AT&T responds to FaceTime criticism with scathing blog post
AT&T went on the defensive following criticism that its FaceTime over cellular policy doesn't live up to the FCC's net neutrality rules, issuing a tersely-worded response Thursday.
The carrier claims it's well within its rights to force users into switching to new Mobile Share plans because FaceTime is preloaded with iOS rather than being downloaded from the App Store.
Only last week, AT&T confirmed that iPhone users who wish to use FaceTime over cellular when iOS 6 arrives this fall would have to switch to the new service, which rolls out on Thursday and allows customers to purchase a single bucket of data that can be shared with up to 10 devices.
Critics lash out
AT&T's assertions of net neutrality compliance have ruffled feathers at Free Press, an organization aimed at reforming media and technology policies.The organization recently launched an online campaign in the hopes it will force the carrier to unshackle FaceTime over cellular from the Mobile Share data plan.
"AT&T is inventing words that are not in the FCC's rules in a weak attempt to justify its blocking of FaceTime," S. Derek Turner, research director at Free Press, explained.
"The FCC's rules are crystal clear: AT&T is not permitted to block voice or video telephony applications that compete with its own services. There is simply nothing in the rules that distinguishes 'preloaded' applications from 'downloaded' applications.
"It is interesting to see AT&T try this line of defense, as it is tacitly admitting that it is both blocking FaceTime and that the app does in fact compete with its own offerings."
AT&T also cited "an overriding concern" with the impact FaceTime over cellular might have on its data network as a secondary reason for limiting the service to a specific plan.
"If that were true, why should current non-mobile share customers that purchase 3GB of data be blocked from using mobile FaceTime, while customers who purchase the 1GB shared data tier are not blocked?" Turner said, calling AT&T's assertion "ludicrous and contradicted by the facts."
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Archos gearing up smaller versions of 101 XS tablet
Archos announced its latest 10.1-inch tablet, the 101 XS, Tuesday, but one – or rather, two – details that've emerged from the scuffle over coverage is that the company is also planning both 9.7- and 8-inch versions of the thin tab.
It looks as though these models will also squeeze into the 10.1's 8mm thick frame as well as pack the cover/keyboard that adds an almost imperceptible jump in girth.
Virtually everything about the shorter tabs looks to be the same as their longer counterpart, with an ARM smart multi-core A9 processor, 1.5GHz, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of memory, which is boostable with the install of a microSD card.
The keyboard-housing cover will also fit to each tablet's size, Archos said.
No date or price
The only real difference, besides size, appears to be in the resolution, with the 8-inch model's res specked at 1,024 x 768 and the 9.7 at 1,280 x 800 16:10 screen, just under the 101 XS' 1280 x 800.Archos filled TechRadar in on an expected Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for the 101 XS in November, but no word on any such upgrade for the smaller models. However, we'd be surprised if they weren't part of the Android upgrade package.
The 80 XS and 97 XS, as they've been dubbed, should drop by year's end.
And though we know the 10.1 comes out in mid-September at $400 (£299), when and for how much we'll see the slighter versions stays a question mark, or two, for now.
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Archos 101 XS – Transformer Prime rival revealed
Archos has announced that arrival of its latest tablet in the 10.1 size range: the Archos 101 XS.
This Android 4.0-toting device is one of the slimmest tablets around – at 8mm – and it comes complete with its very own Coverboard, a cross between a cover and a keyboard.
At 5mm thick, the cover adds a little girth to the tablet but still only makes it 1mm fatter than a new iPad.
Connecting to the Archos 101 XS by magnets, once you flip the cover off you can use it as a keyboard dock, which essentially puts the XS in direct competition with the Asus Transformer Prime range.
Tablet talk
When it comes to specs, there's an Arm smart multi-core A9 processor at 1.5GHz, 16GB of memory (expandable by microSD card), 1GB of RAM and the display quality is 1280 x 800.There is also a 720p camera on the front, access to Archos' media centre and a multitude of connections – including USB 2.0, mini HDMI, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct.
Weight-wise you are looking at just 600g and you will be pleased to read that Archos has decided not to tinker with Android whatsoever – offering the OS as Google intended.
Archos has told TechRadar that the Archos 101 XS will be updated to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean come November.
TechRadar has already fondled it, so check out our hands on: Archos 101 XS review for a more detailed look at the tablet, which is set to come out mid September and cost £299.
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Hands-on review: Archos 101 XS
Archos 101 XS: look and feel
Archos knew it needed to do something a little different with the Archos 101 XS - the company's latest 10.1 Android 4.0-toting tablet.The tablet game has changed so much in the last year that to get yourself noticed and sway users away from purchasing an iPad you need to offer something a little extra.
In the case of the Archos 101 XS, this little extra comes in the form of the Coverboard – a magnetic keyboard that also acts as protection to the tablet and a docking station for the 101 XS.
This isn't something that's new – Archos knows very well that it is up against the rather popular Asus Transformer Prime in this category but it does, on paper at least, proves to be a superior option.
Where the Transformer Prime Infinity is quite chunky in the hand with its keyboard dock – 17mm in thickness – Archos has done everything it can to shave the millimetres down. In the keyboard case, the Archos 101 XS measures a mere 13mm, which is just 1mm thicker than the new iPad.
When it comes to the Coverboard, there's no hinges to deal with either – the thing connects to the tablet through the use of magnets. And they are strong, too. We had no problems picking the device up from its screen, as the keyboard followed suit, supported only by the magnets and a small kick-stand.
It feels surprisingly sturdy when attached, even if it doesn't feel that smooth when you take the cover off of the tablet.
Given that the Coverboard touches the screen, it felt a little weird sliding the thing across the panel – the sides are rubberised to prevent any scratches – but you can also prise it off like you would a laptop cover. Both ways did take some getting used to, however.
The good thing about having the cover is that you have no fear chucking the tablet in your bag after you have used it – it just makes the Archos 101 XS that little bit more durable.
As for the keyboard, just don't expect miracles. On the plus side, the keyboard is fully optimised for Android. This means that there are hot-keys to get you to the different screens and options that are available on the OS. Once you work out where they are, the keyboard is great to use but we can't see this ever being a replacement to a real laptop.
Those who ever have had problems with a netbook's keyboard will have a bit of a nightmare here. The keys are very close together and while it is a full QWERTY chiclet keyboard, you can't help feel that ease of use has been sacrificed by Archos to make the cover as thin as possible.
According to an Archos spokesperson, 5mm – the thickness of the cover – is the absolute minimum you can have for a keyboard and, after many different prototypes, that is what they opted for.
We do need to give the Coverboard a more extensive trial but it was difficult for us to touchtype on a keyboard of this size - we were impressed by the idea of it though.
Unlike the Transformer Prime's dock Archos' keyboard doesn't have any battery power, but there is a proprietary USB connector on the back so you can charge the tablet through the device. Interestingly, this is one of the first times Archos has gone down the proprietary route, but it was the only way it could fit a connector on the ultra-thin cover.
As for the actual tablet, it is really thin at just 8mm and weighs a mere 600g. The tablet has a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 display and looks-wise it is the business. Although there's no sign of Gorilla Glass, Archos has opted for a bind fiber casing and a metal frame. This is said to give it enough strength to not smash when dropped on its corner. It certainly feels durable.
On the front there is a thin speaker grill and a front-facing 720p camera. Flip it over and there's no camera to be seen, so you want be able to go out and about and take photos with the Archos 101 XS. We have seen enough people try and do this with an iPad, however, and this can only be a good thing.
Archos 101 XS: features
Connections-wise there's USB, mini HDMI out and a microSD card slot. This will definitely come in handy as the Archos 101 XS only comes with 16GB storage as standard – any more and you will have to use the expandable memory.It only comes in the silver-white colour too – we're guessing this is to help with the manufacturing process of the tablet.
There's also Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct and Bluetooth 4.0 on board, as well as a microphone and GPS.
When tried out the multi-tasking capabilities of the Archos 101 XS in our hands on and were impressed with what we saw.
The tablet comes with a multi-core Arm A9 chipset clocked to 1.5GHz which isn't mind-blowing but there was no noticeable lag when we tried out Asphalt 6, checking out TechRadar on the web and loading up OfficeSuite Pro 6 - which comes free with the tablet.
The viewing angle on the screen was great too, even in direct sunlight.
Those who like their Android vanilla will be pleased to hear that the Archos 101 XS has no overlay whatsoever, so what you get is full Ice Cream Sandwich as Google intended and it is fully Google certified too.
This is definitely a good thing, but Archos has also added a number of its own services to the device. On board is the Archos Media Centre with its video carousel, which is decent enough to use. It's good with metadata, too, so any movie you load into it will come up with information about the film and even the option of subtitles should you need them.
Considering Archos' pedigree is in delivering a decent media experience, regardless of the codec you use, it's nice to see this on board. There's also the usual Google Video and Music portals as well.
Couple this with mini-HDMI port and streaming capabilities and what you have is a very competent media device.
The Archos 101 XS is a well-designed, nice looking device but, and we'll say it again, don't go expecting too much from its keyboard functionality. While it is a nice added extra – and one that apparently doesn't take anything away from the tablet's 10-hour battery life – it won't impress those who crave the professional feel of the Transformer Prime. It seems that a loss of inches doesn't really equal quality.
This niggle aside, though, Archos looks as though it may well finally have a contender in the Android tablet market. We won't be able to say for certain, though, until we test it extensively in our upcoming Archos 101 XS review.
The Archos 101 XS release date is mid September and will be priced at £299.99.
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News in Brief: One More Thing: Why would you need a washable keyboard?
Rub a dub dub - There are many reasons why a washable keyboard might come in handy and let's just focus on the savoury ones, like, perhaps, you're quite clumsy and you drink a lot of sugary drinks at your desk. In which case you should be interested in Logitech's Washable Keyboard K310 which will be hitting the shops in October, priced £34.99. [Logitech]
Itsy bitsy - What the world needs now is a BitCoin debit card. Good news then, it's getting one in six weeks' time. You'll be able to use it anywhere that takes Mastercard – but it'll cost you $10 (about £6) to get a card and then a 1% fee every time you use it. [Coding In My Sleep]
Press release of the day - "BANG! The Drill Gun Power Screwdriver is the only way Schwarzenegger fixes his cabinets!" And that's really all we want to know about it. We'll take two. [PR]
Docbot – Johnny 5 can check if you're alive over in Northern Ireland, where robots are being used at Daisy Hill Hospital to let doctors give you a once over from afar. [BBC]
Digi-mon - Side By Side appears to be Keanu Reeves' eulogy to films filmed on film, with loads of famous talking heads pontificating on the impact of digital filmmaking. Reeves told the Telegraph, "Personally I'm a big film fan and it's sad to see it go but the future is digital." [Telegraph]
Free Pussy Riot - The Russian contingent of hacktivist collective Anonymous has hijacked a Russian court's website after it jailed punk band Pussy Riot. One of the band's lawyers, Mark Feygin, said "Of course I do not approve of hacking attacks but I cannot hide genuine admiration for the daredevils from Anonymous. If they arrest them, I will defend them." OMT cannot hide genuine admiration for Mark Feygin. Right on, brother. [Guardian]
Balloon-y tunes – Looks like the latest craze in ballooning is to do it without the aid of a seat. This is according to former British Airways pilot Brian Smith who has begun ballooning without a basket. Sounds a little uncomfortable to us, and after partaking in some hot-air balloon action at the Virgin Media's V Festival we can safely say balloon + basket = a much more relaxing ride! [Telegraph]
The horror – Some brave soul has decided to mash-up every horror movie ever made (It certainly feels like that but there's actually 163 films in there) into one 2.34 minute YouTube video. And the result is bloody good fun. Sorry. [Kotaku]
Experi-mental – An interesting Apple prototype has appeared on eBay – it's an iPhone 4 but not as we know it. The coolest thing about it is the Death Star logo on its back, which signifies that it is experimental hardware. The not-so-cool thing is the Buy It Now price of $10,000. Ouch! [Engadget]
One small step – While we are still waiting for the Curiosity rover to murder a feline so that we can drop an excellent pun, the rover is set to take its first test drive today, which will see it drive the grand total of three metres. It doesn't sound like much but you try doing it with the atmosphere on Mars beating down on you. [Guardian]
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HTC eyes price drops to get back in the game
It's no secret that HTC is having a taxing year, and the latest reports from the supply chain suggest it's planning some hefty price cuts to lure consumers back to its smartphones.
After selling off half of its Beats stake earlier this year, new handsets from the Taiwanese company will feature fewer (or no) audio enhancements, as well as doing away with bundled Beats headphones to keep costs a little lower.
But it's not just new devices that will be priced to move; older handsets, including the critically excellent but poorly-performing HTC One Series are said to be getting a discount too.
Salty sea dog
The rumour comes from an anonymous source within the supply chain speaking to Chinese site MyDrivers, so worth taking with a pinch of salt.But given the abysmal year HTC has been having, we won't be surprised to see HTC take some drastic action which could well include pricing down its traditionally premium smartphones.
The company is also betting big on the enterprise market with its $35m (£22m) gamble on Magnet Systems.
Couple these bold moves with new Windows Phone hardware in September and, hopefully, new Android handsets not too far behind, HTC could yet turn it all around. Fingers crossed.
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IT employees are fitting 7.5 days into the working week
Employees in the IT industry are each fitting the equivalent of 7.5 work days into the working week and it's leading to stress and work-worries.
In a survey of over 2,000 British employees, specialist recruiter Randstad found that on average IT workers feel they currently have to perform the job of one and a half people, the equivalent of fitting an extra two and a half work days into the working week. In comparison the average British professional feels they currently have to perform the job of 1.3 people meaning they are covering 30% more work than one person should be.
While a third of IT workers feel their workload is suitable for one person, more than one in four (26%) feel that in an ideal world their role would need one full time and one part-time member of staff. Nearly one in five (17%) believe their role needs two full-time people to manage the level of work while 14% feel their role really needs at least two full-time members of staff as well as an additional one part-time person.
Over a third (34.5%) of employees in the sector feel they are working harder now than they were twelve months ago while only one in five workers (19.5%) feel their workloads have eased over this period.
Rising stress and work worries also mean that holidays are unable to provide suitable respite. Over half (56%) of IT employees don't feel they can completely switch off from work when on holiday with one in five (21%) of workers stating they know that clearing the backlog of work from their time away will make them feel like they've had no break at all.
Mike Beresford, managing director of Randstad Technologies, said: "The IT industry is under immense pressure. With the economic outlook so uncertain it's understandable that management are keeping workforces as lean as possible. Unfortunately, this isn't a sustainable model.
"Making fewer people work harder can improve the bottom line initially, but in the long-run, spreading the workforce too thin leads to burnout, mistakes and lower productivity. Not something the sector needs at the moment."
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Heaps of Windows 8 devices on the cards, promises Dell
Dell has promised that Windows 8 fans will have plenty of Dell products to choose between by this time next year.
Speaking on Dell's Q2 earnings call during which it revealed a 22 per cent fall in consumer sales, CFO and senior VP Brian Gladden tried to allay investors' concerns with the promise of new hardware.
"You'll see new Windows 8 ultrabooks, all-in-one tablets and converged devices in the fourth quarter and headed into next year," he told them.
By all-in-one tablets, we're assuming he means tablets with keyboard docks – but who knows.
Microsoftly-softly
He went on to talk at length about the company's feelings on Microsoft's decision to launch its own Windows 8 hardware, namely the Microsoft Surface.Acer has already gone on record with its opinion that Microsoft making a Windows 8 tablet is a bad idea, but Dell is a little more diplomatic.
"As you think about Microsoft entering the space, clearly, as we think about it, we've spent time talking to Microsoft and understanding sort of how they're thinking about it," said Gladden, confusingly.
"There clearly are opportunities for us, as Windows 8 comes through, in having differentiated products.
"And I think at the same time they have announced the Surface product that would be in the space, we will have products in there, and I think you'll see a diverse set of offerings that take advantage of what Windows 8 brings to market."
That's using a lot of words to basically say that Dell's products will be different from Microsoft's: glad we cleared that up.
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In Depth: The 10 most influential gadgets ever made
Many gadgets are me-too products, and that's no bad thing: technology is all about standing on the shoulders of giants, with firms taking and refining each others' ideas.
But which technologies were truly transformative, leaders rather than followers, blazing trails that the rest of the tech industry would soon follow?
The following ten-ish gadgets are our nominations, and our rules are simple: it has to be everyday tech, so for example computers and sat-nav devices count but hospital hardware and systems such as ABS definitely don't, and it must have had an enormous impact.
Think we've missed something? Let us know @TechRadar.
1. Sony Walkman - 1979
Imagine a world without Cliff Richard's Wired For Sound. That's what you'd have without the Walkman, which first appeared in 1979 and transformed the way we listened to, and thought about, music. With the Walkman, everyday reality was a movie, you were the star and your tapes were the soundtrack. It was mind-blowing then, and it's still pretty impressive today.
2. Diamond Rio PMP300 -1998
19 years after the Walkman, Diamond took Sony's ball and ran with it. The Rio wasn't the first mass-produced, solid-state digital music player - that was the SaeHan MPMan F-10 - but the 32MB Rio was the one that kickstarted the digital music revolution. If the heads of major record labels could travel back in time and kill something, the Rio would be top of their list.
3. Amazon Kindle - 2007
Is your gran reading Fifty Shades of Grey? Blame Amazon: the Kindle is the iPod of ebooks, and while the first generation was rather clunky the third generation cracked it and started not just an e-reading boom, but the self-publishing boom that's created superstars such as Fifty Shades filth-monger EL James.
4. IBM Personal Computer 5150 - 1981
Compaq may deserve the credit for popularising it, but IBM invented it: the IBM Personal Computer, or PC for short, was widely cloned by obscure firms such as Dell, Compaq and HP, creating a de facto industry standard that enabled the personal computer boom of the 1980s and 1990s. Today's PCs look very different from IBM's original, of course, but everything from Ultrabooks to iMacs has the PC in its DNA.
5. Sony PlayStation 2 - 2000
Games consoles had been around for a long time, of course, but the PS2's blockbuster sales made gaming massive - and its inclusion of a DVD drive not only helped cement the then-youthful format's place in our front rooms, but also paved the way for today's consoles as hubs for all kinds of home entertainment.
6. Motorola DynaTAC 8000X - 1983
It looks hilarious now, but every time you update Facebook from your phone you owe a debt to the DynaTAC. The DynaTAC 8000X was the first commercially available portable cellular telephone, a phone you could carry around without being tied to a car or an enormously heavy briefcase. Instead of connecting to a single transmitter, the DynaTAC 8000X used a network consisting of "cells" spread over a wide area, hopping from cell to cell as you moved around.
7. Kodak Digital Camera - 1975
Steve Sasson, an electrical engineer who worked at Eastman Kodak, invented the digital camera in 1975. It used tape rather than solid state storage, its resolution maxed out at 10,000 pixels rather than today's multi-megapixel monsters, and it looked rather like a cassette recorder that had fallen on hard times, but it would prove revolutionary - and sadly, its descendants would ultimately kill Kodak's consumer business.
8. TiVo - 1999
TiVo wasn't just about the hardware, although of course a digital video recorder is a handy thing to have. It was important for its software, too, which can recommend programmes it thinks you might like, find films starring your favourite actors or ensure you don't miss any episodes of Breaking Bad. Time-shifting and ad-skipping made it the networks' enemy and telly addicts' best friend.
9. Honda Electro Gyro-Cator - 1981
A shoo-in for the best product name of all time, the Electro Gyro-Cator was important for another reason: it was the first commercially available automated in-car navigation system. It used a gyroscope rather than GPS and transparent maps rather than computer-generated directions, and it was both enormously heavy and ridiculously expensive, but both sat-nav devices and apps can legitimately call the Gyro-Cator "granddad".
10. A whole bunch of Apple stuff - 1970s onwards
We've lumped a whole bunch of influential Apple things together so that they don't take over the entire list. The iPhone stands out of course, but the PowerBook 100 changed laptop design by shoving the keyboard back and putting a pointing device in front of it, while the MacBook Air would, ahem, inspire PC makers 20 years on. The iPod changed music and the iPad tablets; the QuickTake brought digital cameras to the consumer market; the original iMac helped kill the floppy drive and influenced the design of everything from steam irons to sex toys... the Apple II... the Lisa... the Macintosh... the LaserWriter...
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Smartphone app from esure tackles driver distraction
UK car insurer esure has cooked up an app that addresses the increasing danger of smartphone-induced driver distraction.
The app was created in response to research carried out by the Transport Research laboratory which uncovered all manner of worrying driver behaviour related to having a smartphone on board.
For starters, one fifth of drivers confess to using their handset while driving, an act which is currently illegal in the UK. Meanwhile, 84 per cent use some kind of gadget behind the wheel, whether it's phones, satnavs or MP3 players.
The study found that drivers trying to send text messages while driving took 23 per cent longer to react to hazards, equivalent to driving blind for nearly 10 metres at motorway speeds. Yikes.
It also found that fiddling with things like facebook updates made drivers more likely to drift across lanes and drive too close to the car in front.
The overall upshot is that having a mobile phone in the car was more distracting than a screaming baby. Consequently, drivers distracted by handsets are significantly more likely to be involved in accidents, despite often slowing down to use them.
And it's not all down to frivolous social networking. When attitudes were examined, a fifth said they felt work-related or time pressures to take a call or reply to text and emails while behind the wheel.
According to Stuart Vann, Chief Executive Officer at esure, "these findings are a real concern - so many drivers are putting themselves, their passengers and other road users at risk by simply having a ringing, beeping, flashing mobile in the car - even if they don't answer it."
The solution is a smartphone app called DriveOFF which uses GPS technology to automatically disable audible and visible notifications when driving over 10mph.
DriveOFF, which turns off all other apps and stops incoming calls or texts, has taken six months to produce and aims to help save the lives of motorists and other road users who are involved in road traffic accidents due to technological distractions behind the wheel.
DriveOFF is available for free from Google play for Android devices. No word yet on iPhone availability, but in the meantime, check out the official video:
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BYOD is creating a generation of workaholics
The new quarterly Mobile Workforce report by mobility service iPass reveals, employees bringing their own devices to work is creating a generation of workaholics.
The US report shows that the flexible working schedules permitted through Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) result in many employees working up to 20 additional hours per week, with a third never fully disconnecting from technology, even during personal time, and only 8 per cent disconnect completely from work while on holiday.
The report also revealed that 92 per cent of mobile workers enjoy their job flexibility and are content with working longer hours; in fact, 42 per cent would like even greater flexibility for their working practices.
"BYOD is effectively turning us into a generation of productive workaholics, with many workers seemingly happy to work during their downtime in exchange for flexibility in how and where they work," said Rene Hendrikse, VP EMEA at iPass. "Mobile workers want to help their companies stay competitive in a fast-paced and challenging business environment and for this reason nearly half of all businesses are now actively encouraging flexible working. However, employees run the risk of literally paying the price for this flexibility, with 18 per cent shouldering their own data bills, an increase of 6 per cent from last year."
70 per cent say data roaming costs are an issue
These findings come as 70 per cent of mobile workers admit that data roaming costs is an issue of great importance to them. More than four out of five (82%) feel that some mobile operators charge a staggering 10 times more for data roaming (£12.66 per MB) than the value that they consider to be fair (£1.3-2.6 per MB). The resulting fear of bill shock means that workers are cautious to use even basic but work critical applications such as web-browsing and email when abroad.
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Internet-connected cars soon to become the norm
Connected cars with features like internet-enabled navigation and streaming media will soon be the norm with 50 million being sold every year by 2017. So say the research wonks at ABI Research and who are we to argue.
Vice President and practice director Dominique Bonte reckons, "infotainment remains a strong driver for the connected car market with both connected navigation and multimedia streaming about to become standard features, especially in the US market. In Europe the TomTom-powered embedded Renault Carminat Live solution has seen stellar success."
ABI also highlights convergence with smartphones as another major trend, picking up on the recent HondaLink announcement as well as Mirrorlink, all of which you can read about here on TechRadar.
Things are going open source, too, with BMW announcing its adoption of GENIVI software in 2013 for some of its low end models – a major departure for a company that has to date invested heavily in proprietary systems. Renault's Android-based R-Link is another example.
Put it all together and you have ABI's prediction that shipments of connected cars will rise from 5.7 million in 2012 to 50.9 million in 2017. It's music to our infotainment-converted ears of course and confirms the trends we think are driving the most dramatic innovations in car tech right now. The next five years are going to be very exciting indeed. Put simply, stay tuned to TechRadar for more!
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New Amazon Kindle to launch alongside Kindle Fire 2?
A new Kindle has shown up at the FCC suggesting that Amazon may have a regular Kindle ready to rock alongside the oft-rumoured Kindle Fire 2.
The device was registered by an anonymous company called Hannaford LLC, which the detectives over at The Digital Reader traced back to Corporation Service Company, known to be a front used by Amazon.
Going by the product code "EY21", the new Kindle comes with both Wi-Fi and 3G and will be rectangular – that's about all that can be gleaned from the application documents.
Thrilling stuff
The device documents were apparently submitted in October 2011 and tested on March 2012, while "Hannaford" requested that the operational descriptions and more detailed schematics be kept secret on a permanent basis.There's also a short term confidentiality agreement of pictures and the user manual be kept quiet for 180 days from the application date (six months).
That doesn't really give us a clue as to a release date because Amazon could reveal the new Kindle ahead of time – but it does tell us that there will be a new Amazon Kindle by February, so that's something.
Under 'product description', the documents state, "Model EY21 is an ereader. The primary use of this device is to download the ebook and periodical offering from the content provider. Model EY21 does not support voice transmission" and adds that "the wireless operations are operator-independent".
As well as the new Kindle documents, the company also seems to have trademarked the term 'Firedock' which, presumably, will be a dock for the Kindle Fire.
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Glasses-free 3D in cinemas one step closer to reality
A new method of projecting 3D images on to cinema screens has been trialled, which does away with the need for glasses.
Despite many cinemagoers' reservations about the technology, 3D is big business in movies and many a cinema chain is cashing in on the tech, putting up prices for 3D movies and adding another premium on top of this with the purchase of 3D glasses.
This could be set to change, however, if Seoul National University has anything to do with it.
New technique
A new study into 3D by the university has found that glasses-free 3D could work on the big screen and only one projector is needed, rather than multiple projectors as first thought.The technology uses angled slats, in much the same way that 3D works on a handheld like the Nintendo 3DS, but has been modified so that it works from multiple viewpoints.
This parallax barrier technology is similar to what is used in the Toshiba ZL2, where lenticular "lenslets" allow multiple viewers to watch the same 3D space.
The team at the Seoul National University have apparently managed to modify this for use on cinema screens.
The key to making the 3D work is a special coating on the cinema screen that, combined with the adaptive barrier technology, created enough multiple images to theoretically accommodate a cinema.
Lead scientist Byoungho Lee said that this method "might constitute a simple, compact, and cost-effective approach to producing widely available 3D cinema, while also eliminating the need for wearing polarising glasses".
There's no word on when, or indeed if, this trial will roll out to cinemas but it's good to know there's work being done to rid the world of 3D glasses.
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HTC bets $35m on enterprise with new investment
HTC is going after the space increasingly left by RIM in the enterprise sector after a big investment in Magnet Systems.
The Taiwanese brand has splurged $35.4m (£22m) on the deal, which sees it nab a 17.1 per cent stake in the firm.
Magnet Systems is run and created by Alfred Chuang, who previously created business software with BEA before selling to Oracle for a multi-billion sum. He since founded the new firm, which created the WIN platform, for more tailored enterprise support.
It created Sales WIN last year, which models the way salespeople interact with customers to provide in-depth data which can be used to improve the overall platform, helping make businesses more efficient through software.
In it to WIN it
What HTC intends to do with the stake is unclear, although it's highly likely to want to use some of the tools in its range of smartphones.WIN will be available at a charge to businesses, so one possibility is HTC will be a vendor of compatible handsets, leading to attractiveness when larger businesses are looking to equip their sales force with smartphones.
It's a bold move for HTC given the current financial situation it finds itself in: despite critically-acclaimed smartphones, the brand is still lowering profit estimates and recently lost $40 million through its OnLive investment.
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Google and Opera happy together for two more years
Warm fuzzies all round as Google and Opera agree to stay search pals for at least two more years.
Under the new agreement, Google will continue to be the default search engine on Opera's web browser until at least August 2014.
The two companies have been playing nice together since November 2009, despite Google's Chrome browser technically making them competitors.
Chromeo
But Opera is pretty small fry compared to Chrome if StatCounter's latest stats are anything to go by, and Google would rather suck up that extra search traffic than worry about browser competition.Google also has a similar deal in place with the not-for-profit Mozilla Firefox, which is one of the ways that the open-source browser funds itself.
As well as web search, there'll be some promotion of other Google products and services within Opera's desktop and mobile browsers.
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Nexus 7 sales could reach 8m in 2012
It looks like Google's Nexus 7 tablet is a hit, with sales possibly reaching a phenomenal 8 million by the end of the year.
The estimates are based on touch panel shipments, so shouldn't be taken as gospel.
Digitimes predicted suppliers will ship 4 million touch panels for the Nexus 7 in the third quarter of the year. Based on this, Tech-Thoughts.net predicts Google will sell 3 million Nexus 7 devices in the third quarter, and between 3 and 5 million in in the fourth quarter.
Even if it falls short of this, anywhere near 8 million sales has to be seen as a huge success.
Google previously said it hoped to sell 3 million Nexus 7 tablets before the end of the year.
Initially, Google struggled to meet demand, with the entry-level version of the tablet selling out. But now it's back in stock, with an estimated shipping time of three to five business days.
Game changer
The Nexus 7 has won plaudits across the board, for its great build quality and amazingly low price of just £159 for an Android tablet. Many think Apple will announce an iPad mini to compete with Google's 7-inch tablet.Asus partnered with Google to produce the Nexus 7 in just four months, when usually the design cycle of a product like this is between six and 12 months.
Some early adopters complained the Nexus 7 leaked light from the side of its screen, but Google has since fixed this.
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Now TV now available on Xbox 360
Sky has announced that its PAYG video-on-demand service Now TV has come to the Xbox 360.
Launched last month, Now TV is Sky's way of offering its content without tying users down to a contract.
Already available on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, YouView and select Android phones, it now follows the company's Sky TV offering to the Xbox – and comes with the added bonus of a 30-day free trial.
According to Sky, the Xbox version of Now TV will include 720i resolution and access to all 11 Sky Movies live channels.
The former is perhaps the most important addition, with the Xbox version getting HD - something that YouView boxes will definitely not get.
The time is Now
There are two ways to access Now TV content: pay £15 after the 30-day free trial and you'll get access to all the movies. Or you can opt to go pay as you go, where movies cost between 99p and £3.49.It's not just movies, either, you Sky Sports content will be available through the app before the year is out and selected content from the likes of Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Arts and Sky Living will follow suit.
If you are a PS3 user then don't panic – according to Sky an app is coming, and there's one on the horizon for Roku users too.
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Review: YouView
Introduction
How much of London 2012 did you actually watch live? Despite the awesome 'watch again' coverage on the BBC's website, didn't you wish you could have got home from work and watched Ennis, Farah, Tweddle or Ainslie (Ben, not Harriot) 'as live' on your TV instead of waiting for Gabby Logan's 10pm spoiler-saturated round-up show?Well, you could have done just that simply by going backwards in the electronic programme guide and watching it on-demand. Welcome to YouView, the big terrestrial broadcaster's answer to the so-called smart TVs that rarely go beyond hosting BBC iPlayer.
Connected TVs have existed for a few years now, but have so far led a fractured existence. So for those frustrated by separate apps, missing services and stodgy user interfaces comes YouView, a service that's designed with catch-up TV at its core.
We tested the new service on the only YouView set-top box so far available – the Humax DTR-T1000, a Freeview HD recorder that costs £299. BT, one of YouView's owners, will likely make a less costly box available soon.
While it begins life purely as a catch-up & on demand service supplying fully integrated content only from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five, YouView can develop beyond that. It's already started hosting its first major third-party app in the shape of Sky's Now TV, but what about Lovefilm or Netflix or Acetrax streaming? Could we see YouTube?
That all remains to be seen, though as it stands YouView is a smart upgrade on Freeview, and a subscription-free challenge to Sky and Virgin.
Although tuning-in Freeview HD channels and getting online (complete with a brief warning about data usage) is easy, we were slightly flummoxed by the appearance of a 'Before we go on…' page that insisted we accept the Terms of Use to 'make the most' of YouView.
They're 101 pages long and basically state that if you exceed your ISP's data cap it's your own fault (though there's no advice on how much data is used by, say, an hour's catch-up TV in HD quality. Clue: it's about 2GB), and that cookies are used to collect anonymous data from you, including your preferences and individual settings. Basically, YouView is watching you watching it.
Catch-up
With our YouView box switched on we're presented with a live TV channel with a blue-and black 'on now' panel along the bottom of the screen. It looks innocuous, but it's hugely powerful; scroll up and down to change the channel or – and this is the good part – move to the 'on now' panel and scroll back in time.Delving back into the schedules earlier that day (it only goes back to midnight on this view), it's possible to watch anything that has a label underneath reading 'to watch on-demand, press OK'.
Plenty of programmes say 'not available' – anything from the US such as Family Guy or Frasier is a nailed-on 'not available' – but if you do find something on-demand, selecting it takes you straight to the relevant on-demand app.
For instance, we were watching the Olympics on BBC Three at midday and found Girl Power: Going For Gold back in the schedules at 5am; once selected, we're taken to the BBC iPlayer title page, but the programme then plays almost immediately. The whole process takes about 10 seconds.
Similarly, skip to Channel 4 and delve back into early morning and Come Dine With Me can be loaded up via 4oD (albeit after OK-ing some more terms of use). The only differences here are that on 4oD you do get a short advert, and then 33 seconds of, err, more adverts.
A 'You're watching 4oD on YouView' audio message plays and, finally, a 'We are sorry this content is unavailable' message and, amusingly, an error code. Nice. OK, so we didn't actually want to watch Come Dine With Me, but, seriously? Why was it flagged as available in the EPG if it wasn't actually on 4oD?
Locating Born To Kill: Harold Shipman on Channel 5's early morning schedules, Demand 5 fires up in around a minute, plays an advert, then plays the programme with no problems, though it was the only title among dozens that was available (kids TV shows such as Peppa Pig or Bananas in Pyjamas didn't appear to be available).
ITV Player has a similar problem with rights: we found Jeremy Kyle: USA a few hours back in ITV2's schedules in among mostly US-based (and therefore not on-demand) shows. After a very brief advert the programme played quickly.
Although this generally works OK, we can't impress enough that delving back into TV schedules to peruse on-demand content only works on the terrestrial channels; BBC, ITV, Channel Four and Channel Five.
It's also worth remembering that it can take up to a day or so before something becomes available on catch-up.
Incidentally, moving forward in the schedules on all channels sees a 'To set reminder press OK' message appear beneath the programme title, though it's just as easy to press the red button to set a recording if you're using a YouView PVR (you get a choice between recording once or setting a series link).
This back-and-forthing is all well and good, but it's worth remembering that Virgin Media's TiVo set-top box has had an identical (and mostly successful, though frequently unreliable) feature for over a year.
EPG and On Demand
Electronic programme guide
The EPG itself has very similar functionality, though stretches seven days in advance (as all Freeview boxes do) and seven days back (like a Virgin Media TiVo box), with the FF/RW buttons used to change days.Although this EPG is unique to Humax, we suspect that it's fairly standard fare for YouView; it's graced by the platform's logo and an excellent, nuanced colour scheme that's easy to look at for long periods.
The live TV thumbnail is also welcome, and though its limit of six channels' schedules at a time can feel a little limiting, it does put all the main terrestrial channels in one place – and they're the ones likely to supply you with possible catch-up TV choices.
YouView user interface
Press the blue YouView button on the remote and the live TV channel is immediately framed by a YouView logo and the current time up top, and five icons below; Search, MyView (a list of scheduled and completed recordings), Guide (that EPG, as described above), On-Demand and Settings.The Search option is a thing of wonder; begin to type a word and instant, dynamic results in YouView's on-demand archives are presented for one-click watching. Entering P-A-L on the remote brought up Himalayas with Michael Palin, for instance, while even just typing 'T' produced T In The Park The SooTy Show and The IT Crowd.
Aside from the speed, what we like best about this function is that the whole process can take place while you're watching almost a full screen of live TV.
On-demand content
On-demand content is split up into Adult, Film, Players, TV and Radio. Adult is a PIN-protected area, but devoid of smut, while Film contains a nicely presented carousel of movies available on all players - prior to Sky's Now TV appearing mid-way through our review, we found 20 titles, but none of them were must-sees.Players contains individual links to BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Demand 5, with Sky's Now TV app appearing during our review in one of six tantalizingly empty blocks for further channels, apps or on-demand hubs. TV presents programmes divided by genre. This is probably the easiest way to locate, say, EastEnders as well as random documentaries, viewable both by latest additions and popularity.
Finally, in Radio we easily found Lauren Laverne's show for BBC 6 Music, and played it via the BBC iPlayer without issues.
As well as making it easy to find what you want, this On-Demand area is perhaps the most valuable area, since it makes it easy to discover new programmes. In our test we stumbled upon the travel genre, and were soon watching Bill Connolly's Route 66 from ITV4, and Julia Bradbury's Icelandic Walk on the BBC iPlayer, though as with most things on YouView, the source is almost irrelevant.
Our only criticism is that – a little like looking at podcasts on an iPhone – it's not always possible to see more than the first few words of a programme title.
Now TV
Is Sky's just-in Now TV the missing link that makes YouView a must-have slab of TV tech? Well, kind of. At the time of our review the app had just appeared, with Sky offering all YouView users a 30-day free trial of its Sky Movies Pass, although it does involve registering your credit card details and an automatic £15 per month charge after that, which kicks-in automatically after the trial.Still, we like the option to add the latest films to YouView (better still, a 'pay and play' option enables one-off movies for 99p-£3.49), and Now certainly does that; we spotted Captain America, The Smurfs, Despicable Me, Thor and X-Men: First Class all offered on-demand by Now TV.
All of Sky's films are nicely classified into genres (Action, Indie, War, and so on) and collections (Against the Clock, Blockbusters, Brit Hts, and so on), with cover art displayed on a carousel.
Although Now TV is offered as a separate app, its content seeps through into YouView's core GUI. The previously scantly populated Films tab on YouView's home page is now utterly dominated by titles only available to Now TV subscribers.
Yes, it massively beefs up YouView's film library, but to those who refuse to even consider paying for films - or any other content, for that matter - the integration of Now TV titles could annoy.
For those who want YouView to remain the ultimate platform for free-to-air terrestrial programming, there should be an option to switch off Now TV content - we had rather enjoyed seeing a list of all free-to-air on-demand films. Has YouView been hijacked?
Verdict
If you're someone who regularly sits on the sofa with a laptop watching catch-up TV, YouView could be the TV service for you.However, if you're one of many viewers who can perfectly well survive on a catch-up diet totally dominated by BBC iPlayer, then YouView is overkill – especially if you've already got a smart TV with an iPlayer app.
Similarly, anyone with a games console or smart TV won't exactly be blown away by the addition of Demand Five, ITV Player and 4oD catch-up content to their daily TV diet. Fans of the 'light' channel, however, and anyone after a no-holds-barred Freeview HD recorder, should invest in YouView immediately; it's only going to get better. The arrival of Now TV from Sky adds hundreds of films, and sport could be next.
We liked
Free catch-up TV from all the main terrestrial broadcasters, plus 'pay and play' films from Sky: what's not to like? Going back in time to find the programme that the bloke down the pub was talking about, then watching it immediately, is an awesome function. We're not sure how much we'd use it, but it's nice to have all the same.Better is the on-demand area, which makes discovering good, quality programming in impressively specific genres so easy as to render live TV completely pointless.
The service looks good, works quickly and is easy to understand, and with Sky's Now TV adding top-line films rentals from Sky Movies, YouView just got more exciting.
We disliked
If you're generally disappointed with what's available on demand – ie home-grown programmes – we were tempted to say don't bother with YouView, but Now TV changes that.We're not sure the separate area for accessing each individual broadcaster's on-demand portal is a good idea. Surely the whole point is to banish the kind of separation promoted by separate apps on smart TVs. We really don't care what, where or how a repeat programme is supplied.
Now TV does complicate matters a tad, largely because it combines paid-for content with free stuff. We would like an option to only display free content, since we're sure that some users will be actively put off by expensive films cluttering up their otherwise free-to-air paradise.
Broadband usage is a little worry, too – check your allowance – but another facet of YouView worries us more. Whether late-to-the-party YouView can become popular well into the era of smart TV depends wholly on how easy and convenient it is to use.
And while we absolutely love the user interface offered by the only YouView set-top box so far, theHumax DTR-T1000, we're baffled as to why it's not fitted with Wi-Fi. Having to wire in this box to a broadband router is, frankly, dinosaur-like, and bound to put off some prospective owners. However, that's not YouView's fault.
Final verdict
As small, affordable upgrade to a BT Vision box, we can see YouView carving a tidy little niche. As a stand-alone service for the rest of us, YouView could be a world-beater - and the addition of Sky Movies via Now TV will attract some.Still, we're sure YouView was primarily meant to be for those who want to watch EastEnders reruns from the previous day without firing up a laptop; the creators of this platform will have to be very careful in adding apps and services that dilute its free-to-air roots.
Perhaps content from the likes of Now TV and other on-demand film apps such as Netflix, Lovefilm or Acetrax should only be present on YouView if you activate them.
Its development will be interesting to watch, though we do know one thing; YouView is so much nicer to use than separate apps on a smart TV.
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Sony Xperia J budget handset leaks
Here's a picture of what could be the upcoming Sony Xperia J handset.
If this is a genuine leak, the Xperia J (codenamed ST26i) will be a budget handset, but with a 4-inch screen and Android Ice Cream Sandwich.
Though according to Mobile-Review, the screen is said to offer "poor colour reproduction, excessive glare and low viewing angles".
Inside is a 1,700mAh battery, and a 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7227a processor. That processor is considerably less powerful than most smartphones nowadays, so it's very much a low-end handset.
A 5MP camera sits on the back, capable of capturing video at 640x480-pixels. That's a lot lower than HD resolution. An LED flash is also expected, as well as a front-facing camera, though there's no word on the resolution of the latter. Given the specs so far, we'd expect it to be VGA.
Expected at IFA
Sony is expected to announce the Xperia J at IFA, the German tech trade show that kicks off next week. The Xperia J is expected for the global market, so we should see it in the UK, though there's no word on a release date.We're expecting a suitably low price to match these low-end specs.
An update to Android Jelly Bean doesn't look likely, at least not anytime soon. Sony is more likely to prioritise its higher-tier handsets.
A 4-inch screen and Ice Cream Sandwich aren't unheard of on a budget Android offering. The Huawei Ascend P1 is now on sale, and that has a 4.3-inch screen and ICS, as does the ZTE Grand X.
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Nikon refreshes compact line-up
Nikon has made some new introductions to its Coolpix line-up, including a P770, a new premium compact.
The Nikon Coolpix P770 sits at the top of Nikon's compact line-up and features a large 1/1.7-inch back-illuminated 12-million pixel CMOS sensor.
Also on board is a 7.1x optical zoom lens, full 1080p HD video mode, raw file capture and a 7.5cm (3-inch) vari-angle LCD monitor.
The lens features two ED glass elements to minimise chromatic aberration, a Neutral Density filter to enable greater exposure control and a seven blade rounded iris aperture for beautiful natural background blur.
A pop-up flash can be used, while the camera is also compatible with the Nikon range of Speedlight flash units. The pop-up can be used as a commander for other off-camera units.
Full manual control is included with the camera, with three user modes enabling recall of preferred camera settings. Two customisable function buttons means menus can be bypassed with shortcuts to favourite camera settings.
A fast EXPEED C2 image processing engine is included to facilitate full HD video recording and High ISO sensitivity which is expandable up to ISO 6400.
The Nikon Coolpix P770 price will be £499 / $499.95 and it will be available from the end of September.
More additions
Next up, the Coolpix S6400 features a 12x optical zoom lens and a three-inch touchscreen.A 16-million pixel backlit CMOS sensor is also included, along with an EXPEED C2 processor, full HD video recording and lens-shift vibration reduction.
The Nikon Coolpix S6400 price will be £229 (approx $362) and it will be available from 20th September.
Finally, the Coolpix S01 is an ultra-compact camera with a body smaller than a credit-card.
It also features a 2.5 inch touchscreen, a 10.1-million pixel CCD image sensor, 7.3GB of internal memory and 720p HD video recording. The lens is a 3x optical zoom lens and comes with Motion Blur Detection to compensate for camera shake.
The Nikon Coolpix S01 price will be £149 / $179, and it too will be available from the end of September.
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The startup guide to Social Networking
Social networking is an effective way of keeping in touch with large groups of friends, but it can also be a highly useful and cost-effective business tool.
Businesses can use networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, Ryze, PartnerUp, Twitter and Google Plus to extend their marketing reach, improve customer service, and cut business costs for communication and collaboration.
Today's customers are sophisticated users of digital communications, whether these are delivered through mobile, e-mail, social media or the web. Consequently, social networks are a ready-made communications channel through which businesses can connect and interact with their buyers.
Effective marketing
First of all, social networks can be used to extend the reach of your marketing. One of the great things about social networking is that it can be used to share a number of different types of media and communications, such as videos, images, instant messaging, blog content, and newsfeeds.This means that, in terms of keeping customers and partners informed about, and interested in, your new products and services, you have a healthy variety of different avenues available to you.
The first step is to set up a business or product page on your social networking site of choice. This can be used to incorporate interesting product shots, background information, and to make as many connections with customers as possible. With Facebook, this means getting people to 'Like' your page.
Add videos and news to your social network
You can then use videos to entertain and inform, and frequently-updated news to broadcast your latest advances: such as new product lines and innovations. One of the strengths of social networks is the fact that users interact with each other, so as a business, if you can get them talking about your products and services, it can help build brand recognition and sales.When using social networking to share multimedia content, remember to keep in mind the fact that your customers will be using an array of devices to view it. So, ensure that your content works well on all devices and screens, from smart phones to tablet computers, desktops and digital TVs.
Also make sure you identify what is relevant to your customers, and what they would like to see or discuss. Try to use a mode of communication and tone of voice that is consistent with your brand, and the way your customers want to talk. Remember that customers can often be busy, and easily distracted when they are online, so be simple and to the point, and clear in your communication so there are no misunderstandings.
Also ensure you are using other digital channels alongside the main social networking sites - such as Twitter, with its 160 character limit, video site YouTube, photo-sharing site Flickr, and alternative social networks such as LiveJournal and Talkbiznow.
(LiveJournal is more consumer-oriented, whilst Talkbiznow is a social tool intended for business professionals. The site offers applications such as voice conferencing, webinars, report and file sharing, and advertising opportunities.)
Make sure you are linking between your different social networks as much as possible, to maximise your traffic flow, for example having links between Facebook and Twitter, and giving your customers the means to link into social bookmarking tools and services such as DiggIt, ReddIt and Del.icio.us. This will encourage people to share your content and thereby enable you to broaden your reach.
Social Networking for customer service
Secondly, social media can be a highly effective tool for customer service. It can provide a non-threatening avenue through which your customers can contact you. It can also offer them the personal touch, and the ability to defuse customer concerns, irritations and problems.Using social networks for customer service is a relatively new idea, but the beauty of having an interactive web-based approach is that you can reach a diverse population of customers, and get a deep understanding of their thoughts and mindset.
This, in turn, gives you a good opportunity to positively influence how people feel about your brand or business, and can provide the means to develop advocates, people who support your business and give their friends a positive view of it.
Highly interactive social networking tools like Twitter can produce instant reactions and results that can be incredibly useful for marketers, giving them concise and honest feedback quickly and across a broad range of customers. In fact, customers are frequently using Twitter to make complaints about products and companies, and get their voices heard.
Can negative feedback be good for business?
Negative feedback should not be feared, because it can help businesses to improve their offerings. It can also give companies the opportunity to address the concerns of an individual, and stop them from spreading a bad report about the company to other existing or potential customers.However, one thing to note is that customer comments on social networking sites are not necessarily always negative. Companies are now using positive comments from customers and posting them on their blogs and community forums to serve as testimonials. Truthful and honest feedback can be a powerful marketing tool.
Marketing via social networking
Thirdly, social networking can be used as a cheap or free marketing tool, highly effective in reaching a broad range of customers, or linking with partners through business social networks.Some business social networking sites do have a fee attached, but it can still be a low-cost way of making contact with the most appropriate people, and building close links with them. In addition, social networks such as Talkbiznow offer free tools to facilitate networking, collaborating, and doing business online. So, for example, Talkbiznow has free voice conferencing services, webinars, blogs, and advert creation tools.
Social networking can be a powerful and cost-effective way to extend the business's marketing reach, improve customer service, and reduce business costs for communication and collaboration. But the one major caveat is that can involve a lot of time and creativity, in order to find fresh ways of communicating about the business, its products, services and brands. However, businesses that have done it successfully will tell you that it's all worth it.
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