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• Updated: HP TouchPad: what you need to know
• Updated: HP TouchPad: what you need to know
• Hands on: INQ Cloud Touch review
• INQ Cloud Touch offers Facebook-powered Android
• In pictures: HP TouchPad
• HP Veer - tiny webOS smartphone launched
• HP Veer - tiny webOS smartphone launched
• HP Pre 3: Palm-less Pre announced
• HP TouchPad tablet official
• WebOS 2.1 coming to Palm Pre 2
• Hands on: Nikon Coolpix P300 review
• iOS 4.3 release date: 14 February?
• Google calling Nokia and Microsoft 'turkeys'?
• Adobe Flash 10.2 leaves beta, ready to download
• HTC Flyer to come with Android 2.3?
• Buying Guide: 10 of the best home cinema gadgets
• Review: Devolo dLAN 200 AV Wireless N Starter Kit
• Review: Equinux Tizi tv
• YouView UK release date delayed till 'early 2012'
• Tutorial: Common HDMI problems and solutions
• Review: Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 11-inch
• Review: Prolimatech Armageddon
• Review: Xigmatek Gaia SD1283
• Review: HP 625

Updated: HP TouchPad: what you need to know Posted: 10 Feb 2011 12:00 AM PST Of all the supposed iPad killers, the HP Slate was the most interesting - or at least, it was until HP apparently killed it off last Spring. The Slate wasn't dead, though: HP had simply gone back to the drawing board for a bit. And now the HP TouchPad has been announced. All rumours were suggesting that PalmPad was going to be the name of HP's iPad rival, so it's interesting to see that HP has done away with the Palm brand altogether. There are now two kinds of HP tablet: the consumer-oriented, webOS-based TouchPad - originally thought to be called the PalmPad - and the business-focused, Windows 7 HP Slate 500. Here's what you need to know about HP's plans for its HP TouchPads. The HP TouchPad tablet has a 9.7 inch touchscreen The device has a 9.7-inch capacitive multi-touch screen (XGA, 1024 x 768), weighs in at 1.5lbs (740g) and is just 13mm thick. Sound familiar? That's because they're the pretty close to the Apple iPad. The screen is Gorilla Glass, like the Dell Streak. Previously,leaked internal HP renders to Engadgetshowed two HP PalmPads: a nine-inch model called Topaz (which we presume is the version that's been launched), and a seven-inch model called Opal. The HP TouchPad is dual-core The unit also includes a nifty Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8060 dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor, 512MB of RAM, while it'll come in 16GB and 32GB models. TheHP TouchPad also has rounded edges and due to the 6300 mAh battery boasts eight hours of battery life according to HP. There's a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video calling inside a rather thick bezel as well as A-GPS, stereo speakers, gyroscope and an accelerometer. The HP TouchPad also features Beats By Dre audio to boost low bitrate CD rips. The HP TouchPad software will be HP's own webOS Since it acquired Palm last year, HP owns the finger-friendly webOS that delighted everyone who played with the Palm Pre. The HP PalmPad software will be webOS 2.1. Rumours suggest that it could appear on other tablets, too. The HP TouchPad has only one button Sound familiar? The HP TouchPad will come in multiple configurations In terms of connectivity, is has 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a SIM-card slot for on mobile broadband and can be charged through Palm's wireless touchstone technology as well as through the now-standard micro USB port. 3G models will follow, though US customers will get another option, 4G LTE wireless connectivity, from 2012. Rumours also suggest that the smaller, education-focused PalmPad will be unveiled later in the year. The HP TouchPad UK release date is September 2011 Back in September, HP boss Todd Bradley told analysts "we'll have a webOS-powered PalmPad that will be set for release in early 2011", but it seems that "early" isn't so early: Engadget reports that "units will start to arrive at Palm HQ in June as production ramps up for launch later this year", and has published a marketing slide showing a planned September 2011 launch in the US and UK. The HP TouchPad has plenty of apps Some of the top line applications that will be available for the tablet include Time magazine, Sports Illustrated, Angry Birds and Facebook as well as a webOS Amazon Kindle reader app. The device also has Adobe Flash 10.1. However, the bad news is that legacy apps can't run in fullscreen mode. And there are only 8,000 apps in the store at the moment. The HP TouchPad syncs with the Pre The new TouchPad syncs perfectly with the new Palm Pre 3 phone allowing users to receive text messages and answer phonecalls using the tablet. It'll also print wirelessly from the gallery app, using a HP printer. HP's internal marketing blurb says that the smaller Opal model is "the perfect complement to your smartphone and notebook PC. A better web, media and productivity experience than your phone; a better, touch-oriented eReading companion with longer battery life than your notebook PC". The HP TouchPad range could include a netbook According to intomobile.com, leaked training materials suggest a PalmPad netbook is in development, too. The HP TouchPad UK price hasn't been announced yet The HP PalmPad price and detailed specifications haven't been announced yet, but it's not long until February's press event where, we're sure, all will be revealed. Related Stories iPad 2 now in production, says Wall Street Journal HP TouchPad tablet official In pictures: HP TouchPad Updated: HP TouchPad: what you need to know

Updated: HP TouchPad: what you need to know Posted: 10 Feb 2011 12:00 AM PST Of all the supposed iPad killers, the HP Slate was the most interesting - or at least, it was until HP apparently killed it off last Spring. The Slate wasn't dead, though: HP had simply gone back to the drawing board for a bit. And now the HP TouchPad has been announced. All rumours were suggesting that PalmPad was going to be the name of HP's iPad rival, so it's interesting to see that HP has done away with the Palm brand altogether. There are now two kinds of HP tablet: the consumer-oriented, webOS-based TouchPad - originally thought to be called the PalmPad - and the business-focused, Windows 7 HP Slate 500. Here's what you need to know about HP's plans for its HP TouchPads. The HP TouchPad tablet has a 9.7 inch touchscreen The device has a 9.7-inch capacitive multi-touch screen (XGA, 1024 x 768), weighs in at 1.5lbs (740g) and is just 13mm thick. Sound familiar? That's because they're the exact same specs as the Apple iPad. Previously,leaked internal HP renders to Engadgetshowed two HP PalmPads: a nine-inch model called Topaz (which we presume is the version that's been launched), and a seven-inch model called Opal. The HP TouchPad is dual-core The unit also includes a nifty Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8060 dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor, 512MB of RAM, while it'll come in 16GB, 32GB models. TheHP TouchPad also has rounded edges and due to the 6300 mAh battery boasts eight hours of battery life according to HP. There's a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video calling inside a rather thick bezel as well as A-GPS, stereo speakers, gyroscope and an accelerometer. The HP TouchPad software will be HP's own webOS Since it acquired Palm last year, HP owns the finger-friendly webOS that delighted everyone who played with the Palm Pre. The HP PalmPad software will be webOS 2.1. Rumours suggest that it could appear on other tablets, too. The HP TouchPad has only one button Sound familiar? The HP TouchPad will come in multiple configurations In terms of connectivity, is has 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a SIM-card slot for on mobile broadband and can be charged through Palm's wireless touchstone technology as well as through the now-standard micro USB port. 3G models will follow, though US customers will get another option, 4G LTE wireless connectivity, from 2012. Rumours also suggest that the smaller, education-focused PalmPad will be unveiled later in the year. The HP TouchPad UK release date is September 2011 Back in September, HP boss Todd Bradley told analysts "we'll have a webOS-powered PalmPad that will be set for release in early 2011", but it seems that "early" isn't so early: Engadget reports that "units will start to arrive at Palm HQ in June as production ramps up for launch later this year", and has published a marketing slide showing a planned September 2011 launch in the US and UK. The HP TouchPad has plenty of apps Some of the top line applications that will be available for the tablet include TIME magazine, Sports Illustrated, Angry Birds and Facebook as well as a webOS Amazon Kindle reader app. The device also has Adobe Flash 10.1. The HP TouchPad syncs with the Pre The new TouchPad syncs perfectly with the new Palm Pre 3 phone allowing users to receive text messages and answer phonecalls using the tablet. It'll also print wirelessly from the gallery app, using a HP printer. HP's internal marketing blurb says that the smaller Opal model is "the perfect complement to your smartphone and notebook PC. A better web, media and productivity experience than your phone; a better, touch-oriented eReading companion with longer battery life than your notebook PC". The HP TouchPad range could include a netbook According to intomobile.com, leaked training materials suggest a PalmPad netbook is in development, too. The HP TouchPad UK price hasn't been announced yet The HP PalmPad price and detailed specifications haven't been announced yet, but it's not long until February's press event where, we're sure, all will be revealed. Related Stories iPad 2 now in production, says Wall Street Journal HP TouchPad tablet official In pictures: HP TouchPad Updated: HP TouchPad: what you need to know

Hands on: INQ Cloud Touch review Posted: 09 Feb 2011 01:14 PM PST If you were studying the budget end of the UK feature phone market a couple of years ago, you'd have seen the INQ Chat 3G and INQ Mini 3G make an appearance, with much more promised. Well, fast forward to now and we've finally got the next level of INQ device - an Android 2.2-powered smartphone called the INQ Cloud Touch. The new phone is an innovative beast - with a very light plastic chassis you could call it a cheap-feeling device, but with the cost likely to be towards the lower end of the scale, that would be a fair assessment. The 3.5-inch HVGA screen isn't much to write home about either, with the lightness of the phone making it a little bit of a hollow experience wiping across the display - but then again, with the price range in mind, it's to be expected. The rear of the phone sports a 5MP camera without a flash - it features a decent level of autofocus though, and will likely do for the majority of the photos you'll be posting onto Facebook directly from the camera application. Another little feature we like is the addition of the information key - simply give it a press within easy reach of the thumb and it will show you all kinds of useful information. From turning Wi-Fi on and off to checking the time or weather, we're big fans of physical keys and this delivers a boatload of info. The rest of the phone is pretty standard: a multitude of colours will be available at launch, and if you can see past the fact the plastic chassis has a semi 'my first phone' feel, you'll be impressed with the construction. But the design of the device isn't what INQ thinks will make it big: it's the innovative overlay it's put together with Facebook. Rather that just offering a set of widgets to help you log in to the social service, it's a visual collection of profile pictures and uploaded snaps drifting across the page, as well as thumbnails of links and videos too. At the top of the screen is a customisable set of large widgets to let you decide what to do with the Facebook experience - from Places to certain friends, you can choose what the main function of the INQ Cloud Touch. INQ has worked closely with Facebook to create the Cloud Touch and Cloud Q devices, and part of that is the use of the social graph API. This means that your five most commonly looked at friends will be ported directly across to their own page on your phone, where you can message, poke and interact with them as you like. The Facebook integration means you don't have to jump out to another application to get things moving - it's a neat idea and in our first play it worked as fast as we could expect, with an easy skip to the messaging screen from a contact page. However, it will be interesting to note whether the INQ Cloud Touch can continue that performance when reams of Facebook data is streaming in - the Chat 3G nearly fell apart when you decided to update your feeds. INQ Type is another new feature for the device, allowing you to simply start typing and then use it to save to a contact, search Google with or share to a social network. INQ was really talking this feature up to us in the demo, and while it is pretty cool, it's no more impressive than the usual Google search bar on most Android phones. We were, however, impressed by the Spotify media integration direct from the side media key - it looks and works in exactly the same way as the Spotify application on other Android devices, except the functionality to search and stream music via the cloud doesn't work. You can add a Premium subscription to alter this, but the main media player is still pretty good - large icons are easy to press and don't suffer from slowdown, and playlist management on your computer via your phone is a nice touch too. The rest of the device is a pretty much just basic Android - the internet browser didn't do much for us at the lower HVGA resolution, although it was pretty nippy (although we didn't get to test if Flash video was supported - we don't think it is though). Android 2.2 is a pretty good operating system in its own right, despite all the customisation - things like pinching in the home screen to see an exploded view of all your displays at once is still a cool feature, Plus we love the lock screen - break through the 'membrane' with the padlock to open the phone, or use the INQ Type or camera icons in the same way to instantly access those applications. The INQ Cloud Touch looks and feels pretty refreshing when you play with it for the first time - the Facebook overlay is likely to impress even the most cynical social networker (although we were disappointed to hear that Twitter integration isn't going to be coming too). The Spotify integration might be a boon - it's better than the normal Android media browser, although it won't be long before you're wistfully staring at the Premium subscription and working out whether it will be worth the cash. But a note of caution: this refreshing feeling is something we experienced before with the INQ Chat and Mini 3G devices, and they turned out to be a really poor handset in real life, with awful processors unable to deal with the mountain of data coming their way. But with a real emphasis on Wi-Fi connectivity, coupled with an upgrade to the more powerful and less battery-hungry Gingerbread OS in the future, we're a little bit more hopeful than we were with previous devices - we're just looking forward to giving it a good going over in our proper INQ Cloud Touch review. Oh, and we also got a chance to take a quick look at the INQ Cloud Q as well - a QWERTY device with a 2.6-inch touchscreen too. We didn't get to play with it properly, as it was very early software running, but the overall feel is a little bit more premium and the keys felt nice under the fingers - we'll look to get our hands properly on that one soon too. Related Stories HP Pre 3: Palm-less Pre announced HP Veer - tiny webOS smartphone launched WebOS 2.1 coming to Palm Pre 2 INQ Cloud Touch offers Facebook-powered Android HP Veer - tiny webOS smartphone launched

INQ Cloud Touch offers Facebook-powered Android Posted: 09 Feb 2011 01:13 PM PST INQ has announced a new Android device with a new Facebook overlay and an automatic connection to Spotify: the INQ Cloud Touch. With a 3.5-inch HVGA capacitive screen on top of Android 2.2, the Cloud Touch also offers a 5MP AF camera and 4GB microSD card. However, it only comes with a 600MHz processor from Qualcomm, as well as a meagre 4MB of internal memory - perhaps to be expected given it's going to be aimed more at the budget end of the market. More exciting is the new overlay - from an innovative drag-to-unlock action to a complete redesign of the Android home screen, the INQ Cloud Touch is designed to stand out a little from the smartphone crowd. Facing up to Facebook Facebook integration is rife through the phone, with a large, customisable widget and a chance to choose your five favourite friends to 'properly' follow by using Facebook's social graph API. Facebook Single Sign On is activated across the phones and people can check in to their favourite shops, restaurants and clubs with Facebook Places, which is also active on the homescreen. Facebook Events fully integrates with the Google Calendar on the device too, making it a one-stop Facebook spot. The Cloud Touch is also the first phone to feature a non-premium version of Spotify Mobile. This means that you can access and manage your playlists on the device as you would with the computer, but unless you pay the Premium subscription fee there's no access to streamed music. We're itching to know the INQ Cloud Touch UK price, as this could be a real contender at the budget end of the smartphone market when it launches at The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy. At least we get a UK release date: the UK will get the INQ Cloud Touch first in April. Also announced is the INQ Cloud Q - a QWERTY device with a 2.6-inch touchscreen built in. It runs the same Facebook and Spotify overlay, but with a Q3 UK release date, specs are pretty sparse at this point. If you want to see more on this phone, check out our hands on: INQ Cloud Touch review now and work out whether light and plastic chassis are something you can learn to love. Related Stories HP Pre 3: Palm-less Pre announced HP Veer - tiny webOS smartphone launched WebOS 2.1 coming to Palm Pre 2 Hands on: INQ Cloud Touch review HP Veer - tiny webOS smartphone launched

In pictures: HP TouchPad Posted: 09 Feb 2011 11:42 AM PST HP has finally made official its latest entry into the tablet market - the HP TouchPad. With all rumours suggesting that PalmPad was going to be the name of HP's iPad rival, it is interesting to see that HP have done away with the Palm brand altogether, putting everything under the HP umbrella. A quick look at the specs of the HP TouchPad shows that the company means business in the tablet market. HP TouchPad: what you need to know First off is the screen. On-board is a not too shabby 9.7-inch XGA capacitive, multitouch, 1024x768 resolution display. The operating system is HP's WebOS, which has just been given a WebOS 2.1 makeover for enhanced power and speed. Powering the device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-CPU APQ8060 1.2GHz, so it should have plenty of speed for watching movies and the like - it also handles Flash 10.1 for this. Memory wise you can choose from either 16GB or 32GB internal storage and there is a rechargeable 6300 mAh battery to keep the device going for a good eight hours. The HP TouchPad's dimensions are as follows: width: 240mm, height: 190mm and thickness: 13.7mm. And it weighs around 740 grams. When it comes to connectivity there is a microUSB connector, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm jack, A-GPS and integrated IM and SMS. And there is also a Front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera. There's no HP Palm UK release date or pricing as of yet, but we'll let you know as soon as more details are announced. Related Stories iPad 2 now in production, says Wall Street Journal HP TouchPad tablet official Updated: HP TouchPad: what you need to know Updated: HP TouchPad: what you need to know

HP Veer - tiny webOS smartphone launched Posted: 09 Feb 2011 10:50 AM PST HP has announced one of the smallest smartphones we've ever seen, the HP Veer, running Palm's webOS operating system. The credit-card sized device is effectively a baby version of the Palm Pre, with a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard and full webOS 2.1 functionality. HP TouchPad: what you need to know The Veer fulfils the 'Think Small' portion of HP's much-hyped "Think Big. Think Small. Think Beyond" media event which also sees the launch of the Palm TouchPad tablet and the Palm Pre 3 smartphone. Palm-sized The new device, outed moments ago in San Franscisco features 8GB of storage, is the first smartphone to boast the Snapdragon 7230 (800MHz) processor and has the same RAM as the Palm Pre 2. There's also Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, HSDPA+ support as well as an accelerometer and light sensor. The device looks delightful, but that full QWERTY keyboard is somewhat of a worry. We had a hard enough time coping with the full-sized Pre keyboard. The HP Veer is the second smartphone of recent times to offer a fully-functional Mini Me. The Sony Ercisson Xperia X10 Mini was well-received and showed that even in this era, bigger isn't always better. The Veer will be out early this Spring and we'll have more details as they come along. Related Stories HP Pre 3: Palm-less Pre announced HP Veer - tiny webOS smartphone launched WebOS 2.1 coming to Palm Pre 2 Hands on: INQ Cloud Touch review INQ Cloud Touch offers Facebook-powered Android

HP Veer - tiny webOS smartphone launched Posted: 09 Feb 2011 10:50 AM PST HP has announced one of the smallest smartphones we've ever seen, the HP Veer, running Palm's webOS operating system. The credit-card sized device is effectively a baby version of the Palm Pre, with a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard and full webOS 2.1 functionality. The Veer fulfils the 'Think Small' portion of HP's much-hyped "Think Big. Think Small. Think Beyond" media event which also sees the launch of the Palm TouchPad tablet and the Palm Pre 3 smartphone. Palm-sized The new device, outed moments ago in San Franscisco features 8GB of storage, is the first smartphone to boast the Snapdragon 7230 (800MHz) processor and has the same RAM as the Palm Pre 2. There's also Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, HSDPA+ support as well as an accelerometer and light sensor. The device looks delightful, but that full QWERTY keyboard is somewhat of a worry. We had a hard enough time coping with the full-sized Pre keyboard. The HP Veer is the second smartphone of recent times to offer a fully-functional Mini Me. The Sony Ercisson Xperia X10 Mini was well-received and showed that even in this era, bigger isn't always better. The Veer will be out early this Spring and we'll have more details as they come along. Related Stories HP Pre 3: Palm-less Pre announced WebOS 2.1 coming to Palm Pre 2 Hands on: INQ Cloud Touch review INQ Cloud Touch offers Facebook-powered Android HP Veer - tiny webOS smartphone launched

HP Pre 3: Palm-less Pre announced Posted: 09 Feb 2011 10:40 AM PST HP has announced the arrival of the HP Pre 3 at an event in San Francisco. HP has been talking up its press event this week for some time now, so TechRadar knew the company was looking to launch something big in the smartphone world – and that something is the arrival of the HP Pre 3, the first Pre without the Palm name. The successor to the Palm Pre 2 has a lot to do to become a real rival in the smartphone world. HP TouchPad: what you need to know The originally Palm Pre was hit with underwhelming sales, as was its spin-offs the Palm Pixi and Palm Pre Plus. The Palm Pre 2 came just before Christmas 2010 and, again, wasn't quite the iPhone killer we were looking for. But it was a phone that boasted HP WebOS 2 and all the goodness that with it, including Flash 10.1 support and the new, innovative Stacks feature. Palm Pre 3 features Specs for the HP Pre 3 include: Qualcomm CPU running at 1.4GHz, with HSPA+ and EVDO Rev A world phone and there will be 8GB or 16GB of on-board storage offerings with RAM apparently the same as Pre 2. The Palm Pre 3 also has the company's largest QWERTY keyboard, a 3.6-inch 480x800 WVGA screen, 5MP camera with LED Flash, forward facing camera, video calling and can record HD video. The HP Pre is apparently built for "serious speed" and will be launching in the Summer, but no HP Pre 3 UK release date has been announced. Related Stories HP Veer - tiny webOS smartphone launched WebOS 2.1 coming to Palm Pre 2 Hands on: INQ Cloud Touch review INQ Cloud Touch offers Facebook-powered Android HP Veer - tiny webOS smartphone launched

HP TouchPad tablet official Posted: 09 Feb 2011 10:39 AM PST HP has officially announced the HP TouchPad, the heavily-anticipated webOS tablet at a media event in San Francisco Outed at HP's "Think Big. Think Small. Think Beyond" event, the TouchPad - originally thought to be called the PalmPad - is hoping to turn webOS into a world-beater when it's launched this summer. The device has a 9.7-inch capacitive multi-touch screen (1024 x 768), weighs in at 1.5lbs and is just 13mm thick. Sound familiar? That's because they're the exact same specs as the Apple iPad. HP TouchPad: what you need to know Like the iPad the only button on the front of the device seems to be the home button, in exactly the same place. The new TouchPad syncs perfectly with the new Palm Pre 3 phone allowing users to receive text messages and answer phonecalls using the tablet. It'll also print wirelessly from the gallery app, using a HP printer. Well specced. Other vital stats include a nifty Snapdragon dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor, 512MB of RAM, while it'll come in 16GB, 32GB models. The HP TouchPad, which has rounded edges also boasts eight hours of battery life and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video calling inside a rather thick bezel. In terms of connectivity, is has 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a SIM-card slot for on mobile broadband and can be charged through Palm's wireless touchstone technology as well as through the now-standard microUSB port. Some of the top line applications that will be available for the tablet include TIME magazine, Sports Illustrated, Angry Birds and Facebook as well as a webOS Amazon Kindle reader app. The multi-tasking friendly webOS operating system already seems like a better fit on the larger scale device so we're eager to see this impressive-looking gadget in action. Let's hope HP learns from Palm's mistakes and gets the TouchPad in the hands of users sooner rather than later. Related Stories iPad 2 now in production, says Wall Street Journal In pictures: HP TouchPad Updated: HP TouchPad: what you need to know Updated: HP TouchPad: what you need to know

WebOS 2.1 coming to Palm Pre 2 Posted: 09 Feb 2011 10:36 AM PST Jon Rubenstein, Senior Vice President at HP, and formally of Palm has announced that WebOS 2.1 is coming to the Palm Pre 2 and other Palm devices. At a press conference in San Francisco, Rubenstein revealed that an update for WebOS 2.0 was incoming and it should be winging its way to existing Palm phones this Friday. It is unclear at the moment whether this is just happening in the US, as no WebOS 2.1 UK release date has been given. WebOS 2.1 features Features for WebOS 2.1 include two new apps that are voice dial and Exhibition, which is a slideshow feature for your phone. Rubenstein said about WebOS 2.1: "Our latest release of webOS is 2.1 - it gives users tons of great new features. "So far we've delivered it to five devices, including the Pre 2, available for pre order from Verizon tomorrow." Related Stories HP Pre 3: Palm-less Pre announced HP Veer - tiny webOS smartphone launched Hands on: INQ Cloud Touch review INQ Cloud Touch offers Facebook-powered Android HP Veer - tiny webOS smartphone launched

Hands on: Nikon Coolpix P300 review Posted: 09 Feb 2011 09:45 AM PST Nikon's latest performance compact is the Coolpix P300, a boxy little camera with a lot to prove. The camera is nice and light to hold, and it's a darn sight smaller than its indirect predecessor, the P7000, although Nikon reckons this is a brand new model. It is quite different, admittedly – gone is the viewfinder and the moulded grip, and instead we have HD video shooting and some added features as well as the manual controls that give you more say over how the camera captures images than most compacts. Buttons on the device are many and varied, as are dials. There's quite an array so we'd imagine it will take a bit of getting used to for the day-to-day amateur, especially if Nikon's way of doing things is new to you. For photographers who know what they're doing, however, the array of dials will be a welcome addition. Design? What design? We're all for strides in technology design innovation, but cameras tend to go one of two ways; completely over the top (take a bow, Pentax) or a bit boring and samey. The Coolpix P300 is one of the latter; it's essentially a black box with a lens on it. When it comes to design, this camera is fooling no one. But it has one sole redeeming design feature; a pop-up flash. It's so retro and understated, completely hidden until you suddenly decide you need a bit of extra oomph and BAM! It pops up and dazzles you. Features The 12.2MP CMOS sensor makes the HD video capture possible, and as far as we could tell on the LCD monitor it was pretty good; it also captures stereo sound. The inclusion of a video record button means no pesky switching between modes, but also meant we occasionally hit it by accident and ended up with a few scrappy bits of video we never intended to record. Generally speaking, the onboard photographic features on the P300 are nothing to write home about – mostly gimmicky things like colour isolation – but we did like the easy one-touch panorama mode. Rather than calculating the number of angles you need to turn or relying on you yourself to stitch the shot together, the camera simply requires you to hold down the shutter button and turn as you do. When the panorama-meter is full, it creates the image from your one smooth motion. It wasn't perfect – our images always came out with one fudged section, but this could be down to poor movement on our part as much as anything else. Processing time was also quite long; you'll need to allow at least a minute between shooting panoramas. With a fairly fast shutter speed, the continuous shooting mode is quite a nice addition; the P300 can take up to seven shots in one go at 8fps. It won't let you down on start-up speeds either, the P300 was up and at 'em in seconds after hitting the power button. The 3-inch LCD screen is superb quality, a 921k-dot affair that felt like it was giving an accurate representation of the images we'd shot on a small-scale. For the money Nikon are asking (UK pricing around £300), you get an enormous level of control and a great quality lens; the only real disappointment is its boring (though some would say unassuming) style. For a photographer who's after for a point-and-shoot with a little more oomph, the Nikon P300 is definitely worth a look. Roll on March and its UK release. Related Stories Sony opens up lens specifications to outside manufacturers Nikon launches Coolpix P500 compact with 36x optical zoom Nikon reveals new range of compact Coolpix cameras

iOS 4.3 release date: 14 February? Posted: 09 Feb 2011 09:20 AM PST Apple iOS 4.3 is all set to be launched on 14 February, according to sources close to the matter. TechRadar has been waiting with bated breath for an iOS 4.3 UK release date announcement, and it seems that this is the closest we have gotten so far. The Valentine's Day date was mustered up by the folks at MacStories who is citing that the date came from a reliable source. iOS 4.3 – new features Apple iOS 4.3 is set to bring a number of things to the iPad, iPod and iPhone. New features include: app subscriptions, Wi-Fi hotspot feature, new and improved support for AirPlay and better multi-touch functionality. Apple has been coy about just when its iOS 4.3 update will come. There was a rumour that it would land in December, but nothing was piped through. With multiple sources all pointing to 14 February, it seems likely that this year Valentine's Day will be filled with some Apple love. Related Stories BBC iPlayer app for Android 2.2 coming this week too Adobe Flash 10.2 leaves beta, ready to download Updated: BBC iPlayer iPad app out now

Google calling Nokia and Microsoft 'turkeys'? Posted: 09 Feb 2011 08:18 AM PST A Google VP has tweeted a not-so-cryptic message relating to the mooted Nokia and Microsoft partnership. Vic Gundotra, Google's VP of Engineering, sent the short message to his followers with the hashtag #feb11, indicating that it refers to the upcoming Nokia announcement. Quoth the Google man: ""Two Turkeys do not make an Eagle".", seemingly pointing, laughing and calling Nokia and Microsoft turkeys in one foul swoop. Gobble gobble, Google Such a public pronouncement from a senior Google employee certainly indicates that a Nokia-built Android phone is off the table for now, and hints at the industry insider knowing a thing or two about Nokia's fabled 11 February announcement. It's the same weird saying that Nokia's then executive vice president Anssi Vanjoki used when commenting on a deal between Siemens and BenQ back in 2005. The point Nokia was making back then was that the Siemens-BenQ merger would be like water off a duck's back to the Finnish company. Now, six years later, Google seems similarly unbothered by a potential Nokia/Windows Phone 7 deal. Related Stories HTC investing in smartphone gaming, details coming next week Sony Ericsson Xperia Play also coming to Three Catholic Church approves iPhone virtual confession app Nokia: 'We poured gasoline on our own burning platform' HTC Wildfire S spotted in official HTC video?

Adobe Flash 10.2 leaves beta, ready to download Posted: 09 Feb 2011 07:02 AM PST Adobe has announced that Flash 10.2 is now out of beta and ready to download. The incremental update brings a number of new features.These include: full-screen support for multi-monitor systems, better HD video playback, smoother fonts and support for IE 9's GPU rendering capabilities. There's also new functionality added called Stage Video. Essentially the feature allows decent playback of HD video but without sacrificing processor power. All the world's a Stage At the moment, there are a number of sites working hard to implement this feature, including YouTube, Brightcove and Vimeo. Adobe says that implementation of Stage Video could cut processing power by a whopping 85 per cent. The roots of Stage Video can be found in the addition of H.264 back in Adobe Flash 10.1. If you have Adobe 10.2 then there are a number of YouTube videos that will benefit from the feature, as it introduces things like DVR-playback control into the videos. To download Flash 10.2, go to http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer. Related Stories BBC iPlayer app for Android 2.2 coming this week too iOS 4.3 release date: 14 February? Updated: BBC iPlayer iPad app out now

HTC Flyer to come with Android 2.3? Posted: 09 Feb 2011 05:12 AM PST It's all gone a bit quiet on the HTC tablet front, but the latest rumour circulating says that the Taiwanese company has had to put a bit of a rush on production in order to get it out the door. According to the rumours in the Economic Daily News report, HTC is determined to meet a Q1 release date and, we hope, a Mobile World Congress reveal. Rather than holding out for Android 3.0, the HTC Flyer is said to be coming with Gingerbread (Android 2.3) complete with a new version of HTC Sense (Sensation, perhaps?). Not the kind of flier they hand out for free The 7-inch Flyer will then see two follow-up tablets released later in the year, probably with the tablet-centric Honeycomb OS on board. Specs relating to the tablet were leaked last month and told us to expect a 7-inch slate with Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and a front-mounted camera. We'll be sorely disappointed not to see the HTC Flyer – or an HTC tablet by any other name – make its debut at Mobile World Congress next week.

Buying Guide: 10 of the best home cinema gadgets Posted: 09 Feb 2011 04:48 AM PST Home cinema has been shrinking for yonks, but now it's getting invisible. Away from the steady flow of mainstream all-in-one speaker packages, soundbars and, more recently, Blu-ray versions and movie streamers like Apple TV, here's the really exciting secret stuff; secret speakers, pop-up projector screens, and iPad apps that control your whole system. We've gathered together some of the best gadgets from the world of home cinema to give your den a luxury feel for an outlay of as little as £50. But don't be fooled by price; you could spend as little or as much as you like on speakers or a TV, but there's a creeping trend towards home automation. The latter often applies to boring chores like controlling the heating or lighting in the whole house, but done well it can lead to multi-room video streaming and endless, easy customisation - and very often from a smartphone. Before you bombard us with "how could you idiots forget the [insert the thing you just bought here]?" comments, please remember; this market is so innovative that and fast-moving this is a mere taster to give you an idea of just what can be done if you have the imagination and, yes, the cash - but it is getting easier and cheaper to get last year's high-end features for smaller bean. Dim the lights! 1. Logitech Harmony 650 universal remote control There's no touchscreen or iPhone in sight, yet Logitech's £70 universal remote effortlessly restores, err, harmony to the universe by instantly de-cluttering your living room. It can 'learn' infra-red commands from your existing remotes, but only in a emergency; the Harmony 650 prefers to rely on its own database of codes. Simply load the brilliantly addictive software onto a PC or Mac, attach the unit via USB, and set about entering model numbers and deciding on scenarios. Within minutes you'll be pressing one button labelled 'play movie' that wakes a TV, sets an AV receiver to a particular mode, powers-up the Blu-ray player and - if you're lucky - dims the lights and can even activates the air-con. Blokey and brilliant. 2. Digital Future (DF) Solutions Base & Link multi-room system We're now into the realm of 'footballer'-grade home cinema, where no stone is left unturned. Two products are at work here: the Base multi-room media server and Link video client, which pushes digital media around your home. Including Blu-ray support, this endlessly customisable and expandable system features a beautiful user interface. Able to store 20,000 CDs, 120 DVDs or around 3,000 compressed movies (though NAS drives can be added at will) and supporting virtually all digital media formats, this comprehensive system costs from £2,920 for a simple one room solution, but can stretch to a stunning eight video zones if your wallet is up to it. 3. RedEye iPhone/iPad universal remote control app The alternative to buying a universal remote like the Logitech is to instead rely on your iPhone or iPad, but never forget that Apple's tablet is virtually inert; you're going to need some third-party hardware to act as a go-between. This £199 transparent blue plastic dock takes commands issued over Wi-Fi from a free iPhone (or iPad) app and converts them into infrared, thus controlling your home cinema stuff. There were gaps in its database when we tried it (hopefully a very temporary problem for this US-birthed gadget) and the main unit (which can also charge an iPhone) frequently lights-up and ruins a movie blackout, but it's a cinch to set-up and can even control products in other 'zones' of your networked house. Also available is the RedEye Mini (£49.95), which slots into your iPhone's headphones slot and doesn't require recharging, though it only works in one room. 4. Evolve lifeStation media server Costing around £4,500 and custom built in the UK, Evolve's lifeStation is aimed squarely at those after a central hub for … almost anything. It's the only server of its kind to indulge in 24-frame switching, making its standard 4TB hard disk ripe for storing Blu-rays, though it's capable of distributing all kinds of digital media - BBC iPlayer, web radio, recordings from your Sky or Virgin box - as well as record from live TV. There's even a USB port on its front for adding drives and devices. Although its runs on a Windows-based system, it's a modular 'shell' version designed purely for the handling of media, so there's zero chance of annoying pop-up error messages. But best of all, you're not locked into the Evolve system forever – Xbox 360s can be used as clients (up to five, though - as we know - they can't handle Blu-ray), making a stunning multi-room system relatively cheap to achieve after the initial layout. 5. Beamax Dellegno X-Series pop-up projector screen Discreet isn't the word; this £2,000 powered projector screen from Beamax screams luxury the moment you touch the remote (or your universal remote) and grin as the 80-inch screen rises from the floor and into its viewing position. "How, what, where?" nonsense is likely to spill from your dropped jaw - unless you look at the so-that's-how-they-do-it folding cantilever arrangement behind the screen - but try to relax; you're the proud owner of surely one of the most striking slices of home cinema science. Projectionist, begin! 6. Yamaha YSP-2200 digital sound projector Speakers might not be as in-yer-face as a brand new LED-studded screen, but home cinema is as much as about sound as picture. New lossless soundtracks on Blu-ray films in either Dolby True HD or DTS Master Audio HD will power their way through a classic 5.1 speakers + AV receiver set-up, but those after something less dominating should give Yamaha's latest digital sound projector a shot. Built around 16 separate beam drivers that individually reposition themselves according to the exact shape of your room before bouncing sound off the walls, the low profile YSP-2200 sits in front of any TV and lends some serious power despite its diminutive dimensions. 7. Epson EH-R4000 Reflective 3LCD projector Pricey at £6,500, yes, but brilliant; that's Epson's latest incarnation of its 3LCD projectors. Formerly known to be good, but not as good as a DLP projector, Epson's engineers have souped-up the tech to create Reflective 3LCD - and it works a treat in a blackout. Glossy black contrast and colours to die for, this whisper-quiet beast is also far easier to set-up and position than most beamers. Cheaper under-a-grand alternatives come from Optoma, BenQ, InFocus, Panasonic and, indeed, Epson. 8. Lutron Single Rania IR digital dimmer Among us tech types there's always chatter about phone-operated robots and fridges you can send a text to, but all we really want to do is dim the lights without getting up. Cue Lutron's £50 dimmer, which comes with a remote control, and, because it uses infrared, can easily be operated by a universal remote. Add it to a DIY scenario such as 'play movie' on the RedEye or Logitech Harmony universal remotes, above, and snigger as the lights dim of their own accord. 9. Peerless Slimline motorised mount Welcome to the '3D corridor'. Hanging a TV on a wall is becoming very fashionable (keep 'em at eye level, people - above the fireplace is way too high), but things have moved on for owners of 3DTVs who need exact positions for the best picture. It's no longer enough to mount your superslim LED-backlit telly on a low profile mount - now it has to be motorised, like this £249 product from Peerless. Able to support 23-46-inch screens, it can move 20 degrees left or right and can be programmed - using a small remote - to remember two separate positions, which it leaps to at the touch of a button. Best of all, it's easy to install. 10. Amina Invisible in-wall speakers Designed to be heard, but not seen (and hard to believe until you have), Amina has taken the nation's dislike of cabling and clutter and applied it to speakers; its AIW5X top of the range invisible loudspeaker (£990 single/£1,920 a pair) can be installed in walls and then, with a lick of paint, completely disappear. The AIW5X speakers, along with the all-important ALF40 bass enhancer (£306), are best handled by a recognised AV installer - see www.amina.co.uk for details of where and who to buy from.

Review: Devolo dLAN 200 AV Wireless N Starter Kit Posted: 09 Feb 2011 04:27 AM PST Powerline networking is the perfect solution to circumventing wireless networking's shortcomings, and the Devolo dLAN 200 AV Wireless N Starter Kit attempts to combine the best of both worlds. It builds upon the existing Devolo product line offering the same 200Mbps networking over your home's internal power wiring, as it has with the rest of the Devolo dLAN 200 AV product line. The cherry on the cake is one of the two supplied adaptors happens to also be a Wireless-N 300Mbps router. This ingenious solution enables you to plug an internet gateway in at the other end of your property, connect it to one Devolo dLAN 200 AV adaptor and then locate the Wireless-N equipped adaptor exactly where you need it, to maximise the wireless signal. It's an interesting and practical solution for anyone that has their broadband router significantly distant from where they actually want the broadband, or your home has thick walls as are often found in older properties. Alternatively, it enables you to create a wireless hotspot in more remotes areas of your home, especially if you have an outhouse or garage wired to the mains supply. Benchmarks To test transfers for both the powerline networking and the Wireless-N router, we used a number of standard file transfer tests. For the wireless testing, the first is a same room file transfer, while the second test places a brick wall and wooden floor between the router and laptop used. For the powerline tests, the first uses sockets within the same room on the same ring, while the second uses sockets on different floors. Wireless same room transfer speed Wireless one room away transfer speed Powerline same room transfer speed Powerline distance transfer speed Verdict Devolo is an old hand when it comes to powerline networking and it's impressive that it has managed to cram in both a powerline dLAN 200 AV adaptor and a fully featured Wireless-N router (and let's not forget a three-port LAN router on top of that). While it's larger than a standalone dLAN 200 AV adaptor it's the same size as the units that had a pass-through power plug. Setting up either a powerline network or a wireless one are both stupidly easy. Devolo has added a WPS button so it's a simple job to connect new devices that support this to the wireless network. You can get more hands on with the supplied Cockpit software. This is the usual tool for configuring the Devolo dLAN 200 AV powerline network, but it has been extended for helping set up the Wireless-N router. The web-based interface is very fast, looks good and has the base options you'd want to see. This includes the ability to alter the SSID, WPA encryption, add MAC filtering and impose time limits on access, but not much else. As a Wireless-N router, it's relatively proficient, offering good 9.7MB/s same-room speed. Moving to further distances sees this tail off to more moderate 4.4MB/s speeds, but it's still very acceptable. We've tested the same line of dLAN 200 AV powerline adaptors before and if anything it seems performance has improved a little. That said, even at its 8.4MB/s best it can't quite match 100BaseT Ethernet speeds, so if you have a very fast broadband connection, the Devolo units could be still potentially end up as the limiting factor. We liked We like the Devolo dLAN 200 AV product line, it's reliable and offers a good level of speed. The addition of the Wireless-N router is excellent and the dLAN 200 AV Wireless N Starter Kit will make for a solid solution for certain homes. We disliked The Devolo dLAN 200 AV is certainly a mature product set, it's something of a shame the pricing hasn't dropped more, especially with HomePlug AV2 on the horizon for 2011. The powerline transfer speeds are now looking somewhat weak, though still very much usable in the home. It's also a less feature-rich wireless router than we'd like. Final word A good way to get broadband and wireless networking to otherwise inaccessible parts of your home. Related Links Read more networking reviews TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee

Review: Equinux Tizi tv Posted: 09 Feb 2011 04:11 AM PST Every day, we're amazed by what our iOS devices can do. And being the lazy couch pota… err, inquisitive and culturally aware individuals that we are, we love watching TV on our iPhone or iPad, so our ears pricked up when we heard about the equinux tizi. It's a mini TV receiver that lets you watch and record television on your iPhone 4, 3GS, iPad or iPod touch (third or fourth gen). Now it's not the only way to watch live TV on your device – TVCatchup and iPlayer are well established services, but they have their drawbacks. Firstly, to get a consistent, watchable video, you really need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network. Sure, they work over 3G, but this is incredibly dependent on your signal strength, and will munch through your data allowance like nobody's business. Sling Media or Elgato also offer ways to watch live TV, but many of these require bulky hardware or for your computer to be running to watch on your iPad. The tizi, on the other hand, is the only piece of hardware you'll need. It gets its TV signal from the airwaves and sends it directly over Wi-Fi to your iOS device. There's no need to be connected to the net or have a mobile signal – as long as you've got digital TV reception. You link your device to the tizi's Wi-Fi hotspot (so no browsing the web over Wi-Fi during the ads, though you can over 3G) and it scans the airwaves for channels using the free tizi.tv companion app, which was at version 1.2 when we tested. It's wonderfully easy to set up, although the channel search will take several minutes, but you only do this once unless you're in a new location. Like the unit itself, the aerial is tiny, but extendible, adjustable and robust. However, standing just beneath our rooftop aerial (which provides us with a perfect Freeview signal), the tizi couldn't find a single channel, despite its signal level indicator light telling us it had good reception. We were distraught, and spent a long time trying the tizi and its aerial in different positions, but to no avail. Back at Tap! Towers, we had little Five and various ITV and Channel 4 flavours. Now, not being able to latch onto the signal isn't in itself a crime, but we were disappointed by the misleading light. The app has a signal strength indicator too, but it's been hidden away in the Settings screen, partly perhaps because we often found it giving inaccurate readings – 0% despite a perfect picture, anyone? Annoyingly, it wouldn't update in real time, either, which is annoying if you're trying to find the perfect position for the aerial. But when we did get reception, we have to say, the picture quality was brilliant, the sound likewise. While we had to leave the tizi propped by the window, we were able to move several metres away without the picture quality deteriorating. But as we found, just because a bigger aerial can pick up Freeview signal doesn't necessarily mean the tizi will be able to. The only real way to find out is to try it for yourself. Provided you can get reception, you can watch in portrait or landscape orientation. Clearly, you're always going to want to watch in the latter, and you can swipe between channels in this orientation, but you have to flip back into portrait to get at any meaningful controls, the channel list or the 'now and next' information – sigh. Speaking of this programme information, tizi uses the data from the digital TV signal, just like your regular television. But it doesn't let you see beyond the next programme, so you can't find out what's on in the evening, for example – sigh again. There's no option to add subtitles, either. The app also enables you to record programmes at the tap of a button (though not on a timer). The recordings are saved at full quality in the tizi app for you to enjoy at your leisure, or transfer to your PC or Mac using iTunes and watch later. Note that you'll need a codec that will play the MPEG-2 TS format, since even VLC didn't want to open our recording. As we mentioned, the tizi unit is tiny – roughly the length and width of a credit card and slightly thicker than the iPhone 4 – so it's very portable. It has a removable 1050mAh lithium-ion battery that charges via a mini-USB port, so you can charge it via your computer or your iPhone's mains adapter. It took a little over two hours to charge from empty via a Mac's USB port and then played TV for just over three hours nonstop. The unit's battery indicator changes colour depending on the remaining charge. Unfortunately, there's no way to connect an external aerial: this capability would have made the tizi appeal to far more people. As it is, it's a great option for watching TV where there isn't an aerial or Wi-Fi, or for if you don't have space for a Freeview box. And if you travel a lot, the tizi would be a great companion for whiling away hours spent on trains or in airports – reception permitting. The tizi's a clever, impressive bit of kit. But with tweaks to the hardware and the app, it could be so much better. Oh, and don't forget you'll need a TV licence! Related Links TechRadar Reviews Guarantee Read more TV tuner card reviews Related Stories 3D royal wedding plans ruled out YouView UK release date delayed till 'early 2012'

YouView UK release date delayed till 'early 2012' Posted: 09 Feb 2011 03:17 AM PST The makers of YouView have officially announced that the IPTV platform will not have a full consumer launch in 2011, instead it will now be available in 2012. The subscription-free internet-connected TV service was meant to be launching sometime in 2011, but it has been hit with setbacks – notably the departure of its chief evangelist Anthony Rose, who jumped ship to go to Intel. Although YouView - then Project Canvas - was originally meant to be launched in 2010, this was delayed until 2011. A full rollout will now not happen until early 2012, with a few trials of the service beginning this year. Open TV Richard Halton, the CEO of YouView, said about the delay: "Our focus has always been to deliver a product to consumers that is right, but not rushed. Creating a truly open TV platform that will bring consumers increased choice has required significant technological innovation. Our timings for the launch reflect the scale and complexity of this project." TechRadar contacted YouView about the delays and it told us that, despite the date change, everyone is happy with how the service is progressing. "We keep all timings under review and our priority is to ensure we get the product right," said a spokesperson for the platform. "Development of YouView is progressing well and our shareholders are fully supportive of our strategy for delivery." Related Stories 3D royal wedding plans ruled out Review: Equinux Tizi tv

Tutorial: Common HDMI problems and solutions Posted: 09 Feb 2011 03:00 AM PST HDMI, the High Definition Multimedia Interface, was planned as the solution to all our hi-def interconnection problems; a single cable to carry high-definition video, high quality multichannel audio, and control codes. The whole AV industry agreed on the standard, and manufacturers adopted it with enthusiasm. So what could possibly go wrong? Lots of customers could answer that, as connection problems, hardware incompatibilities and confusing upgrades have blighted the progress of HDMI. The latest version, 1.4, was announced in March 2010 and is now commonly found on Blu-ray players and AV amplifiers, but will it finally solve our problems? It's a myth that as HDMI cables carry digital data in the form of a stream of 0s and 1s, they will all function flawlessly, all the time, regardless of cost or construction. In fact, when you mix-and-match HDMI source devices, cables, accessories and displays from different manufacturers, it's almost certain that you'll hit trouble; and with the complex digital nature of HDMI, it can be impossible for consumers to resolve the issues. Jeff Boccaccio's Florida-based company DPL Labs runs the Digital Performance Level program, intended to help manufacturers, retailers and customers test and rate HDMI products. "HDMI requires a completely new set of rules and different techniques for success," he says. "We learned early on that HDMI had some reliability issues limiting its use. It was pretty obvious that while many products passed HDMI compliance testing, a high percentage were at the lower end of the performance scale." "Even high-priced products didn't necessarily yield higher performance as the video bandwidth is so large, and dependence on control channels made the interface vulnerable." So what problems does HDMI regularly encounter? "Many problems have nothing to do with high-speed video," says Jeff. "The majority are issues with I2C, the serial protocol used on the DDC line for EDID (Plug and Play) and HDCP (high Bandwidth Digital content Protection). "I2C is slow, but very susceptible to stray capacitance issues from connectors, cables or anything the electrical bus is connected to. If capacitance gets to a critical point, it slows the signal 'rise time' needed for proper communication. You can have all the high-speed data bandwidth in the world, but without DDC, you're dead in the water." Possible results are "failures such as no audio, no picture, pink screen or flashing – it has nothing to do with the high-speed data lines. The video can be perfect, but if the DDC line has rise-time issues, the unit will not pass HDCP, and no picture will be displayed." So how do you solve HDMI problems? "When you need to troubleshoot, the best tool of all is the old noggin," says Jeff. "Once you have a solid understanding of the system, it becomes pretty easy. Shut everything down, restart the system with the connections in place, and watch the screen. If you see a notification of resolution, chances are the DDC line has communicated between source and destination.This is good! "If you're using an active product like a cable box or satellite box, try a DVD player instead. If the picture goes off when you think the program should have started, HDCP is not getting the proper key. This can be a cable or hardware issue. "Try a shorter cable or another brand. 'Sparkles on black areas say you have a video data transmission problem, in most cases cable related. Shortening will improve integrity greatly. You could also add cable EQ to the system." HDMI connection troubleshooting "Flashes, no audio, or pink screen are usually caused by a bad DDC line. You have to eliminate all the good things to find the bad. Power up the system with all the HDMI cables connected, then try with shorter cables to see if the system works at all. If the system still fails to come on, use different inputs. "Stray capacitance may be inherent in the hardware, so try a DDC line conditioner which can eliminate a lot of problems. 'If the picture comes on, then goes off, it's likely one of the video TMDS channels has a high bit error rate. Many times the picture comes back with tear lines through it. "The second case is that the DDC line is just not quite making it, and HDCP is not getting a new refresh key. Here, replace the cable or make it shorter. If all else fails, again try conditioning. "Cable testers check only for continuity, but there are some useful testers with status LEDs for power, hotplug detect, and DDC lines." 'Kill the cat!' Another possible source of HDMI problems is the +5V power line used to power the display's DDC communication circuitry when it's turned off. If this power supply is weakened, communication problems can occur. Some HDMI switchers, splitters and LED-illuminating cables take their power from this line, which is asking for trouble. HDMI Pin 19, the hot Plug Detect, is 50 per cent shorter than the others, so tends to be the first to disconnect if the HDMI plug is loose. Bear in mind too that HDMI cables don't like being bent – signal timing is critical, so twists and turns can degrade performance, particularly over long distances. HDMI performance can also vary between different connections that are on the same device; often, due to quirks of circuit board design, one HDMI socket on a TV offers inferior performance to another. The latest HDMI issues involve 3D. An HDMI v1.3 system should carry 3D video; but HDMI v1.3 amplifiers won't pass 3D EDID information to a display. One solution is to have a Blu-ray player equipped with two HDMI outputs, one with v1.4 to connect directly to the display, the other with v1.3 to transmit sound to the amplifier. Some early HDMI-equipped receivers had the HDMI board shoe-horned in near the transformer; as the device heated up, HDMI performance became glitchy. Jeff tells us of one home cinema fan whose HDMI system failed regularly. No-one could identify the problem until an engineer realised that the family cat was sleeping on the amplifier, blocking the cooling fan, and the amp's HDMI board was overheating. and Jeff's solution? "Kill the cat!" So take comfort from the fact that if you've had HDMI problems, you're not alone; take our tips to heart, and you should be able to get it to perform perfectly, as its designers intended...

Review: Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 11-inch Posted: 09 Feb 2011 03:00 AM PST Lenovo is most famous for its business-focused ThinkPad laptops, but it also manufactures the ThinkPad Edge range – which has a more consumer focus to its design. The ThinkPad Edge 11-inch is the smallest in the range and makes a fantastically usable travelling companion. At only 11.6-inches diagonally, the screen could be considered to be small Nevertheless, we found it remarkably usable and the sharp 1366 x 768-pixel resolution produces very detailed images. Such a high resolution in such a small screen can produce very small menus and text, but this can be tweaked if required. The isolated keyboard is a triumph and, despite the diminutive size of the laptop's chassis, we found the keyboard spacious and a pleasure to type on – even beating the Dell Inspiron 15R for usability – so it's ideal for those looking to work regularly on the road. One small irritant is that Lenovo has indented the Control key one space from its standard position, and we regularly hit the Function key that has replaced it on the end of the row by mistake. The laptop is built of very firm plastics that will provide excellent protection for the machine on the road, and portability is also impressive. The 1.5kg chassis is no problem to carry around all day, so will suit those regularly out of the office on business, while the 285-minute battery life is excellent, providing over four hours of battery life between charges. We would expect such a small laptop to feature a low-powered, resource-light processor, but in fact the machine features an Intel Core i3 chip. You'll have no problem multitasking office software and, although benchmarking proved the laptop is not quite as powerful as some, running more resource-intensive applications will prove no problem for this laptop. Graphically, the laptop is weak, however, and those after multimedia prowess should look elsewhere, but streaming videos and very light photo editing is still possible. There's no optical drive, which is bad news for those looking to watch or create DVDs, but the 320GB hard drive is rare in a laptop this small and provides ample storage for work, music and photos to keep you entertained on the go. The laptop also features a 3G module, allowing you to wirelessly browse the web whenever in range of a mobile phone mast. Although not suited for those after a high-powered system for the family, the ThinkPad Edge 11-inch comes highly recommended as a portable partner and, ultimately, we're big fans. Related Links Read more laptop reviews TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee Related Stories Review: Samsung NF11 Review: HP 625

Review: Prolimatech Armageddon Posted: 09 Feb 2011 02:33 AM PST We're not sure Prolimatech knows what Armageddon actually means, since a high-performance cooler it should actually be doing the opposite of starting Armageddon on our CPU. Crazy naming aside, you get the feeling the Prolimatech Armageddon means business, it's a hefty 750g of heatsink cooling with six heatpipes and a 160mm high rack of cooling fins, which measure 140mm across. It doesn't ship with a fan as standard, but will accommodate 140mm or 120mm fans. Because it's aimed at experienced overclockers and enthusiasts, this shouldn't generally be a problem, but this could be off-putting for more casual users for whom an extra fan just reads as more expense. It's also an Intel-only cooler and uses an unusual mounting system that's somewhat intimidating at first, but is mechanically highly secure. Prolimatech has a tight product line and this is effectively its 'entry-level' performance cooler, which is impressive because it shows this is one company that's not messing around. Benchmarks To give the cooler a run for its money, we fully installed it onto an overclocked Intel Core 2 E6700 processor. We took an ambient air temperature reading, an unloaded temperature reading and another when the CPU had been running with a full load for a number of minutes. Unloaded temperature Loaded temperature Verdict For testing, we used a high-flow 120mm fan, so in effect we're not showing the cooler at its best. A 140mm fan would provide either a higher flow rate or reduced noise, though it wasn't that loud with our test fan anyway. Fitting the cooler takes a departure from the norm, since it uses a solid bar that runs over the top of the main cooling block. This screws into two more bars that run either side of the cooler and are screwed into the standard backplate fixing positions. Initially, this is somewhat intimidating because there are a lot of unusual pieces. But once in place is one of the most solid and easy-to-use fixing devices we've come across. It also means that, once in place, you only need to release two screws to remove the cooler. Once fired up and running, the Prolimatech Armageddon does nothing but impress. Even taking its unloaded cooling abilities, it runs 17c cooler than our stock cooler. Taking into account ambient air differences, it's even three degrees below that of the performance Xigmatek Gaia cooler. This impressive performance is carried through to its loaded cooling. Again it puts the stock cooler to shame undercutting its temperature by 15c, while it's four degrees under that of the Xigmatek Gaia cooler. It helps that the cooler happens to come with a good tube of thermal paste but even without that we'd be happily impressed with its performance. We liked We liked everything about the Prolimatech Armageddon. It's a no-nonsense, high-performance cooler that's engineered with just that in mind. That makes it large and heavy, but it comes with an equally well-engineered fixing mechanism. All of this contributes to class-leading cooling and a thorough recommendation. We're not going to criticise the fixing mechanism, because once in place it actually makes total sense. We disliked The Prolimatech Armageddon is a pricy cooler, but that's the market it's aimed at. The lack of a cooling fan at this price is going to put off more mainstream buyers. Final word A top-flight, high-performance cooler that does its job beautifully. Related Links Read more PC cooling reviews TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee Related Stories Review: Xigmatek Pantheon Review: Xigmatek Gaia SD1283

Review: Xigmatek Gaia SD1283 Posted: 09 Feb 2011 02:32 AM PST With its wide range of coolers, the Xigmatek product line can be somewhat overwhelming. This Gaia SD1283 air cooler is a performance 120mm cooler. If you're looking for the next step up in cooling, it provides all the high-performance options you would want in this level of kit. First, it ships with a decent 56.3cfm, 120mm fan with an upper 1500rpm speed. The Gaia SD1283 itself uses three 8mm heatpipes that use a Direct Touch in the cooling block to maximise heat transfer. These pass the heat up to the 160mm high, 120mm wide cooling fins. For more advanced cooling, it can also handle a twin-fan cross-flow installation. For mechanical fixing it uses a relatively complex universal bracket that's made up of a lot of pieces, the advantage being that it covers all of Intel's sockets and the same for AMD, including the legacy K8 options such as 754, 939 and 940. Benchmarks To give the cooler a run for its money, we fully installed it onto an overclocked Intel Core 2 E6700 processor. We took an ambient air temperature reading, an unloaded temperature reading and another when the CPU had been running with a full load for a number of minutes. Unloaded temperature Loaded temperature Verdict Installing a high-performance cooler always entails a level of construction work and the Xigmatek Gaia SD1283 is no different. In some ways, it's simplified the process by using four long bolts that pass through the standard mounting points. A knurled spacing bolt is then attached and once you attached the correct brackets to the cooling block the whole assembly can be screwed firmly into place. The unit comes with a 120mm cooling fan, which is fitted using vibration dampening rubber grommets. It also supports having a second exhaust fan installed for enhanced cooling. It good to see that the cooler ships with a generous tube of thermal paste, so you don't have to go scrambling around for your own during installation. Once up and running, Xigmatek has clearly chosen a good fan, it's suitably quiet for a gaming rig at its full 1500rpm rate. Up and running the Xigmatek Gaia SD1283 does a good job. Even taking its unloaded cooling abilities, it runs 14C cooler than our stock cooler. In the grand scheme of things, this is shy of the excellent Prolimatech Armageddon by three degrees. The good work is carried through to its loaded cooling efficiency. It happily slaps the stock cooler around, beating its temperature by 11 degrees. Again, though, it's four degrees warmer than the Xigmatek Gaia cooler, showing that the other cooler's extra three heatpipes are certainly hard to beat. But taking into account its lower price and the inclusion of a fan, it's hard to be too critical when comparing the Prolimatech Armageddon to the Xigmatek Gaia. We liked As an all-in-one performance cooling solution, the Xigmatek Gaia SD1283 scores well all round. Its cooling performance, while not top-flight, is more than good enough to grab your attention. The same also goes for its relatively low noise levels. Throw in its near-universal mounting kit and it's a strong contender for your money. We disliked There's little we have to criticise on the Xigmatek Gaia SD1283. It's out-performed a little by more expensive units, but that's why you pay your money. We're not massive fans of the mounting system, but it is highly flexible. Final word In the current market the Xigmatek Gaia SD1283 does a good job of balancing price with good performance. Related Links Read more PC cooling reviews TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee Related Stories Review: Xigmatek Pantheon Review: Prolimatech Armageddon

Review: HP 625 Posted: 09 Feb 2011 02:30 AM PST HP is one of the world's best-selling laptop manufacturers and the 625 belongs to its business range. Boasting a wealth of features, if slightly underwhelming performance, this is a great machine for the corporate or home user after sheer functionality. While the 15.6-inch screen isn't the brightest around, it offers enough space to make viewing word documents and spreadsheets a pleasure. There's also no shiny screen coating, making this laptop easy to view in all light conditions – especially under harsh office lighting. The spacious keyboard provides a comfortable typing action, with the keys nicely spread out and with decent travel – regular typists will find it a joy to use. Strangely for a business laptop, there's no dedicated numeric keypad, although with better space management HP could certainly have found space for one. The touchpad design is great and HP has steered clear of the frustrating format it employs on its consumer ranges. As a result, the pad is responsive and won't be accidentally brushed while typing. The laptop is attractive enough and boasts a series of intelligent features designed to protect your data on the road. The keyboard is spill-resistant, for example, while HP's 3D DriveGuard technology protects the hard drive should you drop the laptop – ensuring, as far as possible, the safety of your data when on the road. This is ideal for those who regularly travel with data they cannot afford to lose or become corrupted. These features are supplemented by the machine's excellent build quality, with the solid matt grey and black plastics proving resilient and very easy to keep clean. Performance isn't poor, but it doesn't quite match comparable machines. Nevertheless, if you're a business user, it's likely you'll be chiefly interested in running office applications, as well as listening to music and browsing the internet, and this laptop will perform these tasks capably. The 500GB hard drive offers significant amounts of storage, while the DVD optical drive features LightScribe technology, making labelling your CDs and DVDs easy. High-speed wireless connectivity is provided by 802.11n Wi-Fi. Wired networking is poor, however, with 10/100 Ethernet on offer. The HP 625 is a good business laptop with a wealth of features and good usability, but average performance. The only major omissions are its lack of a dedicated numeric keypad and its slow wired networking capabilities. Related Links Read more laptop reviews TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee Related Stories Review: Samsung NF11 Review: Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 11-inch

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