Video: YouTube celebrates 5th birthday
Chad Hurley, Co-Founder and CEO of YouTube, has announced that the video site he helped create into the biggest in the world turned five this week.
In a rather low-key celebration, a blog was posted which outlined everything that is good about the site and the reasons YouTube needs to stay doing what it's doing.
Oh, and Hurley also posted a tweet on Twitter announcing that 20 minutes of footage is uploaded to the site every minute.
"When we registered the YouTube domain on February 14, 2005, we set out to create a place where anyone with a video camera and an internet connection could share a story with the world," said Hurley in the blog.
"Five years into it, we're as committed as ever to the core beliefs and principles that guided YouTube's creation."
In the post, Hurley also notes about being ahead of the game and how the site will still continue to elevate.
"Our goal [is to] set the standard in online video delivery. Fast loading, high quality videos need to be able to play on any device, anywhere, anytime," he explained.
"And whether we're supporting 1080p, 3D, or deploying auto-speech recognition technology, we innovate with an eye toward providing the best possible experience for all of you."
Clip art
We would have hoped that YouTube would have come up with its five best videos to celebrate five years of being in existence. It hasn't. So it is up to us to do the dirty work.
Here is out pick of the five best videos over the last few years that have made us chuckle, cry and think wonder how some people have so much time on their hands. Enjoy.
Hyperactive - Lasse Gjertsen
His mad hair and mad skills showed everyone that people can be entertained with just a camcorder and a mouth. Something Paris Hilton learned a few years before.Hyperactive - Lasse Gjertsen
Thriller
1,500 plus inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention Centre dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller. Simple and all the more poignant after the musician's death.
Numa Numa Guy
One of the original internet superstars is also one of the best. His real name may be Gary Brolsma but we know him as Numa Numa Guy.
Evolution Of Dance
Nobody knows the name Judson Laipply but his six minute dance skit has become one of the most watched videos ever on YouTube. Puts your own crap robot dance to shame.
OK Go – Here it goes again
You know you are an internet sensation when your ideas are borrowed by ad-men. And this is just what happened to OK Go, when their dancing treadmill routing was snapped up for a Berocca ad. The original, though, is far far better and perfect YouTube fodder.
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MWC 2010: 10 things you need to know about Windows Phone 7 Series
It's here. Well, it will be later in the year, anyway. Windows Phone 7 Series was launched today by Steve Ballmer here at Mobile World Congress.
Now that we've digested all there is to know about Microsoft's new smartphone OS, here are the essential facts you need to know. Oh, and our hands-on with the new OS won't be far away.
1. This is where Microsoft gets serious
The new OS marks a real departure for Windows on a phone. A couple of years ago Microsoft decided it needed to get serious about the consumer market or lose out. The iPhone was here and looming large. What it actually needed was to lighten up in terms of design – and get serious about the challenge from its competitors. It has succeeded on both counts.
2. Games will be on board
The impact of the Games hub on the devices will be crucial, . You can read more about this in our piece detailing the entire Xbox Live on Windows Phone 7 Series announcement, but it's pretty clear that Xbox Live will enable access to your Xbox Live profile and avatar. But what else could the Games hub be used for? We're sure Microsoft will want to expand things in this area.
3. It'll be on loads of handsets
Windows Phone 7 Series will be on board a whole heap of handsets from numerous operators by the Autumn. Just look at the initial partner list - AT&T, Deutsche Telekom AG , Orange, SFR, Sprint, Telecom Italia, Telefأ³nica (they own O2), Telstra, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone and manufacturers Dell, Garmin-Asus, HTC Corp., HP, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Qualcomm. Wowsers.
4. It uses Dorado
Dorado is the codename for the Zune software for the PC. And now, iTunes style, it'll sync content to your Windows Phone, too. After all, ActiveSync is rubbish, isn't it?
5. It's good for work and pleasure
Windows Phone has to keep the features that make it so appealing to corporates – compatibility with Exchange and Office, for example. But Microsoft may finally have found a way to balance this with the thirst for snazzy smartphone tech.
6. It's great with people
The People Hub is the finest way we've yet seen to bring all your communication together in one place. It'll be interesting to see if it integrates other social networks (and if you can totally configure this).
7. It's all about the live tiles
At a time when Apple's iPhone UI still holds major influence over the market (look at Samsung's latest phones to see why), Microsoft has managed to at least mix things up a little. Taking the best aspects of the Zune interface and combining them with the dynamic tiled approach is clever – we're fans.
8. Search is central to the experience
As well as the Start button, every Windows Phone 7 Series phone will come with a dedicated hardware button for Bing, providing one-click access to search from anywhere on the handset. "A special implementation of Bing search provides intent-specific results, delivering the most relevant web or local results, depending on the type of query," says Microsoft. What that actually means is that if you search for "pizza" on a phone, it'll search local businesses for you first.
9. Hubs are it
The People Hub is clever (even if it's not totally original). But we like the idea of gathering together content – after all gathering media together is basically what Apple does with the iPod app on the iPhone. Integration with third-party apps and services also marks a real departure for the OS, even if it may be seen as a necessary evil by some Microsoft internals. Windows Phone 7 Series includes six hubs including Office, Xbox Live and Marketplace for apps.
10. It'll sync over Wi-Fi
Dear Apple, please sort this out. Because Microsoft has beaten you to the punch.
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iPhone insurance claims spike when new model is released
According to Supercover Insurance, iPhone insurance claims rise by 50% during the month a new model arrives, and four out of ten of those claims are 'suspicious'.
These figures come from a report by Super cover whose Director, Carmi Korine, notes: "The issue appears to be that most iPhone owners can only go for so long realising that they're a generation behind the latest must-have spec before they resort to extreme measures."
Unfortunately for wannabe early adopters, the false damage claims seem to be generally fairly easy to identify.
Hammer time
"iPhones, like most mobile phones, are actually very difficult to damage," says Supercover. Dodgy claimants apparently tend to go a bit overboard, with some phones having been hit by at least six hammer blows.
Overly keen hammer/iPhone owners tend to then provide a handset in far worse condition than it should be even for "being driver over by a car or dropped from a tall building".
Obviously, the lesson Supercover want to get across here is not to take a hammer to your phone when your washing machine would probably do a much more thorough job.
About a quarter of these suspicious claims are turned away by Supercover, so anybody considering it for the inevitable iPhone 4G launch should probably consider whether the chance of a free upgrade is worth the risk of no phone at all.
Well, that, and the whole pesky 'morals' thing.
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Panasonic announces super-thin LED LCD TV range
Panasonic has taken the veils off its latest LCD range of televisions, adding LED technology and a whole host of other imaging features to the range.
Choosing LCD for its smaller-sized TVs, there's some crossover with the company's newly-announced plasma range.
3D is definitely not the order of the day when it comes to LCDs for Panasonic, however, with the company keeping its 3D technology solely for the plasma market.
LED inside
Starting off with the V20 series, LCD tech is used for 42-inch and 37-inch sizes. Both models have 200 Backlight blinking Intelligent Frame Creation Pro, a dynamic contrast of 2,000,000:1 with Intelligent Scene Controller, and an advanced IPS panel that is meant to give out better quality at a wide viewing angle.
Viera Cast is also on board, as is some design flourishes, including a titanium colour, slim cabinet and metallic concept design.
The D28 series is LCD-only and offers up the following sizes: 37-inch, 32-inch, 22-inch and 19-inch. Only the 37- and 32-inch are Full HD, house 2,000,000:1 dynamic contras and have Viera Cast connectivity, but all of the panels are IPS LED LCDs.
The smaller sizes have been given a special dock that makes it easy to connect an iPod or iPhone.
These panels are some of the slimmest Panasonic has released, at just 1.5-inch.
Hot on the heels of the D28 series is the D25, which comes in 42-inch, 37-inch and 32-inch flavours.
Each TV has 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio with Intelligent Scene Controller, Viera Cast and a super-slim 1.5-inch cabinet. The D25 series also sports IPS LED LCD technology.
Non LED
The G20 and S20 share the same name as their plasma brethren, but the LCD versions have smaller 37-inch and 32-inch screen sizes.
The G20 series feature 200 Backlight blinking Intelligent Frame Creation Pro, a dynamic contrast of 100,000:1a and both Viera Cast and Viera Link.
The S20 houses 100Hz Intelligent Frame Creation Pro, also has a 100,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio with Intelligent Scene Controller. It doesn't, however, have Viera Cast.
Both ranges do sport a IPS Alpha Panel which allows for better viewing angles, though neither have LED capabilities.
The C20 LCD TV Series is the most basic of the bunch. Available in 32-inch, 26-inch and 19-inch models, with dynamic contrast of 40,000:1, Viera Image Viewer for motion picture playback, and Viera Link.
Finally, we have the X20 series, which comes in 32-inch, 26-inch and 22-inch models. Again there is no LED here but you have IPS Alpha technology to help with viewing angles, a dynamic contrast of 50,000:1, Viera Image Viewer for motion picture playback, and Viera Link.
There's no official word on the UK release date for Panasonic's latest LCD TV range but we expect the panels to be in the shops come May. Price is also to be announced.
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MWC 2010: Ballmer: We wanted to set a Windows Phone mile-post
Microsoft's Steve Ballmer clarified the reasons behind announcing Windows Phone 7 Series months before it will hit the market – and admitted he was hoping that the number seven would continue to prove lucky for the company.
Following the success of Windows 7 on PCs, Ballmer took to the stage at Mobile World Congress to introduce Windows Phone 7 Series – and explained why it was not arriving until the end of 2010.
"Our plan is to have Windows Phones in the market by the end of year - holiday season 2010," clarified Ballmer.
"Because we'll be sharing work so broadly… we thought it was important to get out and show you what we have rather than have it drip and drap out with various leaks.
"We wanted to set a mile-post at Mobile World Congress and you can look forward to a lot of information coming out about Windows Phone.
"We'll be in market with this new generation of phones with our operator partners for Christmas of this calendar year 2010."
Lucky number 7
Ballmer talked about the direction Microsoft was taking with its latest announcement, and the integration of things like Zune, Xbox, Bing and Windows.
"I hope just across the board you will now have something of a sense of the direction that we're taking taking, added Ballmer. It's a step - a big step – and the chance to share this new generation of windows phones with you was building on the concepts of Windows, of Bing and Office and Zune and Xbox.
"We really do have a unique opportunity if we bring these things together in the right way; to understand and recognise and appreciate the difference between the phone and the PC with the new user interface metaphor that we are bringing to these phones
"I'm enthusiastic about the direction we're headed. It's a big step but together with top talent inside Microsoft and the best talent that we get a chance to work with like Orange and AT&T and others, we really get a chance to have a major impact on the market."
"We've talked about a strategy that said 'three screens and the cloud' and the phone is absolutely one of critical screens. Phone, PC, TV.
"Our PC position keeps rolling along with the reception the market's had with Windows 7 and we hope 7 is our lucky number and that Windows Phone 7 will have the same type of positive reaction."
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MWC 2010: Ballmer digs at Apple with Windows Phone 7 launch
Steve Ballmer might have been in Barcelona to launch the latest version of Windows Mobile, but he couldn't resist highlighting the differences between his company and Apple.
The main swipe came in an advert clearly designed to show the public that Microsoft has 'fixed' one of the main problems with the iPhone - the lack of multi-tasking.
In the advert, a woman is 'forced' to open a series of doors one at a time to fitness apps, Google Maps with an iPhone-a-like pin and weather updates.
Flash flush
And while a major flaw was highlighted in the Q&A session over Windows Phone 7 Series, namely that it doesn't support Flash video, Ballmer was quick to highlight his company's stance:
"It doesn't mean we don't want to work with Adobe, there's just no support out of the gate."
Steve Jobs has been criticised by Adobe for not supporting Flash on the iPhone and iPad, with the CEO hitting back by stating that the platform was too buggy for his devices.
The new series of Windows Phones will have a number of upgrades over the previous incarnations, namely strong social networking integration, live 'tiles' to show a wealth of information and gaming and multimedia support through the Xbox Live and Zune platforms.
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Orange, O2 and T-Mobile plan rival to Apple App Store
Several phone networks, including Orange, O2 and T-mobile are forming an alliance to rally against the rise of the app store model.
With Apple, RIM, Android and Nokia all offering different, incompatible services, there is some fear about the increasing segmentation of the market.
Not only that but, according to the Guardian, the networks "fear they are in danger of becoming little more than 'dumb pipes in the air'", while the individual store fronts eat up all ofthe money being generated by the apps.
The aim of the Open API initiative is to provide an inviting environment for developers, with the apps that result from the scheme being paid for directly on the customers' phones bills.
Nibbling at Apple
While it seems odd that Orange and O2 should be rebelling against their cashcow, it's worth remembering that this is how mobile games and progammes used to be provided to many phones, so it may be that the networks are sick of Apple and others eating their lunch.
It's currently unclear on what platform this new system would be launched, but it could take a similar route and extend the multi-platform store Orange has already announced.
We're all for standardisation of apps meaning that we wouldn't have to repurchase everything if we switch from one manufacturer to another, but with Apple's store alone hitting three billion downloads, it's an awfully big juggernaut to take on.
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MWC 2010: The details: Xbox Live on Windows Phone 7 Series
Microsoft has gone further into the details of Xbox on its Windows Phone 7 Series platform, and the way that its popular gaming service will be tied into its mobile OS.
Joe Belfiore – the vice president of Windows Phone – was the man who showed off the details of the Windows 7 and he saved the Xbox integration until last.
Windows Phone 7 Series handsets will have premium games and will make the Xbox Live experience central to the gaming on the mobile phone – adding gamer scores from the console, casual games that are tied to the Xbox profile and, presumably, an integration with Windows Games.
Of course, this may see PlayStaion users questioning whether this is the right handset for them, but for Xbox fans, the integration will be a major selling point for phones using Microsoft's latest mobile OS.
Explosion of applications
"I've got one more hub to show you," said Belfiore, "one topic I haven't talked about yet - games.
"If you look at the explosion of applications that are being created for phones, by far most popular category is games, and as I think about my gaming usage - I play games on my phone, I connect to games on my PC using casual services and I use my Xbox console as a member of Xbox Live
"Using these devices works fine but we wanted to bring those services together on the Windows Phones.
"Yes we are bringing the Xbox live service and Xbox live games to the Windows Phone as a built in part of the value proposition so the phones are not just effective and functional but really fun."
Big Xbox Live integration
Belfiore demonstrated the service, although it was not clear how people would go through the service if they did not have an existing Xbox Live profile.
"The spotlight…gives announcements about new games and new info available on the service…pan right and I can see gamer score, recent achievements either on console or on phone and I can see their avatar as well.
"There are requests because we see gaming fundamentally as a sociable experience.
"At the far right is the collection of games featuring premium titles authored to Xbox Live which on the phone will support achievements, letting you increase gamer score and letting you do multiplayer interaction with people on other phones but also on the PC and console as well.
"So when we look at Xbox live and the amount of fun and experience that more than 23 million people are having on the console we think it's going to be a terrific addition to the family of experience on these new Windows 7 series phones."
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Acer 532G is first netbook with dedicated graphics
Acer is taking HD video playback in its netbooks seriously, with its new Aspire One 532G netbook offering smooth 1080p playback through an HDMI port.
Acer is boasting that the netbook can handle YouTube HD videos and high-def playback from Facebook without problems, while mainstream gaming and 3D computing should be no trouble either.
The video power comes courtesy of Nvidia's upgraded Ion platform, which now makes use of the recently announced Optimus technology.
Optimus rolls out
This allows the 532G to switch between integrated or dedicated graphics processors on the fly, which means when you're just browsing the web you can get 10 hours of battery life, but the more powerful GPU kicks in automatically when you start playing HD movies or games.
The discrete half of the Nvidia Ion solution offers 512MB of graphics memory and CUDA support for some advanced applications, which means the netbook will be more useful for tasks like video editing and encoding than its Intel Atom N450 processor might let on.
The Acer Aspire One 532G also features WiFi, a high definition 10-inch LED-backlit display and optional 3G connectivity, while the whole package weighs 1kg and clocks in at 1-inch thick.
Acer has also announced that it will introduce netbooks powered by the Android operating system to provide speedy internet access and simple usability.
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Opinion: Can Windows Phone 7 Series win over business and consumers?
Could Windows Phone 7 Series, announced today, do the impossible and bridge the gap between Microsoft's all-important business market and normal consumers?
Certainly, the new tiled interface is very much more people- than productivity-focused, but Microsoft knows that many people who use Windows Mobile currently want an iPhone or similar – the OS is simply far too exciting for them to be happy with their rather dull existing Windows Mobile devices.
And, with features like the Office Hub in Windows Phone 7 Series, the integration with business features is still very much present.
Windows Phone 7 Series is make or break for the Redmond giant. It knows that the age of the cheap smartphone is here and that Android has seriously raised the game.
It's not just about the iPhone like it was two years ago. There's now a whole host of incoming handsets, like Sony Ericsson's new X10 mini – that are gunning for the smartphone space, once complacently occupied primarily by Microsoft itself.
So it's great that Windows Phone 7 Series is a really classy-looking OS that appears to run true and fast (at least in the demo). If it can fulfil its potential, it can at least keep Microsoft in the game. And that's all the software giant can have expected.
The People Hub (above) isn't a truly unique feature for Microsoft - features like Samsung's Ultimate Inbox are very similar, but Microsoft realises that people's lives are becoming less segregated between work and home and devices such as the iPhone have very much changed the game here.
And Microsoft might just pull it off. Using the Zune-style experience to make an extremely classy user interface, Xbox Live and the Zune software to sync data with the iPhone, iTunes-style is a masterstroke, even if it was all widely predicted.
Windows Phone 7 Series might just assuage the phone desires of those who need to use a Windows Phone for work, but who covet a smartphone they can use at home, too.
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MWC 2010: Orange to bring Windows Phone 7 Series handsets to UK
Orange has been announced as one of the first operators to partner Microsoft in bringing Windows Phone 7 Series handsets to the UK.
With phones to launch later in the year, Orange has revealed that it is because of the operators long relationship with Microsoft that it is to stock the handsets packing the company's OS.
"We have a long-standing and successful relationship with Microsoft, having introduced the first ever SmartPhone together back in 2002," said Olaf Swantee, SEVP of Orange's Global Mobile Business about the collaboration.
"Eight years on, our collaboration continues to bear fruit as we look to bring Orange Windows Phone 7 Series customers more than just a phone, but a full end-to-end multimedia experience that will give them enhanced access to content and dedicated in-store support."
Dedicated care package
Some Orange-specific content will be available on the handsets, with Orange TV and Orange Navigation pipped for a place on the phones. As well as localised video content (like sports) depending on where you are in Europe.
"We are excited that Orange will use Windows Phone 7 Series to offer differentiated services and added value to their customers throughout Europe with their dedicated care package," said Andy Lees, Senior Vice President of Mobile Communication Business at Microsoft about the link-up.
We're certain that Orange won't be the only UK-specific operator to bring Windows Phone 7 Series to the UK later in the year, but it's certainly the quickest to let everyone know.
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MWC 2010: Qualcomm working with Microsoft on Windows Phone 7 Series
Qualcomm has declared itself as the first chipset company to support the Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Series, with devices set to arrive 'in time for the 2010 holiday season'.
Qualcomm states that it is working with Microsoft on the next generation of Windows Phone, to 'redefine the possibilities of mobile experiences'.
"People's lives are not a set of discrete tasks and their phones should not be either. Windows Phone 7 Series software offers a fresh approach that integrates the Web, applications and content and brings new services such as Zune and Xbox LIVE to the phone for the first time," said Andy Lees, Senior Vice President, Microsoft.
"We've worked closely with Qualcomm on Windows Phone 7 Series software and Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipsets are an integral part of bringing to life the rich, integrated experiences on a Windows Phone in a way that conserves battery life and provides always-on connectivity."
Long history
"Qualcomm has a long history of working closely with Microsoft on Windows Phone, and we are continuing this collaboration to support the launches this year of exciting new Windows Phone 7 Series devices based on our Snapdragon chipsets," said Steve Mollenkopf, Executive Vice President of Qualcomm and President of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies.
"We are very excited about the next generation of devices that will leverage the synergy of our highly integrated system on a chip solutions and Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 Series software."
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MWC 2010: In Pictures: Windows Phone 7 Series
Microsoft today unveiled its Windows Phone 7 Series at Mobile World Congress 2010.
Microsoft promises a "fresh approach to phone software, distinguished by smart design and truly integrated experiences that bring to the surface the content people care about from the web and applications."
Take a look at the screenshots to see how Windows Phone 7 Series looks.
START SCREEN: The home screen, or Start, can be customised with "live tiles" that show web updates. For example, create a "live tile" of a friend and gain view of that person's latest pictures and posts
PEOPLE HUB: The People Hub lets you see photos and live feeds from social networks. It's also where you post to Facebook and Windows Live
PICTURES HUB: The Pictures Hub brings together photos from phone, PC and online albums into one view. Use this screen to share to social sites such as Facebook and Windows Live, and online albums that friends are sharing
OFFICE HUB: The Office Hub provides access to Office Mobile, SharePoint and OneNote
GAMES HUB: The Games Hub delivers what Microsoft is calling the "Xbox Live experience" on the phone
MUSIC AND VIDEO HUB: The Music + Video Hub is media central - from music to streaming radio to podcasts to video
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MWC 2010: Microsoft announces Windows Phone 7 Series
Microsoft has announced Windows Phone 7 Series - the company's next generation mobile OS.
Steve Ballmer was present for Microsoft's conference at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and the Chief Executive heralded a new era for the company's mobile platform.
He announced the new iteration of the Windows phone platform was called Windows Phone 7 Series and that Microsoft will bring together Xbox LIVE games and the Zune music and video experience on a mobile phone.
"Today, I'm proud to introduce Windows Phone 7 Series, the next generation of Windows Phones," said Steve Ballmer.
"In a crowded market filled with phones that look the same and do the same things, I challenged the team to deliver a different kind of mobile experience. Windows Phone 7 Series marks a turning point toward phones that truly reflect the speed of people's lives and their need to connect to other people and all kinds of seamless experiences."
Microsoft is heralding Windows Phone 7 Series as a different approach to phone software, noting that Windows Phone 7 Series includes six hubs built on specific themes reflecting activities that matter most to people.
These are: People, Pictures, Games, Music and Video, Marketplace and Office.
A breakdown of these hubs - which are described as live tiles, by VP of Windows Phone Joe Belfiore, which are "super icons with connections to the web" - are as follows:
People: Here you will find all your social-networking apps and relevant content on people from their live feeds and photos.
"You can put people you promote an application or a playlist – whatever you want," says Belfiore about this particular tile.
Pictures: Fairly self-explanatory, but the Pictures tile allow you to share pictures to social-networking sites with one click. From the Pictures hub it's meant to make a Windows Mobile 7 phone as "the ideal place to view a person's entire picture and video collection."
Games: It will be the first time you can get an official Xbox Live experience through a phone. And you will also be able to play Xbox Live games through a WinMo 7 handset.
Essentially, you will be able to see your Live gaming avatars over your phone and check out people's achievements and gamer profiles through a handset.
Music and Video: This is where Zune comes into play. Here you will be able to access the online music service and share your music and movie recommendations to other users. There will also be an integrated FM radio into all Windows Phone 7 Series handsets.
Marketplace: This is where you get all your applications and games for your Windows Phone 7 Series device.
Office: The sixth and final tile is one for business users. This is where you can check out Outlook and have access to Office, OneNote and Sharepoint Workspace. Not as fun as the social-networking side of things but relevant nonetheless.
When it comes to Windows Phone 7 Series handsets coming to the UK, it has been announced that Orange will be commited to the platform as will phone manufacturers Dell, Garmin-Asus, HTC Corp., HP, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Qualcomm Inc.
Expect to see Windows Phone 7 Series handsets out in the UK this Christmas.
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Panasonic unveils DMP-BDT300 3D Blu-ray player for UK
Panasonic has announced the arrival of its Full HD 3D Blu-ray player for Europe – the DMP-BDT300.
First shown off a CES 2010 (under the guise of the BDT350) the Blu-ray player is all prepared for whatever 3D content you wish to throw at it, with Panasonic promising it will bring "an unparalleled 3D experience with realistic and immersive sensation".
To make sure it gets the best out of your 3D discs, the player is powered by a UniPhier LSI chip which allows output of Full HD images in 1920x1080 resolutions in the frame-sequential method. This is what is needed for active shutter glasses to view 3D.
Connectivity
Alongside 3D capabilities, the DMP-BDT300 can upscale your normal DVDs and there's a multitude of technologies inside to combat jitter and the like.
The BDT300 has a 0.5 second boot-up time and there's also connectivity to the Viera Cast and DLNA compatibility.
Connections include two HDMI ports (1.4) and integrated SD card slot and USB ports. Audio comes in the form of a 7.1 channel analogue out.
There's no DMP-BDT300 UK release date or price just yet, but we're spending time with Panasonic in Munich this week so expect details shortly.
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MWC 2010: Acer debuts neoTouch P300 and P400 smartphones
Acer has announced the arrival of the neoTouch P300 and P400 smartphones, both of which are packing Windows Mobile 6.5.3.
First up is the P300. This smartphone is touted to being 'stylish' with the ability to combine both your personal and business life in one handset.
While any business/personal combination usually spells trouble (especially after 15 eggnogs at the work Christmas party), Acer assures us that the P300 has a strong emphasis on 'efficiency, reliability and security'.
Cutting through the bumf, this means that there is Flash and WindowsMedia Player 10 support for those who want to have a little downtime and Mail, Microsoft Exchange Server Support and Microsoft Office Mobile applications for those who really, really need to read that email.
A Qualcomm 7227 processor running at 600 MHz is inside the device and web search comes in the form of Bing. For those who aren't that pleased with touchscreen QWERTY, you'll be pleases to know that the device has real QWERTY keyboard for you to type out all of your missives on.
Screen-wise, the neoTouch P300 has a 3.2" high-definition (HVGA) touchscreen and there's a 3.2-inch camera on board for those who want to take images.
Couple this with a micro-SD hub, Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth connectivity as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack and the P300 seems to tick most boxes.
The P400 is not only 'stylish' like its P300 bed-fellow but also 'smooth', according to Acer.
Also equipped with Windows Mobile 6.5.3, the P400 is endowed with Mail, MicrosoftExchange Server Support and Microsoft Office Mobile applications.
Again the Qualcomm 7227 processor running at 600 MHz is on board as is Bing and Internet 6 mobile.
In fact, most of the specs are exactly the same as the P300, except that the P400 has a lack of a real QWERTY keyboard.
Both the neoTouch P300 and neoTouch P400 have a UK release date of May, with pricing to be announced.
Interestingly, if you are looking for the handset in the US or France it will be called newTouch and not neoTouch.
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UK police make first arrest with flying drone
Merseyside Police has made the UK's first arrest by unmanned drone, thanks to the thermal-imaging equipment onboard.
A 16-year-old car thief attempted to hide from the local authorities in the undergrowth, so the specialised equipment was launched and inexorably tracked down the unsuspecting suspect.
Drones with similar equipment have been used for search and rescue operations for some time, but this is the first incident where the use has led to an arrest. Merseyside Police Chief Inspector Nick Gunatilleke said: "We will use [the drone] whenever we can to support other resources such as the force helicopter and dog patrols in dealing with incidents when they arise."
Flying squad
The drone can fly to 400ft and can hit a top speed of 30mph, so it won't quite be able to replace the humble police chopper in high speed chases, but should be considerably cheaper to use for some operations.
The UAV has four rotor blades to suspend it, with a selection of different cameras available, including the thermal-imaging equipment and standard CCTV. Most importantly, the little vehicle comes with a flashing blue light to let criminals know it's on to them.
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In Depth: Free tools to protect your PC from attack
From a neighbour stealing your Wi-Fi bandwidth to a professional hacker using your hardware to attack a high-value target, hacking comes in many forms. We're going to look at common hacking scenarios and learn how to detect and deal with unauthorised activity.
The first reaction many people have to the possibility of their computer being hacked is one of disbelief. Who would bother, they ask, to hack a home server that's of limited interest to the world? In fact, it's this very obscurity that's so attractive to serious professional hackers.
They may not be interested in you as a target at all. Instead, your system is merely a stepping-stone towards launching an attack against a target of far higher value.
A large percentage of people who consider themselves hackers, however, are simply vandals. It's a sad fact of online life that some people actually believe they're teaching you a lesson in internet security by defacing your website, locking you out of your own accounts and otherwise creating unnecessary mayhem.
Activities that can be classed as hacking come in many forms. Your new neighbours might decide to hijack your insecure Wi-Fi network rather than pay to have their own broadband installed, for example. If you share a house with other people who you don't know that well, another member of the household could have installed snooping software to steal your identity.
In this tutorial, we're going to show you how to detect and recover from these and other common hacking incidents. First, let's take a look at a very useful system tool.
Examine your PC
There's nothing worse than suspecting that something untoward is happening on your computer but not being able to investigate properly. If you don't already use it as a substitute for the standard Task Manager, download and install Process Explorer. This program is very useful when you need to know exactly and instantly what's running on your system.
Once you've downloaded it, unpack Process Explorer (procexp.exe) from the zip file and place it in a suitable directory. Run the program and you'll see lots of information about every process running on your machine. You can also make Process Explorer start up instead of Task Manager when you hit [Ctrl]+ [Alt]+[Delete]. To do so, simply select 'Replace Task Manager' in the Options menu.
If you click the CPU column in Process Explorer, it will sort the list of processes by the amount of CPU time they use. This is very useful when you suspect there may be a rogue process taking up too much CPU time and slowing down your system.
Clicking the Process column header a couple of times produces an indented list showing the parentage of all processes. Your applications and other desktop programs are all under the Explorer process, whereas all the system processes are children of the System process – which is a child of the System Idle process.
Process Explorer makes it easy to drill down into an individual process to see what it's doing. Pick an application and doubleclick it. A new window will open. On the Image tab, click 'Verify'. Each process has a signature that Process Explorer will verify by contacting the vendor's site. The 'Verify' button is a quick way of ensuring that an application hasn't been infected by malware.
If there's a process you don't recognise, right-click on it and select 'Search Online...'. This opens a browser and searches the web for information about the process. If it's malicious, the results will soon tell you so.
Secure your Wi-Fi
Now let's examine a social problem that still catches out users of older Wi-Fi equipment. If your computer is switched off, yet the data lights on your Wi-Fi router are blinking away like mad, you should be suspicious.
If, in conjunction with this, you find that when you use the internet, your connection is slower than it used to be, you should assume the worst: someone in the vicinity is using your Wi-Fi connection.
Some people think it's OK to steal wireless bandwidth rather than buying their own. Some believe it's acceptable to do so for a few days while they wait for a provider to hook them up. The simplest way to lock out freeloaders is to access your Wi-Fi router's web interface and select 'WPA security'.
You'll have to consult the manual for your router to find out how to do this on your hardware. If your router and Wi-Fi network cards support WPA2 security, it's best to use this because it's stronger.
Some security consultants now also advise further deterring people looking to leech Wi-Fi by giving your network an unappealing name. Something like 'Unstable network' is good, but 'Infected network' may be a better option.
If someone can gain physical access to your computer, they can install a keylogger to capture passwords and usernames. This may be a worry if you share a house with strangers, and students are particularly at risk.
Luckily, discovering if someone has sneaked into your machine is easy using a keylogger detector. One such program is the award-winning Online Armor by Tall Emu Software, which is available in both a free and a commercial version. The latter also contains antivirus protection, but you should already have such a package installed, updated and actively protecting you, so the free version will do.
Installation is as simple as repeatedly clicking 'Next'. However, when you come to the step of registering your email address, you can simply untick the associated tickbox and move on. Once installation is complete, run Online Armor and select the option to run the wizard, then click 'Next'.
This begins a scan that includes running processes, Start menu items, start-up objects and various important files. Once complete, OnlineArmor may tell you that some scanning categories need attention. Click 'Next' to see the programs on your PC that OnlineArmor doesn't recognise.
These are usually just applications that Online Armor doesn't have in its database, but check to see if there are any you didn't install. Highlight them and click the 'Block' button to ensure that they never run. It may be that they're simply bloatware installed by the manufacturer when the computer was commissioned. You can free up some space by uninstalling them later.
Clicking 'Next' shows a list of programs that start when you boot up your computer (called Autoruns). Hover your mouse pointer over each one to get more details. If there are any that you don't recognise, then run Process Explorer and double-click on the running process. The Image tab enables you to verify them and see details of their publisher.
Use Process Explorer's 'Search Online...' facility to get extra details about these processes. After all, it's not unheard of for keyloggers and rootkits to take the names of legitimate programs. If you see something you don't like the look of and there's no publisher information, go to www.processlibrary.com and enter its name. This should give you chapter and verse on what each process is.
If you believe there's anything dodgy about something you find, block it while you find more information. When you're done, click 'Next'. OnlineArmor will then display the list of IE extensions that it's found but doesn't recognise. You can use ProcessLibrary.com to check out their legitimacy.
When you're done, click 'Next'. The next page enables you to determine how OnlineArmor checks for updates and whether it's launched automatically at startup. Finally, click 'Next' again and decide whether you want to reboot the machine now to put the decisions you made in place.
When you next reboot, Online Armor will enter Learn mode for around two minutes while it learns what services and start-up programs should be running. Once complete, when anything tries to run on the computer, Online Armor will intercept it and ask if you want it to do so.
If someone has installed a keylogger or other piece of malware, Online Armor will pick it up, even if your antivirus software misses it.
Secure your website
If you run your own web server, watch out for malicious hackers. These people deface web pages, supposedly to let the owner know that they're insecure.
Some hackers replace carefully written web pages or blog entries with a single, stark page telling the whole world that the site has been hacked. Sometimes they even include a message letting you know that they've changed your admin password to 'secure' the site.
How did this happen? It was probably your password that let the hacker in. Despite the public's perception of hackers as malicious geniuses, this is the easiest way to gain unauthorised access to an online resource, and there are password-cracking programs online that will plough through a huge list of possibilities.
If your website exists on hosted space and the hacker has changed your password as punishment for using a weak one, you'll need to contact your hosting company and have it changed to let you back in. If your hosting company can restore your site from its backups, it's time to invoke that service. Otherwise, you'll have to reload everything by hand.
If you run your own web server and it's hacked, the hacker will probably have made a mess. You shouldn't trust the server because the hacker may have installed a rootkit to get back in. The first thing to do is unplug the machine from the internet. Next, format it and reinstall the operating system from scratch.
You'll then need to reinstall your web server software and any extension packages, applications and scripts. It's been said countless times, but making nightly backups is far easier.
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MWC 2010: Acer shows off beTouch E400 and E110
Acer has announced two additions to its beTouch range – the slimline E400 and the budget E110.
The Acer beTouch brings 3G, WiFi and the Android 2.1 أ‰clair mobile OS , as well as a Qualcomm 600 MHz Qualcomm 7227 processor.
The phone boasts a 3.2-inch HVGA resistive touch-screen and 3.2MP camera with built-in flash geo-tagging, digital zoom, scene mode, white balance, color effect and macro mode – and also allows videos.
Microsoft Exchange
"On beTouch E400 the office is never far away thanks to Native Microsoft Exchange Server support, allowing you to access to your corporate e-mail everywhere you go," adds Acer.
"And with the pre-installed Documents To Go you can edit and create Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files as well as view Adobe PDF files wherever you are.
"The improved keyboard layout, the multi-touch support and a better dictionary will assure a more accurate input."
The beTouch E400 also brings smart 'Acer Lighting Behavior' with smart LED lighting that flashes in different colors to let you know when a new message has arrived, if you missed a call or if the battery is low.
There is also Facebook and Twitter client Twidroid built-in, GPS-enabled Google Maps complete with Latitude, Street View, Traffic and POI search a standard 3.5mm audio jack and Acer Sync, that allows automatic cloud-based and Wi-Fi synchronisation with your netbook, notebook or desktop so that your contacts, calendars and files are always up to date.
The Acer beTouch E400 has a UK release date of April 2010, with no pricing details yet available.
Acer beTouch E110
The Acer beTouch E110 is billed as 'an affordable smartphone for people who want to enjoy all the richness of mobile Internet.'
The phone sports a 2.8 inch touch-screen, 5 way 'navi' key and you can apparently choose between three types of keyboard – from compact to full QWERTY.
The beTouch E110 also features a 3.0 megapixel digital camera, an FM radio and a 1500 mAh battery and has a UK release date of March 2010 in black and dark blue, with pricing yet to be confirmed.
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MWC 2010: LG and Dolby bring surround sound to mobiles
LG and Dolby have given the first public demonstration of multichannel surround sound from a phone at Mobile World Congress, where an Android-based LG smartphone was shown delivering 5.1 channels of aural excellence.
The two companies have been collaborating on mobile sound since LG first agreed to use Dolby Mobile technologies in 2008. The pairing has since produced 20 phone models using some degree of enhanced sound from the audio giant.
"We are pleased to be working with LG to showcase the latest Dolby innovations for mobile on an LG Android-based smartphone," Dolby's Ramzi Haidamus told the press.
"Dolby Mobile expands the possibilities of mobile entertainment, allowing people to enjoy richer, more cinema-like audio experiences on the go."
Rasing the audio bar
LG's Dr Skott Ahn agreed: "Together with Dolby, we hope to raise the bar for audio quality in mobile devices and the mobile industry as a whole."
Dolby and LG showed off a form of mobile surround sound at last year's Mobile World Congress, and have obviously continued to develop their technologies.
"As a leader in the mobile industry, LG is devoted to delivering the best new features to our customers for a better user experience.
Today's announcement represents the latest milestone in joint efforts to improve the performance of our handsets, including feature phones and smartphones," said Ahn.
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MWC 2010: Acer outs Liquid e Android handset
Acer has announced the latest handset from its Liquid range of Android phones – the Acer Liquid e.
The Acer Liquid e is an update of the company's Liquid S100 handset and uses the latest Android 2.1 OS (أ‰clair, if you are a foodie).
Because of this the Acer Liquid e is said to be perfect for multimedia, web browsing and media integration.
Essentially this means it has a chip in it which isn't going to wheeze and splutter everytime you ask the phone to do two things at once. This chip is graphically aware Qualcomm 8250 Snapdragon processor, which pumps out info at 768 MHz.
Liquid Es are good
The screen on board is a 2.5-inch WVGA LCD, there's a 5MP camera, video recording and GPS as well.
Media capacity comes in the form of a micro-SD slot (up to 32GB) and there's also a 3.5mm jack so your everyday headphones can be used with it.
As it packs Android 2.1, you will be given the use of five home screens, quick contacts and double tap zooming. And there's also HTML5 support if you are that way inclined.
There's no UK release date or pricing for the Acer Liquid e, but we will be sure to update you when it is available.
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MWC 2010: Zeppelin uncovered as Android Motorola Quench
Motorola has announced a new addition to its Android range - the Motorola Quench with MotoBlur.
It seems Motorola's Android carpet-bombing technique is still going at full pace, with the new Quench aimed squarely at the mid-range - making real the rumoured Moto Zeppelin.
The Quench (known as the Cliq XT in the US) has a 3.1-inch high-res screen, and a touch-sensitive pad on the front to allow easy navigation through the menus.
The addition of MotoBlur means social networking feeds (Facebook, Twitter and MySpace) all combined in one central widget for your home screen, and also synchronised to your contact profiles individually as well.
Web - upgraded
A 5MP camera with flash is also included, as is Adobe Flash Lite - making web browsing that much richer, according to Motorola.
We've not got word yet on whether the Motorola Quench will be running Android 1.6, 2.0 or 2.1 - but we'd bet it's the former with an upgrade on the horizon.
The Motorola Quench will be launched in Q1 this year in Europe (which we assume means a UK release date for the same time as well) and there's no word on network carriers or pricing as yet.
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MWC 2010: Acer's Ferrari smartphone coming in March
Acer has formally announced the Acer Ferrari smartphone – with the 'elegant' device sporting Android 2.1 Eclair and arriving in March 2010.
The Ferrari tie-up is hardly news, but the branded phone has now been given a firm release date and, as you would imagine, a big heap of PR about why the two brands are such a perfect fit.
"A Ferrari is not just about speed. It is an expression of beauty, power, excitement, pleasure and natural excellence," comments Gianpiero Morbello, Acer Vice President, Marketing and Brand.
"From the original concept to the finished product the new smartphone was conceived down to the finest details with the idea of giving a stronger sense of belonging to all Ferrari fans."
Elegant
According to Acer's release the Acer Ferrari smartphone is an 'elegant device offering sensational performance, perfectly in line with the wide segment of users it is addressed to'.
The phone should apparently appeal to both the 'trendiest style enthusiasts and techno-geeks'.
"We are proud that the Acer sponsorship has been renewed for the next 3 years," comments Stefano Domenicali, Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal.
"Thanks to the results we have reached together in these last seven years, we can affirm that Acer products with the Ferrari Scudetto are the most technologically advanced of the entire line up."
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MWC 2010: Nokia: Ovi Maps up to 3m downloads
After only being launched in late January, Ovi Maps has had three million downloads to date.
At its solo press conference after the Intel and Nokia MeeGo announcement, Nokia didn't have any hardware to shout about, but some of its service provisions are getting to impressive levels of engagement, even if the Finnish firm has plenty of handsets to aim at.
Nokia is also partnering with Indian bank Yes Bank to undertake a commercial pilot for Nokia Money – bringing financial services to mobile handsets. Nokia believes that starting the service small will give it the insight to roll out the service elsewhere.
Nokia Maps is now in 74 countries and 46 languages, with a map download every second.
The company says the average person using Comes With Music downloads 500 free songs in the first few weeks of using the service, which would cost about 450 Euros from iTunes. "It shows that this is a game-changer, yours to keep for ever."
There are also more than one million downloads a day from the Ovi Store, with the number of people shopping on the store doubling every month and "daily highs of over a thousand downloads per minute."
"These are great achievements, but our goal is to delight hundreds of millions of consumers around the world – and we are well on our way," said Niklas Savander, head of Nokia's services business. "Our global footprint means we have scaled fast, reaching a really significant number of people using a variety of different phones and smartphones."
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Panasonic unveils 3D-ready Viera plasma TV range
Panasonic has finally unveiled its 3D television range which will enter the UK market – the Viera VT20 plasma series.
Deciding to only use plasma technology to power 3D, the brand-new Viera plasma range comprises five televisions one of which is 3D-compatible.
VT20 and V20 range
Boasting higher efficiency, better image quality and lower power consumption than their predecessors, the VT20 (3D ready) and V20 ranges offers 600Hz Sub-field Drive technology (for smoothness), high-speed drive technology (for better and quicker brightness) and a new phosphor shortens afterglow time (which has been dramatically reduced).
All the plasmas have a native contrast ratio of 5,000,000 to 1 and are THX Certified Displays.
The 3D-ready version comes in 65-inch and 50-inchmodels – a decent size to get the most out of your 3D movies. Each TV comes with two pairs of 3D Eyewear included
Also inside is both Freeview HD and Freesat HD tuners. When it comes to web connectivity, Viera Cast is on board and the TVs are DLNA certified.
The V20 series has all of the both but a lack of 3D compatibility. The V20 range will be available in both 37-inch and 42-inch flavours.
G20 and S20 range
The other plasma TVs in the range include the G20 (not to be confused with the summit), the S20 and the X20.
The G20 range comes in 50-inch, 46-inch and 42-inch sizes, features a 600Hz Sub-field Drive Intelligent Frame Creation Pro, a native contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1 and has Viera Cast connectivity.
The S20 is available in 50-inch, 46-inch and 42-inch models. The specs list is similar to the G20, except that contrast resolution is a little lower at 2,000,000:1.
Viera Cast is also not included on the S20 range, but you do get Viera image viewer and Viera link.
X20 range
The final plasma TV is the one which delivers the best imaging quality, according to Panasonic.
The X20 is primed with 100-Hz Double Scan, dynamic contrast of 2,000,000:1, VIERA Image Viewer for motion picture playback, and VIERA Link.
The panel is also said to be eco friendly, as it is lead-free and offers a long, 100,000-hour service life.
Pricing and UK release date are still to be confirmed, but as there's Freeview HD on board on some of the models and the World Cup just around the corner, expect them to be in the shops around May time.
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