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• Webmail in decline as mobile mail sky-rockets
• Review: Toshiba 37RV753
• Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent
• Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent
• Eric Schmidt steps down as Google CEO
• Motorola: Xoom will have a premium price
• Honeycomb may never come to mobiles
• Google not aiming Chrome OS at tablets
• Motorola hints strongly at second Xoom tablet
• Digital cameras and cars to fuel mobile broadband surge
• Video: iOS 4.3 multi-touch gestures demoed
• Video: iOS 4.3 multi-touch gestures demoed
• Hollywood embraces 3D movie trailers on 3DS
• Updated: iPad 2 rumours: what you need to know
• Apple iPad 2 to launch on 9 February?
• Apple iPad 2 to launch on 9 February?
• Samsung Galaxy S2 gets more specs and new codename
• Google Maps quietly launches fuel calculator
• Yahoo switches on OpenID sign ins
• Sony announces new PS3 preview events
• Twitter sued for creating a network for the famous
• In Depth: Intel: 'We haven't missed the smartphone boat'
• Facebook launches new mobile site for feature phones
• Hands on: Nintendo 3DS review
• Tutorial: How to share a printer using OS X

Webmail in decline as mobile mail sky-rockets Posted: 21 Jan 2011 01:02 AM PST Use of webmail is in decline, with mobile mail sky rocketing in the past year, according to the latest figures. ComScore's study of online behaviours in the US suggests a trend away from the internet for our mail, with a 6 per cent drop in usage year on year. These figures include the likes of Gmail and Hotmail but not traditional email through programs like Outlook. Phoning it in The decline does not mean that we are consuming less email, however, with a staggering 36 per cent more people stating that they used their phones to access email in a month than last year. "Digital communication has evolved rapidly in the last few years with an ever-increasing number of ways for Internet users to communicate with one another," said Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice president of mobile. "From PCs to mobile devices, whether its email, social media, IM or texting, consumers have many ways to communicate and can do so at any time and in any place. "The decline in web-based email is a by-product of these shifting dynamics and the increasing availability of on-demand communication options." The shift is apparently coming from the younger demographic, which suggests that this is a trend that may continue as our mobile phones continue to take over some of the functions that a PC has traditionally filled. Related Stories Google Maps quietly launches fuel calculator Yahoo switches on OpenID sign ins Eric Schmidt steps down as Google CEO Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent

Review: Toshiba 37RV753 Posted: 21 Jan 2011 01:00 AM PST The 37RV753 is the kind of screen most people now know Toshiba for. It's aggressively priced (at the time of writing you can pick it up for £399 at Tesco Direct with a Blu-ray player thrown in free of charge) and has the design aesthetic of a dressing table mirror. It's a quantum leap away from what the brand is now trying to achieve with its WL Jacob Jensen Design studio lineup. It is a commodity product through and through, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Viewed from the front, this RV series set doesn't disgrace itself in polite company, although some might think the glossy bezel is rather too chunky to be a la mode. So what do you get on a 37RV753? Well, not LED backlighting for a start. This model uses a traditional CCFL backlight (hence its 290mm deep cabinet), it also lacks motion resolution improvers (Active Vision M100 and Film Stabilization). In short, it's a bare bones box that offers barely any groovy gubbins. If you were to make a virtue out the 37RV753's Wispa-light features list it would be that it includes nothing to frighten even the terminally technophobic. The remote control is a rudimentary affair, with diddy buttons and a lightweight, throwaway feel. Naturally, it doubles up as a disc deck controller if you flip the toggle switch on the top. The set does at least have a Freeview HD tuner, which sets it apart from the screens in the really cheap seats, though. Backside connection options on the set will be adequate for most. There are three HDMI inputs (the third of which can work with a feed from a DVI source, via an adaptor), component video, a PC input with minijack audio, an Ethernet LAN port, and stereo phono and optical digital audio outputs. There are also two Scarts for older standard-def kit and, interestingly, a phono output designed to feed a small active subwoofer. The two-channel stereo audio is filtered in the set with mid to low bass routed out to the sub, so you'll not get the same type of LFE feed as a .1 channel in a surround mix. Still, it will help the screen make a more rambunctious noise. On the right hand side of the set are some addition ports. There's a fourth HDMI, a CI (Common Interface) slot for pay TV services, analogue AV inputs and two USB sockets. One of these is designated for media playback from a USB device while the other is for a Wi-Fi dongle. Eco warriors will be pleased to see the manual power switch on the left side. There are also some basic hands-on controls. Naturally, the player is compatible with the CEC interoperability standard, called RegzaLink. Rather infuriatingly for consumers, different companies have different interpretations of CEC, so you can never be clear if one will work with the other. For this audition, the 37RV753 enjoyed only partial interoperability with a Sony Blu-ray player. The set is DLNA certified, which might lead you to believe it offers some meaningful level of multimedia file support. However, this is not the case; the 37RV753 fails miserably when it came to video streaming. While it can see NAS storage devices and PCs, it steadfastly refuses to play video test files including AVIs, MKVs, AVCHs... Apparently it works with MPEG files, but what would be the point of that? Music however, seems more agreeable to this set; it will sing along to some MP3s without issue, although it can't display any cover art. The start-up menu is pretty straightforward. There's an uneventful walk-through of country and location menus before it starts scanning for channels. It only takes a few minutes to populate the EPG. Despite the provision of an Ethernet port on the rear of the set, there is no online content portal to explore. Toshiba has yet to announce a start date for its Toshiba Places IPTV offering and on this set you don't even get YouTube to pass the time with. Toshiba has opted for a conservative user interface. Compared to the screaming graphics favoured by many of its competitors, the presentation is understated but intuitive. To save mucking about through numerous boxes, there's a Quick menu that groups everything you actually might need in a single box (Picture Mode and Size, Media Player etc). Picture controls are versatile. There's a full range of parameter calibration on offer, along with Backlight Adjustment Pro and base colour management. It's unlikely that the target audience of this type of TV will want to get their hands dirty at this level, but it's a nice option to have. The Native mode, which prevents overscanning, seems to be the best option for watching HD broadcasts and content. It goes without saying that the best way to hook up any TV screen to a home network is with a wired connection. This may not always be possible, of course, and so you might feel a need to opt for a Wi-Fi dongle. Alternatively, consider looking into Power Line, which uses the mains ring to carry network traffic to anywhere there's a power socket – it's often much more reliable than Wi-Fi and a two-pack Powerline system sells for around the same as a dedicated branded dongle. Powering up the screen immediately brings one problem to light: a buzzing backlight. It oscillates depending on how the screen is set up. Bizarrely, when you select the retina-frying Dynamic setting the noise disappears; choose one of the other viewing modes and the screen begins to hum. Increase the brightness to the mid-90s on the sliding scale provided and the noise abates, however dive into some of the other menus and it comes back immediately. It could well be that this is a sample fault; however the fact it turned up on this test-bench sounding like a demented contestant trying to answer a question on Family Fortunes is enough to earn several demerits. The programme listing, meanwhile, is a generic Toshiba affair, and is wide and easy to navigate. A cursory glance might suggest the picture quality from the 37RV753 is adequate, but you don't need too dig deep to uncover problems. The lack of any proprietary refresh modes cripples any ability to maintain high-definition clarity with motion (note that, according to the Toshiba website, the set has Active Vision 11, but the instruction manual says differently and the TV's performance corroborates this). A horizontal scrolling monoscope test pattern gives a graphic representation of moving picture fidelity. As a still image, this test pattern is as sharp as you might hope, with 1,080 lines of fine detail clearly resolved. However, as soon as the test pattern begins to scroll horizontally, the perceived onscreen definition sinks like a sumo wrestler in a Koi carp pond. If you can pick out more than 600 lines, you are being generous. This inability to hold onto detail is why some HD programmes look inexplicably, sporadically soft; it's most noticeable on pictures from the Freeview HD channels; some shows (talking-head, studio based stuff) can look rather nice and crispy, however action sequences and sport have a 'now we're sharp, now we're soft' bleariness about them. A test pattern with ever-decreasing fine line graticules developed by the Advanced PDP Development Centre confirms this lack of motion picture resolution: any fine detail beyond 600/650 lines evaporates as soon as it begins to move. The loss of fidelity worsens in scenes of low brightness. A secondary test pattern, comprising of Japanese and English scrolling text, smudges badly when run at 30 per cent luminance. On the plus side, colour fidelity is rather good. There is a tendency for CCFL-backlit screens to render reds as rather orangey, but that isn't the case here; roses are recognisably red. However, colour gradations are a little steppy, which suggests bit-depth limitations. As always, you'll need to take care with sharpness when calibrating: anything over -20 on the calibration slider seems to be counter-productive. Further up Toshiba's range ladder are TVs with Film Stabilization, a processing mode designed to eliminate cinematic judder. Unfortunately, this is absent on the 37RV753 – with predictable results. When Prince Charming canters behind a rocky outcrop on the remastered Blu-ray of Sleeping Beauty, the scrolling image resembles a flick book. On the plus side, there is none of that ice-skating artificial smoothness so commonly associated with high frame-rate modes. Like all CCFL-backlit screens, black levels suffer in low ambient lighting. What looks deep black in a hotly lit room, sheepishly becomes grey when the light level in the viewing room dips. Blacks are not ruinously grey, but there is some loss of visual snap. It's worth noting that the panel itself is not overly kind to off-axis viewing. You only have to manoeuvre some 15° from square-on to see the colour drain from the faces of those onscreen. Audio quality of the set is surprisingly good. The larger cabinet size of the RV enables some air to move around and (even without using the subwoofer output for extra bass) there's sufficient roundness for the 2x10W output to serve general viewing well. A Dynamic bass Boost option (Off, Low, High) further stuffs the mid-band, causing it to get a little too plumy. To counter this, there's a Voice Enhancement tweak that adds a little more treble. The set also offers Dolby Volume, a neat example of post processing which equalises discrepancies between channels and sources, so that you don't jump out of your skin when a scary movie you've been watching cuts to a commercial ad break. The screen also supports Audio Description on programming, with variable levels of sound mixing available. Value Ultimately, this bargain priced LCD performs much as you would expect it to. If you are looking for a reasonably priced screen, it might well do the job, although spending less on a TV (if it's your main set) may well prove to be a false economy. While the audio performance is decent, a plethora of picture problems make this screen difficult to recommend. Throw in the buzzing CCFL backlight and an inadequate DLNA implementation and you end up with a screen only its maker could love. The Toshiba 37RV753 is a mass-market telly aimed at the supermarket electricals shopper and is not intended to be a high performance purchase, but there are some fundamental flaws that deny it a recommendation. The buzzing backlight on this sample may be an isolated problem, but it might equally be indicative of what's in store for owners of this particular set. Its DLNA credentials are next to worthless and there are no IPTV niceties to compensate. Toshiba's new, immeasurably better WL line will yield greater satisfaction for anyone even slightly picky about pictures. We liked The surprisingly inoffensive audio performance, the Freeview HD tuner and the shopping-trolley price. We disliked The poor motion picture clarity, the intermittently buzzing CCFL backlight and hopeless video file support Verdict If you need a second set, perhaps for a room you rarely visit, then the 37RV753 might fit the bill, but you could do much better. Related Links TechRadar's Review Guarantee TVs@TechRadar - our new TV channel Related Stories Review: Panasonic TX-P37X20 Review: Philips 32PFL7605H Review: Panasonic TX-P37X20 Review: Philips 40PFL9705 Review: Toshiba 55WL768

Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent Posted: 20 Jan 2011 02:39 PM PST Google today announced whopping Q4 2010 profits just moments after Eric Schmidt told the world he's stepping aside for Larry Page to become CEO of the company. The company's earnings were up 26 per cent from the same period last year with bringing in $8.44 billion for a net income of $2.54 billion, with each of the 326 million shares earning $7.81. CFO Patrick Pichette called the earnings "a phenomenal ending to a very good year." Comparing the results to Apple's earnings during the same period will please Steve Jobs. Cupertino posted profits of $6 billion and revenue of $26.4 billion, up 71 per cent. Earnings-per-share were $6.43. Down in the UK In other news 52 per cent of all revenue come from oversees, while the $878million it brought in from the UK was two per cent down on last year's figure for Q4, from 12 per cent to 10. Current CEO Eric Schmidt said: "Q4 marked a terrific end to a stellar year. "Our strong performance has been driven by a rapidly growing digital economy, continuous product innovation that benefits both users and advertisers, and by the extraordinary momentum of our newer businesses, such as display and mobile. "These results give us the optimism and confidence to invest heavily in future growth -- investments that will benefit our users, Google and the wider web." Wages on the up Another notable element to come out of the earnings call was the news that Google plans to raise its salaries by 10 per cent across the board in order to attract and keep Silicon Valley's finest talent. Looking forward it seems that Google is will attempt to exploit the social search goldmine. Co-Founder Larry Brin says the company has only "unlocked one per cent" of what can be done in this area. Related Stories Google Maps quietly launches fuel calculator Yahoo switches on OpenID sign ins Eric Schmidt steps down as Google CEO Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent Webmail in decline as mobile mail sky-rockets

Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent Posted: 20 Jan 2011 02:39 PM PST Google today announced whopping Q4 2010 profits just moments after Eric Schmidt told the world he's stepping aside for Larry Page to become CEO of the company. The company's earnings were up 26 per cent from the same period last year with bringing in $8.44 billion for a net income of $2.54 billion, with each of the 326 million shares earning $7.81. CFO Patrick Pichette called the earnings "a phenomenal ending to a very good year." Comparing the results to Apple's earnings during the same period will please Steve Jobs. Cupertino posted profits of $6 billion and revenue of $26.4 billion, up 71 per cent. Earnings-per-share were $6.43. Down in the UK In other news 52 per cent of all revenue come from oversees, while the $878million it brought in from the UK was two per cent down on last year's figure for Q4, from 12 per cent to 10. Current CEO Eric Schmidt said: "Q4 marked a terrific end to a stellar year. "Our strong performance has been driven by a rapidly growing digital economy, continuous product innovation that benefits both users and advertisers, and by the extraordinary momentum of our newer businesses, such as display and mobile. "These results give us the optimism and confidence to invest heavily in future growth -- investments that will benefit our users, Google and the wider web." Wages on the up Another notable element to come out of the earnings call was the news that Google plans to raise its salaries by 10 per cent across the board in order to attract and keep Silicon Valley's finest talent. Looking forward it seems that Google is will attempt to exploit the social search goldmine. Co-Founder Larry Brin says the company has only "unlocked one per cent" of what can be done in this area. Related Stories Google Maps quietly launches fuel calculator Yahoo switches on OpenID sign ins Eric Schmidt steps down as Google CEO Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent Webmail in decline as mobile mail sky-rockets

Eric Schmidt steps down as Google CEO Posted: 20 Jan 2011 02:04 PM PST Eric Schmidt today shocked the tech world by announcing that he is ending his 10-year stint as Google CEO. The long-time figurehead will hand over the reigns to co-founder Larry Page on April 4th, according to a post on the company's blog this evening. The surprising news came as the company announced a massive $2.54 billion net income for the last quarter of 2010 and just days after old pal Steve Jobs also announced a leave of absence from Apple. Simplifying management Schmidt, who becomes "Executive Chairman" and will now be working on strategic aspects of the company, says the move will "simplify the management structure" which had become too complicated. Speaking via the official blog Schmidt says: "When I joined Google in 2001 I never imagined—even in my wildest dreams—that we would get as far, as fast as we have today. "Search has quite literally changed people's lives—increasing the collective sum of the world's knowledge and revolutionizing advertising in the process. And our emerging businesses—display, Android, YouTube and Chrome—are on fire. Of course, like any successful organization we've had our fair share of good luck, but the entire team—now over 24,000 Googlers globally—deserves most of the credit. "And as our results today show, the outlook is bright. But as Google has grown, managing the business has become more complicated. "So Larry, Sergey and I have been talking for a long time about how best to simplify our management structure and speed up decision making—and over the holidays we decided now was the right moment to make some changes to the way we are structured. "For the last 10 years, we have all been equally involved in making decisions. This triumvirate approach has real benefits in terms of shared wisdom, and we will continue to discuss the big decisions among the three of us. "But we have also agreed to clarify our individual roles so there's clear responsibility and accountability at the top of the company." Ready to lead The new Executive Chairman says long-time colleague Larry Page is "ready to lead" the company onto bigger and better things as leader of "product development and technology strategy." Sergey Brin will continue with the title of Co-Founder, working on new products. What a couple of days it has been for the CEO's of two of the biggest tech companies in the world. We'll have more on Google's Q4 earnings shortly. Related Stories Google Maps quietly launches fuel calculator Yahoo switches on OpenID sign ins Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent Webmail in decline as mobile mail sky-rockets

Motorola: Xoom will have a premium price Posted: 20 Jan 2011 12:03 PM PST Motorola has stated that it considers its forthcoming Xoom tablet a 'premium' product, and will likely have a price to reflect that. Online retailers have been offering the tablet for prices north of £700, and when quizzed at a recent round tablet, a Motorola spokesperson didn't deny the price level. "While we haven't announced the price, the Motorola Xoom is clearly a premium device with premium pieces inside. Still successful "This will show in the cost too - however, at the price level [it will be launched at] we believe it will be successful." With the LG Optimus Pad, also running Android 3.0, rumoured to have a lower price despite similar specs and a 3D screen, Motorola better be putting some low margins on those premium pieces if it hopes to be a success in what will quickly become a convoluted tablet market. If you're not too put off by the sky high price, but baulked at the fact that the Motorola Xoom has a non-working microSD slot - then good news everyone, that's likely to be fixed soon. When asked about the omission by TechRadar, Motorola told us that it was a 'time to market issue' but should be patched and fixed in the near future. Related Stories HTC Flyer tablet to hit Mobile World Congress? Updated: HTC Tablet rumours: what you need to know LG Optimus Pad to debut at MWC with 3D screen Motorola hints strongly at second Xoom tablet Google not aiming Chrome OS at tablets

Honeycomb may never come to mobiles Posted: 20 Jan 2011 11:46 AM PST Google's Android 3.0 OS, codenamed Honeycomb, may never come to the smartphone market. Since tablets have been announced using the new operating system rumours have been abound that a potted-down version will be coming to smartphones. But when asked by TechRadar if the new OS would be coming to mobiles in the future, a Google spokesperson said: "We took the opportunity with Android 3.0 to enhance the UI. "Right now it's a tablet operating system." However, the spokesperson also said that in the future Google would like to unite the numbers systems [to stop Android 2.x being for smartphones and Android 3.x for tablets]. Unified future "I think that coming together is a good idea. What we're trying to do here I make a base platform that's so good, that others only need to add native elements in their core areas. "We wanted to make the whole UI better - it shouldn't be necessary to customise the texting widget with the Honeycomb UI. "We don't think one size fits all with Android, but sometimes changes [people make to the UI] miss the point - then again, sometimes it amazes us." Related Stories Sony Ericsson Vivaz 2 gets the hands-on treatment In Depth: Intel: 'We haven't missed the smartphone boat' Samsung Galaxy S2 gets more specs and new codename Video: iOS 4.3 multi-touch gestures demoed Video: iOS 4.3 multi-touch gestures demoed

Google not aiming Chrome OS at tablets Posted: 20 Jan 2011 11:25 AM PST Google has stated that it is focusing on building Chrome OS for laptops and desktop units, and not aiming it at the tablet market. When asked by TechRadar if the emergence of the Android-powered tablet had changed Google's plans for the OS, a spokesperson replied: "Tablets have taken a lot of people by surprise; even those ardent supporters are surprised at how popular they've become. Android is for smaller devices "[With Chrome OS] we're focusing on laptops for that platform, as the way we see it, Android is right for smaller devices, like phones, tablets and set top boxes. "Chrome OS is more for the larger devices, like laptops and desktops." Interestingly the spokesperson had to twice correct himself when speaking about the kind of devices Chrome OS will be good for - when listing laptops and desktops, he started by saying netbooks, but switched that to laptops, meaning netbooks may also be seen as too 'small' a device category for the new operating system. Related Stories HTC Flyer tablet to hit Mobile World Congress? Updated: HTC Tablet rumours: what you need to know LG Optimus Pad to debut at MWC with 3D screen Motorola hints strongly at second Xoom tablet Motorola: Xoom will have a premium price

Motorola hints strongly at second Xoom tablet Posted: 20 Jan 2011 11:08 AM PST Motorola has dropped a big hint that it will soon be launching a Wi-Fi-only variant of its forthcoming Motorola Xoom tablet. The new device still has yet to launch, but when quizzed at a recent round table discussion about a non-3G Xoom, the response contained a big hint about the future: "We're betting big on our tablet strategy," said a Motorola spokesperson. "We currently have a 3G and Wi-Fi model, which will be upgradeable to 4G [with an additional module]. Interesting development "A Wi-Fi-only version hasn't been announced... but that will be an interesting development." Motorola sadly couldn't come up with a Xoom release date, as only the Q1 timeframe for the US has been announced. However, better news for those looking to develop for the Android 3.0-powered tablet: Google has promised the Honeycomb SDK will be delivered 'soonish' - which when pressed was changed to 'the coming weeks', with the full source code coming shortly after. Related Stories HTC Flyer tablet to hit Mobile World Congress? Updated: HTC Tablet rumours: what you need to know LG Optimus Pad to debut at MWC with 3D screen Google not aiming Chrome OS at tablets Motorola: Xoom will have a premium price

Digital cameras and cars to fuel mobile broadband surge Posted: 20 Jan 2011 09:19 AM PST A new study is predicting that cameras and cars will be integral to the rise in devices hooking up to mobile broadband and that by 2016 a cool 1 billion devices will be 'connected'. There's been many a report on the future of connected devices, and this latest study by the UMTS Forum seems to be the most conservative in regards to just how many devices will be hooking up to mobile broadband in the future. Back in August 2010, another study was released that looked at both mobile and the traditional web and noted that some 22 billion devices would be internet savvy by 2020. Web wise Both studies agreed that cars and cameras will help fuel this surge in web connectivity, with the UMTS forum noting: "The future growth of the mobile communications and CE industries are intrinsically linked. "Over the next few years, mobile broadband will enable the cost-effective deployment of 'always on' devices for the consumer." Currently there are a small crop of cameras that have web connectivity, including the latest Panasonic Lumix range.

Video: iOS 4.3 multi-touch gestures demoed Posted: 20 Jan 2011 08:57 AM PST Apple has granted developers an extra little treat in the iOS 4.3 betas – a preview of multi-touch gestures. With the release of the second iOS 4.3 beta to developers yesterday, Apple said that the multi-touch gesture input won't be coming to customers when iOS 4.3 is shipped, rather it is "providing this preview to gather input on how these gestures work with your apps". Still, it's a pretty safe bet that we'll see the gestural input method make its way to our iOS screens at some point in the future (on the button-less generation, perhaps?). Cool but clumsy Antoni Nygaard has helpfully recorded a video showing off how the gestures work for multitasking. While four-fingered swipes to scroll through applications instead of having to bring up the dock are kind of cool, the do look a little clumsy on the iPhone 3GS' small-ish screen. Nygaard also demos how you can toggle the mute switch to become a screen orientation lock button towards the end of the video; less exciting than multitouch gestures, perhaps, but more likely to make its way to an iPhone near you soon. Related Stories Sony Ericsson Vivaz 2 gets the hands-on treatment In Depth: Intel: 'We haven't missed the smartphone boat' Samsung Galaxy S2 gets more specs and new codename Video: iOS 4.3 multi-touch gestures demoed Honeycomb may never come to mobiles

Video: iOS 4.3 multi-touch gestures demoed Posted: 20 Jan 2011 08:57 AM PST Apple has granted developers an extra little treat in the iOS 4.3 betas – a preview of multi-touch gestures. With the release of the second iOS 4.3 beta to developers yesterday, Apple said that the multi-touch gesture input won't be coming to customers when iOS 4.3 is shipped, rather it is "providing this preview to gather input on how these gestures work with your apps". Still, it's a pretty safe bet that we'll see the gestural input method make its way to our iOS screens at some point in the future (on the button-less generation, perhaps?). Cool but clumsy Antoni Nygaard has helpfully recorded a video showing off how the gestures work for multitasking. While four-fingered swipes to scroll through applications instead of having to bring up the dock are kind of cool, the do look a little clumsy on the iPhone 3GS' small-ish screen. Nygaard also demos how you can toggle the mute switch to become a screen orientation lock button towards the end of the video; less exciting than multitouch gestures, perhaps, but more likely to make its way to an iPhone near you soon. Related Stories Sony Ericsson Vivaz 2 gets the hands-on treatment In Depth: Intel: 'We haven't missed the smartphone boat' Samsung Galaxy S2 gets more specs and new codename Honeycomb may never come to mobiles Video: iOS 4.3 multi-touch gestures demoed

Hollywood embraces 3D movie trailers on 3DS Posted: 20 Jan 2011 08:54 AM PST Nintendo's president hopes that Hollywood movie studios will embrace the new Nintendo 3DS in order to promote 3D movie trailers. Satoru Iwata claims that the ability of Nintendo's new handheld to play 3D videos and movie trailers is going to be a key part of its success. Iwata Asks The Nintendo boss outlined his thinking about the 3DS' media potential in the latest Iwata Asks series of interviews – in which Iwata was speaking with feted developer Shigeru Miyamoto and Mother creator Shigesato Itoi. Nintendo's top brass is particularly keen to stress that the slow take-up of 3D in the home to date is down to the high cost of 3D TVs, something that the Japanese gaming company is confident it can rectify with 3DS. "People making 3D content today are having trouble because of a lack of output," Iwata says. "While 3D televisions are on sale, I don't think 3D televisions requiring the use of special glasses will catch on that quickly. From the point of view of consumers, this is a big attraction. They don't have a device at home for playing 3D images." Hollywood embraces Nintendo "When we show Nintendo 3DS to people in Hollywood, they're intensely interested," Iwata added. "I think lots of people would be happy if they could watch things like 3D movie trailers on their Nintendo 3DS." In particular, the 3DS' Spot Pass system which allows content to be delivered to the device over Wi-Fi while the console is in sleep mode, is of interest to 3D movie producers in Tinseltown. "It is possible to distribute trailers to Nintendo 3DS," says Iwata. "And it's possible to distribute them to a Nintendo 3DS in a Wi-Fi environment while the user sleeps." Miyamoto explains that this means "when the owner wakes up in the morning and turns on the system, a new video is waiting." The Nintendo 3DS launches in Europe 25 March, with the price still to be decided by retailers, expected to be in the region of between £220 and £230. Related Stories Sky and Eurosport to supply 3D content for Nintendo 3DS Nintendo 3DS UK release date revealed Sky and Eurosport to supply 3D content for Nintendo 3DS Guinness reveals videogame world records Sony announces new PS3 preview events

Updated: iPad 2 rumours: what you need to know Posted: 20 Jan 2011 08:31 AM PST The internet loves Apple and it loves ill-founded speculation, so it's hardly surprising that iPad 2 rumours were flying before the first iPad even reached the UK. With only weeks to go before its expected unveiling the iPad 2 release date, specs and price are still closely guarded secrets, but that doesn't mean there aren't some juicy rumours, inspired guesses and possibly even Apple leaks to consider. Reports suggest Apple is also expecting massive demand for the new device and has ordered six million units per month. Here's our pick of the latest iPad 2 rumours. iPad 2 specs: cameras and a gyroscope Gizmodo reckons that FaceTime support's a given, and that means a front-facing camera like the iPhone 4. BuzzBizzNews echoes the camera story, suggesting twin cameras. It also suggests that there'll be a three-axis gyroscope like there is in the iPhone 4. EETimes says Apple has been testing gyroscopes but decided not to put one in the original iPad. On 10 December 2010, images of a new iPad case appeared online, suggesting that the iPad 2 will feature a rear-facing camera. On 17 January 2011, we heard word of not only a rear camera, but a front one too... it seems more likely that FaceTime will be coming to the iPad 2 as well. iPad 2 specs: a USB port and SD card slot Rumours suggest that the iPad 2 will have a USB port, which BuzzBizzNews says will enable users to "upload movies, documents and photos". We're not convinced it's for that, because Apple is moving increasingly to wireless. The iPad prints wirelessly. The iPad streams media wirelessly. Why add USB? More likely, we think, is a MicroUSB port or adapter so the iPad meets new EU regulations on mobile device chargers. Images of a new iPad case have appeared online that seem to show space for an SD card slot. On 17 January 2011, we also reported on said SD clard slot - it would be a dramatic move for Apple to go with such expandable memory, but a clever one if true. iPad 2 specs: GSM and CDMA AllThingsDigital quotes analyst Brian Blair, who says that Apple may be readying a "world iPad" that uses both GSM and CDMA networks, enabling it to get online anywhere in the world. CDMA, incidentally, is the technology used by Verizon in the US. iPad 2 case: thinner and more like a MacBook Brian Blair also says: "the new iPad is thinner than the existing model and is essentially made from one piece of metal with no pins needed. We understand it requires a new type of manufacturing process as a result, similar to the company's unibody approach seen in MacBooks." iPad 2 specs: retina display Will the gorgeous screen from the iPhone 4 make its way to the iPad? The Apple Blog thinks so: "You can be sure that Apple's Retina Display, or something very close, will make its way to iPad". Then again, such a screen would massively increase the number of pixels, increasing the demands on both the iPad's processor and its battery, so a nine-inch Retina Display is a challenge. If Apple's solved it we'll see you down the Apple Store the second it goes on sale. iPad 2 specs: a seven-inch screen? All of Apple's rivals have plumped for 7-inch displays, which means their tablets are lighter than the iPad. Will Apple follow them into seven-inch territory? iLounge says prototypes exist, while earlier this year DigiTimes predicted not just a seven-inch iPad 2, but a 5.6-inch iPad 2. Apparently the smaller iPads would target ebooks while the current iPad would target multimedia entertainment, "sources stated". We're doubtful. Apple already does a mini-iPad with a retina display. It's the iPod touch. The idea of a smaller iPad 2 took another knock in November, when 9to5Mac reported that the iPad 2 adverts have already been shot - with current-generation iPads playing the role of iPad 2s. The iPad 2s will be digitally added nearer the time, and of course that's much harder to do if the iPad 2 is smaller than the iPads the actors are actually holding. iPad 2 specs: a faster processor KitGuru "has been hearing rumours from the Far East" that the iPad 2 will be a seven-inch job with a 2GHz processor and an HD video camera. It reckons the processor will be based on ARM's Cortex A9, the 1GHz dual-core processor that you'll find in the BlackBerry PlayBook. On 18 January, we also reported the iPad 2 will have a boosted dual core GPU, based on an upgraded graphical core from Apple. This will allow better pixel management, lending weight the theory that the iPad 2 will have a much higher-res screen. iPad 2 specs: more memory This is a no-brainer: the iPhone 4 has twice the memory of the iPad (512MB compared to 256MB), largely because the iPhone does multitasking. Since the iOS 4.2 release, iPads do multitasking too. 256MB already seems a little bit stingy. iPad 2 specs: no home button Boy Genius Report says a source has told it that Apple has employees testing iPads with no home buttons, but we're inclined to agree with ZDNet, which says "don't bet on it". iPad 2 features: Find My Friends On 13 January 2011 we reported that Apple seems to have a location-based tool called Find My Friends in the works for its iOS 4.3 iPhone and iPad update. The iPad 2 release date is probably in the Spring Rumours suggested that the iPad 2 would be rushed out in time for Christmas, but if that's Apple's plan they're being awfully last-minute about it. Early 2011 seems like a much better bet, and it fits with Apple's annual product cycle: the first iPad was announced in January and shipped in the spring. On 7 December we reported on rumours that Apple would be shipping iPad 2 units out to warehouses in February 2011. If that date is correct, it suggests an iPad 2 release date of some time around April. This has been corroborated by our report on 17 January, with the April UK release date backed up by 'insiders'. On 20 January 2011 we reported that the iPad 2 release date could be 9 February, after images leaked showing that date on the home screen (the original iPad launch promotional material had a 27 January 2010 date on the home screen - the date the first iPad launched). The iPad 2 price won't change much Unless there's a new seven-inch model we'll be amazed if the iPad 2 price is dramatically lower than the model it replaces: Apple isn't struggling to shift units and rivals are charging similar prices. Cheapo tablets do exist, but they're rubbish. Related Stories Steve Jobs takes medical leave of absence from Apple Apple's Tim Cook: Android tablets are 'scaled up smartphones' Apple iPad 2 to launch on 9 February? Apple iPad 2 to launch on 9 February?

Apple iPad 2 to launch on 9 February? Posted: 20 Jan 2011 08:17 AM PST Apple is rumoured to be preparing a launch event for 9 February to unveil the iPad 2, according to speculation kicked off by a leaked image of an iPad 2 containing exactly that date on the Home screen. Keen-eyed Apple-watching scouts over at 9to5Mac and Neowin suggest that the leaked image which shows the 9 February date on what purports to be a shot of the iPad 2 is good enough evidence to peg that date as the officially planned date for the reveal. Extrapolation and raw hope Extrapolating from the fact that the original iPad launch promo images had a 27 January 2010 date on the home screen – the same date as Apple's first tablet was announced – the rumour-mill is now alight with chatter that 9 February is set to be the day that Apple's iPad 2 is unveiled to the world. The Apple iPad 2 is also rumoured to feature a front-facing camera with FaceTime support, gyroscopes for improved tilt control for apps and gaming, as well as a USB port and an SD card slot. Of course, we will have to wait until Apple's PR team deigns to reveal the actual, final UK release date for the iPad 2 until we can find out which of the many rumours currently doing the rounds turn out to be true. Related Stories Updated: iPad 2 rumours: what you need to know Steve Jobs takes medical leave of absence from Apple Apple's Tim Cook: Android tablets are 'scaled up smartphones' Apple iPad 2 to launch on 9 February?

Apple iPad 2 to launch on 9 February? Posted: 20 Jan 2011 08:17 AM PST Apple is rumoured to be preparing a launch event for 9 February to unveil the iPad 2, according to speculation kicked off by a leaked image of an iPad 2 containing exactly that date on the Home screen. Keen-eyed Apple-watching scouts over at 9to5Mac and Neowin suggest that the leaked image which shows the 9 February date on what purports to be a shot of the iPad 2 is good enough evidence to peg that date as the officially planned date for the reveal. Extrapolation and raw hope Extrapolating from the fact that the original iPad launch promo images had a 27 January 2010 date on the home screen – the same date as Apple's first tablet was announced – the rumour-mill is now alight with chatter that 9 February is set to be the day that Apple's iPad 2 is unveiled to the world. The Apple iPad 2 is also rumoured to feature a front-facing camera with FaceTime support, gyroscopes for improved tilt control for apps and gaming, as well as a USB port and an SD card slot. Of course, we will have to wait until Apple's PR team deigns to reveal the actual, final UK release date for the iPad 2 until we can find out which of the many rumours currently doing the rounds turn out to be true. Related Stories Updated: iPad 2 rumours: what you need to know Steve Jobs takes medical leave of absence from Apple Apple's Tim Cook: Android tablets are 'scaled up smartphones' Apple iPad 2 to launch on 9 February?

Samsung Galaxy S2 gets more specs and new codename Posted: 20 Jan 2011 08:00 AM PST The Samsung Galaxy S2 rumours keep rumbling on in, with more purported specs breaking loose. As well as an exciting new codename – Seine, presumably after the Parisian river – the handset's camera has received a spot more detail. The sensor is rocking 8-megapixels and it's capable of recording full HD (1080) video. We're assuming that the 4.3-inch Super-AMOLED display can playback in pretty good quality too. Personal cloud nine Nocut News, the Korean site that broke this new round of leaks, also alludes to "Personal Cloud Computing" which could see the handset come with some online storage space as well as its built-in memory and microSD cards. The rest of the leaked specs are pretty much known quantities – Android 2.3, a NFC chip, 1GB of RAM and a dual-core Samsung Orion processor are all mooted. With Samsung promising more information on 1 February before the handset's official 13 February Mobile World Congress reveal, it won't be long before we can bring you the official word on the Galaxy S successor. Related Stories Sony Ericsson Vivaz 2 gets the hands-on treatment In Depth: Intel: 'We haven't missed the smartphone boat' Video: iOS 4.3 multi-touch gestures demoed Honeycomb may never come to mobiles Video: iOS 4.3 multi-touch gestures demoed

Google Maps quietly launches fuel calculator Posted: 20 Jan 2011 07:35 AM PST Google has snuck out a new feature on Google Maps which calculates the approximate fuel cost for your journey. Using the Get Directions feature, once your route has been calculated the estimated fuel cost appears at the bottom of the list. From London to Bath in a standard car you're looking at £19.85 according Google, which uses a third party to pull in actual fuel costs. Baby you can drive my car You can change the fuel type from petrol to diesel, as well as customise what type of car you drive, depending on whether it's a high consumption, standard or compact model. It's not clear yet whether or not the feature is available on the Google Maps Navigation app for Android, but it hasn't made an appearance on the iPhone-optimised version as yet. Either way, it's quite a handy little addition to the desktop edition, and one that Google has kept strangely quiet – we would have thought a quick blog post about the environment and rising fuel costs and whatnot would have been right up Google's street. Related Stories Yahoo switches on OpenID sign ins Eric Schmidt steps down as Google CEO Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent Webmail in decline as mobile mail sky-rockets

Yahoo switches on OpenID sign ins Posted: 20 Jan 2011 07:21 AM PST Yahoo has finally gone over to the OpenID system, allowing people to sign into the network with their Google and Facebook logins. Yahoo is desperately seeking to become more relevant to the modern internet audience, and it has taken a positive step with the adoption of OpenID. "Today we're excited to announce that on Thursday, 20 January, Yahoo opens to third-party user authentication with Facebook and Google logins (via OpenID) across the Yahoo! Network," said the company's statement. Big potential audience "Hundreds of millions of Facebook and Google users will be able to easily sign in and interact on Yahoo using their Facebook or Google IDs," it continued "This eliminates the proverbial necessity of registering for yet another new ID and remembering yet another password. "From Yahoo's perspective, any signed-in user engaging with Yahoo services is a valued user, whether she [sic] authenticates using a Yahoo, Facebook, or Google ID." Yahoo is still a powerful influence on the internet, but the once mighty company has struggled to stay in touch with the likes of Google and Facebook. This move at least gives the network a chance of attracting a new audience by making logging in simpler. Related Stories Google Maps quietly launches fuel calculator Eric Schmidt steps down as Google CEO Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent Webmail in decline as mobile mail sky-rockets

Sony announces new PS3 preview events Posted: 20 Jan 2011 07:17 AM PST If you fancy a chance of playing early preview versions of this year's biggest PS3 games, then Sony has your back – with the company announcing the first details of its new consumer-focused 'PlayStation Access' events this week. Sony's first UK PlayStation Access events take place inLondon from 4-6February and Glasgow from 18-20 February, with Sony promising early game demos and other PS3 and PSP teasers including giveaways, competitions and exclusives. GT5 time trials Sony announced: "Both events will be kicking off on the Friday evening, which will play host to our 18+ session. We will then have 4 more sessions that will take place over the course of the weekend, involving intimate developer sessions, a FIFA Interactive World Cup tournament, where we will be taking the winners from each session through to the FIWC UK Final. If you've been caning Gran Turismo 5 for the last few months, then it is certainly worth making the trip to one of Sony's events, as the company is offering virtual drivers the chance to take part in Time Trial competition to win tickets to the UEFA Champions League Final at Wembley this coming May. Sony promises that PlayStation Access "is here for good" and if you want to get involved then you can find out times and ticket pricing and further details over at the PlayStation Access site. Related Stories Sky and Eurosport to supply 3D content for Nintendo 3DS Nintendo 3DS UK release date revealed Sky and Eurosport to supply 3D content for Nintendo 3DS Guinness reveals videogame world records Hollywood embraces 3D movie trailers on 3DS

Twitter sued for creating a network for the famous Posted: 20 Jan 2011 06:41 AM PST Twitter is being sued by a company that claims that it came up with the idea of creating an interactive virtual community of famous people. With thousands following Rio's daily school run or Ashton Kucher's relationship with Demi Moore, the appeal of tweets from the rich and famous is clear. But VS Technologies has apparently launched a lawsuit, claiming that it came up with the idea of famous people communicating online first. Disclosure "As it pertains to this lawsuit, very generally speaking, the '309 Patent discloses methods and systems for creating interactive, virtual communities of people in various fields of endeavor wherein each community member has an interactive, personal profile containing information about that member," says the complaint. The company claims that its US patent number 6,408,309 is being compromised by famous people on Twitter. Lawsuits of this nature are not rare in the US, but it remains to be seen if the court upholds the complaint. VS Technologies is seeking compensation, so we'll keep an eye on whether the courts decide that this is a valid claim or patent trolling. In the meantime, you can follow @techradar, safe in the knowledge that we aren't classed as famous people and therefore you won't get anyone into trouble. Related Stories Yahoo switches on OpenID sign ins Eric Schmidt steps down as Google CEO Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent Webmail in decline as mobile mail sky-rockets

In Depth: Intel: 'We haven't missed the smartphone boat' Posted: 20 Jan 2011 06:40 AM PST Intel believes it still has a "huge opportunity" in the smartphone market. That's according to the head of Intel's Software and Solutions Group Renee James. TechRadar grabbed a few minutes with James and colleagues Doug Fisher and Peter Biddle to talk about Intel's plans for the smartphone market, MeeGo and AppUp, Intel's application store. Believe it or not, Intel's Software and Services Group (SSG) would be among the top five software companies globally if it were a separate entity to Intel – and that's before adding in the proposed acquisition of McAfee which James is personally responsible for. ARM vs Intel: the next processor war begins But surely Intel realises it may have missed the boat in the smartphone market? "No I don't, obviously," says the senior vice president of Intel SSG. "I actually think we have a huge opportunity ahead of us as the smartphone market is growing and there are hundreds of millions of users untapped." Android uptake "daunting" James is clearly respectful of what Google has managed to do. "On one hand if you look at the data it is a bit daunting, the uptake of Android is staggering even compared to iOS. "On the other hand there's a lot more devices to be built and the growth is still ahead of us. The transition to smartphones from feature phones is still in its early stages." SMARTPHONE OPPORTUNITY: Intel's Renee James Intel-based MeeGo devices appear set to debut at Mobile World Congress (MWC), but we'll also see the OS on other architectures too – specifically ARM. "We agreed that [MeeGo] would be… open to all architectures. And we will see this happen this year. You're going to see a major focus at MWC to be as bold this year as we were last year... particularly in some areas such as the device area." ARM support is crucial to MeeGo's success, says James. "You'll see ARM-based MeeGo devices this year." MEEGO NETBOOK: The OS running on an MSI netbook at CES 2011 "Developers won't develop for a single silicon platform... except for Apple. It has never worked and [Apple is] lucky. If it didn't work for ARM, what carrier would [accept that]?" As we saw at CES, we'll also see MeeGo on netbooks - or we will do if the manufacturers go for it. McAfee and beyond Asked about the McAfree acquisition, James is pretty candid about the prospects of the $7.7bn deal going through. "Next year I'll be really, really [excited] or I'll be like 'we won't talk about this any more'." She seems like she's joking, but you get the feeling she's actually pretty serious. Mind you, so would we if we were planning on spending $7.7bn. "Security is an overlay over everything," James adds as she explains Intel's raison d'etre for the deal. "It cuts across enterprise as well as consumer and mobile devices as well as embedded. Security came up everywhere and we decided that McAfee was the only [company] that would be applicable to Intel's view." MeeGo: openness the key "We made a pretty bold statement [at MWC] last year," adds Doug Fisher, vice president of the SSG. "We said we were committed to merge the open source efforts between Nokia and Intel. We want to make sure developers have a common set of APIs to write to. "I think there's a big opportunity still. [MeeGo] will allow for an open architecture. There are things we'll announce at Mobile World Congress that will shed a lot more light on why the value proposition [of MeeGo] makes a lot of sense for consumers and device manufacturers." ATOM FOR PHONES: Intel is keen to push Atom into the smartphone space Intel is talking up MeeGo as being a great platform for mobile networks as Intel can offer completely customisable and administer MeeGo devices. "The whole thing is customised," says Peter Biddle. He's General Manager of AppUp Products and Services (APS) at Intel and is keen to talk about the sporadic systems used by mobile operators and how Intel can reduce customer churn for them. "It's a real nightmare. Every major telco faces a problem where they have 10 radically different solutions. It seems unlikely that Google and Apple will be able to offer a single audit window to networks. We want to be able to offer telcos a single [interface]. Clearly there is an opportunity there." "We seek to actively partner in the community. We are not seeking to block runtimes from running on our platform or exclude retailers or partners," says Biddle in a thin dig at Apple. "We want to be the glue that bonds the ecosystem together, to fill the gap. What's the gap? There is a snackable app metaphor on the PC that is appealing to users." Talking about Intel's software efforts on the PC, the AppUp software store, Biddle compares it to Apple's Mac App Store. "The internet is fallow ground for small developers. If you make software that's dependent on device you enter the walled garden or you have deployment issues. We want to give [them] the infrastructure." Our meeting then draws to a close. James ends with a smile. "We're going to see you all at MWC though right? We have lots to talk about." Related Stories Sony Ericsson Vivaz 2 gets the hands-on treatment Samsung Galaxy S2 gets more specs and new codename Video: iOS 4.3 multi-touch gestures demoed Honeycomb may never come to mobiles Video: iOS 4.3 multi-touch gestures demoed

Facebook launches new mobile site for feature phones Posted: 20 Jan 2011 06:32 AM PST Facebook has launched a new mobile site for feature phones, with the social networking site now easily available on the vast majority of the world's mobile phones. 'Feature phones' (essentially any phones that are not classified as smartphones) make up nearly 80 per cent of all mobile phone owners in the US, according to a Nielsen study from last June. While early adopters and tech fans embrace the latest smartphones and apps, it is easy to forget that the vast majority of mobile phone users still don't use or own smartphones. Millions more on mobile Facebook Facebook's latest mobile app for the lower-end phone user will now give millions more users quick and easy access to their Facebook messages, events, pictures, news feeds, profiles and the rest. The app gives users a better, almost smartphone-like Facebook experience that includes simple homescreen navigation, contact syncing and fast scrolling of updates and photos. Over on the Facebook blog, the company's mobile program manager Mark Heynen notes: "We want people to have a great mobile experience no matter what type of phone they carry. Smartphones have offered better features for sharing with friends but aren't used by most people around the world. The Facebook rep notes that its new mobile website will work on over 2,500 lower-end mobile phones from the likes of Nokia, Samsung and LG. The mobile app is similar in design to the 0.facebook.com site with Facebook listing 14 mobile operators worldwide offering free data access to users trying out the new Facebook mobile app for the first 90 days. Related Stories Yahoo switches on OpenID sign ins Eric Schmidt steps down as Google CEO Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent Google Q4 earnings up 26 per cent Webmail in decline as mobile mail sky-rockets

Hands on: Nintendo 3DS review Posted: 20 Jan 2011 06:09 AM PST It's fairly clear that the powers that be at Nintendo HD in Japan firmly believe that 3D is the future. "The 3DS will change gaming… again," executives said at the launch conference, citing the company's track record with the Wii and Wii Fit. The questions are: is their faith in the technology going to translate to a real game changer? And is tacking on the clever autosteroscopic 3D screen to ageing DS technology really the best way to take us to this utopian three-dimensional future? From the outset, any kind of critique of the 3DS needs to be tempered with the very big disclaimer that the autosteroscopic 3D is very much a "suck it and see" technology. For some, the addition of a genuinely well-designed top screen, the fact that it allows you to see 3D very effectively without the need for glasses, and the fact that the handheld has a slider that allows you to alter the effect to suit the way in which you hold the console to suit your vision will be groundbreaking. But for others, the 3D will be a gimmick – not enhancing games but distracting from the playability or merely a nice trick that will quickly grow old. The enhancements in the 3DS are not limited to the 3D screen, but it is fair to say that it is this addition that will define it, despite some nifty communications tools like StreetPass and SpotPass and, crucially, an analogue stick to join the almost bewildering array of input options already present in the DS platform The Nintendo 3DS will live or die by the 3D – and despite a lacklustre launch line-up, the early indicators are that this will make sure the entire platform is alive and kicking for some time to come. But this is, principally, a gaming device, so before we look at the potential for a cheap and readily available introduction to the increasingly rich 3D content that is beginning to arrive, we should consider the impact on gaming. From TechRadar's point of view, the jury is not only out, but split down the middle and furiously arguing over the verdict. The details are: a handsome 800x240 top screen (which, because of how the autostereoscopic 3D works becomes an effective 400x240 pixels per eye). There is surprisingly little ghosting. The first few games were enough to make us wonder if the 3D would have vastly different impact in playability depending on genre - but as we took in more and more, it became clear that, although the type of game does have a significant bearing, the way in which the developers use the tech is also pivotal, something which bodes well for the 3DS. In the racing game genre, for instance, the theory is that having depth perception should have a clear impact on the way in which you play, allowing your eyes to pick up more visual clues about where exactly you should be breaking and when. A tech demo of Mario Kart, for instance, showed that the previously haphazard throwing of a banana to force your opponent into a skid was helped immensely by a perception of the distance between cars. But another racing game being shown off felt tepid - with the addition of 3D bizarrely making the game feel flat and lifeless. In truth, this should indicate that developers will begin to learn the tricks that make a game better and that 3D will become a tool rather than late bolt on to boost sales. This is eerily similar to the excuses being made by both the film and television industries, however, as they seek to learn a whole new set of lessons. Fighting games are also worthy of mention - two of the key launch showcases were around Super Street Fighter IV 3D and Dead and Alive Dimensions, two major gaming names that are proudly suggesting that the third dimension is a massive boost as you seek to beat your opponent into a pulp. The integration of the tech is certainly impressive, but questions about whether it genuinely enhances the games will remain, and with good reason. But in traditional gaming, perhaps the 3DS deserves the benefit of the doubt. The 3D tech is not perfect - there are times when even careful setting of the slider prove pointless as a camera glitch makes your eyes cross and feels a little like that third whisky sour just kicked in - but by and large it's a very nice illustration of autosteroscopic 3D. Some of the non-traditional games, however, and in particular the early augmented reality offerings, are still hugely problematic. The principle is actually very cool – point your 3DS at a card on a table and it opens an augmented reality game where monsters bulge from the table top and swinging targets appear in mid air (as seen on the screen). That's the theory at least, in practice, moving the 3DS to hit the targets interferes massively with the 3D and you have to hold it a fairly precise 35 cm away from the card to get the game started in the first place with any major deviation as you play the game pushing it into a minor hissy fit. Another key 3D addition is the dual cameras on the DS, allowing 3D photographs to be taken. Although the resulting photographs aren't going to be winning any awards, it's a neat feature for the console, which kids young and old will enjoy. Outside of the 3D, the 3DS has some significant additions that merit attention. First and foremost, is the new analogue stick - a crucial arrival for the DS platform and one that will be hugely welcomed by the developer community who have been crying out for its arrival. Now, platformers, first person shooters and many other key titles become infinitely more playable on the 3DS. It could well allow more direct ports from the Wii, for instance. It's not a full analogue stick - but it's certainly a valid and valuable addition, and arguably as significant as the 3D itself in terms of impact to the gaming. Next up is SpotPass - bringing you Wi-Fi access to content, including exclusive access to Shaun the Sheep from Aardman Animations, Sky 3D content and Eurosport. It's a nice feature in theory, and could be a popular one in practice - but highlights and short clips have been tried before as added value in portable devices and have not always proven to provide any real attraction . Last but not least is StreetPass, a slightly creepy local service that trades off (admittedly minor) details about you, sparks up unseen 'battles' against other passing 3DSs and generally seems to get on with its life regardless of your existence. From the outset it looks a little like blind Pokemon, mixed in with a little bit of traffic like online dating, and despite the earnest imaginings of Yoshinori Ono as to the way it can enliven Streetfighter, is difficult to see at this stage how it is anything other than a pointless gimmick. At the moment it's difficult to escape the feeling that the 3DS feels a little ill-formed - with the potential of the system on paper outweighing any actual proof that it can have a big impact. But this is Nintendo; a company that has a proven track record of making gimmicks work for the family market, and it would be premature to write it off. It's a well-made handheld - a big improvement on its predecessors, and is unlikely to disappoint. This could be a great way of consuming 3D content - if you can bear the very small screen - and some of the games going forward look more impressive than the fairly skimpy immediate launch line-up. But there is one massive point that could scupper the whole thing. The huge price - especially for UK gamers. The 3DS is likely to cost around £220-230, and that pits it squarely against a full Xbox 360 with Kinect in the family-friendly market. And with a PSP2 announcement imminent, you could forgive people for holding on before they make that very difficult decision. Related Links TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee

Tutorial: How to share a printer using OS X Posted: 20 Jan 2011 04:44 AM PST For all the talk of a paperless office, there are times when you need a physical copy of something – be it an airline boarding pass, a letter to sign or just a photo for the mantelpiece. Getting the document from your device to your printer is often tricky if your printer's in one room and the Mac you're working on is in another. But sharing a printer on your home network is really easy – and if you've got a MacBook with Wi-Fi enabled it means you can print from as far as your wireless network reaches. We've put together this tutorial to look at a range of ways you can do it. Some of these methods will use kit you've probably already got, such as a USB printer and a wired or wireless router. But we won't stop there, because there are plenty of other ways in which you can share a printer on your network. Throughout this tutorial, we'll be talking about the Print & Fax pane a lot – you'll find it in System Preferences, accessed via the Apple menu. And to avoid repeating ourselves as we go through, you need to make sure you install the driver software that came with your printer on each of the Macs you want to print from. Do this by putting the CD that came with your printer into your Mac's drive, or by downloading the latest version for your model from the manufacturer's website. Remember also that once you share a printer on your network, it'll be available to PCs as well, so if you have an unconverted friend or relative visiting, they should be able to access it from their notebook. First off, let's look at the simplest method of sharing a USB printer. This involves hooking it up to one computer (the host) and sharing it so that other machines on the network can print to it, provided the host Mac is switched on. First, open the Print & Fax pane on the host Mac and, if the printer isn't already listed, click +. In the window that appears, you'll see it listed under Default. Below, give it a recognisable name, which could be anything from the make and model to 'My colour printer'. Use the Location field to let people know where it is – such as 'Downstairs study'. Then click Add. Printer alert If the printer is already in the list and you want to alter the Name and Location information, just click Options & Supplies. Once you're happy, tick the box marked Share this printer on the network. You may then see an alert that Printer Sharing is disabled. In any case, click Sharing Preferences… and make sure the box next to Printer Sharing in the left column is checked. Your printer will appear ticked in the middle box – if you have more than one, you can pick and choose which to share. If you have Snow Leopard, you'll see another box on the right. Use it to select who can and can't print to each printer. In most cases, such as your home network, you'll be fine leaving this set to Everyone, but you can add specific users if you prefer – just click + and add who you'd like to be able to print – it's best to give them the exact names they use to log into their Macs. Give each person a password that they'll have to type in to print. All you need to do then is to add the printer on each computer you want to print from. Go into the Print & Fax pane and click +. Your shared printer should appear under the Default tab, showing the name and location you gave it. Click Add and you're ready to print. Off on a print job The downside to this method of sharing is that you need to have the host machine switched on (but not necessarily logged in) for the printer to kick into action. If the host Mac's switched off, the print job will remain on your local Mac until both are switched on simultaneously, at which point your document will hop across and roll off the press. So while this setup is simple to configure and almost certainly doesn't require you to buy extra hardware, it's not the most convenient way to go about things. Having to go and switch on your host Mac, wait for it to start up, let the file print and then shut it down again, makes this less appealing. So let's look at some other ways to share a printer. The first alternative is to hook your printer up to your broadband router directly, so that it's not dependent on a particular Mac being switched on. Some printers, primarily those aimed at small or home offices, will have an Ethernet port, which makes plugging them into any router straightforward. For this system to work as efficiently as possible, remember to leave your router and printer switched on all the time, so that you can always print at the click of a button. Setup will vary between printer models, and with some it'll just be a case of plug and play, especially if your router's set up as a DHCP server and you've got the printer drivers installed on your Mac. Simply click + in the Print & Fax pane and the printer should be listed under Default. If it isn't, you may need to configure it manually using the IP Printing tab. This will probably involve looking up your printer's IP address, which you can do via its built-in display, and most models will print you out a sheet containing all the vital network details. For more information on setting this up, have a look at your printer's documentation. We've always found an Ethernet link to be one of the easiest methods to set up and most robust in use, so if your printer and router have both USB and Ethernet ports, use the latter. Networking USB printers If your printer doesn't have an Ethernet socket, there are now many routers and network-attached storage (NAS) boxes with USB ports on them, to which you can connect a printer. Apple's AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule both offer this functionality. These models even enable you to connect more than one device to their single USB port, using a hub. This means you needn't give up the hard drive you use for Time Machine backups in favour of a printer, for example. It's worth noting, however, that not all router USB ports support printing, so check that your model does before plugging your printer into it (or going to the effort of investing in a new one). When it comes to setting this up, some routers may do all the donkey-work for you and the printer will appear in the Default area of the Print & Fax Add Printer window. Have a look at the walkthrough below, where we take you through setting up and sharing a USB printer with a Time Capsule. Third-party routers may not be so helpful, and could require you to use their web interface to enable the printer, and with others you may have to add the printer using the IP Printing tab in the Print & Fax Add Printer window. Depending on your router model, getting this to work can take quite a bit of fiddling around with settings and emails to the support team, but check the documentation that came with it first; it should give you step-by-step instructions on how to connect a USB printer so that anyone on the network can use it. One device that saw everything working smoothly, was a new high-end Belkin router, which comes with software you install on each Mac. This guides you through the few steps required to print to a printer hooked up to the router's USB port. If your printer's ever been linked directly to any of the Macs on your network, make sure you remove its entry from the Print & Fax pane on every machine before you connect it to your router and attempt to set it up. If you don't, its presence could cause conflicts when you try to print to it via the router. To remove it, select its old entry in the Print & Fax pane and click the – button. One device we haven't mentioned yet is the AirPort Express. This is Apple's wireless printing and audio box, which, at under £90, is an affordable way to network your USB printer if you don't have a router with USB. It links up to your existing network – wired or wirelessly – and enables you to share a USB printer. Switch on the printer and make sure the AirPort Express is connected to your network. Then all you need to do is open up the Print & Fax pane and click +. The printer should appear in the Default tab, so just click Add and you're ready to print. If you want to share several printers in different locations, you can plug each one into an AirPort Express. Wireless printers Some printers will now do away with wires and enable you to print over Wi-Fi. This is an incredibly easy way of doing things, and in some cases doesn't even require you to have a router – but in our experience, it's easier if you do use one. To set this up, make sure your Mac's connected to the router, either over Wi-Fi or via Ethernet. Then switch on the printer and connect it to your Wi-Fi router – the documentation that came with the printer will show you how to do this. Once it's connected, open up your Print & Fax pane and click +. The Wi-Fi printer should appear under the Default tab. Click its name and your Mac should detect its driver on the Print Using drop-down. In the Name field, you can give it a memorable title and enter a location for it, such as 'Study'. Then click Add, and your Mac will spend a moment connecting to the printer, after which you'll be returned to the Print & Fax dialog, with your newly added printer visible. You can now print to this from your Mac. Again, remember to leave the router and printer switched on for this setup to work efficiently – some printers prefer their sleep mode. How to share a USB printer via Time Capsule 01. Get started Install the printer driver and Time Capsule software on your Mac, then connect the latter to the mains. In Applications/Utilities, open Airport Utility and select the device, then go through the steps to set it up. Let the device restart, then quit Airport Utility. 02. Connect printer Go into the Print & Fax pane and make sure the printer you're about to connect isn't listed there. If it is, click the – button. Then, hook it up to the Time Capsule's USB port, switch it on and re-open AirPort Utility. Right-click your device and choose Manual Setup. 03. Manual setup Type the router password if prompted and you'll be taken to the main configuration screen. Click Printers along the top and you should see yours listed on the right-hand side. If you don't, make sure the printer's switched on and connected, quit and re-open AirPort Utility. 04. Change its name Your printer will appear on the network under the name you can see here. Depending on the model and driver, this may not be the most memorable or appropriate moniker, so you can change it to anything you like, simply by selecting it and clicking Edit. Then click Update. 05. Further sharing If the Time Capsule is your main or only Wi-Fi router, skip to Step 6, but if you're using it in addition to the router your ISP supplied, you'll need to enable the Share printers over WAN option. This will ensure devices on your main network can use the shared printer. Click Update. 06. Ready to print Your printer's now ready to print to from any computers on your network, regardless of whether they're connected over AirPort or Ethernet. Just go into the Print & Fax pane, click + and you should see it under Default as a Bonjour printer. Select it and click Add.

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