This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar
While the home entertainment side of the tech world takes a breather for a few weeks, the realm of computing never sleeps. And nore does the world of mobile, for that matter.
This week's reviews have been dominated by computing products, with a sprinkling of compelling phones and tablets mixed in as well.
Here are this week's reviews in one digestible hunk:
Acer Iconia W700 review
The Acer Iconia W700 is certainly a step forward for full-fat Windows tablets, and one of the few we've seen that can genuinely offer the experience of a full laptop and a tablet as well. Devices like the Sony Vaio Duo 11 or Toshiba Satellite U920T have erred too much towards the laptop form factor, while the current crop of Windows RT tablets suffer from usability issues, a limited ecosystem and are far too expensive. The Acer W700 has found a useful niche, and we can genuinely imagine having it docked into a desktop type set up at work, before watching a movie and using the increasing amount of Windows 8 apps on the way home.
Sony NEx-5R review
The Sony NEX-R5 shows how compact system cameras are really coming into their own. The design doesn't rely on retro chic, but instead uses modern research and development to create a compact body shape that both fits the electronics and also feels comfortable to hold. The merging of the tilting screen design from the Sony NEX-F3 and the control dial feature of the Sony NEX-7 make this a very user-friendly camera for both the beginner and intermediate photographer. If you're just getting into photography, looking for a CSC upgrade or wanting a second body to complement your DSLR, the Sony NEX-5R is the perfect companion.
Motorola Razr i review
Would we buy the Motorola Razr i ourselves? No. But that's because we strive for the best specs around, and for us, that means phones such as the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One X. Would we recommend the Motorola Razr i to friends and family? Yes, without a second's hesitation. Because not everyone wants a phone that will drop the kids off at school, bake you a cake and give you a massage in the evening. Some want a device with little pocket imprint, with fantastic specs at a reasonable - rather than stupid - price. And that's what you're getting here. If taking photos is your sole aim or you're OCD about pixels, look elsewhere. But if getting a decent smartphone with a good battery, for a good price is what you want, look no further.
Nokia Lumia 620 review
The Nokia Lumia 620 is a great little handset. While it can't compete with most other Windows Phone 8 handsets, such as its big brother the Nokia Lumia 820 or the HTC Windows Phone 8X, with a price tag of just £150 (around AU$225/US$235) it doesn't have to.
And this week's other reviews…
Asus RoG Orion Pro review
HP Envy Sleekbook 6 review
Acer Aspire V5 Touch review
Viewsonic VX2370Smh-LED review
Hands on: ZTE Blade 3 review
Acer 76000U review
Acer Iconia W510 review
 |  |
Read More ...
Goolge may bring air fleet to new Silicon Valley home
Just when we thought Google's digs couldn't get any swankier, news comes that the search engine is building its own airport.
According to the San Jose Mercury News, a deal is in the works to create a privately funded airport adjoined to the Mineta San Jose International Airport. That's basically Wi-Fi distance from Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.
Signature Aviation and Blue City Holdings (the companies in charge of Google's fleet) are looking to build the 29-acre, $82 million facility in San Jose to house Google aircraft along with the companies' other corporate and private clients.
Google Air
The blueprints for the private airport include an aircraft servicing facilities, an executive terminal, hangers and ramp space for giants aircraft such as Boeing 737s and 767s. Rent for the airfield will run the two companies $2.6 million annually, and the proposed lease will last for 50 years. Similar leases normally last for about 20 to 30 years, so hopefully Google will be happy with its future plane parking lot. Google's fleet is currently hanging out at Moffett Federal Airfield in Mountain View. The company had previously offered to pay for restorations of NASA/Ames' Hanger One located in the airfield in exchange for use of two-thirds of the facility's space. But it's too early to tell what this new deal will mean for that arrangement. The proposal is set to go to the San Jose city council's Airport Competitiveness Committee later this month. then it will be up for a vote from the full council in April. If the deal gets approved, the airfield will take about two years to build. And maybe after that, Google will tackle building its own moon base.
| |
Read More ...
Updated: Eric Schmidt to offload 3.2M shares, or about 42% of his stake in Google
Update: If there was any question Eric Schmidt might jump the good ship Google, the company would like to note that's not the case:
"This is a routine diversification of assets and Eric remains completely committed to Google," a spokesperson said in a statement sent to TechRadar.
If Schmidt's share-selling ways continue, however, the company could be singing a different tune come next year.
Original story continues below...
There's selling stock and then there's selling Google stock, the latter of which Eric Schmidt has handedly decided to partake in.
In a U.S. Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) form filed Friday, it was learned that Google's executive chairman plans to sell up to 3.2 million shares of Class A common stock in the company. Just how much are those stocks worth? About $2.51 billion, figured MarketWatch.
The filing reveals why Schmidt, who stepped down as CEO of Google in 2011, decided to put the stock up for sale:
"The pre-arranged trading plan was adopted to allow Eric to sell a portion of his Google stock as part of his long-term strategy for individual asset diversification and liquidity," it read.
When the rich get richer
Schmidt can take up to one year to "spread stock trades out" in order to minimize market impact, the SEC filing noted. As of Dec. 31, 2012, Schmidt owned 7.6 million shares in the company common stock, or about 2.3 percent of Google and approximately 8.2 percent voting power in the Mountain View firm's outstanding capital stock. If all 3.2 million shares are sold, Schmidt will have unloaded about 42 percent of his stake in the company, though he won't be left in the cold. According to the Wall Street Journal, Schmidt would still own 1.3 percent of Google plus command 5 percent voting power. This isn't the first time Schmidt has put his shares on the market: over the past year, he's parted with about 1.8 million of his Google shares, worth $1.2 billion. Perhaps Schmidt is planning for retirement, building up college funds or simply doesn't want the weight of millions of slips of paper weighing down his portfolio. Either way, he'll walk away an even richer man if he's able to sell just a fraction of the shares.
| |
Read More ...
Apple reportedly hires former LG OLED expert, iTV rumors flare
Though there are plenty of high-definition television sets already available on the market, that fact has done nothing to stop the rather persistent rumor of Apple entering the space with television of its own.
So-called Apple iTVs have been rumored for quite some time, though Apple itself has been far from forthcoming with any actual details about such a device, let alone stating one is in development.
Most recently, reports that some iTVs were being tested at the Foxconn manufacturing facility made the rounds, adding that there were three different mid-size options (32-, 46-, 55-inches) in the works.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously stated the HDTV market was one of interest, however there's been little actual proof the Cupertino company is ready to take over the living room
Perhaps then the newest rumor that Apple has supposedly hired a former LG and Samsung TV guru can provide better insight into just what lies ahead for the purported iTV.
Welcome to the party, pal
According to a report from the OLED Association, Apple has just hired Jueng-Jil "James" Lee to oversee development of OLED displays for the company. Lee was formerly a senior member of LG's research and development team working to create a printed AMOLED television, and helped create polymer solution-based OLED material for Cambridge Display Technology. If the rumor is true, then Apple picked itself up an expert in the field and someone who could certainly make iTV a reality. However, it should be noted Apple may just as easily want Lee's knowledge to further develop the phone and tablets it produces, rather than expanding into the HDTV arena. For its part, Apple hasn't actually announced or confirmed the hiring, though his appointment would certainly make sense from a business standpoint. Just how and where Apple's foray into the OLED market will take place remains to be seen, but with competitors such as LG and Samsung pushing the technology, it seems it was only a matter of time until Apple decided to what the fuss was all about.
| |
Read More ...
Exclusive: BlackBerry: no budget BB10 phones in 2013
BlackBerry won't be killing BB7 anytime soon - which means those looking for advanced cheaper phones are out of luck.
Given a core segment of the BlackBerry user base are those on the pre-pay market, traditionally spending very little money on a handset, many were expecting to see a phone to service them running BB10 in the same manner as Windows Phone 8, with the likes of the Nokia 620.
However, speaking to TechRadar, BlackBerry European MD Stephen Bates told us the company was focused on making sure people saw it as a high-end company first and foremost:
"We've brought out these high-end devices as a as a statement of intent - to demonstrate vividly the new BlackBerry," said Bates. "Our intention is to evolve that portfolio to enter the mid-tier."
"But we don't see us getting to the entry level tier for some time; certainly not this year. Based on the great sales we've had over Christmas in the UK there is a demand for the entry level BlackBerry and we don't want to give that up so we're going to continue with Curve and the entry level as we bring BlackBerry 10 down through the mid-tier and eventually into the entry level."
One OS for you, and another for you…
It seems that BlackBerry is going to continue with a two-tier approach for the mobile OS for the time being: UK and Ireland MD Rob Orr told TechRadar that BlackBerry is seeing acceptable sales for BB7 devices, and the company isn't looking to force them onto BB10 just yet: "In enterprise the BB7 portfolio is the workhorse device; government, financial institutions… these guys are continuing to purchase BB7," revealed Orr. "And in the prepaid space we had a very successful run for Christmas." "It was important for us to show that we're not giving up on BB7," added Bates. "We launched BBM voice and it connects into the BB10 world where we've added video and screen sharing." It seems odd that BlackBerry doesn't want to bring a cheaper phone running its 'phoenix' OS to the market as soon as possible, instead choosing to stagger it over time as it phases out, rather than kills, its older platform. Whether we'll see new Curve devices remains to be seen – but if so, it will send out a statement of intent to those that have recently bought BB7 devices that it isn't giving up on existing customers, which can only be a positive thing. These quotes form part of our in-depth interview with key members of the BlackBerry board – stay tuned to see the full piece coming soon.
| |
Read More ...
Sony starts rolling out Jelly Bean for Xperia users
True to its word, Sony is now starting to roll out the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update to its Xperia handsets.
The update is arriving first on Sony's newer smartphones, such as the Xperia T and Xperia V, with the Xperia TX starting next month.
Along with the standard Jelly Bean features Sony has thrown in a few enhancements of its own, like better home screen customization and organization along with improved Sony Media apps to make it easier to browse music, photos, and video.
The camera has also gotten a boost with a new auto scene setting and a single touch button to swap between front and rear cameras.
Xperia roll out
Jelly Bean will roll out as an over the air update to those devices starting today, though as always it may take a week or two to reach all smartphones on all carriers. Sony had previously revealed that March will see the update make its way to more devices, with the Sony Xperia J, Xperia P, Xperia S, Xperia SL, and Xperia Ion on deck. Meanwhile, some Xperia handsets are not destined to enjoy Jelly Bean, as the Xperia U, Xperia miro, Xperia tipo, and Xperia sola will have to make do with Android 4.0. For those who can get the upgrade though, Jelly Bean's zippier interface and Sony's own enhancements should give that Xperia a welcomed boost.
| |
Read More ...
BBC to offer some programming on the iPlayer before TV
The BBC plans to screen selected shows through its online iPlayer platform before they're screened on television, it has emerged.
The Telegraph reports that the Corporation will embark on a 12-month trial during which 40 hours of regularly scheduled programming will air online first.
The decision, which may be seen as a direct response to competition from Netflix, was approved at the BBC Trustees' meeting back in December, according to the report.
There's no news yet on which shows will be part of the trial, but it seems unlikely that web viewers will get access to the Beeb's staple content before it's transmitted to the living room TV set.
Web-first vs catch-up
The iPlayer continues to grow in popularity, hitting a record 187 million video requests during January alone on desktops, laptops, mobile devices and through apps on Sky+, Xbox 360 and more. Now, the BBC wants to see whether this can be exponentially increased by dangling the carrot of web-first content, rather than the only delivering from the archives. It also appears that Auntie is conscious of the trend towards monthly subscription services like Netflix and Lovefilm. With Netflix opening up House of Cards, its first major original series, to viewers in the UK at the back-end of last week, the Beeb is no longer trading blows dealing with a TV and film re-run merchant.
| |
Read More ...
NASA plans Google+ hangout with International Space Station astronauts
Could there be a better endorsement for Google+ than one from NASA?
The National Aeronautics and Space Association chose Google's social network for a conference call "hangout," when civilians will have a chance to ask question of astronauts living on the International Space Station (ISS).
The Google+ hangout chat will take place from 11 a.m. EST to 12 p.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 22. Astronauts Kevin Ford and Tom Marshburn of NASA and Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency will answer questions fielded by fans on Youtube, Google+, Twitter, and Facebook over the next twelve days.
The chat will be broadcast live on NASA's Google+ and Youtube pages.
What's it like being IN SPACE??
The International Space Station orbits Earth 240 miles above the planet's surface, NASA shared in a press release on Thursday. We can't help but think our 10-year-old selves would have been flabbergasted at the chance to ask a question of three astronauts. Oh, who are we kidding - we still are. We tried to come up with a joke question here, but instead all we could think of was all the Earth food we'd miss up there among the stars. So of course we have to ask the astronauts what they're going to eat first when they get home. If you've got a question too, make sure to submit it via Youtube, Twitter or Google+. Video question submissions are due Feb. 12 and must be under 30 seconds long. Start by introducing yourself and giving your location, and make sure to tag the video with #askAstro. The same hashtag applies to questions submitted via Twitter and Google+. In addition, NASA will start a Facebook thread on the morning of Feb. 22 where further questions can be added. Obviously, Ford, Marshburn and Hadfield won't have time to answer every question - they're busy doing science experiments and maintenance on the ISS during their 6-month stay, according to NASA - but "unique and original questions are more likely to be selected," according to Thursday's announcement.Good for you, Google+
Google+ recently pulled ahead of Twitter and Youtube, according to a report at the end of January, now playing second fiddle in social networks only to Facebook. It seems Google prediction almost one year ago that Google+ would be a success is starting to prove true.
| |
Read More ...
Windows Phone 8 scores Spotify app
Bit by bit, applications for Windows Phone 8 are accumulating in the Windows Phone Store, and Friday Microsoft added yet another to the mix.
Spotify, service of so many songs, is now available in beta for download on newer Windows devices. Though it might be imperfect (due to the whole beta-dom) at least it's available.
The app itself is free, as are the tunes for the first 30 days. After the free trial runs its course, however, users will have to pay US$9.99 a month for premium access.
Spotifiers will know (or perhaps not) that the premium service runs on all devices - phones, tablets, desktops, laptops - with no ads, while the free and unlimited (US$4.99/month) are restricted to just laptops and desktops.
Spot on
Those looking to get the app on their Windows Phone 8 handset should note that the roll out is just getting underway, meaning it might be a few hours before it appears in search or is downloadable in all regions. Perhaps the app's sweetest selling point is its access-granting powers to playlists and downloads when there's no internet connection - perfect for those pesky times when you're Wi-Fi is spotty and you need a music boost. The ability to access tunes on any playlist simultaneously on a Windows Phone and PC is also a pretty nice perk. The Spotify app is a score for newer devices, which up until now was only been available on earlier Windows phones. The apps for Windows Phone in general have been perceptively thin compared to those for the iPhone and Android handsets. Microsoft tells us the Windows Phone Store is home to over 125,000 apps, significantly trailing Apple's 775,000 apps for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Microsoft has some catch up to do, but at least it's got a way to make some "we can do this" playlists.
| |
Read More ...
Google just improved third-party app integration for Drive
Google Drive launched last year, and it's had no trouble making headway against competitors like SkyDrive, Dropbox and iCloud.
And though third-party apps that interact with Google Drive have long been buried, Google announced Friday that changes have been made to remedy that.
Google's Nicolas Garnier, developer advocate focusing on Google Drive and Web APIs, wrote in a Google Developers blog post that over 100 different third-party apps feature deep Google Drive integration, and now those same apps will be easier to discover and access.
Google added space to the "create" menu for third-party apps to sit alongside Google apps like Docs and Sheets, plus a "Connect to Drive" app browser to search for Drive-enabled web apps without having to leave Drive at all.
Creative improvements
Clicking on the create button now reveals whatever third-party web apps you've connected with your personal Google Drive alongside the standard first-party Google apps. "This makes your Drive-connected apps easier to reach and more visible to Google Drive users," Garnier wrote, addressing developers of apps that use Google Drive. Within the create menu, clicking "connect more apps" allows you to browse Google Drive-connected apps from directly within Drive, negating the need to visit the Chrome Web Store. Google app developers whose apps are already compatible with Drive and listed in the Chrome Web Store's Drive section don't have to do anything extra for their apps to be integrated thus - Google is doing it automatically. Garnier recommended Google app developers who aren't yet integrating with Drive check out these steps to learn how to do so.
| |
Read More ...
Indonesian filings stir up rumors of Nokia Lumia 520, 720 smartphones
Mobile World Congress is fast approaching, and Nokia may be primed to launch a pair of new Lumia smartphones, judging from regulatory certifications discovered overseas.
CNET reported Friday that filings with the Directorate Post & Telecommunication office in Indonesia reveal the existence of two new Nokia Lumia smartphones.
The unannounced Lumia 720 (RM-885) and Lumia 520 (RM-914) handsets already passed certification on Wednesday, through the Indonesian equivalent of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States.
Without confirmation from Nokia, the devices are currently assumed to be follow-ups to the mid-range Lumia 710 and low-end Lumia 510, respectively.
Lumia leaks emerge
With MWC kicking off in Barcelona, Spain in just over two weeks, it's not hard to imagine that Nokia might officially unveil new Lumia devices at the event. According to an unnamed source, the Lumia 520 could come packing a four-inch Super Sensitive touchscreen, 1GHz dual-core processor, 8GB storage, micro-SD card slot and 5MP rear camera, but the budget-minded device leaves out a front-facing camera. A little further up the scale, the Lumia 720 is rumored to feature a 4.3-inch ClearBlack display with other specs similar to the Lumia 520, upgrading the rear camera to 6MP and adding a 2MP front-facing camera. Both handsets are expected to run the latest Windows Phone 8 software, although it's probably too early to consider leaked specs the final word on that subject.
| |
Read More ...
Motorola vs Microsoft: 13 patent claims thrown out
In an ongoing patent dispute between Motorola and Microsoft, Washington state federal judge James L. Robart has thrown out a total of 13 patent claims in Microsoft's favour.
The claims in question apply to just three patents that all concern encoding and decoding digital video content.
In this case, Microsoft argued that the "means for decoding" and "means for using" elements should be declared invalid and the court agreed. Judge Robart ruled that the lack of specific limitations, or "indefiniteness", rendered it invalid.
Another FRAND-off?
Last month, in the wake of a 19-month investigation into antitrust allegations, Google/Motorola dropped two previous patent claims it was pursuing against Microsoft in favour of offering licences on a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) basis. We could see more such agreements, but as with most patent wars, this one will likely be raging for a long time to come. Via CNET
| |
Read More ...
Interview: Dyson: 'We spend a lot of money fighting to protect our ideas'
Chris Osborn is clearly very proud of what his team has achieved. Based at Dyson's HQ in Malmesbury, UK, he talks candidly about the experimental nature of the company's product development as well as its no-nonsense attitude to theft of the company's intellectual property.
"Yes there are a few competitors that look similar, but they don't work the same. Disappointing aren't they? We have big problems with IP theft generally all over the world. We spend a lot of time and money fighting to protect our ideas.
"The lawyers are constantly in battles with various other companies trying to protect what we've come up with, because that's where the hard work goes in. We spend the money developing our ideas and we want to protect them."
Protecting design
In that sense, is Dyson no different to key consumer tech players such as Microsoft, Apple and Samsung? "Exactly. Companies that are willing to take risks and spend money on research design and development need a way of protecting that intellectual property, otherwise it's a waste of money. "Dyson is very unique in the amount of money it spends and the risk it takes on research, design and development because those are ideas are what we sell."
"The Airblade is very iconic," says Osborn. It's been in a lot of movies, TV programmes, everyone's familiar with the hands-in drying action now. We had to keep it in the range because people say, 'That's the one I know, that's the one I've seen.' The Mark 2 has the latest motor and it's lighter, we've removed over a kilogram of materials to better our CO2 emissions. It's a tweak to an already very good product."
Next we asked how Dyson came up with the idea for its Airblade Tap, the combination of a tap and handryer in one. "There is a problem to solve here," believes Osborn. You have two appliances where there's no need to have two appliances. One is you're saving space, another is people in the bathroom dripping water on the floor as they move to the drier.
"We'd all like to have one appliance that does multiple things. In our homes we're seeing televisions, CD players, radios all becoming one thing. There's no point in having separate parts of the process. It's all about integrating to make it easier to use. "
Technology-led
Presumably you did a lot of Market research? "Nope, we're very technology-led; we're a technology push company rather than a market-led company, we like to come up with really good ideas which we test ourselves in secret first and then we'll say, 'Actually guys, I think we've got something really good here.' "It really isn't until we're quite a long way down the development path that we'll open the doors and let people see it. We know what people want as the Dual Cyclone will tell you. People said they didn't want it, and they did want it." So is the design of these products down to Dyson's tech-first culture? "Yeah. We do have marketing people, but it's very back-to-front as far as other companies are concerned. We don't have product briefs written first that we then satisfy. We experiment in the labs, come up with ideas, we stick things together with a hot glue gun and go 'woah, this looks pretty good' - it's exactly how the original Airblade was conceived. "We weren't using the motor and the blade of air as a dryer; we were trying to do other things with it. It wasn't until somebody said, 'This is really good for drying hands' that we decided to make a hand dryer. We don't sit there one day and go, 'We know what we're going to do, we should come up with a hand dryer.'"
The products are designed in the UK at Dyson's headquarters in Malmesbury, where about 2,000 people are employed, including 850 engineers. "All the design and development is done by that team and then we have a manufacturing facility in Singapore. All our hard work is done [in the UK], that's where our brain power is."
So where does Osborn believe that the Airblade Tap will be used? "Hotels, stadiums, that kind of thing. We've designed it for high footfall environments but it can be used anywhere. We're looking at putting them in art galleries, which is not high footfall, but is somewhere were a [decent amount] of people will use it.
"The truth is we don't quite know [the various applications] but if people want to put them in their kitchens, we'll take notice. Obviously we're already working on next generations and new ideas, but we'll watch what happens and take a steer from that."
| |
Read More ...
Million dollar bionic man unveiled
A "bionic man" made up of $1 million of prosthetic limbs and organs has been put on show at the Science Museum in London.
Given the name Rex, the bionic man shows off some of the most sophisticated prosthetic limbs and artificial organs in existence. Among the shopping list of futuristic human spare parts used in his creation are artificial organs including a kidney, pancreas, spleen and trachea along with a functioning blood-circulatory system.
Rex was created by a team of roboticists for a Channel 4 TV documentary called How to Build a Bionic Man in order to show how far the technology of replacement body parts has come.
Face-off
The documentary is presented by Bertolt Meyer, a social psychologist at the University of Zurich, whose face was used as the template for Rex's own. "One of my personal favorites is the artificial blood that runs through these tubings, because this is made of nanoparticles that are able to bind oxygen and give them off, just like real blood," Meyer said. "What we are close to accomplishing in terms of artificial organs – I find that absolutely mind boggling." Rex is on show at the Science Museum in London as part the free exhibition "How much of you can be rebuilt?" until March 11.
| |
Read More ...
Real Time Information scares small businesses
An increasing number of small companies are aware of the Government's impending Real Time Information (RTI) system, but many fear that its introduction in April will cause serious problems, according to the Forum of Private Business (FPB).
It has been one of the main issues to emerge from a study on the IT outlook for small businesses conducted by the membership organisation for small businesses.
RTI is a system created by HM Revenue & Customs for payroll information to be passed on continuously rather than updated monthly. It will demand changes in the way that businesses provide the information to HMRC.
A survey of 4,000 FPB members indicates that awareness of RTI is high, with 70 per cent saying they are prepared for the changes and 18 per cent prioritising investment in technology to cope with the system.
But 65% believe that HMRC would struggle to cope with the changes, even though some had acknowledged that a pilot had run smoothly. 22 per cent claim that RTI will make it less likely for them to take on new employees, although most say it will have no impact on employment levels.
A sensible transition
Phil Orford, Chief Executive of the FPB, said that while the research shows that businesses are better prepared for RTI than similar studies have suggested, there is still a significant number that are unprepared. "If nothing else, this paints a depressing picture of small firms' confidence in a government department that is key to their operations," he says. "Those businesses involved with the RTI pilot run by HMRC last year were a little more confident here, but there are clearly still fears about how seamless the transition will prove to be." He added: "With this uncertainty in mind we are calling for HMRC to adopt a sensible and reasoned approach towards enforcement in the early stages. Already the government has announced the delay to some fining powers, but the effect of the switch to online reporting must not be underestimated, nor the cost of investing in new software ignored. "Ideally we want to see a moratorium on fines in all but the most serious cases." A spokesperson for the FPB told TRBC that it is not concerned about companies having to spend heavily on IT to cope with RTI, but that accounts departments and staff should be aware of it requires of them. This could involve some investment in training. The organisation has published a blogpost on the implications of RTI that advises members on the appropriate software settings and types of submission. It also suggests that if the supplier of a company's payroll software is not providing the necessary service it should look for an alternative.
| |
Read More ...
Raspberry Pi unveils $25 camera add-on
The makers of the Raspberry Pi budget computer have unveiled a camera module to go with it.
Appearing less than a week after the stripped-down, Raspberry Pi Model A went on sale, the new camera module measures just 25 x 20 x 9mm and features a 5MP sensor that is also capable of shooting 1080p HD video at 30fps.
The precise release date of the Raspberry Pi camera module is unconfirmed, with the company's best estimate being "at least a month away (and possibly more)" as they fine tune the hardware and drivers.
Pi in the sky
Costing the same as the Model A board ($25), the new camera module promises to open up the Raspberry Pi to a host of new uses, most prominently as a low cost video device for aerial photography from balloons or remote-controlled aircraft. In these situations the Raspberry Pi's low weight and low cost make it an excellent alternative to a camera or phone. The new camera module combined with the recently-opened Raspian OS app store means that this is one fruit that's growing fast.
| |
Read More ...
Updated: Samsung Galaxy S4 release date, news and rumours
Samsung Galaxy S4: release date and news
It certainly feels like Samsung is taking over the world right now – at least, the Android world. There's no doubt that last year's Galaxy S2 was the phone of the year. And not in recent times, discounting Apple of course, can we remember the anticipation and expectation of a phone as much as the Galaxy S3. If you needed a barometer of this, just look at how it was unveiled. Not at MWC like lots of others, but its own event, proving the Galaxy line has reached the level where it can guarantee hoards will come just for an unveiling. The name was even 'confirmed' at a recent event by a researcher, which means it's coming closer and closer to reality. But that's last season's device, and we're looking forward to the next level of what to expect in the Galaxy SIV. The trickle of 'sources' talking about this new device is starting to build to a steady stream, so we're on hand to help let you know which whispers have a notion of truth about them - as well as providing our wishlist of what we want Samsung to improve on the new handset.Samsung Galaxy S4 screen
The Galaxy S2 had an amazing Super AMOLED Plus display – and boy, was it vibrant. The S3 upped the screen size from 4.3-inches to 4.8-inches and the pixel density went from 217 to 306 to take a run at the iPhone's Retina Display. But, Samsung also opted for a PenTile approach, to the chagrin of geeks. What does that mean for the end user? Well, the screen looks great but you can make out pixels if you really, really strain. And some of the vivacity and colour saturation is lost. On the plus side, Samsung reckons the screen will last longer – but we'd rather see a much more S2-like screen with a sharper resolution - and given that's now appeared on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, we're pretty hopeful we'll get it on the Samsung Galaxy S4 too. Alternatively, there have been a number of rumours that Samsung is going to bring a flexible screen to the Galaxy S4 - but given the Korean brand is already pushing the delivery of such tech back into 2013 for its customers, we think we'll be in Galaxy S5 territory before that happens. However, the bad news is that due to reported manufacturing issues these may have been delayed... does that mean the phone will have to be pushed back as well? A source for the Verge suggests that the flexible display option really is out of the question, with no Galaxy S device sporting the new screen tech in 2013, although it will be shown off as a concept at the Vegas smorgasbord of gadgetry. There seems a much more likely option in the shape of the 5-inch 1080p screen that could offer up an eye-splitting 441ppi, making it easily the highest res out there. It would probably need to be shrunk down a smidge to fit into the palm, or Samsung could actually just make the phone even closer to the edges of the screen. Dare we dream of an edge-to-edge display like on the 9000 series TVs?
Update: that dream could be closer to reality after the pretty likely screen for the Samsung Galaxy S4 was shown off by Samsung Display at CES 2013, featuring a 4.99-inch screen with a Full HD pixel count and a dizzying 440PPI resolution, which is set to ship in Q1 2013... also known as the perfect time frame for manufacturing the S4.
Samsung Galaxy S4 release date
It seems more than likely that Samsung will eschew MWC 2013 once more for the release of its top handset, instead focusing on the launch in May 2013, which we'd really like to see. A recent teaser by Samsung promised something at CES in January, but nothing appeared - although apparently the brand showed off prototypes to key execs from networks and supply chain-ers. This is for a number of reasons: time to allow the current customers to buy the S3, being able to scoop up all the customers about to come out of contract from the S2 and also not making its fans feel like its throwing out a new flagship phone every three seconds.
However, that didn't stop the rumour mill deciding that the Galaxy S4 launch was set for March 2013, based on something a Samsung 'representative' said to the media. The brand quickly took to Twitter to discredit the rumours, so it looks like the middle of the year launch is still firmly on the cards.
Since then another rumour, of a phone dubbed 'Project J', has emerged, and that's set for an April unveil... so it seems we're looking at a Q2 2013 Samsung Galaxy S4 launch as it stands, which means you'll probably be able to actually hold one in your hands come May, and it will likely be given the model number of GT-I9500, which is leap from GT-I9300 but has been confirmed as likely legit when showing up in firmware versions, as well as on Samsung's official software page.
Another source has written off the chance of the Galaxy S4 appearing at CES 2013 and MWC 2013 - giving the suggestion that an April event is on the cards more weight.
Other sources, apparently Samsung's Korean execs themselves, are touting an April Samsung Galaxy S4 release... and it will even come with an S Pen accessory too! However, this seems unlikely given it's only currently used on the Note range, so a boring C Pen upgrade could be all that's on the cards - then again, Samsung has just whacked $58.9 million (UK£37 million, AU$56.4 million) in Wacom, the digital pen people's, pocket as it invests in the tech, so it could come to the S4 quite feasibly.
Samsung Lebanon has weighed in too, revealing that it's not coming in the next three months: "The Galaxy SIV won't be released before May 2013," the brand said, rather emphatically - despite some sites carrying news that an anonymous exec was claiming March as the release date and the venue for launch was going to be in the US, UK or South Korea.
Update: More weight has been thrown behind the rumoured April Galaxy S4 release date and apparently "Project J" is now "Altius", with March 22 being banded around as the date for the Samsung Galaxy SIV launch event.
This could be pushed back to March 15, which would be an odd day for a launch given it's a Friday, but apparently it's from a 'trusted source' of SamMobile's.... either way, the rumoured date certainly seems to be getting further and further forward in the year compared to the launch of the Galaxy S3.
Samsung Galaxy S4 specs
There's not a lot around about specs at the moment, but the rumours emanating from the good ol' internet rumour mill are certainly enough to make us excited. The first is that the S4 will have a quad-core chip, which might sound a little 'last gen' to many. However, it will be based on ARM's A15 architecture, bringing with it a big boost in power for all those resource-intensive tasks we love to do all the time. But then again, that's not Samsung's way really, is it? We want to see bigger, bangier and faster, so doubling it again to an OCTO-core would be the way to go. Rather than just making it super powerful though, the eight core innards would split into two groups: A15-spec chips for the big stuff, and A7 when things need to get a little lower power, bringing with it the best of both worlds. The other big news that we think should be on our wish list is the fact that Samsung's internal storage bods have been hard at work bringing the flash memory down in size and up in speed... so think even thinner phones with higher capacity that can be written to up to 10x faster. We're now looking forward to the S4 even more now. A quad-core processor looks more likely than an eight core offering after the new Exynos 5440 quad-core chip appeared on Samsung's site, making it a strong contender to feature in the Galaxy S4. Update: Actually it looks like there really could be an eight core phone coming from the Korean firm, as the Exynos Octa was announced at CES 2013 complete with four big cores and four smaller ones, as part of ARM's big.LITTLE architecture. Eight cores. Mental. Update: More support for the eight-core model has materialised in the form on benchmark results claiming to be for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4, saying it will sport a 1.8GHz Octa processor which will run Android 4.2.1. Update: The Galaxy SIV could follow in the footsteps of the Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 as it brings wireless charging to the table. The Galaxy S3 also apparently has this, but it's never been properly realised.Samsung Galaxy S4 operating system
What's the good word here? Well, given the time scales involved, we'd fully expect to see the Galaxy S4 running a more mature version of Android 4.2, better known as Android Jelly Bean, as well as the next generation of TouchWiz skin on top. There are some more daft rumours floating around, namely that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will run off a different operating system called Tizen, simply because Samsung is using it on other phones. Don't worry, this won't happen...although a variant of the phone could be used as a blueprint for a decent alternative handset. More likely is Samsung bringing out the Galaxy S4 to coincide with the next version of Android from Google, called Key Lime Pie. April would be roughly the time we'd start seeing rumours of such things, so it's not unbelievable that you could buy an S4 with a cutting edge OS. In truth, we've never really seen this happen from the Koreans, so chances are it will be boring old Jelly Bean when your S4 appears in your hands.Samsung Galaxy S4 battery
Ok, we admit we always want more. The S2's 1,650mAh was manageable and the S3's 2,100mAh blows that out of the water. But it's still only OK. You can get by on a day of moderate use but if you use this phone heavily (and we're talking watching TV shows on the morning and evening commute alongside your normal tinkering), this handset will still want a plug in at some point. Motorola has proven it can be done by whacking a 3,300mAh power pack into the RAZR Maxx which can still be considered a skinny Minnie. Something of that size – along with ICS and Samsung's power management abilities – would really be the icing on the Ice Cream Sandwich.Samsung Galaxy S4 camera
What's that? You're bored of an 8MP camera on the Samsung Galaxy S3 since you've seen the likes of the Sony Xperia Z popping up with a 13MP snapper attached? Well, good news everyone: a picture supposedly captured from the S4 hints at an at least 10MP camera, according a snap shown on Picasa. Remember, EXIF data can be faked though, so there's every chance this amazingly well-framed photo is just the work of a chancer hoping to jump on the S4 bandwagon:
Samsung Galaxy S4 design
We've lost count of the amount of people we've shown our device off to who've replied with the words: "Yeah, it's great but looks like a bit of a toy." It's a double-edged sword: the plastic is used to keep this handset nice and light, but does detract from what should be a premium device. A bit of glass wouldn't go amiss. Android users, say what you like about the iPhone 4/4S (and we know you won't be short of words), but aside from being smash-tastic, the glass really adds that premium and expensive feel that the S3 just doesn't have. Forget what your mum told you – it's what's on the outside that counts too, so the Samsung Galaxy S4 needs to step it up in the design stakes. We've now had the first in what we expect to be many leaked shots claiming to be the Samsung Galaxy S4 - and it isn't filling us with a huge amount of confidence as it could quite easily be a mash up between the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2.
However that famous home button may be here to stay if the latest image claiming to show the Samsung Galaxy S4 next to the Galaxy S3 is to be believed - although it could well be another Photoshop job.
We've also seen another half-cocked effort from a Photoshop enthusiast - as we've said, it's a lot more like a 'would like to see' rather than any proper press shot.
Looks pretty though, right?
Samsung Galaxy S4 wishlist
But it's not all about what's rumoured... we're still allowed to dream about a perfect phone. So here are the things we hope get improved when the Galaxy S4 finally launches:Better S-Voice
S-Voice just isn't there. At least Siri had the nous to call itself a BETA so that it could be excused for not getting things right at times. The problem we have with S-Voice is it just doesn't seem to be able to do much.
Sure, it can tell you what the weather is like if you really can't be bothered to look out the window. And it'll save you 10 seconds by setting an alarm.
But it's just not powerful enough - and is, frankly, awful for something that's supposed to be a headline feature on one of the world's best smartphones.
We've actually been using Speak To It Assistant far more often because it's superior. Samsung could do worse than buy a company like this to give the Galaxy S4 a real chance of being the best voice-controlled mobile out there.
Better Mac support
Yep, we know many consumers believe Mac users account for only 0.000001% of Android owners (why wouldn't they just buy an iPhone, right?) But there are lots who like Apple computers as well as Android devices. And up until the S3, they got on famously. But Android has changed the rules and how storage works so that it follows the MTP Protocol which plays along brilliantly with Windows but can't stand Macs. Yes, we know this is a Google issue and not something that Samsung can be blamed for. But having said that, the HTC One X also runs Ice Cream Sandwich and it has managed to tweak the code enough for there to not be a problem. Please Samsung – don't shut them out. Ice Cream Sandwich may be frozen – but we shouldn't be, so when you bring out the Jelly Bean or Key Lime Pie-powered Galaxy S4, let's get some support.Samsung Galaxy S4 accessories
Samsung unveiled the SIII alongside a raft of accessories – the usual things like cases were complimented by the C-Pen (like the Note 2's S-Pen but smaller) and the dongle for connecting to your TV to stream stuff. The problem is, they're all so expensive: £20 for the C-Pen and the best part of £70 for the AllShare Dongle. They're not mainstream accessories – and little wonder. If Samsung made these cheaper – or even threw them into the box for the Galaxy S4 (highly unlikely, but we can dream) then it would make for a much happier customer. Perhaps a premium package where you spend a little more but get the accessories at the same time would work... people like to get the most out of things when they get their shiny new device.Better charging
Plug it in and charge until it's full. That's always been the way. But we'd love to see a more advanced version of charging - ditching the wires should be more prevalent.
Maybe something similar to the conductive methods used by Palm in the Pre which never really caught on. The idea being that you don't have to plug the phone in to charge, just place it on a particular mat or place and it does it automatically.The S3 has that functionality, but it's hardly been well-publicised since launch.
The likes of Nokia with the Lumia 920 have been banging on about the amazing world of wireless charging for ages now, with a range of accessories too. Given that it will all be based on the Qi wireless charging standard, we'll soon see reams of coffee shops and airports with these charging stations littered around - just don't forget to watch your phone.
Or how about something really radical – like a battery that can also charge kinetically on the S4. Sure, it would be slow but wouldn't it be great if you could go for a run and manage to gain an extra 10 or 20% just by doing so to get you through the day? Radical – yes. But Samsung is known for its innovation.
Improved speakers
As beautiful and wonderful as the S3 is, the speaker still sounds tinny. Ringtones sound cheap and when it is on its back, they're also muffled. At least the iPhone has a bit of bass. But what about going a bit further? Have three or four powerful but small speakers around the rim so when you play music, it comes out loud and with a bit of bass. Hell, even make it so strong that it negates the need for a travel dock so you can play music at a decent volume when you nip away for the weekend or are sitting on the beach. That'd be a real selling point.
| |
Read More ...
Nexus One to boldly go where no phone has gone before
A British satellite called Strand-1 that launches this month will be entirely controlled by a Google Nexus One smartphone.
The box-shaped satellite, or "CubeSat", will spend six months in orbit being monitored by the team that developed it at the Surrey Space Centre (SSC) and Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL).
Talking to BBC News, SSC's lead engineer Dr Chris Bridges said the Nexus One is an off-the-shelf model: "We haven't gutted the Nexus. We've done lots and lots of tests on it; we've put our own software on it. But we've essentially got a regular phone, connected up the USB to it and put it in the satellite".
The Nexus One is positioned on one side of the 30cm long, 4.3kg satellite, allowing its 5MP camera to get a good look out at the Earth and Moon.
High-altitude handover
To start with, the satellite will use an onboard Linux-based computer to test two new propulsion systems. These are the sci-fi-sounding pulsed "plasma thrusters" and "Warp Drive" (Water Alcohol Resisto-jet Propulsion De-orbit Re-entry Velocity Experiment). After that's done, full control of the satellite will be handed over to the Nexus One. A camera inside will relay telemetry from the Nexus One's screen and an experiment using its inbuilt magnetometer will also be conducted. SSTL's head of science, Doug Liddle, says that although we probably won't be seeing any US$30 smartphone-controlled satellites any time soon, the possibilities are exciting: "instead of having a small, niche group of spacecraft flight-software developers, you could suddenly call on a global community of app developers to help you design control or telemetry-handling systems for spacecraft."Connect with Kinect
Even though Strand-1 hasn't yet broken free of Earth's gravity, Strand-2 is already in the works. Using yet more consumer tech, two of the boxy cubesats will float around in space before using Microsoft's Xbox Kinect to find one another and dock. While playing Strauss' The Blue Danube, we hope. Via BBC
| |
Read More ...
PS4 promises 'new styles of play': more motion control and social?
It's less than two weeks now until Sony lifts the curtain on the PS4, and we're expecting even more impressive developments than the next-generation console's specs. A Sony exec promises the console will open up "new styles of play" that'll change the gaming landscape.
The unnamed official told Nikkei that the next console will be more of a home entertainment "nerve centre" than previous PlayStations, with a focus on connecting to mobiles - something that Microsoft is also pursuing with its Smart Glass functionality.
Share and share alike
So what would this involve? Rather than pursuing pure processing power, Sony could make it easier to share your gaming exploits with friends with the use of a dedicated button. "One of the most exciting rumours surrounding the next PlayStation is the potential inclusion of a 'share' button that will make it easy to capture video and images from gameplay and send them to friends and social media," says Nathan Ditum, editor of PlayStation Access. "Rather than a raw power arms race or a novelty control method this would be a particularly smart step forward because it reflects what's important to gamers - one look at Reddit, Facebook or YouTube will show you that they're already sharing the one-off experiences that games deliver, and this will facilitate that and bring it to a wider audience."Patently absurd
Recent Sony patents hint at a push towards more motion-sensor gaming too. The company recently patented a DualShock controller that splits in two to double as a PlayStation Move wand. And another patent suggests that the Move sensor could gain some ultrasonic location analysis skills, meaning far greater accuracy for full-body motion sensing in games. The image for the latter patent shows a man executing a bicycle kick while holding two Move wands, with a sensor strapped to his ankle. Just careful to move the coffee table out of the way. Throw in mobile connectivity for some second-screen action, and the next Xbox will have some major catching up to do. Even if it does turn on when you just say so. Via Engadget
| |
Read More ...
Week in Tech: It's all fun and games - until someone loses an empire
February is a great time for gamers: it's when firms gear up for the annual GDC games developers' conference, and it's when those firms' plans start to leak like a great big leaky boat.
First up: the PS4!
We've known about the PlayStation 4 for ages, of course, but this week we finally got some concrete details: Sony's going to spill the PS4 beans on the 20th of February, and it won't be cheap. Never mind the hardware, though: is Sony going to try and kill off the second-hand market?
As James Rivington reports, "Current industry wisdom suggests that future PS4 games might be tied to your Sony Entertainment Network account and will thus then have no resale value." Valve's Steam has a similar approach, but that "doesn't mean we're happy about it."
We're not happy about Microsoft's plans either. As has been discovered, it looks like "you won't be able to play second-hand games on the forthcoming Xbox 720": it'll need an always-on internet connection, "meaning every single game will be verified as you fire it up."
Don't you just love it when anti-piracy moves make life worse for law-abiding customers and help push high street retailers a little closer to bankruptcy? Perhaps the next time we go into Game, someone from Microsoft or Sony will punch us in the face.
If they do, we'll say: Ouya!
By happy concidence, Ouya just happens to be the name of a brand new and potentially very exciting console. The company is now taking pre-orders for the innovative Android console, and promises that all games will be free to play. That doesn't mean they'll be free, but it does mean that you'll at least get a demo. The hardware is open, hackable and can potentially run anything Android-y. Ouya hit the headlines thanks to a very successful Kickstarter campaign, where it promised to build the device if enough people backed it. Could the same thing work for Darth Vader? Apparently so: the Kickstarter campaign to build a Death Star raised more than £50,000 in its first day. Unfortunately that's still a bit short of the final goal which, as we report, is £54,300,000,000,000,000. It looks like the Evil Empire has a long way to go.
Microsoft keeps Dell on side
Did someone say evil empire? They can't have meant Microsoft, because Microsoft is all nice and just gave Dell two billion quid. The reason? To help founder Michael Dell take the company private and point it in a new direction. Is that all? Gary Marshall wonders, because Dell wants to get out of the consumer PC market - a market Microsoft would very much like Dell to stay in. "The prospect of Dell dumping its consumer products or worse, staying in the business but embracing other OSes, is something Steve Ballmer doesn't want to see," he argues. "And if that means handing out a few billion? For Microsoft, that's small change." You'll need more than small change if you fancy Microsoft's latest product, the Surface Pro: the full-fat Windows 8 laptoptabletthingy Surface Pro launches this week with a starting price of $900. That's for the 64GB; the 128GB is $1,000, and you'll need to buy the snazzy keyboard or touch cover separately. Is it any good? We sent Windows wizard Mary Branscombe to find out, and she says it's quite nifty. It even comes with a free pen. Office 2013 doesn't come with a free pen, but it does have lots of new things for you - and as ever, Mary Branscombe has the low-down. The new subscription model makes it cheaper to buy (although you can't skip a year), and every app has something new and great in it. The only real downside? Windows XP users will have to look elsewhere, and if you don't like the Metro design language you'll have to use it with your eyes closed.
| |
Read More ...
Buying Guide: Best Photoshop alternatives: six we recommend
Best Photoshop alternatives
Photoshop CS has long been considered the world's best image editor, and it's now the standard by which all image-editing programs are judged. But it's not without flaws - it's both complicated and expensive. So we've taken a look at six cheaper alternatives to Photoshop. Our round-up of Photoshop alternatives doesn't just list programs that offer the same or similar tools as Photoshop, but for less, though. It also has programs that approach photography in a different way. So don't imagine that Photoshop CS is still the only serious choice photographers, because any one of the six applications on test could change your mind. So what are the best Photoshop CS alternatives? Let's find out...Adobe Photoshop Elements 11
Price: £79
Photoshop Elements takes some of the core tools from Photoshop and wraps them up in a novice-friendly interface so new users won't be daunted but more experienced photographers can still apply advanced image manipulation techniques. In fact, Elements is not one program but two.
As well as the Elements Editor, there's an Organiser application with some powerful tools of its own. Adobe Bridge, which comes with Photoshop, is a fairly basic browsing tool for viewing the contents of your folders, but the Elements Organiser is a more sophisticated database application that allows faster searches and the ability to bring photos together into themed Albums, without changing their location on your computer.
The Editor itself works in three modes: Simple, Guided and Expert. In Simple mode you can carry out basic adjustments in a semi-automatic fashion with the minimum of jargon. Guided mode introduces more ambitious effects by explaining specific tools and helping you apply them step by step.
These Simple and Guided modes are great for novice and intermediate users, but they could easily give the impression that Elements is a seriously dumbed-down version of Photoshop. It's not - and the Expert mode shows just what it can do.
Performance
From a photographic point of view, there's not much that Photoshop can do that Elements can't. You can create layers and selections in just the same way, and apply the same effects and adjustments. There are exceptions - Elements offers only basic curves adjustments, for example - but most techniques you would use in Photoshop can be applied in Elements too. The Photomerge Panorama, Scene Cleaner and Exposure options are clever and effective, and Elements 11 has Adobe's latest 'content-aware' technology that can be used to remove objects and filling gaps. Lightroom and Aperture can both be set up to use Photoshop as an external editor, but you could just as easily use Elements instead. And the combined cost would still be less than half what you'd pay for CS. Verdict: 5/5 Buy direct from Adobe.comAdobe Photoshop Lightroom 4
Price: £104
Lightroom takes care of all your photographic needs, from importing your photos to organising them, enhancing them and sharing them with other people as books slideshows, prints or web galleries.
It's arranged as a series of modules, displayed horizontally along the top of the window. It's in the first Library module that most of the work is done. Here, you import your photos then browse them in their original folders, or organise them into Collections for specific jobs or projects.
You can also create Smart Collections, which use search criteria to automatically pick out shots taken within a certain time period or with keywords, for example.
You enhance your photos in the Develop module, and the editing tools here are based around those in Adobe Camera Raw, the same raw-conversion software that comes with Photoshop. The tools are arranged in a more accessible and logical format though, using collapsible panels at the side of the screen. Lightroom makes no distinction between raw files, JPEGs, TIFF images or Photoshop files - it works on them all in the same way.
Finally, all the adjustments you make are non-destructive - the original images remain unaltered, and you can modify or remove any of your adjustments at any time.
Performance
Lightroom's editing tools don't match Photoshop's. It can't layer images, for example, and while it can carry out localised adjustments to colours, tones, clarity and more, it doesn't offer precise selections as such. Its tonal and colour enhancement tools are quick to apply, effective and easy to undo. It's very good at enhancing specific colours or colour ranges, carrying out black-and-white conversions and curves adjustments. It incorporates Adobe's automatic lens correction profile, and the Adjustment Brush and Graduated Filter tools are very quick and useful. If your main interest is making the most of your photographs, rather than combining images in montages and applying special effects, you won't mind that its editing tools are more limited. This makes Lightroom a genuine alternative to Photoshop, but you can't rule out the possibility that you might still need Photoshop (or Elements) for certain jobs. Verdict: 4/5 Buy direct from Adobe.comApple Aperture 3.4.3
Price: £55
Aperture is Apple's equivalent to Lightroom. It works on exactly the same principle, importing your photos into a database for rapid, flexible organising and searching, and applying non-destructive editing processes that preserve the original images untouched. These are your Masters, and they can be stored either in their original folders on your hard disk, or copied into the Aperture library.
What you see and work on are Versions of these Masters - though you can export new files with all the adjustments applied when you need them. Aperture is especially fast and efficient at organising all your images, more so than Lightroom in fact, but its editing tools are not quite as good.
The approach is the same as Lightroom's. The tools are all arranged as a series of expanding panels down the side of the screen, and they're stored in the Aperture Library rather than being applied directly to your images, or Masters. These adjustments can be reversed, modified or removed at any time.
Performance
You can carry out basic adjustments such as cropping, Levels adjustments, Curves and sophisticated hue, saturation and tonal adjustments, but while Aperture can correct chromatic aberration, it doesn't fix lens distortions, either with automatic lens correction profiles or even manually. It does offer localised adjustments via Quick Brushes, for tone and colour enhancement, sharpening and noise reduction, for example, but they're not as straightforward to apply as Lightroom's Adjustment Brushes. This makes it all the more likely that you're going to need a separate image-editing application for anything other than routine image enhancements. You can save adjustments as preset effects, just as you can in Photoshop Lightroom, but where Lightroom could conceivably replace Photoshop, it's unlikely that Aperture ever would. Aperture does have other strengths, including its efficient photo management, its photo book design tools, web galleries and web journals, which combine photos and text in the form of a blog-style website. It also has a unique Light Table feature for combining and comparing pictures on a virtual table to arrive at a cohesive and complementary collection for a portfolio or publication. However, while it's a very strong Photoshop complement for Mac owners - especially at just £55 - it's not a Photoshop replacement. Verdict: 4/5 Buy direct from the Apple StoreThree more Photoshop alternatives reviewed
Corel PaintShop Pro X5
Price: £80
PaintShop Pro has gone through many incarnations since its early days as a shareware image-editing package. Now owned by Corel, it's a powerful and relatively inexpensive program available in Standard and Ultimate editions.
The Ultimate version adds a Creative Collection of images, brush packs and textures, Facefilter 2 makeover and sculpting tools and Nik Color Efex Pro 3. It's not the latest version of Nik's effects suite, but it still boasts over 250 filter effects.
PaintShop Pro combines image organising and editing tools into a single window with three tabs: Manage, Adjust and Edit. The Manage tab combines folder-browsing tools with Collections and Smart Collections, while the Adjust tab is for carrying out routine image enhancements like cropping, tonal and colour adjustments.
Performance
The real editing work is done in the Edit tab. Here, PaintShop Pro offers almost all the tools you'd see in Photoshop, from layers, Layer Masks and Blending Modes, to sophisticated options like HDR (high dynamic range) image merging tools and a Photo Blend tool for blending parts of diff erent objects - for example, you could combine two or more examples of the same group shot to produce a single image where everyone is smiling at once. You get a good range of special effects too, including a Retro Lab, which enables you to simulate the look of old lo-fi cameras like the Lomo and Holga. PaintShop Pro can also be used to add text to your photos and, interestingly, vector objects. These are shapes you can create and modify individually and merge with your photographic images. You can create simple shapes and custom curves and outlines you can reshape using nodes. You also get Picture Tubes, which helps you to paint repeating objects on your images. PaintShop Pro is a very powerful and interesting alternative to Photoshop, but it doesn't feel as responsive to use. Instant Effects take a few moments to apply, for example, and while the effects of Adjustment Layers are previewed in the adjustment panel, they're not applied live to the image as you move the sliders. Verdict: 4/5 Buy direct from Corel.comDxO Optics Pro 8
Price: £269
DxO Optics Pro is more of an image-enhancer than an image-manipulator. It's designed to take the imperfect images captured by your camera and your lenses, correct their faults and make them as technically perfect as possible.
It's all based on hard science, using custom-made correction profiles for thousands of camera lens combinations. These are tested by parent company DxO Labs, which also makes its testing processes and equipment available to other companies - Digital Camera uses DxO equipment for its camera and lens tests, for example.
DxO Optics Pro identifies the camera and lens using the EXIF shooting information embedded in the file, then loads the appropriate correction profile automatically, or prompts you to download one.
It doesn't support every possible camera and lens combination, but it's rare to find a mainstream camera-lens combination that's not on the list. The software then automatically corrects a range of lens faults, including chromatic aberration (colour fringing), distortion (barrel and pincushion), corner shading (vignetting) and edge softness. You can also manually correct perspective distortion and anamorphous distortion, where objects are distorted at the edges of wide-angle shots.
Performance
DxO works on both raw and JPEG files, but these must be unedited. The raw conversions are of a very high standard, and are particularly good at reducing noise in high ISO shots. It also uses advanced lighting controls to maximise the dynamic range of raw files and balance the lighting in high-contrast scenes. But it's not an image editor as such, because although it offers various preset 'looks', it doesn't support layers, or any kind of manual, localised adjustments. This means DxO Optics Pro is a tool you'd use right at the start of your image editing workflow to maximise the quality of your original images. If you never manipulate your images anyway, that could be enough, but you're almost certainly going to need some other image-editor to go with it. The Standard version isn't that expensive, but if you have an advanced SLR you may need the Elite version, which is twice the price. The tools are the same, and it all depends on what camera you use. If you have a Nikon D7000, for example, the Standard edition is fine, but if you have a D800, you'll need Elite. Buy direct from DxO.com Verdict: 3/5Serif PhotoPlus X6
Price: £71
PhotoPlus X6 is a program in two parts. There's PhotoPlus X6 itself, and a separate PhotoPlus Organiser to take care of all your image filing needs. This is basic but effective, displaying the content of the folders on your hard disk, or Albums of images drawn together from different places.
Like rival programs, it can also display Smart Albums based on image search criteria. It takes the Organiser a while to display thumbnails in newly added folders though, and while it can display raw files directly, the colours look oddly flat.
Once your images are opened in PhotoPlus, you're presented with a set of tools that are remarkably similar to those in Photoshop. It's like being transported to a parallel universe where everything is superficially the same, yet oddly different.
Performance
PhotoPlus X6 has an all-new Raw Studio, Serif's equivalent of Adobe's Camera Raw plug-in. It can apply localised image adjustments and you can manually correct lens aberrations such as chromatic aberration, vignetting and distortion. It's a step ahead of Photoshop Elements in this respect, but not up to the standards of Photoshop's automated lens correction profiles and adjustment brushes. It's not easy to get good results from raw files either. Colours need a strong boost, and our raw images had a narrow bar of solid colour down one side, which suggested some compatibility issues. Serif's clearly working hard to keep pace with Photoshop, including a non-destructive (reversible) Crop tool, just like the one in Photoshop CS6. When you apply adjustments, they're created on new Adjustment Layers, just like you can in Photoshop. The similarities between the two are so strong it's easy to imagine that any effect you can create in Photoshop can be replicated in PhotoPlus. Yet by comparison it actually feels quite crude and unfinished. It ticks all the boxes, but it lacks the speed, clarity and precision of the program it's trying to emulate. Serif PhotoPlus X6 is an interesting choice if you're keen to get the most bang for your buck, but it's not easy for beginners to get to grips with, and nor is it fast, polished and reliable enough to compete with Photoshop. It can deliver very good results in the right hands, but you'll need good technical know-how and a willingness to turn a blind eye to its rough edges. Verdict: 3/5 Buy direct from Serif.comThe best Photoshop CS alternative is...
If you can't afford to stump up a whole load of cash for Photoshop, which of these six alternative programs can step in to fill the gap? Each of these programs brings something unique to the table, and their scores reflect how well their featureset and performance compare with Photoshop CS6. Lightroom offers an effective way of working with your photos, and Aperture does the same for Mac owners. PaintShop Pro X5 is cheap, straightforward and effective, while PhotoPlus X6 tackles Photoshop head-on. DxO Optics Pro concentrates on image enhancement, beating the limitations of your camera and lenses. But the winner is Photoshop Elements 11. It's simple enough for novices, yet powerful enough for experts. It does almost everything Photoshop can, but using language, tools and processes designed for everyday photographers rather than jargon-savvy professionals.Our test results
Our top three Photoshop alternatives in a nutshellAdobe Photoshop Elements 11
What's good: it does almost everything you'd need an image editor to do. What's bad: the novice-orientated approach could get on your nerves. Our verdict: Elements 11 is great at both organising and editing your photos, whatever your level of photographic experience.Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4
What's good: Combines organising and editing. What's bad: lacks more advanced tools, like layers. Our verdict: does lots of things Photoshop doesn't.Corel Paintshop Pro X5
What's good: more powerful than elements in some ways… What's bad: dated and awkward to use in others. Our verdict: good if you want to try new tools.How we tested the photos
All of the programs featured here were tested on a dual-core computer with 8Gb RAM in order to achieve a level playing field for speed and performance comparisons. Lightroom 4, Aperture 3.4.3 and DxO Optics Pro were run under Mac OS X 10.8, while Elements 11, PaintShop Pro X5 and PhotoPlus X6 were tested with Windows 7. The applications were evaluated using a range of criteria:- Range of tools compared to Photoshop
- Additional options that are missing or less advanced in Photoshop
- Ease of use and interface design
- Range of effects and quality of results
- Suitability for users of different levels
| |
Read More ...
Top 10 smartphones for business
Best smartphones for business part 1
Once upon a time there was only one firm on the lips of any business's IT team when it came to company phones – BlackBerry. BlackBerry is still a big player in the enterprise market but the rest of the pack is hot on its heels, with the likes of Apple, Samsung and Microsoft all eager to get a piece of the business pie. In no particular order, here are the top 10 smartphones for business;BlackBerry Z10
We're kicking off our top 10 with the new handset from the firm once synonymous with business handsets – the BlackBerry Z10. BlackBerry has always been a firm favourite in the business arena, but recently people have been switching over the Apple and Android offerings. The Z10 aims to win back the business market with the firm's new operating system, BlackBerry 10, sitting at the heart of the handset.
It's a fully touchscreen offering so if you can't live without the QWERTY keyboard set up you'll have to wait for the BlackBerry Q10 to land in stores, or check out one of the older handsets below.
The big advantage with the BlackBerry Z10 is its excellent support for business users.
IT departments can take control of the handset using BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (BES 10), with security provided by BlackBerry itself ensuring all your emails and messages are fully encrypted.
The Z10 has a feature known as BlackBerry Balance which allows you to flip quickly between work and personal profiles on the handsets, allowing you to keep the two separate with work controlling the business side while you have full control over your own area.
- Read: BlackBerry Z10 review
iPhone 5
More and more businesses are turning to Apple's smartphone offers, and while it produces great looking, powerful devices they certainly come at a price. The iPhone 5 is the latest in Apple's phone line up, bringing a slimmer design and larger display to a handset which continues to turn heads in every circle. Apple now offers a wide range of enterprise resources on the iPhone 5 with support for SSL VPN and data protection APIs, enabling third party apps makers to produce fully secure solutions.
On the topic of apps, the iPhone family is probably best placed when it comes to business focussed software, with thousands of applications available on the App Store aimed at making work easier.
Then there's Siri, the helpful personal assistant who listens to your voice and brings you whatever you need, even if it is to check the footy scores.
The iPhone 5 runs Apple's latest software which goes by the name iOS 6, and while it may be starting to show its age when compared to the rapidly evolving Android, it's certainly a platform with solid foundations you can rely on.
- Read: iPhone 5 review
Samsung Galaxy S3
Currently in first place TechRadar's 20 best mobile phones in the world today, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is already rated as a top smartphone. Its super slick Android Jelly Bean interface, responsive and bright 4.8-inch HD display and powerful quad-core processor means the Galaxy S3 has the vital statistics to make it a great business tool. Add to that its highly adaptable email and note-taking applications, a whole host of connectivity options and on-device encryption to make sure all your top secret files are safe and secure, and you'll want to seriously consider this top selling device.
Android is far more adaptable and customisable than Apple's iOS system, meaning that if you have some technical boffins in your ranks you will be able to customise the Galaxy S3 to suit your firm's needs.
As with the iPhones, the Galaxy S3 is a premium handset carrying a premium price tag and you'll need to ensure your bank balance can cope with the expenditure if you do plump for this device.
- Read: Samsung Galaxy S3 review
Nokia Lumia 920
The Windows Phone 8 toting Nokia Lumia 920 turns up with Microsoft's backing, which will sound attractive to businesses that rely on the firm's Windows software for its computers. Unsurprisingly, Windows Phone 8 plays nicely with its computer based brother – although companies running Macs may want to opt for the iPhone instead. The unfussy Live Tile display on the home screen keeps things simple, allowing you to access your emails, messages or call log quickly, and the intuitive interface makes it an easy system to learn.
The Lumia 920 has the largest screen of the current Windows Phone 8 crop at 4.5-inches, which comes in handy when viewing documents and long email chains.
Microsoft's fully functioning Office Suite for mobiles - something which is currently only available on Windows Phone – is installed on the handset, making last minute amendments on the way to a meeting easy.
It's a bulky handset with some considerable weight, but if you can cope with that you'll enjoy the Nokia Lumia 920's powerful offering.
- Read: Nokia Lumia 920 review
BlackBerry Bold 9790
If you can't wait for the BlackBerry Q10 to arrive but desperately need a smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard, then look no further than the BlackBerry Bold 9790. It may not have the blockbuster specifications of some of the other handsets featured in this list, but it's strength is in its business acumen – an area which the Bold 9790 and BlackBerry devices in general thrive. The display is just 2.45-inches in size, but it is fully touchscreen and the complete QWERTY keyboard trumps any on-screen offering when it comes to speed and accuracy of input. The feather in BlackBerry's cap is its extremely secure enterprise server, which sees all your emails routed through the firm's Fort Knox style system, ensuring all your sensitive information is kept well out of sight.
With 8GB of internal storage and the option to expand on this with a microSD card, there's plenty of space to save all your important emails and documents on the device, giving you access anytime, anywhere.
Its slender frame, chrome highlights and rubberised rear provide a premium look and ergonomic design which can fit snugly into a shirt pocket.
There are some limitations, however: the screen is very small so those with poorer eye sight may struggle to see what's going on, while the application offering is extremely limited.
Best smartphones for business part 2
Samsung Galaxy Note 2
The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is a slightly different offering to the other handsets on display here, with less of a focus on security, email capabilities and simple document manipulation. With a huge 5.5-inch display and its very own S-Pen stylus the Galaxy Note 2 merges the line between smartphone and tablet. If your business is creatively minded then you may find the accuracy of the S-Pen and the ability to draw a real advantage. You can also annotate documents, emails and anything else on screen using the stylus, allowing you to provide instant feedback to colleagues.
Multitasking has always been tricky on smartphones, partly due to the screen size and the fact that it's not really possible to have two apps on screen at once.
Samsung has overcome this problem on both the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2, allowing you to run two apps side by side on the screen, so you could be looking at the latest financials while tapping out a quick email to the shareholders.
Of course, the size of the handset may hamper some as it isn't the most pocket friendly of devices, nor is it the lightest. Also, some of the applications, especially those designed for use with the S-Pen, are overly complicated in places.
iPhone 4S
You might be sold on Apple's iOS platform but what if the iPhone 5 is just that little too expensive? Fortunately you can easily get hold of its predecessor the iPhone 4S, and while it has a slightly smaller display and a little more round the waist, it's practically the same phone, running the same iOS 6 software. It's only available in the 16GB variant with no expandable storage option, which may hamper those who require more space, but you do save some serious money.
You get all the features you have on the iPhone 5 including Siri, a wealth of applications and business security including remote control, which allows a phone to be wiped remotely if it is stolen or left in a bar.
The 3.5-inch Retina display is crystal clear, allowing you to easily read text and examine charts, graphs and images without issue, while the Apple design makes for a handset which is pleasing on the eye and feels every bit as premium as the price.
- Read: iPhone 4S review
HTC 8X
Fancy a Windows Phone 8 device but the Lumia 920 is just too big? Then take a look at the slender chassis for the HTC 8X. Touted by Microsoft as the signature Windows Phone 8 device, the 8X runs exactly the same software as the larger Nokia, all be it on a slightly smaller 4.3-inch display and a considerably more pocket friendly size. You still get the Microsoft Office suite on the 8X and it has enough power under the hood to run WP 8 smoothly.
The Internet Explorer 10 mobile browser is pretty snappy, allowing you to browse web pages easily and the HD display ensures everything looks crisp and clear.
It's also slightly cheaper than the Lumia 920 if you're looking to save money, and the unibody polycarbonate design makes for a beautiful looking handset.
- Read: HTC 8X review
BlackBerry Curve 9320
If you like the idea of a tried and tested secure system but don't have the money for a top of the range handset, the BlackBerry Curve 9320 could be the business smartphone for you. The Curve 9320 compromises in the storage and power departments to become more affordable, while its all plastic case won't exactly wow in board meetings. That said, it's a perfectly capable little handset benefiting from the secure BlackBerry services and a range of connectivity options. This means you should have no trouble hooking it up to your laptop, or swapping information between NFC enabled devices.
The isolated keys on the keyboard are preferred by some, making typing even easier and quicker, and while it may not look a million dollars, it may help you make that amount.
It also sports a dedicated BBM key, giving you quick access to the free BlackBerry Messenger app – perfect if your company relies on this as an instant messenger.
There are front and rear cameras on the Curve 9320 for capturing those important moments and making key video calls, although the small screen isn't the best when it comes to reading documents or web pages.
Google Nexus 4
If you want the best features to price ratio from your smartphones then you'll need to take a look at the Android Jelly Bean running Google Nexus 4. Manufactured by LG the Nexus 4 sports an impressive quad-core processor, 4.7-inch HD display and the latest version of the powerful Android operating system wrapped up in a package which will set you back less than £300. The Nexus 4 is beautifully designed, has more connectivity than a BT Telephone Exchange and even excels in the simple matter of making telephone calls.
It is slightly hampered by only being available in 8GB and 16GB, and there's no 4G support, unlike the Note 2, Galaxy S3, Lumia 920, iPhone 5 and BlackBerry Z10.
Perhaps Android isn't the best mobile business solution, and the Nexus 4 lacks the additional enterprise features Samsung has added to its devices. But at such a low price it is definitely worth considering.
| |
Read More ...
Marathon stock shortages can't stop Google shipping a million Nexus 4s
Google has shipped a million Nexus 4 devices, according to estimates. And this is despite shortages that have seen it out of stock on Google Play for long periods since its launch back in November.
A member of the XDA Developers Forum posted that the 999,998th Nexus 4 was produced on February 5. Apparently it was a black device that was sold in Turkey.
The user ("draugaz") worked it out from the device's IMEI number.
There's no official word from Google on the numbers, but a source told TechCrunch that the Android-maker is "very happy" with the success so far.
Stock issues
The Nexus 4 has been out of stock on Google Play for most of the time since launching in November, so shipping a million is quite a feat. The device has been on sale through networks in some countries - including the UK - but for a much higher price than buying direct from Google. Google blamed LG (which makes the phone) for the shortage; LG in turn said it was all Google's fault. Members of the same forum have also estimated Nexus 4 production runs by month. In October Google is said to have produced 70,000, with 90,000 in November, 210,000 in December, and a jump to more than 550,000 in January. The Nexus 4 is one of the best handsets of recent months, with top specs and a low price. The 4.7-inch handset runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, with an 8-megapixel camera on the back, NFC, wireless charging and 2GB of RAM. It went back in stock on Google Play in the UK last week, with shipping time listed as one to two weeks. Via TechCrunch
| |
Read More ...
Small businesses spend on e-invoicing
A growing number of small and midsized businesses are making use of e-invoicing technology, according to a survey on their attitudes to IT by the Forum of Private Business (FPB).
It says a survey of 4,000 of its members reveals that 47% said they would use e-invoicing by the end of the year.
Respondents planning to send e-invoices to all customers indicate that they believe it would improve prompt payment.
By contrast, 38% have no plans for e-invoicing. They cite a number of barriers, most notably the difficulty in linking the technology to current credit control procedures.
Phil Orford, Chief Executive of the FPB, says: "When it comes to e-invoicing, the benefits to a business of such a system are well known to effectively tackle late payment by customers. Take-up appears reasonably positive among SMEs; 47% reported that they would use e-invoicing by the end of the year.
"If the government can tackle the biggest barrier of interoperability with credit control procedures then this figure is likely to jump much higher."
The survey also shows that when it came to investing in technology, 35% of firms are looking to spend on existing systems to get them working better. 31% are not looking to invest at all in the coming year.
There also appears to be less enthusiasm for cloud computing and mobile technologies. Business owners are split around the benefits of cloud computing, with 27% supportive and 26% suggesting the disadvantages outweigh the benefits.
The main disadvantages cited are data security (33%), lack of understanding (31%) and connectivity issues (23%).
Almost half (44%) of businesses surveyed feel that 4G mobile technology will have only a slight effect on the way businesses operate, with just 4% of the opinion it will be significant. 34% feel it would make no difference.
One in four businesses say that improved broadband speed iss the key support needed by businesses.
Orford says that more small firms need to look at increasing their investment in IT.
"While there are of course immense opportunities here, from innovative use of new government data to create apps, to potential cost cutting for smaller businesses by automated invoicing services, it is clear there is also a huge culture change needed amongst a wide demographic of businesses," he says.
"The message to business is clear: get on board or get left behind."
This was the first survey on IT investment carried out by the FPB, which is a membership organisation for small businesses.
| |
Read More ...
Android loses share to iOS but still rules the smartphone market
Google's Android operating system dominates smartphones, despite losing market share to iOS with the launch of iPhone 5 last year: just over a third of all mobiles shipped in the last three months of 2012 were powered by Android, according to stats from analyst firm Canalys.
Google's OS accounted for 34 per cent of all mobile phones shipped, while 11 per cent run iOS. Almost half of all handsets shipped are smartphones, with Android making up 69 per cent of them.
Big gaps at the top
The gaps between the top three vendors seem to be widening, too. Samsung is still the biggest phone maker in the world, and has a "colossal" lead over Apple - it shipped 74 million more handsets than the Cupertino company. And Apple in turn shipped 101 million more than third place Nokia. Lenovo was the surprise of the last 12 months, growing 216 per cent year-on-year and replacing Sony as the fifth biggest phone maker. Jessica Kee, an analyst at Canalys, said in a statement that 98 per cent of Lenovo's mobile business is in China. While Apple launched the iPhone and iPad in China recently, it's not making much of an impact, according to the report. Canalys puts this down to the fact that Apple's handset isn't available on China's biggest network - which has 750 million customers - and the fact that it's relatively expensive compared to other phones. Via Canalys
| |
Read More ...
Available Tags:TechRadar , his , Google , Apple , LG , rumors , Sony , BBC , TV , NASA , Google+ , Windows Phone , Windows Phone 8 , Windows , Nokia , Motorola , Samsung , Galaxy , PS4 , motion , Android , iOS , smartphone ,
No comments:
Post a Comment