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Techradar |
- MWC 2011: HTC Flyer: Official pictures
- Review: Elonex 500B eBook
- MWC 2011: HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa: Facebook phones unveiled
- MWC 2011: HTC Desire S announced with rebooted aluminium chassis
- MWC 2011: HTC Wildfire S brings Android Gingerbread on a budget
- MWC 2011: HTC Incredible S, Desire S and Wildfire S: Official pictures
- MWC 2011: HTC Incredible S - 4-inch 'industrial' phone emerges
- MWC 2011: HTC Desire S, HTC ChaCha and HTC Wildfire S snapped up by Three
- Review: Hannspree SV42LMNB
- MWC 2011: HTC Flyer finally announced with 7-inch screen
- MWC 2011: Android 2.3 to 'only ship with Google Nexus S'
- MWC 2011: HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa: Official pictures
- MWC 2011: Hands on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro review
- MWC 2011: Video: Android 3.0 Honeycomb on Motorola Xoom
- MWC 2011: HTC Flyer set for cheaper Wi-Fi option
- Jabra Stone 2 Bluetooth headset unveiled at MWC
- Jabra Freeway Bluetooth speakerphone unleashed at MWC
- IBM computer to take on Jeopardy champions
- LG Optimus Pad priced 999 Euros in Germany
- MWC 2011: Samsung Galaxy S Wi-Fi 5.0: In pictures
- MWC 2011: Hands on: Acer Iconia Smart review
- MWC 2011: In pictures: ZTE Skate
- MWC 2011: Microsoft demos Windows Phone 7 Kinect integration
- MWC 2011: Twitter announces crowd-sourced translation service
- Exclusive: We're not tribal about ecosystems, says Sony Ericsson
| MWC 2011: HTC Flyer: Official pictures Posted: 15 Feb 2011 01:32 AM PST  The HTC Flyer may only be coming with a smartphone version of Android, but it promises some pretty cool new experiences. A re-designed version of Sense sits atop the 1.5GHz processor, and multi-pane views allow easy viewing of all your content in a new variation. The stylus is the main talking point - can HTC really make electronic doodling popular after all these years?
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| Posted: 15 Feb 2011 01:30 AM PST  Like most LCD-based ebook readers, the Elonex 500B eBook is picking a fight with the wrong products. On paper, it has several advantages, including full colour and resilience – with its protected screen, you're more likely to forgo an expensive case. Playing with it in person though, it's simply not a good experience as a mini tablet or a substitute for real books. The standard LCD problems apply here – a very short battery life (six hours promised in this case, compared to the weeks or month offered by e-ink devices), weighing more than it feels like it should, and backlighting/screen reflection issues. Oddly, the eBook's main problem was at the other end of the spectrum – even at 100 per cent brightness, the screen remained dark and dingy, with a terrible contrast ratio. We were squinting to read text on it, and even at full zoom the screen is simply too small for comfortable reading. Little comfort issues – like the clicker to switch pages only being found on the right-hand side of the unit – didn't help, especially for the left-handed members of the team. The UI is slow and clunky, hitting its nadir when it started taking two seconds just to move the selection cursor between the 'Continue reading' and 'Library' sections of its main menu, and several seconds to flip between that and a barely stocked File Manager screen.
E-ink systems at least have an excuse for being sluggish. The technology behind the eBook gives it features like video playback and colour. However, its power feels nowhere near that of the average tablet, and as a dedicated reader it lags far behind the Amazon Kindle. Related Links
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| MWC 2011: HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa: Facebook phones unveiled Posted: 15 Feb 2011 01:30 AM PST  HTC has finally announced the oft-rumoured 'Facebook phones' in th shape of the HTC Salsa and HTC ChaCha. Although not branded by Facebook, the two companies worked closely together to create the final products, and come complete with a branded Facebook key. The HTC ChaCha, ridiculous moniker aside, is a QWERTY portrait device with a 2.6-inch capacitive touchscreen with HVGA (480x320) resolution stuffed in. A 'unique tilt design makes it easier to hold in the hand, and comes complete with a VGA front facing camera as well as a 5MP one on the rear too with LED flash. The same but different The HTC Salsa is relatively similar, although does away with QWERTY keyboard in favour of a 3.4-inch screen, with the same HVGA resolution and 5MP camera and LED flash. Both phones come with a slightly disappointing 600MHz Qualcomm processor on board, meaning they're likely to be tipped more towards the budget end of the market. But more exciting is the Facebook key, a front button that will glow gently to let you know when content can be uploaded or shared, as well as allow instant access to the Facebook portal or update your status. Both handsets will be shipping with the latest version of Android (Gingerbread) and the HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa have been given UK release dates for early-to-mid Q2 2011. 
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| MWC 2011: HTC Desire S announced with rebooted aluminium chassis Posted: 15 Feb 2011 01:30 AM PST  HTC has finally unwrapped the phone everyone was expecting in the shape of the new HTC Desire S. Marking the first of three phones with the curious 'S' suffix, the new Desire S comes with a redesigned aluminium unibody and loses the front optical key. The new HTC Desire S doesn't really come with hugely upgraded specs over the original Desire, but a new 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 processor means that the upgraded version of HTC, seen first on the HTC Desire HD, can be finally used on the smaller version. The screen is a WVGA (800x480) LCD panel, and now sits below a front facing camera (VGA) for video chatting. HD all the way On the back we're offered a 5MP effort with 720p video recording, which isn't that much of an upgrade over last year's release, and still only records in 3GP formats. The HTC Desire battery problems plagued the original, and you'll be happy to hear HTC has dealt with that by upgrading the 1400mAh option to a.... 1450mAh effort. On the plus side, the HTC Desire S is built on Gingerbread (not literally) meaning the battery life and speed should be improved drastically over the last offering, although until we can bring you a proper HTC Desire S review we're not going to hold our breath. The HTC Desire S UK release date has been set for Q2 2011, and while no price has been set, we'd hope it would be a little cheaper given the lack of obvious spec upgrades over the original. 
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| MWC 2011: HTC Wildfire S brings Android Gingerbread on a budget Posted: 15 Feb 2011 01:29 AM PST  The popular Wildfire phone has been given a refresh and reboot with the release of the HTC Wildfire S. The third in the line to sport the perplexing 'S' suffix that's currently squatting after a number of top phones, the Wildfire S will continue in the budget theme while adding some decent new tech to the package. The resolution has been more than doubled from QVGA, which did look a bit low res on the old Wildfire, to a more palatable 3.2-inch HVGA screen. Flash and be happy A 5MP camera with LED flash is a welcome addition too, and an expandable memory card slot (microSD, if you have to ask) makes media munching a more realistic proposition. Sadly only blessed with a 600MHz processor, the Wildfire S also comes with a 1230mAh battery atop the Gingerbread operating system from Google - whether the battery can handle all day usage will be explored in our HTC Wildfire S review, coming as soon as we can bring it to you. A little surprise for you all though: it supports the much faster Bluetooth 3.0 standard to maintain connection to a wider range of devices. The HTC Wildfire S will (fingers crossed) come on contracts of around £25 a month on a two year deal, and has been given a UK release date of Q2 2011. 
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| MWC 2011: HTC Incredible S, Desire S and Wildfire S: Official pictures Posted: 15 Feb 2011 01:28 AM PST  After HTC refreshed the Desire and Wildfire, we thought it only polite to give you a full run down of the devices from all the angles on offer. With the HTC Incredible S also joining the Desire S and Wildfire S on the mobile catwalk, we've put together a gallery of the latest phones for you to gaze over. So will you be after the large, 4-inch screen of the Incredible S, the compact and rebooted Desire S or the budget stylings of the Wildfire S? HTC Desire S
HTC Wildfire S
HTC Incredible S
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| MWC 2011: HTC Incredible S - 4-inch 'industrial' phone emerges Posted: 15 Feb 2011 01:28 AM PST The new HTC Incredible S was unveiled in Barcelona today, complete with all the high-end features you'd associate with a phone from the Taiwanese tribe. The Incredible S comes with a large 4-inch Super LCD screen, 8MP camera with dual-LED flash and HD video recording (although only 720p, sadly). A 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor helps push things along (we're not getting a dual-core design from HTC at MWC 2011, it seems) and the new version of HTC Sense allows DLNA streaming to a large screen TV if you're into that kind of thing. Incredibly Android The HTC Incredible S will ship with Android Gingerbread from the outset, and also is powered by a 1450mAh battery - fingers crossed we don't have the same HTC Desire HD battery life problems replicated here. The chassis is called 'industrial' by HTC, with a full aluminium chassis that's rapidly becoming a theme for the brand, and also packs 1GB of internal memory as well as a microSD card slot. The HTC Incredible has been given Q2 UK release date, although no UK pricing has been forthcoming as yet. 
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| MWC 2011: HTC Desire S, HTC ChaCha and HTC Wildfire S snapped up by Three Posted: 15 Feb 2011 01:17 AM PST  The HTC Desire S (HTC Desire 2), HTC Cha Cha and HTC Wildfire S all got an official unveiling at Mobile World Congress 2011 today, and Three took no time in announcing that all three will be coming to its network. The new HTC Desire S doesn't come with a huge amount of upgraded specs over the original Desire. What you do have, though, is a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 processor which was seen first on the HTC Desire HD, but the first time it has been in a smaller phone. Other features include: a WVGA (800x480) LCD panel, a front facing camera (VGA) for video chatting, a 5MP camera with 720p shooting and the whole thing is built on Gingerbread. ChaCha and Wildfire S The HTC ChaCha, ridiculous moniker aside, is a QWERTY portrait device with a 2.6-inch capacitive touchscreen with HVGA (480x320) resolution stuffed in. The Wildfire S will continue in the budget theme while adding some decent new tech to the package.
Three hasn't announced tariffs for any of the device or when they will be arriving, all it is saying is that they are "coming soon". 
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| Posted: 15 Feb 2011 01:00 AM PST  Hannspree's SV42LMNB is the brand's first stab at an LED-lit LCD TV. Until now the Taiwanese marque has focused on conventional, CCFL (cold-cathode flurorescent) backlit screens (still represented in the SJ series) and 'novelty' products, such as a 19-inch bedroom set in the shape of a polar bear. Making a dent in the UK market against the likes of LG and Toshiba, both of which already offer well featured and sharply designed LED screens at this size, is easier said than done. Still, the Hannspree has got something going for it on the crowded shop shelf – its design. The makers describe it as 'hip, avant garde', which is stretching things a little, but it is neat, with an outer glass sleeve shrouding the gloss black bezel and curves in all the right places. It's quite slender, too, with a depth of only 46mm. A budget TV it may be, but at least Hannspree hasn't skimped on aesthetic appeal. The other screens in the SV series are both smaller than this 42-incher. The 32-inch SV32LMNB retails for around £420. There's a 28-inch model, but this isn't going on sale in the UK.
The SV42LNMB's £550 price tag is reflected in its sparse features list. Smart TV goodies, like DLNA linkup to your home network and online apps, are sadly absent. You don't even get the direct access to YouTube. None of these features are possible because the SV42LNMB's connections don't include an Ethernet port. This also means that the TV doesn't stock a Freeview HD tuner, so if you're looking to step up to hi-def terrestrial TV, you'll need to budget for a Freeview HD receiver. Hooking one up won't be a problem, though, as the TV offers three HDMI inputs. Other connections include composite video, component video and a VGA PC input, plus a USB input for playback of picture, music and video files. Sadly, the USB feature doesn't double up as a PVR. The screen itself has a full HD (1,920 x 1,080) pixel count, and is backlit by LEDs, which should offer a brighter, more contrasted image than a CCFL screen. Picture processing duties are handled by Hannspree's own X-Celerate and X-Contrast technologies and Vivid Motion 100Hz processing – none of which are described in useful depth in the manual or on Hannspree's website. X-Contrast is the selectable dynamic backlighting system, while X-Celerate seems to refer to the three stages (low, middle and high) users can choose when activating the 100Hz motion-smoothing feature. Other picture tweaks are thin on the ground. There's no dedicated colour management system, meaning owners are limited to three colour temperature presets – Cool, Warm and Normal. As is often the case, the Warm setting is your best option for Blu-ray viewing, though you might want to plump for Normal to add a little oomph to Freeview fare. Apart from that, dial-twiddlers will have to get their kicks from the noise reduction and flesh tone tools and basic brightness, contrast, colour, tint and sharpness options.
First impressions of the Hannspree's pictures aren't great. The screen displayed noticeable light pooling (from the LED backlighting system) in each of the four corners – it was as if an X-Men logo was trying to bust through from behind. To be fair to Hannspree, this is something from which sets even from higher-end brands such as Samsung suffer, but it does mean that your viewing pleasure, particularly with movies, will be spoiled somewhat by inconsistent black levels. Standard-def Freeview material from the TV's own tuner has its own problems, with images coming across as two-dimensional, soft and blighted by blocking and mosquito noise. Calling on the noise reduction filter didn't improve the latter much, but switching off 'Flesh Tone', however, quickly makes actors look less like radioactive waxworks and more like people. Some of these picture issues are more noticeable because of the screen size and the poor quality of many Freeview broadcasts, but some blame has to lie with Hannspree, as other sets manage to get much more agreeable pictures out of the digital terrestrial platform. It makes the lack of a Freeview HD tuner even more of downer. The SV42LMNB's performance steps up with hi-def Blu-ray material. Switching from Freeview material to Avatar is akin to waking up after laser eye surgery, with the 1,920 x 1,080-pixel panel delivering sharp, colourful pictures with plenty of contrast. Fine details, like facial stubble, are impeccably picked out and the range between dark blacks and peak whites goes some way to justifying Hannspree's hyperbolic 4,750,000: contrast ratio claim. However, the light pooling issue mentioned earlier limits the immersive effect of which this TV would otherwise be capable of achieving. In the outer space shots in Avatar's opening chapter, it's almost impossible not to notice that some bits of the inky black universe look brighter than others, while in more brightly lit indoor scenes, corners of the image appear to lack contrast. Using a disc of dedicated test patterns further exposes the picture flaws of the SV42LMNB. While there's good colour gradation in green, yellow, magenta and cyan, blues and especially reds show a serious lack of subtlety – which is one of the causes of the flat-looking SD pics. Greyscaling, however, is much more consistent. Other patterns reveal the set's motion-handling to be quite poor, with a drop in detail during horizontal and vertical pans. There's little judder, just an unappealing blurriness. Activating the 100Hz mode helps alleviate the problem, but you have to then accept the somewhat artificial looking images being crafted by Hannspree's picture processing as well as occasional artefacting when the silicon can't keep up. The SV42LMNB also fails some blocking tests spectacularly; anyone into long, uninterrupted footage of running water should prepare for disappointment.
Sound The audio performance of the SV42LMNB is average at best, with the two 10W speakers struggling to provide anything that really dazzles. At full volume it's loud, but harsh sounding, and there's an overall lack of dynamic range. While some affordable screens suffer from a trebly output, this Hannspree simply sounds muffled, with neither deep bass or tinkly high frequency effects. Neither of the two presets (Speech and Music) make much improvement, nor does fiddling with the five-band equaliser. However, the ubiquitous Virtual Surround mode, while creating practically nothing in the way of surround sound, does widen the soundstage and make it sound less constrained. Buyers without a dedicated sound system should use this option for movie viewing. Value Despite reservations about some aspects of its performance and the omission of a Freeview HD tuner, the SV42LMNB still represents fair value for money. A stylish, 42-inch LED set for this price is not something you see every day. It's one of the most affordable routes to bigscreen Blu-ray entertainment on the market. Ease of use Getting the SV42LMNB on its stand is quite straightforward and requires only four screws. Both the stand and the TV are heavier than you might expect, which is reassuring. Less so is the need to lay the screen down flat to attach them together. Hannspree recommends you put it down on a towel or cloth, though you might prefer to stand it upside down. The SV42LMNB comes supplied with a screen-cleaning cloth and a massive multi-language manual that's almost as thick as the TV itself. Thankfully, there's also a Quick Start guide and a separate sheet with assembly instructions. Hannspree should be applauded for including all these rather than opting for a disc-based manual – there's nothing worse than having to boot up your PC when setting up a new TV. Once up and running you immediately enter a setup wizard (which, thanks to phrases like 'Welcome to use the Wizard for Initial Setup!!', reminds you that Hannspree is a Taiwanese operation). Here you choose your language, country, 'Shop' or 'Home' mode, and then scan for channels from its digital and analogue tuners. You'll be watching BBC One in just a couple of minutes. The SV42LMNB's menus are easy to read and fairly intuitive, although they do float bang in the middle of the screen. This means that judging the impact of any picture tweaks you make can sometimes to a bit tricky. Another annoying facet of the Hannspree's menus is that the window for the different input options isn't large enough to accommodate them all and it's the three HDMIs that get cropped off the bottom. You have to scroll through Scart, component and Victorian-era composite to reach them, which is a strange oversight. A positive is the inclusion of a channel list menu separate from the seven-day EPG that appears in the top-left corner and doesn't hide what you're currently watching. The remote control looks neat and tidy, with sensible placing of buttons and a few colourful splashes of Hannspree's trademark lime green. The controls, though, are a bit spongy, meaning you may end up pressing them more than once. Couple this with some unresponsive menus and you may find playing with the TV's features a bit of a chore.
A lot of manufacturers cut corners to reach this price point, but Hannspree doesn't have any corners to cut – the SV42LMNB is the most advanced flatscreen TV it's ever produced. Don't expect that to equal a superlative set, however, as this is strictly a budget 42-incher, offering a full HD resolution and designer looks at a price that most other brands can't match. We liked The solid build quality and smooth lines of the Hannspree SV42LMNB mean it doesn't look or feel like a budget TV, and there's something refreshing about a set that doesn't over complicate its feature set with copious picture tweaks. High-def movies and games benefit from the large screen size and LED-aided contrast. We disliked The omission of a Freeview HD tuner means the screen's plus points don't filter down to broadcast TV – and the standard-def channels suffer from obvious artefacts. Audio performance is satisfactory at best and the Hannspree's unresponsive remote and menus make for a less than smooth user experience. Final verdict Unfortunately, top-quality AV performance into 42 inches at £550 simply doesn't go. Those hunting for a TV this size, but packed with interactive features and offering a stunning picture, will need to look higher up the ladder to sets such as Sony's £1,000 KDL-40NX713. Those in the market for an uncomplicated, affordable HDTV that'll be bigger than their neighbours, might find this set has appeal – especially if they can find another £70 quid for a Freeview HD zapper. Related Links
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| MWC 2011: HTC Flyer finally announced with 7-inch screen Posted: 15 Feb 2011 12:55 AM PST  The HTC Flyer, the first tablet from the Taiwanese firm running Android, has finally been unveiled. Coming with Android Gingerbread from the outset (with a promise of an imminent upgrade to Android 3.0 Honeycomb) the Flyer also makes use of a tablet-friendly OS, This means a complete overhaul of HTC's key applications, including the Calendar, Email and Contacts page - each offering cool elements like a dual-pane mode. The home screen widgets are all now 3D-enabled, and all the applications have been re-implemented, according to HTC's Phil Blair at a recent briefing. Faster processor The HTC Flyer comes with a 7-inch LCD screen (1024x600 resolution) atop a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, in the only spec on the list to disappoint amidst a slew of dual core tablets being released at the moment - although 1GB of RAM should help that.
The charger is a slightly altered microUSB offering, designed to facilitate power to the 4000mAh battery, so at least the battery life should be a little better than before with a much larger power pack. A 5MP camera with flash resides on the back of the device, and we're treated to a 1.3MP offering on the front for video calling - voice calling is not supported despite a 3G connection. Hands up for the stylus What is interesting is the bundled stylus - it's a standalone device, which can communicate wirelessly with the tablet to define pressure and function, so things like synchronised audio and note taking are on offer. DLNA is supported too, with the Saffron movie rental portal and the cloud-based OnLive gaming portal too for a lot of cool content via the new tablet (although only the latter can be ported to a larger screen). The HTC Flyer will be available both SIM free and from a 'broad range of operators' according to HTC. However, it won't be cheap, with a UK price 'equivalent' to that of other tablets on the market at the market, which is pretty much all above £500. The HTC Flyer UK release date has been set for Q2 2011, so hopefully not too long to wait to see if HTC can take off with this single core slimline unit. 
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| MWC 2011: Android 2.3 to 'only ship with Google Nexus S' Posted: 15 Feb 2011 12:45 AM PST  HTC has stated that its new phones, while coming with Gingerbread, won't be launching on Android 2.3 - but will it be Android 2.4 or something else? News emerged recently that Gingerbread was going to be rebooted to a new version, which was supposed to be Android 2.4, and that's the version HTC said that's the version the HTC Flyer will all launch on at a recent roundtable briefing. "There's no much difference between 2.3 and 2.4," confirmed an HTC spokesperson. "Only the Google Nexus S will ship with Android 2.3, all other phones will be 2.4. "However there's not a lot of difference between the two versions - it's pretty much just some bug fixes." Do we still care about the numbers? While the original story of Gingerbread getting an upgrade is still true, it seems Google may have reversed its decision to dub it Android 2.4 in a bid to reduce the confusing amount of OS iterations on the market. TechRadar has spoken to a few sources who believe that the new update may be only a new iteration of Android 2.3, which has been corroborated by the presence of Android 2.3.1 on a number of test handsets. Most brands are only proclaiming their new phones will launch with 'the latest version of Android' so it seems Android 2.4 might not be on the cards after all. 
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| MWC 2011: HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa: Official pictures Posted: 15 Feb 2011 12:45 AM PST In light of the recent new announcements from HTC, we thought we'd treat you to a more in-depth look at the new ChaCha and Salsa. The two phones, which offer instant access to Facebook through a dedicated key, feature a slightly curved chassis and different ways to keep up to date with your friends. Both have a 5MP camera and HVGA resolution screens - so check out our gallery of the new phones below:
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| MWC 2011: Hands on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro review Posted: 15 Feb 2011 12:11 AM PST  As the serious, slide-out QWERTY member of the latest Sony Ericsson Xperia handsets, the Xperia Pro might not be the most exciting of the bunch, but it's still got a lot going for it. After all, it's essentially a bulked-up Neo with many identical specs, from Android 2.3 to the 1GHz Snapdragon processor. But it's the physical QWERTY that will make all the difference to some users, so here's our hands on Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro review, based on a non-final version handset; we'll bring you our full review just as soon as the finished handsets are available.
Because of that built-in keyboard, there's quite a bit of bulk to the handset – although it's certainly not as heavy in the hand as the LG Optimus 3D is.
The now-familiar Android buttons are all present and correct, excepting the search button which Sony Ericsson seems not to be a fan of.
There's a front-facing camera next to the earphone speaker, for video calling and such at a quality of 2MP.
And, of course, a rather better camera on the rear, with 8MP to play with as well as an LED flash.
The slide-out QWERTY offers quite a bit of room for tapping out long emails and messages, but it could do with a bit of differentiation between the alphabetic letters and numbers and punctuation; glancing at the keyboard doesn't do you much good if you're searching for a specific character.
Sony Ericsson isn't exactly spoiling us with non-QWERTY buttons on the Xperia Pro; there's a camera button, volume slider and lock key, and that's about it. But hey, at least there's a camera button; we've noticed them starting to disappear on other handsets. When it comes to ports, the Xperia Pro has microUSB, a 3.5mm headphone jack which sits on the side of the handset; we're not in love with this headphone jack placement, we prefer it to sit atop the handset so you don't risk damaging the connectors or besmirching your view of a video with wires.
The Xperia Pro has a very similar feel to the Neo and Play, thanks to the combination of Android OS and Sony Ericsson's proprietary Timescape overlay. It's been improved since earlier iterations, though, and the experience is much more enjoyable, making good use of widgets for things like the media player.
The other great thing about Timelapse on the new school of Xperias is that it's no longer locked into the Android OS, rather it sits on top which makes updating the handsets to newer versions of Android much quicker and less painful than before (Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 owners will particularly appreciate this!). The touchscreen itself is capacitive, but does require a little bit of firmness when swiping between homescreens. The on-screen keyboard is Sony Ericsson's own, like that of the Neo, and as such it's not quite as good as the native Android one. But it's not one you'll have to make too much use of with a physical QWERTY on board.
The QWERTY is nicely spaced, and it's not too encumbered by the outer barrier, a problem we've found with other Android sliders like the Motorola Milestone. The text predictor isn't bad, but tapping the option you want is a bit of a reach when you're using the QWERTY; if you're a fast typer then you'd probably be quicker just tapping the whole word out.
The screen is an adequate size to display a nice over-view of a web page when you browse the internet in landscape mode; portrait squashes it up too much to really be able to see anything useful. You'll still need to zoom in to read anything in detail, however – luckily the pinch to zoom action is fairly smooth and quick to render.
When it comes to taking pictures, you'd expect the cousin of the Vivaz to be pretty good, and you'd be right. With an 8MP sensor and Sony's Exmoor on board, it's a painless experience and the shutter button makes physically taking the photo much easier than having to tap the screen (although this is an option).
The only annoyance about the camera button is that it's actually just next to the camera icon on the side of the handset, which takes a bit of getting used to.
All in all, the Xperia Pro is not a bad little handset, right up there with the HTC Desire Z in terms of physical QWERTY Androids; we look forward to bringing you our full verdict in the complete TechRadar review in the coming weeks. 
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| MWC 2011: Video: Android 3.0 Honeycomb on Motorola Xoom Posted: 14 Feb 2011 11:45 PM PST Android 3.0 Honeycomb is here. And after our earlier demo-only video from CES we've got video of Android 3.0 running properly and untouched on the brand new Motorola Xoom. We'll be getting hands with it later on TechRadar. 
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| MWC 2011: HTC Flyer set for cheaper Wi-Fi option Posted: 14 Feb 2011 11:37 PM PST  HTC has told TechRadar at a recent briefing that it will be bringing out a Wi-Fi only variant of its new Flyer tablet. The new device was announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and while no price was given, it's unlikely to be a cheap unit with a lot of top-end tech thrown in. However, HTC's European Product Director Phil Blair said that the company was looking at a way to bring that cost down for some consumers: "We're going to launch a Wi-Fi variant of the HTC Flyer in the future, which should be offered at a more accessible price point. Two release dates "It won't ship at the same time [as the 3G Flyer] but it will launch soon afterwards, although we don't have an exact date." However, it seems likely that the Wi-Fi only HTC Flyer will be launched still within the Q2 window the full-fat Flyer will be released in, and if we're very lucky, and cross our fingers very tightly, it may even be released with a Honeycomb surprise. 
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| Jabra Stone 2 Bluetooth headset unveiled at MWC Posted: 14 Feb 2011 04:01 PM PST  Jabra has announced the Stone 2, its follow-up to the Jabra Stone which the company saw as redefining Bluetooth headset design. Jabra insists that high end products needs constant refreshes in order to avoid devaluing the market, but there aren't many upgrades to the latest Stone iteration and the look remains very much the same. Unlike the original Jabra Stone, the Stone 2 offers voice control and voice guidance for uber-handsfree calling. Leathery The main aesthetic change is to the headset's materials; instead of a plastic casing, the Stone 2 now has a leather-effect surface covering. Aside from the slight design tweak, the Jabra Stone 2 has an updated status display; three LED lights now show how much charge the headset has available when it's docked in its pebble-shaped case. The only remaining improvement is to the headset's fit; Jabra has developed new ear gels in a range of shapes, hoping to provide a comfortable fit to the 22 ear shapes that represent 95% of people's lug-holes. The UK release date and UK pricing is yet to be announced, but as a high-end headset we'd anticipate something around the £100-mark. 
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| Jabra Freeway Bluetooth speakerphone unleashed at MWC Posted: 14 Feb 2011 04:01 PM PST  Over at Mobile World Congress, Jabra has pulled back the curtain on the Jabra Freeway, a Bluetooth speakerphone with three speakers to provide virtual surround sound. The speakerphone, which clips handily over a car visor, is also HD voice ready and offers voice control and noise cancelling using dual-mics. In-car surround sound Jabra reckons the Freeway is the world's first three-speaker speakerphone and as such offers true 2:1 stereo through the two 3 watt tweeters and the centre bass speaker. The virtual surround sound is quite impressive, employing the same sneaky tricks that flatscreen TV manufacturers use to fool the ear. Jabra showed us a demo of the speakerphone receiving an HD voice call, and that was undeniably crisp, clear and spookily felt as though the caller was in the room with us. It uses a 2x sampling rate to double the width of the sound spectrum. Future-proofed Although HD voice isn't widespread at present, Jabra hopes that by including this technology it is future-proofing what will likely be an expensive product. Other nifty additions include a motion sensor which turns the speakerphone on and off depending on whether you are in the car or not, and an FM transmitter which actually auto-adjusts the FM band on the speakerphone and the car radio if compromised by a competing signal. Jabra is yet to reveal a UK release date and UK pricing. 
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| IBM computer to take on Jeopardy champions Posted: 14 Feb 2011 11:43 AM PST  A computer specially designed to play the US TV quiz Jeopardy will take on the show's finest champions in the first of three special editions tonight. The IBM computer named Watson has been programmed to 'understand the human language with all its ambiguity and complexity.' The machine hosts one million books' worth of information, with 200 million pages of content in its memory bank, can analyse questions and deliver an answer in less than three seconds. Watson, named after IBM founder Thomas J. Watson has trained against past Jeopardy champs in preparation for the charity event, but tonight will face all-time greats Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. Double Jeopardy? Jeopardy, which we're sure you've all seen at some point, is the show where the contestants are given the answer and have to respond with the question in order to win a set amount of cash. For example, if the answer were: "An operating system which replaced Windows Vista" the question would be "What is Windows 7?" Unfortunately it's not screened in the UK, but we'll keep you up to speed with how the contest is going over the course of the next few days. On the day technology finally takes over and turns us into batteries, perhaps we'll look back at this day as the tide-turner? 
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| LG Optimus Pad priced 999 Euros in Germany Posted: 14 Feb 2011 10:07 AM PST  Those who couldn't contain their excitement following the launch of the LG Optimus Pad might be reeling it in after the European launch price was announced. In Germany the cost of the Android 3.0 Honeycomb running slate will be a whopping €999 sim-free, that equates to around £849 if you do a straight up conversion. That's double the price of the cheapest Apple iPad and considerably higher than the Motorola XOOM, which also runs Android. The controversial pricetag comes from the LG's own German press release, which says it'll be out in April. 3D Skills LG will be hoping the Optimus Pad's major selling point will be the ability to shoot pictures in video in 3D thanks to the dual camera lenses on the back of the 8.9-inch device. The pair of 5-mp snappers is what's likely to have added the extra couple of C-notes to the price, which goes beyond the £700 quoted for the Motorola XOOM, also running Honeycomb. The price and release date for the Optimus Pad have yet to be confirmed in the UK, but would you pay twice the price of the iPad one of these Android-running slates? Still excited? Read our full hands-on from MWC in Barcelona. 
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| MWC 2011: Samsung Galaxy S Wi-Fi 5.0: In pictures Posted: 14 Feb 2011 10:00 AM PST  While perusing Samsung's stand today we caught a tasty little treat - well, not so little, as the Samsung Galaxy S Wi-Fi 5.0 is a pretty big phone/tablet hybrid. Featuring all the power of the Samsung Galaxy S (ie a 1GHz processor and microSD slot in tandem with some decent internal storage) the Galaxy S Wi-Fi lacks the eye-popping Super AMOLED screen and 3G connection. It fits in the hands pretty well, and is a little smaller than the Dell Streak too, making it easy to hold in the hand. It's also thinner and lighter than the Streak, and features portals for downloading movies as well. Take a gander and see what you think - is it worth forking out a few notes for a dedicated media player when the Galaxy S2 is just around the corner?
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| MWC 2011: Hands on: Acer Iconia Smart review Posted: 14 Feb 2011 09:48 AM PST  If you were thinking the Samsung Galaxy S2 was too big, try this out for size. It's a 4.8 inch phone that's only a couple of inches shy of the Galaxy Tab. While it's not massively wide as you can see, the Iconia Smart would find it easier to make conversation with a Dell Streak 5 than any of the new breed of super-Androids.
The buttons at the bottom are actually highly tactile and you can get a really decent press on them. Despite initial reservations, we actually rather liked them by the time we'd finished playing with the handset. Not everything about this handset is Smart as you'll see shortly but, despite its size, it still feels and looks like a phone rather than, say, the Dell Streak 5 which really does feel like a mini tablet.
Packing Android 2.3.2, the Iconia Smart is probably as big as you'd want a phone to be without considering it a tablet and an Acer representative told us that the idea of a tablet-style phone was indeed what had been used for the design.
Indeed, the phone really does defy its huge size and even the weight isn't stupendous - it's 185g. OK, so that's a lot more than your average smartphone, but still.
It also has specs to burn, with a full six-axis gaming control, a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and a stunning 1024 x 480 pixel display. Obviously it's not quite in the class of Samsung's Super OLED Plus display, but it is impressively bright and Android looks fabulous.
There's also an 8 megapixel snapper with LED flash on the rear in addition to a 2 megapixel front cam (rubbishy plastic block not included). And that's a headphone jack on top as you'd expect.
The device also features the increasingly prevalent Dolby Mobile tech for improved sound.
And finally there's the camera and volume up/down buttons.
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| MWC 2011: In pictures: ZTE Skate Posted: 14 Feb 2011 09:45 AM PST  The ZTE Skate may not be the highest-spec handset in the world, but it is one of the few whose design is influenced by a skateboard. Set to launch running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), it comes with an 800MHz processor, 5MP camera and an Adreno 200 GPU. With a UK release date of May 2011, we've had a sniff around the ZTE Skate over at Mobile World Congress. There's a hands on review coming soon, but for now check out the handset in a few cheeky snaps.
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| MWC 2011: Microsoft demos Windows Phone 7 Kinect integration Posted: 14 Feb 2011 09:24 AM PST  In one of the strangest tech demos of Mobile World Congress 2011 to date, Microsoft has been showing off a tech demo of a Windows Phone 7 working with an Xbox 360 Kinect game. The video, which you can see below, shows Kinect and Windows Phone 7 working in what appears to be a fairly seamless way. Gimmick or tech breakthrough? Whether this type of gameplay will ever make its way into commercially available games (and how) remains to be seen. For now, we can only imagine this is one of Microsoft's clever tech demos that it is using to wow the crowds at MWC 2011 in Barcelona this week. That said, the idea of effectively controlling a friends movements in his or her lounge as you are sitting comfortably anywhere else while idly stroking your Windows Phone 7 handset does appeal! Particularly if the Kinect camera could automatically take a video of the poor sap in question and immediately send it to your mobile for you to post on YouTube… 
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| MWC 2011: Twitter announces crowd-sourced translation service Posted: 14 Feb 2011 09:03 AM PST  Twitter boss Dick Costolo has announced that a crowd-sourced translation service is coming to Twitter. Much like the translation tool used in Facebook, Twitter is looking to the crowd to offer up a way to translate a multitude of foreign language tweets on the site. Speaking at Mobile World Congress 2011, Costolo said about the new service: "Twitter has become a truly global phenomenon. "Today we are announcing the release of a translation centre that will crowd-source translations. "The first languages to be translated will be Turkish, Russian, Indonesian and Portuguese." Twitter success Costolo also revealed what he feels are the barebones of what makes Twitter so successful. In his speech he noted that: "Twitter needs to be instantly useful, it needs to be simple and it needs to be always present." Costolo will be hoping that the new translation service will have these values. Although Costolo skirted over how the translation service would work, he did say that it can also be used for the company's advertising platform. 
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| Exclusive: We're not tribal about ecosystems, says Sony Ericsson Posted: 14 Feb 2011 08:51 AM PST  Sony Ericsson has confirmed that it is still open to producing a Windows Phone handset. When questioned about Sony Ericsson's seeming Android bias, particularly in its latest round of Xperia releases which all launched on Android 2.3, Nathan Vautier, Sony Ericsson UK MD, told us that the company is "not as tribal" about mobile phone OSes as some companies are. Android tribe "We believe that the Android environment is the best and most mature ecosystem for us at the moment; but we have an open OS strategy, which includes OSE, Symbian and Android, and a good working relationship with Microsoft," said Vautier in an interview with TechRadar. Reading between the lines, we'd say that means a pretty obvious intent to pursue Windows Phone, and lends credence to the rumours circulating last month that there is already a Sony Ericsson Windows Phone in the pipeline. Of course, you can't talk about Windows Phone without mentioning Nokia in light of last week's news, but Vautier seemed nonplussed by the new partnership and its unabashed opposition to Android. "It's an exciting time for Nokia, but the partnership with Microsoft has no bearing on Sony Ericsson and our new products," he said. 
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