David Bowie to release Golden Years remix app
David Bowie cannot be accused of being a luddite, offering his fans the opportunity to remix his classic 1975 Golden Years on their iPhones and iPads.Ever since the dawn of the internet and early experiments in multimedia CD-ROMs, Bowie has always tried to offer fans new ways of interacting with his music.
Bowie's latest iOS app is set to let fans create their own remixes, 36 years on from the release of the original 7-inch vinyl single.
Creative tech or PR dead-end?
Our colleagues over at Music Radar report that the original 16-track Golden Years offers eight stem files: Bowie's lead vocals, 12-string guitar, bass, drums, guitar, harmonium, percussion and backing vocals - all of which will be made available to fans and would-be producers this coming June for them to remix as they see fit.
Whether or not this latest app from Bowie's people represents a cool new way of discovering and remixing past classics, or a tired PR-driven exercise in promoting a once great musician depends on your point of view. Opinion in the TechRadar office is currently divided.
Still, Bowie's label EMI is not letting the opportunity pass, releasing remixes from DJs at LA's KCRW on a new EP.
We've put calls in to the Duke's people. Expect no updates on this at no point soon.
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Toshiba Regza VL passive 3D TV announced
Toshiba has shown off its first 3D TV at the Toshiba World Forum in Rome this week, with the company deciding to use passive 3D for its mid-range televisions.The Regza VL series offer "sharp, vivid, lifelike 3D pictures with incredible depth and accuracy, with four pairs of polarised ReaID 3D glasses".
More and more TV manufacturers are looking to polarised 3D for TV, with Toshiba following in the footsteps of LG and Philips.
LED Backlight
The Regza VL series offers 42-inch and 47-inch televisions and comes with Edge LED backlighting.
As the 3D is passive, the glasses are cheap – so Toshiba is bundling four pairs of RealD glasses into the package.
The TV also comes with access to Toshiba Places, Resolution+ technology and has a built-in subwoofer.If you buy an external dongle, you can also get Wireless LAN on to the device.
Connectivity includes 4x HDMI, Regza-link and there's also Freeview HD on board.
Unfortunately there's no Regza VL series UK release date as yet and pricing is still to be announced.
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JK Rowling stalls on Harry Potter ebooks
Harry Potter author JK Rowling is stalling when it comes to committing to publishing her hugely popular boy wizard stories in e-book format.Despite reports in various Scottish newspapers that she was considering publishing the Potter books in e-book format, Rowling is reportedly yet to be convinced of the benefit of releasing her stories digitally.
Rowling's agent at Neil Blair at the Christopher Little Agency told the Bookseller last year that the writer was actively considering e-books for Potter, but new reports suggest she may well have changed her mind.
E-Potter plans on hold
Waterstone's spokesperson Jon Howells told The Guardian that it would be a "massive" story" when the Potter books were finally made available in electronic format.
"They are the biggest book property of recent decades, with a legion of fans who have read them a dozen times and want to read them again in the way they want," said Howells, "seven guaranteed top-selling ebooks just waiting to happen".
TechRadar has contacted Rowling's agent and publisher Bloomsbury for further comment.
The new Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, is due out this coming July.
Stay tuned for updates on the plans (or lack of plans) for the publisher to make the hugely popular books available in e-book form as and when we hear more.
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Review: Acer Liquid Mini
Acer's Liquid Mini is yet another smartphone running Android. Yeah, Yeah, we know. Been there. Done that. Well, hold on, though. This is a آ£199 smartphone, so it might appeal to It's small in size so it is good for those who don't want a huge device. And it sports Acer's bespoke Android skin, which is helpful for some people, not so good for others.
The user interface is very similar to that we've already seen on the rather more expensive Liquid Metal, which is currently selling for around آ£299, and the multimedia-friendly Stream, currently going for rather less at around آ£240. In price terms the Liquid Mini sits more comfortably against the likes of the LG Optimus One.
The Acer Liquid Mini is available in five different colours, and these have fancy names: royal blue, piano black, lime green, jet silver, light pink. The colour relates to the backplate and long edges. The top and bottom edges are always silver, the front black.
The top and bottom edges are curved slightly, and while this has no effect on usability, it does make for a slightly unusual appearance. That's just as well since, in general, the Acer Liquid Mini looks very familiar.
Under the screen there are four touch buttons for Home, Back, Menu and Search functions. Unlike in some more expensive Android smartphones, these aren't dimmed out when the screen is off. They're always present, though a bright white backlight does kick in when the screen is turned on.
Three of the edges contain buttons and connectors, but the left long edge is entirely blank. On the right sits a pair of volume buttons and a shortcut for the five-megapixel camera. On the top is the power switch and a 3.5mm headset connector. The bottom has a micro-USB slot.
The plastic backplate has a soft finish, which makes it feel comfy in the hand and helps with grip.
The OS of choice is Android 2.2, and you'll find GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and HSDPA all lurking under the hood.
Cost savings have come into play in the choice of a fairly low-spec 600MHz Qualcomm 7227 processor, relatively low 480 x 320 screen resolution and shortage of built-in storage at 512MB. But you get a 2GB microSD card, and at least the screen is capacitive, and Acer has thrown a protective sleeve into the box.
On the whole, then, it seems Acer has made some compromises to meet its price point. The question we have to ask is, are they the right ones?
Acer Liquid Mini review: Interface
Acer uses a skin for Android that we've seen before, called Breeze, though it has been slightly tweaked this time round. It's a little convoluted, but if you like the concept you'll certainly be able to fly with it.Switch the handset on and you'll be in the Lock screen, which presents missed call and message notifications, and tells you the date and time. Bottom right of the screen is the name of your network operator, and bottom left is what looks like a curled over corner.
Tap a notification and you can slide the box that appears to go immediately to missed calls or to messages.
Alternatively sweep that folded corner at the bottom left and you are taken straight to the main screen.
This is where things get interesting. The screen is divided into three sections. At the bottom there are two rows of quick shortcuts to apps. Sweep this area upwards and you're into the main apps listing, ranged across three screens, through which you horizontally sweep.
At the very top of the screen is the notifications bar. Acer had toyed with putting this above the shortcuts area in the Liquid Metal, but it's back where you expect it to be now. But the nifty alert bubbles remain.
Tap the notifications bar and up pop bubbles offering access to additional features. Sweep with a finger to move between them. You can set alarms, make connection settings, and see recent notifications. And more bubbles appear as you use some apps, such as during media playback.
Now, that middle section has a hidden secret. Sweep a finger to reveal a new window on the left where you can see your recent usage history as a carousel of thumbnails. Moving through these to get to recently used apps is a delight. Sweep to reveal a new window on the right and you're into the media browser, where you can access photos, videos and music.
You want to know about widgets, right?
Well, you can set up five screens of them. There's a small widgets icon on the main screen, or you can tap and hold the Home button when you're on the main screen to get into the widgets screens.
Now you can scroll left and right to see widgets, and use the plus button at the bottom left of the screen to choose new widgets from a list.
Just as we've found before with Acer's use of these widgets, it's a bit of a round-the-houses system, but it does work, and if you look on the bright side you get five widgets screens plus a flexible Home screen and an interactive Lock screen - all of which work pretty well, if a bit fiddly at times.
Acer Liquid Mini review: Contacts and calling
Twitter and Facebook are handled by Acer's somewhat quirky SocialJogger. You sign into accounts and then the Acer Liquid Mini is ready to start picking up posts.
Once you're into the SocialJogger, posts are shown on a carousel wheel that you can move through by finger sweeping. Rather bizarrely, if you choose 'Auto Play' from the menu the carousel slowly rotates through messages so you don't even need to sweep.
You can add 'pages' to the social jogger showing only specific people you follow on Twitter or Facebook friends, helping you to focus on what's really important. You switch between these by swiping a very thin bar towards the top of the screen. This is a nice feature, but to be honest we find SocialJogger a bit clunky.
And rather bizarrely, if you want to add Facebook and Twitter contacts to contacts, you need to do this separately by going into Contacts, Choosing to Add Account from the menu, and then signing in for a second time.
Do that, though, and you can add status and pictures from Facebook. Our review handset consistently reported a sync error with Twitter over several days, so we can't say how it handles Twitter data or what the process of linking is like.
When in contacts, tapping to get to the Facebook profile of someone takes you straight to their wall, while the contacts listing picks up any available phone numbers.
You can search contacts by tapping into a little search box, but we found the autocorrect system kicked in rather too readily, so that searching for people with oddly spelled names wasn't easy.
The Contacts app enables you to mark people as favourite and access a straightforward dialler that's designed exactly like what we've seen on other Acer smartphones.
We didn't have any problems with voice calls. The in-call menu is easy to manage, and volume was good. People we called said we sounded fine, and we didn't experience any problems with dropping signal strength either.
Even better, the dialler screen supports smart dialling, and this is by far an easier way of searching through the contacts in the Liquid Mini than trying to fiddle with the search tool mentioned earlier.
Acer Liquid Mini review: Messaging
With Twitter and Facebook dealt with by SocialJogger, you might think that's those two done and dusted. But you'd be wrong.For the newcomer to Android, the Acer Liquid Mini offers a confusing array of options. There are Facebook and Twitter widgets too, the latter in both large and small variants, and a SocialJogger widget. It's a bit of an overload.
The good news is that in all cases widgets offer easy scrolling through messages and a simple tap opens up a fuller screen so you can compose replies.
SMS is well catered for by a good client that shows threaded messages. It might not look very stylish, but it does its job, and it picks out the numbers in SMS messages offering a 'Call' option on the menu so you can quickly follow something up by phoning.
The keyboard, though, might prove to be a bit of a problem. The Acer Liquid Mini has a smaller screen measuring just 3.2 inches, and as a result the keyboard is a little cramped in widescreen mode and very cramped in tall mode. Sausagefingers need not apply.
Mobile email is supported, of course. Your Gmail comes into its own inbox, the rest is handled by an email app that you configure with details for any or all of your POP accounts. In many cases you only need user name and password.
Acer Liquid Mini review: Internet
The Acer Liquid Mini has a 3G connection with HSDPA offering 7.2Mbps downloads. Add that to the Wi-Fi that supports 802.11 b and g connections, and you shouldn't have any trouble accessing the internet.As usual, the web browser offers full page views of sites, though the 3.2-inch 480 x 320-pixel (HVGA) screen is obviously a bit limited in terms of how much detail it shows, and if you look at a fullscreen page you probably won't be able to read much.
The browser sports a familiar double-tap to zoom feature, and if you zoom into pages there's good text reflowing so that you don't have to pan around too much to read text.
The browser supports multiple windows and opening a new one is as easy as hitting the menu button and choosing 'New window'. Bookmarks are similarly easy to use. Each one is saved as a tiny thumbnail, and you can add one by tapping an icon on the main viewing page.
Drop into bookmarks view and as well as seeing bookmarks themselves you can see a list of your most visited websites and your browsing history.
Unfortunately for fans of embedded video, the Acer Liquid Mini has dodgy Flash support. We weren't able to stream video from the BBC website, for example. But at least there is a YouTube client and that worked fine.
Acer Liquid Mini review: Camera
The five-megapixel camera is flashless and lacks autofocus capabilities. It can be activated by a side button, which you need to hold in for a bit rather than simply press, or through a Home screen icon.
You can cut down on storage size by reducing the quality of JPEGs the camera saves, though we can't really see the point. Exposure can be set as centre weighted, spot metered or frame average, which adds a little more utility, and you can fiddle with the ISO settings too, should you want to get technical. Geotagging is also an option.
There are various colour effects – mono, negative, sepia and aqua – and a rather useless digital zoom. When you've taken a shot, you can view it in the gallery and choose between a number of sharing options.
Click here for full-res version
OUTDOORS: Taken early on a fairly sunless morning, this shot shows how bad the Acer Liquid Mini camera can be at capturing enough light. Zoom in and the pixels are dull and fragmented
Click here for full-res version
CLOSE UP: Indoors in a dimly lit cafe, this close up makes our snack look inviting
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INDOORS: Indoors in a well-lit shopping centre, a normal mode shot is perfectly acceptable
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BLACK AND WHITE: In the same shopping centre we tried the mono mode to good effect
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NEGATIVE: Negative shooting mode adds a little fun to proceedings
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SEPIA: Sepia mode gives a photograph that air of oldness
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AQUA: We can never really understand why cameras include an aqua mode. Do you want your photos to look like they were taken underwater? Us neither
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ZOOM: And here's why you should never use the digital zoom feature on any camera. We're at full stretch here, and it shows
Acer Liquid Mini review: Video
The Acer Liquid Mini also captures video, of course, but not too much should be expected from it. The maximum resolution is 720 x 480 pixels, which isn't too bad, but you have none of the shooting effects such as aqua and sepia that exist in stills shooting mode. At least you can flip between the default MPEG4 to H.263 if you choose.
Shot quite early in the morning, the first video is pretty poor. The sky tones are too pinkish and the lens simply can't let enough light in to do a decent job.
There is a slight jerkiness to this moving tram in the second video, but on the whole it's is passable for quality.
Indoors, in a reasonably well lit room, the attempt to capture some fairly close-up footage in the third video suffers from a lot of blurring, since the Acer Liquid Mini moves around in our hands due to the smaller and more difficult to handle dimensions.
Acer Liquid Mini review: Media
There's quite a bit going on media wise with the Acer Liquid Mini, though nothing particularly new. There's barely any internal memory – just 512MB, in fact – so you're going to need a microSD card to store music and video, and Acer supplies a 2GB card to get you started.The music player is basic looking, but functional, with playback controls offering what you need.
When you're listening to music, there's a little control bubble available in the notifications bar, so that you can fiddle with playback from within any app.
The loudspeaker delivers a fairly poor quality, tinny sound, and its volume isn't great. The Acer headphones do a reasonable job, but the flat, in-ear buds never stay in our own ears very well. In short, the music player does a job, but not spectacularly well.
Video playback has to be done via the Gallery. The screen quality isn't really good enough for hugely vibrant rendering, and the screen is too small to double up as a frequently used video player, but we found it coped fine with the MP4s we threw at it.
There is an alternative for media playback in the shape of Acer's own Nemo Player which brings music, photos and video together in one place.
It has a slightly nicer looking skin and the added advantage of going online to Gracenote and finding information about playing tunes. That's really handy if you don't have album art available.
There is an FM radio on-board, too. It'll autoscan, and you can save stations individually and make a favourites list. RDS support is good, and with supporting stations you get a ticker of what's playing. You can't record from the radio, though.
As well as all this there's DLNA in the shape of an applet Acer calls its Media Server. This will send photos, video and music stored on the Acer Liquid Mini to compatible devices. It works fine, but it is a shame Acer doesn't bother to include any information on how to set it up.
Acer Liquid Mini review: Battery life
With a 1300mAh battery driving everything forward, you can't expect the Acer Liquid Mini to last for ever. On standby, with almost no use being made of it, it went for days without seeming to lose any battery charge at all.
But start asking it to do things and it's a different story. We went from a nearly full charge to needing to recharge in six hours after thrashing the 3G, Wi-Fi and music player.
We reckon you'll probably need to recharge daily, as with any other smartphone, and if you're a power user – by which we mean you actually use features like GPS and 3G data a lot – and don't have ready access to mains power, then you may need to look elsewhere for a smartphone with better battery life.
For the record, Acer gives a quotation of 6.5 hours 3G talk, 8 hours on 2G, and 480 hours of standby on 3G, 400 hours on 2G.
We've mentioned already that the Acer Liquid Mini has all the necessary connectivity accoutrements to count as a smartphone. GPS, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and even DLNA.
Acer Liquid Mini review: Maps and apps
You won't get an Android 2.2 phone that lacks Google Maps, and it is right here complete, of course, with satellite and street views. You also have the new 3D mapping that is starting to roll out in some places. Birmingham, for example.
There's a separate app for Google Maps navigation and you can use the usual features to help you get around, including spoken destinations so you don't even have to bother with tapping at the small keyboard.
The GPS was fast when we used it in fairly non-built-up areas – we certainly had no complaints.
Like many other users of Android, Acer tries to add value with its own apps.
We have familiar critters like the media streaming service Spinlets and the rather useless avatar creator urFooz. There's also a nice little weather app that delivers a full week forecast and some news updates.
Documents To Go is here too, but only for viewing, not editing files.
Acer Liquid Mini review: Verdict
The Acer Liquid Mini does a fair job of offering a range of Android features in a small format. There isn't anything startlingly new here, though, and what you do get is cramped into a relatively small screen that doesn't really cut the mustard for things like web browsing and video playback.
Whether or not the quirky Android skin appeals to you will be a matter of personal taste. It's growing on us the more we see it.
We liked
The hardware design is attractive, and we like the choice of chassis colours. We'd have liked swappable backplates even more, though, Acer.
Acer provides a slipcase in the box. This is a real rarity and it does very well for keeping the Acer Liquid Mini clean and scratch-free.
We like the way the Nemo Player pops online and gets album art for our tracks. This means all we needed to do was copy a few tracks onto an SD card and then get their album art later. Simples.
We disliked
We were miffed about the lack of streaming video support via websites. Really that's a must these days.
We don't really see why Acer feels it necessary to offer two media playback apps or quite so many Facebook and Twitter options. It's just designed to make life difficult for newcomers to Android.
Acer really should provide instructions for using its media streaming DLNA service in the box. There's a printed quick start guide, but it doesn't cover it.
The 600MHz processor also let things down a little at times, running a tad slower than we'd have liked. Instant response to taps just wasn't always there.
Verdict
The Acer Liquid Mini is yet another mid-range, middle of the road Android smartphone. It doesn't do anything spectacularly well, and if you're able to stump up a few more quid and still want Acer, we'd advise you take a look at the Acer Stream instead.
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Cute Spotify Box uses RFID tagged magnets to play tunes
Degree student Jordi Parra has created a gorgeous prototype Spotify player, the Spotify Box, that uses RFID-tagged magnets to play playlists from the music streaming service.The circular tags can be linked to music in your Spotify account and, when connected to the player, access the relevant music on Spotify using a Wi-Fi connection.
Well, that's the idea, but for now the working prototype has to be connected to the computer to play music, although Parra reckons using a Linux system it could be possible for it to access Spotify alone.
Get thee to Dragon's Den
The retro design of the Box itself is certainly very appealing to the hipster within. Made with materials intended to make the player affordable (Parra estimates production costs of around $50), the wooden player intentionally speaks of old radios and Braun devices.
It would certainly offer a more affordable option than a Sonos player (around آ£400) and would be great for anyone with a desktop PC who wants to listen to Spotify playlists around the home - check out the video demo here.
Such a clever idea deserves to make it into reality, but Parra isn't convinced given the complex electronics, software and customer support it would require.
Still, with input from Christian Wilsson, Art Director at Spotify, coming in throughout the project and a lot of internet love for the device, there could be hope for the Spotify Box yet.
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BlackBerry Bold Touch outed in tutorial
The BlackBerry Bold Touch 9930 has been outed by RIM in tutorial videos, showing how the touch/keyboard combo is going to work.The new leaked tutorials were posted to YouTube by CrackBerry, showing how the new Bold would pack a capacitive screen with multi-touch to make it easier to interact with the device, in the same vein as the BlackBerry Torch.
However, with a sub-three-inch screen size, we doubt there's going to be much room to finger-flick all over the screen, especially when there's an optical keypad present too.
Power up
Other than showing you how to insert a battery into the back of the phone, there's not a lot more we can learn from the tutorial videos of the Bold Touch, as it has a very similar operation to the Torch.
However, there was further confirmation of another full touchscreen phone - the BlackBerry Monaco was shown off (and subsequently pulled) as a full touchscreen device from RIM without a QWERTY keyboard.
It's still packing that optical keypad that seems pointless with a huge touchscreen above it, but hey - we're all for choice here.
This will be the first such device since the relatively unimpressive Storm range from the brand, so whether users can be convinced that a non-keyboarded BlackBerry will still fly remains to be seen.
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In Depth: iOS 5 rumours: what you need to know
We're expecting big things from Apple this year: the iPhone 5 is imminent, some rumours suggest we'll see the iPad 3 as early as this autumn and there's a new version of iOS, iOS 5, in development. So what can we expect from the next generation of Apple's mobile OS? Let's ask the internet.
iOS 5.0 release date isn't until September...
iOS has been around long enough for a pattern to emerge: a springtime reveal and then a summertime launch with the latest iPhone. Not this time, Techcrunch says: while iOS 5 is likely to be shown off at the WWDC event in June, the iOS 5.0 release date will probably be in September.
...or maybe April
According to "trusted sources", a German blog claimed that iOS 5.0 would be released at an Apple event in April. Apple had better get a move on, then.
...and iOS 5.0 might not be on the iPhone 5
There are two possibilities here: either Apple is ripping up its existing annual schedule and keeping the iPhone 5 back until the Autumn too, in which case the iPhone 5 will be an iOS 5.0 device, or Apple is sticking to its annual release and we'll see an iPhone 5.0 in the summer without iOS 5.0. Our money's on the former: the superbly well-connected Jim Dalrymple says this year's WWDC is a software show, not a hardware event.
iOS 5.0 specifications include better notifications
iOS's notification system for SMSes, missed calls and app messages is rubbish, but Cult of Mac reports that good news is coming in iOS 5.0: Apple is "working on a new notification system for iOS and will be buying a small company to build its technology into the operating system" - likely candidates include App Remix, whose Boxcar does what iOS doesn't.
NEW NOTIFICATIONS: Rumours suggest Apple's buying App Remix to boost iOS's notification system
iOS 5.0 features include cloud music and photo sharing
Amazon's already launched its cloud-based music service, but Apple's offering is more ambitious than a few gigs of server space: 9to5 Mac says there's a photo-based social service called Photo Stream in the Photos app and the much-rumoured, cloud-based iTunes service is likely to turn up alongside a revamped MobileMe.
Could iOS 5.0 also include Spaces
A patent filed by Apple suggests that iOS 5 will see 'Spaces' come to the iPad. The patent application shows a touchscreen device with Spaces controlled by multi-touch gestures, which hints at the gesture control that is only available to devs in iOS 4.3 becoming standard.
iOS 5.0 features include beefed-up speech recognition
iOS's voice recognition lags far behind Android's, but that might change with the release of iOS 5.0: according to analysts at Soleil Securities, " Apple's IOS 5.0 for the next-generation iPhone will likely feature deep voice control into the operating system and likely be demonstrated in June. We believe that Apple's partner for the underlying voice recognition technology is Nuance".
SPEAK AND SPELL: Apple and Nuance are reportedly beefing up iOS's speech recognition features
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Unfriending goes mobile with updated Facebook iPhone app
The Facebook for iPhone people have had a bit of a tinker under the hood and the app's latest update brings with it the ability to unfriend people from your iPhone. When you're out and about, and it hits you that you simply cannot bear to remain Facebook friends with someone for another minute, you cannot be expected to wait until you get home to de-friend them.
In the past, you'd have had to search out a quaint little place called an "Internet Cafأ©" and use a desktop computer to do so. Thank goodness those days are behind us, eh?
There was a time before Facebook, you know
Also behind us are the days of not being able to check in to events and the absence of map view from Facebook Places.
There have also been some minor improvmenets made to the news feed and the notifications UI.
However, none of this makes up for the fact that 'unfriend' is now, apparently, a word.
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New Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro successor photos break cover
New images of Sony Ericsson's next mini-mobile, the successor to the X10 Mini Pro, have surfaced on the internet, and show the company adhering to the mantra "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." The design is very much the same as the original Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro, with rounded corners, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a diminuitive form-factor.
The new photos seem to be a more polished version of the same handset we saw leak in January, but this time the tipster has managed to switch it on.
What's new then? Well the surprisingly high quality spy shots show the handset running Android 2.3. And, well, that seems to be it.
Huh.
Still present is the 'corners' UI – whereby each corner of the touchscreen has a set shortcut.
The January leak offered more detail, although we can't vouch for its accuracy: 1GHz Qualcomm processor, Adreno 205 GPU and a 3-inch screen.
A 3-inch screen would make it half an inch larger than the previous iteration and the photos do make the handset look a little longer and sleeker than the current X10 Mini Pro.
Speculate all you want, but with what looks like a fairly polished handset under wraps it shouldn't be too long before Sony Ericsson unleashes the tiny terror.
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Review: Roxio Toast 11 Titanium
Roxio's Toast has come a long way from its disc-burning roots. Today, the latest version is Toast 11 Titanium, and it's a versatile multimedia toolkit that lets you burn, capture, copy, convert and share your digital media, quickly and easily. This expanded brief is reflected in the application's icon, which for the first time has an optical disc in only one toaster slot; the other holds an iPhone 4.
But while Toast has long been a near-essential application for Mac users, the last couple of versions struggled to make a convincing case for upgrading if you already had the previous one. Can Toast 11 Titanium break the mould and appeal to existing users as well as newbies?
Owners of PowerPC-based Macs are spared the choice. Toast 11 is Intel only, an entirely predictable move considering how poorly supported Toast 10 was on PPCs. But if you've an Intel Mac running Leopard or later, the new app brings a wealth of functional and under-the-hood improvements.
It's been rebuilt from the ground up, with a streamlined interface and a faster, more efficient operation.
Media browser
Toast 11's media browser is now part of the main user interface, but you can pop it out as a separate window if you wish.
Project categories are listed at the top of the main screen, with the number of copies and drive selection at its foot instead of on a separate pop-up window. Fewer processes make for a more streamlined experience.
Support for multiple disc burners has been added, and updates are done from within the app. You no longer have to log onto the Roxio website and tediously download the entire suite every time a new version is released.
Toast's video conversion feature now supports a wider range of playback devices than ever before. There are presets to convert footage for Apple TV, Video iPod, iOS devices, most popular games consoles and non-Apple mobile devices such as the BlackBerry or Palm Pre. Alternatively, you can save it out in a specific file format such as H.264, MPEG-4, WMV, MKV and more.
You can make changes to preset profiles and save them as custom settings. The media browser now integrates with Adobe Lightroom as well as iPhoto and Aperture, and outside the browser, you can just drag and drop a file into the main Toast window.
If you have a Mac with CUDA-compatible Nvidia graphics (most recent Nvidia cards support this), a feature called VideoBoost speeds up your H.264 conversions. Toast is still compatible with Elgato's Turbo.264 USB hardware accelerator too. If you have one plugged in, it takes precedence over VideoBoost.
Converting MacFormat's five-minute sample movie to best-quality iPhone 4 video on a 2.0GHz iMac (not CUDA) took Toast 11 six minutes, 36 seconds, but with Turbo.264, it managed it in three minutes, 34 seconds. Rival app Handbrake, encoding using its iPhone 4 preset, took 11 minutes, eight seconds.
Scheduled conversions
Scheduled conversions make their Toast debut. You can now set your video conversions to start at a specific time and date, or after a countdown set in hours and minutes. This is useful if you want to run them during the night, or at other times when you're not using your Mac for other things.
Videos can also be encoded and posted directly to your Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo accounts and tweet video links through Twitter – useful features for those who wish to share their home movies.
You can extract specific video or audio files from an unprotected DVD or VIDEO_TS folder, and even embed subtitles into your conversions. Unfortunately, this proved fickle in execution. Some VIDEO_TS folders converted correctly, others failed to convert at all and one actually crashed the application. We hope future updates will expand compatibility, as it's a great feature when it works.
Toast 11 lets you set video chapter markers manually as well as at preset intervals. With a آ£15 HD/BD Plug-in, you can create hi-definition discs using a standard DVD, for playback on a Blu-ray player. A new feature also lets you view these discs on your Mac within the application.
It's much easier to create a video/ROM hybrid DVD too. As before, you can add front-end menus to your DVD video discs, but you still can't manually position the buttons.
A new audio-burning feature spans tracks across several discs, with markers indicating where one disc's contents ends and another begins. These markers are placed automatically, but can be manually repositioned, and you can add more if you wish.
Audio CDs have a 99-track limit, however they're created. Unfortunately, this limitation still applies when you're spanning your music over several discs with Toast 11, though we're promised it will rise to 200 tracks with the pending Toast 11.0.1 update.
Help is at hand
If all this seems a little daunting, Toast Assistant brings you several online tutorial videos that explain the app's key features. You can download step-by-step instructions as PDF documents too.
As is usual for a Toast suite, several other applications are included. A redesigned Spin Doctor can now capture audio from a single running application, so if an email or instant message arrives while you're recording, the incoming alert sound isn't captured. Other bundled apps include DiscCatalogMaker, Get Backup 2 and Disc Cover 3.
The آ£125 Toast 11 Pro also contains Adobe Photoshop Elements 9, Boinx FotoMagico 3 RE, BIAS SoundSoap 2 SE, SmartSound Sonicfire Pro and the HD/BD Plug-in. This turns out to be a real bargain, when you consider Photoshop Elements 9 alone costs almost آ£80.
Previous Toast updates have been criticised as offering precious little reason to upgrade if you have the previous version. Those criticisms end now.
Toast 11 Titanium's streamlined interface, expanded feature set and online tutorials mean it's definitely worth considering, even if you're an existing user. Only its difficulties converting VIDEO_TS folders stopped it getting that coveted fifth star.
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Nintendo: 'no desire' to make a mobile phone
Nintendo is not planning to make a mobile phone, according to its American President. Speculation has been rife that the much-loved gaming company will foray into the smartphone market, particularly since its two main rivals, Microsoft and Sony, both have.
Nintendo's American President, Reggie Fils-Aime, dispelled the rumours succinctly, saying: "We have no desire to get into telephony.
"We believe that we will earn our way into someone's pocket without having to offer [phone capability] as an additional factor."
Pocket monsters
Nintendo is already in a whole bunch of people's pockets after a hugely successful Nintendo 3DS launch; it sold out in Japan 24-hours after release and was pre-ordered by over 120,000 people in the UK before it went on sale on 25 March.
The Nintendo 3DS comes with Wi-Fi connectivity, but falls short of offering 3G or voice signal, to the infuriation of anyone who wants to consolidate all their portables into one handy device, a la the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play.
Nintendo has considered entering the phone space, though, with Nintendo 3DS platform producer Hideki Konno quoted as saying:
"It's not that I'm uninterested. However, I look at the business model, and I see so many additional costs that come into play."
Fair play, Nintendo. We'd rather see you cranking out great games consoles than average phones.
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Nintendo: 'no desire' to make a mobile phone
Nintendo is not planning to make a mobile phone, according to its American President. Speculation has been rife that the much-loved gaming company will foray into the smartphone market, particularly since its two main rivals, Microsoft and Sony, both have.
Nintendo's American President, Reggie Fils-Aime, dispelled the rumours succinctly, saying: "We have no desire to get into telephony.
"We believe that we will earn our way into someone's pocket without having to offer [phone capability] as an additional factor."
Pocket monsters
Nintendo is already in a whole bunch of people's pockets after a hugely successful Nintendo 3DS launch; it sold out in Japan 24-hours after release and was pre-ordered by over 120,000 people in the UK before it went on sale on 25 March.
The Nintendo 3DS comes with Wi-Fi connectivity, but falls short of offering 3G or voice signal, to the infuriation of anyone who wants to consolidate all their portables into one handy device, a la the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play.
Nintendo has considered entering the phone space, though, with Nintendo 3DS platform producer Hideki Konno quoted as saying:
"It's not that I'm uninterested. However, I look at the business model, and I see so many additional costs that come into play."
Fair play, Nintendo. We'd rather see you cranking out great games consoles than average phones.
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Read More ...
Nintendo: 'no desire' to make a mobile phone
Nintendo is not planning to make a mobile phone, according to its American President. Speculation has been rife that the much-loved gaming company will foray into the smartphone market, particularly since its two main rivals, Microsoft and Sony, both have.
Nintendo's American President, Reggie Fils-Aime, dispelled the rumours succinctly, saying: "We have no desire to get into telephony.
"We believe that we will earn our way into someone's pocket without having to offer [phone capability] as an additional factor."
Pocket monsters
Nintendo is already in a whole bunch of people's pockets after a hugely successful Nintendo 3DS launch; it sold out in Japan 24-hours after release and was pre-ordered by over 120,000 people in the UK before it went on sale on 25 March.
The Nintendo 3DS comes with Wi-Fi connectivity, but falls short of offering 3G or voice signal, to the infuriation of anyone who wants to consolidate all their portables into one handy device, a la the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play.
Nintendo has considered entering the phone space, though, with Nintendo 3DS platform producer Hideki Konno quoted as saying:
"It's not that I'm uninterested. However, I look at the business model, and I see so many additional costs that come into play."
Fair play, Nintendo. We'd rather see you cranking out great games consoles than average phones.
| |
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Read More ...
Nintendo: 'no desire' to make a mobile phone
Nintendo is not planning to make a mobile phone, according to its American President. Speculation has been rife that the much-loved gaming company will foray into the smartphone market, particularly since its two main rivals, Microsoft and Sony, both have.
Nintendo's American President, Reggie Fils-Aime, dispelled the rumours succinctly, saying: "We have no desire to get into telephony.
"We believe that we will earn our way into someone's pocket without having to offer [phone capability] as an additional factor."
Pocket monsters
Nintendo is already in a whole bunch of people's pockets after a hugely successful Nintendo 3DS launch; it sold out in Japan 24-hours after release and was pre-ordered by over 120,000 people in the UK before it went on sale on 25 March.
The Nintendo 3DS comes with Wi-Fi connectivity, but falls short of offering 3G or voice signal, to the infuriation of anyone who wants to consolidate all their portables into one handy device, a la the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play.
Nintendo has considered entering the phone space, though, with Nintendo 3DS platform producer Hideki Konno quoted as saying:
"It's not that I'm uninterested. However, I look at the business model, and I see so many additional costs that come into play."
Fair play, Nintendo. We'd rather see you cranking out great games consoles than average phones.
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Read More ...
Review: Panasonic TX-L32E30B
If you're in the market for a 32-inch TV but can't summon any interest in 3D or can't afford the exceptional TX-L32DT30B, then Panasonic has the TX-L32E30B with which to tempt you.This strips away the 3D stuff and a few other bits and bobs to deliver a much more affordable edge-lit TV without, hopefully, any sacrifice in picture quality.
The TX-L32E30B shares the same IPS Alpha LCD panel as the TX-L32DT30B, which means that it can be watched from a wider angle than typical panels.
The TX-L32E30B also goes a bundle on multimedia tools, offering everything from DLNA PC compatibility to USB/SD card file playback and access to Panasonic's new Viera Connect online platform. Add to this some unusually good build quality for a mid-priced 32-inch TV, and the TX-L32E30B certainly has plenty to shout about.
It has 42-inch and 37-inch siblings: the TX-L42E30B and TX-L37E30B. As noted, for 3D you'll need to step up to Panasonic's 32-inch TX-L32DT30B or 37-inch TX-L37DT30B sets, which introduce more sophisticated colour management tools and 400Hz (actually 200Hz plus a scanning backlight).
If you'd prefer to pay less for IPS Alpha technology, the E3 series is available in 37, 32, 24 and 19-inch sizes. There is also a 42-inch model, but this has a conventional LCD display. The E3 series use straightforward 50Hz scanning rather than the 100Hz-plus-blinking-backlight of the E30s, giving them only around a third of the E30's moving picture resolution.
Although this is less likely to be of interest to you if you're after a 32-inch TV, we should add that Panasonic also has an extensive suite of plasma TVs, ranging in size from 42 all the way up to 65 inches. These include the flagship VT30 series, which has 3D playback and the highest level of Panasonic's plasma screen technology, with more affordable (but still 3D ready) options in the shape of the GT30 series and ST30 series.
Panasonic sets always tend to be well put together, but the TX-L32E30B marries good build quality to an unusually pleasing design.
An impressively slender rear finds room for a copious amount of connections. Few stones have remained unturned in the set's bid to deliver a truly comprehensive suite of multimedia functions. A LAN port, for instance, enables you to delve into Panasonic's brand new Viera Connect service, access files stored on a networked DLNA PC or tuck into services associated with its built-in Freeview HD tuner.
Three USB ports, meanwhile, can handle video, photo or music files from USB storage devices, or can be used to make the TV Wi-Fi-capable via an optional USB dongle. Or they can be used to record from the Freeview HD tuner to more recent powered external hard-disk drives.
On top of all this there is an SD slot for photo playback and a D-Sub PC port for simple computer connectivity. The only moan that might be raised about all this multimedia thoughtfulness is that the Wi-Fi isn't built in, but is an optional extra. Four HDMIs, meanwhile, ought to be plenty to go round.
It was noted in the introduction to this review that the TX-L32E30B uses one of Panasonic's IPS Alpha panels. It should also be stressed that the TX-L32E30B gets essentially the same advanced new panel design used for the TX-L32DT30B, which means a shortened distance between the backlight and screen and faster-responding liquid crystal material.
The TX-L32E30B shifts down to 200Hz from the L32DT30's 400Hz scanning, though.
Scrutiny of the TX-L32E30B's menus reveals that it also lacks some of the high-level calibration tools of the TX-L32DT30B. In particular, there's less control over the set's colours and gamma levels. This is a pity, considering that some other brands manage to provide extensive calibration tweaks on much cheaper TVs.
Panasonic's latest cloud-based online service, Viera Connect, improves upon last year's Viera Cast system by going more overtly down the Smart TV 'apps' approach, with an Apps Marketplace and the option to choose the applications you want and where they appear on the TV's onscreen menus.
All the apps at the time of writing were free, but it's as sure as night follows day that some paid-for ones will appear sooner rather than later. Also promised are hardware accessories including joysticks, treadmills, digital scales and pulse-monitoring armbands for use with some of the games and sport/leisure apps due for launch in the coming months.
Among the most notable of Viera Connect's services are the BBC iPlayer, YouTube, the AceTrax movie service, Skype, Twitter and Facebook. Note, though, that there's no open internet browser.
There's perhaps trouble brewing for the current Viera Connect onscreen menus when the number of apps available starts to soar, as the menus don't allow you to get many apps on screen at once.
It's also undeniable that rather a lot of the apps currently available are designed for overseas territories. Both these issues – particularly the latter one – are entirely fixable over time, though.
Pictures are frustratingly close to greatness, but don't quite manage to go the extra mile.
When it comes to contrast, for instance, while the set is impressively expressive at the brighter end of the video spectrum, it bottoms out into greyness a little earlier than we'd like when trying to render black picture areas. This makes the picture feel a touch unbalanced when watching high-contrast content such as a typical Blu-ray film and also obscures shadow detail in dark areas.
Motion handling is also slightly frustrating. Turn off the Intelligent Frame Creation (IFC) processing and you'll see more judder and motion blur than was evident on the TX-L32DT30B, presumably on account of this set's inferior 100Hz-plus-blinking-backlight arrangement versus its costlier, 200Hz sibling's scanning technology.
However, both judder and blur are reduced considerably by activating IFC, which makes motion exceptionally sharp and crisp, but at the cost of some flickering and halo-type artefacts when the set is pushed hard by very motion-heavy sequences.
Despite this, you'll probably find that you prefer to leave IFC on, though only to its Mid setting; a bit more control over IFC's potency – like the separate judder and blur tweaks Samsung gives you for its Motion Plus processing – would have been a good idea.
The main good news about the TX-L32E30B's pictures is that they have an enjoyably - and unusually for a 32-inch set - cinematic lustre, thanks in particular to the TV's colour handling. The set doesn't present colours with the sort of garish vibrancy many edge LED TVs achieve, so at first glance you might feel that its palette looks a touch muted.
The longer you live with it, though, the more you'll appreciate the naturalism, subtlety and balance of its tonal range and the way it assiduously follows the sort of reference colour cues preferred by organisations such as THX and the Imaging Science Foundation.
Sharpness is superb, too, with IFC helping render pristine HD sources that are full of texture, while standard-definition sources are upscaled with panache and without exaggeration of source noise.
It's also a relief to discover that black levels, while not particularly deep, are at least consistent, with the TX-L32E30B avoiding the sort of backlight inconsistencies that plague so many edge-lit TVs.
Lastly, the TX-L32E30B's IPS Alpha panel can be watched from wider viewing angles than most LCD TVs before contrast and colour levels start to plummet.
Sound
The TX-L32E30B's sound is slightly better than that of many 32-inch flat TVs, with a more open mid-range and well controlled - if not particularly extreme - bass and treble extensions.
The set even manages to open its soundstage up a bit to deliver more impact when action scenes kick in. The bass lacks the depth to make the audio truly special, though.
Value
The TX-L32E30B is difficult to judge in value terms. On the one hand, it's a whole آ£400 cheaper than Panasonic's TX-L32DT30B 3D-capable edge LED TV, so if you're a fan of Panasonic's LCD sets it's much more likely to be something you can afford.
It's also true to say that the TX-L32E30B has a decent feature count for its money, at least in some areas, with its multimedia capabilities being particularly impressive.
However, it also lacks a few features, especially on the calibration side of things that you might expect to see from other brands at this price. And while its pictures are generally good – excellent, with the right source material - they're not good enough to make it a genuine mid-range star.
Ease of use
Aside from the aforementioned difficulties with Viera Connect's interface and a disappointingly drab menu system, the TX-L32E30B is very easy to use.
The remote control has pleasingly large buttons, and a mostly intuitive and thoughtful layout, with only the rather tucked-away main menu button letting the side down.
The onscreen menus are also slightly better organised than previous incarnations and, although they might not be particularly stylish, they are at least easily legible.
The TX-L32E30B uses very similar panel technology to the flagship TX-L32DT30B and the lack of 3D playback is unlikely to be a disaster for most people after a 32-inch TV.
Likely to be of much more interest to a 32-inch buyer are multimedia features, and here the TX-L32E30B is right up to scratch, thanks to its DLNA capabilities, USB recording/playback, and Viera Connect online service.
The TX-L32E30B is also a substantial step forward aesthetically for Panasonic, thanks to its slinky profile, impressive build quality and cute finish, complete with a dash of metallic grey in the centre of the bottom edge.
There are many things to admire about its pictures, not least the way it sidesteps those two common edge-LED issues of limited viewing angles and inconsistent backlighting. Colours look warm and movie-friendly and motion clarity is outstanding with IFC engaged.
However, IFC can cause a few problems and without it motion is merely passable. The set's black level response is a little average too, and finally it would have been nice if there were a few more calibration tools to play with.
We liked
The TX-L32E30B is much easier on the eye than most previous Panasonic mid-range sets, and is better built than similarly specified models from other brands.
Its pictures are naturally coloured and sharp and its multimedia options are extensive and, for the most part, well thought-out. Plus, you can watch the set from a wider angle than most LCD models before the picture quality reduces badly.
We disliked
Black levels are rather average and, while IFC boosts motion clarity, it isn't without side effects. It's a shame, too, that the TX-L32E30B doesn't have more picture calibration tools, and آ£50-آ£100 off its price wouldn't be a bad thing either.
Finally, it's possible the Viera Connect interface might become a bit cumbersome as the service's content levels increase.
Final verdict
Cutting-edge technology, in the form of Panasonic's Viera Connect online platform, a new faster-responding panel design and an effective edge LED lighting system that helps enable intermittently outstanding pictures are set against awkward contrast levels, a few motion flaws and a lack of serious calibration tools to make the TX-L32E30B a good, rather than great mid-range 32-inch TV.
Related Links
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Review: Panasonic TX-L32E30B
If you're in the market for a 32-inch TV but can't summon any interest in 3D or can't afford the exceptional TX-L32DT30B, then Panasonic has the TX-L32E30B with which to tempt you.This strips away the 3D stuff and a few other bits and bobs to deliver a much more affordable edge-lit TV without, hopefully, any sacrifice in picture quality.
The TX-L32E30B shares the same IPS Alpha LCD panel as the TX-L32DT30B, which means that it can be watched from a wider angle than typical panels.
The TX-L32E30B also goes a bundle on multimedia tools, offering everything from DLNA PC compatibility to USB/SD card file playback and access to Panasonic's new Viera Connect online platform. Add to this some unusually good build quality for a mid-priced 32-inch TV, and the TX-L32E30B certainly has plenty to shout about.
It has 42-inch and 37-inch siblings: the TX-L42E30B and TX-L37E30B. As noted, for 3D you'll need to step up to Panasonic's 32-inch TX-L32DT30B or 37-inch TX-L37DT30B sets, which introduce more sophisticated colour management tools and 400Hz (actually 200Hz plus a scanning backlight).
If you'd prefer to pay less for IPS Alpha technology, the E3 series is available in 37, 32, 24 and 19-inch sizes. There is also a 42-inch model, but this has a conventional LCD display. The E3 series use straightforward 50Hz scanning rather than the 100Hz-plus-blinking-backlight of the E30s, giving them only around a third of the E30's moving picture resolution.
Although this is less likely to be of interest to you if you're after a 32-inch TV, we should add that Panasonic also has an extensive suite of plasma TVs, ranging in size from 42 all the way up to 65 inches. These include the flagship VT30 series, which has 3D playback and the highest level of Panasonic's plasma screen technology, with more affordable (but still 3D ready) options in the shape of the GT30 series and ST30 series.
Panasonic sets always tend to be well put together, but the TX-L32E30B marries good build quality to an unusually pleasing design.
An impressively slender rear finds room for a copious amount of connections. Few stones have remained unturned in the set's bid to deliver a truly comprehensive suite of multimedia functions. A LAN port, for instance, enables you to delve into Panasonic's brand new Viera Connect service, access files stored on a networked DLNA PC or tuck into services associated with its built-in Freeview HD tuner.
Three USB ports, meanwhile, can handle video, photo or music files from USB storage devices, or can be used to make the TV Wi-Fi-capable via an optional USB dongle. Or they can be used to record from the Freeview HD tuner to more recent powered external hard-disk drives.
On top of all this there is an SD slot for photo playback and a D-Sub PC port for simple computer connectivity. The only moan that might be raised about all this multimedia thoughtfulness is that the Wi-Fi isn't built in, but is an optional extra. Four HDMIs, meanwhile, ought to be plenty to go round.
It was noted in the introduction to this review that the TX-L32E30B uses one of Panasonic's IPS Alpha panels. It should also be stressed that the TX-L32E30B gets essentially the same advanced new panel design used for the TX-L32DT30B, which means a shortened distance between the backlight and screen and faster-responding liquid crystal material.
The TX-L32E30B shifts down to 200Hz from the L32DT30's 400Hz scanning, though.
Scrutiny of the TX-L32E30B's menus reveals that it also lacks some of the high-level calibration tools of the TX-L32DT30B. In particular, there's less control over the set's colours and gamma levels. This is a pity, considering that some other brands manage to provide extensive calibration tweaks on much cheaper TVs.
Panasonic's latest cloud-based online service, Viera Connect, improves upon last year's Viera Cast system by going more overtly down the Smart TV 'apps' approach, with an Apps Marketplace and the option to choose the applications you want and where they appear on the TV's onscreen menus.
All the apps at the time of writing were free, but it's as sure as night follows day that some paid-for ones will appear sooner rather than later. Also promised are hardware accessories including joysticks, treadmills, digital scales and pulse-monitoring armbands for use with some of the games and sport/leisure apps due for launch in the coming months.
Among the most notable of Viera Connect's services are the BBC iPlayer, YouTube, the AceTrax movie service, Skype, Twitter and Facebook. Note, though, that there's no open internet browser.
There's perhaps trouble brewing for the current Viera Connect onscreen menus when the number of apps available starts to soar, as the menus don't allow you to get many apps on screen at once.
It's also undeniable that rather a lot of the apps currently available are designed for overseas territories. Both these issues – particularly the latter one – are entirely fixable over time, though.
Pictures are frustratingly close to greatness, but don't quite manage to go the extra mile.
When it comes to contrast, for instance, while the set is impressively expressive at the brighter end of the video spectrum, it bottoms out into greyness a little earlier than we'd like when trying to render black picture areas. This makes the picture feel a touch unbalanced when watching high-contrast content such as a typical Blu-ray film and also obscures shadow detail in dark areas.
Motion handling is also slightly frustrating. Turn off the Intelligent Frame Creation (IFC) processing and you'll see more judder and motion blur than was evident on the TX-L32DT30B, presumably on account of this set's inferior 100Hz-plus-blinking-backlight arrangement versus its costlier, 200Hz sibling's scanning technology.
However, both judder and blur are reduced considerably by activating IFC, which makes motion exceptionally sharp and crisp, but at the cost of some flickering and halo-type artefacts when the set is pushed hard by very motion-heavy sequences.
Despite this, you'll probably find that you prefer to leave IFC on, though only to its Mid setting; a bit more control over IFC's potency – like the separate judder and blur tweaks Samsung gives you for its Motion Plus processing – would have been a good idea.
The main good news about the TX-L32E30B's pictures is that they have an enjoyably - and unusually for a 32-inch set - cinematic lustre, thanks in particular to the TV's colour handling. The set doesn't present colours with the sort of garish vibrancy many edge LED TVs achieve, so at first glance you might feel that its palette looks a touch muted.
The longer you live with it, though, the more you'll appreciate the naturalism, subtlety and balance of its tonal range and the way it assiduously follows the sort of reference colour cues preferred by organisations such as THX and the Imaging Science Foundation.
Sharpness is superb, too, with IFC helping render pristine HD sources that are full of texture, while standard-definition sources are upscaled with panache and without exaggeration of source noise.
It's also a relief to discover that black levels, while not particularly deep, are at least consistent, with the TX-L32E30B avoiding the sort of backlight inconsistencies that plague so many edge-lit TVs.
Lastly, the TX-L32E30B's IPS Alpha panel can be watched from wider viewing angles than most LCD TVs before contrast and colour levels start to plummet.
Sound
The TX-L32E30B's sound is slightly better than that of many 32-inch flat TVs, with a more open mid-range and well controlled - if not particularly extreme - bass and treble extensions.
The set even manages to open its soundstage up a bit to deliver more impact when action scenes kick in. The bass lacks the depth to make the audio truly special, though.
Value
The TX-L32E30B is difficult to judge in value terms. On the one hand, it's a whole آ£400 cheaper than Panasonic's TX-L32DT30B 3D-capable edge LED TV, so if you're a fan of Panasonic's LCD sets it's much more likely to be something you can afford.
It's also true to say that the TX-L32E30B has a decent feature count for its money, at least in some areas, with its multimedia capabilities being particularly impressive.
However, it also lacks a few features, especially on the calibration side of things that you might expect to see from other brands at this price. And while its pictures are generally good – excellent, with the right source material - they're not good enough to make it a genuine mid-range star.
Ease of use
Aside from the aforementioned difficulties with Viera Connect's interface and a disappointingly drab menu system, the TX-L32E30B is very easy to use.
The remote control has pleasingly large buttons, and a mostly intuitive and thoughtful layout, with only the rather tucked-away main menu button letting the side down.
The onscreen menus are also slightly better organised than previous incarnations and, although they might not be particularly stylish, they are at least easily legible.
The TX-L32E30B uses very similar panel technology to the flagship TX-L32DT30B and the lack of 3D playback is unlikely to be a disaster for most people after a 32-inch TV.
Likely to be of much more interest to a 32-inch buyer are multimedia features, and here the TX-L32E30B is right up to scratch, thanks to its DLNA capabilities, USB recording/playback, and Viera Connect online service.
The TX-L32E30B is also a substantial step forward aesthetically for Panasonic, thanks to its slinky profile, impressive build quality and cute finish, complete with a dash of metallic grey in the centre of the bottom edge.
There are many things to admire about its pictures, not least the way it sidesteps those two common edge-LED issues of limited viewing angles and inconsistent backlighting. Colours look warm and movie-friendly and motion clarity is outstanding with IFC engaged.
However, IFC can cause a few problems and without it motion is merely passable. The set's black level response is a little average too, and finally it would have been nice if there were a few more calibration tools to play with.
We liked
The TX-L32E30B is much easier on the eye than most previous Panasonic mid-range sets, and is better built than similarly specified models from other brands.
Its pictures are naturally coloured and sharp and its multimedia options are extensive and, for the most part, well thought-out. Plus, you can watch the set from a wider angle than most LCD models before the picture quality reduces badly.
We disliked
Black levels are rather average and, while IFC boosts motion clarity, it isn't without side effects. It's a shame, too, that the TX-L32E30B doesn't have more picture calibration tools, and آ£50-آ£100 off its price wouldn't be a bad thing either.
Finally, it's possible the Viera Connect interface might become a bit cumbersome as the service's content levels increase.
Final verdict
Cutting-edge technology, in the form of Panasonic's Viera Connect online platform, a new faster-responding panel design and an effective edge LED lighting system that helps enable intermittently outstanding pictures are set against awkward contrast levels, a few motion flaws and a lack of serious calibration tools to make the TX-L32E30B a good, rather than great mid-range 32-inch TV.
Related Links
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Read More ...
Review: Panasonic TX-L32E30B
If you're in the market for a 32-inch TV but can't summon any interest in 3D or can't afford the exceptional TX-L32DT30B, then Panasonic has the TX-L32E30B with which to tempt you.This strips away the 3D stuff and a few other bits and bobs to deliver a much more affordable edge-lit TV without, hopefully, any sacrifice in picture quality.
The TX-L32E30B shares the same IPS Alpha LCD panel as the TX-L32DT30B, which means that it can be watched from a wider angle than typical panels.
The TX-L32E30B also goes a bundle on multimedia tools, offering everything from DLNA PC compatibility to USB/SD card file playback and access to Panasonic's new Viera Connect online platform. Add to this some unusually good build quality for a mid-priced 32-inch TV, and the TX-L32E30B certainly has plenty to shout about.
It has 42-inch and 37-inch siblings: the TX-L42E30B and TX-L37E30B. As noted, for 3D you'll need to step up to Panasonic's 32-inch TX-L32DT30B or 37-inch TX-L37DT30B sets, which introduce more sophisticated colour management tools and 400Hz (actually 200Hz plus a scanning backlight).
If you'd prefer to pay less for IPS Alpha technology, the E3 series is available in 37, 32, 24 and 19-inch sizes. There is also a 42-inch model, but this has a conventional LCD display. The E3 series use straightforward 50Hz scanning rather than the 100Hz-plus-blinking-backlight of the E30s, giving them only around a third of the E30's moving picture resolution.
Although this is less likely to be of interest to you if you're after a 32-inch TV, we should add that Panasonic also has an extensive suite of plasma TVs, ranging in size from 42 all the way up to 65 inches. These include the flagship VT30 series, which has 3D playback and the highest level of Panasonic's plasma screen technology, with more affordable (but still 3D ready) options in the shape of the GT30 series and ST30 series.
Panasonic sets always tend to be well put together, but the TX-L32E30B marries good build quality to an unusually pleasing design.
An impressively slender rear finds room for a copious amount of connections. Few stones have remained unturned in the set's bid to deliver a truly comprehensive suite of multimedia functions. A LAN port, for instance, enables you to delve into Panasonic's brand new Viera Connect service, access files stored on a networked DLNA PC or tuck into services associated with its built-in Freeview HD tuner.
Three USB ports, meanwhile, can handle video, photo or music files from USB storage devices, or can be used to make the TV Wi-Fi-capable via an optional USB dongle. Or they can be used to record from the Freeview HD tuner to more recent powered external hard-disk drives.
On top of all this there is an SD slot for photo playback and a D-Sub PC port for simple computer connectivity. The only moan that might be raised about all this multimedia thoughtfulness is that the Wi-Fi isn't built in, but is an optional extra. Four HDMIs, meanwhile, ought to be plenty to go round.
It was noted in the introduction to this review that the TX-L32E30B uses one of Panasonic's IPS Alpha panels. It should also be stressed that the TX-L32E30B gets essentially the same advanced new panel design used for the TX-L32DT30B, which means a shortened distance between the backlight and screen and faster-responding liquid crystal material.
The TX-L32E30B shifts down to 200Hz from the L32DT30's 400Hz scanning, though.
Scrutiny of the TX-L32E30B's menus reveals that it also lacks some of the high-level calibration tools of the TX-L32DT30B. In particular, there's less control over the set's colours and gamma levels. This is a pity, considering that some other brands manage to provide extensive calibration tweaks on much cheaper TVs.
Panasonic's latest cloud-based online service, Viera Connect, improves upon last year's Viera Cast system by going more overtly down the Smart TV 'apps' approach, with an Apps Marketplace and the option to choose the applications you want and where they appear on the TV's onscreen menus.
All the apps at the time of writing were free, but it's as sure as night follows day that some paid-for ones will appear sooner rather than later. Also promised are hardware accessories including joysticks, treadmills, digital scales and pulse-monitoring armbands for use with some of the games and sport/leisure apps due for launch in the coming months.
Among the most notable of Viera Connect's services are the BBC iPlayer, YouTube, the AceTrax movie service, Skype, Twitter and Facebook. Note, though, that there's no open internet browser.
There's perhaps trouble brewing for the current Viera Connect onscreen menus when the number of apps available starts to soar, as the menus don't allow you to get many apps on screen at once.
It's also undeniable that rather a lot of the apps currently available are designed for overseas territories. Both these issues – particularly the latter one – are entirely fixable over time, though.
Pictures are frustratingly close to greatness, but don't quite manage to go the extra mile.
When it comes to contrast, for instance, while the set is impressively expressive at the brighter end of the video spectrum, it bottoms out into greyness a little earlier than we'd like when trying to render black picture areas. This makes the picture feel a touch unbalanced when watching high-contrast content such as a typical Blu-ray film and also obscures shadow detail in dark areas.
Motion handling is also slightly frustrating. Turn off the Intelligent Frame Creation (IFC) processing and you'll see more judder and motion blur than was evident on the TX-L32DT30B, presumably on account of this set's inferior 100Hz-plus-blinking-backlight arrangement versus its costlier, 200Hz sibling's scanning technology.
However, both judder and blur are reduced considerably by activating IFC, which makes motion exceptionally sharp and crisp, but at the cost of some flickering and halo-type artefacts when the set is pushed hard by very motion-heavy sequences.
Despite this, you'll probably find that you prefer to leave IFC on, though only to its Mid setting; a bit more control over IFC's potency – like the separate judder and blur tweaks Samsung gives you for its Motion Plus processing – would have been a good idea.
The main good news about the TX-L32E30B's pictures is that they have an enjoyably - and unusually for a 32-inch set - cinematic lustre, thanks in particular to the TV's colour handling. The set doesn't present colours with the sort of garish vibrancy many edge LED TVs achieve, so at first glance you might feel that its palette looks a touch muted.
The longer you live with it, though, the more you'll appreciate the naturalism, subtlety and balance of its tonal range and the way it assiduously follows the sort of reference colour cues preferred by organisations such as THX and the Imaging Science Foundation.
Sharpness is superb, too, with IFC helping render pristine HD sources that are full of texture, while standard-definition sources are upscaled with panache and without exaggeration of source noise.
It's also a relief to discover that black levels, while not particularly deep, are at least consistent, with the TX-L32E30B avoiding the sort of backlight inconsistencies that plague so many edge-lit TVs.
Lastly, the TX-L32E30B's IPS Alpha panel can be watched from wider viewing angles than most LCD TVs before contrast and colour levels start to plummet.
Sound
The TX-L32E30B's sound is slightly better than that of many 32-inch flat TVs, with a more open mid-range and well controlled - if not particularly extreme - bass and treble extensions.
The set even manages to open its soundstage up a bit to deliver more impact when action scenes kick in. The bass lacks the depth to make the audio truly special, though.
Value
The TX-L32E30B is difficult to judge in value terms. On the one hand, it's a whole آ£400 cheaper than Panasonic's TX-L32DT30B 3D-capable edge LED TV, so if you're a fan of Panasonic's LCD sets it's much more likely to be something you can afford.
It's also true to say that the TX-L32E30B has a decent feature count for its money, at least in some areas, with its multimedia capabilities being particularly impressive.
However, it also lacks a few features, especially on the calibration side of things that you might expect to see from other brands at this price. And while its pictures are generally good – excellent, with the right source material - they're not good enough to make it a genuine mid-range star.
Ease of use
Aside from the aforementioned difficulties with Viera Connect's interface and a disappointingly drab menu system, the TX-L32E30B is very easy to use.
The remote control has pleasingly large buttons, and a mostly intuitive and thoughtful layout, with only the rather tucked-away main menu button letting the side down.
The onscreen menus are also slightly better organised than previous incarnations and, although they might not be particularly stylish, they are at least easily legible.
The TX-L32E30B uses very similar panel technology to the flagship TX-L32DT30B and the lack of 3D playback is unlikely to be a disaster for most people after a 32-inch TV.
Likely to be of much more interest to a 32-inch buyer are multimedia features, and here the TX-L32E30B is right up to scratch, thanks to its DLNA capabilities, USB recording/playback, and Viera Connect online service.
The TX-L32E30B is also a substantial step forward aesthetically for Panasonic, thanks to its slinky profile, impressive build quality and cute finish, complete with a dash of metallic grey in the centre of the bottom edge.
There are many things to admire about its pictures, not least the way it sidesteps those two common edge-LED issues of limited viewing angles and inconsistent backlighting. Colours look warm and movie-friendly and motion clarity is outstanding with IFC engaged.
However, IFC can cause a few problems and without it motion is merely passable. The set's black level response is a little average too, and finally it would have been nice if there were a few more calibration tools to play with.
We liked
The TX-L32E30B is much easier on the eye than most previous Panasonic mid-range sets, and is better built than similarly specified models from other brands.
Its pictures are naturally coloured and sharp and its multimedia options are extensive and, for the most part, well thought-out. Plus, you can watch the set from a wider angle than most LCD models before the picture quality reduces badly.
We disliked
Black levels are rather average and, while IFC boosts motion clarity, it isn't without side effects. It's a shame, too, that the TX-L32E30B doesn't have more picture calibration tools, and آ£50-آ£100 off its price wouldn't be a bad thing either.
Finally, it's possible the Viera Connect interface might become a bit cumbersome as the service's content levels increase.
Final verdict
Cutting-edge technology, in the form of Panasonic's Viera Connect online platform, a new faster-responding panel design and an effective edge LED lighting system that helps enable intermittently outstanding pictures are set against awkward contrast levels, a few motion flaws and a lack of serious calibration tools to make the TX-L32E30B a good, rather than great mid-range 32-inch TV.
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Review: Panasonic TX-L32E30B
If you're in the market for a 32-inch TV but can't summon any interest in 3D or can't afford the exceptional TX-L32DT30B, then Panasonic has the TX-L32E30B with which to tempt you.This strips away the 3D stuff and a few other bits and bobs to deliver a much more affordable edge-lit TV without, hopefully, any sacrifice in picture quality.
The TX-L32E30B shares the same IPS Alpha LCD panel as the TX-L32DT30B, which means that it can be watched from a wider angle than typical panels.
The TX-L32E30B also goes a bundle on multimedia tools, offering everything from DLNA PC compatibility to USB/SD card file playback and access to Panasonic's new Viera Connect online platform. Add to this some unusually good build quality for a mid-priced 32-inch TV, and the TX-L32E30B certainly has plenty to shout about.
It has 42-inch and 37-inch siblings: the TX-L42E30B and TX-L37E30B. As noted, for 3D you'll need to step up to Panasonic's 32-inch TX-L32DT30B or 37-inch TX-L37DT30B sets, which introduce more sophisticated colour management tools and 400Hz (actually 200Hz plus a scanning backlight).
If you'd prefer to pay less for IPS Alpha technology, the E3 series is available in 37, 32, 24 and 19-inch sizes. There is also a 42-inch model, but this has a conventional LCD display. The E3 series use straightforward 50Hz scanning rather than the 100Hz-plus-blinking-backlight of the E30s, giving them only around a third of the E30's moving picture resolution.
Although this is less likely to be of interest to you if you're after a 32-inch TV, we should add that Panasonic also has an extensive suite of plasma TVs, ranging in size from 42 all the way up to 65 inches. These include the flagship VT30 series, which has 3D playback and the highest level of Panasonic's plasma screen technology, with more affordable (but still 3D ready) options in the shape of the GT30 series and ST30 series.
Panasonic sets always tend to be well put together, but the TX-L32E30B marries good build quality to an unusually pleasing design.
An impressively slender rear finds room for a copious amount of connections. Few stones have remained unturned in the set's bid to deliver a truly comprehensive suite of multimedia functions. A LAN port, for instance, enables you to delve into Panasonic's brand new Viera Connect service, access files stored on a networked DLNA PC or tuck into services associated with its built-in Freeview HD tuner.
Three USB ports, meanwhile, can handle video, photo or music files from USB storage devices, or can be used to make the TV Wi-Fi-capable via an optional USB dongle. Or they can be used to record from the Freeview HD tuner to more recent powered external hard-disk drives.
On top of all this there is an SD slot for photo playback and a D-Sub PC port for simple computer connectivity. The only moan that might be raised about all this multimedia thoughtfulness is that the Wi-Fi isn't built in, but is an optional extra. Four HDMIs, meanwhile, ought to be plenty to go round.
It was noted in the introduction to this review that the TX-L32E30B uses one of Panasonic's IPS Alpha panels. It should also be stressed that the TX-L32E30B gets essentially the same advanced new panel design used for the TX-L32DT30B, which means a shortened distance between the backlight and screen and faster-responding liquid crystal material.
The TX-L32E30B shifts down to 200Hz from the L32DT30's 400Hz scanning, though.
Scrutiny of the TX-L32E30B's menus reveals that it also lacks some of the high-level calibration tools of the TX-L32DT30B. In particular, there's less control over the set's colours and gamma levels. This is a pity, considering that some other brands manage to provide extensive calibration tweaks on much cheaper TVs.
Panasonic's latest cloud-based online service, Viera Connect, improves upon last year's Viera Cast system by going more overtly down the Smart TV 'apps' approach, with an Apps Marketplace and the option to choose the applications you want and where they appear on the TV's onscreen menus.
All the apps at the time of writing were free, but it's as sure as night follows day that some paid-for ones will appear sooner rather than later. Also promised are hardware accessories including joysticks, treadmills, digital scales and pulse-monitoring armbands for use with some of the games and sport/leisure apps due for launch in the coming months.
Among the most notable of Viera Connect's services are the BBC iPlayer, YouTube, the AceTrax movie service, Skype, Twitter and Facebook. Note, though, that there's no open internet browser.
There's perhaps trouble brewing for the current Viera Connect onscreen menus when the number of apps available starts to soar, as the menus don't allow you to get many apps on screen at once.
It's also undeniable that rather a lot of the apps currently available are designed for overseas territories. Both these issues – particularly the latter one – are entirely fixable over time, though.
Pictures are frustratingly close to greatness, but don't quite manage to go the extra mile.
When it comes to contrast, for instance, while the set is impressively expressive at the brighter end of the video spectrum, it bottoms out into greyness a little earlier than we'd like when trying to render black picture areas. This makes the picture feel a touch unbalanced when watching high-contrast content such as a typical Blu-ray film and also obscures shadow detail in dark areas.
Motion handling is also slightly frustrating. Turn off the Intelligent Frame Creation (IFC) processing and you'll see more judder and motion blur than was evident on the TX-L32DT30B, presumably on account of this set's inferior 100Hz-plus-blinking-backlight arrangement versus its costlier, 200Hz sibling's scanning technology.
However, both judder and blur are reduced considerably by activating IFC, which makes motion exceptionally sharp and crisp, but at the cost of some flickering and halo-type artefacts when the set is pushed hard by very motion-heavy sequences.
Despite this, you'll probably find that you prefer to leave IFC on, though only to its Mid setting; a bit more control over IFC's potency – like the separate judder and blur tweaks Samsung gives you for its Motion Plus processing – would have been a good idea.
The main good news about the TX-L32E30B's pictures is that they have an enjoyably - and unusually for a 32-inch set - cinematic lustre, thanks in particular to the TV's colour handling. The set doesn't present colours with the sort of garish vibrancy many edge LED TVs achieve, so at first glance you might feel that its palette looks a touch muted.
The longer you live with it, though, the more you'll appreciate the naturalism, subtlety and balance of its tonal range and the way it assiduously follows the sort of reference colour cues preferred by organisations such as THX and the Imaging Science Foundation.
Sharpness is superb, too, with IFC helping render pristine HD sources that are full of texture, while standard-definition sources are upscaled with panache and without exaggeration of source noise.
It's also a relief to discover that black levels, while not particularly deep, are at least consistent, with the TX-L32E30B avoiding the sort of backlight inconsistencies that plague so many edge-lit TVs.
Lastly, the TX-L32E30B's IPS Alpha panel can be watched from wider viewing angles than most LCD TVs before contrast and colour levels start to plummet.
Sound
The TX-L32E30B's sound is slightly better than that of many 32-inch flat TVs, with a more open mid-range and well controlled - if not particularly extreme - bass and treble extensions.
The set even manages to open its soundstage up a bit to deliver more impact when action scenes kick in. The bass lacks the depth to make the audio truly special, though.
Value
The TX-L32E30B is difficult to judge in value terms. On the one hand, it's a whole آ£400 cheaper than Panasonic's TX-L32DT30B 3D-capable edge LED TV, so if you're a fan of Panasonic's LCD sets it's much more likely to be something you can afford.
It's also true to say that the TX-L32E30B has a decent feature count for its money, at least in some areas, with its multimedia capabilities being particularly impressive.
However, it also lacks a few features, especially on the calibration side of things that you might expect to see from other brands at this price. And while its pictures are generally good – excellent, with the right source material - they're not good enough to make it a genuine mid-range star.
Ease of use
Aside from the aforementioned difficulties with Viera Connect's interface and a disappointingly drab menu system, the TX-L32E30B is very easy to use.
The remote control has pleasingly large buttons, and a mostly intuitive and thoughtful layout, with only the rather tucked-away main menu button letting the side down.
The onscreen menus are also slightly better organised than previous incarnations and, although they might not be particularly stylish, they are at least easily legible.
The TX-L32E30B uses very similar panel technology to the flagship TX-L32DT30B and the lack of 3D playback is unlikely to be a disaster for most people after a 32-inch TV.
Likely to be of much more interest to a 32-inch buyer are multimedia features, and here the TX-L32E30B is right up to scratch, thanks to its DLNA capabilities, USB recording/playback, and Viera Connect online service.
The TX-L32E30B is also a substantial step forward aesthetically for Panasonic, thanks to its slinky profile, impressive build quality and cute finish, complete with a dash of metallic grey in the centre of the bottom edge.
There are many things to admire about its pictures, not least the way it sidesteps those two common edge-LED issues of limited viewing angles and inconsistent backlighting. Colours look warm and movie-friendly and motion clarity is outstanding with IFC engaged.
However, IFC can cause a few problems and without it motion is merely passable. The set's black level response is a little average too, and finally it would have been nice if there were a few more calibration tools to play with.
We liked
The TX-L32E30B is much easier on the eye than most previous Panasonic mid-range sets, and is better built than similarly specified models from other brands.
Its pictures are naturally coloured and sharp and its multimedia options are extensive and, for the most part, well thought-out. Plus, you can watch the set from a wider angle than most LCD models before the picture quality reduces badly.
We disliked
Black levels are rather average and, while IFC boosts motion clarity, it isn't without side effects. It's a shame, too, that the TX-L32E30B doesn't have more picture calibration tools, and آ£50-آ£100 off its price wouldn't be a bad thing either.
Finally, it's possible the Viera Connect interface might become a bit cumbersome as the service's content levels increase.
Final verdict
Cutting-edge technology, in the form of Panasonic's Viera Connect online platform, a new faster-responding panel design and an effective edge LED lighting system that helps enable intermittently outstanding pictures are set against awkward contrast levels, a few motion flaws and a lack of serious calibration tools to make the TX-L32E30B a good, rather than great mid-range 32-inch TV.
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Apple iOS 5 may bring 'Spaces' to iPad
A patent filed by Apple suggests that iOS 5 will see 'Spaces' come to the iPad. On OS X for Mac computers and laptops, Spaces is an application that allows you to segment your desktop so you can group applications together and swiftly toggle between them.
The patent application shows a touchscreen device with Spaces controlled by multi-touch gestures, which hints at the gesture control that is only available to devs in iOS 4.3 becoming standard.
Space man
Each Spaces segment in the patent application shows a snapshot of the running application, suggesting that you will be able to switch between open apps effortlessly – something that iOS is currently sorely missing.
Patently Apple uncovered the patent, as it is wont to do, and goes as far as to suggest what we're seeing is in fact OS X Lion on the iPad.
We'd be very surprised to see Apple switch to its Mac OS on the iPad, but one thing's for sure: it needs to sort out its tablet multi-tasking quick sharp before Android tablets like the Motorola Xoomtake that crown.
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Apple iOS 5 may bring 'Spaces' to iPad
A patent filed by Apple suggests that iOS 5 will see 'Spaces' come to the iPad. On OS X for Mac computers and laptops, Spaces is an application that allows you to segment your desktop so you can group applications together and swiftly toggle between them.
The patent application shows a touchscreen device with Spaces controlled by multi-touch gestures, which hints at the gesture control that is only available to devs in iOS 4.3 becoming standard.
Space man
Each Spaces segment in the patent application shows a snapshot of the running application, suggesting that you will be able to switch between open apps effortlessly – something that iOS is currently sorely missing.
Patently Apple uncovered the patent, as it is wont to do, and goes as far as to suggest what we're seeing is in fact OS X Lion on the iPad.
We'd be very surprised to see Apple switch to its Mac OS on the iPad, but one thing's for sure: it needs to sort out its tablet multi-tasking quick sharp before Android tablets like the Motorola Xoomtake that crown.
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Read More ...
Apple iOS 5 may bring 'Spaces' to iPad
A patent filed by Apple suggests that iOS 5 will see 'Spaces' come to the iPad. On OS X for Mac computers and laptops, Spaces is an application that allows you to segment your desktop so you can group applications together and swiftly toggle between them.
The patent application shows a touchscreen device with Spaces controlled by multi-touch gestures, which hints at the gesture control that is only available to devs in iOS 4.3 becoming standard.
Space man
Each Spaces segment in the patent application shows a snapshot of the running application, suggesting that you will be able to switch between open apps effortlessly – something that iOS is currently sorely missing.
Patently Apple uncovered the patent, as it is wont to do, and goes as far as to suggest what we're seeing is in fact OS X Lion on the iPad.
We'd be very surprised to see Apple switch to its Mac OS on the iPad, but one thing's for sure: it needs to sort out its tablet multi-tasking quick sharp before Android tablets like the Motorola Xoomtake that crown.
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Read More ...
Apple iOS 5 may bring 'Spaces' to iPad
A patent filed by Apple suggests that iOS 5 will see 'Spaces' come to the iPad. On OS X for Mac computers and laptops, Spaces is an application that allows you to segment your desktop so you can group applications together and swiftly toggle between them.
The patent application shows a touchscreen device with Spaces controlled by multi-touch gestures, which hints at the gesture control that is only available to devs in iOS 4.3 becoming standard.
Space man
Each Spaces segment in the patent application shows a snapshot of the running application, suggesting that you will be able to switch between open apps effortlessly – something that iOS is currently sorely missing.
Patently Apple uncovered the patent, as it is wont to do, and goes as far as to suggest what we're seeing is in fact OS X Lion on the iPad.
We'd be very surprised to see Apple switch to its Mac OS on the iPad, but one thing's for sure: it needs to sort out its tablet multi-tasking quick sharp before Android tablets like the Motorola Xoomtake that crown.
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Read More ...
Review: Panasonic DMP-BDT310
The Panasonic DMP-BDT310 is the Japanese company's latest flagship 3D-ready Blu-ray player, taking everything that was great about last year's DMP-BDT300 and jazzing it up with a bunch of new features for 2011.It sits at the top of a range that also includes the entry-level, non-3D DMP-BD75, plus two lesser-spec'd 3D decks, the DMP-BDT110 and DMP-BDT210.
Some of the tastiest new tech relates to 3D playback – you get a whole bunch of 3D picture adjustments and 2D-to-3D conversion, which has previously only been available on Samsung's 3D-ready TVs.
The BDT310 has a couple of other fresh tricks up its sleeve – it allows you to make Skype video calls from the comfort of your armchair and can also be controlled using an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch with a free app.
These new talents join an already fit-to-burst feature list, which includes DLNA networking functionality, internet access and the usual array of picture processing power developed at Panasonic Hollywood Labs.
However, it's not only the feature list that's been revamped for 2011. All of the players have been compacted down into an impossibly slim casing (measuring just 35mm high), which not only makes them easier on your AV cabinet but also makes less of an impact on the environment due to the reduction in packaging.
What's more, the DMP-BDT310 has been blessed with another funky new cosmetic feature – the Touch Free Sensor. Simply wave your hand over the top-mounted sensor and the disc tray opens, and another wave shuts it. Superficial it may be, but it's undeniably cool too.
The sleek black deck also features an unusual diagonally dappled texture on top, which shimmers in the light. The front panel sports an SD card slot, which is designed for BD Live storage and MPEG-2, JPEG, MPO and AVCHD playback, plus a USB port that supports DivX HD, MKV, MP3, JPEG and WMV.
The biggest talking point on the rear panel is the presence of two HDMI outputs. That makes it possible to enjoy 3D pictures and HD audio soundtracks simultaneously if your AV receiver lacks HDMI v1.4 inputs. It's a feature we loved on the BDT300 and we're pleased to see it return. Of course, if your AV receiver boasts HDMI v1.4 inputs then the second output is of little use.
Elsewhere on the back you get USB and Ethernet ports, optical digital audio, analogue stereo and composite video outputs. Multichannel analogue and component video outputs are missing but aren't a great loss.
Chief among the new 3D-related features is 2D-to-3D conversion, which works with any 2D Blu-ray or DVD and was included off the back of 'significant consumer demand'.
Anyone who's seen the retrospectively converted 3D version of Clash of the Titans will know that this sort of technology isn't always successful, but given the right material it could be a worthwhile inclusion.
By the admission of Panasonic's Chief AV Engineer Tony Itani, its 2D to 3D conversion is 'conservative' so you're not going to get the same immersive depth and layering as real 3D – indeed we were straining to see much extra depth with our Inception disc.
But with the 2D Avatar disc, for example, the results are much more impressive.
It's joined by a range of 3D modes such as Screen Frame, which adds a diffused border along the sides of the picture. This softens the hard edge where the image meets the bezel, which, according to Panasonic, some people find uncomfortable to watch, although it's not something we had ever considered before it was pointed out. You can change the width and colour but whatever you do the frame is distracting. If you don't like it, you don't have to use it.
Other tweaks allow you to alter the depth of the 3D effect and the screen type, which affects the way the left and right images are composed on screen. However useful these adjustments turn out to be, we should applaud this level of flexibility.
Another new addition to the feature list is Skype, which allows you to make video calls from the comfort of your sofa.
Given the growing number of people using this VoIP service it's a canny inclusion, and works brilliantly thanks to the bright 'n' breezy user interface and nifty features like an auto answering message and the ability for callers to leave video messages on SD card when you're not there (with an upgrade available from April). The only downside is that you have to fork out around آ£120 for the TY-CC10W communication camera.
Networking of the more anti-social type is also possible on the DMP-BT310 thanks to its DLNA support and built in Wi-Fi. You can stream music, video and photos from Windows 7 PCs and NAS drives on your network, as well as recordings stored on Panasonic DIGA recorders.
And if you've got an iPhone or iPad, then you can control the DMP-BDT310 using your Apple device with a free app (which should have been released by the time you read this). It works with Gesture and Scrub, and even lets you carry out a couple of functions the real remote won't. You can also access content from networked devices through your iPhone.
The Viera Cast internet portal also makes a reappearance, although it's a shame that it hasn't been upgraded to the improved Viera Connect. Viera Cast's range of content is starting to feel a little tired, with key sites (YouTube, Picasa, Twitter, Bloomberg) being outnumbered by content aimed at the German and French markets. Desolأ©e, ca ne m'interesse pas.
There's a couple of audio features peculiar to this model. Digital Tube Sound aims to replicate the warmth of vacuum tube amplifiers, with six different settings to choose from. Meanwhile High Clarity Sound simply shuts down analogue video circuitry so it doesn't interfere with the audio signals.
Finally on the features front, Panasonic has introduced a brilliant new operating system, which is one of the most intuitive we've encountered. Icons on the main menu are laid out in a cross, corresponding to the left, right, up and down controls on the top-notch remote, and a single button press takes you to the relevant option.
In performance terms the DMP-BDT310's picture quality is sublime, particularly when viewed on one of Panasonic's plasmas. The depth and density of 2D images makes them seem instantly rich and cinematic, plus the image is crammed with the sharpest detail possible.
But switch to 3D and the wow factor increases – the smoothness and clarity with which the BDT310 handles Avatar's Full HD images is truly masterful, sucking you right into the achingly beautiful Pandoran landscapes. Crosstalk and blurring are simply not an issue, and despite the dimmed glasses the radiant colours and sizzling detail manage to punch right through to your retinas. Gorgeous stuff.
Part of the reason for its success is the Adaptive Chroma Processing at work inside the player, which upsamples colour information from 4:2:0 to 4:2:2 and makes colours look a little cleaner and more faithful than some other Blu-ray players – in turn helping to deliver a deeper and more believable 3D effect.
Sonically the DMP-BDT310 is surprisingly good by Blu-ray player standards. Music sounds crisp and open, without leaning too heavily on the top-end frequencies, and there's a healthy dose of bottom end punch. Digital Tube Sound is also a welcome feature, lending an extra layer of depth, although it won't be to everyone's taste.
Disc loading is faster than last year's DMP-BDT300, loading up discs in around half the time.
Although the DMP-BDT310 is expensive compared to some rival flagship players (particularly when you add the cost of the Skype camera), it certainly crams in a lot for the money. The feature list is extraordinary, throwing in everything from Wi-Fi enabled networking and Skype functionality to iPhone control and 2D-to-3D conversion – and that's before we've even mentioned Blu-ray playback.
That said, the 3D conversion isn't always effective, and it's a shame the new-fangled Viera Connect hasn't yet filtered down to Panasonic's Blu-ray decks. But any such concerns are wiped away when you clap eyes on the deck's immaculate 2D and 3D pictures and hear its surprisingly good CD playback.
We liked:
The DMP-BDT310's incredibly generous feature list, which leaves no stone unturned, and the excellent picture performance with 2D and 3D discs. It's also a cinch to use thanks to the attractive new operating system while the compact casing and Touch-Free Sensor make the external design highly appealing. Two HDMIs is a bonus too.
We disliked:
It's relatively expensive. Viera Cast needs more compelling content to match Samsung and Sony's offerings, and 3D conversion isn't particularly convincing. And as much as we love Skype, the price of the communication camera is a big ask.
Verdict:
If you can raise the funds, the DMP-BDT310 will reward you with an avalanche of cutting-edge features, knockout 2D and 3D pictures, and a brilliant operating system
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Review: Panasonic DMP-BDT310
The Panasonic DMP-BDT310 is the Japanese company's latest flagship 3D-ready Blu-ray player, taking everything that was great about last year's DMP-BDT300 and jazzing it up with a bunch of new features for 2011.It sits at the top of a range that also includes the entry-level, non-3D DMP-BD75, plus two lesser-spec'd 3D decks, the DMP-BDT110 and DMP-BDT210.
Some of the tastiest new tech relates to 3D playback – you get a whole bunch of 3D picture adjustments and 2D-to-3D conversion, which has previously only been available on Samsung's 3D-ready TVs.
The BDT310 has a couple of other fresh tricks up its sleeve – it allows you to make Skype video calls from the comfort of your armchair and can also be controlled using an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch with a free app.
These new talents join an already fit-to-burst feature list, which includes DLNA networking functionality, internet access and the usual array of picture processing power developed at Panasonic Hollywood Labs.
However, it's not only the feature list that's been revamped for 2011. All of the players have been compacted down into an impossibly slim casing (measuring just 35mm high), which not only makes them easier on your AV cabinet but also makes less of an impact on the environment due to the reduction in packaging.
What's more, the DMP-BDT310 has been blessed with another funky new cosmetic feature – the Touch Free Sensor. Simply wave your hand over the top-mounted sensor and the disc tray opens, and another wave shuts it. Superficial it may be, but it's undeniably cool too.
The sleek black deck also features an unusual diagonally dappled texture on top, which shimmers in the light. The front panel sports an SD card slot, which is designed for BD Live storage and MPEG-2, JPEG, MPO and AVCHD playback, plus a USB port that supports DivX HD, MKV, MP3, JPEG and WMV.
The biggest talking point on the rear panel is the presence of two HDMI outputs. That makes it possible to enjoy 3D pictures and HD audio soundtracks simultaneously if your AV receiver lacks HDMI v1.4 inputs. It's a feature we loved on the BDT300 and we're pleased to see it return. Of course, if your AV receiver boasts HDMI v1.4 inputs then the second output is of little use.
Elsewhere on the back you get USB and Ethernet ports, optical digital audio, analogue stereo and composite video outputs. Multichannel analogue and component video outputs are missing but aren't a great loss.
Chief among the new 3D-related features is 2D-to-3D conversion, which works with any 2D Blu-ray or DVD and was included off the back of 'significant consumer demand'.
Anyone who's seen the retrospectively converted 3D version of Clash of the Titans will know that this sort of technology isn't always successful, but given the right material it could be a worthwhile inclusion.
By the admission of Panasonic's Chief AV Engineer Tony Itani, its 2D to 3D conversion is 'conservative' so you're not going to get the same immersive depth and layering as real 3D – indeed we were straining to see much extra depth with our Inception disc.
But with the 2D Avatar disc, for example, the results are much more impressive.
It's joined by a range of 3D modes such as Screen Frame, which adds a diffused border along the sides of the picture. This softens the hard edge where the image meets the bezel, which, according to Panasonic, some people find uncomfortable to watch, although it's not something we had ever considered before it was pointed out. You can change the width and colour but whatever you do the frame is distracting. If you don't like it, you don't have to use it.
Other tweaks allow you to alter the depth of the 3D effect and the screen type, which affects the way the left and right images are composed on screen. However useful these adjustments turn out to be, we should applaud this level of flexibility.
Another new addition to the feature list is Skype, which allows you to make video calls from the comfort of your sofa.
Given the growing number of people using this VoIP service it's a canny inclusion, and works brilliantly thanks to the bright 'n' breezy user interface and nifty features like an auto answering message and the ability for callers to leave video messages on SD card when you're not there (with an upgrade available from April). The only downside is that you have to fork out around آ£120 for the TY-CC10W communication camera.
Networking of the more anti-social type is also possible on the DMP-BT310 thanks to its DLNA support and built in Wi-Fi. You can stream music, video and photos from Windows 7 PCs and NAS drives on your network, as well as recordings stored on Panasonic DIGA recorders.
And if you've got an iPhone or iPad, then you can control the DMP-BDT310 using your Apple device with a free app (which should have been released by the time you read this). It works with Gesture and Scrub, and even lets you carry out a couple of functions the real remote won't. You can also access content from networked devices through your iPhone.
The Viera Cast internet portal also makes a reappearance, although it's a shame that it hasn't been upgraded to the improved Viera Connect. Viera Cast's range of content is starting to feel a little tired, with key sites (YouTube, Picasa, Twitter, Bloomberg) being outnumbered by content aimed at the German and French markets. Desolأ©e, ca ne m'interesse pas.
There's a couple of audio features peculiar to this model. Digital Tube Sound aims to replicate the warmth of vacuum tube amplifiers, with six different settings to choose from. Meanwhile High Clarity Sound simply shuts down analogue video circuitry so it doesn't interfere with the audio signals.
Finally on the features front, Panasonic has introduced a brilliant new operating system, which is one of the most intuitive we've encountered. Icons on the main menu are laid out in a cross, corresponding to the left, right, up and down controls on the top-notch remote, and a single button press takes you to the relevant option.
In performance terms the DMP-BDT310's picture quality is sublime, particularly when viewed on one of Panasonic's plasmas. The depth and density of 2D images makes them seem instantly rich and cinematic, plus the image is crammed with the sharpest detail possible.
But switch to 3D and the wow factor increases – the smoothness and clarity with which the BDT310 handles Avatar's Full HD images is truly masterful, sucking you right into the achingly beautiful Pandoran landscapes. Crosstalk and blurring are simply not an issue, and despite the dimmed glasses the radiant colours and sizzling detail manage to punch right through to your retinas. Gorgeous stuff.
Part of the reason for its success is the Adaptive Chroma Processing at work inside the player, which upsamples colour information from 4:2:0 to 4:2:2 and makes colours look a little cleaner and more faithful than some other Blu-ray players – in turn helping to deliver a deeper and more believable 3D effect.
Sonically the DMP-BDT310 is surprisingly good by Blu-ray player standards. Music sounds crisp and open, without leaning too heavily on the top-end frequencies, and there's a healthy dose of bottom end punch. Digital Tube Sound is also a welcome feature, lending an extra layer of depth, although it won't be to everyone's taste.
Disc loading is faster than last year's DMP-BDT300, loading up discs in around half the time.
Although the DMP-BDT310 is expensive compared to some rival flagship players (particularly when you add the cost of the Skype camera), it certainly crams in a lot for the money. The feature list is extraordinary, throwing in everything from Wi-Fi enabled networking and Skype functionality to iPhone control and 2D-to-3D conversion – and that's before we've even mentioned Blu-ray playback.
That said, the 3D conversion isn't always effective, and it's a shame the new-fangled Viera Connect hasn't yet filtered down to Panasonic's Blu-ray decks. But any such concerns are wiped away when you clap eyes on the deck's immaculate 2D and 3D pictures and hear its surprisingly good CD playback.
We liked:
The DMP-BDT310's incredibly generous feature list, which leaves no stone unturned, and the excellent picture performance with 2D and 3D discs. It's also a cinch to use thanks to the attractive new operating system while the compact casing and Touch-Free Sensor make the external design highly appealing. Two HDMIs is a bonus too.
We disliked:
It's relatively expensive. Viera Cast needs more compelling content to match Samsung and Sony's offerings, and 3D conversion isn't particularly convincing. And as much as we love Skype, the price of the communication camera is a big ask.
Verdict:
If you can raise the funds, the DMP-BDT310 will reward you with an avalanche of cutting-edge features, knockout 2D and 3D pictures, and a brilliant operating system
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Review: Panasonic DMP-BDT310
The Panasonic DMP-BDT310 is the Japanese company's latest flagship 3D-ready Blu-ray player, taking everything that was great about last year's DMP-BDT300 and jazzing it up with a bunch of new features for 2011.It sits at the top of a range that also includes the entry-level, non-3D DMP-BD75, plus two lesser-spec'd 3D decks, the DMP-BDT110 and DMP-BDT210.
Some of the tastiest new tech relates to 3D playback – you get a whole bunch of 3D picture adjustments and 2D-to-3D conversion, which has previously only been available on Samsung's 3D-ready TVs.
The BDT310 has a couple of other fresh tricks up its sleeve – it allows you to make Skype video calls from the comfort of your armchair and can also be controlled using an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch with a free app.
These new talents join an already fit-to-burst feature list, which includes DLNA networking functionality, internet access and the usual array of picture processing power developed at Panasonic Hollywood Labs.
However, it's not only the feature list that's been revamped for 2011. All of the players have been compacted down into an impossibly slim casing (measuring just 35mm high), which not only makes them easier on your AV cabinet but also makes less of an impact on the environment due to the reduction in packaging.
What's more, the DMP-BDT310 has been blessed with another funky new cosmetic feature – the Touch Free Sensor. Simply wave your hand over the top-mounted sensor and the disc tray opens, and another wave shuts it. Superficial it may be, but it's undeniably cool too.
The sleek black deck also features an unusual diagonally dappled texture on top, which shimmers in the light. The front panel sports an SD card slot, which is designed for BD Live storage and MPEG-2, JPEG, MPO and AVCHD playback, plus a USB port that supports DivX HD, MKV, MP3, JPEG and WMV.
The biggest talking point on the rear panel is the presence of two HDMI outputs. That makes it possible to enjoy 3D pictures and HD audio soundtracks simultaneously if your AV receiver lacks HDMI v1.4 inputs. It's a feature we loved on the BDT300 and we're pleased to see it return. Of course, if your AV receiver boasts HDMI v1.4 inputs then the second output is of little use.
Elsewhere on the back you get USB and Ethernet ports, optical digital audio, analogue stereo and composite video outputs. Multichannel analogue and component video outputs are missing but aren't a great loss.
Chief among the new 3D-related features is 2D-to-3D conversion, which works with any 2D Blu-ray or DVD and was included off the back of 'significant consumer demand'.
Anyone who's seen the retrospectively converted 3D version of Clash of the Titans will know that this sort of technology isn't always successful, but given the right material it could be a worthwhile inclusion.
By the admission of Panasonic's Chief AV Engineer Tony Itani, its 2D to 3D conversion is 'conservative' so you're not going to get the same immersive depth and layering as real 3D – indeed we were straining to see much extra depth with our Inception disc.
But with the 2D Avatar disc, for example, the results are much more impressive.
It's joined by a range of 3D modes such as Screen Frame, which adds a diffused border along the sides of the picture. This softens the hard edge where the image meets the bezel, which, according to Panasonic, some people find uncomfortable to watch, although it's not something we had ever considered before it was pointed out. You can change the width and colour but whatever you do the frame is distracting. If you don't like it, you don't have to use it.
Other tweaks allow you to alter the depth of the 3D effect and the screen type, which affects the way the left and right images are composed on screen. However useful these adjustments turn out to be, we should applaud this level of flexibility.
Another new addition to the feature list is Skype, which allows you to make video calls from the comfort of your sofa.
Given the growing number of people using this VoIP service it's a canny inclusion, and works brilliantly thanks to the bright 'n' breezy user interface and nifty features like an auto answering message and the ability for callers to leave video messages on SD card when you're not there (with an upgrade available from April). The only downside is that you have to fork out around آ£120 for the TY-CC10W communication camera.
Networking of the more anti-social type is also possible on the DMP-BT310 thanks to its DLNA support and built in Wi-Fi. You can stream music, video and photos from Windows 7 PCs and NAS drives on your network, as well as recordings stored on Panasonic DIGA recorders.
And if you've got an iPhone or iPad, then you can control the DMP-BDT310 using your Apple device with a free app (which should have been released by the time you read this). It works with Gesture and Scrub, and even lets you carry out a couple of functions the real remote won't. You can also access content from networked devices through your iPhone.
The Viera Cast internet portal also makes a reappearance, although it's a shame that it hasn't been upgraded to the improved Viera Connect. Viera Cast's range of content is starting to feel a little tired, with key sites (YouTube, Picasa, Twitter, Bloomberg) being outnumbered by content aimed at the German and French markets. Desolأ©e, ca ne m'interesse pas.
There's a couple of audio features peculiar to this model. Digital Tube Sound aims to replicate the warmth of vacuum tube amplifiers, with six different settings to choose from. Meanwhile High Clarity Sound simply shuts down analogue video circuitry so it doesn't interfere with the audio signals.
Finally on the features front, Panasonic has introduced a brilliant new operating system, which is one of the most intuitive we've encountered. Icons on the main menu are laid out in a cross, corresponding to the left, right, up and down controls on the top-notch remote, and a single button press takes you to the relevant option.
In performance terms the DMP-BDT310's picture quality is sublime, particularly when viewed on one of Panasonic's plasmas. The depth and density of 2D images makes them seem instantly rich and cinematic, plus the image is crammed with the sharpest detail possible.
But switch to 3D and the wow factor increases – the smoothness and clarity with which the BDT310 handles Avatar's Full HD images is truly masterful, sucking you right into the achingly beautiful Pandoran landscapes. Crosstalk and blurring are simply not an issue, and despite the dimmed glasses the radiant colours and sizzling detail manage to punch right through to your retinas. Gorgeous stuff.
Part of the reason for its success is the Adaptive Chroma Processing at work inside the player, which upsamples colour information from 4:2:0 to 4:2:2 and makes colours look a little cleaner and more faithful than some other Blu-ray players – in turn helping to deliver a deeper and more believable 3D effect.
Sonically the DMP-BDT310 is surprisingly good by Blu-ray player standards. Music sounds crisp and open, without leaning too heavily on the top-end frequencies, and there's a healthy dose of bottom end punch. Digital Tube Sound is also a welcome feature, lending an extra layer of depth, although it won't be to everyone's taste.
Disc loading is faster than last year's DMP-BDT300, loading up discs in around half the time.
Although the DMP-BDT310 is expensive compared to some rival flagship players (particularly when you add the cost of the Skype camera), it certainly crams in a lot for the money. The feature list is extraordinary, throwing in everything from Wi-Fi enabled networking and Skype functionality to iPhone control and 2D-to-3D conversion – and that's before we've even mentioned Blu-ray playback.
That said, the 3D conversion isn't always effective, and it's a shame the new-fangled Viera Connect hasn't yet filtered down to Panasonic's Blu-ray decks. But any such concerns are wiped away when you clap eyes on the deck's immaculate 2D and 3D pictures and hear its surprisingly good CD playback.
We liked:
The DMP-BDT310's incredibly generous feature list, which leaves no stone unturned, and the excellent picture performance with 2D and 3D discs. It's also a cinch to use thanks to the attractive new operating system while the compact casing and Touch-Free Sensor make the external design highly appealing. Two HDMIs is a bonus too.
We disliked:
It's relatively expensive. Viera Cast needs more compelling content to match Samsung and Sony's offerings, and 3D conversion isn't particularly convincing. And as much as we love Skype, the price of the communication camera is a big ask.
Verdict:
If you can raise the funds, the DMP-BDT310 will reward you with an avalanche of cutting-edge features, knockout 2D and 3D pictures, and a brilliant operating system
Related Links
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Read More ...
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