Toshiba officially announces TG-01 Windows Phone
It's Windows Phone day and, as you may imagine, that means a spate of 6.0 phones being given the big Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrade – including the powerful and super-sized Toshiba TG-01 phone.
The Toshiba TG-01 made a big splash when it arrived, but earned criticism for its tired Windows Mobile 6.0 interface.
So the arrival of 6.5 and the Windows Phone brand has handed the phone a new opportunity to impress and, as you would expect, Tosh has quickly made an announcement about availability.
Immediate adoption
"The arrival of Windows Mobile 6.5 and Toshiba's immediate adoption of the platform for the TG01 sees the handset become a fully-certified Windows phone," said Toshiba's release.
"The updated TG01 Windows phone is available in stores across Europe from today. Toshiba customers who have previously purchased the TG01 will also be entitled to an upgrade to the new Windows Mobile 6.5, free of charge."
This is likely to be just the first in a long list of announcements, as what Microsoft terms the 'Windows Mobile ecosystem' races to embrace the newest version of the mobile OS from Redmond.
 |  |
Read More ...
HTC unveils the HD2 with massive screen
HTC has announced a new phone to its line-up, the HTC HD2, with a massive 4.3-inch screen.
Previously known as the Leo, the new phone runs Windows Mobile 6.5 and also sees the debut of a capacitive screen on a WinMo device, meaning no stylus for this bad boy.
HTC is bringing its Sense UI with the HD2, previously seen on the HTC Hero and soon the Tattoo, meaning it's making its debut on a Windows phone.
The 4.3-inch display is huge, beating all other sizes available on the market at the moment, and also features pinch and zoom capabilities thanks to multi-touch from the capacitive screen.
Flash is back
There's a 5MP camera with dual LED flash, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom, meaning it's much better specified than other HTC mobile phones anywhere near this screen size too.
It will also work as a wireless modem for laptop users, in a similar way to the mobile MiFi units at the moment, meaning a laptop can connect to the device via Wi-Fi and share its 3G signal, which is pretty cool.
It will be available at the end of this month, although prices haven't been given as yet.
Stay tuned for our multi-picture hands on with the HD2, featuring a special guest appearance from HTC CEO Peter Chou himself.
| |
Read More ...
RJDJ offers up iPhone-exclusive 'reactive' album
There are a handful of technologies in the world which make us go "er, what?" and RJDJ is certainly one of them. But the makers of this immersive iPhone music app have put its 'reactive' features to good use and created a whole album of new music, exclusive to the iPhone.
The album has been created by minimal techno wizards Kids on DSP – a dance collective from London that specialises in reactive music.
Reactive music
As it uses the RJDJ app, the music on the album becomes specific to the user. If they are in a loud place, the tracks will react to the noisiness of the environment. The same will happen in a quiet place; the music will become more ambient.
You can also add your own sounds to it. If you shake your iPhone or tap it against something, the sound will be incorporated into the music – just don't break the screen as all you'll get is a loop of your expletives.
High-jack your perception
While TechRadar is by no means hip enough to understand the machinations of reactive music, on the RJDJ website, Kids on DSP are described as: "The kids don't play guitar, they don't play keyboard and they don't sing, their playground is the realtime signal, they play dsp.
"They highjack your perception, dub it, bitcrush it, twist it, pitch it, process it, put it back together and inject it right into your brain.
"The kids are thieves who sneak into the signal domain of your environment, rewire it and make it pulse and groove and mash it with beats. The kids are the music you can't think of. The kids don't give a s**t."
If this sounds like your cup of tea and you're an extra in your own Nathan Barley-esque world, then you can download the Kids on DSP app from the App store now and it will cost you a mere آ£2.99. Illicit drugs to accompany the application will, of course, cost extra.
| |
Read More ...
Microsoft partners downplay Windows Phone
Windows Phone may be the new umbrella consumer brand for all new Windows Mobile devices, but the message from Microsoft's partners was very much that Windows Phone is just one segment of their mobile ranges.
Microsoft's oldest Windows Mobile partner, Orange, sold 2 million of its SPV handsets running earlier versions of Windows Mobile. But Orange's Head of Strategy, Marc Overton, used the platform to point out that Windows Phones were just a part of its handset offering.
"From our perspective, it is part of our positioning for Orange to be the destination of choice for smartphones," he said in response to a question about how Orange would balance the wants of both Microsoft and Apple.
Big on choice
"Fundamentally, it's all about consumer choice. For us, as an operator going forward, we have a very strong relationship [with manufacturers]." And in a bitchy sideswipe at O2, he added: "We are not dependent on one manufacturer, like someone has been recently."
But while Microsoft kept reiterating that more and more phone purchasers are looking for a particular OS on their phone, this view wasn't reflected by another partner – Russell Braterman, Director of Marketing at Phones4U.
After saying that he saw the smartphone segment of the market rising over 50 per cent "fairly shortly", he admitted that "consumers come and ask for a phone, not an operating system". He then said that Windows Phone was "quite a subtle story that will build over time", adding that Windows Phone would have fairly "subtle" placing in-store.
However, Braterman later added "the operating system story" would "become more dominant", adding "we clearly need a number of strong operating system players".
Microsoft clearly believes that Windows Phone represents a step forward. Smartphones present "an increasing opportunity for Microsoft", eulogised Alex Reeve, Windows Phone Business Group Director. "We see ourselves playing at the top end of the market. Consumers are going to see less and less difference between the top end of feature phones and smartphones."
Smartphone growth
Microsoft is expecting a 77 per cent growth in smartphone shipments over the next three years, while the market for feature and basic phones are broadly flat.
"People are stating to see business needs and consumer needs coming together," added Reeve, calling Windows Phone "a sweet spot" for Microsoft – no doubt one that it will continue to mine with Windows Mobile 7, something we'll find out more about at the Mobile World Congress in February.
Reeve believes that Microsoft offers something different in the mobile space, though we're not sure what other manufacturers would make of that assertion. "Our competitors play in one space or the other. We play in both. Think of it in terms of work and play. It's about connecting people, getting stuff done and catering for unique needs."
At a launch event in London, Microsoft also demonstrated some features we hadn't seen before in Windows Mobile 6.5, although the assertion of Head of Marketing James McCarthy that the new OS was "very, very scrolly" was pretty fluffy. The addition of voice clips in Windows Live Messenger is quite neat, while you can also make calls to contacts directly from the Facebook application.
When quizzed about the corporation's attitude towards third-party interfaces such as HTC's TouchFlo, Microsoft representatives refused to take the bait, merely reiterating that "having our partners do what's best for the consumer will be good for us".
Currently, 60 apps are available through the Marketplace feature, though expect this to rise rapidly according to Microsoft.
New Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets
- HTC Touch II from T-Mobile and Carphone Warehouse
- HTC Touch HD II from O2 and Carphone Warehouse
- LG GM750 from Vodafone
- Samsung Omnia II and Samsung Omnia Lite from Carphone Warehouse
- Samsung Omnia Pro – B7730 from Carphone Warehouse on 30 October
- Sony Ericsson X2 from Vodafone on 30 October
- Samsung Omnia Pro B7610 from O2 on 30 November
6.1 to 6.5 upgrade available on:
- HTC Touch Diamond II from T-Mobile and Carphone Warehouse
- HTC Touch Pro II from Vodafone on 14 October
- HTC Snap S552
- Toshiba TG01 WP from Orange
| |
Read More ...
Microsoft announces Windows Mobile 6.5 and Windows Phone
Microsoft has formally announced Windows Mobile 6.5 and the umbrella branding for all new Windows Mobile handsets – Windows Phone.
Microsoft hopes people will talk about Windows Phone as a platform, just like they talk about BlackBerry or iPhone.
Microsoft expects partners to deliver more than 30 new phones in over 20 countries by the end of 2009.
"We all want to connect quickly to the people and information that's important to us from across our lives, at work and at home," said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. "A Windows phone lets people take their entire world of digital information, communications, applications and entertainment with them wherever they go."
The phones offer a new enhanced Windows Live experience with What's New feeds and improved Windows Live photo sharing across major social networking sites (such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and Flickr).
There's also the ability to use PowerPoint and open and edit Word and Excel documents from phones with Microsoft Office Mobile.
Also launching today is Windows Marketplace for Mobile, Microsoft's app store. 60 applications are currently available in the UK, 246 worldwide. MyPhone is another service, enabling you to back up all the information from the handset.
Adobe Flash Player Lite is also available on selected handsets.
| |
Read More ...
Zotac announces MAG nettop range
Components specialist Zotac is spreading its wings with the announcement of a nettop PC range called MAG, which is apparently short for mini all-in-one giant.
Yeah, we're confused by the mini/giant thing as well, but the specs of this small form-factor, low-power PC are easier to deal with.
The Zotac MAG comes complete with Nvidia Ion GPU, and either the dual-core Intel Atom 330 or a cheaper single core Atom 230 CPU, 2GB DDR2 RAM and a 160 GB HDD, all in a rather compact 186mm x 189mm x 38mm case.
Space and power
"As users start equipping every room in their house with computers for a true networked digital home experience, space and power conservation becomes an issue, especially for larger houses," said Carsten Berger, Marketing Director, Zotac International.
"With the Zotac MAG series, we're providing users with a system suitable anywhere inside a house.
"The compact size, performance and energy efficiency makes the Zotac MAG perfect for all computing uses."
In a neat and all-too-rare touch, you can choose your own OS from 32 and 64-bit XP and Vista or Linux.
The Zotac MAG dual core version will retail for آ£210.
| |
Read More ...
New site offers cash for online CCTV snooping
A new website is offering a آ£1,0000-a-month reward for spotting crimes captured on live CCTV cameras.
The initiative asks users to monitor random cameras across the country and report back on any dodgy behaviour. If you successfully report a crime, then you could be in for a cash reward.
On the Internet Eyes website (http://interneteyes.co.uk) the online snooping system is described as: "uniquely designed to be proactive in detecting crime as it happens... The general public can watch CCTV camera's anywhere, and instantly alert the camera owner when a crime is committed."
Looking at CCTV feeds on the internet breaches the UK's Data Protection Act. ITPro has handily picked out a piece of legislation which highlights this, explaining that, when it comes to using CCTV images, "it would not be appropriate to disclose images of identifiable individuals to the media for entertainment purposes or place them on the internet."
Real-time and anonymous
Internet Eyes is trying to get round this by making the CCTV feeds it sends to users of the site anonymous.
"The locations of the feeds are not disclosed and users reporting remain anonymous," notes the website.
"Users can earn money by detecting an event [such as shoplifting, burglary, vandalism and anti-social behaviour]."
"The user's notification is sent to an SMS device of the owner of the video feed. The owner of the video feed is known as a Customer. The customer will also get a screenshot sent to their Customer Control Panel.
"As a user you'll need to be quick if you're certain of activity as there may be other users watching the same video feeds. Only the first notification gets through."
Game on
It all sounds very clandestine and the whole thing is pitched almost like a game, which is troubling given the fact that it's real-life incidents that are being dealt with.
The homepage mentions the use of league tables and a points system for regular crime-spotters.
The snooping service doesn't launch until November, so it will be interesting to see just what sort of reaction data protection agencies have with the website.
Crime prevention weapon
The owner of the site, Tony Morgan, has spoken to the Daily Mail about Internet Eyes and sees it as a good opportunity to actively use the 4 million plus CCTV cameras in the UK, saying: "This could turn out to be the best crime prevention weapon there's ever been.
"I wanted to combine the serious business of stopping crime with the incentive of winning money. There are over 4 million CCTV cameras in the UK and only one in a thousand gets watched."
This is all fine but Charles Farrier, director of the No-CCTV pressure group, is appalled by the idea, stating: "It will not only encourage a dangerous spying mentality by turning crime into a game but also could lead to dangerous civil rights abuses."
What's next? Channeling real-life military situations into a videogame where the outcome is decided by the player and calling it something silly like War Games? Now there's an idea.
| |
Read More ...
WD unveils external HDD with e-label tech
Western Digital has announced updates to its popular My Book Elite and Studio drives – with the latest external storage products coming with a nifty e-label that gives you important information about your files.
WD's My Books have already proven to be a hit, and the latest ranges not only bring backup and 256-bit hardware-based encryption, but also a neat e-label display.
"It utilises e-paper technology which reads like ink on paper. With the included WD SmartWare software, users can easily create a label to name their drive or remind themselves of its contents," explains WD.
"The e-label also shows available capacity and whether the drive is locked via WD SmartWare software's powerful password protection and hardware-based encryption.
Powered down
"The information on the display remains clearly visible, even when the drive is unplugged, and the customised label can be changed easily and as often as desired."
The new My Book Elite drives come in 1TB, 1.5TB and 2TB flavours, have a three-year limited warranty and are available now from آ£99.99 to آ£199.
The MyBook Studio also comes in 1TB, 1.5TB and 2TB and will cost from آ£119.90 to آ£209.90 depending on model.
| |
Read More ...
Review: Sony PSP Go
Sony's first PlayStation Portable PSP handheld gaming console was first announced at E3 way back in 2003 and first arrived in UK stores in September 2005.
Fast forward four and a bit years and Sony has finally released a pocket-sized version of the PSP, dropping the hugely unpopular Universal Media Disc (UMD) format in favour of digital downloads via its online store.
The PSP was Sony's attempt to capitalise on the massive popularity of its PlayStation 2 while moving across into a new market – and one that was pretty much owned by its number one competitor in the gaming space, Nintendo.
And while it's easy with the benefit of hindsight to say that Nintendo's 'disruptive' strategy with its lower-cost, dual touch-screen device has proven to be far more popular than Sony's notably higher-spec and costlier option, the truth is that Sony has still managed to carve out a significant market for itself with the sleeker, faster and sexier PSP.
Perhaps the major problem with both the original models of the PSP, as well as pretty much all of Nintendo's various iterations of the DS in the last five years (including the latest DSi refresh), has been that while they can properly be described as portable handheld consoles, they couldn't really be described as truly 'pocket friendly'.
Unless you favour cargo pants with immense-O-pocket styling.
Until now, that is, because the most immediate benefit of Sony's PSP Go is the fact that it's tiny enough to easily fit into the pocket of a loose-fitting pair of jeans, without too much of an embarrassing bulge.
If you're a gamer who likes to rock the skinny-jeaned look, then you're still not going to shoehorn the PSP Go into your pockets.
But fashion faux-pas aside, what's the deal with Sony's new آ£225 price-tag for its latest bit of kit?
As numerous people have pointed out to us since we obtained a review sample of the UMD-free handheld, you can almost get a new PS3 Slim for that price. So why would you opt to buy this tiddler instead?
You might choose to buy it because you want to put some serious time in on your commutes to work this winter with the new Gran Turismo, Motorstorm: Arctic Edge or FIFA 10, (all of which we can heartily recommend).
If you do, then the next thing you'll immediately notice, after the obvious decrease in width of the PSP Go, is the fact that while the 3.8-inch screen is just a smidgeon smaller than a PSP-3000, the colours and screen-brightness have been ever-so-slightly improved.
Add to this the fact that the controls are now hidden away in a slider that pulls out from underneath the screen whenever you want to start playing (or viewing a movie), and you can see how Sony's product designers have so impressively reduced the size and weight of the console.
Yet while the Go's screen is noticeably improved and the hidden-away controls are a clear design win, there are a few minor gripes that we had in relation to Sony's ongoing march towards miniaturisation.
Firstly, there's no option to remove the battery, so you're going to have to ensure that you're no further than three to four hours of gaming time away from a power point.
Not too bad for daily use, but a killer blow if you're on a long-haul flight, perhaps.
Also, for those gentlemen with larger hands, the squeezing of the D-pad and analogue nub into a much smaller space might well prove to be a deal-breaker. Basically, if you have big hands, we would recommend you get at least a half an hour of demo (or borrow) time with Sony's new console before you consider buying.
Still, we did fare far better in terms of overall finger and thumb control and dexterity with the Sony PSP Go, when compared with Nintendo's latest DSi.
Secondly, and this really is the main reason why you may (or may not) choose to invest your آ£225, downloading games, demos, movies and trailers from the PlayStation Store via your PC or PS3 is pretty straightforward.
But if you have a stack of older UMD games that aren't being made available on the PS Store, then you are going to be a bit scuppered. And we imagine there aren't many gamers out there who will be happy carrying around two PSPs with them, to overcome these issues.
Sony's new PSP Go is a beautifully designed bit of kit for gaming on the go and it certainly boasts that all-important wow-factor if you enjoy impressing your mates with genuinely new and innovative tech.
We liked:
While the slider screen initially seems like it might be a little frail, the decent build-quality means that you can happily throw this into your bag or jeans pocket without worrying too much about breakage.
The size is just about perfect for a handheld console – Sony has achieved an almost perfect balance between portability and functionality for gaming and this fits in your pocket better than any other handheld on the market.
Sony's downloadable game store works well either via your PS3 or PC, with a full copy of Gran Turismo (weighing in at just over 1GB) taking no longer than 30 minutes to download on a half-decent broadband connection.
The Bluetooth tethering function is superb – letting you hook up to the internet via your mobile phone and letting you use a wireless headset to Skype with.
We disliked:
After around half an hour of playing with your shiny new Sony toy you're going to have to reach for the duster and pledge, because while the piano-black, glossy finish looks the part, it's very easily smudged by clammy hands.
The cost at launch is nothing less than ridiculous! At an RRP of آ£225 you could almost afford to buy a new PS3 Slim with the Uncharted 2 bundle – not to mention Sony's penchant for expensive accessorising, with cases and straps and the like all set to cost you even more.
Luckily, retailers are already slashing this price to a more favourable آ£199, so make sure you shop around.
Another gripe is that there are still no real killer-apps when compared with Nintendo's DS Lite/DSi.
Our favourite PSP games are generally a few years old – and we keep returning to Ridge Racer 2, Lumines 2 and the like. Not a good sign. Gran Turismo is not enough.
Sony also needs to work on the PSP Go's battery life. Without the option of replacing your battery and with only around only 3-4 hours constant gaming on a full charge, this isn't a very useful device for long trips where you are away from a power point.
The lack of UMD-to-download programme for older games is sure to put off a lot of current PSP gamers, who will not want to buy a console that doesn't offer them a way of playing all of their favourite games.
Verdict:
With all of the above criticisms taken into consideration, this is still the best commercially available handheld gaming console on the market.
It feels, looks and plays better than older versions of the PSP and in most ways better than Nintendo's DSi.
Of course, the major issue that's going to really decide whether or not the PSP Go has a long-term sustainable life beyond Christmas 2009, is whether or not third party publishers decide to put their all-important development budgets behind the machine – because Nintendo unarguably has the edge when it comes to winning handheld game content.
And while Gran Turismo is a superb game, it's simply not enough when compared with the software on offer from the house of Mario, Zelda and Metroid.
Content, as the hoary old clichأ© goes, is king. Sony's new PSP Minis might well prove to be mildly diverting and cheap gaming snacks, but we need to see more quality, full-length AAA-titles in 2010 to be confident that the PSP is still a contender.
Overall, if you're a fan of Sony products, you're unlikely to wince (too much) at that unnecessarily-high launch price.
With the in-built Bluetooth, you can sync with your mobile phone (and use it to tether your PSP Go to the internet – natch!) or sync it to a wireless headset, which we found is particularly useful for Skype-ing.
You can also stuff plenty of games and demos on the 16GB of internal flash memory to keep you going for weeks on end. And if you still need more, you can put it all on a Memory Stick Micro (M2) card.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
US Mac homes likely to also have Windows PC
There is a Mac in 12 per cent of US computer-owning households, but 85 per cent of those homes are likely to have a second PC that runs Windows, according to the latest figures.
The NPD's horribly named Household Penetration Study reports that Mac owners, which have grown from 9 per cent to 12 per cent of computer-owning homes in the US, are far more likely to have multiple computers and gadgets aplenty in their houses than their Windows PC-owning brethren.
The HPS – as we'd prefer to call it – found that Mac owners are far more likely to have another PC which, wait for it, runs Windows.
High correlation
The study also found that Mac owners have more gadgets, more income and a laptop.
"While Apple owners tend to own more computers and more electronics devices, there's also a high correlation among Apple owners and more affluent consumer households," said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis.
"36 per cent of Apple computer owners reported household incomes greater than US$100,000, compared to 21 per cent of all consumers.
Of course, more money means more goodies – and that is a major factor.
Mo' income – mo' gadgets
"With a higher household income, though, it's not a surprise that those consumers are making more electronics purchases," Baker added.
"The average Apple household owns 48 consumer electronics devices, whereas the average computer household owns about 24.
"Apple household owners' actions and purchases can be used by the industry as leading indicators for hot new products and adoption."
| |
Read More ...
Gary Marshall: Why Flash on your phone is a really bad idea
Those of us who regularly go online with our mobile phones are well aware that the mobile internet is slow, annoying and a serious battery hog.
Hands up who wants it to be slower, more annoying and even more of a battery hog?
You do? Well, you'll be delighted by the news that Flash is coming to phones. And by Flash we don't mean Flash Lite. We mean the full platform.
We know what you're thinking. Surely Flash is a good thing, delivering innovative something or other while minimising something else and maximising another couple of things? Quite possibly, and to be fair Flash on phones would deliver some benefits.
Developers would be able to write code once and deploy it on Windows Mobile, Palm's Web OS, desktop PCs, Blackberries and other devices without having to write something different for each bit of kit.
We'd be able to access Flash video on all kinds of sites, rather than being limited to YouTube like some phones are (cough! iPhone! Cough!).
Maybe it'll make it easier for developers to create phone applications, too, thanks to Adobe's AIR technology. And of course, some Flash content is fantastic.
Here comes the bloat
The problem, however, is that Flash is often abused. When you browse the web with, say, an iPhone, you'll notice lots of blank spaces where Flash content is supposed to be.
What are those spaces for? Ads. When you browse the web on the desktop, more than half of the Flash stuff you'll see – unless you're specifically looking for Flash stuff, of course – is in the form of advertising, usually of the in-your-face, in-front-of-what-you're-trying-to-read variety.
We're pretty sure that "more ads" isn't at the top of any mobile web user's wish list.
It's not just advertising. Flash is often used – or is that abused? – to make unnecessarily complicated online forms, or to take perfectly decent user interfaces and hide them under a mass of style-over-content nonsense.
It's bad enough on a desktop, but on a phone such sites will give you crippling RSI before you've even finished with the front page – and the extra load they'll place on your processor will kill your battery, too.
The fundamental problem with Flash is that its many joys are completely at odds with what we use our mobile phones for. Entrancing animation, stylish design and other wonders are great on the desktop, especially when we're wasting time at work, but they're a pain in the backside when we're trying to find facts in a hurry.
On mobile, less is more – especially if you're on the same mobile phone network we're on, where downloading even the simplest web page takes around three bazillion years.
What's missing? Faster networks, bigger batteries and an easy way to turn off Flash altogether if we don't want it. Flash might be ready for mobiles, but we're not convinced mobiles are ready for Flash.
| |
Read More ...
In pictures: Microsoft's Mouse 2.0 concepts
Microsoft has shown off its concepts for Mouse 2.0 – and how it could bring the humble pointing device up to date with multi-touch technology.
A paper written by Microsoft's research department presents "novel input devices that combine the standard capabilities of a computer mouse with multi-touch sensing".
"The traditional computer mouse design, however, makes little use of [the hand's] dexterity, reducing our hands to a single cursor on the screen," explains the report.
"Our fingers are often relegated to performing relatively simple actions such as clicking the mouse buttons or rolling the mouse wheels," it adds
"With the emergence of multi-touch, we now have the opportunity to manipulate digital content with increased dexterity.
"But whilst multi-touch has been incorporated into many different form-factors – from tabletop to mobile phone – it has yet to find a place on our desktops. This may seem surprising, particularly given that for many computing tasks the desktop setting still dominates."
The designs are a mixture of left-field and fairly recognisable – but the prospect of multi-touch is a good one.
When will we see one of these mice? Well, there's a fair amount of work to be done first, with the report concluding: "In future work, we plan to refine our prototypes – both ergonomically, and in terms of their sensing capabilities – to deeper explore the interaction techniques that are specific to this new class of input devices."
| |
Read More ...
7digital fills Blackberry's mobile music void
7digital has announced that its MP3 Music Store for BlackBerry users is officially open.
While the store had an ultra-soft preview launch last week, all BlackBerry users can now download the app from www.7digital.com/bb which will pretty much give them all the functionality of the 7digital website in an easy-to-digest mobile form.
Filling a gap
Speaking at the launch of the app, Ben Dury, CEO of 7digital, said that BlackBerry's smartphone handsets were ideal for the app as "the modern generation of handsets, the Bold etc, are very good for music. They have great sound, a 3.5mm jack and are perfect devices to consume music on."
He also noted that: "the demographic who use a BlackBerry want music. While Nokia has Comes With Music and Apple has iTunes, BlackBerry was missing a music service – we are filling that gap."
Instant play
The app is also a fully featured music playing service as well as a download store. You can search for albums to downloads, as well as rake through the tracks you've bought.
7digital has also made sure that you can instantly listen to the tracks you've purchased, by creating a lower bit-rate form (60Kbps). This also means you can download tracks quickly and efficiently on non-3G connections, such as GPRS and Edge.
Once you hit a Wi-Fi zone, this low bit-rate track is magically replaced by a 320Kbps MP3.
The app also makes use of BlackBerry's Bluetooth streaming, so you can essentially use your phone as an iPod, and stream the music on it to a Bluetooth-capable hi-fi, computer or even car stereo – if the stereo in your car is that advanced.
App world
The new app has been created in collaboration with DevelopIQ, who used 7digital's API to develop the mobile music store.
While the app isn't compatible with all BlackBerrys, if you have a current generation one you will be fine, with the Bold, Curve 8900 and 8529, Tour and Storm all catered for.
Pricing for tracks are in-line with 7digitals online store, so expect to pay from 79p for the latest music.
Go to www.blackberry.com/appworld for more information.
| |
Read More ...
Ofcom wants 'try before you buy' on mobiles
Phone customers in the UK should be offered a 'try before you buy' period on mobile contracts, according to watchdog Ofcom, with criticism reserved for the lack of mobile coverage.
Ofcom's Communications Consumer Panel believe that people should be given the chance to see if they can actually use mobile phones in their own areas before they buy and become forced to commit to a lengthy contract.
"While all the focus is on rolling out new services like mobile broadband, our research reveals that large numbers of consumers and small businesses are still having problems making even basic voice calls," said Anna Bradley, Chairwoman of the Communications Consumer Panel.
Trapped
"It is essential that consumers aren't trapped into contracts that don't give them the coverage they need," she added.
Around 56 per cent of consumers have experienced coverage issues, according to Ofcom's research, and this facilitates the need for try before you buy.
Some operators, such as O2, already offer 'try before you buy', but Ofcom wants the whole industry to follow suit.
| |
Read More ...
Review: Gotow Layers (iPhone)
There are countless painting apps on the App Store, but Gotow Layers is special.
It's not just that its surprisingly decent natural media brushes produce some genuinely good results, aided by a slider to control opacity and an eyedropper to suck up colour.
As the name suggests, it's the fact that you can add up to five layers, and even export your creations as layered PSDs, which makes this app stand out.
You can even choose a photo as a layer; just use the eyedropper and you can cheat at creating decent stabs at art.
The square canvas and fixed pixel dimensions can feel a bit restrictive, and the limitations of the iPhone platform – a lack of pressure sensitivity, plus a small screen that necessitates controls having to be called up separately with a shake of the iPhone – can be irksome, but it's still a good app to satisfy those creative urges.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
Opinion: Why the real power of Twitter is in search
Twitter has gained a significant amount of publicity since its inception in 2006, but it has also consistently split the wider internet community right down the middle.
Some people love it, others just can't see the point.
I should declare my position here. I don't currently tweet, never really have, and don't fully understand the platform. I've experimented, had a look around, and not really found a use for the service.
I have written in the past that I don't really see a reason for all the fuss, and like many other people thought it was all just a bit of a passing fad.
Then I discovered search.twitter.com, and Twitter became something very different. It became a real-time search engine. The individual posts I had previously dismissed where contributing to something bigger, something more cohesive and useful. Let me give you a couple of examples.
Real-time local search
Getting off the tube from work last week, I was greeted with quite a scene. The high street was closed off, spectators were gathered, and traffic was being diverted.
A number of police cars and a few ambulances added to what looked a little like a warzone. Being curious about what was going on, I did a quick Google search when I got home. Zero results. This isn't too surprising as the event was still happening.
Searching Twitter proved to be an altogether more productive experience. I was presented with several tweets discussing the incident in question. A few of them where speculation, one was claiming to see the accident that had started everything, and another recounted a conversation with one of the police officers involved.
Twitter was giving me information on events happening right now. It felt like I was almost there at the time.
A slightly more frivolous example involves some fireworks that were keeping me awake late one evening. Unsure that they were indeed fireworks, I tried a quick Twitter search and, lo and behold, it provided the answers. A number of people had tweeted their surprise that fireworks from a not-so-local festival could be heard across the Thames in South London. Twitter had delivered again.
RELATED: How search engines are getting smarter
Power in numbers
These are two very simple examples, but they demonstrate an emerging concept that has the potential to develop into something very exciting. While individual posts on Twitter may seem trivial, together they form something much more useful.
Want to know what the special is at the local deli? More importantly, want to know how it tastes? Easy, search Twitter.
Want to find out how that press conference is going on the other side of the world? Don't follow loads of live blogs – simply search Twitter.
Imagine the impact on world events like 9/11 or World War II when you can access real-time updates from people who are actually there – updates that aren't controlled by governments or press agencies, but contain feelings, commentary and thoughts from real people. You only have to think back to the recent government elections in Iran to see how Twitter can be used in this way.
The future of real-time search
Let's take a peek into the future. People already tweet from mobile devices. Imagine this trend continues as Twitter's user base grows. Suddenly, whereever you are, you can document your thoughts on Twitter, including photos and video as you wish.
Imagine a real-time Wikipedia offering you a view of the world you couldn't physically access on your own. It isn't a huge leap to think of it as a collective consciousness that you can tap into at any time.
What if we combine this idea with the current darling of the tech world – augmented reality?
Tweets could be overlaid straight onto my view of the world. Instead of tube stops, historical facts, or the nearest Starbucks, I could see the real-time thoughts of customers as they leave shops. The applications for this kind of real-time commentary are boundless.
Real-time search, using Twitter and similar services, has a massive role to play in the future of our internet-connected communities.
Google can tell me what happened last week and give me a map on how to get there. Twitter can tell me what's happening right now – and that's something very powerful indeed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Wright is an IT professional working for a digital design agency in London. He writes about a range of technology topics and is happy to read the thoughts of anyone on Twitter who knows what that noise is at the end of his road.
Visit Chris Wright's website
| |
Read More ...
Historic gadget flops
We're not saying that no daft tech is created nowadays – just look at wrist exercisers and aromatherapy foot spas – but it does seem that the golden age of inventive yet mad gadgetry went west with the British empire and tennis players in long trousers.
Just look at these failed inventions of yore and weep for the passing of an era when anything, no matter how foolhardy, futile or life-endangering, was possible...
Featuring as black marks on the long and illustrious path to technological innovation, launch the gallery to see our historic gadget flops.
| |
Read More ...
Review: TomTom Western Europe
This, then, is the one we've been waiting for. The bad news? It's expensive, and cheaper apps (the UK edition of CoPilot Live is just آ£26, against the آ£60 of TomTom's UK edition, for example) can do the basic sat-nav work of getting you from A to B.
And it doesn't feature live traffic or fuel prices. And its POI database doesn't match Google Maps. But blimey, it's a lovely app.
The level of polish is fantastic; its antialiased graphics are prettier than on actual TomTom sat-navs, though it lacks lane assist, and often struggles to parse contacts.
It has TomTom's IQ Routes tech, which knows what roads get busy and when, and changes its routing based on when you're travelling.
On its own, the app is great, though the iPhone struggles to maintain a GPS lock around tall buildings. But paired with the TomTom car kit, it's brilliant. GPS reception is rock solid and audio prompts are clear.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
D-Link announces NAS router with photo frame
Routers are not, by nature, pretty things, tending to sit solidly in the functional rather than the stylish category, but D-Link is hoping to change all that with the release of a router that not only features networked attached storage (NAS) but also a built-in photo frame.
D-Link's Stand-up Xtreme DIR-685 is, at heart, a 802.11n router, but also offers NAS, USB device-sharing, an FTP server and Green technology in a sleek, compact desktop design.
However, the headline acts are the internet content player and digital photo frame capacity.
3.2-inch screen
A 3.2-inch screen (a little small, really) powered by FrameChannel can display the status of the device, as well as digital photos and other select data, such as weather forecasts and live streaming internet content.
The NAS supports UPnP server functions, BitTorrent downloads and has a slot for a 1TB 2.4 inch SATA drive.
"This router is the ideal solution for power consumers who want the ultimate 'all-in-one' networking device," says Daniel Kelley, senior director of marketing for D-Link Systems in Fountain Valley, California.
"Not only does it offer full functionality as a router/NAS storage/print server/FTP device, it's attractive on any desktop, environmentally friendly and internet secure."
It's a nice idea and a desirable piece of kit. Currently it's available for آ£189 from online stores like Play.
| |
Read More ...
Harry Potter 6 to hit DVD and BD this December; all bonus features revealed
Warner Home Video has revealed that it will be conjuring up one of the year's biggest box office hits on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on December 7.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth of the boy wizard's bigscreen adventures, will be arriving as a two-disc Special Edition DVD and a three-disc Blu-ray pack, the latter including a bonus DVD containing a Digital Copy of the film. Perhaps most exciting of all, though, is the confirmation that the hi-def release will also employ Warner's new-fangled Maximum Movie Mode, an interactive viewing experience already used to spectacular effect on the US Blu-ray release of Watchmen: Director's Cut.
Other extras shared across both the DVD and Blu-ray releases include Close-Up With The Cast of Harry Potter (29 minutes); J.K. Rowling: A Year In The Life documentary (50 minutes); One-Minute Drills (character info – seven minutes); What's On Your Mind (interviews – seven minutes); The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (a sneak peek at the Universal Orlando Resort theme park ride – 12 minutes); and eight additional scenes. Early indications lead us to believe that most (if not all) of the video extras to be presented in hi-def on the Blu-ray release.
| |
Read More ...
Review: RadTech Bezel Blaster
The RadTech 'Bezel Blaster' is an over-the-top title for what you get.
It's basically a rough refinishing pad with a fine sandpaper texture for fixing scratches and blemishes in worn and tatty iPods and iPhone bezels (chrome finishes only), and a cloth for buffing up.
It doesn't actually eliminate scratches, but gives you a more consistent scratch pattern by sandpapering them out.
It takes away the shine as well as the scratches, so don't use it unless you want a brushed-metal finish.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
Adobe to release iPhone Flash converter
Flash may not be coming to the iPhone any time soon, but the developers of the popular language are now working on a way to help programmers easily convert their wares for Apple's popular handset.
Adobe has failed thus far to persuade Apple that it should allow Flash onto the iPhone, despite many websites opting to use it as well as many other handsets.
So, with Mohammed unmoving, the mountain has decided to announce a tool that lets programmers convert software apps from Flash to code that will run on the iPhone.
Export capability
"It's basically an export capability," said Adrian Ludwig, a manager with Adobe's Flash group, going on to explain why Flash is not on iPhones.
"The ball is in their court at this point. We've been very blunt about what we need and what we are requesting," added Ludwig.
A public trial version of the conversion software should surface later in 2009.
| |
Read More ...
Designers get their hands on Google's Chrome
For those who love Google Chrome, or for fashionistas who want their internet software to be as cool as their couture, Google has lured several top British designers to produce themes for its browser.
The likes of Mulberry and Vivianne Westwood (and even the TechRadar team have heard of her) have produced skins for Chrome.
"A bit like painting your nails to match your outfit, or changing your make-up to reflect the occasion, we've found that people like to customise their technology too," said Kate Hammond, Product Marketing Manager at Google.
More time
"With people spending ever more time on the web, these designer themes bring a little more style to your internet experience," she added.
And for those with more international tastes, you can also plug in a D&G, Donna Karan or Oscar de la Renta design instead.
We think that last one might be a boxer, but, regardless, the results sure are pretty and, obviously, stylish.
You can go to google.com/chrome/artists to take a look and pick out your favourite.
For the record TechRadar writer prefers the Mulberry theme – not because it's 'inspired by the cool of the city and the craft of the countryside', but because we like trees.
| |
Read More ...
Salary Burner: Apple gadgets
As another glorious pay-day arrives we serve up a list of goodies that will help to tempt that credit card out of your wallet. After all that hard work, what better way to treat yourself than with one these tech beauties. Go on, you know you want to.
This month we feature all the must-have Apple gadgets and the best places to get your mitts on them. From the sleek iMac to the portable powerhouse that is the iPhone, prepare to swell your gadget-infested abode with yet more drop dead gorgeous tech.
Launch the gallery for our Salary Burner: Apple gadgets special
| |
Read More ...
Review: Belkin Shuffle Cable
The new iPod shuffle has one big drawback. Because its controls are on the earbud cable, you can't use third party earphones. Until now.
This adaptor from Belkin sits between your shuffle and earbuds.
It gives you all the controls you find on the set bundled with your shuffle, so you can adjust the volume, skip tracks, have the track details read to you and access the playlists, with any set of earbuds.
The experience is exactly the same, just better sounding.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
No comments:
Post a Comment