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- Buying Guide: What's the best all-in-one PC for you?
- In Depth: Fusion, ARM and x86: what's Nvidia's next move?
- Gary Marshall: Hey, ConDems! Leave our ISPs alone!
- Philips Cinema 21:9 Platinum – 3DTV coming November
- Creative outs Android Zen Touch 2 MP3 player
- Buying Guide: 10 best Windows Phone 7 games - paid apps
- Buying Guide: What's the best desktop PC for you?
- Hands on: Creative ZiiO tablet review
- Creative launches budget ZiiO Android tablets
- Skyfire brings Flash to iPad, iPhone and iPod touch
- Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 getting Android 2.1 by 2011
- Review: Thermaltake eSPORTS Challenger
- Sophos launches free antivirus software for Macs
- Review: Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 64GB
- Intel launching tablet PC chips early 2011
- In Depth: 8 of the best Linux FTP clients
- Hotmail links up with Gmail and Yahoo
- Review: TomTom Urban Rider
- Could Google Books provide a national digital library?
- Buying Guide: 6 best 50-inch TVs in the world today
- Rumour: Google Chrome OS out this month
- Google sues US government
- Apple owns 95% of tablet PC market
- Oracle accuses Google of copying Java code for Android
- Channel 4 takes on Lovefilm with Film4oD
| Buying Guide: What's the best all-in-one PC for you? Posted: 02 Nov 2010 10:00 AM PDT  Finding the best all in one PC isn't so easy any longer - there are now so many options available. The choice used to be more limited - between expensive high end machines such as the Apple iMac or the HP TouchSmart and low-cost 'net tops' like the Asus Eee Top. Now there are all-in-one computers at a range of budgets, enabling consumers starved of space in offices or bedrooms to find a PC that suits their needs. Here we look at the best all-in-ones on the market, and put them in price order. 1. Lenovo C200 Atom DC 2 320 - £411
If you're looking for an entry level all-in-one, for basic web browsing and email, then the Lenovo C200 is a fantastic system. The 18.5" touchscreen means you can work without a keyboard and the Atom Processor and 2GB of RAM mean that it will easily handle basic tasks, and the small body and desktop footprint mean that it will fit in pretty much any space. What's more, it's packing the NVidia Ion graphics chip, so video playback won't be a problem either. 2. Asus Eee Top ET2010 - £599
The 20-inch Asus is certainly a looker and the first impression of the hardware is superb. Presumably to make its 'nettop' dulynimble, Asus has employed Intel's Atom processor – usuallyused in netbook PCs. While the chip is still dual-core,there's a bit to be desired in terms of poke. You'll be fine forgeneral web surfing and video streaming – graphics areboosted by nVidia's Ion graphics chip and there's even anHDMI port to output video to an HDTV – but seriousgaming is completely out of the question and there simplyisn't enough power to edit video, for example. 3. Packard Bell OneTwo M D-6020 - £630
Packard Bell's computers have improvedimmeasurably over recent years in terms of lookand feel. This attempt at an all-in-one computer is worthconsideration and would make a great kitchen PC, forexample. However, the Packard Bell suffers from a lack of power in the processingdepartment. The Pentium processor is still used in thinand-light laptops where battery life needs to be conserved. The graphics, too, are disappointing and thePackard Bell is the only model in our test not to featurededicated nVidia graphics.3GB of memory and a large 640GB hard drive mightimpress some, as might the crisp 20-inch display, TV tuner and beefed-up Dolby Home Theater audio. 4. MSI WindTop AE220 Hi-Fi - £760
Hardly a budget choice, this is a souped-up version of MSI's WindTop line and features a 5W integrated speaker system. The MSI is pretty powerful, packing nVidia's Ion graphics technology as well as a reasonable 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo in addition to that beefed-up sound – ideal for gamers who want a computer that doesn't look out of place in a living space. Memory and storage isn't lacking either, with 4GB of memory and a 640GB hard drive. It's all finished off with an integrated TV tuner should you want to use it as a spare TV. This PC doesn't hold an overwhelming advantage over the other models here, but it does just enough to edge out more expensive or lesser-equipped competition. 5. Samsung DP-U250 - £900
This is the closest thing you'll get to an all-in-onecomputer that looks just like a monitor. Performance isn't state of the art,but compares roughly with the MSI, with a decentlypoweredCore 2 Duo and nVidia GeForce 310M graphics aswell as 4GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive. Sadly, though, there's no TV tuner – for such anentertainment-orientated machine, this is a big miss. Thereare plenty of connectivity options, though, with six USBports on the rear and Wi-Fi built in. This is how atouchscreen Windows 7 PC should be, and the quality of the finish is typical of Samsung. If you're buying an all-in-onebecause of the appearance, this model is clearly aheadof the pack. But it's costly, and for this price you should begetting the finest performance and the latest in hardware. 6. HP TouchSmart 600-1210uk - £1,122 All-in-one PCs don't come much more powerful than the latest in the TouchSmart range, a series which has led the all-in-one charge from the beginning. Driving the 23" touchscreen is a 2.13GHz Intel i3 processor, with 4GB of DDR3 and a huge 1TB hard drive. The HP TouchSmart is designed with entertainment in mind, and it comes with TV in ports and a dedicated graphics card for video playback. There's no Blu-ray included which is a shame, but HD movies will look fantastic on the 23-inch display.
7. Apple iMac 21.5-inch - £1,209
All iMacs now use Intel's new Core i-series processors, with the mid-2010 upgrades retiring the ageing Core 2 Duos. Three of the four new iMacs use entry-level Core i3 CPUs, with the most expensive in the line giving you a quad-core Core i5.
Discrete graphics is very welcome, with the machine's ATI Radeon HD 4670 adding much to its multimedia and gaming capabilities. The screen is as excellent as ever, and can be viewed from almost any angle without the colours shifting, and iLife remains a very useful software bundle. Read our Apple iMac 21.5-inch review 8. Apple iMac 27-inch SSD - £2,114
If you buy online through Apple's online store, you can opt for a 256GB solid state as well as the standard 1TB hard disk drive. So given that this particular model of iMac costs £1,649 off the shelf, which is already a very considerable investment, and the solid state drive pushes this price up to over £2000, is it worth the extra? Are the very real benefits offered by solid state storage worth pushing up the price of an already-expensive computer by £600? Read our Apple iMac 27-inch SSD review ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
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| In Depth: Fusion, ARM and x86: what's Nvidia's next move? Posted: 02 Nov 2010 09:30 AM PDT  With AMD tooling up to give the market a second masterclass in DX11 graphics, the spotlight will soon turn on Nvidia, its main rival in the graphics business. Nvidia has a few things up its sleeves in terms of new graphics chips. But even if the mooted update to the troubled Fermi graphics architecture is successful, that won't secure Nvidia's future. The problem for Nvidia can be summed up in a single word. That word is fusion. Both AMD and Intel are committed to fusing most, and eventually probably all, of their PC processors with graphics chips. A single chip will handle all the computationally intensive work inside future PCs. Facing up to fusion Nvidia, of course, doesn't make PC processors. It only makes the graphics half of the fusion equation. More to the point, it lacks the licences required to produce a PC processor. At least, it lacks the all-important x86 licences required to make processors compatible with AMD and Intel's x86 chips. Processors that will run software like the desktop Windows operating systems natively. Nvidia itself has more or less admitted it will eventually have to face up to fusion. In early 2009, senior Nvidia suit Michael Hara told investors that it was more a case of when than if Nvidia would want to get into the general purpose processor business. "I think some time down the road it makes sense to take the same level of integration that we've done with [the ARM-based] Tegra...someday it's going to make sense to take the same approach in the x86 market as well," Hara said. Of course, the problem with that analogy is that British-based ARM is very much in the business of licensing out entire processor architectures to third parties. It doesn't make any chips itself. Sleeping with the enemy Historically, however, Intel and AMD have done precisely the opposite, manufacturing everything in-house. Recently, AMD has shifted to a slightly different model, spinning off its manufacturing arm into a separate company. But arguably, even that caused ructions regarding its licenses to produce x86 chips. Flogging designs off to a third-party like Nvidia would be even more problematical. What, then, can Nvidia possibly do? In terms of directly licensing an x86 processor design, there really only seems to be one option, Intel. The good news is that Intel is indeed looking to get its Atom processor core into as wide a range of chips as possible. That includes for the first time farming out production to Taiwanese chip fab TSMC. Intel realises that custom chips are often needed for mobile devices like smartphones. The best way to serve that need is to allow third parties to cook up solutions based around Atom but including IP from other companies. In theory, that could include Nvidia. The catch is that relations between Nvidia and Intel are not exactly amourous. In fact, you could say that the very last company Intel would licence out Atom cores to would be Nvidia. At best, therefore, Nvidia would be a bit player providing graphics IP for someone else to knock out an Atom-based chip. There is, however, one last hope for an Nvidia x86-based fusion processor. Rightly or wrongly, America's Federal Trade Commission appears to have its sights set on Intel. Having already forced Intel to pay AMD one billion dollars for behaviour relating to CPUs, the FTC is now saying Intel is engaged in anti-competitive behaviour in the graphics. To cut a long story short, it's just possible legislators and regulators in the US will force Intel to give Nvidia an x86 licence. Code morphing If that doesn't happen, there is one possibility left, although very remote. Theoretically, Nvidia could produce a chip that implements some kind of translation technology to run x86 code non-natively. This approach isn't without precedent. A small startup known as Transmeta had a stab at this in the early to mid '00s with its "code morphing" Crusoe processors. The business failed. But its chips did work well enough to provide proof of concept. Rumours involving an ARM-based Nvidia chip with x86 codemorphing have indeed been circulated. Given that power efficiency is increasingly crucial, however, a non-native x86 processor and all the overheads that come with it seems rather implausible. But perhaps even more telling are recent comments made by Nvidia's head honcho Jen-Hsun Huang. "ARM will be the most important CPU architecture of the future and it already is the fastest growing processor architecture," Huang said in September. Intel and ARM In fact, Huang claims ARM will replace x86 as the dominant processor architecture in PCs. It is indeed probable that Intel will face increasing competition from ARM-based architectures, even in its core PC market. Mobile devices are rapidly taking over the computing ecosystem and ARM rules mobile. ARM might even eventually come out on top. But that battle has only just begun. What's more, Nvidia's own ARM-based Tegra chip has so been a bit of a flop. So, even if ARM wins, Nvidia may still lose. However you slice it, in other words, Nvidia will need to up its game. 
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| Gary Marshall: Hey, ConDems! Leave our ISPs alone! Posted: 02 Nov 2010 07:47 AM PDT  Remember the kerfuffle over the Digital Economy Bill, now Act, where the Lib Dems made a lot of noise about how evil it was and the Tories said they'd fix it? No sooner were they in power than their objections magically disappeared, leaving ISPs facing the prospect not just of becoming copyright cops but paying for the privilege. And that's not the only Coalition issue Net users should be concerned about. Plans to monitor all our online activity are back on the agenda, and to top that the government wants ISPs to become censors too. Censors? Communications minister Ed Vaizey reckons the Internet needs a mediation service for disputed web content, citing an example where Google Street View showed the location of a women's refuge and didn't respond to complaints. "The fact that no meeting or dialogue could take place worries me greatly," Vaizey said. What worries me is that Vaizey's idea doesn't make sense. My ISP doesn't store Google Street View data; Google does. My ISP doesn't tend to store the offensive or inaccurate content that's posted elsewhere, either. Facebook does, or WordPress.com does, or Blogger.com does, or faraway forums do. If UK ISPs don't host it, they can't remove it. Ah, but Vaizey has thought of that. He wants the Government to broker "a conversation with the Internet industry… to discuss whether there is any way to remove access to that information." Not "remove that information". Remove access to that information. Censorship = a slippery slope Rather than, say, reining in Google or telling Facebook to get a grip - something the European Commission thinks the UK doesn't do properly, which is why we're being taken to court by the Commission for failing to comply with EU privacy rules - the government wants our ISPs to start censoring. I can't stress this enough: we're not talking about illegal information here. We're talking about information that allegedly breaches somebody's privacy, or that "is inaccurate". Bye, Facebook! See ya, Wikipedia! We've been warning about this for years: getting ISPs to monitor content is a slippery slope, and as soon as you dump the carrier immunity argument - that is, the argument that ISPs provide dumb pipes and they're no more responsible for what we put through those pipes than BT is for what we say on the phone - then more and more people will demand they monitor more and more things. Don't believe me? In 1999, ISPs became liable for users' defamatory postings after the Godfrey vs Demon court case. In 2002, the EU e-Commerce Directive made them liable for copyright infringement if they failed to act when informed of its presence on their servers. In 2006, the Terrorism Act added "terrorist statements or articles" to the list. This year's Digital Economy Act added enforcement to ISPs' duties. Now, we're looking at privacy protection and enforcing online accuracy. What's next? Blasphemy? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
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| Philips Cinema 21:9 Platinum – 3DTV coming November Posted: 02 Nov 2010 07:32 AM PDT  Philips has finally offered up a UK release date for its Philips Cinema 21:9 Platinum TV range. The 3D version of Philips' rather good 21:9 series features Bright Pro, 400Hz Clear LCD technology, Perfect Pixel HD processing and Ambilight Spectra 3 - all of whcih combine to create an awesome cinema-like picture quality. Alongside these features there's a number of impressive specs, including: a contrast ratio of 10,000,000:1, 2000 LEDs inside and a decent screen size of 58 inches. 3D ready Philips' Clear LCD technology is key to the 21:9 as it reduces cross-talk. Given that the 21:9 Platinum is a 3D TV this is a vital feature to have, as problems with cross-talk is one of the main bugbears of the technology. The Philips 21:9 Platinum uses active shutter 3D and the TV itself comes complete with a built-in 3D transmitter. There is also internet capabilities on the 21:9, which hooks you up to Philips Net TV. Alongside this is a built-in web browser. The Cinema 21:9 Platinum edition (58PFL9955) comes complete with a built-in 3D transmitter. Annoyingly 3D glasses aren't bundled so you will have to get them through the optional PTA03 pack. The Cinema 21:9 Platinum edition has a November UK release date and will cost £3,999. 
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| Creative outs Android Zen Touch 2 MP3 player Posted: 02 Nov 2010 07:08 AM PDT  Creative has announced the arrival of its latest MP3 player – the Android-toting Creative Zen Touch 2. The Zen Touch 2 was announced alongside the company's ZiiO Android tablets and uses Android 2.1 to power the OS. Now, we know what you are thinking – one look at a picture of the Zen Touch 2 and it looks remarkably like a phone. It even has GPS, Bluetooth, an accelerometer, FM radio, and a microSD card slot but it hasn't got 3G connectivity or any other phone gubbins so you would look like a plank if you tried to make a call on it. It is a pretty useful PMP, though, which has been coupled with a web browser and a 2MP camera. The Creative Zen Touch 2 has a UK release date of December with pricing as follows: £149.99 (8GB with GPS), £159.99 (8GB with GPS or 16GB without GPS).
Creative has also announced it is bringing a new pair of Bluetooth headphones to market. The Creative WP-300 Bluetooth headphones are apt-X codec enabled, have a range of 10 metres, use Neodymium drivers and are said to be lightweight. Price-wise, these will be available for £89.99.
Finally, Creative also showed off its new wireless audio surround sound system. Called the Creative ZiiSound T6, the setup is Bluetooth compatible uses Creative's proprietary apt-X technologies and can be made into 5.1 surround via a wired USB connection. The ZiiSound T6 has a UK release date of December and will retail at £349.99. 
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| Buying Guide: 10 best Windows Phone 7 games - paid apps Posted: 02 Nov 2010 06:00 AM PDT  Leading up the launch of Windows Phone 7, Microsoft made some interesting claims about gaming on the new operating system. Several sneak peeks showed brilliant graphics, gameplay that seems borrowed more from the console realm than the small screen, and a full range of character motion. Now, post-launch, the truth is coming out: there are a handful of amazing games, including The Harvest, which was shown in demo form at a Microsoft Mix event. However, these top ten Windows Phone 7 games are really the only ones worth owning, unless you need another Bejeweled clone. 1. De Blob Revolution - £2.49 Puzzle games rarely find that balance between serious challenge and mindless fun. De Blob Revolution uses quirky animated characters called Graydians that block the path of the blob, who leaves a slimy residue in his wake. The game is a blast because the characters talk in this goofy gibberish and jump around on the screen (in later levels, they also chase you), and the action can get intense, yet you still have to think about how to finish each level by planning your route and avoiding traps.
2. Our Manic Game £2.49 A vertical shooter – think Galaga or Space Invaders – that uses lasers and power-ups to help you zap incoming enemies, Our Manic Game is addictive because of the fantastic exploding visuals, sci-fi soundtrack, and a good balance between being hard enough for most gamers but not annoyingly difficult.
3. Stars Wars: Battle for Hoth £3.99 This tower defence game has one major advantage over similar offerings: the Star Wars universe. Blasters sound like they did in the original series, and the snow covered landscapes are a throwback to the Empire movie. Baddies creep from the left to the right; you set up defenses to take them out as they walk past. Explosions look realistic – for a smartphone game – and levels quickly get more challenging.
4. The Harvest - £5.49 Truth in advertising: The Harvest is a great looking game. The main reason we don't rank it as number one is simply because the game can be slightly repetitive. However, it's fantastic that you have so much control over the mech warrior as he stomps around on each level, collecting power-ups and blasting enemies. The sound is also superior to other games, especially on the HTC Surround we used.
5. Twin Blades £2.49 As the name implies, Twin Blades is a side-scroller where you hack stumbling zombies with a blade or shoot them with a pistol. The game has some blood-spattering action and you can swiftly chop off the heads or upper torso of zombies. Some of the levels look similar and are rather short, but you can upgrade the pistol if you like. Twin Blades is fun for a quick diversion on the morning bus.
6. CarneyVale Showtime £2.49 Like Angry Birds but with clowns, CarneyVale is also a pinball game where you shoot a character and try to propel him up higher and higher using rotating claws. The higher you go, the more points you accumulate to clear the level. The game also awards points for your time to completion and for how many extras you nab.
7. The Revenants £2.49 This strange mixture of puzzle and action game is a welcome surprise. Bugs, rats, and other critters crawl around the screen. Your job is to draw circles around them so they fall into a void - and you get points. The action gets intense as more bugs appear on screen, similar to Flight Control. The physics and gesturing make for a good mind-bender, though, because you have to quickly plan your strategy.
8. Max and the Magic Marker £5.49 This award-winning game is similar to Crayon Physics in that you have a character that must find their way across a level, and you can draw objects on the screen. It's mostly a platformer, and you draw squiggles and ramps only to get past hurdles in the game. The action can get fast and furious because you only have a small window to make some key movements (similar to the Xbox 360 game Braid).
9. Flight Control £2.49 No smartphone is complete unless you have Flight Control installed. The puzzle game has you guiding planes and helicopters onto runways before they crash. On the HTC Surround we used for testing, Flight Control ran incredibly smoothly with bright and colorful graphics. The game is getting a bit long in the tooth, but still creates a sense of thrill and excitement, especially in later levels.
10. The Sims 3 £5.49 Dumbed down for the small screen, but still worth the (smaller) price, The Sims 3 is an addictive plot-driven game where you control the actions of simulated people and follow a distinct storyline. On Windows Phone 7, the game looks crisp and runs fast and the controls are responsive for directing the character and clicking on dialogue boxes that appear to instruct you on what to do next.
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| Buying Guide: What's the best desktop PC for you? Posted: 02 Nov 2010 05:55 AM PDT  Getting the best desktop PC can be a struggle, and despite the domination by laptops, desktops still represent the best value for money in terms of performance vs budget. Desktop PC users can reap the benefits of the best graphics cards, the fastest processors and a scary amount of storage, and serious gamers will never be swayed from this stalwart of computing. What's more, desktop PCs are upgradable, expandable, and offer fantastic value compared to similarly powered laptops. So let us take you through the best desktop PCs around. 1. Palicomp Excalibur 6300c35 - £599
The gaming performance of the Excalibur though is definitely down to the impressive £100 5770 thrumming away in the sleek CM Storm Scout chassis. Being able to chuck polygons around at 2560x1600 is not what this machine is all about, and yet it still manages playable frame rates only a little short of the 30fps milestone. Our only real issue with the Excalibur though is that much of its components are based on last generation hardware. The Athlon II X4 is a thoroughly reasonable quad-core, but is lacking in the more modern cache memory side. The use of DDR2 memory and the 770-chipset motherboard also means that there's little chance of future upgrades. However, for £600 you'd be hard pushed to find a machine as well specified and as quick off the blocks as this. Read our PalicompExcalibur 6300c35 review 2. Scan 3xs i3 OC - £680
It may only be a dual-core chip, but with Intel's HyperThreading technology, it should better the four cores of the AMD chip. It's also overclocked to a huge 4GHz, over 1GHz faster than the stock speed of the chip. That, paired with the DDR3 memory installed in this rig, should put it head and shoulders above that AMD rig. The Scan system also looks great from a purely future-looking standpoint. With the H55 motherboard, you've got the option to drop in anything up to a socket 1156 Core i7 and have the vast realms of DDR3 memory at your disposal. 3. Cyberpower Ultra Scylla - £725
The 1055T in this machine comes pre-overclocked, operating at a sturdy 3.5GHz, and eats up processing tasks without breaking a sweat. This rig boasts some seriously impressive Cinebench scores, proving AMD's hex cores capable of breaking up the party for Intel's mid-range i7 chips. The Ultra Scylla has processing power to spare, given the lack of apps that fully use all six cores. As an out-of-the-box, everything-you-need setup it's fantastic value for money for gaming and processor-heavy tasks like video encoding. Read our CyberpowerUltra Scylla review 4. CyberPower Infinity i5 Achilles XT - £999
A formidable system which is rammed with great quality components, the Achilles XT packs in an eight threaded Core i7 chip. Gaming benchmarking was slightly disappointing, with the HyperThreading doing little in terms of game speed, but this is still a system which eats up the latest games and spits them out in the form of gaming joy, and more intensive non graphical tasks really show why this i7 chip is worth the money. Read our CyberPower Infinity i5 Achilles XT review 5. AdvanceTecAT-FX Khaos- £1,532.36
It's a machine that's been put together on a smart budget, with a fantastic array of componentry. It ticks pretty much every box in almost anyone's PC wish list.AdvanceTec, though, has gone down the Nvidia route, securing a GTX 470 to do the graphical grunt work. We checked out the card last issue and an impressive beast it turned out to be. The GTX 470 is a quality bit of silicon and twinned up with the Core i7 930, clocked up to the 4GHz it is here in the Khaos, makes for a rather impressive gaming rig. Read our AdvanceTecAT-FX Khaos review 6. CyberPower Liquid i7 Charybdis - £1889
The Bloomfield combo of the Core i7 970 and fantastic Asus P6X58D-E motherboard gives you 12 threads of the most advanced CPU cores available, and this is a truly lightening quick machine. CyberPower has opted for the cheapest 1GB GTX 460 currently on offer so that's almost a compromise, but then when you realise it's dumped two of them in there, and overclocked the pair, it's plain to see you're losing nothing in-game. £2,000 is a massive amount of cash to drop on a rig, especially one without a screen. But you get way more for your money than in systems asking more than a grand extra. Read our CyberPower Liquid i7 Charybdis review 7. Apple Mac Pro - £1,999
The mid-2010 refresh's entry-level Mac Pro is a very capable machine, and a worthy investment for anyone looking for desktop power, but isn't a hardcore gamer. Its 2.8GHz quad core Intel Xeon CPU boasts Hyper Threading and Turbo Boost features that help it make the most of its processing power. Off the shelf it boasts an ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB of GDDR5 memory, allowing you to connect up to three displays. And although even a high-end Mac will never be the gamers' computer of choice, if you like the odd blast, this new Mac Pro is quite capable of pushing around the polygons with the best of them. 8.Cryo PC Hydro Nemesis - £2295
The Hydro Nemesis has got something beating in its silicon heart that makes it a much speedier beast: Intel's brand new Core i7 980X Extreme processor. Yup, six-core processor has found a home in Cryo PC's liquid-cooled gaming behemoth. Along with the twin HD 5870 graphics cards, that makes this one of the fastest gaming PCs available today. CryoPC, doesn't think that's quite good enough and has gone to great lengths to install a full watercooling loop to take care of this monster CPU and give it a fairly hefty factory overclock. It's also crossed the 4GHz threshold, clocking the i7 980X at a lightening 4.2GHz, almost managing to up the clockspeeds by a full 1GHz. Read our Cryo PC Hydro Nemesis review 9. YOYOTech Fi7epower MLK3 - £4999.69
Yes you read it right, £5000 for a PC. So what does it buy you? The answer is every rich-kid's technological tick list. Top-end CPU?Tick.Multiple DX11 graphics cards?Tick. Ludicrous amounts of high-speed RAM? Tick. Load of storage? Tick.Multiple SSDs in RAID?Tick. What we've got here, then, is more a status symbol and talking point for the obscenely rich person's study. You know, one where the PC is sat alongside a £15,000 solid oak desk. Read our YOYOTech Fi7epower MLK3review 
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| Hands on: Creative ZiiO tablet review Posted: 02 Nov 2010 05:21 AM PDT  We're just back from the launch of the Creative ZiiO tablets – and we managed to get some time with the latest addition to the Android family. First up, it's important to note the price-point – Creative has set the price for the 10-inch at £249.99 for an 8GB version and £269.99 for the 16GB version. For the smaller 7-inch version the prices are £199.99 (8GB) and £219.99 (16GB). The reason this is important is that Creative has taken some major decisions to bring the tablet price down to virtually half the price of the Apple iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab.
First up, the screen – although our time with the tablet showed that it was fine, it's not going to win too many awards, principally because this is a resistive 1024x600 display – or 480x800 on the 7-inch version. This does, of course, impact heavily on performance. Although using a stylus with the screen helps, the screen is noticeably less responsive than its more expensive brethren. This means that users are going to get a little frustrated with a perceptible lag (from what we have experienced), although it should be pointed out that Creative was at pains to make it clear that this is not a final model. The second major decision that Creative has taken is that it is using its own ZiiLabs ZMS-08 processor, and although the company is remaining coy on the processor's speed, it certainly does not feel quite as nippy as some other Android tablets and phones.
The tablet itself is light and feels well put together – the 7-incher weighs in at 400g, and its bigger 10-inch brother at 650g. Both of the tablets are the same width – at 13.7mm, and both are relatively comfortable to hold. The Creative ZiiO 10-inch has room for an SD card (up to 32GB) and the 7-inch tablet has a microSD slot (also up to 32GB). Input wise, both have mini USB and 3.5 stereo jacks. As you may expect from a company that prides itself on its audio heritage, Creative's big push for the tablets is their capability with music and movies. To that end the tablets both lean havily on their Bluetooth 2.1 – and the APT-X and A2DP codecs. Indeed, the first impression of the audio is certainly that it is outstanding – with the X-Fi audio enhancements and the proprietary media player from Creative playing a part.
Both tablets run a version of Android 2.1 – not ideal for tablets – and the company itself acknowledges that both will benefit greatly from the arrival of Android 2.2, which will be available as an over-the-air update or via PC. But it's functional enough, and the prototype handwriting recognition – when teamed with a stylus at least – seemed pretty good. Both of the tablets have a front-facing VGA camera – not terribly high spec, and functional rather than particularly wonderful – and there is no Wi-Fi 802.11n, either, with Creative plumping for the older b/g instead.
The Creative ZiiO 7-inch is available in white and the 10-inch in black – which seems a little limiting. Overall, this is going to be an interesting test of the market. The creative ZiiO lacks some of the polished qualities of its tablet cousins, and the resistive screen will put many off. But the price point is significant – this is a major chunk less cash to lay out than for an iPad, or even the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and it remains to be seen if consumers are prepared to accept a little less finesse for a lot less cash. In truth, this tablet needs to get through its Android 2.2 certification as quickly as possible – as this should improve it significantly.
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| Creative launches budget ZiiO Android tablets Posted: 02 Nov 2010 05:01 AM PDT  Creative has announced it is the latest manufacturer to get into the tablet game, with the launch of the Creative ZiiO 7-inch and 10-inch Android tablets. Creative is boasting that its tablets offer the best wireless audio performance you will get from an Android device and this is all because of the company using its audio X factor – namely X-Fi Crystalizer (restores lost detail from CD ripping) and X-Fi Expand (which brings some added immersion). Other than the audio, the tablets offer up a resistive touchscreen (hmm), which has 16.8 million (7-inch version) and 262K colours (10-inch version) respectively.
The tablets use Android 2.1 and have Bluetooth capabilities, Wi-Fi connectivity and support for a whole host of audio and video codecs. There is also a front facing camera on board, built in mic, an accelerometer and a microSD card slot. And if that is not all, there is also GPS, FM radio and a composite video-out connection. Both the 7-inch and 10-inch come in two different storage flavours: 8GB or 16GB. The Creative ZiiO 7- and 10-inch have a UK release date of early December and will cost as follows: £199.99 (7-inch, 8GB), £219.99 (7-inch, 16GB); £249.99 (10-inch, 8GB), £369.99 (10-inch, 16GB). TechRadar managed to get its mucky paws on the Creative ZiiO - which is a mite cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Tab - so stay tuned for our hands on Creative ZiiO review. 
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| Skyfire brings Flash to iPad, iPhone and iPod touch Posted: 02 Nov 2010 05:00 AM PDT  If you want to watch Flash videos on your Apple iPhone or iPad then you will finally be able to later this week. Not that Apple has reached some kind of groundbreaking deal with Adobe, of course – rather, a new app launching this week provides iPhone and iPad users with a decent workaround solution to enable them to watch online videos originally encoded in Adobe Flash. Skyfire for iOS arrives The Skyfire app is set to be made available for download via the US iTunes Store at 9am ET on Thursday for $2.99 - and is the first Flash-playing application to receive Apple's approval. No word yet on a UK iTunes Store launch/price, but we'll be sure to bring you those details as and when. Adobe still claims that around 75 per cent of online video is encoded in Flash. Yet Apple has resolutely not included Flash on iPhone or iPad or iPod touch, claiming that it kills the battery life and performs badly on mobile devices. Skyfire's new workaround app lets users access a page that contains Flash video and almost immediately watch it, with Skyfire's servers translating the vid to HTML5 in the background. "We will attack those pesky blue Flash error messages," said Jeffrey Glueck, Skyfire's CEO. Skyfire for iOS isn't a standalone app, but instead works on top of Apple's Safari browser. Skyfire has said that its app received a rigorous review from Apple, though it was still approved in under two months. 
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| Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 getting Android 2.1 by 2011 Posted: 02 Nov 2010 04:56 AM PDT  The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 line up might have been given an Android 2.1 update, but the Xperia X8 looks like it will have to wait. According to PC World, the new phone will be getting an update, but not any time in the near future, with at least a month or two left to wait. The Android 2.1 update will be coming 'by the end of the year', meaning it could easily be 2011 before network tests have been run to allow it launch in the UK. Coming soon More details on what the update will entail are set to drop soon, as there's no information on what other treats the firmware update will bring. The original X10 is currently being blessed with HD video recording to add to the 8MP camera it's already packing, but it's uncertain whether the Xperia X8 will get the same treatment. Either way, anything is better than Android 1.6 for today's modern smartphone user - better integration of social networks and Exchange should at least make the phones a lot more attractive. 
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| Review: Thermaltake eSPORTS Challenger Posted: 02 Nov 2010 04:30 AM PDT  The dedicated gaming arm of Thermaltake, Tt eSPORTS, was showing off its new range of keyboards at this year's Computex show in Taipei. I had a quick go on one there, and now I have my very own, whirring away on my desktop. Whirring away? Yes, the key gimmick setting this apart from the host of other gaming keyboards out there is the addition of a moveable little fan blowing air over your poor, sweaty gamer's sausage-fingers. You can mount it on either side of the board, and you can also completely remove it and stow it away inside the plastic surrounds. On a particularly long gaming sesh it will help to cool off your digits, reducing any of that potentially lethal finger slippage. What I don't approve of, though, is the whining sound associated with the tiny fan, operating at a frequency that's almost, but not quite, beyond the realms of human hearing. Elsewhere it's very much a standard gaming keyboard, with all the recordable macro functionality we've come to expect from such peripherals. The keys are solid with a reassuring action to them, and have a fairly long travel so you really have to press them, eliminating a lot of mis-strikes. The USB 2.0 port on the rear is useful too, especially as it operates only on a single USB cable connected to your PC. So it's a steady gaming keyboard – nothing special and nothing that bad. But for £60 I still kinda want something a little bit special. Related Links
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| Sophos launches free antivirus software for Macs Posted: 02 Nov 2010 04:13 AM PDT  Sophos has announced it is offering up free antivirus software for Macs. The software is said to protect Mac users from all known types of Malware, including Trojans, viruses, worms and spyware. The use of free antivirus software is becoming more prevalent after Microsoft announced Windows Security Essentials last year. Instead of targeting Windows users, though, Sophos is offering those who favour Apple free antivirus software and warns that virus attacks against Macs are only going to get worse due to Apple's growing market share. Free, where? "While most businesses recognise the importance of protecting their Mac computers from malware threats, most home users do not," said Chris Kraft, product management vice president at Sophos. "By offering free industrial-strength security to home users, we aim to protect Mac users against today's and tomorrow's Mac threats. "Everyone knows that Macs are beautiful computers - Sophos wants to lend a hand to keep them that way." To get the software, go down the antivirus rabbit hole at http://sophos.com/freemacav. 
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| Review: Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 64GB Posted: 02 Nov 2010 04:00 AM PDT  Early adopters are usually the ones who get punished. It's one of the laws of the tech jungle. Jump the train too early and you'll get shafted, both in terms of pricing and reliable performance. That's probably why it's taken so long to get USB 3.0 data sticks from the usual reputable folk. To be honest that's not such a bad thing, as it's only recently that every new motherboard, from the top to the bottom, is coming out with USB 3.0 ports on them. One of the surprising things is that this DataTraveler doesn't have the sort of price premium I would expect from a new tech stick, especially considering the performance increase USB 3.0 delivers. At £138 it costs only a little more than the £100-odd that traditional USB 2.0 64GB sticks cost, and you're getting way more than twice the performance. The key performance metrics will always be the read/write numbers, and you could colour us very surprised to see the DataTraveler Ultimate outperforming even its stated numbers on the packaging. Kingston is touting read/write figures of 80MB/s and 60MB/s respectively. Plugged into a Gigabyte board running off an NEC USB controller we found max numbers of 97MB/s and 73MB/s. Compare that with the USB 2.0 performance of 35MB/s and 29MB/s for the same stick's read/write speeds and the boost is obvious. In our real-world file transfer test it was also twice as fast as USB 2.0 modes, taking 21 seconds in USB 3.0 against the old school interface's 44 seconds. So it's quick, and only a little more expensive than the older tech. You may not be an early adopter here, but it'll be a more than satisfying purchase. Related Links
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| Intel launching tablet PC chips early 2011 Posted: 02 Nov 2010 03:54 AM PDT  Intel is soon set to launch a new-and-improved chip platform specifically for the booming tablet PC market. The launch of Intel's own inexpensive and low-power chip platform – codenamed Oak Trail – is set for early 2011. Improved tablet PC efficiency The Oak Trail chips boast improved energy efficiency and compare and compete well with similar low-power chips already on the market from Intel's competitors, such as the UK-based ARM who currently dominate the smartphone chip market. Intel marketing director Anil Nanduri said of Oak Trail: "The biggest power part of the tablet is the panel. In terms of an idle-use case we are competitive in a tablet usage compared to any other solution out there." Oak Trail will let users watch HD video on a tablet for up to eight hours at a stretch, claims the Intel man – which, if anywhere near the truth, suggests that new tablet PCs arriving later in 2011 will be even more ideal for long-haul flights and long trips. Apple currently owns a whopping 95 per cent of the fledgling tablet PC market, with sales predicted to soar in 2011 and a number of new Android-OS devices set to arrive on the shelves over the coming months. Samsung recently launched its Galaxy Tab in the UK, following Dell's launch of its Streak tablet earlier this year. Tablet shipments are predicted to grow by around 200 per cent next year, while more traditional laptops and desktop PCs will expand just 13 per cent, according to the latest report from iSuppli. 
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| In Depth: 8 of the best Linux FTP clients Posted: 02 Nov 2010 03:45 AM PDT  Transferring files across the internet used to mean getting your hands dirty with FTP commands. Nowadays, its use cases have become rather more isolated, but they still exist. FTP remains a fairly efficient protocol, and it probably has the edge in terms of speed for grabbing the latest ISO files from your favourite distro website. It's also still, in spite of WebDav, the primary mechanism for managing content on your web host. A good, fully featured FTP client is therefore something to be desired. Among its key features might be wide support for protocols – as well as standard FTP, there's FTPS (FTP using SSL), SFTP (FTP tunnelled through SSH) and more exotic types, such as FSP (the largely historic File Service Protocol) and the eminently useful FXP (File Exchange Protocol). Depending on your usage, other features might be desirable, too – keeping a website synchronised with a local copy is made dramatically easier with some sort of mirroring and diff functions, and then there's always the perennial problem of changing the file permissions. Would you want to edit remote files in place? Not covered in this roundup are some clients that are too old, some that are proprietary and wouldn't cough up a copy to test, and some that wouldn't install (we're looking at you, IglooFTP). The standard FTP command-line client also won't be covered. How we tested... Testing in 'real' conditions doesn't test much other than the current state of your network connection, so all the speed testing was done on a Gigabit LAN to a local ProFTPD server. The main speed test comprised sending over 300 files, containing 1.3GB of data in total. FTP is a very efficient mechanism for transporting large files, but transferring multiple files is a better test of the client's efficiency at initiating and completing the transactions. The local machine running the client software was a 3GHz Core 2 Duo box running Fedora 13. The latest revision of Sun's Java and Firefox were also installed for the software requiring them. CrossFTP
You might think that open source should have sewn this one up already, but there's always room for a proprietary app if it offers something novel. This is the only client on test that supports the Amazon S3 transfer protocols – a very specific usage case, but if it's important to you, this is a bit of a no-brainer. Downloading the install package leaves you with a folder full of stuff and a script to start up the application via Java – hardly inspiring, but a few disk accesses later you'll have a pleasant twin-panel pop-up. The basic controls are simple, and you won't need to delve into the menus for normal transfers – drag and drop, or click the buttons. The area under the file listings is given over to the queue list, if you have one, and a logging window that shows what the server is telling you – handy for working out what's going on. Opening up multiple connections creates a tabbed view, so you can switch quickly between directories. The easy-to-use queue management makes it possible to manage the demands of bulk transfers, and a scheduling system makes a reasonable stab at automating things for you. If you're going for a file-syncing operation, there's a button right above the panel to take care of it for you. Occasionally, there seemed to be refresh problems with the remote directory listing where it didn't accurately reflect the directory we were connected to. This could be down to the version of Java we tested it with, though. Most of the time the interface didn't have too much Java lag. Unfortunately, the performance of the client was poor – we need it to move files from A to B without too many Zzzzzs. Sadly, it does not. Verdict CrossFTP Pro Some great features, but does it have any excuse for being so slow? Rating: 6/10 FileZilla
The wxWidgets-powered interface follows the traditional twin-panel theme, this time with a hard-to-understand toolbar and a thankfully easy to understand Quick-connect feature perched above it. Bookmarks are separated into two types, and can be quite confusing at the beginning. A global bookmark just stores path names, whereas a specific one also stores the server details (although unfortunately this failed to work more than once). The global bookmarks are useful for dealing with a lot of mirror sites or different sections of the same site. Queue handling is the best of any of the apps on test, in that you can see the queue, change priorities, remove files, and pause and resume transfers when you like without interfering with the rest of your session. The bottom tabs also keep a running log of any filed transfers and relevant information about them, including the ability to re-queue them. Plenty of other useful features have been added, such as a pattern-matching remote search, which will root out files on a specified search path. Once you've found what you're after, you can perform actions such as viewing images or editing text files using your system's filetype associations, or with the tool of your choice if you delve into the settings. Coupled with good protocol support and strong performance, the only real downer about FileZilla is the way it looks. We aren't just talking about ugly – some of the icons defy explanation. FileZilla might not do much for your desktop aesthetic, but it's a good tool to have on your side if you need to reliably transfer large volumes of data. Verdict FileZilla Great all-rounder for performance, but it's a shame about the looks. Rating: 9/10 FireFTP
We usually say that, by and large, browsers don't have the features to make FTP painless. Well, this is a sneaky exception designed to make us eat our words. Utilising the plugin architecture of the Firefox browser, this cunning code conjures a client from the bowels of the browser and provides a reasonable facsimile of a desktop app. You still get the twin-panel view, though this time it's neatly enclosed in a Firefox tab. The panels themselves include a useful tree view for navigating around local and remote directories, and between them are the idiot buttons for simple transfers. In spite of it being an add-on, it's pretty easy to forget you're running a web browser and think that FireFTP is just like any other desktop app. The only thing that really gives it away is when you resize the window, which causes a clunky and drawn-out redraw process. Actually, that sounds a bit worse than it really is, but it's noticeable. Moving on to the more advanced functionality, this client does support FXP, so you can use it to transfer files between remote sites. It also supports drag-and-drop operations, and more advanced file inspection – renaming, permissions and the like. There's a neat directory diff tool, too. Installation is a doddle – just use Firefox to search for the plugin (this is also cross platform). An added bonus of being integrated into the browser is that your bookmarks and passwords get stored along with the rest of your browser data. In terms of performance, it isn't the best client, but it's remarkably proficient considering it's just a plugin – definitely worth installing if you run Firefox, even if only as a backup client. Verdict FireFTP Overcomes its humble origins to deliver a great performance. Rating: 7/10 gFTP
We should say that this client very nearly didn't make the cut, simply because it hasn't had a stable release since the end of 2008. However, it's one of the most widely used standalone clients, and boasts an impressive array of features. The GTK interface adopts the standard two-panel design, and harks back to an era when utility was the watchword. This is no reason to criticise it – apart from anything else, it's intuitive to use. The top toolbar accepts the salient information for any connection you wish to make, and then you just need to hit the Connect button. Transfer buttons between the panes make copying files almost foolproof (though you can also drag and drop), and right-clicking on any given files reveals a wealth of options and functionality. There's an option to view a file, but be warned, this only seems to work for text files – trying it on a binary file caused a segfault. gFTP also supports a surprising array of protocols, including FSP and SSH/SFTP, which makes it rather useful for accessing data on remote servers, rather than just downloads. Bookmarks are supported, optionally saving passwords and remembering complete paths rather than just the server name. Handily, a large number of useful sites are already stored in the list, including lots for different distros and open source sites. It should also be mentioned that the client can be used direct from the command line, where it's just as competent, but lacks some of the features of shell-only clients like NCFTP. It did well in the speed tests, but it lacks the modern helper tools we'd like. Verdict gFTP It works, it's fast, but it doesn't offer much beyond the basics. Rating: 6/10 Konqueror
You probably know Konqueror as KDE's browser application, but that's barely scratching the surface of its capabilities. Once you've roused the beast, Konqueror will be quite happy serving up any data for you, as long as an appropriate KIO part is available. This makes it child's play not only to transfer files from your local drive to an FTP site and vice versa, but between a variety of different sources, including Samba shares and NFS mounts. Although you will probably find it convenient to harness the power of FTP in a twin-panelled list view, there is no strict imperative to do so. Because the KIO protocol slave takes care of managing the connection and serving up a common set of features, you can view in any mode you like, and you can even get previews of image formats and so on. This functionality extends to anything you might reasonably want to do with a file. The right-click menus in Konqueror are context-sensitive to the location as well as to the file, so you shouldn't get any foolish actions (such as trying to extract an archive in situ), but you will be able to change permissions, rename files and even open them (though, obviously, this involves transferring them). The standard transfer is sequential rather than simultaneous, but you can still navigate around the directory tree and begin further transfers. There's no queue system for this, but that's not usually a problem unless you mix up what files you were copying to where. Being able to integrate FTP into your desktop is a great boon for many. It may be achieved here at the loss of some advanced capability, such as error handling, but for some use cases it's probably the perfect fit. Verdict Konqueror Provides excellent file handling and amazing desktop integration. Rating: 9/10 LFTP
Adopting a similar strategy to NCFTP, this command line client attempts to reclaim the shell for FTP power users, with an array of features and commands covering simple transfer actions to more extreme mirroring and FXP use. This is the only command-line tool in this roundup, and probably in existence, that uses this feature – an ability to initiate an FTP transfer between two remote hosts without acting as a go-between. This could well make it useful for some specific applications, though there are a few caveats. Although it's not too hard to use for basic functionality, getting into any of the advanced features becomes a bit more confusing. Multi-threaded support and a job backgrounding functions are useful, but it's often tricky to know exactly what's going on, even though it tries as closely as possible to follow the same sort of syntax as the shell itself. Much pain has been expended on the part of the author to make LFTP reliable, so that jobs can resume when disconnected, for example. Performance-wise, it did slightly better than NCFTP, and was similarly light in resources. The only worry was that the tool seemed to lose track of the current local directory often, but that's possibly due to some unnoticed side effect of one of the more complex commands we tried. Some of the local shell commands just didn't work on occasion. Tread carefully. As a comprehensive command-line tool, it can't be ignored. With support for proxies and very wide protocol support, it's technologically the most complete solution for the shell. Verdict LFTP Good performance and features, let down by quirky behaviour. Rating: 7/10 Nautilus
Konqueror was an obvious inclusion to the Roundup, since its dual-role as browser and file manager tend to suggest it should be able to combine both. A surprising number of people are not aware that you can achieve pretty much the same thing in Gnome/Nautilus too. On the Gnome desktop, a quick trip to the Places menu reveals a Connect To Server option. This will take you through mounting a remote fileserver, including FTP, and you can even store the connection as a bookmark. As with Konqueror, Nautilus then sees the remote filesystem just like any other, and you can interact with it on the desktop, copying, moving and editing files as you wish (this last action does involve downloading a copy, so don't start editing video files or anything). File associations are automatically taken from your desktop system, so remote files will open in the default application. Unlike with Konqueror, editing the permissions of the remote files isn't possible, which is a bit of a blow for web work. Long-term use of Nautilus in this capacity reveals some of its shortcomings. At times of high usage, the connection tends to get a little flaky. This can be more than just an annoyance – it can just hang midtransfer, leaving you in limbo as to which files are copied and what to do next. This may not be the fault of Nautilus itself, but the Gnome Virtual File System that it depends on. So, while it promises the same levels of interoperability as Konqueror, Nautilus has all of the shortcomings of this way of working without many of the benefits. Good enough for occassional transfers, but simply not recommended for serious use. Verdict Nautilus Good desktop integration, but poor performance and too many pitfalls. Rating: 7/10 NCFTP
The original FTP command line client was pretty basic, yet it persisted for years as part of the default install because, well, everyone needed a command line client to fall back on. It did work, but it was pretty painful. Imagine, then, the scenes of jubilation when NCFTP was born – a command line client that didn't require all the hoop-jumping of the original. With advanced features like pattern matching and bookmarks, NCFTP certainly made the original FTP client look so dated that it's included in about every distro known to humakind. Running FTP software from the shell might not be your idea of fun, but it can be important. You never know when you're going to find yourself needing to fetch some file without the luxury of a GUI.There's also never an easy way to control a GUI client from a script, if you need to set up some automated task. As well as the interactive client itself, the NCFTP package includes some apps to make scripting easier, and it will handle batches using its own spooler. It does seem more focused on the automated side of things, rather than user interaction. Yes, it's vastly easier to use than the plain FTP client, but it could still be made a little simpler for non-techies. However, it supports proxying, backgrounding of tasks and will auto-resume disconnected downloads. Scheduling is possible through the background task, but that's when things get complicated. Sadly, this command line warrior fails to live up to the notion that everything you do via the shell is faster. NCFTP is certainly useful, but as far as day-to-day use for the desktop goes, it isn't really viable. Verdict NCFTP An improvement over the plain FTP client, but not good enough overall. Rating: 5/10 The best Linux FTP client is... FileZilla: 9/10
Because the potential uses for FTP are very broad, there are any number of reasons why one client might be better for a particular task. The Amazon S3 support of the proprietary CrossFTP could be the clincher for some, for example, or the fact that you can install FireFTP as a browser add-on and use it crossplatform in a variety of places might seal the deal for others. Maybe you need to use FTP in a location where the GUI is unavailable or unwanted, in which case one of the command line tools would be the best solution. In terms of seamless desktop integration for general use, it is hard to beat Konqueror. Its FTP connection is robust, and the flexible nature of the program means it's easy to make using FTP a part of your normal desktop experience (even if you aren't running KDE). Being able to change permissions and view and manipulate files just as you would on the desktop (with some sane omissions) makes for a pretty painless experience. The same ought to be true of Nautilus, but it seems the GVFS implementation of FTP isn't as robust, and it also can't handle the more secure FTPS protocol, though it's not used as widely as perhaps it should be. For serious FTP use, though, the all-round winner has to be the one that not only performs well, but includes a lot of useful features you're likely to need. For this Roundup, FileZilla just about manages to edge out the competition. It's easy to use, loaded with useful, time-saving features, and has the performance to match any of the top contenders. It has to be said that it's still very ugly though, and that's not entirely down to the compromise of the wxWidgets toolkit – someone with more artistic leanings should really help out with their icon set. Ultimately, it's safe to say that every one of the clients here could learn a useful trick or two from its rivals. 
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| Hotmail links up with Gmail and Yahoo Posted: 02 Nov 2010 03:15 AM PDT  Microsoft has announced that it is making Hotmail that little bit more ubiquitous, revealing you can now use features of the service with other email accounts. This new feature utilises POP, allowing you to import non-Hotmail data on to Hotmail. What you do need is a Windows Live ID, but once you have this you can use Hotmail-specific features like the ability to send up to 10GB of photos in one email, without IT ringing you up in tears telling you that your actions have made your workplace's computer infrastructure 'go all Skynet'. POP goes the Hotmail Dick Craddock from Microsoft was so excited about the new feature, he wrote a blog on it, explaining: "We understand. You already have at least one email address and you probably don't need another. "You may also use your existing address for things other than just email, such as signing in to online shopping sites, which makes changing even more challenging. Also, you might have an address that you really like, but a similar name might not be available on another email service. So we looked for a way to make it easier for people to give Hotmail a trial run." And 'how has Microsoft done this?' we hear you cry. Well, Craddock writes: "Implementing this was fairly straightforward given the architecture of Hotmail, our POP aggregation support, and the 'Send As' feature that lets you send mail from any validated email address. "We just needed to tweak the way we store and look up email addresses, build the first-run experience, and we had it." Once done you can send and receive mail using Hotmail but keeping your Gmail or Yahoo address. This new feature should be rolled out to all users in the coming days. 
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| Posted: 02 Nov 2010 03:11 AM PDT  The TomTom Urban Rider is TomTom's latest addition to its motorbike sat navs. It features a new case, updated software and a simplified menu. The model we reviewed was the cheaper TomTom Urban Rider Regional which doesn't come with a Bluetooth headset. This means you'll need to already own one, or a Bluetooth-enabled helmet, buy a separate headset, or opt for the TomTom Urban Rider Pro, which comes with one in the box. We were sent a Cardo scala rider Solo wireless Bluetooth headset in addition to the Urban Rider Regional. This offers automatic volume control according to your speed and surrounding noise.
Fixing the headset to a helmet takes seconds. Simply snap it onto the underside of the helmet and tighten the two bolts with the Allen key. There's a single earpiece which sticks to the helmet lining with Velcro and a microphone which can be positioned by its bendy stem. Once attached, you can leave the mounting on the helmet as there is a quick-release mechanism to remove the expensive bit – handy if you like to leave your helmet with your bike when you are parked up.
In the TomTom Urban Rider box, you'll find the sat nav, the bits that make up the mounting unit which come from RAM Mounts, a charger, a USB cable so you can connect to your PC to download new maps, and a (very brief) instruction manual.
The fact that the mounting system comes from a third party probably explains why you'll have a bunch of bolts and other bits left over when you've fitted everything.
Fitting the mounting to a bike's handlebars is straightforward, although you might want to spend a little time working out the best place to place it before you tighten the nuts. And you'll need an adjustable spanner to get those nuts tightened as there's no spanner in the box. To fit the mounting, you simply hook a U-shaped piece of metal around the handlebar (thoughtfully, there's a piece of rubber tubing supplied which you can slip over the bracket so as not to scratch your handlebars), slide the closing piece on the other side and tighten the nuts. Plastic covers are supplied to slip onto the end of the bolts which would otherwise be exposed and a bit of a safety worry. Once the bracket is in place, you can mount the sat nav bracket in place, snap in the sat nav, and adjust the angle of the screen. The sat nav snaps back out easily so you don't have to leave it on your bike.
The instruction manual is brief because the TomTom Urban Rider is very easy to use – and it has to be, given that you'll be prodding at it with (possibly very cold) gloved hands. Switch it on and you're presented with two simple options: 'Navigate to' and 'Browse map'. You can also get the additional functions you'd expect from a sat nav – click for a nearby petrol station, toggle the screen to night settings, change the voice, and so on. And unlike a car's sat nav, the TomTom Urban Rider is waterproof. The Urban Rider also offers 2D and 3D views and TomTom's Advanced Lane Guidance to help with difficult junctions.
The only downside at this point (and we can hardly blame TomTom for this) is that the nimble supermoto bike we were testing it with suddenly had an air of pipe-and-slippers BMW about it. After all, shouldn't supermoto riders navigate on instinct and spontaneity? Once the TomTom was snapped into its bracket and both the sat nav and the headset switched on, we paired the devices via the Options menu. Pairing was successful and we entered a postcode. The touchscreen responded well to gloved fingers and even when we tapped the postcode button and were faced with a row of rather small letters to press we were able to enter the postcode correctly first time. We were initially worried about whether the screen would be easily visible in bright sunlight but it was clear enough to punch in addresses and to see on the road. But we didn't really want to be staring down at it while on the move, so the clarity of the audio was as important.
About half a mile from home we realised there was no sound. A quick glance at the sat nav screen showed that the volume had defaulted to mute, so we pulled over, tapped the speaker icon and adjusted the volume so it was audible. Riding with a sat nav is a little disconcerting as it becomes an added distraction that you really don't want on a bike when you're concentrating on avoiding cars and potholes. Each time we glanced in the wing mirror the screen of the sat nav caught our attention and we had to consciously ignore it rather than be drawn to watching the map. Fortunately, the audio instructions came through clearly even at speed with the helmet visor cracked open, so you only need to glance at the screen if you're at a confusing junction. A downside of the TomTom Urban Rider is that it doesn't offer voice control. The Cardo headset has a mic for making and receiving phone calls hands-free, and the TomTom Go Live range of sat navs for cars has voice control – so why not in the Urban Rider? It can't be because of price as both units are similarly priced, so we can only assume that TomTom felt that the added noise of a motorbike made voice control impractical. Still, we would have liked it as an option, if only to be able to use it when parked up. It would also be useful to be able to use voice controls to toggle the screen on and off to minimise distraction whilst riding. As you'd expect from a TomTom sat nav, it's easy to use and directions are clear. The screen responds well to gloved hands and the audio clarity is very good. The hardest part is figuring out where to stick the earpiece in the helmet so it's next to your ear.
We'd recommend the Urban Rider if you travel a lot and have a habit of getting lost, but the lack of voice control is a big let-down and we really hope that TomTom addresses this in the next iteration. We liked Really easy to set up and use, and the TomTom is small enough to fit into a jacket pocket once you've parked up. We disliked We think the lack of voice control is an oversight and we're left wondering why this feature was omitted. Verdict A brilliant sat nav offering 2D and 3D views, but let down by the lack of voice control. Related Links
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| Could Google Books provide a national digital library? Posted: 02 Nov 2010 02:57 AM PDT  Google has come under fire from numerous detractors for its Google Books mass book digitisation programme. Publishers and writers are cautious about Google's objectives with Google Books, with the more extreme antagonists seeing the longer term outcome as little less than mass piracy. Numerous authors have already opted out of the service. Mass philanthropy or book piracy? For its part, Google sees Google Books as an act of mass philanthropy, bringing the world's libraries to our fingertips, offering instant, free and easy access for everybody that has an internet connection or access to the web. The truth of the matter, as ever, lies somewhere in between these two extremes, as the Observer's literary editor, Robert McCrum agreed this week: "something constructive could come from this chaos." US historian Robert Darnton points out in the latest New York Review of Books, citing Thomas Jefferson's "Knowledge is the common property of mankind," that Americans "can close the gap between the high ground of principle and the hardscrabble of everyday life ... by creating a national digital library". "The vexed question of copyright" Darnton's goes on to discuss that "vexed question of copyright" in pointing out that Japan, France and the Netherlands all have plans for a national digital library, calling for the US to do the same. And, as McCrum points out in the Guardian this week, "why can't Britain?" noting that, "Google has simply demonstrated from a corporate and commercial point of view what should be possible for a national culture." McCrum makes an impassioned call to arms for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to work to bring together the many seperate digitisation programmes already under way, across a number of publishing houses, libraries and archive collections, an "archipelago of common knowledge" which "needs to become federated, within national boundaries for the common good." Perhaps Google Books could prove to be the cement that helps to tie these many book digitisation projects together? 
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| Buying Guide: 6 best 50-inch TVs in the world today Posted: 02 Nov 2010 02:30 AM PDT  Our constantly updated list of the best 50-inch TVs in the world While most of the hype and bluster this year has been around LED-backlit TVs, 2010 could be the year for plasma's resurgence – and 50-inches, the original flatscreen TV tech is king. The reasons are threefold; price, size and 3D. With the planet still mired in a slight depression, price has never been so important – and plasmas TVs are considerably better value than LCD TVs at the 50-inch size (glance at the prices in our list for proof). Secondly, the demand for ever-larger TVs is on the increase, making plasma even more attractive. And to cap it all off, the most impressive first generation of 3DTVs – some of which are featured here – have been based around plasma tech. That's not to say that the LED-backlit LCD TV is a false dawn, because there have been some wonderful high-end examples at the 52-inch size (step forward Sony), but you'll pay if you look past plasma.
Panasonic TX-P50VT20 (£1,779)The 3D Panasonic VT20 is here, and it doesn't disappoint Panasonic and 3DTV? They invented it, mate! It was no surprise when the Full HD 3D system proposed to the Blu-ray Forum by Panasonic was adopted by the industry at large, and no exactly a shocker when the Japanese brand issued this superlative 50-inch 3D plasma. The smoothness and clarity of 3D on this plasma is better than any we've seen on rival sets to date that will thrill plasma technology aficionados and the 3D crowds alike. Read: full Panasonic TX-P50VT20 review
LG 50PK790 (£869)LG's feature-packed plasma impresses If plasma tech is to enjoy a 3D-led renaissance, LG looks set to clean up in the 2D market where price-per-inch is al important. One of the most attractive designs we've ever seen, it's got NetCast, DivX HD playback from USB, 600Hz processing and a fabulous user interface that's simply the finest around – and it achieves some extremely likeable plasma pictures in the process. Read: full LG 50PK790 review
Panasonic TX-P50G20B (£973)Pioneer's Kuro plasmas are just a distant memory Slightly utilitarian design apart, Panasonic's latest is a worthy successor to the Kuro plasmas Pioneer produced until recently. This 50-incher uses one of the brand's high-spec 'NeoPDP' plasma panels and counts 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, THX endorsement, a THX picture preset, USB HDD recording, a Freeview HD tuner and VieraCast among its many features. Best of all, this G20 Series plasma boasts truly outstanding pictures. Read: full Panasonic TX-P50G20B review
Samsung PS50C6900Fantastic value 3D TV with Freeview HD tuner and web access While it's certainly possible to find fault with the PS50C6900, it's also got plenty going for it, including pretty looks, tons of connections, copious quantities of multimedia support and, of course, full HD 3D support, all built in with a free pair of glasses to boot. All of which turns out to be merely an appetiser for that exceptionally affordable price, which makes it easily one of the biggest TV bargains of the year. Read: full Samsung PS50C6900 review
Sony KDL-52HX903 (£3,000)Sony ups the ante with this 3D-ready LED-backlit LCD TV Sony has upped its game in 2010 by adding many more features and a radical new 'Monolithic' design to its high-end Bravia TVs. Using expensive 'direct LED' backlighting, this 52-incher is 3D-capable if you add a 3D kit (for built-in 3D, choose Sony's LX903 Series), though that will cost you a few hundred. It boasts one of the most dynamic, natural and colourful pictures we've seen though it does suffer at times with crosstalk noise when showing 3D. Read: full Sony KDL-52HX903 review
LG 50PK990 (£968)Just 52mm thin, this plasma packs in Net TV widgets and Bluetooth LG's flagship plasma TV seeks to regain some ground lost to super-size LED-backlit TVs by squeezing a Freeview HD tuner into a superbly designed frame that's just 52mm deep. Quite how LG's engineers have achieved such aesthetic brilliance is unclear, because inside are good value pictures (though a touch on contrast away from the best plasmas) and some advanced features – such as USB playback, Net Cast, Bluetooth and Freeview HD – wrapped-up in a delicious user interface. Read: full LG 50PK990 review 
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| Rumour: Google Chrome OS out this month Posted: 02 Nov 2010 02:12 AM PDT  UPDATE: Google just sent us this response to the below story: "Unfortunately we don't have any additional information on launch dates at this stage." --- Google's Chrome Operating system is rumoured to be launching later this month, according to anonymous "component players" in Asia. We first reported on Google Chrome OS back in November 2009, though Google has remained schtum since that time about its plans to release the new operating system in new consumer devices. Google-branded Chrome OS device Acer made noises earlier this summer that it was planning on releasing Chrome OS devices in 2010, although the company quickly backtracked on its original statements. As we rapidly approach the end of 2010, the latest news on Chrome OS comes from Digitimes which claims – citing un-named sources in the component industry – that Google will be launching the new operating system later this very month. The information comes from unnamed "component players," with no official word from Google or any of its planned manufacturing partners as yet. Google is also rumoured to be releasing a self-branded Chrome OS device. TechRadar has contacted Google, Acer and other laptop manufacturers for updates on this story, stay tuned. 
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| Posted: 02 Nov 2010 02:00 AM PDT  Google is suing the US government over what it claims is unfair competition with the likes of Microsoft, over a tender for a five-year contract to upgrade an email system for the Department of the Interior. The lucrative US government contract is worth around $59 million. 'Arbitrary and capricious' Google filed its complaint in late October, claiming that the government department had acted in an "arbitrary and capricious" way by only considering proposals that were using Microsoft email technology. Google clearly wants to start selling its own email and productivity apps to the government. The search giant claims that the Department of the Interior's decision on only looking at Microsoft tech went against "assurances to Google representatives that DOI would conduct a full and open competition for its messaging requirements." "The RFQ (request for proposal) specified that only the Microsoft Business productivity Online Suite-Federal ("BPOS-Federal") could be proposed," Google's complaint added. The Department of the Interior has not commented on Google's lawsuit. Google launched Google Apps for Government back in July this year, a specially-developed productivity suite certified under the Federal Information Security Management Act, which means it is secure enough to handle sensitive government information. 
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| Apple owns 95% of tablet PC market Posted: 02 Nov 2010 01:38 AM PDT  Apple still owns a whopping 95 per cent of the tablet PC market with the iPad, according to latest market research. The news is hardly a surprise, with only a handful of other tablet PCs already available on the market. A Dutch company recently launched a Windows 7 tablet PC in Europe, while Samsung has recently launched the 7-inch Galaxy Tab in the UK. iPad, Tab, Streak, PlayBook All of this aside, Apple still dominates the tablet PC market worldwide with the iPad, though analysts are claiming that this could well change drastically in the next few months, with a number of new Android-based tablet PCs expected to arrive before Christmas. The new study by Strategy Analytics Inc. also notes that overall tablet PC shipments rose 26 per cent in the third quarter of 2010 when compared with the previous quarter. Android OS tablets currently represent a mere 2 per cent of global tablet shipments. New tablet PCs are on the way soon from the likes of Hewlett Packard, ViewSonic and Research in Motion, which should shake up the market a little. Overall sales of tablet PCs are expected to triple to 54.8 million units in 2011, according to Gartner. 
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| Oracle accuses Google of copying Java code for Android Posted: 01 Nov 2010 10:29 AM PDT  Oracle has updated its lawsuit against Google, explaining parts of its Java code were "directly copied" by Google and put into the Android platform. The lawsuit was originally written up in August regarding Android and its use of copyrighted Java code. This was then recently amended to say that the code was "directly copied", with the lawsuit explaining: "approximately one third of Android's Application Programmer Interface (API) packages" are "derivative of Oracle's copyrighted Java API packages." It also states that: "In at least several instances, Android computer program code also was directly copied from copyrighted Oracle America code." Paranoid over Android? The alleged infringements which Google is accused of include: "Java method and class names, definitions, organisation, and parameters; the structure, organisation and content of Java class libraries; and the content and organisation of Java's documentation." There has been no response from Google over the updated rhetoric. It did, however, call the original lawsuit "baseless," saying it was "disappointed Oracle has chosen to attack both Google and the open-source Java community." 
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| Channel 4 takes on Lovefilm with Film4oD Posted: 01 Nov 2010 09:17 AM PDT  Channel 4 has announced that it has decided to jump into the movie-streaming game with its latest venture Film4oD. The site is boasting over 500 movies and it is pricing its premium tiles at £3.99 a pop. Film4oD does note that you can watch the movie you rent as many times as you want in the 48hr allotted time. There are also a few special offers, which bring the price down to as little as 99p. Film focus There are a number of titles available and there's also a smattering of Film4 funded movies, like Nowhere Boy, on the site. Film4 is claiming streamed movies will start in seconds once purchased, but you are unfortunately tied to watching them on a laptop or desktop for the time being. Lovefilm has managed to get round this by offering its services through TV apps and it will soon be appearing on the PS3. The new service is a tie-up with FilmFlex, which is owned by Sony and Disney, and is also what Virgin Media uses to bring its on-demand movie content. 
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