Windows Phone 7 takes SD cards, never gives them back
Windows Phone 7 devices with memory cards inside have come under fire. Why? Once the microSD cards are used in a WP7 handset, the format of the card is changed and cannot be used in other devices.This means that the SD card cannot be removed from the phone and replaced with, say, a higher capacity card.
On Microsoft's help and support site it discusses the SD Card 'limitations', explaining: "You should not remove the SD card in your phone or add a new one because your Windows Phone 7 device might not work properly.
"Existing data on the phone will be lost, and the SD card in your phone can't be used in other Windows Phones, PCs, or other devices."
Ensure a great user experience
The reason Microsoft gives for this is as follows: "To help ensure a great user experience, Microsoft has performed exhaustive testing to determine which SD cards perform well with Windows Phone 7 devices.
"Microsoft has worked closely with OEMs and MOs to ensure that they only add these cards to Windows Phone 7 devices."
In short: Microsoft has made what was once removable storage permanent.
If you do remove the card, then, according to Microsoft: "All phone functionality is disabled except for the ability to make emergency calls.
"The phone will function normally again only if you reinsert the original SD card and then start the phone."
Currently there are no phones in the UK which have SD storage capacity but, as these handsets are trickling into the US, expect some phones to appear in the near future.
WP7 compliant
It has been revealed, however, that Microsoft does intend to release a range of Windows Phone 7 compliant SD cards at some point. Samsung, on its support site, has announced that the SanDisk 8GB Class 2 MicroSD has been certified for just this, but there's no news on when this information will be made official by Microsoft.
Making handsets heavily reliant on microSD but not allowing for self-expansion isn't something which be liked by those who have been happily expanding the memory on their non-WP7 handsets for years.
 |  |
Read More ...
Apple iTunes announcement: major update incoming
Apple has updated its main Apple.com page with a rather cryptic message about changes to iTunes."Tomorrow is just another day. That you'll never forget," is the statement which is currently adorning Apple's web page and one which doesn't give much away.
Other than the statement there is an "exciting announcement from iTunes" incoming.
For those in the UK, expect what will be a major upate to the iTunes service 3pm 16 November, with the event starting at 10am in New York.
iTunes announcement rumours
So, what will Apple launch? Could it be the streaming iTunes service that has been rumoured for so long?
Or will it be something to do with the iOS4.2 update – an update which has been delayed until the end of November?
You never know, it might be that the company is giving up on Ping. Considering it has just added the service to the iPad, this may well be more wishful thinking on TechRadar's part.
For now we'll set the rumour bar high and go with Beatles coming to iTunes via streaming.
That and Jobs has lost himself Tron-like in the iTunes interface.
| |
Read More ...
Apple iTunes announcement: major update incoming
Apple has updated its main .com page with a rather cryptic message about changes to iTunes."Tomorrow is just another day. That you'll never forget," is the statement which is currently adorning Apple's web page and one which doesn't give much away.
Other than the fact there is an 'exciting announcement from iTunes' incoming.
For those in the UK, expect what will be a major upate to the iTunes service 3pm 16 November, with the event starting at 10am in New York.
Rumour mill
So, what will Apple launch? Could it be the streaming service that has been rumoured for so long?
Or will it be something to do with iOS4.2 – an update which has been delayed until the end of November?
You never know, it might be that the company is giving up on Ping. Considering it has just added the service to the iPad, this may well be more wishful thinking on TechRadar's part.
For now we'll set the rumour bar high and go with Beatles coming to iTunes via streaming.
That and Jobs has lost himself Tron-like in the iTunes interface.
| |
Read More ...
Opinion: Anti-virus scams: be afraid, but not very afraid
Any PC user listening to BBC Radio 4 or 5 this morning would have been struck by interviews publicising Get Safe Online, a government-backed campaign to raise awareness of computer security risks.The headline item was a warning that organised gangs from Eastern Europe are cold-calling users and inviting them to install fake anti-virus software which then harvests personal data such as credit card details, enabling identity theft and fraud on a massive scale.
Worryingly, one in every four UK users surveyed was said to have received such calls.
Both the survey results and the ID theft claims are credible. The problem is, as Get Safe Online has now acknowledged to TechRadar, they relate to two completely separate phenomena. If someone cold-calls you offering tech support, they're very unlikely to be from Eastern Europe - and while they're certainly out to get your money, they operate by much more straightforward, less sinister, and often rather farcical methods.
I know this not only from having researched the issue, but from first-hand experience.
Tech support telephone scams have been reported sporadically by users over the past few years. This summer, the Guardian reported that police had closed down several associated websites and even tracked down one of the companies allegedly involved. Its spokesperson insisted that it was in the legitimate business of selling support services, and if users were unhappy with what they got for their money, it was simply because mistakes had been made by staff.
This sounded unconvincing, but hard to disprove. So when I got a cold call at homethat sounded exactly like those reported, I took the opportunity to find out what was really going on.
What malware?
Playing the role of an uninitiated user, I let the caller walk me through an hour-long process during which he gained complete control of my Windows 7 laptop (Mac and Linux users don't appear to be targeted) over the internet, claiming to show me evidence of malware infection before inviting me to buy a support contract that would enable him to "clean up" my computer.
What was notable was not so much what the caller did as what he didn't do. After instructing me how to view a perfectly normal Windows activity log, and wrongly explaining why it indicated the presence of "serious" amounts of malware (none was present), he walked me through giving him - or rather a "Microsoft certified technician" working "on another floor"- access to mycomputer via the remote access service LogMeIn.
This person was completely free to read any file on my system or install any spyware he pleased. He didn't do any of that. Instead, he began by creating a restore point to ensure he could return my PC to its original condition later. Then he did a search for temporary files, scrolled through the results and deleted a few.
This had, of course, absolutely no effect.It was just for show, giving the impression, to a non-technical user, that something had been done.
The remote operator also popped up a chat box into which he asked me to enter my name and address. Having established that I was clueless, he could have asked for my credit card details too, or my bank account number, or my PayPallogin, but he didn't.
Support contract
After messing about for a while, he offered to take my order for a support contract on a website, www.pctechmasters.com. The site is still there, if you want to take a look; the domain is registered to a web design company in Kolkata.This is a prettyordinary ecommerce website and appears to be backed by a prettyordinary call centre. It's just that the "service" it's selling is, based on my experience, worthless.
I still get two or three of these calls per week. The Kolkata accent and script are almost identical every time; the websites vary, but look similar. For what it's worth, I have yet to get a caller that sounds European, or hearof an identity theft or credit card fraud resulting from a similar call.
Tony Neate, MD of Get Safe Online, isn't surprised. "We wanted to give the whole picture, but on radio you get 30 seconds," he explained to TechRadar this afternoon. The Eastern Europe story referred to a single gang recently taken down by Soca, the Serious and Organised Crime Agency, for which Neate worked in his previous incarnation as a police officer.
Operating via webmasters who were paid to host malicious code, this criminal network netted around £2.8m from unwitting users who clicked on browser pop-ups offering anti-malware software that was, in fact, malware. Quite different, Neate confirmed, from the sub-continental phone-based operations.
Get Safe Online is right to recommend that, if you answer the phone to someone who says they're "calling about your computer", you don't let them get any further.
But if you told me you'd already allowed these people to access your system, I'd advise you not to panic. Think twice before cancelling your cards, calling the police, unplugging the modem and wiping the hard disk. Chances are, you're the victim of nothing more sinister than the online equivalent of a dodgy market stall.
Still, I'll give Tony a very sensible last word on the subject: "Don't put yourself in a position where you have to worry about it. Just hang up."
| |
Read More ...
Tutorial: 10 ways to keep your PC cool
If your computer's hanging, crashing or even switching itself off, it could be because your PC is running to hot. It's not that difficult to make your computer run cooler. There are several simple fixes you can try straight away and a slew of more invasive measures that pretty much guarantee a cooler PC.
We list the ten best tips we know, from the easiest to the most challenging.
1. Give it some room
Your computer cools itself using air drawn from the surrounding area. Stick it in a corner or even one of those little cubby holes you find in computer desks and you'll end up with insufficient air-flow to keep your PC cool. Make sure there's a good couple of inches clearance around the outer case and check that all vents and fans are free of obstruction.
2. Have a spring clean
Give your machine a regular clean inside and out. Dirt, dust and hair (pet or human) can stop fans working and over-insulate components. Start externally, cleaning out vents and fans with a vacuum cleaner hose. Inside the case, carefully blow away excess detritus with canned air. Don't be tempted to blow on components through pursed lips, you'll just glue the dust in place with spittle.
3. Check air flow
Most PC builders know to fit one or more case fans to their systems, but not everyone knows which way round to put them. It's best to have one positioned at the side, preferably over the CPU, sucking air into the case.
The second can be on the opposite side or the back of the case, venting hot air out. This arrangement should create a constant stream of air flowing over your components to make your PC run cooler.
4. Install SpeedFan
You may know your computer or laptop's running hot. But which components are the culprits? Most often it's the CPU, but what if there's a faulty case fan or hot video card in the mix? Free software SpeedFan will help you identify the hot spots in your machine. As a bonus, it can also control the working speed of your fans, automatically.
5. Add extra fans
Adding extra case fans can improve heat dissipation, but add them sympathetically and don't disrupt the overall airflow. For example a second fan placed next to a inlet fan on the side of your case is ideal, as long as it's pulling air in, too.
6. Cool your cards
Modern video cards can rival your CPU for heat output. Some have built in fans, but some rely on passive methods of cooling - like a simple heatsink. Either way, you can help by installing a cheap and cheerful PCI slot exhaust fan, designed to draw heat from card components. Make sure it doesn't upset the overall air-flow though.
KEEP COOL: StarTech's Case Exhaust Video Cooler fits into a PCI or ISA slot next to your video card, extracting heat from the GPU
7. Use a cooling stand
Laptop computers aren't quite so easy to crack open and customise, but you can help cool a hot notebook with a bit of external help. Belkin's range of USB powered laptop cooling stands are inexpensive and work well.
8. Reseat your CPU
If none of the previous strategies work, more drastic measures may be called for. The following tip is only for those comfortable with advanced computer repair.
If your CPU is running too hot, it could be that the contact between the heatsink and CPU is poor. You can improve that situation by removing the current heatsink and fan, then carefully wiping the existing layer of thermal paste from the CPU with cotton buds and a little surgical spirit. To clean up the last of the residue, use a piece of kitchen towel. Take care not to get the grease on any other components and don't press down too hard at any point.
Apply a new, thin layer of thermal paste to the top of the CPU, making sure it's distributed smoothly and evenly. Finally, refit the heatsink and fan.
9. Upgrade the CPU fan
If your computer's CPU is currently being cooled by a standard issue heatsink and fan, you can upgrade to a more effective and expensive solution. Third party heatsink and fan combos can cost as little as tenner or as much as a hundred quid. Start at the £30 mark for more effective replacements for a generic heatsink.
BARGAIN: The Zalman CNPS9900A with twin heatsink coils and built in LED will cost you about £40 online
10. Install water cooling
A truly industrial solution, water cooling systems are no longer just for DIY hobbyists. You can find a range of ready to fit kits from £55.99 up to £345.99 at www.watercooling.co.uk or search for "water cooling kit" on Amazon [www.amazon.co.uk] for cheap deals.
| |
Read More ...
AMD joins MeeGo, cuddles up to Nokia and Intel
AMD has stunned mobile world, announcing it will be working alongside rivals Intel on MeeGo – the Linux open source project that's headed up by Nokia.MeeGo wasinitiated by Nokia and Intel and is mesh of Intel's Moblin (mobile Linux) operating system and Nokia's Maemo software platform.
It seems while Intel will be bringing CPUs to the MeeGo party, AMD is looking to offer up its upcoming APUs - so-called Accelerated Processing Units that combine the traditional functions of CPUsandgraphics processing in the same chip.
Expanded opportunities
In a statement, Ben Bar-Haim, corporate vice president of software development at AMD, said: "MeeGo represents an exciting, open-source mobile operating system we expect to be adopted by mobile and embedded device makers over time.
"We are glad to provide engineering resources to joint industry efforts like MeeGo and expect that this operating system will help drive our embedded plans and create expanded market opportunities for our forthcoming Accelerated Processing Units."
In a way the move makes a lot of sense for AMD. AMD is a gold level member of The Linux Foundation, so it seems fit that it makes a contribution to the MeeGo Project.
Considering Intel has a big part to play in MeeGo, though, it is great to see two rivals working together in the name of open source.
Via Recombu
| |
Read More ...
Tutorial: How to install a processor
This article is in association with Dabs.comWhat shall we compare the computer processor to this week? How about the human brain or perhaps the heart? We could go mechanical and try the car engine?In truth, there's nothing man-made that really matches the modern processor for its complexity and adaptability.
It performs billions of operations a second, running through billions of transistors. And all are packed into a silicon-based package that's no bigger than the end of your finger.
We've gone from having just one of these processors running at a few million times a second to effectively having six and soon eight processing cores packed into a single chip computing instructions at the rate of billions of times a second.
Sounds impressive? It is. And it's also not the easiest thing to upgrade the one that's currently inside your system.
Whether you're building from scratch or upgrading an existing system, it's worth reading our guide to buying a new processorand our list of the best processors around. Now let's look at how you can replace the chip inside your system.
1. Getting started
The key thing to do no matter if you're upgrading or building from scratch, is to make sure your processor matches the motherboard and memory. You can start from either end, choose a processor then pick a suitable motherboard and memory. Or more likely if you're upgrading an older system, start with the motherboard and memory you already have and match it to the best processor available.
2. Removals begin
If you're upgrading the first step is to remove the old heatsink and processor. Disconnect the fan's power cable and then start to unlock its fixing mechanism that can take many forms. Newer Intel solutions have push-down clips, usually you need to rotate these to release them. Most AMD solutions use a fixing lever to clamp the unit in place.
3. Release the CPUs
Intel uses a LGA or Land Grid Array system to hold the processor, this traps the processor against an array delicate pins using a metal lid. Unhock the lever beside this to flip back the CPU and carefully remove it. The AMD system uses a ZIF or Zero Insertion Force socket that traps the CPU's delicate pins n place, again use the lever beside this to unlock the socket and carefully remove the CPU.
4. Insert the CPU
When installing the CPU it's vital to install it with the correct orientation, which is to say it may be square but it can only be fitted in one position. For Intel LGA processors there are two notches cut into its sides that ensure it can only be installed one way around, line these up and drop them into place. For AMD CPUs there will be a golden triangle on one corner of the processor, this is lined up with the indented triangle on the socket.
5. Clamp it
Once you're sure the processor is seated correctly you can lock the processor into place; for Intel professors this is easier to tell as they just sit on top of the pins, for AMD processors it can sometimes be a little troublesome getting all the pins to seat but it should gently drop into the socket.
6. Heat paste
A small amount of heat paste should be applied to the top of the processor. This compound will fill in any gaps between the top of the processor and the heatsink to help keep the processor cool. For AMD processors apply a thin 1mm line horizontally above the AMD logo. For Intel processors a line going vertically up from the cap notch will do, apart from for Core 2 Quad models where the line should go horizontally parallel with the notch.
7. CPU cooler
Finally you can install the heatsink. On AMD systems this usually consists of hooking one end of a clamp in place and using a lever on the other to clamp the heatsink in place. On Intel system four fixing spots will either use screws or push-down posts to fix the heatsink in place. Connect the fan's power cable in place and you're done.
8. Fingers crossed and power on
When you power on everything should continue as normal, but it's worth diving into the BIOS to double check the processor has been detected correctly by the BIOS. Potentially, if it hasn't you may need to update the BIOS, though this shouldn't stop it from working correctly.
| |
Read More ...
Review: Philips 46PFL9705H
After making a passable 3D debut Philips has set its sights on something rather more refined.The 46PFL9705H is the largest screen in the Dutch brand's flagship 9000 TV series after the incredible 58-inch Philips Cinema 21:9 Platinum and is bristling with technology designed to get really stuck into the crosstalk problem that's so far blighted 3D LCD.
The 3D capabilities represent only a small fraction of the 46PFL9705H's features: it's stuffed to bursting point with multimedia tools, including open internet browsing.
It's equipped with a version of Philips' all-conquering processing engine, Perfect Pixel HD that has been optimised for use with the set's locally dimmed direct LED backlight.
Philips' step-down 3D TVs, the PFL8605 series (including the 40PFL8605H), use edge LED lighting and feature a very different design approach. If you're not fussed about 3D, you can drop down one more rung to the (still LED-backlit) PFL7605H series.
Philips now includes its originally optional 3D kit as standard within the set's (recently reduced) £2,300 price. This 3D kit gives you an external 3D transmitter and two pairs of 3D glasses.
It almost goes without saying that the 3D system supported by the 46PFL9705H is the latest full HD, active shutter one.
As part of its efforts to tackle the crosstalk issues associated with 3D on LCD TVs, Philips has equipped the 46PFL9705H with 400Hz processing. Or to be more precise, 200Hz accompanied by a scanning backlight, a system that, with a claimed panel response of 0.5ms, reportedly makes the 46PFL9705H the fastest LCD in the world.
This is on top of the fact that direct LED lighting should carry more innate resistance to crosstalk than the edge-mounted array of the 40PFL8605, because the scanning backlight in direct-lit displays only generates light in parts of the screen where pixels have already 'settled down', rather than when a pixel is first addressed.
The other string to the 46PFL9705H's picture processing bow is Philips' formidable Perfect Pixel HD engine. With 500-megapixels of raw power at its disposal, this applies itself to contrast, colour, sharpness, noise reduction, motion clarity, judder... if it's involved in building a TV picture, Perfect Pixel HD will try to improve it.
Of course, heavy processing won't be to everyone's taste, so it's reassuring to find that Philips has provided the tools to adjust the intensity of all the key components of the Perfect Pixel system.
Turning to less technical matters, the 46PFL9705H's design could fairly be described as a feature, for as well applying a metallic silver face to a strikingly svelte (for a direct LED set) rear end, the frame also carries Ambilight.
This strip of LED lights down the TV's edges pumps out pools of light coloured sympathetically to whatever is onscreen and, while there is a whiff of gimmickry about it, Philips is able to cite scientific research that suggests that Ambilight makes long-term viewing more relaxing and immersive.
A scan of the 46PFL9705's sockets delivers a swift reminder of another of its key features: it's got a USB input, an Ethernet port for hooking up to networked PCs, and most impressively, built-in Wi-Fi. What's more, the amount of file formats supported via these inputs is truly exceptional, running well beyond the now-standard JPEG, MP3 and DivX options.
The Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections can also be used to access Philips' NetTV online service, which combines a selection of handpicked content with open internet surfing via a built-in Opera browser.
The ring-fenced stuff is a bit uninspiring compared to what Sony and Samsung are offering these days, with precious little non-subscription video streaming; even the subscription stuff is lacking in volume and short on appeal. But the open browsing is a real boon, especially as Philips has made a surprisingly good job of enabling you to input web addresses and navigate links via the remote control.
It's a nice touch, too, that you can save downloaded content to SD card via a provided slot.
A final interesting multimedia touch of the 46PFL9705 finds it able to reproduce your PC desktop on the TV screen, using software supplied with the TV.
Given that the 46PFL9705H appears to have been built without compromise, there is one surprising absentee from the features list: a Freeview HD tuner. This is clearly an oversight, given how commonplace these have suddenly become and in recognition of this Philips recently reduced the price of the TV by more than it would cost you to buy a typical external hi-def terrestrial set-top box.
The 46PFL9705H's 3D performance is the cleanest from an LCD TV to date.
Impressive suppression of crosstalk noise immediately reduces the eye and brain fatigue, making it just about possible to watch a full-length film without getting a headache. It hasn't been completely eradicated, though and is noticeably more recurrent than on Panasonic and Samsung's plasma 3D TVs.
Before 3D fans write the 46PFL9705H off and head out to bag a plasma TV, though, this liquid crystal set does hold a couple of significant advantages over its gas rival.
Its three-dimensional pictures are much more vibrant and colour-rich than those of any 3D plasma screen, enabling it to push the sharpness of full HD 3D pictures more strongly.
It's likely that different people will have different feelings about whether they prefer plasma's reduced crosstalk or the 46PFL9705H's extra 3D brightness and colour richness, so if you can, try to arrange a side-by-side comparison between it and, say, Panasonic's P50VT20 before making your decision.
Whipping off Philips' comfortable and effective 3D glasses reveals sensational 2D performance, provided that you keep on top of the processing issues with different source types mentioned earlier.
Colour response is breathtaking, with a huge, dynamic, yet also subtle and finely delineated palette.
Also playing a big part in this is the set's outstanding contrast. Philips' grasp of direct LED technology with local dimming enables almost miraculously inky blackness to occupy the same frame as blisteringly bright content, with scarcely a trace of the usual 'haloing' around the bright object.
Another palpable hit with the 46PFL9705H's pictures is their exceptional sharpness. This is due at least in part to the screen's almost total freedom from all traces of LCD's usual issue with motion blur.
You can remove all judder from the picture too using the set's HD Natural Motion processing, though be warned that you shouldn't use this processing set too high if you don't want the picture to start looking unnatural and suffer with artefacts such as shimmering around moving objects.
The 46PFL9705H is also capable of upscaling standard-definition pictures from its Freeview tuner remarkably well, again thanks to the efforts of its Perfect Pixel HD system. Once more you need to be careful not to overcook any of the set's processing here; too much noise reduction can soften and blur standard-def pictures, while too much sharpness and contrast can make them look noisy.
But it doesn't take a great deal of time to get a processing balance that leaves standard-definition pictures looking nearer to HD at times than you'd probably believe possible.
Another processing concern is the way the local dimming technology can become too extreme on its most aggressive setting, causing obvious discrepancies in areas containing varying degrees of brightness. Once again, though, on the rare occasion that you're watching something that generates this issue, you can get round it reasonably easily via the set's picture setting options.
The only significant unavoidable problem detected with the 46PFL9705H's pictures – aside from the effort required to keep them looking their best – is that they degrade quite markedly if viewed from a wide angle. This is because the direct LED 'haloing' effect around bright objects that's so hard to spot when viewing the screen straight on suddenly becomes distractingly apparent when viewing the TV from the side.
In what turns out to be a stroke of genius, Philips has separated the tweeters from the woofers, with the former under the bezel and the latter on the set's rear. This arrangement produces a much more dynamic, powerful, bass-rich and detailed soundstage than the vast majority of slim TVs.
In fact, you'd probably have to step up to a set from B&O or Loewe to get a sound as good as or better than that produced by the 46PFL9705H – and sets from either of those brands would, of course, cost significantly more.
Ease of use
The 46PFL9705 is a real mixed bag when it comes to accessibility. Its biggest achievement has to be its brilliant remote control, which combines sleek looks with a remarkably simple layout and, despite the extremely complex nature of the TV, manages to achieve one of the lowest button counts you'll see without resorting to lots of confusing double-function keys.
Also useful is the way the TV guides you through a simple picture preference calibration procedure when you first switch on for the first time. The onscreen menus, meanwhile, are reasonably well presented, especially the first Home screen that enables you to leap off into the TV's various functions.
The only problem is one common to all high-spec Philips sets: you need to familiarise yourself reasonably thoroughly with the intricacies of the various processing options contained within the TV's onscreen menus.
For if you don't, and don't revisit the processing menus reasonably regularly, you'll find that some of the settings – especially those related to motion and sharpness – can make some types of picture source look worse, rather than better.
Value
There is, of course, no denying that £2,300 is a pretty hefty sum for a 46-inch TV. Especially when you consider that Samsung's 50-inch P50C6900 3D plasma TV can be had for a whole £1,000 less.
But the Philips has prodigious picture processing power on its side, along with exceptional multimedia talents, superb audio, a great design boosted by Philips' Ambilight system and the small matter of 3D pictures much brighter and more colourful than those of any plasma rivals, even if they do also suffer from more crosstalk noise.
So all in all, despite the missing Freeview HD tuner, the price seems just about fair, especially now the 3D kit is included as standard.
The 46PFL9705H reads like a 'what's what' of current TV technology, with Philips throwing everything but the kitchen sink at it. In many ways, the brand's efforts pay off handsomely.
The set hits the ground running with a stunning design, combining an aluminium finish with the eye-catching Ambilight. It is also surprisingly easy to use for a Philips TV, thanks to an excellent remote control and icon-heavy main menu screen.
Exploring all the set's features, meanwhile, will take you hours, especially if you're the sort of person likely to benefit from its extravagant online and self-contained multimedia provision.
Where the 46PFL9705H most makes its premium status count, though, is where it really matters: with its all-round AV performance. Its audio performance is without peer among mainstream TVs, its 2D pictures are barnstormingly good and its 3D performance rates as the best yet from an LCD TV. Crosstalk noise, while reduced, remains sufficiently apparent to leave rival plasma technology some wiggle room, provided you can live without the 46PFL9705H's extra dynamism and brightness.
We liked:
The 46PFL9705H looks glorious. It's also extremely well connected, with plenty of HD video inputs and bags of multimedia sockets that are put to extremely good use by the TV's expansive format compatibility.
The set's picture processing is extremely powerful and combines with the direct LED lighting system to produce some of the best pictures ever achieved by a flat TV. Even the 46PFL9705H's audio is streets ahead of its competitors.
We disliked:
Some fairly evident haloing around bright objects appears during-off axis viewing. In keeping with most high-end Philips TVs, you need to exercise care with all the processing options provided if you want pictures to always look their best.
The external 3D transmitter might annoy some, too, though for some people the TV's most irritating flaw will be its lack of a Freeview HD tuner.
Verdict:
The 46PFL9705H isn't perfect. It lacks a Freeview HD tuner, its picture processing needs to be used with care to get the best out of it, and there's evidence of crosstalk noise with 3D pictures.
However, the latter are also spectacularly vivid and bright by alternate-frame standards. It's also an object of beauty, boasts unprecedented multimedia capability (including open internet access), delivers superb sound, and (provided you handle it with care) its 2D pictures are unrivalled.
If you're up to the challenge of exploiting all its potential to the full, it is a sensational bit of kit.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
YouTube gets new Google Chrome extensions
Google has announced that it has created a number of new Chrome extensions to enhance the YouTube experience.Among the new extensions is a Windows Expander for YouTube, which is said to maximise the amount of space the video has within the web browser.
This means eradicating all white space and text but not actually changing the size of the browser window.
Lights out
Another new feature is one which was originally trialled on YouTube but never really took off.
This is the Turn off the Lights extension. This is a simple little feature that allows you to fade the whole page to dark and automatically focus the video.
This is good for those who are watching whole movies on the site.
Alongside these extensions are a YouTube feed and OpinionCloud.
The OpinionCloud takes comments and summarises them, so you can check out overall opinion of a video at a glance (although, with YouTube comments being notoriously bad we don't know why you would bother) and the YouTube feed notifies you of new videos which are put on the homepage.
| |
Read More ...
Sponsored: Nvidia impresses with DirectX 11 tech demos
This is a sponsored article in association with Dabs.comUnless you've been orbiting Pluto, you'll have heard about the stunning performance of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 580.
We really liked it and it's already available for £379.99 , but you don't have to take just our word for it, with the likes of Tim Sweeny at EPIC saying "we've standardized on Nvidia GeForce GPUs for Unreal Engine 3 development. The GTX 580 offers even more rendering and compute power."
One of the big offerings of DirectX 11 is a technology called tessellation. It's a much needed fix for one of the final weaknesses of the triangle-based model rendering that DirectX uses. While modern cards can fling triangles at your screen faster than a multi-armed ninja, scenes still fall far short of the near-infinite detail of reality itself.
The science bit
Take a tree. Its trunk and branches are sort of round, mostly straight and it's covered in rough bark. The closer you get, the more detail you'll see in its irregular branches, trunk and even the roughness of its bark. To define all of that would result in excessive memory-munching.
Previously, tricks such as bump mapping and pixel shader routines were used as visual kludges to try and trick the eye into thinking it was seeing more detail than existed. But these are sticky plasters - get up close and they won't fool anyone. Plus they show up more problems with shadows and occlusion.
The ideal is to have real geometry and that's exactly what DX11 Tessellation does, but instead of representing every point in a model, the GPU is passed a description of the curves in a model called a patch. This enables the GPU to interpolate a whole heap of extra geometry for a surface and therefore far more detail.
But all that crazy talk might not mean anything to you, which is why Nvidia has produced a couple of stunning tech demos, so you can see what this technology can do. The first and the one that really stands out is Endless City.
This CUDA powered Nvidia demo is throwing around 600 million triangles every second and with its dynamic lighting system has half a million light sources. All of this is generated on-the-fly from basic geometry so the city never ends.
The second is the happily, ludicrously named Alien vs Triangles.The other benefit of the DirectX 11 Tessellation system as it doesn't disrupt or impede any other area of the pipeline - it's implemented as part of the standard geometry pipeline.
So while we benefit from the extra detail, models can still be animated and have all the usual shaders, textures and displacement maps applied to them.
ACE DEMO: A usually visually impressive Nvidia demo showing off DirectX 11 effects
With some models of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 580 already availableit's already a great-value high-end choice.
Of course, these demos aren't limited to the latest Nvidia card, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 and rest of the GeForce 400 range are all capable of running these demos and don't forget the Dabs Nvidia and Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. 2 offer where you'll get a free download copy of the game when you buy selected GeForce GTS 450 and GeForce GTX 460 cards.
| |
Read More ...
Android 2.3: what you need to know
While earlier rumours were suggesting that Gingerbread was the code name for Android 3.0, the rumours that have circulated over the last few days suggest that Gingerbread is Android 2.3.Google hinted on November 12 that the Android 2.3 release date is close, tweeting a photo of a pile of Android gingerbread men, with the message "Our cafes are baking something sweet".
It's possible that Gingerbread will be shown at the Web 2.0 Summit this week.
Here's what we know so far about Android 2.3:
Android 2.3 release date
Current rumours are that the Android 2.3 release date is likely to be before the end of 2010, possibly even before the end of November.
Android 2.3 specifications and features
Confirmed Android 2.3 features include improved copy and paste and support for WebM video playback. The WebM Project confirmed that "WebM support in Android is expected in the Gingerbread release". WebM files are compressed with the VP8 video codec, which Google purchased and open-sourced earlier this year.
It's also likely that Android 2.3 will feature a new user interface. TechCrunch reported that "Google is focusing the bulk of its efforts on the user experience for the upcoming Gingerbread release."
Phandroid goes into more detail on the interface changes, noting cleaner, redesigned icons, more prominent carrier branding, and an increase in the use of the colour green.
In the same post, Phandroid also mentions that Android 2.3 will support video chat.
It has also been rumoured that Android 2.3 will feature a music store in the Android Market and support for Google TV.
Android 2.3 phones
The first Android 2.3 phone is looking to be the Nexus One. In a recent tweet Alvaro Vasquez of the Open Handset Alliance said: "Prepare your Nexus One (Developer version) for Android OTA update 2.3 (Gingerbread) for the next few days:-D". [Translated from original language]
We'll bring you more on Android 2.3 as we get it.
| |
Read More ...
HTC Legend Android 2.2 update is here for Vodafone users
Vodafone has started to push out the Android 2.2 FroYo update to Legend users, with its forums ablaze with people who have got the update.There was some rumour and speculation that the Legend would not receive the 2.2 update, but it was confirmed that the Legend and the Wildfire would be getting the update boost.
HTC 2.2 Legend update
Posts about the update started appearing at 10am and TechRadar has also had numerous tip-offs that the new software has landed on the HTC Legend.
At the moment, it seems to be only available to Vodafone branded handsets.
At risk of sounding like a broken record, Android 2.2 FroYo brings to the table the ability to save apps to the SD card, you can use the device as a portable Wi-Fi hotspot and compatibility with more Android Market Place apps.
| |
Read More ...
Updated: Android 3.0 and Android 2.3 rumours: what you need to know
Details about the next version of Android – Android Gingerbread – are starting to emerge.15 NOV UPDATE: There's been some confusion over whether the next Android release will be Android 2.3 or Android 3.0, but current rumours suggest that Gingerbread will be Android 2.3, and Honeycomb is the codename for Android 3.0.
15 NOV UPDATE 2: Google has hinted that the Android 2.3 release date is drawing near, tweeting an image of a pile of gingerbread men, with the message "Our cafes are baking something sweet". It's possible that Android 2.3 will be shown at the Web 2.0 Summit this week.
05 NOV UPDATE: Gingerbread might actually be Android 2.3 rather than 3.0. If this is the case, we can expect it to be a much smaller update. If Gingerbread is Android 2.3, then Honeycomb will be Android 3.0.
05 NOV UPDATE 2: Rumours have surfaced that Android Gingerbread – the eagerly awaited next generation of the popular mobile OS – could be with us in a matter of days.
The rumour has surfaced from a 'trusted source' which of course means very little, but it does appear to be backed up by less subtle hints from Google – including a giant Gingerbread man on the company's lawn.
There are also some tweaks in the latest Google Maps release that suggest that Gingerbread is coming soon.
Until we have firm confirmation from Google on whether it's Android 2.3 or Android 3.0 that we're now waiting on, we've left the original text from the article unchanged below. So while reading you may want to mentally substitute mentions of Android 3.0 for Android 2.3.
UPDATE: On 20 October, we reported that Android 3.0 tablets are rumoured to be heading out to engineers in time for Christmas. If true, this means that we'll see a whole bunch of tablets running Android 3.0 at CES 2011.
UPDATE: On 19 October, Android site Phandroid bagged new details on Android 3.0, saying that Android had gone through a graphical change and that carrier branding was "more prominent".
Phandroid also found Android 3.0 to have new icon animations, a YouTube makeover, and better Google Voice and Google Talk integration.
Android 3.0 release date
Android 3.0 release date is looking like early 2011.
Android 2.3 release date
Assuming the Android 3.0 release date rumour is correct, then the Android 2.3 release date is likely to be before the end of 2010, possibly before the end of November.
Gingerbread is already in some testers' hands - Phandroid has shown an unverified photo of a test build of Android 3.0 running in the wild, while the TweetDeck blog shows Android 3.0 as one of the versions of Android using Android TweetDeck Beta.
Android 3.0 features
As we reported earlier in July, a Russian podcast details how Android 3.0 will be restricted to high-end handsets (and tablets). The podcast explained that Android 3.0 phones will require at least a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 3.5-inch or larger displays.
Confirmed Android 3.0 features include improved copy and paste and support for WebM video playback. The WebM Project confirmed that "WebM support in Android is expected in the Gingerbread release". WebM files are compressed with the VP8 video codec, which Google purchased and open-sourced earlier this year.
It's also rumoured that Android 3.0 will feature a new user interface. TechCrunch reported that "Google is focusing the bulk of its efforts on the user experience for the upcoming Gingerbread release."
This, Google apparently hopes, will deter handset manufacturers from adding in their own Android 3.0 customizations (such as HTC's Sense).
Android 3.0 phones
One of the first Android 3.0 phones could be the Samsung Galaxy S2 if another rumour is to be believed. The leaked details of the Galaxy S I9200 claim a 4.3-inch screen with a resolution of 1280x720.
On 27 October 2010, reports appeared that Google is to release an Android 3.0 powered Nexus Two with Carphone Warehouse, although we think it's unlikely that Google will bring out another handset now that so many manufacturers are producing them.
It's also likely that the PSP Phone will be running Android 3.0.
We'll bring you more Android 2.3 and Android 3.0 details as they emerge.
| |
Read More ...
Android 2.3 Gingerbread: Google uses Twitter to tease
Google has hinted that its Android 2.3 Gingerbread update is near release, with a rather delicious tweet.The official Twitter account for Google's mobile arm – unsurprisingly called @GoogleMobile – tweeted an image of a whole load of Android gingerbread men, saying: "Our cafes are baking something sweet".
And, well, that's it. But it is a rather big tease that the update is on its way.
Shake 'n' bake
It was thought that Gingerbread would come early November, but it is now thought that the update will be shown off at the Web 2.0 Summit, which is due to begin 15-17 November.
The conference features a keynote from Eric Schmidt and we are hoping he will show off some of the new features of Gingerbread... while dressed as a massive gingerbread man.
We've got a feeling only one of the two things we are hoping for will come true, though.
Although Google has been extremely quiet on what the Android 2.3 release will bring – we do know that there will be something of a graphical overhaul and VoIP integration.
Interestingly, Mark Zuckerberg will also be at the Web 2.0 Summit, which should be interesting considering Google and Facebook have had something of a war of words recently.
| |
Read More ...
In Depth: Ubuntu vs Fedora: which is best?
Linux is always in a state of flux. On any given day, millions of lines of new code are being written, tested, double-checked, merged, packaged and downloaded from software repositories delivering another dose of opensource goodness. Unlike most desktop operating systems, release schedules are based on months rather than years (well, for most flavours of Linux) and so the experience of using Linux is one of trickled iterative change.
One of the very greatest things about running Linux is that the future doesn't have to be that far away: what is new and exciting today can be running on your Linux box tomorrow. Unless you're prepared to download and compile development versions and nightly builds, the best way to try this new software is via the latest version of a modern distro.
And with the releases of Fedora 14 and Ubuntu 10.10 just around the corner, we thought we'd compare how the big two compare when it comes to giving you the best of the future. What you should also learn from this is that trying out the cutting-edge versions of your favourite distro doesn't need to be hard or scary.
You don't even need a spare machine to test things on – thanks to advances in CPUs and virtualisation technology, you can play with tomorrow's technology today…
The first hurdle – do the installers make it easy for us?
In the good old days before Linux Format existed, installing Linux was a bit of a chore. You needed to know exactly what hardware you were using, because was little device probing available, and on many occasions you would probably have to stop the installation process to find out some chip numbers or interface ID numbers.
Things have improved a lot, to the point where it is arguably easier to install Linux than any other OS. Of course, it's still rare to find an off-the-shelf system, so necessity is the mother of better installer routines.
Streamlined and simple
The Ubuntu team, for example, have radically altered their installer for this release to make everything simpler, easier and more efficient. One of the new tricks is to have the installer collect user input (such as usernames and passwords) while the system install is taking place.
Well, we say it is a new trick, but actually several installers of days gone by used to do similar tricks, most notably Caldera Linux circa 2000. Ubuntu just manages to pull this trick off – the responsiveness of entering data is noticeably impeded at times when the installer is busy unpacking things, but unless you are planning to manually install a whole office full of desktops it shouldn't be too annoying.
Shortly after starting the install, you will be given the option of including the Fluendo MP3 codec. This is free to use, but not strictly free software. Most newcomers to Linux aren't aware of the difference, and while it may offend the purists, but it does deliver a better user experience.
It also bears mentioning that there is a new partitioning tool, which makes installation a little friendlier. This is one area in which Fedora differs wildly. Although you can opt for the simple "install it over anything" option, there are other options and more finely grained control of how the disk is to be partitioned, or indeed, which disk to use.
With support for iSCSI, FCoE and mulitipath filesystems, Fedora may go over the top for a desktop install, but you can be pretty sure it will take care of any sensible install target.
Step by step: the Ubuntu installer
1. Restricted codecs
You can now install non-free stuff such as important codecs as part of the install process – definitely a good thing for Linux newbies.
2. Graphical partitioning
Ubuntu now has a more graphical way to set up disks and partitions. With another OS installed, you could drag a slider to resize partitions.
3. Enter user data
Enter your user data and system info while the installer is writing packages to the disk, to save a little bit of time.
The boot system that was in universal use until a few years ago was SystemV. This harked back to the early days of Unix, and while it was an acceptable system at the time, priorities change. We no longer use a gang of men in white coats to bring a computer online.
The way computers work has changed too. Ten years ago, you had a hard disk, which existed on a known controller and that was pretty much it. Now there are many more ways to connect storage to a computer and networked filesystems are more common.
Upstart was a project designed to save time and resources in the system startup. Using an event system, the idea was that certain processes get run on demand and aren't just started willy nilly when the computer starts up – for example, there's no point running your printer daemon if there is no printer attached.
Retaining compatibility with old init scripts, it makes extensive use of D-BUS messaging to manage processes and a rule-based system for service activation. Originally released for Ubuntu 6.10 and also adopted by Fedora 9, the Upstart system has managed to bring some sense to the startup procedure and cut precious seconds off the start time too, where parallelisations have been made (spawning more than one task at a time).
Borrowing heavily from the concepts used in Apple's launchd service, which takes care of the init process for Mac OS X, the new SystemD init system does some seemingly crazy things. The idea here is that if you are not using the maximum CPU and disk resource, you aren't doing enough work.
SystemD aims to parallelise as much as possible, essentially starting all the tasks simultaneously, more or less.
SystemD
Usually this doesn't happen, because many services or daemons rely on others to be already running. But, crucially, that doesn't mean they are going to immediately use them. For example, some daemons may rely on the logging daemon being started, in case they want to write log messages. It doesn't mean that they actually need to write a log message then and there, just that they need to be able to if required.
The SystemD solution to this sort of activity is to pretend to the daemon that the other service is actually already running, allowing it to start up as well. In cases where, for example, the daemon did try to write to the log, the kernel buffers would hold the information until the logging daemon had finished starting up.
That's just one of the concepts behind this fascinating approach to the startup process. You can find out more on Lennart Poettering's blog at http://0pointer.de/blog/projects/systemd.html.
A big change like this is bound to be controversial, and there are no end of people arguing about SystemD right now, but the startup scripts are probably one of the most ancient things in a modern Linux distro. These won't go away overnight though – if ever.
Upstart promised (and delivered) a new way of doing things, but few distros apart from Ubuntu have actually implemented many native rulesystems.
Checking your boot speed with bootchart
1. Get bootchart
On Fedora and some other distros, you'll find the bootchart package in the repositories. It's also a fairly simple build from scratch.
2. Reboot with Bootchart
Assuming you have installed it OK, all you need to do is reboot and choose the Bootchart option (or the option you modified earlier.
3. Makechart
When the system has booted up, just open a terminal and type bootchart. This builds a chart out of the log data you collected.
Libraries might not be the most exciting pieces of software on your computer, but they can make the other software that you do care about go faster or add more features.
Fedora 14 will be the first distro to incorporate a new JPEG library – libjpeg-turbo. A fork from the original library, it originally came about through the desire to get faster rendering for VNC software. Mainly it does this by using processor enhancements not found in the original library, which promises to deliver a real speed boost.
You don't need to wait for Fedora 14 though: you can grab the source and packages for various distros here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/libjpeg-turbo/files.
Slightly less sexy than libraries for most folks are filesystems. But a filesystem is a key component of the performance of your desktop as a whole – practically every application known to man makes use of the hard drive (yes, even web browsers – where do you think the cache goes?), so a good filesystem is something to be excited about.
The biggest arrival on the scene since ext4 came out is Btrfs. Apart from sparking lively debate about how to say it out loud ("butter-ef-es", "better-ef-es", "be-tree-ef-es"?), it is also being hailed as the next step towards Nirvana for your drives, earning the ringing endorsement of several prominent filesystem developers.
Stable and scalable
Not everything is about speed. Btrfs is a database-like filesystem that boasts some performance enhancers, but it's more about creating reliable, fault-tolerant storage that scales – datacentres for example. There is a lot of development work going on at the moment, but Btrfs has already made its debut as a highlight in OpenSUSE 11.3, and is available in the current version of Fedora.
It was scheduled for Ubuntu's Meerkat release, but has since been put off until 11.04. Although the system is now considered stable, there are few tools available to deal with the filesystem, so it isn't considered production ready by many. You can find the latest updates and more info on the Btrfs wiki at the kernel website (https://btrfs.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Main_Page).
Loosely connected to the subject of filesystems is the system's bootloader. Ubuntu has been using the almost completely rewritten Grub 2 since 9.10. Amongst other things, this has helped shave a few vital seconds off the boot time, because if Ubuntu is the only OS installed, no menu gets loaded. Also, some of the early stages of the Grub boot process have been eliminated entirely.
Minor changes to Grub include the sensible renumbering of drives and partitions (which now start at 1 instead of 0) and auto-generation of the boot menu – it simply scans the available kernels in the /boot partition.
Fedora still uses the legacy Grub as the default bootloader, missing out on the nice splash screens and such. The packages for Grub 2 do exist, but as the legacy Grub version for Fedora was heavily tweaked, your mileage may vary.
It may seem a little surprising, but Fedora and Ubuntu are not exactly poles apart when it comes to desktop software. As they both use Gnome as the default desktop, there are a fair smattering of Gnome applications included as defaults – Evolution and Empathy, for example.
There are certainly more similarities than differences in terms of the software used – OpenOffice.org, Totem, Firefox, Shotwell…
The last is an interesting case. Ubuntu trialled Shotwell on the Unity netbook environment, and the response was so positive that F-Spot has been dropped altogether from the minimal install (though obviously it is still a supported package).
This gives a slight inkling about what is going on the the desktop space – Ubuntu is more and more focused on the user experience and, if we might be excused for saying it, is taking an Apple-like approach to things by preferring the simple over the complex and the well-integrated over standalone apps.
By contrast, if you ever read the developer lists on Fedora, you will quickly pick up the sense that, while they like things to be nice and neat, there is no general intention to second-guess what users might ultimately want – the goal is to deliver the best and newest software and let the user control the environment it is used in. "Freedom, friends, features, first" is the Fedora mantra.
That first one is possibly still the strongest element of the four, as Fedora is fanatical about omitting software not under an OSI-approved licence (like many codecs, drivers and other useful bits).
The right stuff
The result for the user is that things don't necessarily work as expected. In a fresh installation, Fedora lacks the ability to play MP3 files for example, or many types of video codec. Their way around this is to use PackageKit to suggest non-free software to fill the gap (providing you have configured the necessary repositories).
Ubuntu does exactly the same, except that there is no need to add repositories for GStreamer, for example, as it already exists in the 'unsupported' Ubuntu repository. Similarly, the 'restricted' area contains binary graphics drivers that are non-free software (not available to Fedora users unless you add unofficial repositories).
Why does this difference matter? Ubuntu goes out of the way to make things easier for the user, who often couldn't care less if they are 'tainting' their system, whereas Fedora goes out of its way to do the right thing.
In the case of video drivers for example, they have been extremely pro-active in getting the open source Nouveau driver for Nvidia devices out and tested. Even so, Ubuntu obviously gives the desktop more love, and perhaps has more of an idea about what the users want – it is rather popular after all, despite the constant criticism it comes in for.
An invisible touch
One new area of the populist touch is the integration of social media functionality, by which we mostly mean that Gwibber forms part of the default install and you can use it to let your Facebook or Twitter contacts know what you are up to.
More than that though, Gwibber author Ryan Paul and the development team have worked in conjunction with the Ubuntu desktop team to find ways of exposing the interface at a more fundamental level. This has resulted in the creation of libgwibber, which acts as an API for applications wishing to access microblogging functionality, used to some effect so far by the Ubuntu Software Centre for one.
Although you might question the necessity of letting your Twitter contacts know what you have installed, this is just a taste of what's to come. Code has been released to easily integrate the Gwibber library with any desktop code, so you can expect those little buttons you currently see on blogs to start popping up all over your desktop apps too – maybe.
Apart from just bothering your friends with the fact that you just installed the latest kernel, the Ubuntu Software Centre now has an improved search facility, a history function and a new software store. The integration of a software purchasing scheme is interesting, but what's even more so is what we might see there.
At the moment there's just a dummy app there to demonstrate the functionality, but the idea is that you will be able to buy software and install it through the interface. What software though? Well, that remains to be seen – it would be nice if were along the lines of independent gaming titles rather than corporate anti-virus stuff.
Virtualisation – the ability to run one OS as a guest inside another – has been around a long time. In the 60s, IBM researchers built a mainframe that could simulate the hardware of their commercial computer systems, to aid in research and future designs.
Today, virtualisation is everywhere – it has been a key technology for server farms and data centres for most of the current century, as the efficiency gains and ease of use make it a no-brainer for provisioning servers.
Recent advances in processor technology, combined with additions to the Linux kernel, make it easier and more efficient to run hypervisors (the software that controls the virtual machine's access to system resources) which makes it practical to run a virtual machine even on a standard desktop.
Using it
Both Fedora and Ubuntu have packages for VirtualBox, once an independent software project, then bought by Sun, then sold to Oracle. VirtualBox Open Source Edition is a neat and simple way to get stuff running easily on the desktop.
Since Fedora Core 6, the Red Hat guys have been pushing Virt-manager, a system to handle virtualisation with native Xen or Qemu/KVM hypervisors. Virt-manager was included in Fedora before it was really ready, but Red Hat has often used the Fedora project as a testing stage for technology really destined for the RHEL commercial distro. In this case it has definitely paid off.
Virt-manager is open source and available on Ubuntu too, but it has matured well in the Fedora distro. Red Hat is keenly involved in virtualisation. In 2008 it bought Qumranet, the company that originally created the KVM code, and continues to maintain and develop it. More recently, they also opened up some of Qumranet's other code, Spice.
On the other hand, Ubuntu has been pretty good at putting a user-friendly face on the technology. TestDrive is a project that helps non-technical users get testing versions of Ubuntu up and running without having to mess around with the virtualisation components themselves.
Step by step: virtualise Ubuntu with TestDrive
1. Install TestDrive
TestDrive will only work on CPUs with hardware virtualisation tech included. You will also need a few unsupported packages, and Qemu.
2. Choose your flavour
Choose the version of Ubuntu you want, then click on the Sync button and the latest version will be fetched via rsync and stored locally.
3. No faffing around
The ISO image is connected to Qemu automatically, so clicking on Run spawns a Qemu session to run the required machine.
We have a winner – at least, until next time…
There are lots of exciting new technologies coming to the Linux desktop, and some neat refinements of features and software we already had. Both Fedora and Ubuntu, and a whole host of other distros, have a lot to recommend them.
The truth is that there is a distro for everyone. If you want some of the latest technologies, especially in terms of underlying system code, virtual machines and other of-themoment tech, Fedora is a good bet. If you want to have a friendlier desktop experience where your every whim is catered for, Ubuntu would be better for your needs.
And, while we're on the subject, if you want to run KDE, you are probably better off with OpenSUSE. There are certainly more than enough Linuxes to go around.
Giving back to the community
Recently there has been some friction in the Linux community about who contributes to the success of Linux as a whole. This stemmed partly from the publishing of a survey of Gnome developers, which revealed that Red Hat was the largest corporate contributor of commits to the codebase (nearly 17%) followed by Novell (10%), with Canonical/Ubuntu contributing just 1%. Read the details yourself at www.neary-consulting.com/index.php/2010/07/28/gnome-census-report-available.
In a blog post, Canonical's Mark Shuttleworth espoused the view that Ubuntu was giving something back to the community, in its own way:
"I didn't found Ubuntu as a vehicle for getting lots of code written, that didn't seem to me to be what the world needed. It needed a vehicle for getting it out there, that cares about delivering the code we already have in a state of high quality and reliability."
So, who is right? Maybe they both are. It's completely understandable that, for example, some Debian contributor feels that Ubuntu is in some way getting credit for their work. It is also true that, before Ubuntu, Linux was perceived as difficult to use and unsuitable for anyone but the most hardened geek.
Ultimately, all the open source projects and people that work in or around them make contributions to Linux, and because all the Linux distros are part of a shared community, they all contribute too. Which one you choose is really down to what you want to use Linux for.
What is certain is that there is a lot to discover in virtually every different flavour of Linux, so be adventurous – don't just install one and stick with it. With virtual machine technology and a huge range of live distributions, it's easier than ever to take a new version of Linux for a spin.
| |
Read More ...
Amazon to bring Black Friday deals to UK
Amazon is set to bring its well-publicised Black Friday online deals to the UK this year, the Friday following Thanksgiving. Black Friday has gradually become America's online pre-holiday shopping day of choice over the last decade, and it looks like Amazon plans to bring the tradition across to the UK.
While the term "Black Friday" sounds more like a remembrance service tradition for victims of the plague, it is certainly worth noting the date in your diary if you plan to buy books, gadgets, games, movies (or pretty much anything else that's available on Amazon) for your loved-ones this Christmas.
When IS Black Friday?
In more understandable calendar terms (for Brits, at least!) this means that Friday 26 November is a good day to do your Xmas shopping online on Amazon, if you plan to get the Christmas pressies in early this year.
Of course, you could always do the 'usual' and leave the present shopping until Christmas Eve and then carry out the traditional panic run down Oxford Street (or round your local mall) to try to find that must-get item for the wife/mother/child/sibling/nephew.
Amazon UK now promises Brits: "Unbelievable, pinch-me-to-prove-they're-real, Black Friday deals" set to be revealed next Monday (22 November) at www.amazon.co.uk/blackfriday.
Hopefully other major online retailers will follow suit and start to offer some decent pre-Xmas bargains in the coming weeks.
| |
Read More ...
Review: Yamaha CD-S1000
As big, heavy and imposing CD players go, the Yamaha CD-S1000 is one of the biggest, heaviest and most imposing, at least among affordable machines. The front panel's only slightly bigger than most, but the depth of the unit is remarkable and its use of extensive reinforcement in the base makes it quite something to lift.
We particularly like the ultra-slim CD tray (which opens and shuts almost noiselessly) and the oh-soretro mains switch. The insides are surprisingly well filled, too.
The transport dominates the central one-third of the width, with part of the power supply board behind it, while the mains transformer (a large frame type), sits to the left. At the right is the audio board, another retro job, with through-hole passive components including stand-up resistors and mylar film capacitors, plus surface-mount DAC chips (a pair of Burr-Brown parts) and op-amps.
A further board beneath the audio one handles digital signals. With this much real estate, there's a risk that mechanical resonance might colour the sound of a system, including the S1000, but Yamaha has applied quite extensive mechanical damping and the top panel is acoustically quite dead.
Performance has clearly not been neglected either – Yamaha proudly extolling the virtues of multiple isolated transformer windings and symmetrical, internally balanced, circuits.
Sound quality
Although our listeners paid plenty of compliments to this player, it seems that overall it just didn't quite set them on fire with excitement. It's not entirely consistent in the way it handles different kinds of music, or at least that's how it comes across.
For instance, one listener commented on a slightly thin sound on the lead guitar in the Mavericks track, but then went on to comment that the bass is weighty. That would seem to suggest that the upper bass/lower midrange is losing impact, a common enough problem to be sure.
The best results were in the Brahms track, (SACD), which had a good, slightly 'dreamy' feel to it and a realistic sense of space, but even this excerpt felt slightly constrained dynamically. Voices project well, both chorally and solo, but a little more connection with the rest of the music-making might be no bad thing.
In terms of basic tonality, the CD-S1000 seems to do most things right and its treble is particularly well done, bright when it needs to be, but never unduly forward. If one listens consciously for midrange balance it all seems to be largely in order.
But somehow, listening to the music rather than just the sound, one's attention gets focussed unduly on the upper part of the midrange. It's a shame, because many aspects of performance are fine, going on excellent, including deep bass (well extended and defined), detail and imaging.
So near and yet just not quite...
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
Virgin Mobile HTC Desire Android 2.2 update arrives
Virgin Mobile has announced to its customers that an Android 2.2 update to the HTC Desire is now available.In a statement released to the Virgin community forums, it was revealed that those who have Virgin specific firmware (1.23.351.1) can get the update right now.
Those who are on the handset's original firmware (1.15.405.4) will have to wait a few days for another update to become available.
Back it up
As with previous Froyo updates, this is an OTA (over-the-air) update so you are best to hack into a Wi-Fi signal and it's always best to back up your data.
The Android 2.2 update includes – like you don't know already – the ability to save applications to the SD card, you can use the device as a portable Wi-Fi hotspot and compatibility with more Android Market Place apps.
If you are a Virgin Mobile user with an HTC Desire, then you can go to Menu > Settings > About Phone > System Software Updates > Check Now for the update.
| |
Read More ...
Virgin Mobile HTC Desire Android 2.2 update arrives
Virgin Mobile has announced to its customers that an Android 2.2 update to the HTC Desire is now available.In a statement released to the Virgin community forums, it was revealed that those who have Virgin specific firmware (1.23.351.1) can get the update right now.
Those who are on the handset's original firmware (1.15.405.4) will have to wait a few days for another update to become available.
Back it up
As with previous Froyo updates, this is an OTA (over-the-air) update so you are best to hack into a Wi-Fi signal and it's always best to back up your data.
The Android 2.2 update includes – like you don't know already – the ability to save applications to the SD card, you can use the device as a portable Wi-Fi hotspot and compatibility with more Android Market Place apps.
If you are a Virgin Mobile user with an HTC Desire, then you can go to Menu > Settings > About Phone > System Software Updates > Check Now for the update.
| |
Read More ...
Review: Oppo BDP8SE NuForce Special Edition
Oppo is not a name that we've had a lot of exposure to, but there's been a buzz in cyberspace about the BDP8SE. It's rumoured to be one of the most capable multi-format players around. The story goes that Oppo used to make a standard BD83, then upgraded it to Special Edition status, then discontinued the non-SE due to problems sourcing parts. It was then worked on by NuForce to create the model we have here.
Its building blocks and operating software show some similarities with the Cambridge Audio Azur 650BD, but there's an important difference in the audio board, which uses DACs from ESS, the specialist also featured in the Audiolab 8200CD.
DACs plural, that is, as there are separate chips for multi channel and stereo. In offering a wholly separate stereo output path, Oppo has side-stepped a criticism sometimes made of multichannel equipment, that there's too much clever stuff in the signal path and it's true that dedicated stereo hardware, at least, gives peace of mind that one hasn't accidentally left some processing in circuit.
The whole audio board shows signs of careful design, with good-quality parts and op-amps, some of which are cunningly disguised by painting them gold. The logic and video board is a compact affair with the usual video processing options, including HDMI output at practically all frame rates and resolutions.
And since this is a Blu-ray player, the transport is a fully universal type that can read most flavours of DVD, as well as BD, SACD and CD.
Sound quality
This player is quite light and delicate in its presentation, with good detail and well-judged balance. A situation that seemed to suit Brahms's music in SACD, the slightly heavy texture of the music responding well to light-handed reproduction.
Something similar applied to the Mavericks track, a deceptively complex mix, featuring more instruments than are at first apparent. The NuForce Oppo proved adept at presenting these instruments as individual sounds, without losing the sense of an integrated whole.
There was also a lovely sense of space in this track and excellent energy; one listener commented that it sounded more like a live gig than a studio recording and we can see what he meant by that.
Smaller-scale music was also well served, with lively dynamics and an energetic, snappy presentation. It does seem now and then that this player's deep bass is a touch shy and that can slightly lessen the impact of some music, for instance a church organ which relies more than most on the lowest frequencies.
But the sheer vigour and bounce of the sound more than compensates for that with most styles of music. Treble is also well extended and quite sweet.
This combination of attributes is not all that common but the energy, slightly lean sound and good detail add up to performance that some listeners will fi nd very attractive.
Related Links
| |
Read More ...
Nintendo: No 'Wii 2' in 2011
US Nintendo boss Reggie Fils-Aime has said that Nintendo will not launch a 'Wii 2' in 2011, with the focus clearly on topping 45 million US Wii sales before a successor to the successful console can be announced.Kotaku put the Wii 2 question directly to the US Nintendo chief, asking if a new home console would be "a must for next Christmas?"
Fils-Aime told them in no uncertain terms:
"No. As we sit here today we're saying the Wii has many, many more units to sell. After we've reached an installed base of 45m here in the US we can have a conversation about the next generation."
Nintendo has sold 30.4 million Wii consoles in America to date. To put this figure in some kind of context, it took Sony's original PlayStation console just under ten years to shift 100 million units worldwide.
PS1, PS2, Wii
Fils-Aime was quick to point out that Wii is still selling faster than Sony's PS2 was at the same stage in its life cycle.
PS2 sales boomed when Sony reduced the cost of the console to the $99/£99 price point.
Which begs the question: will we finally see a sub-£100 Wii in 2011?
Nintendo is set to release a new glasses-free handheld console, the Nintendo 3DS, later next Spring in the UK.
| |
Read More ...
Competition: WIN! V-MODA Crossfade LP headphones
Developed over the span of four years in collaboration with the world's top musicians, DJs and producers, the Crossfade LP headphones deliver epic sound with a distinct design composed of luxurious fabrics and lightweight metals. Crossfade LP are designed to be the ultimate multi-purpose headphone, and perform perfectly while on the move, at the gym or on stage.
Crossfade LP features revolutionary 50mm Dual-Diaphragm High-Definition Drivers delivering multiple driver sound with the efficiency of a single driver. This means you get deep vibrant bass, organic mid-range and crystal clarity on portable devices.
The driver's diaphragm is constructed of a harder inner ring providing an extended high range and a softer outer ring for deep lows, resulting in an unprecedented sound. Supple memory foam ear cushions isolate noise and immerse you into your own world of sound.
With the Crossfade LP, you get a sophisticated headphone with a fantastic look. Constructed of lightweight metals and luxurious fabrics, the Crossfade LP is available in White Pearl, Phantom Chrome and Gunmetal Black.
The Crossfade LP is equipped with a detachable cable, featuring a three-button remote control and high-fidelity microphone to easily change volume and answer or end phone calls.
Crossfade LP is available for £199.99 from Carphone Warehouse stores and online, but we have five pairs up for grabs.
For more information, head over to v-moda.com.
Enter the competition
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note that this competition is only open to UK residents over 18 years of age.
There is no cash alternative to the prize and unless agreed otherwise in writing the prize is non-refundable and non transferable.
| |
Read More ...
1 in 4 UK web users hit by tech support con
If you receive a cold call at home from a stranger claiming to fix your PC viruses, then whatever you do, don't give them the time of day.The advice seems obvious to seasoned computer users, although new reports claim that up to a quarter of British internet users have already received such calls and many have been fooled by them.
The criminal cold-callers offer to fix any virus problems the user may have with their PC, but then installs spyware on their computers in order to steal valuable personal info.
PC safety campaigners group Get Safe Online has said that the cyber-crime gangs employ up to 400 people in secretive call centres to target as many unsuspecting Brits as they can.
Scareware mongerers
Get Safe Online is an organisation backed by the British government, police forces and a number of major companies with a stake in UK internet security.
"Rather than exploiting our ignorance... they are actively using our knowledge and fear of online threats to their advantage," criminologist Dr Emily Finch from the University of Surrey says of the latest wave of attacks from online cyber-crims.
To trick unsuspecting and inexperienced PC users, gangs use spyware products that look very similar to professional (and well recognised) anti-virus brands.
The gangs also use call centres in eastern Europe or Asia to cold-call Brits to gain access to identity info which allows them to quickly perform credit card scams and other online rip-offs.
Sharon Lemon, deputy director of the UK's Serious and Organised Crime Agency (Soca) told the BBC: "In recent cases, we have seen gangs employing 300 to 400 people to run their operations and using call centre-scale set ups to target victims en masse.
"They can also be paying out as much as $150,000 (£92,000) a month to individual webmasters who are unwittingly advertising their fake software - this level of investment from criminals indicates that the returns are much heftier than this."
Baroness Neville-Jones, minister of state for security, says of the latest scams: "Given that our latest research indicates 80% of UK internet users have never heard of these 'IT helpdesk' scams, yet almost a quarter have been approached by them, it is vital that we make people aware of this threat."
You can see the latest Get Safe Online annual report online.
| |
Read More ...
No comments:
Post a Comment