Opinion: Is local streaming the next big thing in PC gaming?
Plopping yourself in front of a desktop PC and playing games. It's so last millennium. The future? It's all about streaming.
Possibly. The critical distinction here is local streaming versus the cloud. The latter, of course, already exists from services like Onlive and Gaikai. It'll be part of the mix to a greater or lesser extent for the impending arrival of next-generation games consoles, too.
The former is all about using your PC as a home hub for gaming. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
The model for cloud-based game streaming is pretty well established as are the shortcomings. For starters, you've got the dreaded latency issue. There's always going to be some latency with a technology that involves significant geographical distance twixt server and user.
Ye cannae break the laws of physics
The laws of physics means there's a limit to what you can do to mitigate that short of putting a server in everyone's home, which rather defeats the object of cloud-based apps. Then there's the question of performance and graphical fidelity.With cloud streaming, you're at the mercy of the choices your service provider has made in terms of machines and specifications. OK, you could imagine a tiered service where you pay a premium for for access to a faster box or a bigger share of said box's resources.
But, fundamentally, cloud gaming isn't compatible with really high end visuals. At least, not until photorealism has not only been cracked but pushed down in price to commodity levels.
Enter, therefore, local streaming. Happily, it addresses both of those key issues. If you're using your PC to stream games at home, the latency problem is much easier to crack.
Since it's your PC, you've total control over its spec and therefore the level and quality of visuals it's pumping out.
But hang on. If you've got a PC in your home, surely that's what you'll be playing on? What's the point of streaming?
Well, imagine if you could have high-end gaming on any device, anywhere in your home. On your HDTV in the living room. On your tablet on the sofa. On another PC or laptop. Whatever.
All you'll need is a single performance PC powering the lot. Got your attention now? Thought so.
Gaming AFK
It sounds like a bit of a pipe dream. But solutions allowing you to do all that and more are in development. The leading light here is Nvidia and its AFK or Away From Keyboard initiative.This essentially involves PCs with Nvidia graphics streaming games to other devices. It's been demoed courtesy of Nvidia's upcoming Shield portable gaming device.
Shield, of course, has a pretty powerful Nvidia Tegra 4 chip capable of rendering games in its own right. But the gap between ultra-mobile graphics and even mid-range desktop graphics is still positively yawning.
So streaming enables enthusiast-level desktop gaming on a portable device. Fantastic.
There's just one snag. It's not clear yet, but it looks like Nvidia's streaming tech may be in some way tied to Tegra devices rather than completely open. If so, that would seriously reduce its appeal.
As ever, the best hope is for Nvidia's competitors to come up with something more flexible. So that's AMD and Intel, the latter being more of a long term proposition given that Intel current lacks high performance graphics.
Whatever, the basic proposition of using one PC to power all manner of gaming devices is pretty compelling. But its real-world appeal will come down to the details.
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Rumoured BlackBerry R10 affordable BB10 handset leaks in luscious red
Images of a QWERTY-packing BlackBerry 10 handset have leaked on social media this weekend, which may have given us another look at the company's rumoured affordable R10 device.
The photo of the bright red handset was posted by an Instagram user this weekend and appears to be a less premium version of the BlackBerry Q10 device recently went on sale in the UK and Canada.
The picture above follows last month's leak, which showcased the same device in white, but those blurry-cam photos aside, talk of actual specifications is thin on the ground as yet.
Reports have suggested the R10 will launch for a price point of around $300-400 and will arrive in the second half of 2013.
BlackBerry Live reveal?
BlackBerry recent said it would be launching more handsets for all sectors of the market, which will be a relief to some fans, given the high bounties placed on the Q10 and Z10 devices.Perhaps we'll get official confirmation of the BlackBerry R10 at the BlackBerry Live expo in Orlando, Florida this month, where the company is expected to unveil the second generation of BB10 devices.
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Pelican's 16-lens camera coming to Nokia Lumia phones next year?
Pelican Imaging's unique 16-lens camera module for smartphones could appear in Nokia Lumia handsets as soon as next year, the company has hinted.
The Finnish manufacturer beefed up its investment in Pelican this week and now the imaging start-up's boss says it is in talks with at least one manufacturer to bring the tech to market in a 2014 handset.
Speaking to Engadget, Pelican's CEO Chris Pickett didn't say which manufacturers are testing the tech, but it would seem unlikely that Nokia would pump money into a company only to see others reap the benefits.
Nokia has been very always been very active in pushing mobile camera tech, most recently with its PureView 42-megapixel sensors, which are reportedly coming to Lumia phones.
Could they be combined with Pelican's tech too?
Why all the fuss?
So what's this Pelican camera and what makes it so great? Well, the camera unit features 16 individual lenses, all of which snap pictures when the shutter is pressed, while depth information is captured at every pixel.This, like the innovative Lytro camera, allows the photographer to alter the focus of the image or even have multiple focus points after the shot has been captured.
Photographers can also "change backgrounds, scale any part of the picture, or combine elements from multiple photos into interesting new images," the company claims.
Photos that are shared by the photographer feature all of the information necessary to download and edit on any device.
The tech is certainly pretty neat and could be the biggest thing to happen to smartphone cameras in a long time.
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3 in 4 gamers no longer online n00bs, PC most popular venue for online play
The number of people playing games online has risen across all devices, according to new figures from research firm NPD, released on Friday.
According to the study, 72 per cent of gamers in the US are now playing over the internet, compared with 67 per cent a year ago.
Perhaps buoyed by free and low cost games on smartphones and tablets, gamers are currently spending more hours gaming, which is up 9 per cent overall and 6 per cent for online play.
"This study found that the overall amount of time spent gaming, and time spent gaming online increased across virtually every type of device, and notably so, versus 2012," the NPD group wrote.
PC still king
Despite smartphones and tablets getting most of the press, the PC is still the main location for online gaming, according to the study, 68 per cent of those surveyed played over the web from their computer.However, that's down 4 per cent since 2012, whereas online play on mobile devices increased 12 per cent year on year.
Also, while 62 per cent of gamers preferred the physical format, there was a 3 per cent swing towards acquiring digital content compared with 2012.
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Galaxy S4 has a microSD slot, so stop complaining about storage, Samsung says
The presence of a microSD slot in the Samsung Galaxy S4 justifies software taking up nearly half of the available storage on the 16GB version of the handset, the company has said.
The Korean giant has been criticised by users of their newest flagship smartphone, who switched on their 16GB devices only to find just over 8GB of space for their own photos, music, apps and more.
The rest is taken up by the Android operating system and Samsung's pre-installed apps and software nuances, but it's left many fans feeling ripped off.
However with an additional 32GB available through a MicroSD card, Samsung says there's plenty of room for additional files.
Ultimate mobile experience?
In a statement to CNET, the company wrote: "For the Galaxy S4 16GB model, approximately 6.85GB occupies [the] system part of internal memory, which is 1GB bigger than that of the Galaxy S3, in order to provide [a] high resolution display and more powerful features to our consumers."To offer the ultimate mobile experience to our users, Samsung provides [a] microSD slot on Galaxy S4 for extension of memory."
However, Samsung does not bundle an SD card with the handset meaning users who paid for a 16GB model and only have 8GB storage at their disposal have to buy an additional card to bump up their options.
Also, as CNET's report points out, users are unable to store apps on the microSD card, and with some of the big hitting games coming in at well over 1GB, users won't be able to store more than a few of those.
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Week in Science: Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo takes one giant leap towards space tourism
Space came just a little bit closer for the everyman this week, as Virgin Galactic's ship made one 1,470kph-leap towards space in its first successful flying rocket test.
If that wasn't enough, we've also seen the beautiful, but incredibly deadly, storms at Saturn's north pole for the first time, and found a potential cure for diabetes. All that and more in another exciting Week in Science.
SpaceShipTwo breaks the sound barrier -- Things in the space tourism industry just got interesting. In its first proper rocket-powered test flight, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo underwent a 16-second burn propelling it to an altitude of 16.7km at some 1,470kph, just bre'aking the sound barrier, before making a smooth and controlled landing. According to Virgin's Richard Branson, the successful test clears the way for the very real goal of suborbital, edge-of-space tourist trips before the year is out.
SpaceShipTwo will eventually burn for 70 seconds propelling six passengers and two pilots up to an altitude of 100km, or the edge of space, giving passengers 5 minutes of weightlessness for a mere $200,000 a flight. [Virgin Galactic]
New liver hormone might 'cure' diabetes -- Diabetes is one of the biggest problems of modern developed-world life. Both sugar-rich diets and old age bring with it risk of developing diabetes and being stuck injecting insulin for the rest of your life. Now a new hormone found in the liver could be a cure, as it has the ability to spur growth of insulin-secreting cells in the pancreas.
Betatrophin was found to vastly increase the production of pancreatic β cells -- the ones responsible for secreting insulin into your blood -- in mice. A monthly, or possibly yearly injection of betatrophin could be enough to prevent the need for daily insulin injections in type-2 diabetes sufferers, and could even help patients with type-1 too. The best thing about betatrophin as a possible treatment would be the fact that the patients would be induced into producing their own insulin, which would reduce complications and make diabetics' blood glucose levels much more stable. [Cell]
Saturn's massive cyclone puts Earth's hurricanes to shame -- For sheer size and violence, Saturn's enormous cyclone spinning around the planet's northern pole totally surpasses even Earth's most destructive hurricanes. It's over 2,000km wide, with wind speeds of 500kph, making it 30 times larger and twice as fast as even the Category 5 beasts back here on Earth. However, it is also absolutely stunning, as captured by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Immense destructive power has never looked so beautiful. [NASA]
[Image credit: NASA]
Smoking shisha is much, much worse than cigarettes -- Smoking flavoured tobacco and fruit mixtures through water pipes has become commonplace in certain types of bars across the UK and US. Stemming back 100s of years ago in India, the Middle East and North Africa, the tradition of smoking through water pipes is often thought of as safe.
However, new research points to the exact opposite, as the water pipes deliver more carbon monoxide and carcinogens into the smokers' lungs than traditional cigarettes. The extremely harmful chemicals were found in higher quantities in both the smoke and the smokers' bodies. In fact, researchers found three sessions of shisha, or hookah as it is also known, was worse for you than smoking 11 cigarettes a day. [CEBP]
[Image credit: seansharifi via Flickr]
Gene therapy is go for heart-failure treatment -- A clinical trial containing more than 200 people with heart failure is about to kick off with a new form of gene therapy. By dosing the patients with a virus that injects a gene called SERCA2a into the heart, researchers hope to repair the damaged heart tissue. The inserted gene will reset the control of calcium in broken hearts, helping them to beat correctly again. Having been successful in previous smaller trials, the pioneering technique could provide a partial fix for heart failure, and give suffers a modicum of a normal life without the need for a heart transplant. [New Scientist]
Master gene controls what your brain looks like -- Researchers have found a master gene that seems to control the look and structure of your grey matter. The gene TRNP1 controls the expansion and proliferation of stem cells in the brain. Either the cells expand and create a balloon-like structure, or compress and fold into the complex and dense structures found in the human brain.
Inhibition of the gene seems to create more complex brain structures, leading to the hypothesis that these structural differences allow for higher-level brain function in humans when compared to animals. By artificially varying the level of expression of the gene in mice, researchers found structures develop similar to those found in the human brain. This surprising find could shine a light on brain structure-based diseases and possibly offer treatment for things like autism and epilepsy, which are caused by abnormal brain development. [Cell]
[Image credit: micahb37 via Flickr]
Mind-reading tattoo could also monitor your baby bump -- A new electronic tattoo has been developed that is capable of reading complex brain activity similar to an EEG, and could have applications for monitoring the developing foetus in the mother's womb. The temporary tattoo can be applied to your forehead to measure things such as focus or other complex brainwave patterns.
With some optimisation, the same tattoo could also be used to monitor the growth and development of babies in the womb, allowing real-time feedback on the health of your future little sprog. Having fine-tuned the tattoo, and managed to manufacture it with mass-produced components, which makes it cheap, the next stage is to make the data transmission wireless. In a few years we could all be wearing patches to monitor our thoughts, which is either a fantastic or scary proposition, depending on how you look at it. [New Scientist]
Converting white fat to brown fat could make you thin -- There are two types of fat cells in your body: White fat is the traditional fat you know and love, storing energy to be burnt when you run dry of glucose and glycogen. That's the fat that you put on and plagues the obese. Then there's brown fat, or brown adipose tissue, which is responsible for maintaining body temperature, burning energy to produce heat. We form small deposits of brown adipose within white fat depots in response to colder climates, helping maintain our constant 37 degrees Celsius body temperature.
[Image credit: puuikibeach via Flickr]
Now researchers have discovered that fat cells have the ability to convert white fat into brown adipocytes. Although the mechanism isn't yet fully understood, this fat conversion could be used to help obese people, converting their large deposits of white fat into brown adipose tissue and burning the excess energy off as heat. More research into the specifics of this cellular conversion are needed, but researchers seem positive that a technique like this could be used to literally heat yourself thin. [Nature Cell Biology]
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Tutorial: Computer ergonomics: how to set up your PC or Mac the right way
Like many other computer users, you have probably thought, heard or even uttered these words: "I have naturally horrible posture," "I've always slouched," "It's how I'm used to working," "It's normal to hold tension in my shoulders." You're not alone.
However, many of our bad computer habits didn't happen on purpose. They are the results of repeatedly having to accommodate ill-fitting work environments. We are good at adapting ourselves to fit things that weren't built to fit us, but slouching, bending, reaching and leaning for hours on end will take its toll.
The key is making the world fit you; this is otherwise known as 'ergonomics'. You probably know some ergonomic basics, which we will review in the desktop section, but what do you do when your equipment doesn't accommodate those things? The world is designed from a one-size-fits-most approach, which means the moment you sit down, you are probably already compromising your body to accommodate your environment.
For instance, the typical desk height is 74cm, but an average well-seated person should have their keyboard about 66-69cm up. Sitting at a desk that is too tall begins the descent into awkward postures. Wrists hit desk edges, so keyboards get pushed back. Arms extend forward, so monitors get pushed back. Eyes want to see screens, so forearms are leaned on. Shoulders creep up towards ears and static postures reign supreme.
Before you know it, you've got a burning sensation between your shoulder blades and at the base of your neck. This is Repetitive Strain. More than four hours a day at an unadjusted computer workstation is high risk for a Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). And we're not even talking about laptops yet. RSIs develop over days, weeks, months or even years from repetitive microtraumas that accumulate until we reach a state of actual injury.
Preventing the injury is preferable to treating one, and it's never too late to improve your ergonomics, especially if you're already noticing some of the symptoms. Manipulate your environment to fit you - your stature, your work, your process and your needs. Your body is worth it.
Desktop machines
Mouse right or left
Using the mouse on the right side of a standard keyboard can bring on shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand injuries. This is because of the numeric keypad.
Centre yourself on your keyboard (belly-button dividing the letters 'G' and 'H'). The extra 15cm reach over the number pad makes it tricky to use your mouse on the right without an increased risk of injury. The best option is to use the mouse on the left side with your left hand, and/or get a keyboard without the attached number pad and switch back and forth between right and left-sided mouse use, especially if you're right-handed.
You can always add a separate external number pad, but move it out of the way when doing mouse-intensive tasks.
The art of sitting well
Sit up on your sitting bones, not back on your tailbone. Move to the back of your chair. The seat pan should not touch your calf (allow a 2.5–7.5cm gap). Adjust the height to plant your feet on the floor with knees at or slightly below your hips. Your lower back (lumbar) should be supported, but not pushed.
From the side, your ear, shoulder, elbow and hip should be aligned. With elbows under shoulders, wrists not higher than elbows, fingers not higher than wrists, turn and face your desk. Now you can see what needs to change to fit you.
Keyboard positions
If you can't raise your chair or lower your desk enough, consider an adjustable under-desk keyboard tray to hold your keyboard and mouse at exactly the right height. If it adjusts low enough, you may even be able to lower your chair and get your feet on the ground!
Laptop on a desk
Can you stand it?
Who said you have to sit at your desk? Standing desks are another option, but make sure they are set up correctly. The distance between your eye and elbow still needs to be the same as if you were sitting, and you need to be aware of hunching and leaning, locking your knees, and aching backs and feet.
The ideal desk height is about 2.5-5cm below your elbow (which should be hanging directly below your shoulder). Make sure you plug in an external keyboard and mouse and raise your laptop screen. Anti-fatigue mats help feet, knees and lower back.
Ergonomics on the move
If you can find a table, use it. Ideally, you should travel with a laptop stand, external keyboard and mouse.
Table too high in the café? Bucket seat has your hips below your knees? Since your laptop isn't in there anymore, sit on your bag to raise both your elbows and your hips. Roll up your coat for lumbar support.
Ergonomic myths explained!
If it says 'ergonomic', it must be goodThe truth is there is no particular standard that dictates what a product needs to do for it to be deemed 'ergonomic'. What is ergonomic for one person may not neccesariy be ergonomic for you. One size does not fit all. A big rule to follow: If it hurts, don't do it.
Verdict: FALSE
Exercise balls are better than chairs
Maybe… for about 15 minutes. However, lower back support is more important than working out your core all day. When your core gets tired, you'll need lower back support to prevent the inevitable slouch that happens on a ball when you're done 'exercising'.
Verdict: FALSE
My monitor should be at arm's length
The length of your arm does not necessarily dictate the screen-viewing distance your eyes find most comfortable. If you are leaning forward to view your screen, move it closer. If it's too bright to keep it there, adjust the brightness and the contrast.
Verdict: FALSE
'Blind' touch typing is a neck-saver
Just the mere act of looking down to place your hands upon the keys can quickly add up to hundreds of weight-lifting reps per hour of your 15lb head. Learning to type while keeping your eyes ahead can prevent that all-too-distracting neck pain.
Verdict: TRUE
Laptops on lap tops
The biggest loser
The laptop is small. You are not. When you use the laptop as-is, you shrink (slouch) yourself to fit the 20.5cm space between the keys and the top of the screen. That's more than a foot of compromise and it's mostly from your spine. Limit as-is laptop use to less than two total hours a day.
The best apps and kit for Macs
Best ergo-wareGoldtouch GO! Travel Keyboard - £120
A short, slim keyboard with no number pad. It has an adjustable split to address ulnar wrist deviation (pain on the little-finger side of wrist) and dual Mac and PC layouts. The Bluetooth Go! is currently only for handheld devices.
Best laptop stand
Several on Amazon - £30
Carry out a quick Amazon search for laptop or notebook stand or riser and you should find plenty of portable and non-portable solutions for laptop stands.
Best software for breaks
Several available - Free
Track the distance your mouse travels, as well as your keystrokes. Schedule breaks and stretches. All of these are free to try: Time Out by dejal; MacBreakZ ($9.95/£6.50); RSI Guard ($65/£41.50) If you like reminders, break software might be your thing.
Best cross-platform software
Synergy - Free
Want to see all your machines on separate displays at the same time but stay with one keyboard and one pointing device? Try Synergy. It's even better than a 'keyboard, video and mouse' (KVM) switch. Plus, it's free.
Best typing tutorial
Mavis Beacon - £20
Mavis Beacon stands the test of time for finger placement, drills and games. For fun and speed practice, check out Typing Maniac on Facebook.
Mac accessibility tips
Lots of Mac users forget to check out their machine's accessibility features (aka: Universal Access) unless they feel it is a need, but Apple's assistive technology is always worth exploring. Basic accessibility features include:
MouseKeys: Uses a numeric keypad to move and click your mouse.
Speed up your trackpad: Work quicker.
Ignore trackpad input: Use your laptop keyboard without accidentally moving your cursor.
Inkwell: Recognises most stylus devices and transcribes your handwriting into typed text with some accuracy.
Ergonomic favourites include:
Enable touchpad drag lock: This means no more clicking the trackpad with your thumb and trying to drag an item, just double tap and drag (and it works in the scroll bar area, too).
Change your modifier keys: If you're using a non-Apple keyboard (which obviously don't have many Apple keyboard options), you can remap your Command key back next to your space bar where you're used to having it. You can also turn Caps Lock into something else so you don't accidentally yell at people when you email them…
Apple's ergonomic report card
iMac screen and thunderbolt display
Annoyingly shiny screens reflect the world behind you and can also invite eye and neck strain. You'll be hard-pressed to find a good spot to set your monitor without fighting glare. Fixed heights also increase risk for neck, upper back and eye strain. Monitor risers are visually off-putting, but stylish monitor arms aren't cheap, plus you have to purchase a special Apple VESA mount adaptor.
Score: C-
Magic trackpad
A large touch surface with smooth gestures are great when used well, but with nowhere to rest your hand, many trackpad users end up planting and extending their wrists. The best way to use the trackpad is with larger (shoulder/arm) movements, and when you're tired, switch to a mouse. Be sure to enable tap-to-click!
Score: B
Software
Apple has always received admiration where accessibility is concerned. Gestures, when used well, are a great alternative to the typical static mouse grip, and the built-in speech recognition is great. Easily customised modifier keys make using non-Apple keyboards simple, which comes in handy when you want something other than a straight keyboard.
Score: A
Magic mouse
By default, most people use a mouse the wrong way: plant wrist, pinch mouse, and pivot. Taller mice increase the risk of wrist and forearm injury. The slim Magic Mouse reduces some wrist extension, but the gesture features (especially scrolling) can encourage 'clawing' for those still gripping the mouse. Rest the middle of your palm on top of the mouse. Start the mouse movement from a larger group of muscles (shoulder/arm). Avoid scroll.
Score: B
Laptops
Laptops used on their own are, ergonomically speaking, horrible. Neck, upper back, traps, and mid/lower back are all high-risk spots when using a laptop. That said, the generous trackpad is nice, as is the tapered front edge of the MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro. Definitely consider the anti-glare screen option, since your vision is one of the first things compromised if you're protecting your spine.
Score: B
Keyboards
The soft-touch, low-profile keys are nice, but the external keyboards all have a fixed positive tilt (sloping upwards from the user), which encourages wrist extension (fingers higher than wrists). Wrist extension is one of the bigger causes of injury. Keyboards without numeric keypads are better if you mouse on the right. Apple abruptly discontinued its short wired keyboard, and with many tech companies going with open-space offices, high reports of Bluetooth pairing problems have eliminated a convenient Apple keyboard solution for right-hand mouse users.
Score: B
Overall: Above average (but only just). Choosing form over function is the suspected culprit. Adding more adjustability and getting rid of the high-shine displays would give Apple the ergonomic edge one expects from such accessibility pioneers.
Score: B
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Review: Aztech WIPC402 Wireless-N Pan/Tilt IP Camera
Home security used to be an exclusive business, but now you can buy a network camera for under £60 (about AU$90, US$93). However, the Aztech WIPC402 clocks in at £100 (about AU$150, US$155), so why pick this over a more budget-friendly option?
It's more expensive because it enables you to pan and tilt the camera directly from your iOS device, and has plenty of other features to boot. It's also got built-in Wi-Fi, so just needs to be plugged into the mains.
There are infrared LEDs around the lens for night vision, and the camera comes complete with a kit for ceiling or wall mounting should you wish to do so.
An accompanying app runs alongside the camera. It worked in terms of detecting our camera first time, but leaves a lot to be desired in terms of polish. After the first time set-up, it also found our camera easily when connecting over 3G (port forwarding must be enabled on your router, though).
The app itself isn't iPhone 5-ready, and it lacks the ability to alter some of your camera's more advanced settings such as the time, although it will let you use the camera adequately enough and it will also let you specify a password for your camera and change the video quality.
For settings other than those included within the app, you'll need to log into the camera using the included PC software (on a CD and not available for download) or through a web browser.
However, we had a further problem. We were initially able to connect to the device since the instructions ask you to connect the camera up to your router using an Ethernet cable for set up. But, try as we might, we just couldn't get the app to accept the password for our wireless network. And so again, we had to do that using the software utility.
The app does enable you to save images from the video stream to the app - though not to the Camera Roll - as well as listen to what's going on around the camera. If you connect up some speakers to the camera through a 3.5mm jack, you can also broadcast audio messages from your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad directly to the camera. Another port enables you to connect up an alarm system if you wish (but once again, this isn't configurable from the app).
Panning and tilting using the iOS app is hard work, since you swipe the image to make it happen. Each gesture only makes the camera move a short distance, so if you want to go to the extreme left from the extreme right, it really is a lot of effort.
You can't record video on the iOS device, but you can insert a 32GB or smaller SD card into the side of the camera and record video directly to it. Unfortunately, there's no recording to the cloud.
Verdict
While this is an excellent and comprehensive network camera, it's let down by the limited and at some times plain ropey companion app. If you want to completely control and interact with such a device from your iPad or iPhone, then we're afraid you need to look elsewhere - D-Link's DCS-5222L is an equivalent model that also boasts video recording to the cloud through D-Link's own online service.
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Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar
The TechRadar garden is a mess, so we're spending the next couple of days weeding, planting and watering. We've got some lovely shrubs to bed down, and a water feature to plumb in.
But seeing as you're sat inside, why not take a browse through some of the reviews we've published this week?
Asus Fonepad review
There's a lot to like about the Asus FonePad. It's clearest competitor is the similarly-priced, similarly-specced and similarly-crafted Google Nexus 7. There are a few tweaks and a slight change of materials for the chassis, but the big difference is the addition of 3G telephone capability. As a smartphone, its use is negligible. But as a tablet, the Asus FonePad shines just as brightly as it's Google-branded cousin. Asus has priced the FonePad very nicely - it's cheaper than both the 3G Nexus 7 and the iPad mini, which many see as the two ruling devices of the 7-inch market.
BlackBerry Q10 review
Without doubt the BlackBerry Q10 is the best QWERTY keyboard smartphone on the market. However start stacking the Q10 up against handsets which have a similar price tag and you can't help but think it's possibly one of the most expensive keyboards on the planet, with little in the way of stand out features to justify its cost. If you can't live without a physical keyboard on your phone then you're more than likely going to buy this phone anyway - and that's fair enough - but if those buttons are less of an issue you'll get much more for your money elsewhere.
Sony NEX-3N review
The Sony NEX-3N is not a camera for advanced photographers looking for something to replace or sit alongside their DSLRs. Luckily, Sony already has cameras that meet that brief in its lineup. Instead, what we have here is something that anybody can pick up and be assured of great image quality. It's a shame that there are a few small bugbears along the way with operability - most notably in the frustration encountered when needing to switch off raw format shooting to use so many of the different functions - but overall this is a very competent compact system camera.
Napster review
Unlimited listening and offline syncing means you can put as many songs as you lie onto your devices. But is Napster as good as Spotify?
This week's other reviews
StorageLaCie 5big 20TB review
Buffalo MiniStation Air review
Mobile phone accessories
D-Link DIR-505 review
Cameras
Sony HX50 review
Canon 100D review
Nikon 1 S1 review
Nikon Coolpix P330 review
Printers
Canon PIXMA MX455 review
Software
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 beta review
Audio systems
Cambridge Audio Minx Air 100 review
TVs
Panasonic TX-L50E6B review
Philips 42PFL6008 review
Tablets
Kobo Aura HD review
Disgo 8400G review
Mobile phones
LG Optimus G Pro review
Mobile phone accessories
Mophie Juice Pack Helium for iPhone 5 review
PowerStick PowerStick+ review
Other
LightwaveRF Home Automation Pack review
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Interview: Qualcomm: why mobile chip design is a triathlon
If you witnessed and haven't forgotten (how could you?) Qualcomm's CES 2013 keynote, then you know the company is brandishing a "Born Mobile" identity as it navigates the chippy waters of 2013 and beyond.
The company toes the heavy line that the computing world is increasingly defined by smartphones and tablets. Qualcomm's aim is to position itself at the forefront of the shift, providing chips to the hottest, genre-defining mobile devices of the moment.
So far it's been a robust push, at least on the smartphone side: Qualcomm's newest silicon, the Snapdragon 600, is housed in the Samsung Galaxy S4, the HTC One and LG Optimus G Pro while phones like the Nokia Lumia 920, BlackBerry Z10 and Sony Xperia Z feature earlier designs.
Qualcomm's dragons are in some tablets too, like the Dell XPS 10 and Samsung Xperia Tablet Z, but Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Anand Chandrasekher said during the company's "What's Next in Mobile" conference earlier this week that its tech should come to more tablets in the near future.
Closer down the road is the company's Snapdragon 800 chipset, capable of hitting 2.3GHz. It's heading into production sometime this month and though the 800 won't officially arrive until the second half of the year, its UltraHD capture and playback capabilities are whetting many mobile appetites.
We caught up with Chandrasekher for a one-on-one chat to talk about the reception of the Snapdragon 600, the incoming 800 and why he thinks Qualcomm is fit to win the mobile chip design race.
"Generally the feedback for the Snapdragon 600 has been positive," Chandrasekher said. "The best indicator of feedback you have is the design pipeline. We have some 850-plus launches and then the design pipeline has about about 450-plus designs. That's not just the 600 - there's a lot of stuff in it, but it's certainly a part of that."
Feedback on specific Snapdragon 800 features happened in earlier development days, he explained, and now the focus is to bring the 4K-capable chip to consumers.
"As for the Snapdragon 800, we've had generally positive feedback on that as well. Most of our engagement with our customers [now] will be how do we speed things up, how do we get things out to the market place faster. Those are the sort of things they'd be worried about at this point."
Mobile's moving might
While there's evident enthusiasm for smartphones and tablets, PCs (in the laptop/desktop sense) are a bit of sticking point. Whereas Chandrasekher spoke effusively during his conference presentation about Qualcomm silicon heading to products outside of handsets - specifically tablets, smart TVs and cars - the CMO seemed to suggest devices like notebooks will follow only as the mobile market evolves to influence other products."We're certainly interested in the tablet domain, and we've been making investments in that space for several years," he said. "Our view effectively is that between mobile and tablets, computing gets redefined.
"So if you think about these things happening, you're touch interface and the way you interact with the device first started on your smartphone. That has heavily influenced the way you've interacted with your tablet. Tablets happen to be a very touch-oriented interface.
"The tablet will fundamentally reshape computing, whether it's notebook or other, simply because of the comfort level with that sort of touch-oriented UI will start to permeate other form factors as well.
"We are extraordinarily bullish about phones and tablets. We continue to invest very strongly there, and as those products shape other product categories in their wake, we would hope to follow along in the consumer paradigm and consumer pattern with our products there."
Qualcomm's customers are first and foremost the product partners that find a home for its chips, then send those devices consumers' way. Chandrasekher sees Qualcomm's ability to influence product trends - such as touch - as the oil that lights the innovation lamp.
"With touch, we built the capabilities in," he said. "In that particular case, our customers are the ones who innovate those technologies. They are the ones that create the market, but we hopefully provide the fuel for them to be able to do that by planting the flag early so that they can take advantage of it and innovate as they see fit."
It's hard to find a mobile operating system that doesn't have at least one handset housing a Qualcomm-stamped product in one form or another, yet Chandrasekher was reticent to talk customers by name.
Although Qualcomm's silicon is used inside the iPhone, Chandrasekher declined to comment on the possibility of future Apple collaborations - "we typically don't mention specific customers by name" - and wouldn't play favorites when it came to the phone manufacturers its chips best mesh with.
But as the company looks to build loyalty among all smartphone buyers, he was more forthcoming.
"For the consumer that is looking for the best smartphone, they should make sure it's powered by a Snapdragon," he said, before adding with a laugh, "that would be the sound bite."
800 and triathlons
With months to go before the Snapdragon 800 is officially unleashed, Chandrasekher managed to impress the chipset's power on the conference crowd by playing a trailer for Star Trek: Into Darkness in crisp UltraHD and booming 7.1 surround sound, all from two 800 MDP tablets.Though a lone Snapdragon 800 can run with both features, the Qualcomm PR team told us two were used for logistical reasons.
"The thing I like a lot [about the 800] is the feature I talked about and we demonstrated, which is UltraHD plus 7.1," Chandrasekher said. "I think that is earth-shatteringly beautiful.
"I like that a lot because to get that capability, you have to have a home theater experience. [The Snapdragon 800] allows you to get that on that kind of form factor [taps his tablet] or that kind of form factor [taps his smartphone] on the go. That's never been possible before. That's huge."
"Wait until you've heard it on your normal headsets," he added. "It's even more mind blowing."
As Qualcomm looks to innovate in - and redefine - the mobile space, Chandrasekher noted that while competitors abound, the company is positioned to excel in the mobile chipset design race.
"The mobile industry is obviously a very, very sought after market, so we have a lot of competitors," he said, declining to name any specifically. "What differentiates us? We are effectively born mobile.
"That has a number of implications to it. Part of that is we know where the land mines are, and knowing how every operator runs their network slightly differently. If you are building a chip that is designed to run on an operator's network, you've got to know how to do that. You can't keep learning it every time you do it."
He circled back to a metaphor used during his conference talk, one that likened SoC success to a triathlon. To excel, he explained, requires many parts - the CPU, GPU, multimedia, DSP - working as one while not burning a whole through consumers' pockets and performing with optimal power efficiency.
"Born mobile, it's a triathlon," he told us. "It's not a single sport event. Of the many companies that were born mobile, I think we're the only one left standing."
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