Guest Blog: Customer reviews suck - nuff said
Michael Marshall Smith is the best-selling author of sci-fi classics Only Forward, Spares and One of us and, writing as Michael Marshall, the Straw Men trilogy, The Intruders and Bad Things.
I know that giving a voice to the man and woman in the street is supposed to be one of the web's greatest triumphs, but there's nothing like reading 'customer reviews' to make me want to let off all the nuclear weapons in the world.
I would love to be able to turn these reviews off, to hide them on Amazon and iTunes and everywhere else, but I can't. We've all been empowered to 'have our say', and the universe is stuck forever with screen acres of the illiterate bleatings of people who've come to believe that having a forum is the same as possessing an opinion worth uttering, and who spew their bile with the pompous self-righteousness of the boring and self-obsessed everywhere.
And of course I don't mean you, dear reader — I'm sure your reviews are all terribly well-struck, insightful and charmingly apposite. I mean… all the rest of them.
My confirmed iJunkie status in the iPhone App Store, for example,means I am now heartily sick of the phrase 'Does what it says on the tin!!!' — a sturdy and unobjectionable standby at first, but now, really, stop it.
Nuff said
The one that most makes me well up with hate, however, is 'nuff said' — used to confer a god-like authority upon whatever spasm of prejudice has just been bleated from a sock-reeking bedroom in Nowheresville.
'This book sux – nuff said!' Or 'iTunes iz a rip-off: there album price is 7.99 but U can by it for 7.98 secund hand – nuff sed!'
And yes, (sic) throughout, obviously. The entire sodding internet should have (sic) after it.
These are, of course, exactly the kind of people who get livid at being charged 59 pence for a piece of iPhone software — on the grounds it 'should' be free — despite being very much not the kind of people who'd bother to learn how to code, join a development program and then spend hundreds and hundreds of hours bringing a product to market.
And there's also a reason why the man in the street is just a man in a street — he doesn't know anything.This is possibly going to be unpopular, and I'm sorry if it sounds elitist, but I simply don't subscribe to the notion that every human utterance commands respect, regardless of the particular human involved.
Polling high street strangers
Everyone deserves to 'have their say', do they? Really? Why would we think that? Why? I don't poll high street strangers for a medical opinion, nor do I trawl the food courts of malls for plumbing tips: so why do television news stations do it for commentary on foreign policy?
And why does the web do it for music and literature? Sure, you may welcome the opinion of friends on such matters (people who've already proved their critical mettle, or whose preconceptions you are familiar with, and can make allowance for) — but why should I take it from unknown randomers, who for all I know may not event have the brains to sit the right way on a toilet?
Because the internet is the ultimate reality show, that's why, where anybody is allowed to have a go. It doesn't matter that Big Brother has finally been canned (THANK GOD) — because we're all now starring in our own tiny corner of the web, where anyone who can reach out of their cage far enough to peck out a few misspelled words on a keyboard is apparently entitled to respect.
Well, sorry, but not from me. I know it's dreadfully unfashionable to give a toss about stuff like spelling and grammar and punctuation — and that I probably sound like a broken record on the subject — but shouldn't there at least be some kind of peer review, the most basic of tests to gauge whether an opinion is worth hearing?
Grammar checker
Websites that encourage 'feedback' should have a grammar checker, for a start. Not a super-strict one (my own word-use hardly conforms to Victorian ideals, and nor need it) but just enough to weed out the most brain-curdling errors.
And I don't mean that the post should merely be corrected — I mean the post should be disallowed. If you can't take the time and trouble to learn how to write a coherent sentence, then why on earth do you believe people should listen to what you have to say?
This applies particularly to the books section of Amazon, and I'll concede that (as a novelist) I could appear to have a vested interest in stifling the god-given right of the consumer to HAVE THEIR SAY.
That's really not the case. You're absolutely entitled to hate my books. Go for it. While no-one enjoys a bad review, you take them on the chin from the well-informed or well-intentioned, you develop a thick skin, and you learn to glean useful information and insight from worthwhile criticism.
But why should anyone care about the opinion of someone who can't get it together to learn the basics of written self-expression? How is it valuable for some moon-faced knee-jerker to trash a year's work in thirty seconds — when those thirty seconds is all it would have taken for him or her to learn the difference between "its" and "it's"?
If people can't learn this, then they shouldn't be allowed to post. Frankly, if they can't learn this, they shouldn't be allowed to reproduce.
Negative force
The reason I feel most strongly about all this is that — with the exception of occasional dizzy-headed reviews along the lines of "This single is grate, I herd it on the TV and now Ive bought it, you should to!" — so many of these reviews are negative, people using their fists to hammer out twenty word disses of absolutely no critical value.
This adds nothing positive to the sum of human experience. And I'm not being fascist here — quite the opposite. The 'everyone deserves their say' mantra is a merely a marketing ploy sharpened into an instrument of social control, a repressive tolerance that is international in scope and embraced by the target demographic with alarming enthusiasm.
Marcuse nailed it many years ago: powerless to effect real change in our so-called democracies, instead we're given the opportunity to make countless tiny and trivial choices, to be ill-informed attention whores on television, to review and pontificate our way to fifteen megabytes of online fame (and yes, I do realise I'm doing it too).
The web merely makes this even easier and more pervasive, providing a specious form of continual (apparent) self-empowerment that achieves absolutely nothing — meanwhile filling the online universe with the kind of verbal swill you'd change seats in a pub to avoid.
And now it can't be stopped, or turned off. We are being vox-popped to cultural death. Wasn't the BBC's slogan something like 'Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation'?
The internet's will be: 'Moron Shall Review Unto Moron – Nuff Said'.
This column was originally published on Michael's blog
Related Links
 |  |
Read More ...
Weird Tech: Happy robot monster will trigger heart attacks
The slow, awkward, clumsy and stairs-avoiding stumble forward that is robot development continues not to impress anyone, with Taizou - the latest robot designed to interact with and try not to break the limbs of Japan's ageing population.
Created by the country's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, the bizarrely happy monster is supposed to put elderly people at ease with its massive smiley face, soft, warm, welcoming fluffy skin and caressing albino lobster claws. But even the sort of powerful drugs old people get to take won't numb the fear and terror caused by seeing this clown-faced nightmare edging slowly towards them with a bed pan and worryingly thick piece of plastic tubing.
YOU WON'T FEEL A THING: "Quick and painless, Mr Jones?" [Image credit: Robot Watch]
It'll be pulled out of service within days, after triggering heart attacks en masse. On the plus side, Wes Craven might be interested in licensing its likeness for his next teen slasher film, so some development costs may be recouped medium-term.
Games spread plague
One of the worthiest and most popular video game events of recent years has been PAX - the underground-ish convention organised by Penny Arcade, the comic you either find hilarious (not me) or rubbish (me).
PAX: Just like being at home, only in the same room [Image credit: Flickr]
Sadly for those attending last weekend's event, one of the attendees has since been diagnosed with swine flu. The organisers have issued a warning, along with a list of flights and trains visitors to the convention used - and also made a joke out of it. That "hilarious" strip will be coming down if someone dies, right?
Aliens!
Time for a fuzzy photograph of something that's definitely not an alien, only the photograph is so bad that nutcases on the internet can get away with saying it might be an alien.
The Telegraph yesterday at least hedged its bets over the authenticity of this photo, which it says could be a UFO. But if you don't believe in UFOs, perhaps you could swallow the paper's much more rational explanation - it's a pterodactyl.
UFO OR DINOSAUR? They are your only options. You have to pick one.
The man who took the photo gives us the best clue - he says he goes to the lake where it was taken to watch the swans. So it's (c) a swan.
Sun in his hair
The best feel-good, happy-happy, smiling-faces, world-saved, enviro-news of the week was a report from online celebrity photo resource the Daily Mail.
The Mail stopped reporting on what shoes Jordan wore to the beach yesterday to cover the invention of 18-year-old Nepalese student Milan Karki, who has started using human hair in solar panels as a cheap (آ£23 in costs) alternative to traditional conductive materials.
At least, that was the excuse he used for being caught with a clump of woman's hair on the floor of his bedroom.
ELECTRIC HAIR: He won't be smiling when Mr Big Business steals the idea [Image credit: Daily Mail]
| |
Read More ...
London 2012 Olympics to be filmed in 3D?
London's 2012 Olympics could be the most eye-popping ever, with news that the event could be filmed in 3D.
The biggest sporting occasion on Earth is coming to the UK in 2012 and the BBC's director for London 2012 Roger Mosey has it would be a "shame" if it wasn't shot in 3D.
"We could, and I believe should, capture some of the games in 3D," he explained at the IBC (International Broadcasting Conference) in Amsterdam.
"Nobody would expect the games of 2012 to be comprehensively in 3D because the technology will be nothing like widespread enough.
"But it would be a shame not to have any images of London that were part of an experiment with what will be one of the next big waves of change.
"The Olympic stadium may only exist in its full 80,000-plus capacity for a relatively short period.
"Not to have that at all in 3D would be, at the very least, a major gap in the archive."
Taste of the future
He also hinted that the events could be shot in Quad HD (sometimes called Super HD), which equates to 7680 أ— 4320 pixels.
"There won't be a [super HD] set in your living room by 2012, but there could be a limited number of cameras and big screens that will give us a taste of the future - and could give a major creative boost to technologists and people thinking of the content of tomorrow," he explained.
"Both 3D and super HD are currently posing questions and opportunities rather than solutions."
This is all very well, but let's sort out getting EastEnders in plain old HD first!
| |
Read More ...
In Depth: 6 of the best video players for Linux
A video player is pretty much the quintessential desktop application. Everyone needs one, and there's hardly any desktop distro that doesn't pre-install one for you.
You'd think the popularity of a video player would be directly proportional to the number of container formats it can handle, but this isn't the case with Linux media players, since the top ones can deal with just about everything out there.
In addition to playing locally stored files, video players can also play streams, and some help you create your own video streams.
Back in the day, though, it was a different scene. Playing video from a DVD was quite a task, and there weren't many Linux players that could do it properly. Developing a video player is a herculean effort, and the various regulations don't make it any easier.
Nearly all DVDs are protected with the Content Scrambling System (CSS), and it's up to the DVD Forum to decide whether your media player can play encrypted DVDs or not.
Since Linux developers don't like to be bullied, they use the libdvdcss library, which is a reverse-engineered solution to get around the protection on encrypted DVDs, though unfortunately libdvdcss is illegal in some countries. In addition, there are common components between the various media players.
MPlayer, VLC, and Xine get lots of codecs from libavcodec and libavformat, produced by FFmpeg, while Totem can be configured to use Xine to play media. So grab a DVD and some popcorn, and let's find the best Linux video player.
It's easy to pass off VLC as just another video player thanks to its intuitive interface. But hidden behind the menus and buttons is a powerful workhorse that labours to make sure it plays every locally available file – over the network or via the optical drive – with the utmost modesty.
Like MPlayer and almost every video player of repute out there, VLC's codec handling powers come from FFmpeg's libavcodec package, along with a lot of other codec modules including Cinepak, libmpeg2, MAD and Vorbis. You can fetch VLC via your distros repository, though some distros don't bundle libdvdcss, which prevents you from playing encrypted DVDs. VLC supports various subtitle formats, and is adept at playing multi audio movies.
NOT LONG: VLC 1.0 is on the home stretch, with the first release candidate just out
The best bit about VLC is its intuitive audio/video streaming capability. (In a previous era, you required an additional server-branded VLC component to stream.) VLC can also save network streams and transcode them into another format, although it isn't suitable as a general purpose transcoder.
Like MPlayer, VLC is capable of playing incomplete or damaged files too, and offers to automatically repair them as well. It supports lots of common post-processing filters to adjust contrast and brightness, and rotate, flip, crop and de-interlace the video, among other options. You don't have to dig too deep to access these filters: just extend the main user interface and they pop out along with the built-in equaliser.
VLC comes bundled with a set of interfaces for various purposes. The wxWidgets interface is the default GUI, and you also have a Qt interface, plus a 19MB pack that contains more than 50 skins. Then there's the web interface, which you can use to load a playlist or play a file over the network. There's also the option to control VLC via mouse gestures.
This binds common functions with mouse movements, such as skipping forward/backward, playing faster/slower, increasing/decreasing volume, and cycling through audio tracks and subtitles. These options are controlled via the Preferences window.
Despite being a GUI-driven tool, you can do cool things with VLC on the command line. For example, while transcoding a file with FFmpeg, you can pipe the output to VLC to preview the file as it's being created.
Verdict VLC Media Player Version: 0.9.9
Website: www.videolan.org/vlc
Price: Free under GPL
Justifies its immense popularity, but will occasionally choke on certain videos, especially on older hardware.
Rating: 9/10
Xine is one of the oldest video players available on Linux, with its roots in a time when playing DVDs required referring to a HOWTO. Unlike the all-in-one VLC, Xine follows a modular philosophy and separates the core engine from the functionality of add-ons, which are bundled as plugins.
The core handles tasks such as synchronising audio and video, and maintains communications between the various Xine modules. Then there are input plugins that act as abstraction layers between the real video source (DVD, VCD and so on) and Xine.
USER EXPERIENCE: Xine bases configuration on user experience, ranging from Beginner to Master of the Known Universe
The demuxers and decoders decide how to handle the various file formats, before passing data on to Xine for playback. These decoders are optimised for various CPU extensions. Xine uses libraries from other projects such as liba52, libmpeg2, FFmpeg, libmad, FaaD2, and Ogle, and gets binary Windows codecs from w32codecs.
The player comes with a graphical UI and there are lots of other front-ends as well. Using the intuitive UI, you can select files available locally or on various optical media. You can also play streams and access files over Samba shares.
Xine can be controlled entirely using the keyboard, and every option is also accessible via the right-click context menu. It'll also follow your orders via a LIRC-compatible infrared remote and can pipe output to multiple monitors via the now-deprecated Xinerama.
One of the best features about Xine is that it automatically tries to correct sync issues with damaged videos, and does a pretty good job of it. It's also got a self-diagnostic script that you can run if you have trouble with video playback. Like its peers, Xine has elaborate configuration options.
Verdict Xine Version: 1.1.16.2
Website: www.xine-project.org
Price: Free under GPL
For users who need a polished yet powerful GUI that offers complete control at the click of a button.
Rating: 9/10
If you're running a popular Linux distro, chances are you already have Totem on your system. Totem is the default video player on Gnome installations of almost every popular Linux distro, including Ubuntu, Mandriva, and Fedora.
Totem's tight integration with Gnome has obvious advantages. The Nautilus file manager will display thumbnails of videos and list details about them, such as their codecs, dimension, duration, and so on. Most distros also ship the Totem Firefox plugin for playback in your browser.
SCREEN ANNOTATIONS: With the relevant plugin installed, Totem can enable telestrator-like annotations on your screen using Gromit
The best thing about Totem, though, is its simple, clean design that still packs in plenty of functionality. For example, it has no trouble piping fullscreen videos to multihead Xinerama setups, not forgetting devices connected via TV-out. You can also adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation of the video during playback.
Totem can be controlled with the keyboard, mouse, or a LIRC-supported remote. However, not all features are available on the interface. For example, if Totem doesn't pick up your subtitles automatically, you have to load them manually from the command-line.
Totem is powered by the GStreamer multimedia framework, which supplies the player with all its codecs and drivers. Also included is the GStreamer FFmpeg plugin, which includes codecs from the FFmpeg project. Then there's the Pitfdll plugin, which allows Totem access to binary files, including Quicktime QTX or Directshow/DMO DLLs. This enables it to play proprietary file formats such as WMV 9 and Intel Indeo 5.
Verdict Totem Version: 2.26.1
Website: www.gnome.org/projects/totem
Price: Free under GPL
Outputs videos in various formats and can capture audio, but it's just too unstable at the moment.
Rating: 7/10
Apparently, you can't write any sort of article on multimedia without mentioning the multidimensional MPlayer – and for good reason. Its powers are beyond human comprehension, but we do know it can play just about any file format out there on any platform.
MPlayer has a set of native codecs in libavcodec, which it borrows from the FFmpeg project, as well as a set of binary codecs for playing videos in proprietary containers. With these two, you can throw all your MPEG, AVI, ASF, WMV, RM, QT, MP4, OGG, MKV and FLV files at MPlayer and it'll play them.
QUICK START: The first version of MPlayer was laboriously put together in no less than 30 minutes!
The recommended way to enjoy MPlayer is to compile it from source for tighter integration with your hardware. Still, for standard Intel/AMD boxes, it's best to grab MPlayer off your distro's repository, since it's already optimised for the common multimedia extensions (MMX2, SSE2, Enhanced 3DNOW! and so on).
The latest version takes some load off your CPU by enabling MPlayer to offload portions of video decoding to the GPU in newer Nvidia cards. MPlayer's all-encompassing nature extends to the number of output drivers it works with, and ranges from plain VESA and X11 to the more exotic OpenGL, as well as card-specific drivers for ATI, Nvidia, Matrox and others.
Primarily, MPlayer is controlled via the command line, although the developers also make a GUI, which you can customise with dozens of available skins. It has an on-screen display and gives a visual feedback once a parameter is adjusted. You can also control it with the mouse, a joystick, or an infra-red remote via LIRC.
Thanks to libdvdread and libdvdcss, MPlayer has no trouble playing DVDs. If you compile it with libdvdnav it also enables you to navigate DVD menus. You can easily select from multiple audio feeds and you can ask MPlayer to pipe audio to your surround sound system. You can also do tricks with the audio output, such as move channels from one speaker to another.
No index, no problem MPlayer offers a lot of advantages for playing local video files, even damaged ones. After all, it doesn't take a lot for a video file to go bust. If you exchange videos – legally of course – with your friends, or create them via camcorder, then split them repeatedly or transfer them via USB, you'll eventually end up with some that are missing their index chunks.
You can still play these videos, but you won't be able to seek forward or backward. That is, if you're not using MPlayer, which doesn't discriminate against files that are missing the index file. You can even use the bundled Mencoder to create the missing index.
The next most common damage is audio/video mismatch. Likewise, if you've ripped a video from a DVD along with the subtitles, you might need to adjust the subtitle timing. Both of these problems are easily solved with MPlayer.
Talking of subtitles, the player supports more subtitle formats than you probably knew existed. There are many ways to modify playback using the numerous audio and video filters. You can crop a video, scale it and flip it upside down, mirror and rotate it, or expand the playing area to move the subtitles off the video into the black bands underneath.
Once you've fine-tuned the options for a particular video, you can store them as a config file, which means you can have unique configurations for all your videos. MPlayer can also stream files over a network via the HTTP, FTP, MMS or RTSP/RTP protocols, and is capable of working with a proxy. You can exploit the protocol handling, along with its ability to read standard input, to play files while transferring them via FTP.
MPlayer can also save internet streams, and if you have a Video4Linux compatible TV or radio tuner card, MPlayer enables you to watch or grab its feeds. The possibilities are endless!
Verdict MPlayer
Version: Daily SVN snapshots
Website: www.mplayerhq.hu
Price: Free under GPL
There's no beating this video player in terms of features, with almost every possible need catered for.
Rating: 9/10
Before there was Xine, there was Ogle. And Ogle had magical powers, supporting features on DVDs such as multiple angles. Even after the other media players came along, Ogle could play DVDs a lot better than any of them.
Ogle claims to be the first player to fully support DVD menus on Linux. This is probably true, because while the others were general players for all types of audio and video, Ogle dedicated its life to playing DVDs.
SHOWING ITS AGE: Don't let the Rewind button fool you!
You'll find different versions of Ogle in your distro's repository, from an unoptimised vanilla version to a specially-tuned MMX version. Ogle bundles its GUI in a separate package, and you'll also need to fetch libdvdcss for playing encrypted DVDs.
Ogle has a simple interface that, while playing a DVD, enables you to select chapters, change subtitles, or select which audio stream to play. If you have one of those multi-angle movies, you can change the perspective, which is still touch and go with VLC.
But the oldest DVD player on Linux is showing its age. Its famed angle selection doesn't work during playback. Additionally, this and other DVD-related features – such as chapters and menus – are available with other, more diverse media players as well. Add to this the number of bugs in the last release, and you've got a dud in your hands.
For example, Ogle can play VOB files you've just copied over to your hard drive, but this functionality appears to be broken. Not only are there no configuration controls, but the Edit > UI Properties option in the menu doesn't bring anything up.
Finally, you get no controls in fullscreen mode; you have to restart Ogle to launch a new DVD; and it won't let you skip backwards.
Verdict Ogle
Version: 0.9.2
URL: www.dtek.chalmers.se/groups/dvd
Price: Free under GPL
Once the pinnacle of playing DVDs in Linux, but it hasn't kept up with the rapid development of other players.
Rating 5/10
The Helix project is supported by RealNetworks, which uses the code produced by the project in its proprietary apps, including the RealPlayer media player. Helix Player is the open source media player from the project, and is based on the Helix Client, which, as per RealNetworks, has been shipped in some 350 million mobile phones.
Despite its reach, Helix Player can play only a limited number of media formats. According to its documentation, Helix Player will play an HTTP stream, but that doesn't seem to work in this version. It supports Real's RAM and RPM playlist formats, and will also play their RTSP streams.
LIMITED PLAYBACK: RealPlayer for Linux is still an underprivileged version of its Windows cousin
Helix has support for the H.263 codec used in Flash videos, but it couldn't play FLVs from YouTube, AVI, MPEG, MP3, or DVD. The one format it can play without any issues is OGG. RealPlayer for Linux fares a little better. It supports all the formats that Helix can handle, and also plays MP4, Flash Video, WMV9 and different versions of RealVideo, though it still can't handle AVI, MPEG, or DVD.
Both Helix and RealPlayer enable you to install a browser plugin during installation, and both support playlists. They also have the same configuration options, and there's a number of things to tinker with, such as adjusting the processing power used for playback.
The main goal of both players is to play streams from Real's SuperPass streaming service. However, they're missing features you'll find in a general purpose media player, such as video post-processing, and are further depreciated since many other players can use Real's proprietary formats.
Verdict Helix/RealPlayer
Version: Helix/RealPlayer 11 Gold.1.1
URL: http://player.helixcommunity.org
Price: Free under GPL and other licensing
Both players go beyond RealMedia content, but only barely.
Rating: 5/10
Winner: MPlayer 9/10
Since video players these days have as many controls as a Boeing 747, it's natural to get used to one, which is why you probably already have a favourite.
Still, we have to pick one, and despite the fact that there's very little to choose between the top three contenders – MPlayer, VLC, and Xine – we heartily recommend MPlayer for its rock-solid performance and its plethora of options.
Even on slower machines, such as our Celeron laptop, MPlayer can simultaneously play a couple of AVIs and a DVD. There were no audio-video sync issues during playback, despite several forwards and rewinds.
The only difference was that the otherwise instantaneous forward seek became a little slow to respond. MPlayer also has an extremely malleable command line interface, and there are several GUIs.
WINNER: We think MPlayer is the best all round video player for Linux due to its amount of features
Over the years, VLC has established itself as the 'if it's playable, VLC will play it' video player. It has a good, powerful GUI and playback is smooth, though its performance varies on different hardware. Keep an eye on it as it approaches its 1.0 release.
Xine fits somewhere between MPlayer and VLC. It has features and options that rival MPlayer and VLC, such as mouse-friendliness. However, one of its defining features is also its weakness. By segregating the core from functionality, Xine helps keep things simple for the developers. For users, however, this means constantly fetching libraries and plugins. It also impacts performance, and it's prone to crashing.
The best thing that Totem has going for it is its default inclusion in most desktop distros. Totem is convenient to use and ideal for no-fuss playing. It's got a simple interface and enough controls to alter the most crucial aspects of playback. But while it does enable you to choose between two equally functional back-ends, it isn't suited for the feature-fanatic user.
Ogle, Helix and RealPlayer, which are limited by their narrow focus, bring up the rear. But don't dismiss them totally, because occasionally you run into a DVD only Ogle does justice to, or a file in a new RealMedia format that only RealPlayer can handle.
| |
Read More ...
Exclusive: Motorola: we've learnt lessons from Razr
Motorola's release of the Dext with MotoBlur has been seen by some as the company's last chance to revive its fortunes, but will the new handset be enough to capture the public's imagination?
The MotoBlur overlay is designed to bring a new level of functionality to the Android system, but has the company realised where it went wrong after relying on the success of the Razr, particularly in the US?
"We're like a new Motorola," Simon Collister, Marketing Director of Western Europe for Motorola told TechRadar. "We've reduced the number of platforms, the Dext is the first of many new devices going forward and yes, lessons have been learnt. We're now much more focused and believe we're we've got something pretty unique (in MotoBlur)."
It seems that Motorola is placing a lot of emphasis on the new MotoBlur platform, an overlay to Google's 'normal' Android OS.
It basically aggregates all your social network feeds and emails into widgets on the home screen, much like HTC's Sense UI (but with a greater number of accounts supported).
Too little, too late?
However, some might say Motorola has brought this proposition out a little too late, allowing the likes of HTC to steal a march.
"It's good to have consumer choice," says Collister. "We can see variants across the market, but we have a great consumer proposition. We think the Dext is a first in terms of the 'social smartphone' so we don't want to compare ourselves to A or B. The feedback from carriers has made us confident."
Whether the Dext will be a success or not depends on the price. It's going to cost around آ£80 on a two year contract in the US, which may be too expensive to really differentiate it in the UK market.
But Collister refused to be drawn on price ahead of the UK launch on 15 September with Orange likely to give more of an idea.
He wouldn't say this phone was pivotal to Motorola's future, but did say it needs to be a success: "It's an important handset for sure, especially as the first with MotoBlur. It's very important, but we're thinking long term."
He also confirmed to TechRadar there will be multiple releases coming in the 'near future', which won't be 'me too' devices.
If Motorola is thinking long term, then the Dext is crucial. Unless the MotoBlur platform captures the public's imagination, it's difficult to see a plan B for the once great company, especially as its cut ties with other mobile OS platforms.
| |
Read More ...
Microsoft Bing 2.0 outed on Twitter
Bing 2.0 looks to be very much on the cards, with some "exciting news features" added to the search engine.
While it is unlikely that the UK will see these features anytime soon, as we are still toying with the beta version of Bing, some loose-lipped Microsoft engineers have been using that blabbermouth tool known as Twitter to reveal some information about the new search engine.
Super impressive
"Saw the demo of Bing 2.0, super impressive! Watch out its release next week!!" tweeted Sushil Choudhari, a software design engineer for Microsoft.
This was re-iterated by Monte Enbysk, Senior Editor, Microsoft Office Live, who explained: "Bing 2.0, out this month, has some exciting new features. Imagine seeing maps plus pics from the neighborhood of a restaurant to try."
The tweets were spotted by ZDNet, and point to a Silverlight-run version of Bing Maps in the works – something that would compete nicely with Google's highly interactive Maps service.
Microsoft is certainly ramping up the usability of Silverlight at the moment. Just this week, the company announced an interactive online 'DVD' service with Tesco.
| |
Read More ...
Tory MP: Government has 'forgotten' UK games industry
Tory MP and Shadow Minister for Culture, Ed Vaizey has slammed the Labour Government, accusing them of 'forgetting' about Britain's flourishing videogames industry.
Vaizey is set to speak at next month's inaugural London Games Conference – alongside senior execs from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo – which takes place at BAFTA on 27 October.
"I'm delighted to be speaking to the London Games Conference," said the Tory MP. "The games sector is one of the most successful creative industries in the UK, but it has been forgotten by Government. While Canada and France aggressively compete to attract games talent, all UK politicians talk about is video games violence."
"Yet this sector should be a dream for a politician - it recruits people qualified in difficult subjects, like maths and computer science; it's regional, with clusters all over the country; and it's successful and world-beating. Government backing for the games sector should be a no-brainer."
Trad retail versus downloading
The conference has the laudable objective of aiming to "tackle the biggest issues facing publishers and developers today: how to strengthen relationships with their playing customers and how to sell products to them in the years ahead through digital distribution."
TechRadar will be bringing you all the latest news, interviews and opinion from the LGC event at BAFTA on 27 October 2009, as well as all the news on this year's London Games Festival events and fun and games taking place throughout that week.
| |
Read More ...
TechRadar Choice: The 15 best HDTVs of summer 2009
While the humble PC was undoubtedly the digital device of the 20th century, the HDTV is today's must-have item.
Millions are sold every year, and the numbers are doing pretty well in spite of a wobbly worldwide economy.
A lot of the talk in the HDTV market revolves around a so-called battle between LCD and PDP plasma technology. But there really isn't much of a fight in terms of volume - LCD TVs sell in far bigger quantities than Plasma ones - and the market share is only going to get bigger for LCD over the next few years.
And that's despite plasma being technically the better technology. Traditionally speaking, plasma TVs have always enjoyed a larger and more accurate colour range, a higher contrast ratio and better black levels for improved depth of field over their LCD counterparts.
Likewise, LCD manufacturers often quote wide viewing angles but don't mention that although the picture is still visible at a wider angle, the quality of picture often decreases dramatically off axis. Plasma viewing angles are comparable yet maintain the full picture quality at all times.
And ironically, most existing LCDs can actually only hold a 1080p resolution with a static image. When the image moves fast, the perceived resolution your eye resolves from a 1080p LCD picture is actually less than standard definition because of the motion blur.
However, despite this, technological improvements in image processing, higher resolution and contrast ratio - partly through the use of LEDs as backlighting - have helped LCD to increasingly become the preferred technology for flat panel displays.
And the high-end ones coming out this year have made great strides in overcoming the traditional drawbacks of LCD tech. So today, the only area in which plasma can truly claim to be the stand-out choice is in very large screen sizes.
So which HDTV is right for you? Luckily, despite all this credit crunch business, 2009 has been a massive year for TVs. We've seen some truly breathtaking LCD and plasma TVs being released, and this summer alone we've seen fit to award no less than 15 new TVs five-star awards.
And here they all are...
Sony Bravia KDL-46X4500 46-inch LED LCD TV
The first true LED Bravia is a remarkable, though pricey, full HD performer
So far Sony hasn't delivered the same sort of consistency with its flat TV picture quality that it achieved - to world-conquering effect - with its CRTs.
But with the KDL-46X4500 LED LCD TV, the firm finally gives its Bravia TV name some mouthwatering quality to go with the dazzling ad campaigns and marketing spin.
As you'd expect of a 46in TV costing آ£3,500, the 46X4500 is packed with technology and tweaks. The fun starts with the set's design, which niftily has an expanse of clear glass to each side, into which have been inset some very swish silver 'pole' speakers.
The set is extremely well connected, too, with highlights of four HDMIs, two component video inputs, a port for playing various multimedia file formats from USB devices, and even a DLNA-enabled ethernet port for streaming files from a connected PC.
Read: full Sony Bravia KDL-46X4500 review
Samsung UE46B8000 46-inch LED LCD TV
The Samsung 8 series LED TV offers good looks and decent performance
The Samsung 8 series UE46B8000 LED TV is currently being backed by a huge TV advertising campaign in the UK. Viewers are instructed to simply search for "Samsung LED".
Clearly, Samsung is trying to create some buzz around its new LED TVs, and it's working.
Just like many other strong eco TVs, Samsung's green efforts extend right back to the UE4646B8000's core construction.
This deeply gorgeous 46in TV uses an edge-mounted LED lighting array that's claimed to consume 30 percent less energy than a typical direct, rear-mounted LED model (mostly because it doesn't have to work so hard to produce a uniform light level) and 40 percent less than a conventional LCD TV with a CCFL backlight.
To reinforce this point, press in the Info button on the 46B8000's extravagantly sculpted remote calls up a dial showing how little energy you're currently using compared with a normal TV. Although this feels more like an in-store marketing tool than anything mathematically accurate.
Read: full Samsung UE46B8000 review
Panasonic TX-P46G10 PDP plasma TV
Proof that plasma loves the planet as much as LCD
Conventional wisdom - of the pro-LCD persuasion, at any rate - holds that plasma requires far more power than liquid crystal. Panasonic is out to contradict this theory with its latest generation of NeoPDP gas flatscreens with the introduction of theX-P46G6G10.
The manufacturer has taken a 'year zero' approach with its new panels, developing new structural techniques and control systems, new phosphors, new drive systems, and new cell designs with enhanced discharge efficiency.
All these factors result in a huge claimed power saving of 50 per cent versus the company's conventional sets.
With the P46G10, Panasonic provides two ways of benefiting from its NeoPDP design, enabling you to either enjoy twice the brightness of Panasonic's normal plasma TVs while using the same amount of energy, or else get 'normal' Panasonic plasma brightness levels from half the 'normal' energy use.
Read: full Panasonic TX-P46G10 review
Sony Bravia KDL-40E5 40-inch LCD TV
Sony's first dedicated EcV breaks the 100W barrier
Generally speaking, the various large numbers bandied about on TV spec sheets should be taken with a handful of salt. But there is one quoted by Sony's eye-catchingly white KDL-40WE5 that we just can't ignore - a power consumption of just 97W while it's in use.
This figure is lower than those claimed by most 32in - and even some 26in - TVs and more than 50 per cent lower than the manufacturer's own 40W4500 40-incher.
The main reason for this power saving is newly developed backlight technology, which uses Hot Cathode Fluorescent lamps (HCFLs), rather than the usual CCFLs.
Another key green innovation is the Presence Sensor. It uses body heat and motion to assess if anyone is in the room, turning the TV's picture off and leaving just the sound running if it detects the room is empty. When it detects you have re-entered the room, the picture comes back on.
Read: full Sony Bravia KDL-40WE5 review
Philips 32PFL9613 32-inch LCD TV
A lovely 32-inch LCD with Ambilight and tons of connections
A well-specified contender, Philips' 32PFL9613 has got the price tag to match, but unlike some premium wannabes, this one is worth every penny.
The love affair begins as soon as you look at the set: that slender, gloss black screen surround, offset by a transparent fin that curves forward around its outer edge, it really is gorgeous.
Its aesthetic appeal is further enhanced by Philips' Ambilight technology, where pools of coloured light spill from the TV's sides in a display that's been proven to make viewing easier on the eyes.
The positive impression grows as we set about cataloguing its enormous set of connections, of which the USB can play multiple file formats, including MP3s, JPEGs, slideshows and MPEG video, while the ethernet port can import files from your PC. Note, though, this port is not internet-enabled.
Read: full Philips 32PFL9613 review
Panasonic TX-L37V10B 37-inch plasma TV
Panasonic's TX-L37V10B is a feature-rich, full HD panel with limited internet ability
The TX-37V10B may not be the first TV we've seen with internet connectivity, but few of its peers can match the well-rounded nature of its spec sheet.
Leaving the Viera Cast web access aside for a moment, we note the 1080p panel and four HDMIs, one of which is located on the bottom of the chassis away from the main cluster, presumably for wall-mounting purposes.
The panel is driven by the fourth generation of the company's much-envied V-real Pro processing suite.
Panasonic has dispensed with the increasingly obsolescent S-video input and criminally cruddy composite inputs, neither of which could be gainfully employed on a set of this calibre.
An optical video jack channels digital audio to external amplification if required, while an SD Card slot accommodates photos and other mixed media.
Read: full Panasonic TX-L37V10B review
Philips Cinema 21:9 56PFL9954H LCD TV
A super-wide, ultra chic and devastatingly effective 1080p LCD TV
Widescreen is dead; long live Cinema 21:9. The Philips 56PFL9954H is a daring experiment in screen dimensions, designed to maximise the cinematic potential of hi-def discs while rewriting the rules on home entertainment.
There's a gunwale-bursting array of features at your disposal, the most obvious of which is that extra-wide screen. It is 21:9 (or 2.39:1, if you prefer), enabling it to display movies in the true-cinema aspect ratio in which most will have been shot, as opposed to the 16:9 compromise that has been the norm on standard widescreen televisions.
And, being wider than widescreen, the 56PFL9945H has an unprecedented horizontal resolution of 2,560 dots, which combines with a full HD vertical count of 1,080.
All those dots are marshalled into line by the Dutch firm's Perfect Pixel HD processing Engine (with 200Hz scanning) and fed by no fewer than five HDMI inputs.
Read: full Philips Cinema 21:9 56PFL9954H review
Samsung UE40B7000 40-inch LED LCD TV
This LED-backlit LCD TV takes slim TV design to new extremes
At just over an inch in depth, the UE40B7000 is one of the thinnest HDTVs I've ever clapped eyes on.
Most flat panel televisions are fairly skinny to start with, but Samsung has succeeded in making this 40in LED eye-poppingly, supermodel thin.
But don't for a second think that the company has stripped out the features and compromised on performance in order to achieve this pancake-like profile; the UE40B7000 comes with all the gubbins you'd expect from a top of the range LCD.
Behind the 1,920 x 1,080 resolution glass is a range of image enhancement technologies, including 100Hz scanning for smoother motion, and a full suite of digital media and networking features, including web-connected Yahoo! Widgets and DLNA compatibility for photo, music and video streaming.
Which doesn't sound like a bad little lot for آ£1,250.
Read: full Samsung UE40B7000 review
Philips 32PFL9604 32-inch LCD TV
A superb HD LCD with Ambilight and web widgets
Having produced some of the best TVs at this size in the past year, Philips is making the most of its glowing reputation with this feature-packed, aluminium-clad 32in TV.
While the inclusion of Ambilight and wireless web browsing are the headline acts, the 32PFL9604 has got much more up its sleeve.
It's exceptionally well connected, with Net TV being Philips' first foray into internet features. Unlike most sets that offer a ring-fenced platform on a wired ethernet connection, the 32PFL9604 can access the Net TV portal using Wi-Fi and even browse the internet at large.
Further digital niceties come in the form of DLNA networking (wired or wirelessly) from a PC, a USB port that plays video files and a stunning five HDMI inputs.
It all helps create a unique TV, but the engine room is elsewhere. On board is Philips' Perfect Pixel HD processing, which includes separate circuitry to improve contrast (Perfect Contrast), get rid of blur (100Hz Clear LCD) and lose judder (HD Natural Motion).
Read: full Philips 32PFL9604 review
Samsung LE32B650 LCD TV
Samsung brings great pictures and network connections to your living rooms
Samsung is usually pretty good at pushing the boundaries of value, so the LE32B650 32-inch LCD TV's price tag initially looks surprisingly high. But once you see what the set can do, it's really not bad at all.
For starters, this screen can provide an instant exotic design highlight to any room, thanks to its glorious 'crystal' glass-like finish, delightful curves and elegant lines.
Then there are its prodigious connections that include four HDMIs, along with two USBs and even an Ethernet port, with which you can access files stored on a networked, DLNA-certified PC.
Widgets
The latter port also enables you to access Samsung's specially designed and rather good 'Media 2.0' internet portal, with its YouTube, Flickr, news and Yahoo Widgets service options (among others). You can even access Media 2.0 wirelessly via an optional (آ£50) Wi-Fi USB dongle.
Read: full Samsung LE32B650 review
LG 42SL8000 borderless 42-inch LED LCD TV
This ultra ultra thin TV is packed with features, and all in all it's really rather good
If there's one word that immediately sums up LG's 42SL8000, it's slim. For as well as being 45mm deep, its bezel extends barely an inch beyond three sides of the TV. Even the slightly wider bottom edge is still much smaller than we see with most LG sets.
This all-round svelteness, together with an ultra-glossy finish, angled top edge and subtle blue tinge infused into the bottom extremity ensures that the TV really does look stunning. But is its beauty more than skin deep?
Features
There are certainly more features than you might expect to find inside such a slender body. For a start, all the TV's connections and tuners are built in, rather than being housed in an external media box.
Those connections are pretty prodigious, too, including as they do four HDMIs, a D-Sub PC port, and a USB slot, through which the TV can play a variety of multimedia file formats – including DiVX 1080p HD, HD .mkv, and WMV.
Read: LG 42SL8000 borderless TV
Panasonic TX-P42G15 42-inch PDP plasma TV
A feature-packed 42-inch HDTV that delivers top class pictures
Those looking for a 42" plasma with a full HD resolution aren't exactly spoilt for choice at the moment.
However, the TX-P42G15 from Panasonic shows that there's plenty of life in gas yet, as alongside that all important full HD support, it also manages to pack in plenty of useful extras including a Freesat HD tuner, Viera Cast internet connectivity and an SD card for viewing photo and video files.
Features
Panasonic has thrown everything at this TV, with the result that its one of the most feature-packed sets in its current lineup.
For starters, the panel is one of the new NeoPDP types and is driven by Panasonic's highly regarded V-Real Pro 4 processing engine so it promises deeper blacks, smoother motion control, more light output and faster response times (there's even a Game preset that's tweaked for fast refresh rates when used with the Xbox 360 and PS3).
Read: full Panasonic TX-P42G15 review
Sony KDL-22E5300 LCD TV
Is Sony's frame a picture-perfect small HDTV?
Most small TVs are either really basic, or really rubbish, but not so this Sony 22E5300 that's so packed with features and, yes, quality that it humbles many TVs twice the size.
You can tell at once that the KDL-22E5300 is something special, because in place of the usual shiny black or plasticky grey rectangle is a gloss white main bezel, offset to eye-catching effect by a slim outer black frame.
The design resembles some kind of high-tech digital picture frame. This is undoubtedly deliberate, and reflects the TV's really quite remarkable multimedia affinities.
For instance, there's an Ethernet port you can use to access multimedia fodder on a connected DLNA-certified PC.
Read on: Sony KDL-22E5300 review
JVC LT-42WX70 42-inch LCD TV
JVC has unveiled its flagship flatscreen with 'mix and match' media box options
With the credit crunch still biting hard it seems a bit crazy for JVC to be launching a 42in LCD TV costing آ£2,000. But the company is confident that its LT-42WX70 has got enough going for it to justify such a lavish price tag, and we're inclined to agree.
The most immediately obvious feature is its slender design. Its leathery covered frame is just a few centimetres wide, and the whole set doesn't protrude much at the rear.
Intriguingly, though, the optional desktop stand holds the TV quite a long way forward from a rear pole mount, seemingly running counter to the slender chassis concept.
The reason for this becomes clear when you realise that the set doesn't carry a tuner inside. Instead, JVC is making optional, ultra-slim external tuner/media boxes to accompany the screen, and these are designed to slot neatly between the screen and the recessed mount and stand.
Read: full JVC LT-42WX70 review
Samsung LE40B550 40-inch LCD TV
This 40 incher is packed with plenty of picture tweaking goodness
Despite not having the same ultra-slim looks of Samsung's iconic B7000 and B8000 LED models, the LE40B550 LCD TV is still very easy on the eye with its subtle curves, 'crystal' finish and transparent outer border.
Its array of connections is gratifying too, as it joins the Toshiba contender in offering four HDMIs, as well as a USB port for playback of MP3s and JPEGs.
There's no sign of the Ethernet port found on Samsung's higher spec flat TVs, though, so you can't jack into a DLNA-certified PC or Samsung's online service. But this is fair enough for آ£580. Slightly more concerning is the lack of any 100Hz processing.
But the TV does sport the maker's multifaceted Digital Natural Image engine, an edge enhancement mode, and various tricks for boosting black levels and colour gamut while reducing noise.
While not achieving the giddy picture quality heights of Samsung's LED and B650 LCDs, the 40B550 certainly delivers way better pictures than you'd expect for the modest price tag.
Read: full Samsung LE40B550 review
| |
Read More ...
In Depth: The ultimate guide to finding free Wi-Fi
We all know the pain – you really need to send a quick email but can't find some free Wi-Fi.
You could pay, but then is it really worth paying through the nose for a few minutes access? Don't worry, here's our guide to finding free wireless internet wherever you go in the UK.
If you have an iPhone, you'll know this problem well – but there are perks. You can get free access to any of The Cloud's hotspots as part of your contract. Just connect and enter your iPhone mobile number when prompted.
There are a lot of Cloud hotspots in pubs and bars, for example, housed in those ItBox gaming machines that you usually play Who Wants to be a Millionaire? or Deal or no Deal on after you've had a few.
No strings attached
Many independent pubs, coffee shops and bars have seen the light and now offer free Wi-Fi to customers. This is no secret – often the wireless key is just posted on the wall – so after you've been in once you can get free access even if you're outside.
Bigger chains are also jumping on the free Wi-Fi bandwagon – but not too many. McDonalds offers free access to customers, while Wetherspoons does the same and even produces leaflets telling you how to get online.
Pret A Manger also has free Wi-Fi available in many of its take-away or stay-in eateries, as does Coffee Republic - though the coffee chain only limits the free bit to 10 minutes.
And more will surely follow. Starbucks may not be free in the UK (it uses T-Mobile as its hotspot provider) but it is in other countries including Germany.
There may also be ways to get free Wi-Fi with your broadband deal. Some fixed line BT broadband customers have BT Openzone minutes bundled in, so you can get access via the BT Openzone network which is a comprehensive network of paid-for hotspots in public places.
Get it with mobile broadband
If you have T-Mobile mobile broadband, customers on some of the web'n'walk Max, Plus, or Plus Daily packages can get free Wi-Fi access in any T-Mobile Hotspot location you find. Like BT, T-Mobile has a vast number of hotspots throughout the country in places like airports, hotels and, as we said before, virtually every branch of Starbucks.
T-Mobile is also available on certain Virgin Train services on the West Coast Main Line. Wi-Fi on trains has been an on/off concept ever since former operator GNER started deploying it on the East Coast Line. However, there's currently no free train Wi-Fi, although there have been numerous campaigns for it to be implemented.
It is, however, free on Virgin should you be in first class. While this isn't an option for most of us, there are some stonking first class deals on some routes if you book ahead, so this could be a good long journey option.
Many councils are offering free Wi-Fi in their libraries, however, this will differ depending on where you are. The British Library in London is one of many public institutions offering free Wi-Fi.
How to look for free Wi-Fi
Jumping on unsecured residential networks is actually illegal and people have been caught scanning streets for Wi-Fi in the past. We don't recommend this. If you are gung-ho enough to try it, be careful of your security – make sure you are protected when accessing any unsecured network.
In 2007 a man was arrested for connecting to someone else's unsecured wireless network without permission. BBC News, reported that police saw the man using his laptop outside a house in Chiswick, London. When they asked him what he was doing, he admitted to surfing an open Wi-Fi network. Sounds crazy? It happened. "Dishonestly obtaining electronic communications services" is illegal under Chapter 21 of the Communications Act 2003. So beware!
Best to stick with public ones, then. There are numerous sites you can access to find the location of free public Wi-Fi networks (check this one out for London), while if you have an iPhone, the free Wi-Fi Zone app uses your current location to find hotspots around you – though not all of these will be free. You can also use JWire to find out about current hotspots (free and paid) on the web, as well as wi-fihotspotlist.com.
Although there's a JWire iPhone app, the web-based mobile page is pretty good for locating hotspots whether you're near home or abroad.
There are also apps available for other handsets, such as WiFiCafأ©Spots on BlackBerry. The app costs آ£2.35, but is perfect for the business traveller – it covers cafe-based hotspots in Europe, the US, Canada and Australia.
Software tools like NetStumbler will also help you locate networks from your laptop – you can even scan for SSIDs that are hidden from broadcast. iStumbler is also available for the Mac.
If you're a BT broadband subscriber at home, you may have heard of BT Fon. Fon is a service that enables home users to turn a portion of their broadband connection into a free public hotspot for fellow Fon users. If you sign up, you then get the reciprocal service of free Wi-Fi access back. Fon also works as a service independently of BT, so anybody can sign up share their net connection.
And then there are services like Free-Hotspot.com which offer users free access in return for targeted ad messages.
There are also hardware scanners available. These come in various guises. Keyring fob-style scanners are now common such as this آ£15 Trust one from Maplin, while this one's a mere آ£3.99, but you can also get Wi-Fi scanning watches (this one's آ£17 from blueunplugged.com).
You can even get hold of T-Shirts, such as this $30 one from Firebox and this lovely piece of $20 street wear from the superb ThinkGeek.
The most important thing when accessing free Wi-Fi is to make sure your computer is protected with a decent firewall and anti-virus/anti-spam suite. And remember that when you're asked in Windows Vista or 7 to ensure you select Public Network when prompted after you connect to a new network. This will offer you at least some protection against anybody trying to siphon data off your laptop.
| |
Read More ...
Review: Anthem 225
The product we're reviewing here is the Anthem 225, a solid-state integrated amplifier, that is said to deliver 225 watts per channel into an eight-ohm load.
The Anthem 225 is well-equipped and even includes a MM phono stage. This might seem like a good thing, but as it is a component with high-end aspirations you might be tempted to ask why? It's hard to think of any moving magnet cartridges that truly qualify for high-end status.
Similarly, the inclusion of tone controls (albeit accompanied by a tone-defeat button) seem out of place, especially on an amplifier that features a balanced input. There's a sense here that one hand is giving, while the other is taking away, or that the design simply wants to be all things to all men.
It also incorporates a 12V trigger input/ output, an IR receiver in and out and an RS-232 interface to allow it to communicate with custom control systems, all of which suggest that it could find its way into an intelligent home set-up just as easily as it might be included in an audiophile system.
The 225 also comes with a programmable, learning remote control handset, already set-up with IR codes for a host of international – for which read predominantly North American – ancillary devices.
Sound quality
Fronted by the new Naim CDX2 CD player and a Cambridge Audio DacMagic driving a pair of NEAT Momentum 4i loudspeakers, the Integrated 225 turns in a musically rewarding performance. It sounds particularly rhythmic, sprightly and surefooted when playing Albert Lee and Hogan's Heroes' Like This album.
Lee plays an Ernie Ball Music Man guitar, for instance, fitted with low-slung, single-coil pickups that give it a distinctive wiry tone with loads of bite and attack. The Anthem flawlessly portrayed the guitar's clean, vintage tone and character with crisply defined, but not exaggerated leading edges.
The rhythmic dexterity of the amplifier comes to the fore playing The Specials' Monkey Man track from the 30th Anniversary Tour CD. It clearly relishes the syncopation and demonstrates clearly how the bass and drums work together to create the distinctive, two-tone rhythms that feature on every track.
Nobody could ever accuse this amplifier of complacency or being laid-back: it demonstrates a vivid enthusiasm for upbeat music. Equally, it is musically revealing, a facet that is highlighted by its portrayal of the timbral qualities of Deborah Harry's voice, vividly contrasting the abandon and sheer exuberance of her early days in Blondie with the rather more languid, almost jazzy presentation of her later years.
The same is true of its presentation of Van Morrison's vocalizing, in which his increasing maturity from album to album is markedly evident in his timbre and his delivery.
The Integrated 225 shows that Anthem clearly understands what is important in portraying music: but maybe it is not so clued up about UK market sensibilities. Regardless, it is still a fine attempt to woo British buyers.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
Review: Vivid Audio K1
The Vivid Audio K1 is a pretty unusual looking speaker and Vivid Audio is a pretty unusual loudspeaker manufacturer. Based in South Africa, it makes all of its own metal drive units and encloses them in high tech cabinets with not a scrap of MDF or wood of any sort in sight.
The Vivid Audio speakers are designed by Laurence Dickie, the man who is responsible for the original B&W Nautilus, or snail speaker. It's also a design that has had a profound influence over that company's entire range since it was created in the early nineties.
Nowadays, Dickie works at Turbosound, the live PA specialist, and Vivid speakers are his only domestic creations in production.
The Vivid K1 was the biggest speaker in the range until the arrival of the mighty Giya. It stands 1.3m high on its moulded-in stand and while its slim shape ensures that it does not impose too much, it still makes its mark in the room.
The distinctive form is achieved using a cast carbon fibre reinforced-polyester compound for the cabinet. This is a material that is selected for its ability to be moulded into an acoustically desirable shape from the perspective of both stiffness and the removal of diffraction.
With a box cabinet, sound radiates not only away from the drivers but across its front surface until it reaches an edge at which point it diffracts or bounces off. The curved shape around the mid and high frequency drivers, in particular on the K1, ensures that this does not happen.
The final benefit from using this material is that it can be finished with almost any spray paint available on the market, apparently, the Korean Vivid distributor launched the Giya with a sample finished in a daring Lamborghini orange.
Like the smaller Vivid B1 the K1 has mid/bass drivers on both the front and the back of the enclosure, in this case four in total and these operate in a very unusual fashion. For bass below 100Hz, all four are in use.
For frequencies above this point, the output of the two rear units and the lower front unit is rolled-off leaving only the top front unit to produce bass and midrange up to 880Hz, where it hands over to the midrange dome.
Dickie calls this crossover a series parallel square because it maintains linear impedance across the band. It's a good example of the ingenuity that he has brought to this and the other Vivid speakers.
The Nautilus influence can be found in tapered tubes that extend behind the mid and treble domes within the cabinet and have their ends covered on the rear side. By designing these domes with external ring magnets the rearward radiation can be absorbed by damping in the tapered tubes.
The two anodised aluminium domes are not hemispherical but catenary in shape, which is like a suspended chain. This shape, more precisely described as a rotated catenary, was chosen because it pushes the first break-up mode of the driver up to 50 per cent higher than can be achieved with regular aluminium domes.
The K1's crossover is in the relatively flat base of the speaker with the signal being carried to the drivers via van den Hul cable. The base itself discreetly houses bi-wire WBT terminals and no fewer than five threaded holes for spikes, not something we chose to use, but hours of levelling fun could be yours should you feel the urge.
Sound quality
The first thing you notice when firing up this speaker is that it seems to have a lower noise floor than other speakers. Backgrounds are distinctly quieter. This makes no sense at all, as speakers don't have a noise floor because speakers are passive devices that transduce electrical energy into acoustic energy and, therefore, should all be intrinsically silent.
And yet this is not the first time the phenomenon has been encountered so there's something clearly going on here. Noise floor is not the right description really as it's more like a lack of overhang. What you are not hearing is a box joining in or drive units not being able to contain resonances.
This speaker is so fast and devoid of box colouration that it just doesn't join in with the music the way that so many others do. It's a quality that's so common that we accept it as part of the music rather than as a distortion. But, take it away and you know that you are hearing a cleaner result.
This seems to be most obvious with piano pieces, the first disc to be spun was one of the Schiff Beethoven sonatas on ECM. At this stage, it was only clear that there seemed to be less noise on what is an extremely quiet recording, which in turn produced a more musically engaging result. And also one with more dynamic range than is usually perceived, which is a sure sign that there is less noise coming out of the system.
It was not until we put on Keith Jarrett's Carnegie Hall disc that it became clear that the piano sounded less fulsome and woody than usual, but also that it was more realistic in its solidity. After all, concert grands stopped sounding woody a long time ago.
This result could be interpreted as the K1 being short on instrumental timbre, but the sheer level of detail that's on offer here rather rules that out. Each instrument still has a character, Avishai Cohen's double bass is quite woody enough and for some subtle reason his playing, along with that of his two cohorts, takes on a greater sense of occasion in this speaker's hands.
The longer you listen with the K1, the more you can hear and one thing that's perhaps less welcome is that it's highly revealing of the amplification with which it is partnered. We tried the Trilogy pre/power pairing that we also tested this month because they are similarly fast and have such great musicality. But they aren't quiet enough, as the low level hiss that the valves produce undermines the end result.
On the other hand, Leema's Pyxis preamp and Altair IV power amps, are revealed to be even better than we thought they were, thanks to the K1. They bring a degree of speed and transparency to the result that is in the very top league.
Clearly amplifiers used with this speaker have got to be quiet and need to be highly resolute. The same applies to the source. You may not need the very best, but you will have little difficulty in assessing the good from the OK. We got spectacular results with the EMM Labs TSD1 transport and DAC2 with the K1 and Leemas, a set-up that delivers digital audio gratification of the very highest calibre.
Discovering just how resolute this speaker is makes us wonder if we ever got the best out of the B1 some five years ago. Somehow we doubt it. The Vivid K1 is undoubtedly one of the finest speakers on the planet. Lord only knows how the Vivid Giya manages to improve on its performance.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
Review: Vivid Audio K1
The Vivid Audio K1 is a pretty unusual looking speaker and Vivid Audio is a pretty unusual loudspeaker manufacturer. Based in South Africa, it makes all of its own metal drive units and encloses them in high tech cabinets with not a scrap of MDF or wood of any sort in sight.
The Vivid Audio speakers are designed by Laurence Dickie, the man who is responsible for the original B&W Nautilus, or snail speaker. It's also a design that has had a profound influence over that company's entire range since it was created in the early nineties.
Nowadays, Dickie works at Turbosound, the live PA specialist, and Vivid speakers are his only domestic creations in production.
The Vivid K1 was the biggest speaker in the range until the arrival of the mighty Giya. It stands 1.3m high on its moulded-in stand and while its slim shape ensures that it does not impose too much, it still makes its mark in the room.
The distinctive form is achieved using a cast carbon fibre reinforced-polyester compound for the cabinet. This is a material that is selected for its ability to be moulded into an acoustically desirable shape from the perspective of both stiffness and the removal of diffraction.
With a box cabinet, sound radiates not only away from the drivers but across its front surface until it reaches an edge at which point it diffracts or bounces off. The curved shape around the mid and high frequency drivers, in particular on the K1, ensures that this does not happen.
The final benefit from using this material is that it can be finished with almost any spray paint available on the market, apparently, the Korean Vivid distributor launched the Giya with a sample finished in a daring Lamborghini orange.
Like the smaller Vivid B1 the K1 has mid/bass drivers on both the front and the back of the enclosure, in this case four in total and these operate in a very unusual fashion. For bass below 100Hz, all four are in use.
For frequencies above this point, the output of the two rear units and the lower front unit is rolled-off leaving only the top front unit to produce bass and midrange up to 880Hz, where it hands over to the midrange dome.
Dickie calls this crossover a series parallel square because it maintains linear impedance across the band. It's a good example of the ingenuity that he has brought to this and the other Vivid speakers.
The Nautilus influence can be found in tapered tubes that extend behind the mid and treble domes within the cabinet and have their ends covered on the rear side. By designing these domes with external ring magnets the rearward radiation can be absorbed by damping in the tapered tubes.
The two anodised aluminium domes are not hemispherical but catenary in shape, which is like a suspended chain. This shape, more precisely described as a rotated catenary, was chosen because it pushes the first break-up mode of the driver up to 50 per cent higher than can be achieved with regular aluminium domes.
The K1's crossover is in the relatively flat base of the speaker with the signal being carried to the drivers via van den Hul cable. The base itself discreetly houses bi-wire WBT terminals and no fewer than five threaded holes for spikes, not something we chose to use, but hours of levelling fun could be yours should you feel the urge.
Sound quality
The first thing you notice when firing up this speaker is that it seems to have a lower noise floor than other speakers. Backgrounds are distinctly quieter. This makes no sense at all, as speakers don't have a noise floor because speakers are passive devices that transduce electrical energy into acoustic energy and, therefore, should all be intrinsically silent.
And yet this is not the first time the phenomenon has been encountered so there's something clearly going on here. Noise floor is not the right description really as it's more like a lack of overhang. What you are not hearing is a box joining in or drive units not being able to contain resonances.
This speaker is so fast and devoid of box colouration that it just doesn't join in with the music the way that so many others do. It's a quality that's so common that we accept it as part of the music rather than as a distortion. But, take it away and you know that you are hearing a cleaner result.
This seems to be most obvious with piano pieces, the first disc to be spun was one of the Schiff Beethoven sonatas on ECM. At this stage, it was only clear that there seemed to be less noise on what is an extremely quiet recording, which in turn produced a more musically engaging result. And also one with more dynamic range than is usually perceived, which is a sure sign that there is less noise coming out of the system.
It was not until we put on Keith Jarrett's Carnegie Hall disc that it became clear that the piano sounded less fulsome and woody than usual, but also that it was more realistic in its solidity. After all, concert grands stopped sounding woody a long time ago.
This result could be interpreted as the K1 being short on instrumental timbre, but the sheer level of detail that's on offer here rather rules that out. Each instrument still has a character, Avishai Cohen's double bass is quite woody enough and for some subtle reason his playing, along with that of his two cohorts, takes on a greater sense of occasion in this speaker's hands.
The longer you listen with the K1, the more you can hear and one thing that's perhaps less welcome is that it's highly revealing of the amplification with which it is partnered. We tried the Trilogy pre/power pairing that we also tested this month because they are similarly fast and have such great musicality. But they aren't quiet enough, as the low level hiss that the valves produce undermines the end result.
On the other hand, Leema's Pyxis preamp and Altair IV power amps, are revealed to be even better than we thought they were, thanks to the K1. They bring a degree of speed and transparency to the result that is in the very top league.
Clearly amplifiers used with this speaker have got to be quiet and need to be highly resolute. The same applies to the source. You may not need the very best, but you will have little difficulty in assessing the good from the OK. We got spectacular results with the EMM Labs TSD1 transport and DAC2 with the K1 and Leemas, a set-up that delivers digital audio gratification of the very highest calibre.
Discovering just how resolute this speaker is makes us wonder if we ever got the best out of the B1 some five years ago. Somehow we doubt it. The Vivid K1 is undoubtedly one of the finest speakers on the planet. Lord only knows how the Vivid Giya manages to improve on its performance.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
Posthumous apology given to Alan Turing
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has issued an apology to code breaker and key computing pioneer Alan Turing, 53 years after his death.
The apology has come after 30,000 people signed a petition, demanding the government say sorry about the inhumane treatment Turing was subjected to after he was prosecuted with 'gross indecency' for having a relationship with another man.
Turing worked at Bletchley Park during World War II and was part of the team which cracked the Enigma code.
His contribution to the war was singled out by then Prime Minister Winston Churchill for its significance in helping the Allied forces to victory.
But his work on the mathematical foundations of computing has been even more influential, with his work credited as fathering modern computer science, thanks to his concept of Turing machines.
"While Turing was dealt with under the law of the time, and we can't put the clock back, his treatment was of course utterly unfair, and I am pleased to have the chance to say how deeply sorry I and we all are for what happened to him," said Brown in his apology.
"Alan and the many thousands of other gay men who were convicted, as he was convicted, under homophobic laws, were treated terribly. I am proud those days are gone."
As a result of his work, Turing has been voted by Time magazine as one of the '100 most important people of the 20th Century'.
| |
Read More ...
US Copyright Office opposes Google Books
The US Copyright Office has changed tack and is now opposing a deal that may give Google the rights to digitise millions of out-of-print books.
Marybeth Peters, head of the US Copyright Office testified in a House Judiciary Committee this week, telling them she thought the terms of the latest Google Books settlement was "fundamentally at odds with the law."
Peters was also concerned the deal might impair Congress' ability to govern copyrights and that it could also have "serious international implications" for books published outside the US.
"The so-called settlement would create mechanisms by which Google could continue to scan with impunity, well into the future, and to our great surprise, create yet additional commercial products without the prior consent of rights holders," Marybeth Peters told the Judiciary Committee, adding that the settlement is "tantamount to creating a private compulsory license."
US District Judge Denny Chin is set to review the settlement on 7 October.
A coalition of opposition
Peter Brantley, Director of Access for the Internet Archive (a group that is opposing the Google deal and that has teamed up with Microsoft, Yahoo and Amazon), rejected Google's current offering in the massive book digitisation deal, claiming:
"Google would still be a monopoly provider… None of our objections have gone away."
The key issue that is causing the conflict between Google and its coalition of opposing groups and companies is Google's plans to scan millions of out-of-print books and then sell subscriptions to libraries and single-use copies to consumers.
While Google argues this will potentially revitalise thousands (potentially millions) of out-of-print works
"We believe strongly in an open and competitive market for digital books," said David Drummond, Google's chief legal officer.
| |
Read More ...
Review: NAD C375BEE
NAD made its name with budget amplifiers and its presence in that market continues to be strong. More recently, it has added the upmarket 'Masters' range – considerably more expensive products with more refined sounds and looks. In terms of hi-fi separates, though, there has been quite a gap between the ranges – a gap which the new 375BEE goes some way towards closing. But is it just more of the same stuff that goes in the cheaper amps?
Not according to NAD, which claims this amp is, in fact, closer to the Masters series M3. Among other Masters-type features, it uses a 'building block' approach for upgrades, including an optional phono stage (آ£70), which NAD supplied to us for this review.
We noted in fixing the phono module that there is a second expansion port, but as yet no product has been announced to fill it. A DAC, perhaps?
As the photographs clearly show, this is a pretty big chunk of amplifier. That's not surprising when one considers its specification, which includes a power rating of 150 watts into the usual 8 ohm notional impedance. NAD makes great play of its 'Full Disclosure' power specification, welcome in these times of 1,000-watt desktop audio, though most proper hi-fi companies certainly don't stoop to such depths.
Still, in practice this means NAD's specifications are distinctly conservative. We ran a few tests on the 375BEE which showed its continuous power delivery (driving two channels) to be barely a whisker below 200 watts, while a shade over 220 watts is available into one channel at a time and brief peaks (up to about 50ms, which is enough for most real-world musical transients) of 250 watts can be supported.
INSIDE: The inside of the C375BEE is dominated by the toroidal mains transformer and power supply capacitors just behind it
This kind of power puts a strain on the internal workings if they aren't robust. But there are no such worries here as four pairs of output transistors per channel are in circuit, sharing the high output currents quite safely. They are mounted on large heatsinks and fed from a substantial toroidal transformer and a pair of very large reservoir capacitors.
This approach means that sustained high power delivery is not an idle boast: just about the only disadvantage (apart from the obvious ones of size and cost) is relatively high power consumption at idle, but this is still only in a region of 60 watts, similar to the 375BEE's obvious competitor, the Cambridge Audio 840A.
In common with many large-scale audio manufacturers, NAD is still using through-hole components for most of its circuits. The circuit boards of the two discrete power amplifiers (separate back to the mains transformer) are well filled with parts, while the single board mounted on the base is home to the relays, which switch inputs and outputs, various power-supply parts and also a couple of completely enclosed 'class A gain modules', which are evidently NAD's answer to the ubiquitous op-amp.
Gain control is still a motorised potentiometer, with tone and balance controls alongside – defeatable, of course. Inputs and outputs are plentiful, with a preamp output for bi-amping. The amp can be bridged if you really need 500 watts or so of output, in the company of a matching 275 power amp similarly connected.
Incidentally, as well as measuring output power we checked basic distortion and frequency response figures. They are all very impressive – midband distortion staying in the region of 0.001 per cent even at 200 watts output. That's not a trivial thing to achieve and we congratulate designer Bjorn Erik Edvardsen (the BEE suffix) on doing so.
Faced with a powerhouse like this, there's a strong temptation to load up a noisy disc at the outset, wind the volume control up high and settle back for some good old aural abuse. We did exactly that, but were rather taken aback by the results.
We've used high-powered NAD amps before and always found them enjoyable, if not always well controlled or revealing at high power. This one breaks that tradition, for it offers some of the best control we've heard at anything like the price.
We weren't exactly using the world's easiest speakers, either. The Bowers and Wilkins 803S is a fairly tricky load and needs a firm hand to keep the bass precise, but the 375Bee proves more than ready for the challenge. even when delivering peaks close to the 200 watts threshold (which was louder then we were comfortable with) there was no sense of strain, nor of the shift of focus that often occurs when amps start to run out of puff – loud bass making the midrange and treble wilt, and vice-versa.
As a result, we spent a lot of time revelling in the classy combination of power and control which the amplifier offers. Perhaps the odd rock'n'roller might find it a little too clean, but unless your musical tastes run almost exclusively to the 'down and dirty' it's likely you'll be as taken as we are with the combination of refinement and uninhibited power delivery.
As we've mentioned before in these pages, classical music tends to have wider dynamics than most other styles and hence benefits most from high power output, and indeed we found ready use for the power in uncompressed symphony orchestra recordings. Bass drum and timpani rarely sound so vivid!
There is also a lot to admire and enjoy at more modest volumes. Another break with early high-power NAD amps is in the high degree of neutrality across the midrange. Previously, we've had some limitations about the degree of naturalness in voices, but on this occasion we find it very hard to pick fault in this area.
This is accompanied by some excellent resolution of detail, making it very easy to separate the different lines within a multi-layered piece of music. As usual, stereo imaging follows where detail leads, and although we have heard just a shade more image depth (from amps costing considerably more than a grand, mind you) we have hardly heard better imaging stability.
In a well-recorded oratorio recording, for instance, we found the placement of the voices absolutely consistent irrespective of the accompaniment behind them. An excellent result.
By this point, you're probably waiting for the big 'but'. Frankly, there isn't one. Forced to find criticism, we would have to resort to minor details of sound. Thus the highest treble isn't quite as open and airy as true high-end amps manage, nor is the deepest bass as precise though they both come shockingly close.
And ergonomics-wise, the volume control has a little backlash. And, of course, the unit, smart as it is, doesn't actually look a million dollars. But honestly, we reckon an unscrupulous reseller could put a fancy, thick aluminium front panel on this with some natty engraved graphics, jack the price up by a factor of two or three, and make some pretty easy sales.
There are some very good amplifiers out there, these days, between آ£500 and آ£2,000. The NAD 375BEE is not by any means the only game in town but it is a very fine amplifier by any reckoning. We used it with some very smart sources and speakers and it never once nodded. We are delighted to recommend it unconditionally.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
Review: Yamaha MCS-1330
Yamaha is a company that has rediscovered two channel. Having allied itself rather strongly with home cinema over the past decade, it has come back to its roots with the vigour of the born again. Maybe someone in the boardroom started listening to music again! This resurgence has spawned some superb-looking separates and is now filtering down into smaller systems, like the MCS-1330 separates that are sold together and are designed to deliver decent sound from easy to use and attractive hardware.
MCS-1330 is the name that Yamaha appends to the electronics under consideration here and this review includes the R-1330 receiver and CD-1330 CD player. We used these with Yamaha's NS-BP400 speaker system.
Both components are extremely well finished in three-quarter-width cases that when stacked together, stand a little higher than your average full-size amplifier. Yamaha is clearly going after the territory Denon has aggressively jumped into and TEAC staked out a while back with its gold bricks.
As for features, Yamaha has held back on chucking in everything it can and stuck with the key options required in this sector. Specifically, an iPod dock with full remote functionality, an FM tuner, and a CD player that will spin MP3 and WMA-encoded discs.
The only notable absence is DAB, which can be found on the competition at this price. There is a front panel USB input, but it's designed for 'mass storage devices' like flash memory keys and MP3 players rather than a PC, which seems an odd approach.
Speaker terminals are good quality and will accept 4mm plugs if you prise out the plastic caps and there are RCA phono inputs for a turntable and a line level source such as a DVD player or set-top box.
Using the FM tuner with the supplied twisted wire antenna can be a little challenging. The aerial can't pull in a completely clean signal for stations like Radio 2 and the auto presetting process stored about 27 non stations as it scanned about a third of the band. A decent antenna may be a necessity in some situations – it's useful to have so many presets, though.
The process is pretty straightforward once you have read the manual and given up on trying to set them all by wit alone. With a clean signal and the audiophile's station of choice, Radio 3, the results are very good with the fine imaging qualities of the medium demonstrated in full effect.
Sound quality
For our test, we used the amplifier with a pair of Cyrus CLS50 speakers and connected the two Yamaha units with the supplied interconnect. The system has a Pure Direct mode, which dims the displays when engaged. The pairing puts in a taut and fairly revealing performance on CD, with a reasonably open and clear sound and average detail levels for the price.
It doesn't have the timing of regular separates, nor their dynamics, but there's enough bounce in its step to get your toe tapping, while vocals are not too vague in placement and shape. We compared it with a relatively old alternative, albeit a more expensive one in its time.
This put the Yamaha in a significantly better light thanks to its decent bandwidth and appealing openness, a combination that made bands like the ill-fated Trio of Doom (McLaughlin, Pastorius, Williams) sound more substantial and three-dimensional via some Dali Menuet speakers.
This is a nicely turned out pairing that provides an alternative aesthetic to the competition. It won't trouble full-size separates at the price but that's not its purpose. Instead, it provides decent sound quality and represents a big step up from budget units. What's more, it doesn't try to blind you with features.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
Friend tagging comes to Facebook
The makers of Facebook have made another tweak to the site, bringing it closer to Twitter than ever before.
Facebook has already gone through a stream-lining process and added live news updates, but now you can tag friends into your updates – letting them know when you name-check them.
TwitterBook
"One of the most popular features on Facebook is tagging, which gives you the ability to identify and reference people in photos, videos and notes," says Software Engineer Tom on the Facebook blog.
"Today, we are adding a new way to tag people and other things you're connected to on Facebook – in status updates and other posts from the Publisher. It's another way to let people know who and what you're talking about."
How do you tag your friends? With an @ sign of course – something that will be oh-so familiar to Twitter users.
There is a difference, however, the @ sign will not be visible in your status, as 'Tom' explains: "As you type the name of what you would like to reference, a drop-down menu will appear that allows you to choose from your list of friends and other connections, including groups, events, applications and Pages.
"Soon, you'll be able to tag friends from applications as well. The '@' symbol will not be displayed in the published status update or post after you've added your tags."
| |
Read More ...
Motorola Cliq renamed for the UK as Dext
Motorola's recently released Cliq phone is set to make its way over to the UK as the Dext.
Why the reason for the moniker change, we don't know - but we do know it will be heading over to Orange.
The new phone, as we said earlier, will sport a 3.5mm headphone jack, a full QWERTY keyboard and MotoBlur - the company's answer to the HTC Sense UI that's wowing the world on the Hero (and soon the Tattoo).
A poor man's G1
It also has a 2GB memory card, which is expandable up to 32GB when you fork out for a larger microSD version.
T3 have had an exclusive look at the new Dext phone, but if you're a Moto fan, it's best to look away now.
They describe it as a 'Poor man's G1' and 'a year too late' - better pull your finger out now if you want that renaissance, Motorola.
| |
Read More ...
INQ announces move into Android phones
INQ, the maker of the popular low cost smartphones, has announced plans to move to the Android OS in the next year.
CEO Frank Meehan took the stage at the GigaOm Mobilize conference to confirm such a phone is coming.
"We came to the conclusion that aside from licensing Palm [WebOS], which is a fairly difficult thing to do, Android was really most suited for our plans with touch-screen devices," he said, according to PC Magazine.
INQ has created its own OS for the INQ1 'Facebook phone' and the 'Twitterphones', the Mini 3G and Chat 3G.
But Meehan confirmed INQ has looked at other OS's, such as Windows Mobile and Palm's webOS, but decided they were simply too complex to put on the company's phones.
Android the best option
However the firm decided Android is the best option, as it offers such a large level of customisation, meaning INQ can easily put its own skin on top.
Meehan promised to 'shake up the contact list' on the Android interface, as the Hutchinson-owned manufacturer wants to continue its tight Facebook integration for the phonebook.
The CEO also promised that the new skin will have to re-imagine the market store, as "Google has to improve it, or if they don't, someone's got to improve it for them."
The new phone looks likely to land in 2010, meaning a good run for the Twitterphones in the next few months. And with the Spotify application likely well established on Android by then, it's pretty likely we'll see the 'Spotify phone' from INQ as well.
| |
Read More ...
10 things Apple should change in iTunes 9
[UPDATE: iTunes 9 is now out. Check out our iTunes 9 review]
Apple promised big things for the launch of iTunes 8 last September, and what did we get? A music recommendation engine and another layer of UI glossiness in the Grid view. Genius? Not really.
What we really hoped for and expected was a complete ground-up revamp that prepped iTunes for the future. Why?
Because iTunes, as we've known it so far, is really starting to show its age. Its underpinnings are becoming increasingly creaky thanks to the weight of features, files and expectations being shovelled upon it - and it's fast turning into bloatware of almost Redmond-like proportions.
Here are 10 things we think Apple should do for iTunes 9:
1. Clean up the user interface
Once upon a time iTunes UI was one of the best things about it. True, it looked a little bland, but the old List and Grid views at least made it easy to find your way around.
We still have List view, luckily, but last year's Cover Flow was always more novelty than genuinely useful addition. We can't forgive its inclusion in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard's Finder either.
The new Grid view in iTunes 8 presents you with even more ways to slice the same content, adding more layers of complication and frustration at every turn. Don't believe us?
Check out the Artists tab. Here you'll see a Grid view of the all the Artists in your library. Move the cursor over the icon and you can side-scroll through the album art, just like you can in iPhoto '08.
Not only is the whole idea of being able to do this rubbish, but clicking on a piece of album art presents you with another version of the UI, this time the old style Grid complete with track listing and album artwork. Confusing? Gimmicky? Useless. Yes, yes and yes again.
2. Bar the Genius
OK, so it's a fairly easy way to auto-generate playlists, but at the expense of what? Your musical tastes get automatically submitted to Apple, which then hits you back with money-gouging recommendations based on content found in the iTunes Store.
This is the kind of hardcore sell we expect from pile-'em-high-sell-it-cheap merchants. We thought Apple thought differently.
And what about the iTunes Store arrows that sit next to every track in your library? You used to be able to turn them off. Now you can't. Grrr.
3. Better file handling
Like the little plastic donkey in Buckaroo, iTunes' burden keeps getting heavier and heavier - it has to be able to handle music, movies and TV shows for enjoying on your computer; ditto for your iPod, iPod touch and iPhone; and ditto again for Apple TV. Oh, and let's not forget about HD content, audiobooks, PDFs, applications and artwork. Plus the whole shopping thing. Sheesh.
The problem is, iTunes isn't very good at handling this at all. Ideally you want lean, mean versions of your music, movies, and so on for toting around on your iPod or whatever; and then full-fat alternatives for enjoyment at home.
In a sensible world, iTunes would enable you to seamlessly convert from the full-fat version to the skinny version as needed, and not leave your hard drive or your library in a confusing jumble afterwards. iTunes isn't sensible, it's downright moronic - it either has to separate versions for every device you own in your library; or you have to plump for a one-size-fits-all file that doesn't work particularly well anywhere. This needs to change.
4. Better handling for multiple libraries
One of the biggest features of iTunes 7 was the ability to create multiple iTunes libraries - handy if you want to keep high quality Apple TV files separate from your iPod-compatible ones, and so on. Unfortunately, Apple's implementation sucks. Here's why:
a) You have to remember to hold down the Alt [Option] key every time you click on the iTunes icon;
b) It's easy to forget which library you're in and add content to wrong place;
c) It doesn't matter anyway because iTunes quickly gets its Library Preferences in a knot and files you were expecting to appear in iTunes Library A suddenly turn up in Library B, and so on.
Third-party solutions like Doug Adam's iTunes Library Manager work better.
5. Better file tracking
iTunes is rubbish at keeping track of your files. Proof comes in the form of the growing number of third-party apps that try to take the pain out of managing thousands of files on your hard drive.
iTunes music and movie files seem to go missing at a whim: sometimes they disappear from the library, but not your iTunes Music folder; sometimes they get moved to a different location - particularly if you're using multiple libraries - and sometimes they go missing completely.
The only way to discover whether or not everything in the library is as it should be is to re-scan your entire iTunes Music folder using the Add To Library command on a regular basis. iTunes doesn't keep do this automatically. It should.
6. Better database handling
A lot of the problems we've hit on so far are due to way that iTunes handles the contents of your iTunes Music library (which, confusingly, also includes Podcasts, Movies, TV Shows, and so on).
That's because iTunes stores all the information about the iTunes Music folder's content in the iTunes Library (.itl file on Windows) - an encrypted file that could be a glorified spreadsheet for all we know. It's certainly not a proper database.
Proof comes in the way iTunes works. Every time you fire it up, iTunes has to load the entire iTunes Library file into memory. Although Apple doesn't specify the maximum number of files iTunes can contain, it certainly gets slower and slower the more you stuff it with content - especially given the drawbacks we've mentioned above.
7. Better codec support
Given our concerns about iTunes' ability to handle different kind of media files, adding support for more codec sounds like a recipe for disaster. It needn't be.
iTunes currently supports Apple Lossless, AAC, AIFF, and MP3 audio, while also enabling you to convert DRM-free WMA tracks, as well as WAV. Video support is limited to H.264 and MPEG-4 video files. But what about Ogg Vorbis? True WMA and WMV support? DivX, MKV, FLV and the rest?
We suspect Apple doesn't support these - and never will - because it's not in its interest to do so. If Apple were to support protected WMA files, for example, it would not only have to pay royalties to Microsoft, but could also see iTunes Store customers leach away to online rivals. iTunes doesn't even support codecs like HD-AAC - a high definition audio codec for 24-bit recordings.
8. Multi-room for the rest of us
When Apple introduced the first AirPort Express in 2004, one of its selling points was that it enabled you to stream music to your Hi-Fi using AirTunes - a part of iTunes.
The drawback then was that Apple couldn't / wouldn't sell you a remote to help you control it without sitting in front of your laptop or desktop. Four years later, it still doesn't. We've had to rely on third-party solutions instead.
Apple TV has gone some way to address these shortcomings, but Apple could take iTunes much, much further - just look at what Sonos has done for a start. Apple could easily do for multi-room music and video what it's arguably done for the MP3 player and phone. Apple already has most of the pieces in place, now it just needs a killer solution to top it all off.
9. A better, cheaper iTunes Store
Buying online from the iTunes Store may be better than trudging down to HMV in the rain, but does that mean we should put up with sky high prices and shonky download quality? We say not.
If Apple can serve up 1GB+ movies on iTunes, there's no reason why it shouldn't also be able to sell true CD-quality audio downloads either - even if they were in Apple Lossless format instead of CDDA or AIFF.
That would finally put an end to the grumbles about sound quality / pricing, especially if we could also say goodbye to DRM too. Of course, we'd expect to pay a slight premium - we do so already with iTunes Plus.
10. iTunes Pro
And what better way to wrap all these improvements up, but to create a new version of iTunes for those of us who take our music and movies seriously. Apple already offers consumer and Pro versions of many of its apps - iPhoto versus Aperture; iMovie versus Final Cut, and so on - so why not do the same with iTunes? We're not the first people to think it, but iTunes Pro certainly sounds like a great idea and, if it was up to the standard of other Apple Pro apps, you can be sure many of us would be happy to pay for it. How about it, Apple?
Now read TechRadar's '21 great adds-on for iTunes 8'
| |
Read More ...
Motorola unveils Cliq Android phone
Motorola's first Android phone will be called the Cliq, and will launch on T-Mobile USA 'later' this autumn.
The sliding 3G phone has a 3.1-inch HVGA touchscreen display, a full Qwerty keyboard and a 5MP autofocus camera.
It is the first device to run Motoblur - software that automatically streams from social networking sites to the phone's home screen.
Socially adept
Updates to contacts, posts, messages, photos and more are gathered together and synced from sources including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Gmail, and work and personal e-mail accounts. Motoblur then automatically delivers these updates to the home screen in easy-to-view streams, with no need to open and close individual apps.
A single contacts tab gathers together all your email, IM and networking contacts, and handily shows their latest status updates.
The Cliq comes with GPS, a 3.5mm headset jack, a music player with pre-loaded Amazon MP3 store application, Shazam, iMeem Mobile, and a pre-installed 2GB microSD memory card with support for up to 32GB of removable memory.
Not just another Android
Like other Android devices, Cliq has multitasking capabilities and offers one-touch access to Google search by voice, Google Maps with Street View, YouTube and Picasa. Easy access to both personal and corporate e-mail, calendars, and contacts is supported by Exchange Server and Gmail.
E-mail and contacts are also supported by Yahoo, Windows Live Hotmail, and other POP3 and IMAP e-mail services. It also combines instant messaging support for Google Talk, as well as AOL, Yahoo Messenger and Windows Live Messenger.
Motorola Cliq will be available exclusively to T-Mobile customers this autumn in two colours, Titanium and Winter White. Pricing will be announced at a later date. Here's a blurby website with more info and images, and a fairly impressive demo of the Motoblur system.
| |
Read More ...
Cambridge Audio's first Blu-ray player
Cambridge Audio has gone high-def with its first Blu-ray player, the 650BD.
The audiophile Profile 2.0 unit features almost universal disc compatibility, handling CD, HDCD, DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, SACD and of course Blu-Ray discs.
It will upscale DVDs and outputs 1080p at 50/60Hz or 24fps, along with bitstream audio, over HDMI.
Lossless audio
As you'd expect with Cambridge Audio, the sonic side of things is well catered for. Surround-sound formats include decoding of lossless Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio in stereo, 5.1 or 7.1 variants.
Profile 2.0 means the 650BD can use BD-Live and Bonus View discs and there's 1GB of internal storage plus two USB 2.0 sockets for connecting an external drive connection for playback of high definition video, photos and music. The 650 will cost $780 in the US, with no UK pricing fixed yet.
Also announced today is a matching Azur 650R home cinema receiver. This 7.1 AV amp features full HDMI 1.3c reception and processing, decodes all the latest surround sound formats and is coupled with 7 x 100 Watt audiophile grade discrete amplifier stages. A new video PCB with digital-domain video transcode means the 650R can also transcode analogue video inputs to HDMI for simplicity and flexibility, requiring just one cable to the TV screen.
Amp to match
The 650R is also the first to feature Cambridge Audio Mic Controlled Auto Set-up (CAMCAS) with a supplied microphone for extremely quick and easy installation. And completing the perfect picture, LipSync audio delay means the user can simply adjust for processing delays in the source or TV.
The Azur 650R will be available in 'late 2009' (just in time for Christmas?) for $1800 in America, with UK pricing to follow.
| |
Read More ...
TPEG promises more in-car services
A new traffic messaging system promises 50 times as much data as today's TMC technology.
TPEG - standing for Transport Protocol Experts Group - can handle 3000 messages a minute, compared to TMC's 60.
According to researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute, that could mean richer in-car information services without relying on expensive (and patchy) mobile internet services.
Taking messages up a TPEG
Automakers and device manufacturers, information service providers, research institutions and others have joined forces to create a consortium to establish TPEG as a European and international standard.
The information is transmitted DAB digital radio broadcasts and can be displayed on a new generation of sat navs, or even car radios. Warning messages in response to dynamic speed limits would be one option, as would finely tuned local weather forecasts and even information on parking spaces in the surrounding area.
The new encrypted premium services will offer a wealth of information tailored to specific customer groups: drivers of a specific car brand, owners of a certain sat nav or members of an automobile club, all with access to information such as up-to-date traffic and road data. However, there will still be free access to information on tailbacks, roadworks and accidents, as with the current European system.
Fraunhofer boffins are testing the system now, with the expectation that TPEG sat navs using encrypted messaging services will be on the market within years.
| |
Read More ...
Nokia N900 powers 200ft interactive display
Nokia is using the 'power of the Maemo OS' on the new N900 handset to create a giant interactive installation on Southbank in London.
Users will be able to go down to the OneDotZero installation from today until 13 September, and either get their hands on one of the dedicated N900s on offer to write messages, or text them up themselves.
However, users of the N900 will be able to control the text from the handset - shake, tilt or manually move it all over the wall.
Words into letters
The messages are actually 'ribbons' made up of live streams from Facebook and Twitter, with each mention of the OneDotZero event being used to make up the letters.
"I'm very excited to use such an innovative device for our installation" said Karsten Schmidt, co-creator of the interactive installation.
"The Nokia N900's newly designed open environment has made it easy to create applications like ours. The variety of natural interactions will truly engage visitors and allow them to manipulate the real-time displayed conversations".
And TechRadar spoke to one of the developers behind the installation, who told us that the program used to aggregate the conversations to turn them into lettering will be made open source in the near future, meaning we could see a whole host of innovative controls with the N900.
| |
Read More ...
No comments:
Post a Comment