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- Virgin Media's 100Mbps broadband starts roll out
- Nintendo losing its way in motion control?
- Google shows off Chrome OS, but no devices until mid 2011
- Google Chrome Web Store goes live
- Google Chrome Web Store goes live
- Google Chrome browser updated
- Updated: Android 2.3 release date: when will you get it?
- Sky News comes to Sony Bravia Internet Video
- In Depth: Hands on: Google Nexus S review
- HTC confirms Desire HD Android 2.3 update?
- BlackBerry set to go 3D?
- EVGA shows off GeForce GTX570 card
- BlackBerry PlayBook – devs asked to submit apps
- Tutorial: Windows 7 hidden options and tools
- Oscar Wilde gets the 3D treatment
- Oscar Wilde gets the 3D treatment
- Nvidia unveils GeForce GTX 570 graphics card
- Review: Nvidia GeForce GTX 570
- Tron: Legacy star slams 3D tech
- Android 3.0 shown off on Motorola tablet prototype
- Early View: Google Nexus S vs HTC Desire HD vs iPhone 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S
- Android is making money for Google, says Rubin
- Google Maps for Mobile 5 bringing vector graphics
- Review: Toshiba 46VL758
- Updated: Android 3.0 rumours and latest updates
| Virgin Media's 100Mbps broadband starts roll out Posted: 08 Dec 2010 12:41 AM PST  Virgin Media's first 100Mbps broadband services have been rolled out, with customers in Hackmondike, Farnborough, Colchester and Barry in South Wales all now able to subscribe to the superfast connection. Virgin Media is keen to keep its edge as BT begins to pump money into overhauling its own fibre optic infrastructure, and the cable giant announced a 100mbps service in October. Router The service, which also provides 10Mbps upload speeds, also comes with a new wireless router. As a flagship product, the broadband doesn't come cheap – weighing in at £45 a month or £35 with a phone line subscription. More areas will get the service in 2011, with the roll-out continuing into mid 2012. 
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| Nintendo losing its way in motion control? Posted: 08 Dec 2010 12:37 AM PST  Nintendo is losing its way in the motion-controlled gaming market, according to industry analysts, with the company hoping that the forthcoming 3DS handheld will see a reversal in its fortunes in 2011. With the recent launches of Sony's Move and Microsoft's Kinect, the Japanese Wii manufacturer is struggling to compete this Christmas holiday. In addition to the lack of new hardware this Christmas, Nintendo has not major AAA-blockbuster new game for Christmas to compete with Sony's Gran Turismo 5 and Microsoft's Halo Reach. The drop off in demand for Wii is compounded by the launch of new tablet PCs and smartphones such as Apple's iPad and iPhone 4. Leave luck to heaven Nintendo – which actually means 'leave luck to heaven' in Japanese (fact fans) – is the only major console manufacturer without any new hardware on the shelves this Christmas. Instead, Nintendo hopes that the forthcoming 3DS console will see an upturn in its fortunes in the hardware market, when that new handheld launches in the spring next year.
"Now they've got the entire [glasses-free 3D] concept to themselves, but it's not going to be that way for much longer," said analyst Jay Defibaugh of MF Global, referencing Sharpe's forthcoming glasses-free 3D smartphone. "So it is incumbent upon them to get that product out as soon as possible." No blockbuster Nintendo game for Xmas Nintendo's forecast profit is forecast to be at its lowest level in five years for the year to March 2011. "Users have a growing range of options. It's not just Nintendo anymore," notes Mitsushige Akino, chief fund manager at Ichiyoshi Investment Management Co. "Within that fragmented market, they are not going to be able to take the kind of share they had before, and margins will be thinner." Nintendo's glasses-free 3D concept, though much anticipated by game fans, won't be unique by February, because Sharp Corp's 3D smartphone will already have been on the market for months. 
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| Google shows off Chrome OS, but no devices until mid 2011 Posted: 07 Dec 2010 11:55 AM PST  Google has fully unveiled the cloud-based Google Chrome OS, but stopped short of unveiling any notebooks, scuppering hopes that it would be available before Christmas. Acer and Samsung will bring the first Chrome notebooks to market in the middle of 2011, but until then only a limited amount of users, under a Chrome pilot program, will be able to test the OS. Google has admitted that it was "not quite there yet," in terms of completing the operating system so devices are not yet ready to ship. All things considered, that's a bit of a letdown. Full demo Despite the lack of hardware, Google has shown-off the gorgeous web-centric Chrome OS in all its glory and it looks magnificent. The Big G took the opportunity to showcase 'instant boot' with a notebook starting up in 60 seconds and resuming from stand-by mode to get back online instantly. The OS demo also showcased easy syncing across devices, seamless sharing with friends and family and a friend login mode to allow others to privately and securely use your Chrome-based computer. Every Chrome notebook will ship with built-in cellular data connectivity (from Verizon in the US), meaning that, providing you're in mobile range, you can always be connected. There'll be daily, and pay-as-you-go data plans from the US provider on top of the 100 minutes of free data each Chrome notebook owner will receive for the first two years. Cloud-based Google's Chrome OS is a cloud-based operating system that will compete against the likes of Apple's OS X and Microsoft's dominant Windows 7, with Google calling it "a real third option." Google's concept of an operating system is based around the browser, and the Linux-based Chrome OS looks much more like a browser than a traditional OS. Using its popular Chrome browser as its base, Google is uniting its suite of online products – like Gmail, Google Docs and Google Calendar and others from the Chrome Web Store – to offer software and services that are based online rather than locally. The other key focus is on speed with Google's first wave of devices offering solid state drives for speedy boot-up, with the search giant keen to get you online quicker. Most secure OS ever Chrome OS has a much greater focus on applications, downloadable from the Chrome web store, allowing you to replicate much of a traditional computer's functionality, but keeping most of the software and data online rather than on the device itself. Google is claiming it to be the "most secure consumer operating system to ever be released". Software and apps will also be updated automatically by the operating system, making it "forever new" and giving users greater security and ease of use. Verified boot, which will ship with all Chrome notebooks, will also mean that the hardware cannot be changed by software. All of this should seriously reduce the risk of viruses infecting your PC. Pilot program Seeing as we'll have to wait until well into next year to get our hands on devices, Google is giving a few folks the chance to test a "limited number" of unbranded notebooks as the refining process continues. Attendees from the media at the San Francsico event, business partners, developers will be given a notebook in January, while a few members of the public will have the chance to test the OS by contacting Google directly. 
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| Google Chrome Web Store goes live Posted: 07 Dec 2010 11:02 AM PST  Google has announced the launch of its browser-based Chrome Web Store at a media event in San Francisco this evening. The store, which will appear on the Google Chrome browser, and will be a huge part of the new Chrome OS. It'll feature a host of news, gaming and media apps we're used to seeing on platforms like the Apple iPad and modern smartphones. Chrome.google.com/webstore launches today with 500 apps already available to download, with many free, paid for and subscription apps up for grabs. Most apps can be used online and offline. Headline new apps include the impressive NY Times for Chrome, which allows users to browse headlines, photography, and multimedia, while also receiving breaking news updates. Amazon fully on board Amazon also used the event to announce Kindle for the Web, a HTML5 application which will allow ebook fans to read downloaded titles in full, in their web browser. It'll be available early on Chrome in 2011. Amazon Windowshop, which has been a revelation on the Apple iPad by really overhauling the way shoppers browse for products, also comes to the Chrome Web Store today. Others impressive apps on show include the NPR news reader which runs media in the background, the Sports Illustrated photography app called SI snapshot, and subscription games like CloudCanvas. The Web Store is an integral part of the newly launched Google Chrome OS, which brings key applications to the cloud rather than storing them locally on your hard-drive. 
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| Google Chrome Web Store goes live Posted: 07 Dec 2010 11:02 AM PST Google has announced the launch of its browser-based Chrome Web Store at a media event in San Francisco this evening. The store, which will appear on the Google Chrome browser, and will be a huge part of the new Chrome OS. It'll feature a host of news, gaming and media apps we're used to seeing on platforms like the Apple iPad and modern smartphones. Chrome.google.com/webstore launches today with 500 apps already available to download, with many free, paid for and subscription apps up for grabs. Most apps can be used online and offline. Headline new apps include the impressive NY Times for Chrome, which allows users to browse headlines, photography, and multimedia, while also receiving breaking news updates. Amazon fully on board Amazon also used the event to announce Kindle for the Web, a HTML5 application which will allow ebook fans to read downloaded titles in full, in their web browser. It'll be available early on Chrome in 2011. Amazon Windowshop, which has been a revelation on the Apple iPad by really overhauling the way shoppers browse for products, also comes to the Chrome Web Store today. Others impressive apps on show include the NPR news reader which runs media in the background, the Sports Illustrated photography app called SI snapshot, and subscription games like CloudCanvas. The Web Store is an integral part of the newly launched Google Chrome OS, which brings key applications to the cloud rather than storing them locally on your hard-drive. 
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| Posted: 07 Dec 2010 10:47 AM PST Google has announced updates to its Chrome web browser to make it faster slicker and simpler than ever before. The first update brings Google Instant to the url bar, which sees entire webpages load by simply typing the first letter of one of your favourite sites into the address bar. This builds on the Google Search Instant functionality, which refines search results as you type and launched earlier this year on Chrome and other browsers like Firefox. PDF Reader Developers have also added a lightning fast Google Chrome PDF reader, which opens massive documents within the blink of an eye. The example shown at the event was a 19,000 page Healthcare Reform Document, which appeared instantly. The browser has also had a graphical hardware overhaul to allow 3D environments to be rendered superbly and efficiently. It has also added a CrankShaft update to v.8 of the browser which makes it up to 2x faster and 100x faster than the IE browsers of two years ago. 300 per cent growth There have also been updates to the security of the browser as well as an improved date syncing option to improve the simplicity of using the browser. At the Google Event in San Francisco, it was was also revealed that Chrome has experienced a 300 per cent growth since January 2010. There are now 120m users. 
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| Updated: Android 2.3 release date: when will you get it? Posted: 07 Dec 2010 10:38 AM PST  Android 2.3 has been announced by Google, and now owners of smartphones such as the Nexus One and the HTC Desire are eagerly awaiting the update. There's very little news on when Android 2.3 will roll out at this early stage, although we do know that the first phone to go on sale with Android 2.3 is the successor to the Nexus One, the Google Nexus S. HTC Desire Android 2.3 update We've contacted HTC to find out when Android 2.3 will be coming to the HTC Desire (and the HTC Desire HD and the HTC Desire Z). HTC responded on 7 December to confirm that a number of its phones will be receiving Android 2.3. "We are excited about the OS update coming for Android, and while HTC will definitely have some phones running this OS, we do not have a specific timeframe for new phones or updates at this time. Please stay tuned for more details," said an HTC spokesperson. Still no official word on the Desire, but we have to wonder whether the smartphone star is included in "some phones". Samsung Galaxy S Android 2.3 update We've also contacted Samsung to ask about the Samsung Galaxy S Android 2.3 update. Samsung replied with the following statement: "In case a new version of Android operating system is publicly announced and released, Samsung will review the possibility of implementation of such new version to the existing Samsung products with Android operating system ("Update"). "Such a review will be based on various factors including, without limitation, the overall effect of such Update to Samsung products, the system requirements, the structural limitations, and the level of cooperation from the component suppliers and the software licensors. "If Samsung decides to make the Update available to the users after such consideration, Samsung will use its efforts to develop such Update, which may be released to the users upon successful completion of such development." In other words: we'll check it out and make a decision then. Stay tuned. We'll bring you more as we get it. 
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| Sky News comes to Sony Bravia Internet Video Posted: 07 Dec 2010 09:36 AM PST  Sony has announced that its Sony Bravia Internet Video service is to get its first dedicated news channel, Sky News. Sony Bravia Internet Video is Sony's web/app portal that runs on the company's connected home entertainment devices, including Blu-ray players, Blu-ray Home Theatre Systems and Bravia TV. The service already has VoD content, weather updates and the like, so Sky News should fit nicely with the current portfolio. Content is king Speaking about the Sky News link-up, Edward Uzzell, proposition development manager, Sony UK, said: "Sony is focused on providing the widest range of content on Bravia Internet Video and the partnership with Sky News allows us to deliver the news updates to viewers as it happens." Interestingly, it's Sony and Sky who are most against the upcoming IPTV platform YouView. With this in mind, it wouldn't be surprising if this is the first of many Sky and Sony link ups before YouView launches in 2011. The UK release date of the Sky News portal on Bravia Internet Video is still yet to be announced. 
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| In Depth: Hands on: Google Nexus S review Posted: 07 Dec 2010 09:20 AM PST  Google announced the Nexus S, complete with Android 2.3, and TechRadar managed to bag some quality time with new handset everyone is talking about. The sample we saw wasn't quite finished on the hardware or software front - the camera failed to boot for instance - but nearly everything else was up and running for us to put together our in depth preview of the Google Nexus S. Google Nexus S: Overview The Nexus S is more than a handset - it's a state of mind (if you believe the way Google is describing it).
It's being called 'Pure Google', which is a way for the search giant to distance itself from the kerfuffle surrounding the delays perceived by network-issued updates. But in reality, the second you pick up the phone you realise it's leaning very heavily on the design aesthetic from the Samsung Galaxy S. Only a shade heavier at 129g, the Google Nexus S feels light in the hand and with that lacks the 'premium' feel the iPhone 4 and HTC Desire HD both bring through their metallic chassis.
The curved nature of the frame is nice though - not only does it sit well in the hand (with the small lip at the bottom helping it fit correctly, the same as on the Galaxy S) but the curved front screen felt nice when pressed to the face. We're not going to claim it's earth shattering or anything - it's still clearly more of a marketing USP than a desperately needed feature, but it does look different.
The headphone socket is at the bottom of the phone, rather than the top, next to the microUSB slot - we're not big fans of that, as it feels weird taking it out of the pocket that way. But some people love it, and there seems to be a definite trend of phones moving towards that design (the HTC Desire HD for example).
The touch sensitive keys at the bottom of the four inch screen have some nicely strong haptics underneath them - a brief touch will be met with a solid confirmation buzz.
But as you can see, they can become ever so slightly scratched - we hope this is corrected for the final release hardware.
One thing we're very disappointed with Samsung and Google about on the Nexus S - no external microSD expansion. Yes, 16GB of internal storage is good, but we want to be able to transfer stuff across without using a PC, or add in extra video storage space as and when we want it. As we've already heard about 27,000 times, the Google Nexus S is rocking Gingerbread (or Android 2.3). What does this mean in terms of an update? Not that much, if we're honest. It's especially true when it comes to the Nexus S, which is more ready for future technology than anything else. We'll deal with the headline technologies first - the near field communication (NFC) technology was demonstrated to us at Google HQ using a sticker with information built right in.
It worked instantly, taking us to information on a landmark in London, and in the future can be used to stream trailers, pictures and text. It's all very theoretical at the moment as it requires others to get on board - and we're miles away from being able to use our phone as an Oyster Card. Google told us that the Nexus S can't write information via NFC yet, meaning it will only be useful for reading info from smart-enabled objects, and that's not as exciting when you realise a QR code can do pretty much the same thing. Wi-Fi calling has also been added through the SIP protocol - don't worry, we had to look it up as well. It's designed to allow VoIP calling from your phone, but it seems that you'll have to sign up with a relatively unknown brand to enable this feature, as the likes of Skype don't support the standard. This is more annoying when you realise the Maemo-powered Nokia N900 managed the same feat last year, allowing easy VoIP calling - so perhaps this is something that may be fixed in future updates.
Another feature of the new Android 2.3 operating system is an improved efficiency around power management. This is achieved by Android keeping an eye on which applications are running in the background and shutting them down if they step out of line. Obviously we couldn't test whether this had any noticeable effect on battery life, but one thing that was in evidence was the slick processing speeds. Given the Google Nexus S is also rocking a Samsung 1GHz Hummingbird processor in the background (which offers up some fantastic speeds) we weren't surprised to see a lack of judder in this early sample.
Other than the new improvements, there's not a lot more to talk about in the new Android OS.
The user interface has been tweaked slightly - things like a black and green notifications bar are a nice touch, as are menus that 'bleed' into the main display - but overall it's nothing special.
We're still treated to the cool 3D scrolling menus, which the dedicated GPU handles with veritable aplomb, and five home screens aren't that much to write home about. Sadly we weren't privy to seeing how the contacts menu worked, as there were no buddies loaded up in our test unit - however, we're told it's not too dissimilar to that from Android 2.2. This could be something that the Nexus S falls down on, as the like of HTC have managed to create a really compelling social network contact integration solution while the standard Android offering is a bit, well, standard. However, it will allow VoIP calling as standard for enabled accounts, so that will be a decent upgrade, and the traditional Facebook, Exchange, Google etc integration will still be on offer.
Messaging - in particular the upgraded keyboard - was more impressive, and certainly does allow for better and more responsive typing. Some reviews have put the new Android keyboard far behind the iPhone's in terms of overall accuracy, but we reckon it's on a par, despite the deceptively small keys. We managed around 95%+ accuracy at full typing speed from the off, and we don't reckon that it would take too much longer to be as good as the iPhone typists within a couple of days' use.
One little tweak we liked: holding down the symbol key opened up the numbers on the top to tap - releasing it jumped back to the letters. This is a really good use of multi-touch, and one we're impressed with. One thing we didn't like though - there's still no comma on the main keyboard, meaning you have to go through the symbols menu to open it up. Why, we don't know, but it's an essential symbol and the omission is noticeable.
Copy and paste now comes with easier to grab start and end points, but all this is a little moot when you consider HTC has managed to implement an excellent keyboard and well-worked copy and paste for ages now.
So with Gingerbread, it seems Android is finally catching up with Android, and that can only be a good thing.
We had a thorough play around with internet browser on the Google Nexus S, and it clocked in the same impressive performance as most of the other top-level Android handsets out there at the moment. However, there was still an element of juddering in scrolling around a loading page, and even when the text and images had fully loaded, it was still a little laggy at times. Ever so slightly, but the iPhone manages to be smooth nearly all the time, and that's where we want Android to get to.
The same can be said for text reflow (where the words re-jig to fit the screen). This is in effect on the Nexus S, but you need to tap the screen once zoomed in to make it work. And sometimes you only need to tap once; other times you have to hit it a few times. It's probably something that's going to be ironed out, but it's eerily reminiscent of the same system on the Galaxy S, so it could be an unwanted guest in the Nexus S internet browser.
Flash video seemed to load quickly enough, although we didn't manage to run through our usual hard hitting list of websites to check it completely - although full-screen Flash video worked.
Similarly, HTML5 YouTube was in effect, although this jumped out to the (admittedly full-featured) YouTube application every time a video was started. Google Nexus S: Battery As we mentioned, the Google Nexus S we played with wasn't in our hands nearly long enough to draw any conclusions on battery life - plus it was on charge anyway as optimisation wasn't complete yet (although FYI - the battery meter has turned 90 degrees to be resting on its base, rather than sideways on. We know. Earthshattering).
Google is quoting talk time of up to 6.7 hours on 3G connections (14 hours on 2G) and nearly 18 days of standby time in 3G mode, which moves up to nearly a month on 2G signal.
We're going to go out on a limb and say that you won't be getting that long from your phone in normal use, despite the 1500mAh battery... although we're willing to be proved wrong. Google Nexus S: Maps Good news everybody! The Google Nexus S is compatible with the newest version of Google Maps thanks to the integrated GPU. This means vector graphics and 3D imaging to make you really feel like you're in the picture. This will mean 3D versions of 300 cities and gesture controls that allow you to swipe or move the phone to reposition the map.
There will also be offline mode - although a connection will be needed to re-jig your planned journey. Car mode is also included with the now-normal line up of Google Maps Navigation, so the large four inch screen will be decent for using the Google Nexus S as a dedicated sat-nav. Google Nexus S: Apps The Google Nexus S comes complete with a wide range of applications out of the box, including an enhanced download centre, Google Earth and the aforementioned Google Maps Navigation. Google Earth simply sped along with the integrated GPU, and found our location and resized the images very quickly indeed, even indoors (although it had the Wi-Fi connection to fix onto in order to locate our position).
Spinning through the application was easy as well, and really feels like a next-generation piece of kit when doing so - it will be something to show off to your friends down the pub, assuming they haven't already seen the same thing on the iPhone, of course. The Tags application was cool too, as it kept a history of everything you've scanned on the NFC chip and also let you bookmark your favourites. So if a tequila model comes past and offers to let you scan their T-Shirt for a voucher, you won't have to keep doing it multiple times if you lose it... wait, that doesn't sound like an advantage.
Google has also included a menu option to help you manage applications from the home screen, where you can click in and see what's running, what's installed and whether there's some boring application you want to jettison.
This is in addition to the Android 2.3 upgrade that sees closer application monitoring, so we should see a more sleek app system coming to our phones in the future. Google Nexus S: UK release date If you're looking at this launch and thinking that it will be aeons until you can get your hands on this new super phone, we have good news.
Google has given the Nexus S a 'pre-Christmas' UK release date through The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy UK, so you'll be able to get your hands on one from 20 December according to Samsung - best get your Mum to take back that Commodore 64 or Raleigh Chopper (that's what today's kids like, right?) you asked for and pick up this instead. Google Nexus S: UK pricing The Google Nexus S doesn't look like it's going to be a cheap device, though – we're looking at a 16GB unit costing £549.95 SIM free. It will be a slightly less wallet-destroying £35 per month (with a free phone), but that will on a two year deal, so make sure you've had a decent play (and waited for our full Google Nexus S review) before you think about a purchase. But the price should be put into context next to some of the other high-cost phones on the market: the iPhone 4 costs roughly the same SIM Free for the same storage (around £50 cheaper) but will still cost you £119 when buying on contract, showing how much more Apple's devices hit your pocket.
We've always been impressed by the trajectory of Android, and with each passing iteration it's got closer to being a bit less for the hackers and more for the mainstream (although its open source ethos has remained). The Google Nexus S is designed to be the device that showcases the power of Android 2.3 and comes without the constraints of network upgrade delays - if Google updates something, the Nexus S community will be the first to know. Don't be fooled by all the hype though, as the Nexus S is pretty much a hopped-up Galaxy S. Sure, it's got the fancy screen and NFC chip inside, but once the Samsung model gets beefed up to Android 2.3, there won't be a huge amount to choose between the two. We liked The Google Nexus S looks like it will be among the best Android phones on the market, and that's certainly a theory supported by the super slick operation under the finger. The NFC operation looks cool, and while it's mostly there for show at the moment, we can see it being a really useful feature. If the Nexus S helps fuel the popularity of the tech, then that's definitely a good thing. The keyboard has definitely been upgraded, with the accuracy much higher, and the copy and paste tab improvements are welcome. The Super AMOLED screen is back and in full effect once more - it's crisp, clear and offers some stunning contrast ratios. We disliked The lack of a comma on the keyboard might sound like a little issue, but to us, it's massive and could quickly get annoying. The text wrapping on the internet browser was hard to get right too (although that could be simply due to the early software build, so we'll wait for judgement on that). The price is ridiculously high for the average gadget lover - sure, it has come neat features but we reckon that slightly curved display added a few quid to the cost of manufacture, and had it been flat the world would have simultaneously wept. Early verdict We didn't have a chance to play with all the features on the Google Nexus S, so it's impossible to give any kind of indication on whether this will be a phone we would recommend or not. Things like the noise cancelling microphone, the voice control, the music and video player, the 5MP camera (thankfully with a single LED flash) were all unavailable for test, and could be big benefits or hindrances to the Google Nexus S. However, if you're into Android and looking for a new phone, there's very little to find fault with here. The UI is quick to understand and slick under the finger, and while it lacks the simplicity of the iPhone 4, it is very much its equal with things like upgraded widgets on offer. We'll be bringing you our full Google Nexus S review in the next week or two once we've tested it for a good few days - if we can get over the price tag (and that's something iPhone users manage to do without batting an eyelid) then we're very excited about the launch of the Nexus S. 
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| HTC confirms Desire HD Android 2.3 update? Posted: 07 Dec 2010 08:19 AM PST  TechRadar contacted HTC earlier today about the recently announced Android 2.3 update and whether or not it will be coming to its flagship phone: the HTC Desire HD. Although HTC didn't namecheck the phone, it did confirm that a number of its handsets will be given the update. Be excited In a statement, a spokesperson for HTC explained: "We are excited about the OS update coming for Android, and while HTC will definitely have some phones running this OS, we do not have a specific timeframe for new phones or updates at this time. Please stay tuned for more details." While "some phones" is as flimsy an answer you are likely to get, it does confirm that the update will be coming to handsets already in existence. At the moment, the HTC Desire HD is the flagship phone from the Taiwanese company so we're pinning our bets on this. However, the Desire Z and Desire will probably get some Android 2.3 loving, too. 
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| Posted: 07 Dec 2010 08:15 AM PST BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) is rumoured to be looking to jump about the 3D mobile bus next year, following rumours that Apple, Sharpe and HTC are all preparing 3D mobile devices for the consumer market.
Research In Motion (RIM) are rumoured to be putting plans together for BlackBerries featuring a tri-dimensional display. 3D BlackBerry in 2011? The rumours are linked to RIM's recent purchase of Swedish company The Astonishing Tribe (TAT), who are specialists in producing 3D user interfaces. TAT has been working on 3D displays for a while now, developing technology that would be well-suited to use in a smartphone. In particular, TAT has been developing a switch to a 3D interface based on the position of the smartphone user's hand. Whether or not the typical BlackBerry business user will want to use 3D games, movies and other apps on their device is, of course, another matter entirely. It's sure to be an issue that is being discussed and debated at RIM's HQ right now. It is easy to see the reasoning behind the strategy of HTC developing 3D Android phones – and, potentially, Apple developing 3D iPods and iPhones – as those devices are largely used as gaming and entertainment devices by consumers. Whether or not RIM will follow the same 3D path remains to be seen. 
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| EVGA shows off GeForce GTX570 card Posted: 07 Dec 2010 07:31 AM PST  EVGA has introduced the newest addition to graphics card line, the GeForce GTX570, which is aimed at the interactive gaming market. With the ability to combine up to three displays for 3D entertainment, as well as support for GTX gaming technologies such as NVIDIA Surround, 3D Vision, PhysX and SLI, the GTX570 definitely brings something new and powerful to the party. Nvidia's reference GTX570 boasts a core clock speed of 732MHz, and a memory clock speed of 3800 MHz. The "superclocked" GTX570 improves on those figures with 797MhZ, 3900Mhz and 1594MhZ, respectively. Those figures promise a very powerful DirectX 11 performance Backing Up The Promise EVGA is giving a 10 year warranty on the GEForce GTX570, with full customer service and technical support available. Under the EVGA Advanced RMO programme, the company will quickly ship replacement products for those under warranty. As added incentives to purchase the GTX570 soon, anyone buying before the end of January will receive free shipping to and from Europe. There's also a step-up programme that allows those who own EVGA products to trade them in at value for the next step up the product ladder. Last, but certainly not least, all the new GTX570 cards come with a custom precision skin and a free limited edition poster. 
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| BlackBerry PlayBook – devs asked to submit apps Posted: 07 Dec 2010 06:55 AM PST  RIM has announced that it is actively seeking developers to submit apps for its forthcoming BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The PlayBook is set to be one of the most powerful tablets released to date and BlackBerry wants app developers to capitalise on this, asking for those using Adobe AIR, Flash and HTML to get involved. Groundbreaking performance "Interest and momentum behind the BlackBerry PlayBook continues to build and we are thrilled with the positive response from both the developer community and our customers," said Tyler Lessard, VP Global Alliances & Developer Relations at RIM. "With its groundbreaking performance and robust support for industry standard development tools, the BlackBerry PlayBook provides an exceptional platform that appeals to a wide range of mobile app developers. "We are very pleased to be working with developers in advance of the product launch and the opening of BlackBerry App World to accept BlackBerry PlayBook apps is an important next step." If a registered dev submits an app and it is successful, then they will receive a PlayBook prior to launch. RIM is offering up a host of information with regards to developing an app for the PlayBook. For more information on this, head over to www.blackberry.com/developers/tabletos. 
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| Tutorial: Windows 7 hidden options and tools Posted: 07 Dec 2010 06:42 AM PST  Microsoft has done a fine job with Windows 7. All you need do is pop in an installation disc and provide the installer with some internet access information, then you can leave the room and make a cup of tea. When you come back you'll have a fully working PC, replete with features that make working and playing easier. Windows 7's Taskbar makes it quicker to find, launch and manage your apps. There are also Libraries, which help you locate related files so you can view your work without spending ages browsing your hard drive. You get improved security, a host of new and revamped applets, low-level tweaks that improve performance and much more. However, for PC power users, there's a lingering question: life might never have been easier, but could it be better? With a little effort, some digging and a bit of clever tweaking, could we squeeze more from our machines? With this in mind, we've gone on the hunt for Windows 7's hidden options and tools, which will enable you to tailor the operating system around your personal style of computing. Take your PC knowledge to a whole new level as you learn how to make Windows work your way! Unlock your apps Let's start our quest for hidden power in a familiar and frustrating place – program lockups. One moment your application is ticking along nicely and the next it's completely unresponsive. In the past there was nothing you could do other than wait an aeon and then close the program manually, often losing valuable data.
If this happens to you, launch Windows 7's Resource Monitor (resmon.exe). When it's running, you'll see a list of processes that are plodding along happily. Look down the list and you'll probably see one process highlighted in red. This is likely to be your troublesome program. Right-click it, select 'Analyse Wait Chain' and if the program is waiting for something else, you'll see it here. You'll be able to close that process in a few clicks. If you opt to close a process, be careful. Kill a critical component and you'll bring your PC to its knees. Conversely, if you know the process in question isn't important, shut it down and your locked PC might start working again. There you go – proof that a little digging and taking control of your PC can save time and future hassle. Windows remote access Being a Windows 7 power user is generally a very good thing. You understand how everything works, know all the shortcuts and can freely bend Windows to your will. However, with this power comes responsibility. As news of your guru-like status spreads, friends and family will start expecting you to solve their computer problems. Heading next door to fix your neighbour's PC isn't too much of a hassle, but if the system is much further away then you'll want an easier alternative. That's where Windows Remote Assistance can help. This tool enables you to see the desktop on a remote computer, run programs, find the problem and make the tweaks needed to fix it, all from the comfort of your PC. Preparations The configuration process starts on the remote PC – the one that you're trying to view. First, ask your friend to click 'Start', then right-click 'Computer' or 'My Computer', select 'Properties' and view their Remote Settings. The 'Allow Remote Assistance connections' box must be checked, and if they click 'Advanced', the 'Allow this computer to be controlled remotely' box must also be checked.
Once its core functionality is enabled, your friend can launch Remote Assistance (msra.exe). They should click 'Invite someone you trust to help you' to do this. If both of you have Windows 7 then, in theory, they can click 'Use Easy Connect' to get Remote Assistance working. However, this relies on Windows 7 being able to work with both your routers, and it's prone to being disabled for other reasons. A more reliable option is to ask them to click 'Use email to send an invitation'. This will launch their email client with an invitation file attached, and they'll need to send this to your email address. Taking control Either way, Windows Remote Assistance should open a new window on your friend's PC with a 12-character connection password. They'll have to pass this to you separately, and you'll then have everything you need to log in. If you've opted for the email approach, wait for the email attachment to arrive, open the file with Windows and Remote Assistance should fire up. Enter the password that your friend is looking at and you'll be connected. If you're trying Easy Connect, you need to launch Remote Assistance (msra.exe) manually. Click 'Help someone who has invited you' and select 'Use Easy Connect'. If this works, Remote Assistance will then ask for your friend's password. If it doesn't, try the email method instead. Your copy of Remote Assistance can't simply log in to your friend's PC, even if you have the necessary password – that could be a security issue. Instead they'll receive an alert, warning them that someone is trying to use Remote Assistance. This alert asks whether they're willing to allow you to connect to their PC. This dialog will display your account username for reassurance that it's you, although if your username is something anonymous like PowerUser then it's best to tell your friend this in advance. They'll need to click 'Yes' to permit this connection. That's the first stage complete. You should now be able to see the remote desktop. It may not look very pretty – the background will have been removed and colour will be set to 16-bit for bandwidth reasons – but it's adequate. If you simply want to watch and understand what your friend is doing, then you can use the 'Chat' button to tell them so (it's text chat – no microphones required). Your friend can then fire up whichever application is causing them problems and attempt whatever they're trying to do, while you observe. It's far more effective than relying on descriptions, which they may give you later, and could be enough for you to figure out exactly where they're going wrong. If you need to take charge, click 'Request Control' on the Remote Assistance toolbar. Your friend will then be asked if they'll allow you to take control, and if they say yes, you'll be able to run programs on their PC yourself. You can browse the Start Menu, launch Control Panel, check their Registry, open the command line and generally apply whatever tweaks are necessary to get their system back into full working order. How to set up a Virtual Private Network 1. Open the door
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a secure way to connect PCs over the internet. First, configure a PC to accept incoming connections. Go to the 'Network and Sharing Centre | Change Adaptor Settings', press [Alt] + [F] and select 'New Incoming Connection'. Choose the user account belonging to the remote person, or add one now. Click 'Next', check 'Through the internet' and click 'Next | Allow Access | Close'. 2. Make the connection
On the other Windows 7 PC, go to 'Network and Sharing Centre | Set up a new connection | Connect to a workplace'. If you're asked if you want to use an existing connection, choose to create a new one. Click 'Use my internet...', enter the remote computer name or IP address, then click 'Next'. Enter the username and password for your account on the other PC, click 'Connect' and watch the connection dialog. 3. Troubleshooting
Can't connect? Configure your firewalls to open the Point-to-Point Tunnelling Protocol (PPTP) port 1723. If you have a router, turn on 'PPTP' or 'VPN' (or 'VPN pass-through'), and 'Generic Route Encapsulation'. You may need to create a port forwarding rule to pass port 1723 traffic to your PC's local IP address. Check your firewall/router logs – they may report incoming connections and reveal where any problem lies. How to share files easily with IIS 1. Getting started
Install Windows 7 and you get a functional copy of Microsoft's internet Information Services (IIS) – a web server that you can use to share files over the internet, or locally on your network. IIS can be enabled in a moment. Click 'Control Panel | Programs | Turn Windows features on or off', check 'Internet Information Services', then expand and select all the boxes for FTP Server and Web Management Tools. 2. Welcome screen
Click 'OK' and Windows will install IIS and configure its settings. When it's done, confirm that it's working by entering http://localhost in your browser. If all is well then you'll see the IIS welcome page. The same applies to other PCs on your network. If they can access you normally, they should be able to see the same screen by entering http://, followed by your PC's network name: http://MyPC, for instance. 3. Directory browsing
The default folder for your site is C:\inetpub\wwwroot. You'll see two files there: iisstart.htm and welcome.png. Copy these to a backup folder (or delete them – they're not important), then drag and drop some files into the wwwroot folder. Click 'Start', type IIS and click 'Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager'. Click 'Default Web Site', double-click 'Directory Browsing' and click 'Enable' in the right-hand Actions pane. 4. Share freely
Return to a network PC, enter http://MyPC (using your host PC's network name) and you'll see an HTTP folder and the files it contains. Click on these to view or download them. This isn't attractive, but it lets you share files locally with any http-capable device that can connect to your network: Linux systems, Macs, phones and more. To make it look better, you could create an iisstart.html file that provides links to the files. 5. MIME Types
IIS only allows you to share files for which it has a MIME type – a mapping standard that tells the system what it is. Place an MP4 file into your wwwroot folder, for instance, and people will be able to see, but not download it. To fix this, return to the IIS Manager and double-click 'MIME Type'. To add support for .MP4 files, click 'Add', then type .mp4 in the 'Extension' box and enter video/mpeg as the MIME type. 6. Going global
If you'd like to share your files over the web then IIS must be allowed through your firewall. You'll also have to enable port forwarding in your router, passing http traffic (port 80) through to the internal IP address of your PC. Then anyone can enter your connection's IP address into their browser and view the files. Opening your PC in this way does constitute a security risk, so launch IIS Help and read the IIS checklists first. Windows 7 will generally do its best to work fully automatically, managing your PC with no intervention. There are, however, situations where a more hands-on approach pays dividends. The Fault-Tolerant Heap (FTH), for example, is a smart feature. It looks out for processes that are particularly unstable, detects those that seem to crash due to memory issues and applies several real-time fixes that may help solve the problem. If these work, great; if not, it reverses the changes. Although it's an excellent tool, FTH can be confusing because it makes application behaviour seem inconsistent. From your point of view, a program will seem horribly unstable, then start working again for no apparent reason. Or, if you've made some tweak yourself, you may think you've fixed the problem when the FTH deserves the credit. To check for a situation like this, run REGEDIT, go to HKEY_ LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ Microsoft\FTH and examine the State key. Any executable protected by FTH will be listed there. To turn off FTH monitoring, set the 'Enabled' value to 0. Your PC will probably be less stable, but if there are crashes you'll be able to spot the program responsible – FTH won't be masking things. Experimentation is key here – you need to change the FTH monitoring algorithm to suit your needs and computing style. Drop the 'CrashVelocity' value from 3 to 2, for instance, and increase 'CrashWindowsInMinutes' from 60 to 120. FTH will now intervene if an application crashes twice in two hours, rather than three times in one hour. This will make it more likely to detect and fix problems. The system does have its limits. If the crash isn't heap-related it'll do nothing, but there's no harm in trying and tweaking further. Find out more about FTH by visiting Microsoft's Ask The Performance Team blog. Windows 7 has many other weapons in its fault-finding arsenal. Chief among these are the management and monitoring tools. These do a great job of monitoring your PC's boot and shutdown processes, and will alert you to any programs that are slowing things down. Launch the Event Viewer (eventvwr.exe) and browse to Applications and Services Logs\ Microsoft\Windows\Diagnostics – Performance\Operational to take a look. Scroll down the list and you'll see many services, programs and processes that are listed as compromising your computer's performance. Many of these will be essential drivers or Windows components, but if a program you've installed seems to be causing regular system slowdowns, consider uninstalling or updating it.
If you want a more in-depth look at how your PC is being used, the upgraded Windows 7 Resource Monitor is a useful tool. To access, it, click 'Start', type resmon.exe and press [Enter]. You'll find tabs that detail your running processes and their use of CPU, RAM, hard drive and network bandwidth. Do you want to know which programs are accessing the internet? Click 'Network | TCP Connections' to view them all. Is your hard drive thrashing for no apparent reason? Click 'Disk | Disk Activity' to spot the culprit. Perhaps a file is locked, making it impossible to move or delete. If this happens, you'll need to know which program is to blame. Click 'CPU | Associated Handles', type the file name in the Search box and press [Enter]. The more you use Resource Monitor, the more you'll grow to love it. It gives you a great handle on what's happening under the hood and is an indispensable tool. Monitor calibration 1. Launch the wizard
If you use your monitor's default settings, there's no way to be sure it's displaying images accurately. Your photos may look great to you, but appear washed out or with poor colour balance to everyone else. The solution? Calibrate your display. Use any software that came with your monitor first, otherwise launch the Windows Display Calibration Wizard, either from Control Panel or directly (it's dccw.exe). 2. Gamma
The program is a straightforward wizard, albeit in the slightly odd Windows Vista/7 style (the 'Back' button is top-left on the screen, making it easy to miss). Read the instructions and keep clicking 'Next' until you reach an explanation of the first test: the gamma check. You need to use the slider on the next page to minimise the visibility of the dots in the centre of each circle. Click 'Next' to give this a try. 3. Brightness
The next test is for brightness. You'll need to access and tweak the brightness control on your monitor so that you can distinguish the man's black shirt from his black jacket, while keeping the 'X' in the background at a point where it's only just visible – it shouldn't stand out, as it does here in the right-hand 'too bright' picture. Click Next and adjust your brightness, clicking 'Back' to remind yourself of the sample images. 4. Compare and contrast
Click 'Next' and you'll be presented with the contrast test. Turn your monitor's brightness setting up so that the two colours in the background are a bright white and deep black (neither should be tending towards grey). Go too far, however, and the creases in the man's shirt begin to disappear. You need to turn the contrast up as far as you can, but stop just before the point where you start to lose detail. 5. Colour balance
The colour balance test follows. Click 'Next' after this explanatory screen and you'll see a range of grey bars – or at least that's the idea. If your colour balance is incorrect then you may see a slight colour tint to the greys, which will also influence colour images. Use your monitor's colour balance controls to correct this. Click 'Next', and if you're happy with what you've done, click 'Finish' to recalibrate your display. 6. Tune your text
Windows 7 now displays the ClearType Text Tuner, which checks that your PC is displaying text as clearly as it can. A range of text samples is displayed and you need to click the ones that look best. Windows should now display images and text accurately and clearly. Bear in mind that this calibration is affected by variables such as room lighting, and you should calibrate the monitor again if there are any dramatic changes. The Windows 7 incarnation of Media Center is streets ahead of its Vista cousin. The interface has been tweaked to make navigation easier, and there's a Media Center Gadget for simpler control. But the more time you spend in Media Centre, the more you become aware that it's good, but not perfect. However, with a little power user trickery you can make it a whole lot better. TunerSalad, removes the four-tuner limit. It does this by modifying system files, so although it's well-regarded, you should always save any work and back up your PC before you start. If you don't have a TV tuner, Media Center won't show you much. Install TunerFree MCE for instant access to live TV. You can stream content from BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4 on Demand and Demand Five at 720p resolution, as well as BBC Radio and BBC HD. Media Center may provide higher image quality than you get on your TV. Configure your Windows PC as a media server 1. Getting started
You've probably built up a sizeable collection of multimedia files, so why limit them to your PC? Apply a few tweaks and you'll be able to access them from anything connected to your network. However, this will only work if your PC currently accesses your network using the Home or Work Network type. Right-click the network icon in your system tray and select 'Open Network' and 'Sharing Center' to take a look. 2. Sharing the right way
If your main network is labelled 'Public network', but it's only used to connect trusted PCs in your home, click the 'Public network' link and choose 'Home or Work network' instead. Make the same check on any other Windows 7 PCs on your network. This will provide access to shared Media Player music libraries. Open Media Player on one of the network PCs and it will discover the tracks on your main computer. 3. Tuned sharing
To share all your media across the network, launch Media Player and click the 'Stream' button. Then click 'Automatically allow devices to play all my media' to enable full-scale media sharing. If that's not appropriate, you can click 'Stream | More Streaming Options' and decide which devices can access your media files. Remember, this is for secure networks only – don't turn it on unless you trust every system. 4. Make it available
Click 'Stream | Allow remote control of my player | Allow remote control on this network'. If you have any other Windows 7 PCs in your network, repeat this and the previous step on each of them. (They must be in a HomeGroup, too.) Now right-click a song, video, picture or other media, choose 'Play To' and you'll be able to send it to another PC, a DLNA-certified device, or a media extender such as the Xbox 360. 5. Playlists
Windows Media Player will display a 'Play To' window that enables you to add other media, then push it directly to your chosen PC or device. That's good, but there's a better way to share a playlist. Windows Media Player now enables you to share your media collection online, making it accessible from almost anywhere. Click 'Stream | Allow internet access to home media' to start setting this up. 6. Remote access
You can also access your media from a PC not on your network. To do so, click 'Link an Online ID | Link Online ID' and sign in with your Windows Live ID account. Then select 'Allow Internet Access to Home Media'. Remember, business networks may block the necessary ports, or you might have to configure your router manually. See Microsoft's guide (www. bit.ly/bpcMuP) for details on how to do this. Handy Windows 7 shortcuts Many of Windows 7's features appear straightforward, yet have considerable hidden depths. The Taskbar, for instance, is far more powerful than many people realise, and mastering its secrets can make a real difference to your PC. Taskbar icons can launch more than applications. They can also represent folders, drives – anything that you can place in a shortcut. To try this, create a text file on your desktop, rename it to example.exe, then drag and drop it onto your Taskbar and delete the original file. Right-click the shortcut, right-click its file name and select 'Properties'. Change the 'Target' and 'Start In' boxes to point at the drive or folder of your choice, and click 'Change Icon' to choose an appropriate icon. Click 'OK', and that's it – the drive or folder you've specified is now accessible with a single click.
If you prefer keyboard shortcuts, hold down the [Windows] key and press 1 to launch the first Taskbar icon, 2 the second and so on, up to 0 for the 10th. Alternatively, press [Windows] + [T] to move the focus to the Taskbar, then use the left and right arrows to select an icon and press [Enter] to launch it. Once an application is running, hold [Shift] and click or middle-click its Taskbar button to launch another instance. Holding down [Ctrl] while you click on a Taskbar button cycles through all instances of that application (an app-specific, faster version of [Alt] + [Tab]).
If this becomes too chaotic, you can hover your cursor over a Taskbar button, then middle-click an Aero thumbnail to close that application. Libraries If your hard drive is untidy, try Libraries – another underused feature. Libraries aggregate the contents of several folders and list them in a single view. This enables you to collect related documents, wherever they're stored on your hard drive. Best of all, it lets you search only those folders, so you'll always get results quickly. To begin your exploration, Click 'Start', type Libraries and click the 'Libraries' link, then double-click the 'Documents' Library. Initially the Library says it includes 'Two locations', but click that link, then 'Add' and you can include any other folders that you like. These stay in the same disk location – the only change is that the contents will be visible in the Documents library. To create custom locations, right-click in the Libraries folder, select 'New | Library', and add a library for your projects. Next, add folders from across your PC to bring all your work files together. Libraries take a little getting used to, but when you understand their benefits you'll wonder how you ever lived without them. 
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| Oscar Wilde gets the 3D treatment Posted: 07 Dec 2010 06:30 AM PST Oscar Wilde's much-loved children's story The Selfish Giant is set to get the 3D treatment next year. The Irish Film Board is financing a new version of Wilde's much short story, which is set to be a mixture of live action, motion capture and animation.
The Selfish Giant 3D will be directed by Irish filmmaker and artist Catherine Owens. Owens was most recently known for directing recent 3D movie, U23D and plans to start developing Wilde's children's yarn early in 2011. A large visual 3D canvas Owens' concept is to tell the story on a large visual canvas, working 3D directors of photography, post production and special effects people as well as well-known household name actors. The director said of the new 3D project: "I'm delighted to have been awarded development funding from the Irish Film Board for this project, which I have nurtured for quite some time now, and intend to treat with great care during the development and production process. "As a much-loved piece of work from one of Ireland's greatest writers, I will adapt the story appropriately for cinematic treatment, with the added addition of carefully crafted digital 3D production values to enhance the universal themes of the story. "With significant experience in the 3D process, I am confident that given time to develop the story and screenplay The Selfish Giant will be a must-see cinema event for all those who love Oscar Wilde' s fiction, and will also open up his work to a whole new audience." Owens hopes that bringing together the Irish literary giant's great work with the latest in 3D tech will keep Ireland at the centre of the latest developments in 3D cinema. 
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| Oscar Wilde gets the 3D treatment Posted: 07 Dec 2010 06:30 AM PST Oscar Wilde's much-loved children's story The Selfish Giant is set to get the 3D treatment next year. The Irish Film Board is financing a new version of Wilde's much short story, which is set to be a mixture of live action, motion capture and animation.
The Selfish Giant 3D will be directed by Irish filmmaker and artist Catherine Owens. Owens was most recently known for directing recent 3D movie, U23D and plans to start developing Wilde's children's yarn early in 2011. Owens' concept is to tell the story on a large visual canvas, working 3D directors of photography, post production and special effects people as well as well-known household name actors. The director said of the new 3D project: "I'm delighted to have been awarded development funding from the Irish Film Board for this project, which I have nurtured for quite some time now, and intend to treat with great care during the development and production process. "As a much-loved piece of work from one of Ireland's greatest writers, I will adapt the story appropriately for cinematic treatment, with the added addition of carefully crafted digital 3D production values to enhance the universal themes of the story. "With significant experience in the 3D process, I am confident that given time to develop the story and screenplay The Selfish Giant will be a must-see cinema event for all those who love Oscar Wilde' s fiction, and will also open up his work to a whole new audience." Owens hopes that bringing together the Irish literary giant's great work with the latest in 3D tech will keep Ireland at the centre of the latest developments in 3D cinema. 
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| Nvidia unveils GeForce GTX 570 graphics card Posted: 07 Dec 2010 06:00 AM PST  Nvidia has introduced the GeForce GTX 570 graphics card – offering a more affordable option for those who could not afford its big brother the GTX 580. The Nvidia GTX 570 is priced at around £289, and offers 15 streaming multiprocessors and 480 CUDA cores. "Leveraging the same GF110 GPU used in the GTX 580, the GTX 570 delivers best in class gaming performance that's 25 per cent faster than the GTX 470 and with its vapor chamber cooling, it maintains the 580's quiet acoustics as well," says Nvidia. "The GeForce GTX 570 brings 'DX11 Done Right' for performance-minded enthusiasts and superb image quality just in time for the holidays." NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 specifications: Processing Units Graphics Processing Clusters4 
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| Review: Nvidia GeForce GTX 570 Posted: 07 Dec 2010 06:00 AM PST  Always spoiling for a fight here comes Nvidia's latest card, the GeForce GTX 570, just as we're hearing what AMD is planning. When the rather impressive GTX 580 tipped up out of the blue the other month we were promised it was going to be the vanguard of a whole new range of 500 series GeForce cards based on this revised Fermi chip. And true to its word here comes the obvious next iteration, the GTX 570. This whole 500 series though has been something of a surprise to everyone and, in the light of what could turn out to be a rather catastrophic delay to AMD's HD 69xx cards, I think it's probably surprised a fair few people inside Nvidia itself. The 500 cards probably weren't meant to be released this year, but when the rumblings started to filter through that AMD would be getting its new generation of cards out of the door pre-holidays it looked like Nvidia wanted to spoil the party. Unfortunately for AMD though it wasn't so much a party as an awkward get together of a few socially inept gimps with nothing to say and nothing to recommend them. What I'm trying to say is the proposed AMD GPU launch actually turned out to only be the rather poorly performing Radeon HD 6870 and HD 6850 series of cards and the GTX 580 rocked up and almost unnecessarily pushed Nvidia further ahead in the performance race. The GeForce GTX 570 follows on from the GTX 580 much in the same way as the GTX 470 followed the inaugural Fermi, the GTX 480. The difference here is that the GTX 580 was a much higher spec card than the GTX 480 was at the time and because of the trickle down effect this new card actually has more in common with that first Fermi card than the GTX 470. The GTX 580 came in with the full CUDA core count of 512 in sixteen of its Streaming Multiprocessor (SM) blocks with a dedicated Polymorph engine in each and 64 texture units. In GPU terms the GTX 570 effectively strips away one of those SMs leaving this latest card with 480 CUDA cores in 15 SMs and 60 texture units. In essence almost the same configuration as was in the GTX 480.
The difference comes in the shape of the number of render output units (ROPs); both the GTX 480 and GTX 580 came with a count of 48 ROPs while the GTX 470 and GTX 570 come in with a still-chunky 40 each. The GTX 570 is also clocked higher than either of the two top-end 400 series Fermi cards, making it rather more of a direct replacement for the GTX 480 than the GTX 470. That said the memory configuration is where things have been held back to stop this card just getting into the silly performance territory, where it might actually hurt the sales of its more expensive big brother. With 1,280MB of GDDR5 running on a 320-bit memory bus it's not going to have the same high-resolution grunt as the GTX 580. Still, in all but our high-res Metro 2033 benchmark the GTX 570 managed to either beat or hit exactly the same numbers as that first ever Fermi card. And that's really nothing to sniff at. Considering the other three cards in these comparative benchmarks are all £400-odd cards the figures we're getting out of the GTX 570 are impressive. The GTX 570 is actually happily trading blows with the GTX 480, a card that until a couple of months ago was the pinnacle of single-GPU performance. For less than £300 it's arguably making itself more relevant than the GTX 580. All these figures are taken at the maxed out resolution of our 30-inch screen, 2560x1600 and represents the current top end of gaming resolutions. DirectX 11 Tessellation Performance DirectX 11 Gaming Performance DiRT 2 – FPS: higher is better AvP – FPS: higher is better LP2 – FPS: higher is better DirectX 10 Gaming Performance Far Cry 2 – FPS: higher is better Crysis Warhead – FPS: higher is better So there you have it. Not content with bringing out a card that knocks its previously top-spec GPU into that special bin of obsolescence, Nvidia has brought out a more mainstream card that beats it too. You can buy GTX 480s now for just over the £300 mark, but with a RRP of £290 this GTX 570 is remarkably still cheaper. Essentially it is a very slightly cut-down GTX 580, built on exactly the same PCB (it's even got some of the same ID numbers on our reference sample) you can see where Nvidia has removed components to cut the cost and the performance. It's the GPU's core configuration that's as close as makes no odds to the outgoing GTX 580 that makes this card such a star performer, only the cut down memory configuration holds it back and only then at the very high end of the resolution scale. Intriguingly it's even knocking on the door of AMD's multi-GPU marvel, the Radeon HD 5970, in some benchmarks. Again though it's that relative paucity of memory that holds it back against the weightier card. The GeForce GTX 570 also comes with that self same impressive vapour-chamber cooling technology that managed to keep the GTX 580 below the first Fermi's windy roar. It's not necessarily that cool running, regularly topping the 80degreeC mark under load, but it still remained softly-spoken throughout testing. So it's not looking at all good for AMD in light of the fact that we still haven't seen chip nor board of the Cayman GPU-powered HD 69xx cards. The only one of AMD's cards that achieves any sort of relevance compared with the GTX 570 at the moment is weirdly the recently decommissioned HD 5870. It can't really come close in DirectX 11 games, but at least it stays within touching distance in DX10 titles. The HD 5970 is the closest in straight performance metrics but is still a £400+ card, pricing itself out of the market. The real competition then comes from within and, wouldn't you know it, it's that miniature marvel the GTX 460 1GB that is muscling in on the GTX 570's act. And it's the SLI performance again that is really making a difference. The sheer performance of twin GTX 460s really sticks it to the newest Fermi in everything bar the Lost Planet 2 benchmark. And when it's just in one game you can be sure that it's more down to the game engine itself than the card. At the moment a pair of those cards will also be cheaper than a single GTX 570, only by about £15 compared to Nvidia's current RRP, but that's still a tangible difference. And only likely to increase once the board partners start putting their own margins on top. The saving grace is that not everyone will have an SLI-certified motherboard thanks to Nvidia's approach to licensing the hardware or a PSU powerful enough, or with cables enough, to power them. And that only makes us more intrigued to see the GTX 560 once that tips up early next year. Though Nvidia might want to hold off on that one a little longer in case it impacts its own sales too much. But for now in single card terms this is looking like a very sweet spot indeed. With no AMD-shaped competition yet available this £300 card looks like a much more attractive proposition than the GTX 580. The actual difference in benchmark framerates between the two top-end Nvidia cards would be pretty tough to see with the naked eye. So why spend the extra £100? Well, if you had a 2560x1600 monitor and were fanatical about Metro 2033 maybe, but for the rest of us the GTX 570 is currently hitting a decent balance between outright performance and value for cash. Roll on the GeForce GTX 560 then, eh? We liked Because it's based on the GTX 580's improved architecture and cooling design it's actually as fast, and sometimes faster, than the previous generation's GTX 480. The fact it can hit those speeds without going louder or being more power hungry is impressive. We disliked There's not a lot to dislike really. At the moment the sub-£300 pricing looks good, but the board partners are likely to put the price up once they get their own spins of the card out the door. The performance of twin GTX 460 1GB cards takes a bit of the shine off the card though considering they can be picked up for less cash than the single card alternative. 
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| Tron: Legacy star slams 3D tech Posted: 07 Dec 2010 05:30 AM PST  Tron: Legacy is out in glorious 3D later this very month, although its leading lady doesn't seem to be that taken with new 3D cinema tech. Olivia Wilde, Tron: Legacy's leggy star is every geek's ultimate wet dream, yet she remains unconvinced that 3D is the way forward for every movie.
Sub-standard 3D from Tinseltown Wilde told our colleagues over at T3 earlier this week that she is unconvinced by the flood of sub-standard 3D flicks coming out of Tinseltown at the moment. The Tron star told T3 prior to the UK premiere of Tron: Legacy: "Although I do think that certain stories warrant the 3D technique, the effect, I think certain stories don't." As a quick disclaimer she added: "Maybe I'm wrong and maybe I'm just not grasping that 3D is like the advent of colour in film, just expanding the medium and I should embrace that fully." One generation beyond Avatar However, as far as the new Tron film goes, alongside the stunning Daft Punk soundtrack, Wilde is more than sure that the latest 3D projection technology "makes sense for this film…the 3D is the most advanced 3D camera every used, it is one generation beyond the AVATAR camera." Wilde added: "We are also very proud to be a film that was actually shot in 3D, a lot of films are converted in post-production which I think never quite works as well and audiences becoming quite apt at telling the difference." Wilde was excited about working with 3D movie makers, telling T3: "I did kind of enjoy looking into the camera some times and just marvelling at what you can see with all these mirrors inside the lens, I thought that was pretty cool. "Being so used to knowing what the inside of a lens looks like from being in front of it for a lot of my life so far, looking into it and seeing this whole other complex world inside was kind of cool." Tron: Legacy releases across the UK on December 18. If that isn't a good enough excuse to drag the whole family to the local multiplex this Christmas, we really don't know what is. 
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| Android 3.0 shown off on Motorola tablet prototype Posted: 07 Dec 2010 05:14 AM PST  In a week that saw Android 2.3 announced and available before Christmas on the Google Nexus S, it feels odd writing about Android 3.0 so soon. But Google has shown off the OS on an as-yet-unannounced tablet device created by Motorola. Andy Rubin, Google vice president of engineering, showed off the tablet prototype and a sneak peak at Honeycomb at the All Things Digital conference. Bees knees Frustratingly, details about the tablet and the OS were scarce, but an (albeit sparse) interface was shown off, as was the lock screen and quick access to Google Maps. The Google Maps on show was the newest version of Google Maps that was announced this week. Rubin notes that the Maps 3D interface shows of the 3D processing power of the device and showed a new finger gesture to get to the 3D view of Maps. Also explained was that the device has no physical buttons at all – no home button, no back button, nothing. All the navigation is done through Honeycomb. In a little dig to the Apple iPad, he says that you can still get a little lost on the iPad with just one button. He also teased that many more tablets with Android 3.0 will be on the way. 
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| Early View: Google Nexus S vs HTC Desire HD vs iPhone 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S Posted: 07 Dec 2010 05:05 AM PST The Google Nexus S has been announced and has a UK release date of 20 December. We've pitched the key specs of the Samsung-built handset against the key smartphone rival Apple's iPhone 4 as well as Samsung's own Galaxy S (which, as you'll see, is strikingly similar in spec). It's time to see how your next phone stacks up. OS The Google Nexus S breaks new ground for Android, running Android 2.3 Gingerbread out of the box. Both the HTC Desire HD and the Samsung Galaxy S run Android, of course. The Galaxy S runs the Eclair 2.1 version of Android out of the box (depending on network updates), while the Desire HD runs Froyo 2.2 Android with HTC's Sense interface on top. The iPhone 4, of course, runs Apple's own iOS 4. Processor The Desire HD features the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdgragon 8255 processor - matched in clockspeed by the 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 chip in the Samsung Galaxy S and Google Nexus S. The Apple iPhone 4 uses Apple's own A4 chip, which is also based on a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 core but is underclocked. Touchscreen The HTC Desire HD has a 4.3-inch SLCD 480 x 800 pixel screen. That's larger than the identical 4-inch Super AMOLED screen found on the Galaxy S and Nexus S – albeit with the same resolution. However, the Nexus S does introduce one trump card – the screen is curved supposedly to match the curve of your face. The iPhone 4 has Apple's new Retina Display with an impressive 940 x 640 res. Storage While iPhone 4 is available in 16GB and 32GB capacities, the Galaxy S comes with either 16GB or 8GB and the Desire HD with 1.5GB (not great, is it?). The latter two handsets do come with Micro SD slots, though - up to 32GB can be stowed on cards slotted into those. The Google Nexus S has 16GB of storage. Memory The Desire HD goes a step further than its rivals, with 768MB of internal memory for running programs. The Samsung Galaxy S has 568MB on the other hand, the same as the iPhone 4. Surprisingly it seems the Galaxy S is limited to 512MB. Interestingly, that's twice the RAM you'll find in the iPad.
Camera The iPhone 4, Google Nexus S and Samsung Galaxy S have 5MP cameras, but these are trumped by the HTC Desire HD's 8MP unit. All these handsets now shoot 720p HD video and feature geotagging and LED flashes. Connectivity All four handsets are quad-band phones with 3G/HSDPA. You'll also get Wi-Fi (up to 802.11n) and Bluetooth 2.1 whichever you choose with A2DP. The Desire HD, Nexus S and Galaxy S all have Micro USB connections while the iPhone 4 naturally uses the standard Apple 32-pin dock connector. The Google Nexus S also adds NFC, or Near Field Communication support, meaning it could be used as an Oyster or Barclaycard OnePulse-type touch payments. Anything else? All the handsets have 3.5mm audio jacks as you'd expect. The Desire HD and Galaxy S both have FM radios. The iPhone 4 does not, nor does the Nexus S. All the handsets also have GPS, proximity sensor, compass, accelerometer and ambient light sensor. The Desire HD also boasts the Dolby Mobile audio enhancement tech and DLNA compliance. All can be tethered, but Android 2.2 means the Desire HD can act as a Wi-Fi hotspot (as can the 2.3-toting Google Nexus S).
Dimensions and weight The Samsung Galaxy S has a footprint of 122 x 64mm - comparable to the 123 x 68mm Desire HD. The Nexus S has a slightly narrower and thicker 124 x 63mm footprint. The Galaxy S also has a thickness of 1cm, 0.7mm thicker than the iPhone but thinner than the 11.8mm thick Desire HD. The Nexus S has a depth of 11mm in comparison. Both the HTC and Samsung handsets are bigger than the 115 x 59mm iPhone 4. The Galaxy S is the lightest - it weighs in at 119g compared to the 164g Desire HD, 137g iPhone 4 and 129g Google Nexus S. Talk and standby times
All these times are for 3G and are from the spec sheets rather than real-world tests. So. which to go for? The striking thing about these handsets is how similar they all are. Even though the iPhone stands alone in terms of its OS and other features, its core hardware is strikingly similar to the Android handsets. The HTC Desire HD does stand out for its larger screen and better camera, but the pixel count isn't any higher than either of the Samsung-built models, while it also lacks the supreme OLED screen that those two models have. While all of these handsets are pitched at the top end of the market, It will be interesting to see how the Nexus S stacks up against the Galaxy S - aside from the curved screen and NFC, they are very similar under the skin. 
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| Android is making money for Google, says Rubin Posted: 07 Dec 2010 04:43 AM PST  Android is a profitable part of Google's empire, according to the mobile operating system's head Andy Rubin. Rubin, who was involved in the Android project before Google took it over, told the All Things Digital conference that Android was not a loss-leader for Google, but was actually in the black due to the advertising. "We're making money on ads generally through Android," said Rubin. Google difference "When I was a startup there was no way I would have been profitable, my business model was completely different from what it is today," he added "Now, I don't have to sell services I can just do the Google thing, which is an ad-based business model, and we are profitable." Android is becoming one of the key players in mobile phones, and its impact on the industry cannot be understated. With the latest phone – Google's own Nexus S – about to appear, Android remains one of the most significant competitors to RIM's BlackBerry OS and Apple's iOS. 
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| Google Maps for Mobile 5 bringing vector graphics Posted: 07 Dec 2010 04:32 AM PST  A new version of Google Maps for Mobile is imminent, bringing 3D vectors graphics and gesture controls. Google Maps for Mobile 5 was shown off by Android head Andy Rubin at the All Things Digital conference, along with some of the new features. They include vector graphics for 300 cities and gesture controls that allow you to swipe or move the phone to reposition the map. There will also be offline mode - although a connection will be needed to rejig your planned journey. Newer devices The devices that will support the new Google Maps for Mobile 5 include the Galaxy S, Nexus S, Droid, Evo and G2 – so owners of older handsets will not be that thrilled for the time being. Google Maps is a significant application for Google, and it is of course a major part of the Android mobile OS as well as Apple's iOS for iPhones and iPad. As mobiles continue to get more powerful, the full functionality of Google Maps as people use it on more powerful computers will increasingly be present on our phone handsets. 
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| Posted: 07 Dec 2010 04:20 AM PST -200-200.jpg) Engaging celebrated designers to style high-end TVs has become quite the thing. B&O, for example, has a long relationship with David Lewis, while Sharp called upon Toshiyuki Kita for its ground-breaking XS1 RGB LED series. Now it's Toshiba's turn, with renowned Danish studio, Jacob Jensen Design, adding its aesthetic expertise to the VL758 series. Toshiba's recent moves in the TV market have been more about ultra-aggressive pricing than high feature counts and striking designs, so this 42-inch set could represent a real turnaround in the manufacturer's thinking. This apparent shift in perspective is underlined by a strong features list. While the 46VL758 doesn't have 3D playback, it does support Wi-Fi via an optional dongle, and, impressively, includes BBC iPlayer among its online features. The only obvious potential catch is the rather high (£1,500) asking price, but if you are after something more affordable, the brand caters abundantly to that end of the market elsewhere. Try the CCFL-lit, HD ready AV series, for example, or the step-up full HD LV range, available in 32-inch and 40-inch flavours. The RV-prefixed sets add Freeview HD tuners to proceedings, while the SL Series throws in edge LED backlighting.
That all-important design is not especially impressive at first glance. The set certainly isn't ugly, with its one-layer fascia and glassy black bezel offset by a neat silver metallic trim, but it isn't as distinctive as might have been expected. Look closer, though and Jacob Jensen's industrial influences become more apparent. For a start, the set is exceptionally thin; just 2.89cm from front to back. The wall-mount for the TV has been designed to be as thin as possible too. Then there's a tasteful backlit touch panel set of controls integrated into the fascia that's invisible when not in use, while the desktop stand is made from high-quality brushed metal and the chassis is, as a whole, fairly plastic-free. The build quality exudes class, even if the set's overall look is less interesting than it might have been. Turning to the set's skinny rear, it's good to find that Toshiba has realised that many people will probably want to hang such a thin TV on the wall, and so has positioned all the connections so that they're accessible from the side rather than just sticking straight out from the rear. As with some of Samsung's thinnest TVs, this has required Toshiba to provided 'shrinking' adaptors for some connections, including the component, composite and Scart inputs. Elsewhere, you get four HDMIs, an Ethernet port and a couple of USB inputs – a pretty presentable collection, though probably no more than should be expected of a £1,500 46in TV these days. The Ethernet port provides mandatory support for the set's built-in Freeview HD tuner, access to files stored on a DLNA PC as well as access to YouTube and the BBC iPlayer. Support for the latter is always a boon and it is also pleasing to discover that the platform on the 46VL758 supports HD, as well as standard-def video streaming. The 46VL758's online functions are a little unusual in that they don't appear to fall under any branded online umbrella service, like Panasonic's VieraCast or Samsung's Internet@TV: they just appear on the TV's multimedia onscreen menus. It's also quite odd to find the excellent iPlayer here while some more advanced TVs in online feature terms still haven't got it. Overall, however, Toshiba is a few steps behind most of its big-brand rivals when it comes to online goodies. Its DLNA function is rather awkward, thanks to an unwillingness to handle video codecs. Instead you have to hook it up to a PC with media rendering capabilities, which complicates matters no end for novice users and effectively means you'll need a computer equipped with the Windows 7 operating system if you want to enjoy a full set of DLNA features. With this in mind, it's a relief to find that the USB ports support playback of DivX HD video files as well as JPEG photos and MP3 audio files. You can also attach an optional dongle to one of the USBs to make the TV Wi-Fi ready if you want to jack it into your network wirelessly. Turning our attention to the technology driving the 46VL758's pictures, it's no surprise – given the screen's slimness – to find it using edge LED backlighting. The native resolution is, inevitably, full HD, and the screen claims a high contrast ratio of 7,000,000:1, while its motion handling should benefit from 100Hz processing. This 100Hz system is part of Toshiba's wider Active Vision LCD picture processing system, which works on almost all picture elements in a bid to make images better. It's also nice to see Resolution+ making a comeback. This proprietary rescaling system for adding sharpness and detail to standard-definition sources has impressed in the past, but has sadly disappeared from the feature lists of many of Toshiba's 2010 lower-end sets. Delving deeper into the 46VL758's menus additionally reveals Toshiba's most overt attempt yet to appeal to the hardcore AV enthusiasts. For tucked away in a couple of Advanced and Expert onscreen menus are some impressive colour and gamma management tools. You can adjust the basic colour temperature, or hue, saturation and gain of all six of the main video colours. You can even elect to have just the red, green or blue image content on screen at any point, to help you fine tune colours more precisely. For gamma, there are simple static presets, a surprisingly useful black and white balance sliding bar and the facility to manually tinker with the set's gamma 'curve' via two- or 10-point methods. Toshiba has even gone so far as to provide a test screen, with elements included on it that can help you adjust sharpness, contrast and colour settings. Wrapping up the set's features is an interesting sound trick, called Sound Navi. This apparently increases the set's sound projection capabilities for people who've elected to hang the TV on the wall rather than use the provided desktop stand.
Pictures look terrific whenever fed the right sort of content, but at other times they're let down by a single, but hugely irritating, flaw: inconsistent backlighting. This manifests itself during dark scenes as multiple areas of varying brightness. There's a little pool of extra brightness in each corner, for instance, but also two or three others that appear over central parts of the picture, throwing up a wall between you and any dark scene you're watching. These areas of extra brightness are completely invisible if you're watching predominantly bright footage, but few TV dramas or films get by without any dark scenes. So it's clear that the backlight issues have the potential to occasionally distract you from almost anything you watch. Obviously, you can reduce this problem by toning down brightness and decreasing the backlight presence, but while doing so can reduce the issue a little, it doesn't sort it out completely. Backlight inconsistency is, of course a common issue with edge LED TVs, but there are many sets that suffer from it far less grievously than this one. Making this single flaw all the more annoying is the amount of stuff the TV gets right in other areas of its picture performance. Colours, for instance, are vibrant, well saturated and natural in tone – at least after a little time spent removing a slight yellow bias from the out-of-the-box settings. There's enough finesse in the way the set renders blends and shifts, too, to stop skin tones from suffering with the slightly patchy, waxy look often noted with flatscreens. The 46VL758's black level response isn't as bad as you might imagine. Predominantly bright images with a bit of blackness in them are punchy and dynamic and dark scenes would be convincing were it not for the inconsistent backlighting. The set is a fair handler of motion, with the100Hz engine operating in conjunction with what's presumably a pretty speedy innate panel response time enable it to avoid many of the blurring woes to which so many LCD screens are prone. There's a little residual judder, but this is seldom truly distracting. The lack of motion blurring makes it easy to appreciate the 46VL758's enjoyably sharp, clear and detailed rendering of high-definition sources and the sterling work done by Resolution+ with standard-definition pictures. Just don't set the latter higher than its two or, at a push, three as doing so introduces unwelcome amounts of noise and grain. One noteworthy shortcoming sees the screen's contrast reducing dramatically if you have to watch it from an angle of 30º or greater off-axis, while another is that the glass panel that gives the TV its 'one layer' finish tends to reflect ambient light – especially if you've got any wall lights sat directly opposite the screen.
Sound Sadly the 46VL758 is another ultra-slim TV with a disappointing sound system. Particularly evident is the almost complete lack of bass in the soundstage, which leaves action scenes feeling thin, unbalanced and one-dimensional. The mid-range is narrower than most, leaving voices (especially male ones) sounding unrealistic and sound mixes in general sounding a bit muddy. Even the treble end of the audio spectrum is a let down, sounding harsh when pushed at all hard. Value The 46VL758's high price tag makes it a high-end 46-inch TV, in town but this isn't, sadly, underwritten by suitably top-notch performance. Ease of use The 46VL753 scores about average in this section. On the upside, its remote control is glossy and reasonably comfortable to hold, aside from feeling a little lightweight. Its buttons are more responsive and 'clicky' than the rather squishy efforts found on lower-rent Toshiba remotes, too. The only catch with the remote is that Toshiba has decided to place many of the most frequently used buttons very close together. This makes sense on one level, perhaps, but the result is a section of the remote that feels too cluttered with fiddly little buttons. The 46VL758's onscreen menus, meanwhile, are severely lacking in presentational skills. There's scarcely an icon or graphic in sight, leaving you facing the sort of white text on dark background appearance that would have looked dated in 2008, never mind 2010. To be fair, the menu structure built around this text approach is reasonably logical, but it's not unreasonable to expect something higher-tech on a premium TV these days.
With design such an important part of the TV market now, it makes perfect sense for Toshiba to have paid a professional, well-respected design agency, Jacob Jensen Design, to come up with a look for a new premium TV range. Especially as Toshiba hasn't done a properly premium range for some time. It's a pity the results of the design assistance haven't resulted in a more dramatic aesthetic result, but the TV certainly exudes high build quality. The set's feature count is respectable, too, with 100Hz and Active Vision picture processing, and multimedia tools that include DivX HD, MP3 and JPEG playback from USB storage devices plus YouTube and BBC iPlayer access. The main problem with the TV is that, while the 46VL758's pictures are capable of looking excellent with bright, colourful HD footage, it struggles at other times, chiefly thanks to some backlight consistency issues. Also, its sound is below average even by the traditionally underwhelming standards of skinny TVs. With these performance shortcomings in mind, the 46VL758 looks rather expensive: not a charge one has been able to level at a Toshiba TV for quite a while. We liked The set's build quality is terrific, as are some aspects of its design, especially its slimness. We also like the lengths the TV goes to help you calibrate pictures as well as playback of DivX HD from USB devices. Its pictures are bright, colour-rich and sharp with good HD sources and it's better than many rivals with standard-def. We disliked The design isn't quite as original as it might have been, considering that it is the work of a respected third-party design studio. The need for Windows 7 on your PC to enjoy full multimedia PC streaming playback seems unnecessarily finnicky and complicated, too. But worse is the extent of backlight inconsistency visible in pictures and the feeble audio. Final Verdict It's good to see Toshiba trying to re-establish itself at the premium end of the market rather than just slugging it out for budget domination. It's also great to find it announcing a new premium intention with such an uncompromisingly well built and slinky – if hardly earth shattering – TV. Related Links
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| Updated: Android 3.0 rumours and latest updates Posted: 07 Dec 2010 04:13 AM PST  Now that Android 2.3 features are official, information about its successor, Android 3.0 – Android Honeycomb – is starting to emerge. Here's what we know about Android 3.0 so far. On 20 October, we reported that Android 3.0 tablets are rumoured to be heading out to engineers in time for Christmas. If true, this means that we'll see a whole bunch of tablets running Android 3.0 at CES 2011. It's possible, though, that these tablets could instead be running the recently announced Android 2.3. Android 3.0 release date Android 3.0 release date is looking like early 2011. UPDATE: In a video on All Things Digital posted on 7 December Google's Andy Rubin showed off a prototype Motorola Android 3.0 tablet and confirmed that the Android 3.0 release date will be "some time next year". Android 3.0 features and specifications As we reported earlier in July, a Russian podcast details how Android 3.0 will be restricted to high-end handsets (and tablets). The podcast explained that Android 3.0 phones will require at least a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 3.5-inch or larger displays. The feature list for Honeycomb is currently scant, but will include elements that didn't make it into Android 2.3. Android 3.0 phones One of the first Android 3.0 phones could be the Samsung Galaxy S2 if another rumour is to be believed. The leaked details of the Galaxy S I9200 claim a 4.3-inch screen with a resolution of 1280x720. On 27 October 2010, reports appeared that Google was planning to release an Android 3.0 powered Nexus Two with Carphone Warehouse, although we now know that the next Nexus - called the Nexus S and available through Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy - is running Android 2.3. It's also possible that the PSP Phone will be running Android 3.0. Android 3.0 tablets Acer has announced 7- and 10-inch Android tablets which are slated for release in April 2011. This means they'll almost certainly be running Android 3.0. The prototype Android 3.0 Motorola tablet that Andy Rubin showed off is running on what Rubin described as Nvidia's "dual core 3D processor" - presumably this is a Tegra chip. We'll bring you more Android 3.0 details as they emerge. 
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