnecessary that even the simplest of tasks is difficult. Windows 7 is great on desktops and laptops, but it shouldn't go anywhere near a tablet.
The screen refresh on turning the screen around is woeful. You'll lock the tablet in landscape mode and never want to change it. This hardly plays to the strengths of the tablet design.
The keyboard dock is a little light and flimsy, so that when the tablet is in place, the whole unit is back heavy and is prone to tipping.
Verdict:
The problem for Acer is its choice of operating system - Windows 7 wasn't designed for use on a tablet, and it really shows.
You only need look at a tablet running Android or an iPad running iOS to see how it should be done - and it's nothing like this. We understand the sentiment, but if you need this level of compatibility, you should really be using a notebook, or a desktop and uploading your files onto a cheaper, more usable tablet than this.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
Google adds voice recognition to Chrome
Google has added a speech recognition feature to the latest beta version of its Chrome browser.The voice recognition tool works via the new HTML5 speech input API, allowing users to talk to their machines in order to input text.
Software engineer Satish Sampath outlines the latest Chrome developments over on the Chromium blog, outlining how the Chrome beta channel has been updated for developers who might want to make use of speech input in Chrome.
The latest beta release of Chrome also offers a sneak peek of GPU-accelerated 3D CSS, for developers that want to apply 3D effects to web content using CSS.
HTML Speech Incubation
Sampath notes that the latest developments in voice recognition come from the work of the HTML Speech Incubator Group.
"With this API, developers can give web apps the ability to transcribe your voice to text," said Sampath.
"When a web page uses this feature, you simply click on an icon and then speak into your computer's microphone.
"The recorded audio is sent to speech servers for transcription, after which the text is typed out for you."
Intrigued? Give it a go yourself by testing out Google's demo.
| |
Read More ...
Review: Ebode Take10
The 2.2-inch screen on the Ebode Take10 ensures that it looks very similar to touch-screen rivals such as the Logitech Harmony. However, the screen on the Take10 isn't touch-sensitive, and is instead flanked by two additional sets of buttons that enable you to select your on-screen menu options.
All buttoned up
That design decision helps to keep the price down to a relatively modest آ£50, but all those extra buttons do mean that this model is larger and chunkier than most of its rivals. In fact, once you've installed three AA batteries into it, the darn thing is hefty enough to qualify as an offensive weapon.
Nonetheless, the basic design works well. When you turn it on for the first time, the device displays a 'wizard' on its screen that helps you to set it up to control your TV and other kit.
It's pre-programmed with control codes for most well-known electronics manufacturers but, as expected, it didn't initially recognize my FetchTV box.
Fortunately, as per the OneForAll SmartControl, the Take10 can cycle through its entire library of command codes until it finds one that works. So, after pressing the Power button 318 times (out of a possible 407) I found a code that worked and was able to control the FetchTV box too.
The Take10 also enables you to create a list of favourite TV channels for instant access, and to set up 'macros' that can issue multiple commands, such as turning on both your TV and Sky box and selecting a specific channel.
This process is a bit long-winded, though, so another wizard that could speed things up a bit would be welcome here.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
Tesco slashes Nintendo 3DS price to آ£175
British supermarket Tesco is set to sell the new Nintendo 3DS - launching tomorrow - for آ£175, the lowest UK retail price to date.While stores across the UK prepare for midnight openings and 3DS launch events later today and over the weekend, Tesco seems to be pushing hard to offer British gamers the best deal on Nintendo's new handheld.
Midnight openings across UK
Selected Tesco stores will be selling the Nintendo's 3DS for آ£175 from midnight tonight.
Whether or not other high street retailers and supermarket chains will follow suit, slashing the price of the new 3DS any further, remains to be seen.
Amazon UK is currently listing the Nintendo 3DS at آ£187.
Should we hear of any other UK retailers looking to match or beat Tesco's آ£175 3DS deal then we will update this story immediately.
Meanwhile, in other 3DS news, a slip by Nintendo Greece has confirmed that a new '3DSWare' online download store is on the way soon. An unsurprising name really, following on from the previous WiiWare and DSiWare branding of Nintendo's online download stores.
3DSWare store is apparently arriving at some point in 'late May'.
Via MCV and Nintendo World Report
| |
Read More ...
Exclusive: Motorola: Exciting things ahead in 2011
Motorola has promised that there are exciting things coming for the company in 2011, following the critical acclaim for the Atrix smartphone and the Xoom tablet. Speaking to TechRadar at the IP&TV World Forum in London, Andy Hooper, Europe & MEA director of converged experiences and software for Moto expressed his excitement at how things were going for the company.
Asked if 2011 represented a major new leaf for the company, Hooper answered in the affirmative: "There's exciting things ahead for Motorola in 2011," he enthused.
Critical acclaim in 2011
Motorola has received critical acclaim for its recent products, TechRadar's Motorola Atrix review awarded the product four stars, praising the built in desktop OS which means that it can be plugged in to a special dock to function as a 'webtop'.
And the Motorola Xoom tablet has also quickly earned its billing as a key competitor to the mighty Apple iPad in a burgeoning market.
"We feel this year CES really showed we are absolutely back in the game in bringing compelling user experience to the market."
Motorola Mobility
Motorola made major changes to its setup recently, with Motorola Mobility formed to concentrate on the multi-screen experience.
That means a greater concentration on the overall customer experience, as our devices become more converged, and the experiences more universal across them.
"When home and mobile came together we did more than simply put the teams under the same corporate entity," explained Hooper.
"We took the product teams and put them into a new business unit to work on a converged experience.
"So you have a mix of people who have worked at the cutting edge of video delivery and some of the people who worked on our most iconic phones in a room together.
"That's brought some really interesting developments and you will see more of those in the next six to twelve months."
| |
Read More ...
Review: Epson EH-TW3600
Epson is one of the leading projector manufacturers in the world today and offers a five-strong home cinema lineup. The EH-TW3600 is its newest entry-level model, and some way off the flagship RH4000 in terms of specs. For instance, the brand's Reflective LCD technology is missing here. Still, at only آ£1,300, this PJ will certainly attract a few buyers.
Design-wise, the TW3600 shares the same form factor as its 4400 and 5500 siblings. Connections include twin HDMI inputs, component and a 15-pin D-Sub PC jack. Installation is made easy by an optical x2.1 zoom and manual control of horizontal and vertical lens shift.
A 100-inch screen size is achievable from just short of 3 metres. The TW3600 claims a dynamic contrast ratio of 50,000:1, but our Tech Labs only managed to elicit 16,467:1, and 4,593:1 natively. That said, I can vouch that this Epson is capable of producing an extremely bright picture, so it's well suited to those whose viewing environment isn't overly dark.
Running noise, quoted by Espon at 22dB, was also pleasingly low and didn't prove a distraction even in quiet scenes. Colour burst In use, the TW3600 delivers a solid but not exceptional picture.
With Toy Story 3 (BD), colours had great richness. Oddly, you should pick the 7,500K setting to get closest to 6,500K, but it looked natural nevertheless. Detail levels were good and motion was handled smoothly, without the juddering that can blight affordable projectors.
Power consumption: Watts
White screen 100IRE: 250W
Standard energy consumption from a project of this size.
Test footage: 250W
Energy consumption was fixed no matter what footage we tested the Epson with. In Eco-Mode consumption dropped to 200W.
Contrast ratio:
Claimed: 50,000:1 (Dynamic)
Measured: 4,593:1
We have measured better contrast ratios from similar projectors. Dynamic contrast was better at 16,467:1.
Luminance:
Cinema Setting: 13.4fL
Dynamic Setting: 49.4fL
Colour accuracy: 6428K
5000K: 4729K
5500K: 5091K
6000K: 5466K
6500K: 5822K
7000K: 6126K
7500K: 6428K
8000K: 6752K
8500K: 6981K
9000K: 7240K
9300K: 7457K
9500K: 7496K
10,000K: 7767K
The EH-TW3600 has a good variety of colour temperature options. We were unable to adjust the blue level in the manual RGB control menu, which hindered us from achieving the 6500K SMPTE Standard.
Changing genre, I switched to the opening scene of Buried. The Epson's performance struggled a bit here, mainly on account of its rather average black level response. Some shadow detail was lost, as the TW3600 struggled with the low-lit confines of Ryan Reynold's submerged coffin.
Trying to improve this by taming the brightness resulted in a less punchy image. With that in mind, it's hard to recommend the TW3600 for someone planning to build it into a dedicated cinema room (despite its provision of a 12V trigger).
It's much more suited to living rooms, and will certainly be an impressive introduction to the world of full HD projectors, going up against models such as BenQ's W1000+ and Vivitek's H1085.
But anyone hankering for top-notch home cinema performance should wait for the company's forthcoming RH models.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
P2P use drops, are pirates abandoning ship?
Peer to peer site use has dropped significantly year on year in the US, according to the latest figures from market research firm NPD, which would suggest that piracy is also declining. P2P technology is the beating heart of piracy, allowing people to upload any file, including movies and music, and disseminate them across the internet.
The technology is, of course, also used to transfer files that are not breaking any rules at all, and a good proportion of modern piracy uses streaming and downloads that are not shown in the figures.
Marked decline
However, with P2P sites seeing a marked decline, it follows that piracy should also be dropping away.
NPD suggests that P2P use in the US has fallen from 16 per cent of all US internet owners to just 9 per cent in the past three years.
The data, from Q4 2010, also suggests that the average number of downloads is falling – from an average of 35 per quarter in 2007 to 18 per quarter in 2010.
It's not the most scientific way of analysing piracy levels, but it does appear to fly in the face of a report from music trade body the IFPI (PDF) which suggests the industry will "struggle to survive" unless something is done about it.
| |
Read More ...
Windows Phone 7 NoDo update: when will you get it?
Microsoft's so-called 'NoDo' Windows Phone 7 update was released this week, but just when will you be able to get copying and pasting on your Win Pho handset?Good news if you've got an unlocked handset and are reading this in the UK or Europe; you should be all set.
Try connecting your handset to Zune (with a wire, we're afraid) and the update should be ready and waiting for you.
O2 Windows Phone 7 update
O2 tells us that their Windows Phone 7 customers can expect the update to hit in early April – so O2 customers could be updated as soon as next weekend, if they're lucky.
Vodafone Windows Phone 7 update
Vodafone sent TechRadar the following statement regarding the update: "The updates for the Vodafone-ranged HTC 7 Trophy and LG Optimus 7 have been approved by Vodafone and will be distributed by Microsoft in due course As soon as we know this is available to our customers, we will post the info on our eForum."
Given that it sounds like the update is hot to trot, we'd hope that Microsoft will release it to Vodafone customers fairly soon.
We have contacted Three and EverythingEverywhere and will update this post as soon as we hear back from them with an ETA on the NoDo update.
It's worth noting that the update will not be available as an over the air download – you'll have to connect your handset to a PC or Mac and run the Zune software to get it.
| |
| |
Read More ...
Windows Phone 7 NoDo update: when will you get it?
Microsoft's so-called 'NoDo' Windows Phone 7 update was released this week, but just when will you be able to get copying and pasting on your Win Pho handset?Good news if you've got an unlocked handset and are reading this in the UK or Europe; you should be all set.
Try connecting your handset to Zune (with a wire, we're afraid) and the update should be ready and waiting for you.
O2 Windows Phone 7 update
O2 tells us that their Windows Phone 7 customers can expect the update to hit in early April – so O2 customers could be updated as soon as next weekend, if they're lucky.
Vodafone Windows Phone 7 update
Vodafone sent TechRadar the following statement regarding the update: "The updates for the Vodafone-ranged HTC 7 Trophy and LG Optimus 7 have been approved by Vodafone and will be distributed by Microsoft in due course As soon as we know this is available to our customers, we will post the info on our eForum."
Given that it sounds like the update is hot to trot, we'd hope that Microsoft will release it to Vodafone customers fairly soon.
We have contacted Three and EverythingEverywhere and will update this post as soon as we hear back from them with an ETA on the NoDo update.
It's worth noting that the update will not be available as an over the air download – you'll have to connect your handset to a PC or Mac and run the Zune software to get it.
| |
Read More ...
Valve adds Skype audio codec for in-game chat
Valve has updated Steam this week, adding a number of new game updates along with much-improved voice-quality for in-game chats, courtesy of the Skype-developed SILK audio codec.In addition to adding a beta for a new campaign in Left 4 Dead 2 (called 'Cold Stream') the PC gaming developer has upgraded its voice chat tech with the SILK codec.
Shoot and chat
SILK was originally developed by VoIP specialists Skype, featuring a 'dynamic bit rate protocol' which allows the bandwidth on voice chat to vary up to 30kbps, which is twice the rate that Steam Voice previously allowed.
In addition to better quality voice chat, Valve is also promising improved connectivity and reliability with Steam Voice, outlined on the Steam website.
Skype's SILK technology will work with any game that uses the Steamworks API, which basically means the forthcoming Portal 2 just got even more exciting!
| |
| |
Read More ...
Valve adds Skype audio codec for in-game chat
Valve has updated Steam this week, adding a number of new game updates along with much-improved voice-quality for in-game chats, courtesy of the Skype-developed SILK audio codec.In addition to adding a beta for a new campaign in Left 4 Dead 2 (called 'Cold Stream') the PC gaming developer has upgraded its voice chat tech with the SILK codec.
Shoot and chat
SILK was originally developed by VoIP specialists Skype, featuring a 'dynamic bit rate protocol' which allows the bandwidth on voice chat to vary up to 30kbps, which is twice the rate that Steam Voice previously allowed.
In addition to better quality voice chat, Valve is also promising improved connectivity and reliability with Steam Voice, outlined on the Steam website.
Skype's SILK technology will work with any game that uses the Steamworks API, which basically means the forthcoming Portal 2 just got even more exciting!
| |
Read More ...
Digital Economy Act challenged in High Court
Sections of the UK's controversial Digital Economy Act are being challenged in Britain's High Court this week.ISPs BT and TalkTalk both called for the judicial review, claiming that the original legislation was rushed through parliament too quickly, without proper debate or consideration.
Both companies are unhappy with the impact the Digital Economy Act may well have on individual users' right to privacy, in addition to the fact that it puts the onus on ISPs to police online copyright theft.
Simon Milner, BT's head of industry policy, notes that it is a "big deal to be judicially reviewing primary legislation but we took advice and there were very clearly were some real problems," hence the company is "going to court to get legal clarity."
Policing the pirates
The UK High Court will now be required to consider whether or not the Digital Economy Act is in line with European legislation.
ISPs such as BT and TalkTalk would rather consider a different approach, such as blocking selected sites, as opposed to mass letter writing to warn alleged pirates following tip-offs from rights owners, which is the current recommendation from the Act.
Discredited legal firm ACS: Law recently hit the headlines earlier this year after sending out thousands of letters on behalf of its client Mediacat, with the latter company since having ceased trading.
British dance record label Ministry of Sound has recently reviewed its own strategy of bombarding alleged filesharers with threatening letters.
Via BBC News
| |
| |
Read More ...
Digital Economy Act challenged in High Court
Sections of the UK's controversial Digital Economy Act are being challenged in Britain's High Court this week.ISPs BT and TalkTalk both called for the judicial review, claiming that the original legislation was rushed through parliament too quickly, without proper debate or consideration.
Both companies are unhappy with the impact the Digital Economy Act may well have on individual users' right to privacy, in addition to the fact that it puts the onus on ISPs to police online copyright theft.
Simon Milner, BT's head of industry policy, notes that it is a "big deal to be judicially reviewing primary legislation but we took advice and there were very clearly were some real problems," hence the company is "going to court to get legal clarity."
Policing the pirates
The UK High Court will now be required to consider whether or not the Digital Economy Act is in line with European legislation.
ISPs such as BT and TalkTalk would rather consider a different approach, such as blocking selected sites, as opposed to mass letter writing to warn alleged pirates following tip-offs from rights owners, which is the current recommendation from the Act.
Discredited legal firm ACS: Law recently hit the headlines earlier this year after sending out thousands of letters on behalf of its client Mediacat, with the latter company since having ceased trading.
British dance record label Ministry of Sound has recently reviewed its own strategy of bombarding alleged filesharers with threatening letters.
Via BBC News
| |
Read More ...
Budget 2011 invests in UK technology with new innovation centre
Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne today delivered the UK's 2011 budget, which spelled good news for UK tech. The government is investing in a new technology innovation centre intended to push the country to the forefront of technological, er, innovation.
It doesn't take a seasoned economist to know that technology spells big bucks; even in financially stretched times, we consumers seem to find enough pennies down the back of the sofa for the latest tech – the rise and rise of tablets over the past eighteen months demonstrates that quite nicely.
All about the money money money
So investing in technology is a wise move for the country's coffers – and great for us because we're all for British tech taking over the world.
The new "technology and innovation centre" is likely to be the first of a series of six manufacturing and engineering centres in an initiative revealed by Nick Clegg and Vince Cable earlier this week.
آ£100m has also been promised to the UK science scene, with the money to be used to commercialise research.
| |
| |
Read More ...
Budget 2011 invests in UK technology with new innovation centre
Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne today delivered the UK's 2011 budget, which spelled good news for UK tech. The government is investing in a new technology innovation centre intended to push the country to the forefront of technological, er, innovation.
It doesn't take a seasoned economist to know that technology spells big bucks; even in financially stretched times, we consumers seem to find enough pennies down the back of the sofa for the latest tech – the rise and rise of tablets over the past eighteen months demonstrates that quite nicely.
All about the money money money
So investing in technology is a wise move for the country's coffers – and great for us because we're all for British tech taking over the world.
The new "technology and innovation centre" is likely to be the first of a series of six manufacturing and engineering centres in an initiative revealed by Nick Clegg and Vince Cable earlier this week.
آ£100m has also been promised to the UK science scene, with the money to be used to commercialise research.
| |
Read More ...
Review: Epson Stylus Photo PX660
_on_White_with_print_sample-200-200.jpg)
Epson Stylus Photo PX660: OverviewSmartly presented in a mix of contrasting gloss and matte black surfaces and nicely rounded styling, the PX660 boasts 'better-than-lab-quality' photo printing abilities, along with a 2400dpi scanner and multi-format memory card reader.
Everything is linked by a neat and intuitive control panel which enables direct printing from memory cards or PictBridge-compatible cameras, along with standalone photocopying.
Based on the time-honoured tradition of six-ink photo printing, the PX660 adds light cyan and light magenta inks to the basic CMYK mix, all six being from Epson's latest Claria range of photographic dye-based inks.
As usual for Epson printers, each ink cartridge is individually replaceable. Theoretically, this keeps running costs down to a minimum if you use a lot of one particular ink colour but, as we'll see later, the PX660 isn't exactly cheap to run.
Epson Stylus Photo PX660: Features
At the heart of the PX660 is Epson's tried and tested micro-piezo print head technology. This differs from the system used in every other make of inkjet printer, as the ink isn't boiled to force a rapid expansion that expels it from the print head.
There are 90 nozzles for black and each colour of ink, delivering Epson's typical maximum resolution of 5760x1440dpi, along with AVDT (Advanced Variable-sized Droplet Technology), that enables droplets as small as a near-microscopic 1.5pl (pico-litre).
Up on top, the CIS (Contact Image Sensor) A4 scanner is standard fare, with a reasonable 1200x2400dpi resolution while, down below, there's a PictBridge port and dual-slot card readers. The first of these takes MS Pro, SD and xD cards while the second is for CompactFlash cards, which will please many D-SLR photographers as CF slots are lacking on most of the latest HP and Lexmark all-in-one printers.
There's also a specialist tray for direct printing onto white-faced CDs and DVDs, which is supported by design software that comes with the printer and is great for creating professional-looking discs. One thing that's lacking is the dual trays featured on most Canon inkjet printers, requiring you to switch between plain and photo paper in the single, rear-mounted upright feeder each time you want to swap between document and photo printing.
There's also no Wi-Fi or Ethernet connectivity, so the printer needs to be hooked up to a PC via a USB cable.
Epson Stylus Photo PX660: Handling and print times
Like other new and recent models in Epson's all-in-one printer range, the PX660 has a particularly intuitive touch-sensitive control panel for standalone use, either photocopying or printing from memory cards or a USB pen.
It's based around a not overly large 6.3cm (2.5-inch) colour LCD but the neat thing is that individual controls only light up if and when their functions are relevant to the task in hand. The same approach is taken in some of Canon's latest printers and, in our view, it makes control slightly easier than with the touchscreen LCDs fitted to some of the new HP and Lexmark models.
Epson printers are typically a little sluggish, especially in 'Best' quality photo modes, and the PX660 is no exception. In our tests, it returned the same highest-quality mode speeds as the entry-level Stylus Photo P50, taking 4 minutes 57 seconds to produce a borderless A4 print, and 1 minute 54 seconds for a borderless 6x4-inch print.
Dropping to the regular 'Photo' quality setting, print speeds increases to a more respectable 2 minutes 2 seconds for A4 and 26 seconds for 6x4-inch photos, with practically no discernable drop in quality. Scanning speeds were pretty average, at 22 seconds for a full A4 photo print and 10 seconds for a 6x4 photo, both being scanned at 300dpi.
Epson Stylus Photo PX660: Performance
The PX660 made a good job of our printer test chart, with accurate colour rendition and very good tonal range, managing to clearly differentiate between steps at both the lightest and darkest ends of the greyscale bar.
There was marginal jaggedness in some of the finest diagonal lines and concentric circles but certainly no worse than we'd expect from even the most up-market inkjet printers.
In standard colour mode, colour reproduction is quite faithful and accurate, while the 'vivid' mode has the effect of brightening green and blue hues, while marginally darkening reds, which gives landscapes a bit more punch.
A Photo Enhance option is also available with an auto mode or manually selectable choices like people, landscape and night scene. It works reasonably well but, in our tests, skin tones were a little cool and unflattering in the standard colour setting and the 'people' enhancement merely made the whole print brighter, rather than warming skin tones for more flattering results.
Scan quality was less than impressive because, while colour accuracy and sharpness were good, with plenty of resolution of fine detail, nearly all of our photo scans had noticeable banding, with streaky lines running across the images.
Epson Stylus Photo PX660: Prints
As printed by the Epson Stylus Photo PX660
As printed by the Epson Stylus Photo PX660
As printed by the Epson Stylus Photo PX660
Epson Stylus Photo PX660: Ink costs
Refreshingly for a printer at this price, Epson gives the option of fitting standard-yield (Hummingbird) or high-yield (Owl) ink cartridges for the PX660.
However, while the high-yield cartridges enable you to change cartridges rather less often, they're also considerably more expensive. It's disappointing that, while ink costs with the standard-yield cartridges are pretty high at about 20p and 77p for 6x4-inch and A4 photo prints respectively, you'll probably only save a couple of pence per print if you buy the high-yield cartridges.
Once you add genuine Epson Premium Glossy photo paper into the equation, overall photo print prices work out to about 36p for a 6x4-inch print and آ£1.45 for A4.
Epson Stylus Photo PX660: Specification
Paper sizesA4, Letter, Legal, 20x25 cm, 13x20 cm, 13x18 cm, 10x15 cm, 9x13 cm, A5, A6, B5, Envelopes: No.10, DL, C6
Maximum print resolution5760x1440dpi
Maximum scan resolution1200x2400dpi
Minimum Droplet size1.5 pico-litre
InksetEpson Claria dye-based cyan, magenta, yellow, black, light cyan, light magenta, Hummingbird (standard-yield) or Owl (high-yield) cartridges
Dimensions (WxDxH)451 x 386 x 195mm
Epson Stylus Photo PX660: Verdict
The PX660 isn't cheap to buy and it's certainly not cheap to run, which draws attention to the areas in which it's lacking.
Compared with printers like the Canon PIXMA MG5250, photo print speed is quite slow at the maximum quality setting, scan quality is disappointing, and there's no Wi-Fi connectivity.
On the plus side, however, the PX660's traditional range of six dye-based photo inks gives a generous colour space and a very smooth appearance to subtly graduated tones and colours. The onboard controls for direct, standalone use are particularly intuitive, and the colour mode settings for standard, vivid and various photo enhancements work well.
Skin tones proved a little on the cool side in our tests but, on the whole, the PX660 is a good quality printer at the price.
Related Links
| |
| |
Read More ...
Review: Epson Stylus Photo PX660
Epson Stylus Photo PX660: OverviewSmartly presented in a mix of contrasting gloss and matte black surfaces and nicely rounded styling, the PX660 boasts 'better-than-lab-quality' photo printing abilities, along with a 2400dpi scanner and multi-format memory card reader.
Everything is linked by a neat and intuitive control panel which enables direct printing from memory cards or PictBridge-compatible cameras, along with standalone photocopying.
Based on the time-honoured tradition of six-ink photo printing, the PX660 adds light cyan and light magenta inks to the basic CMYK mix, all six being from Epson's latest Claria range of photographic dye-based inks.
As usual for Epson printers, each ink cartridge is individually replaceable. Theoretically, this keeps running costs down to a minimum if you use a lot of one particular ink colour but, as we'll see later, the PX660 isn't exactly cheap to run.
Epson Stylus Photo PX660: Features
At the heart of the PX660 is Epson's tried and tested micro-piezo print head technology. This differs from the system used in every other make of inkjet printer, as the ink isn't boiled to force a rapid expansion that expels it from the print head.
There are 90 nozzles for black and each colour of ink, delivering Epson's typical maximum resolution of 5760x1440dpi, along with AVDT (Advanced Variable-sized Droplet Technology), that enables droplets as small as a near-microscopic 1.5pl (pico-litre).
Up on top, the CIS (Contact Image Sensor) A4 scanner is standard fare, with a reasonable 1200x2400dpi resolution while, down below, there's a PictBridge port and dual-slot card readers. The first of these takes MS Pro, SD and xD cards while the second is for CompactFlash cards, which will please many D-SLR photographers as CF slots are lacking on most of the latest HP and Lexmark all-in-one printers.
There's also a specialist tray for direct printing onto white-faced CDs and DVDs, which is supported by design software that comes with the printer and is great for creating professional-looking discs. One thing that's lacking is the dual trays featured on most Canon inkjet printers, requiring you to switch between plain and photo paper in the single, rear-mounted upright feeder each time you want to swap between document and photo printing.
There's also no Wi-Fi or Ethernet connectivity, so the printer needs to be hooked up to a PC via a USB cable.
Epson Stylus Photo PX660: Handling and print times
Like other new and recent models in Epson's all-in-one printer range, the PX660 has a particularly intuitive touch-sensitive control panel for standalone use, either photocopying or printing from memory cards or a USB pen.
It's based around a not overly large 6.3cm (2.5-inch) colour LCD but the neat thing is that individual controls only light up if and when their functions are relevant to the task in hand. The same approach is taken in some of Canon's latest printers and, in our view, it makes control slightly easier than with the touchscreen LCDs fitted to some of the new HP and Lexmark models.
Epson printers are typically a little sluggish, especially in 'Best' quality photo modes, and the PX660 is no exception. In our tests, it returned the same highest-quality mode speeds as the entry-level Stylus Photo P50, taking 4 minutes 57 seconds to produce a borderless A4 print, and 1 minute 54 seconds for a borderless 6x4-inch print.
Dropping to the regular 'Photo' quality setting, print speeds increases to a more respectable 2 minutes 2 seconds for A4 and 26 seconds for 6x4-inch photos, with practically no discernable drop in quality. Scanning speeds were pretty average, at 22 seconds for a full A4 photo print and 10 seconds for a 6x4 photo, both being scanned at 300dpi.
Epson Stylus Photo PX660: Performance
The PX660 made a good job of our printer test chart, with accurate colour rendition and very good tonal range, managing to clearly differentiate between steps at both the lightest and darkest ends of the greyscale bar.
There was marginal jaggedness in some of the finest diagonal lines and concentric circles but certainly no worse than we'd expect from even the most up-market inkjet printers.
In standard colour mode, colour reproduction is quite faithful and accurate, while the 'vivid' mode has the effect of brightening green and blue hues, while marginally darkening reds, which gives landscapes a bit more punch.
A Photo Enhance option is also available with an auto mode or manually selectable choices like people, landscape and night scene. It works reasonably well but, in our tests, skin tones were a little cool and unflattering in the standard colour setting and the 'people' enhancement merely made the whole print brighter, rather than warming skin tones for more flattering results.
Scan quality was less than impressive because, while colour accuracy and sharpness were good, with plenty of resolution of fine detail, nearly all of our photo scans had noticeable banding, with streaky lines running across the images.
Epson Stylus Photo PX660: Prints
As printed by the Epson Stylus Photo PX660
As printed by the Epson Stylus Photo PX660
As printed by the Epson Stylus Photo PX660
Epson Stylus Photo PX660: Ink costs
Refreshingly for a printer at this price, Epson gives the option of fitting standard-yield (Hummingbird) or high-yield (Owl) ink cartridges for the PX660.
However, while the high-yield cartridges enable you to change cartridges rather less often, they're also considerably more expensive. It's disappointing that, while ink costs with the standard-yield cartridges are pretty high at about 20p and 77p for 6x4-inch and A4 photo prints respectively, you'll probably only save a couple of pence per print if you buy the high-yield cartridges.
Once you add genuine Epson Premium Glossy photo paper into the equation, overall photo print prices work out to about 36p for a 6x4-inch print and آ£1.45 for A4.
Epson Stylus Photo PX660: Specification
Paper sizesA4, Letter, Legal, 20x25 cm, 13x20 cm, 13x18 cm, 10x15 cm, 9x13 cm, A5, A6, B5, Envelopes: No.10, DL, C6
Maximum print resolution5760x1440dpi
Maximum scan resolution1200x2400dpi
Minimum Droplet size1.5 pico-litre
InksetEpson Claria dye-based cyan, magenta, yellow, black, light cyan, light magenta, Hummingbird (standard-yield) or Owl (high-yield) cartridges
Dimensions (WxDxH)451 x 386 x 195mm
Epson Stylus Photo PX660: Verdict
The PX660 isn't cheap to buy and it's certainly not cheap to run, which draws attention to the areas in which it's lacking.
Compared with printers like the Canon PIXMA MG5250, photo print speed is quite slow at the maximum quality setting, scan quality is disappointing, and there's no Wi-Fi connectivity.
On the plus side, however, the PX660's traditional range of six dye-based photo inks gives a generous colour space and a very smooth appearance to subtly graduated tones and colours. The onboard controls for direct, standalone use are particularly intuitive, and the colour mode settings for standard, vivid and various photo enhancements work well.
Skin tones proved a little on the cool side in our tests but, on the whole, the PX660 is a good quality printer at the price.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
Spotify to broadcast its first live gig
Spotify has announced plans to stream a live broadcast of its first ever gig from Koko in London.The event, which is part of the Nissan Juke 'Behind the Hit' campaign, takes part on 5 April at Camden's Koko, with a headline DJ set by Elly Jackson from La Roux.
Other acts on the bill include Delphic, The Naked And Famous and Pony Pony Run Run.
Spotify targets gig and festival fans
Jackson's DJ set is set to include the track 'Helly' by Nissan Juke Behind The Hit competition winner Ben Daniels.
Jonathan Foster, General Manager Europe of Spotify, says that "giving our users access to great live music in their own home is the next step in the Spotify experience," promising more live music broadcasts on the way in future.
Nissan GB's online marketing manager Andy Jackson, explains more about the objective of his campaign, claiming that:
"The aim of the 'Behind the Hit' competition was to find an uplifting song that sets the mood when you're driving for a night out. We feel we've done that with Helly and look forward to the first public hearing at Koko and through Spotify."
| |
| |
Read More ...
Spotify to broadcast its first live gig
Spotify has announced plans to stream a live broadcast of its first ever gig from Koko in London.The event, which is part of the Nissan Juke 'Behind the Hit' campaign, takes part on 5 April at Camden's Koko, with a headline DJ set by Elly Jackson from La Roux.
Other acts on the bill include Delphic, The Naked And Famous and Pony Pony Run Run.
Spotify targets gig and festival fans
Jackson's DJ set is set to include the track 'Helly' by Nissan Juke Behind The Hit competition winner Ben Daniels.
Jonathan Foster, General Manager Europe of Spotify, says that "giving our users access to great live music in their own home is the next step in the Spotify experience," promising more live music broadcasts on the way in future.
Nissan GB's online marketing manager Andy Jackson, explains more about the objective of his campaign, claiming that:
"The aim of the 'Behind the Hit' competition was to find an uplifting song that sets the mood when you're driving for a night out. We feel we've done that with Helly and look forward to the first public hearing at Koko and through Spotify."
| |
Read More ...
Review: Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD
Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD: OverviewBased on Epson's acclaimed Claria dye-based inks, the PX820FWD is first and foremost a photo printer.
The mix of cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks, plus light cyan and light magenta, enable a generous gamut, or colour space, along with impressive dynamic range. Even so, it seems like a photo printer dressed up in business suit, as it adds plenty of office-friendly functions like standalone faxing and photocopying, complete with an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) for multi-page documents.
There's also an auto duplex unit tacked onto the back for easy double-sided document printing, and the printer is well-connected with USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi built in.
The host of document printing extras seems a little odd, as there's no pigment-based black ink in the PC820FWD's line-up. Black dye-based ink often makes for greyish, feint looking text but the Epson is above average in this respect, delivering crisp-looking documents.
Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD: Features
Like Epson's mid-range Stylus Photo PX660, the PX820FWD uses the same six Claria inks, available in standard-yield or high-yield cartridges, feeding print heads that deliver a maximum of 5760x1440dpi resolution with a minimum droplet size of 1.5pl (pico-litre). However, the PX820FWD's print heads have twice as many nozzles per colour, at 180 instead of 90, enabling faster print speeds. The scanner is also a more high-res affair, boasting a maximum resolution of 4800x4800dpi.
Unlike most Epson printers, there's no rear-mounted paper feeder. Instead, you get a dual-input cassette that slots into the bottom of the printer.
The main tray holds A4 paper while a secondary tray is adjustable for 6x4-inch, 7x5-inch and 16:9 wide format photo papers. The photo tray is motorised so it engages automatically for photo printing but, if you want to create full A4 photo prints, you still need to empty the plain paper out of the main tray and replace it with photo paper, which is a bit of a
Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD: Handling and printing times
Handling is refined, thanks to a particularly intuitive 19.cm 'smart-navigation' touch-panel. This goes one better than the control panel on the PX660 because, as well as touch-sensitive icons that only illuminate and become visible when they have an active role to play, the colour LCD at the centre of the panel is also a touch-screen in its own right.
Suffice it to say that standalone photocopying, faxing (complete with 60 speed-dial memory locations) and direct photo printing from CompactFlash, MS Pro, SD or xD cards is as simple as can be. The ADF also makes for simple faxing or photocopying of multi-page documents, although you can still bypass this and place photos for scanning or copying directly onto the scanner's platen.
Print speeds are respectable rather than dazzling, at least in Best quality mode. In our tests, the PX820FWD averaged 2 minutes 54 seconds for borderless A4 prints and 58 seconds per 6x4-inch print. However, the first postcard sized print takes a little longer, as the motorised tray needs to engage before printing can commence. Printing is a lot quicker in normal Photo quality mode, at 1 minute 3 seconds for A4 and 15 seconds per 6x4-inch print.
There's practically no perceptible difference in quality between Photo and Best modes, although on a very few prints we saw very marginally more detail in extreme lowlights using the highest quality mode.
Scan times are pretty quick, at 15 seconds for a full A4 scan and 7 seconds for a 6x4-inch photo, both measured at 300dpi.
Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD: Performance
Considering that the PX820FW uses exactly the same range of Claria inks that we've seen on many Epson A4 printers over the last couple of years, colour rendition came as quite a shock. Indeed, colour was so inaccurate that we double-checked that all the cartridges were in their correct slots. Reds in particular were way off the mark, with pure bright red looking more like a murky maroon.
In the end, we updated the printer driver that was supplied on Epson's installation CD, replacing it with the latest edition that's available online, and this made a huge difference. Even so, reds in our test chart were still noticeably darker than expected.
Fine lines and challenging diagonals and concentric circles from our test chart were faithfully reproduced and each of the blocks in the greyscale bar were clearly distinguishable. Landscape images looked their best in the printer's Vivid colour mode, or when using the automatic Photo Enhance option, both of which gave punchier (and practically identical) results.
Skin tones using the standard colour option were a little muddy, but a touch warmer than on many Epson printers, whereas the Photo Enhance 'People' option brightened up flesh tones to give more pleasing results.
Scanning proved accurate in our tests, with good tonal range and colour rendition. There was also none of the streakiness of lines running across scans, which we suffered with the PX660.
Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD: Prints
As produced by the Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD
As produced by the Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD
As produced by the Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD
Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD: Specification
Paper sizesA4, Letter, Legal, 20x25 cm, 13x20 cm, 13x18 cm, 10x15 cm, 9x13 cm, A5, A6, B5, Envelopes: No.10, DL, C6
Maximum print resolution5760x1440dpi
Maximum scan resolution4800x4800dpi
Minimum Droplet size1.5 pico-litre
InksetEpson Claria dye-based cyan, magenta, yellow, black, light cyan, light magenta, Hummingbird (standard-yield) or Owl (high-yield) cartridges.
Dimensions (WxDxH)466 x 458 x 198mm
Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD: Ink costs
You can use either standard-yield (Hummingbird) or high-yield (Owl) cartridges in the PX820FW. However, the high-yield cartridges are considerably more expensive so actual cost-savings are negligible, at around a couple of pence per photo print.
Combined with Epson Premium Glossy photo paper, print costs are likely to average out to around 36p and آ£1.45 per 6x4-inch and A4 print sizes respectively.
Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD: Verdict
There's no denying that the PX820FWD is very expensive for an A4 printer, and running costs are above average as well.
Wi-Fi connectivity is nice to have, especially if you like to print photos from your laptop, from anywhere around the home, but the auto duplex unit, auto document feeder and standalone fax facility cater to office jobs that most of us don't require from a photo printer.
While the PX820FWD is a fair bit faster than Epson's own PX660, it costs much more than twice the price and photo quality is no better. In fact, the PX820FWD's skin tones and red hues can look a little muddy by comparison.
Related Links
| |
| |
Read More ...
Review: Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD
Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD: OverviewBased on Epson's acclaimed Claria dye-based inks, the PX820FWD is first and foremost a photo printer.
The mix of cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks, plus light cyan and light magenta, enable a generous gamut, or colour space, along with impressive dynamic range. Even so, it seems like a photo printer dressed up in business suit, as it adds plenty of office-friendly functions like standalone faxing and photocopying, complete with an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) for multi-page documents.
There's also an auto duplex unit tacked onto the back for easy double-sided document printing, and the printer is well-connected with USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi built in.
The host of document printing extras seems a little odd, as there's no pigment-based black ink in the PC820FWD's line-up. Black dye-based ink often makes for greyish, feint looking text but the Epson is above average in this respect, delivering crisp-looking documents.
Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD: Features
Like Epson's mid-range Stylus Photo PX660, the PX820FWD uses the same six Claria inks, available in standard-yield or high-yield cartridges, feeding print heads that deliver a maximum of 5760x1440dpi resolution with a minimum droplet size of 1.5pl (pico-litre). However, the PX820FWD's print heads have twice as many nozzles per colour, at 180 instead of 90, enabling faster print speeds. The scanner is also a more high-res affair, boasting a maximum resolution of 4800x4800dpi.
Unlike most Epson printers, there's no rear-mounted paper feeder. Instead, you get a dual-input cassette that slots into the bottom of the printer.
The main tray holds A4 paper while a secondary tray is adjustable for 6x4-inch, 7x5-inch and 16:9 wide format photo papers. The photo tray is motorised so it engages automatically for photo printing but, if you want to create full A4 photo prints, you still need to empty the plain paper out of the main tray and replace it with photo paper, which is a bit of a
Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD: Handling and printing times
Handling is refined, thanks to a particularly intuitive 19.cm 'smart-navigation' touch-panel. This goes one better than the control panel on the PX660 because, as well as touch-sensitive icons that only illuminate and become visible when they have an active role to play, the colour LCD at the centre of the panel is also a touch-screen in its own right.
Suffice it to say that standalone photocopying, faxing (complete with 60 speed-dial memory locations) and direct photo printing from CompactFlash, MS Pro, SD or xD cards is as simple as can be. The ADF also makes for simple faxing or photocopying of multi-page documents, although you can still bypass this and place photos for scanning or copying directly onto the scanner's platen.
Print speeds are respectable rather than dazzling, at least in Best quality mode. In our tests, the PX820FWD averaged 2 minutes 54 seconds for borderless A4 prints and 58 seconds per 6x4-inch print. However, the first postcard sized print takes a little longer, as the motorised tray needs to engage before printing can commence. Printing is a lot quicker in normal Photo quality mode, at 1 minute 3 seconds for A4 and 15 seconds per 6x4-inch print.
There's practically no perceptible difference in quality between Photo and Best modes, although on a very few prints we saw very marginally more detail in extreme lowlights using the highest quality mode.
Scan times are pretty quick, at 15 seconds for a full A4 scan and 7 seconds for a 6x4-inch photo, both measured at 300dpi.
Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD: Performance
Considering that the PX820FW uses exactly the same range of Claria inks that we've seen on many Epson A4 printers over the last couple of years, colour rendition came as quite a shock. Indeed, colour was so inaccurate that we double-checked that all the cartridges were in their correct slots. Reds in particular were way off the mark, with pure bright red looking more like a murky maroon.
In the end, we updated the printer driver that was supplied on Epson's installation CD, replacing it with the latest edition that's available online, and this made a huge difference. Even so, reds in our test chart were still noticeably darker than expected.
Fine lines and challenging diagonals and concentric circles from our test chart were faithfully reproduced and each of the blocks in the greyscale bar were clearly distinguishable. Landscape images looked their best in the printer's Vivid colour mode, or when using the automatic Photo Enhance option, both of which gave punchier (and practically identical) results.
Skin tones using the standard colour option were a little muddy, but a touch warmer than on many Epson printers, whereas the Photo Enhance 'People' option brightened up flesh tones to give more pleasing results.
Scanning proved accurate in our tests, with good tonal range and colour rendition. There was also none of the streakiness of lines running across scans, which we suffered with the PX660.
Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD: Prints
As produced by the Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD
As produced by the Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD
As produced by the Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD
Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD: Specification
Paper sizesA4, Letter, Legal, 20x25 cm, 13x20 cm, 13x18 cm, 10x15 cm, 9x13 cm, A5, A6, B5, Envelopes: No.10, DL, C6
Maximum print resolution5760x1440dpi
Maximum scan resolution4800x4800dpi
Minimum Droplet size1.5 pico-litre
InksetEpson Claria dye-based cyan, magenta, yellow, black, light cyan, light magenta, Hummingbird (standard-yield) or Owl (high-yield) cartridges.
Dimensions (WxDxH)466 x 458 x 198mm
Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD: Ink costs
You can use either standard-yield (Hummingbird) or high-yield (Owl) cartridges in the PX820FW. However, the high-yield cartridges are considerably more expensive so actual cost-savings are negligible, at around a couple of pence per photo print.
Combined with Epson Premium Glossy photo paper, print costs are likely to average out to around 36p and آ£1.45 per 6x4-inch and A4 print sizes respectively.
Epson Stylus Photo PX820FWD: Verdict
There's no denying that the PX820FWD is very expensive for an A4 printer, and running costs are above average as well.
Wi-Fi connectivity is nice to have, especially if you like to print photos from your laptop, from anywhere around the home, but the auto duplex unit, auto document feeder and standalone fax facility cater to office jobs that most of us don't require from a photo printer.
While the PX820FWD is a fair bit faster than Epson's own PX660, it costs much more than twice the price and photo quality is no better. In fact, the PX820FWD's skin tones and red hues can look a little muddy by comparison.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
Updated: 10 best 32-inch LCD TVs in the world today
Our constantly updated list of the best 32-inch TVs in the world.Which is the best 32-inch TV?
Most living rooms can't physically take a TV much bigger than 32-inch, making this size by far the best for a lot of people in the UK.But within this size division, there's plenty of choice. A basic HD-ready set can be found for less than آ£300 is you search hard, though it's just as easy to spend over آ£2k.
There's only one certainty at this size - your new TV will be a LCD TV. If you're lucky it could have LED backlighting, but it won't be a plasma; LG used to make plasmas at this size, but there's not one on sale currently.
A typical circa آ£500 purchase will sport a Full HD screen, have at least three HDMI inputs, and some kind of 100Hz scanning, though the latter feature varies so much in effectiveness that you've simply got to see it in action in the shop before you shell out any extra cash.
- Also read: 10 best sound bar systems for your HDTV
Freeview HD is on some of these TVs, but not all. If you've got Sky or Virgin, of course, a Freeview HD tuner is mere frippery, and worse, will add unnecessarily to the cost. And besides, if you're not among the 50 per cent of the UK population that can receive Freeview HD broadcasts yet - and are set on finding a subscription-free hi-def solution - you're better off going for a TV with a built-in Freesat HD tuner.
So what's the best 32-inch LCD TV for you? Read on to find out...
Panasonic TX-L32X20B - آ£289
Basic, but those after a simple flat TV will love this LCD TV's contrast-rich picsThe TX-L32X20B is that rare beast: a 32-inch LCD focused on pictures to the near-exclusion of fancy features. A chunky 83mm deep, this HD ready X20 Series set is initially notable for what it doesn't include – there's no Freeview HD tuner, LED backlight or Panasonic's Viera Cast online hub – but is nevertheless a stunningly simplistic attempt at cut-price picture prowess.
Read: Panasonic TX-L32X20B review
Panasonic TX-L32S20 - آ£370
A Freeview HD tuner largely compensates for a lack of other frillsAside from a built-in Freeview HD tuner there;s little to get excited about on this run-of-the-mill Panaonsic TV, so why is it in our top ten?
Using a Full HD IPS alpha LCD panel, this set does a good job of flattering standard-definition content such as DVDs and Freeview broadcasts, but really stretches its legs with HD; blacks still aren't at the level of those on the company's own plasma screens, they're pretty impressive by LCD standards.
Read: full Panasonic TX-L32S20 full review
Sharp LC-32LE210E - آ£599
Cute and good value edge-lit LED set sadly lacking Freeview HDSharp's latest 32-inch TV is LED-powered and is cheap to boot. The edge-mounted backlight enables a depth of 46mm, about half as thick as a comparable CCFL-lit set. A good value TV that ignores Freeview HD and 100Hz, this Sharp gets away with it because of its high quality LED panel, novel record-to-USB functions, and low online price; one for those on a budget and just after the basics.
Read: Sharp LC-32LE210E review
Sony KDL-32EX703
Superb 32-inch LCD TV boasting internet widgets and Freeview HDAfter a lacklustre couple of years, the 32EX703 represents a stunning return to form for Sony.
It's done an admirable job of squeezing as much as possible into this panel, with Freeview HD capability, an Ethernet port that enables access to a host of internet widgets (such as YouTube and Dailymotion), four HDMIs and Edgle-lit LED backlighting.
The latter prives the headline act, with the set delivering eye-popping levels of detail and forensic precision within a wholly cinematic picture.
Read: full Sony KDL-32EX703 review
Sony KDL-32NX503 - آ£600
Stylish LCD TV with clever online functions and Freeview HDBoasting a new 'Monolithic' design that constitutes a single-layer fascia, boldly chunky black surround and a tilting desktop stand.
The 32NX503's other big selling point, its networkability, kicks in with its connections. For alongside four HDMIs you will find an Ethernet port and a USB input, both capable of multiple talents.
Sony's new Bravia Internet Video service (LoveFilm, Demand Five, YouTube and Eurosport video news) and DLNA are the result, making this the perfect 'network' TV.
Elsewhere, the set carries Sony's latest Bravia Engine 3 video processor and Live Colour processing for richer saturations, and a mode for boosting whites, though its pictures aren't the highpoint - instead, this is a TV for anyone after standout style and comprehensive multimedia features.
Read: full Sony KDL-32NX503 review
Philips 32PFL7605 - آ£620
Excellent value edge LED TV lacking only an HD TV tunerPhilips' 32PFL7605H is the latest in a procession of startlingly affordable, relatively small edge LED TVs – and here it means no significant compromises to performance. The set also manages to cling to an impressive roster of features despite its affordability, with highlights being its potent video processing mix and its online capability, especially open web access. Freeview HD is missing – a huge oversight, but virtually the only one in an otherwise unbeatable performance if judged purely on value.
Read: Philips 32PFL7605 review
Samsung UE32C6000
A super Freeview HD TV with added multimedia functionsThe so-called 'entry-level' model in Samsung's premium C6000 range of 2D Full HD LED panels is not cheap.
And there's nothing budget about its features, which comprise a Freeview HD tuner, a broad range of picture and sound enhancement technologies and some handy multi-media capabilities – although not Samsung's internet TV portal (see the step-up UE32C6600 for that).
With its premium qualities the 32UC6000 feels like a shrunken version of a larger screen and rather over-specified for a 32in model; this is a statement TV.
Read: full Samsung UE32C6000 review
Panasonic TX-L32D28BP - آ£1,000
Purple pro LED with Freeview HD and Freesat HDAlso available in silver and white, the purple framed TX-L32D28BP marks Panasonic's first ever LED TV.
It's not the only radical design change for Panasonic; the TX-L32D28BP features a hefty steel desktop stand that the screen itself slips onto. The end result of adding this 5kg stand is a TV that leans back slightly, while its subtly purple frame appears to dip away from the front; it doesn't - it's merely a clever 3D design.
Freeview HD may be all the rage, but the TX-L32D28BP adds Freesat HD, too, along with its broadband entertainment portal, Viera Cast. The latter now includes widgets for Eurosport and Daily Motion news clips, though YouTube remains the highlight.
Skype video calling, meanwhile, is now available - just add a Panasonic HD Communication Camera, the TY-CC10W, for آ£129.99. Most of the constituent parts of a reference Blu-ray picture are present on the TX-L32D28BP, though a touch more contrast and shadow detailing would take it alarmingly close to LED perfection. The TX-L32D28BP may be expensive, but it's got a load more talent than your average 32-inch LCD TV.
Read: full Panasonic TX-L32D28BP full review
Philips 32PFL9705
Direct LED and peerless picture quality make this one of the finest 32-inch sets ever madePhilips likes to push boundaries with its flagship 9000 Series TVs and it's done this again in grandstanding style with the 32PFL9705. What's more, it's done it on two fronts.
In feature terms, its expanded its multimedia support with the unique MediaConnect system, offering a really great way of getting your TV and PC to work together for people not comfortable with the usual more inscrutable TV file streaming approaches.
The other area where the 32PFL9705 breaks new ground is with its picture quality. The use of direct LED lighting with local dimming really does make the set the best 32-inch LCD TV the world has ever produced. And you can't ask for much more than that.
Read: full Philips 32PFL9705 review
Related Links
| |
| |
Read More ...
Updated: 10 best 32-inch LCD TVs in the world today
Our constantly updated list of the best 32-inch TVs in the world.Which is the best 32-inch TV?
Most living rooms can't physically take a TV much bigger than 32-inch, making this size by far the best for a lot of people in the UK.But within this size division, there's plenty of choice. A basic HD-ready set can be found for less than آ£300 is you search hard, though it's just as easy to spend over آ£2k.
There's only one certainty at this size - your new TV will be a LCD TV. If you're lucky it could have LED backlighting, but it won't be a plasma; LG used to make plasmas at this size, but there's not one on sale currently.
A typical circa آ£500 purchase will sport a Full HD screen, have at least three HDMI inputs, and some kind of 100Hz scanning, though the latter feature varies so much in effectiveness that you've simply got to see it in action in the shop before you shell out any extra cash.
- Also read: 10 best sound bar systems for your HDTV
Freeview HD is on some of these TVs, but not all. If you've got Sky or Virgin, of course, a Freeview HD tuner is mere frippery, and worse, will add unnecessarily to the cost. And besides, if you're not among the 50 per cent of the UK population that can receive Freeview HD broadcasts yet - and are set on finding a subscription-free hi-def solution - you're better off going for a TV with a built-in Freesat HD tuner.
So what's the best 32-inch LCD TV for you? Read on to find out...
Panasonic TX-L32X20B - آ£289
Basic, but those after a simple flat TV will love this LCD TV's contrast-rich picsThe TX-L32X20B is that rare beast: a 32-inch LCD focused on pictures to the near-exclusion of fancy features. A chunky 83mm deep, this HD ready X20 Series set is initially notable for what it doesn't include – there's no Freeview HD tuner, LED backlight or Panasonic's Viera Cast online hub – but is nevertheless a stunningly simplistic attempt at cut-price picture prowess.
Read: Panasonic TX-L32X20B review
Panasonic TX-L32S20 - آ£370
A Freeview HD tuner largely compensates for a lack of other frillsAside from a built-in Freeview HD tuner there;s little to get excited about on this run-of-the-mill Panaonsic TV, so why is it in our top ten?
Using a Full HD IPS alpha LCD panel, this set does a good job of flattering standard-definition content such as DVDs and Freeview broadcasts, but really stretches its legs with HD; blacks still aren't at the level of those on the company's own plasma screens, they're pretty impressive by LCD standards.
Read: full Panasonic TX-L32S20 full review
Sharp LC-32LE210E - آ£599
Cute and good value edge-lit LED set sadly lacking Freeview HDSharp's latest 32-inch TV is LED-powered and is cheap to boot. The edge-mounted backlight enables a depth of 46mm, about half as thick as a comparable CCFL-lit set. A good value TV that ignores Freeview HD and 100Hz, this Sharp gets away with it because of its high quality LED panel, novel record-to-USB functions, and low online price; one for those on a budget and just after the basics.
Read: Sharp LC-32LE210E review
Sony KDL-32EX703
Superb 32-inch LCD TV boasting internet widgets and Freeview HDAfter a lacklustre couple of years, the 32EX703 represents a stunning return to form for Sony.
It's done an admirable job of squeezing as much as possible into this panel, with Freeview HD capability, an Ethernet port that enables access to a host of internet widgets (such as YouTube and Dailymotion), four HDMIs and Edgle-lit LED backlighting.
The latter prives the headline act, with the set delivering eye-popping levels of detail and forensic precision within a wholly cinematic picture.
Read: full Sony KDL-32EX703 review
Sony KDL-32NX503 - آ£600
Stylish LCD TV with clever online functions and Freeview HDBoasting a new 'Monolithic' design that constitutes a single-layer fascia, boldly chunky black surround and a tilting desktop stand.
The 32NX503's other big selling point, its networkability, kicks in with its connections. For alongside four HDMIs you will find an Ethernet port and a USB input, both capable of multiple talents.
Sony's new Bravia Internet Video service (LoveFilm, Demand Five, YouTube and Eurosport video news) and DLNA are the result, making this the perfect 'network' TV.
Elsewhere, the set carries Sony's latest Bravia Engine 3 video processor and Live Colour processing for richer saturations, and a mode for boosting whites, though its pictures aren't the highpoint - instead, this is a TV for anyone after standout style and comprehensive multimedia features.
Read: full Sony KDL-32NX503 review
Philips 32PFL7605 - آ£620
Excellent value edge LED TV lacking only an HD TV tunerPhilips' 32PFL7605H is the latest in a procession of startlingly affordable, relatively small edge LED TVs – and here it means no significant compromises to performance. The set also manages to cling to an impressive roster of features despite its affordability, with highlights being its potent video processing mix and its online capability, especially open web access. Freeview HD is missing – a huge oversight, but virtually the only one in an otherwise unbeatable performance if judged purely on value.
Read: Philips 32PFL7605 review
Samsung UE32C6000
A super Freeview HD TV with added multimedia functionsThe so-called 'entry-level' model in Samsung's premium C6000 range of 2D Full HD LED panels is not cheap.
And there's nothing budget about its features, which comprise a Freeview HD tuner, a broad range of picture and sound enhancement technologies and some handy multi-media capabilities – although not Samsung's internet TV portal (see the step-up UE32C6600 for that).
With its premium qualities the 32UC6000 feels like a shrunken version of a larger screen and rather over-specified for a 32in model; this is a statement TV.
Read: full Samsung UE32C6000 review
Panasonic TX-L32D28BP - آ£1,000
Purple pro LED with Freeview HD and Freesat HDAlso available in silver and white, the purple framed TX-L32D28BP marks Panasonic's first ever LED TV.
It's not the only radical design change for Panasonic; the TX-L32D28BP features a hefty steel desktop stand that the screen itself slips onto. The end result of adding this 5kg stand is a TV that leans back slightly, while its subtly purple frame appears to dip away from the front; it doesn't - it's merely a clever 3D design.
Freeview HD may be all the rage, but the TX-L32D28BP adds Freesat HD, too, along with its broadband entertainment portal, Viera Cast. The latter now includes widgets for Eurosport and Daily Motion news clips, though YouTube remains the highlight.
Skype video calling, meanwhile, is now available - just add a Panasonic HD Communication Camera, the TY-CC10W, for آ£129.99. Most of the constituent parts of a reference Blu-ray picture are present on the TX-L32D28BP, though a touch more contrast and shadow detailing would take it alarmingly close to LED perfection. The TX-L32D28BP may be expensive, but it's got a load more talent than your average 32-inch LCD TV.
Read: full Panasonic TX-L32D28BP full review
Philips 32PFL9705
Direct LED and peerless picture quality make this one of the finest 32-inch sets ever madePhilips likes to push boundaries with its flagship 9000 Series TVs and it's done this again in grandstanding style with the 32PFL9705. What's more, it's done it on two fronts.
In feature terms, its expanded its multimedia support with the unique MediaConnect system, offering a really great way of getting your TV and PC to work together for people not comfortable with the usual more inscrutable TV file streaming approaches.
The other area where the 32PFL9705 breaks new ground is with its picture quality. The use of direct LED lighting with local dimming really does make the set the best 32-inch LCD TV the world has ever produced. And you can't ask for much more than that.
Read: full Philips 32PFL9705 review
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
No comments:
Post a Comment