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Techradar |
- Broadband is the 'most loved' innovation of the last decade
- Sony launches Music Unlimited in the US
- Sony launches Music Unlimited in the US
- Nokia 'sold out' to Windows Phone says Intel boss
- Google adds deeper Twitter integration to search
- Ministry of Sound reviews letters to filesharers campaign
- iPlayer links up with ITV, Channel 4 and Five
- iPlayer links up with ITV, Channel 4 and Five
- Opinion: The winners and losers of MWC 2011
- Review: Panasonic HDC-SD900
- Updated: 15 best PC upgrades for gamers
- Google buys Ireland's tallest commercial building for Euro HQ
- Google buys Ireland's tallest commercial building for Euro HQ
- Sony reveals new 25-inch OLED TV
- PlayStation Network ban incoming for all PS3 hack users
- Review: Nikon Coolpix S1100pj
- Motorola Xoom: who will stock the Honeycomb tablet?
- Tutorial: Customise Ubuntu with Ubuntu Tweak
- Updated: Android 3.0: all the latest updates
- Review: Nikon Coolpix S80
- Review: Fuji Finepix Z800 EXR
- Review: Manhattan Plaza DS-100
- Virgin Media boasts 5.8% rise in revenue
- Review: Panasonic Toughbook CF-31
- Dell confirms Streak 10 to use Android 3.0
| Broadband is the 'most loved' innovation of the last decade Posted: 18 Feb 2011 12:31 AM PST  When it comes to recent technology innovations, broadband is the thing that has enhanced most people's lives in the UK. This is according to a study by consultancy firm The Foundation. Over 2,000 people were asked what products and services they most loved over the last 10 years and broadband came top, closely followed by online shopping and Google. When it came to what people hated, reality TV was top of the list with social networks (namely Facebook) surprisingly in second place. Not all about shiny gadgets "This survey shows what good and bad innovation looks like to customers," said Charlie Dawson of The Foundation. "Home broadband was the winner, perhaps surprising if you thought innovation was all about shiny new gadgets. It's a reminder of how useful broadband has become for most people in the UK." Other tech innovations that were liked included chip-and-pin cards (4) and digital cameras (5). Twitter and LoveFilm (DVD rental services in particular) get a hammering in the survey as well, with both services coming in a 4 and 8 of the most-hated list. Weirdly, public bike schemes are also hated by the presumably gas-guzzling public who were surveyed. 
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| Sony launches Music Unlimited in the US Posted: 17 Feb 2011 01:19 PM PST  Sony's cloud-based Music Unlimited subscription service has launched in the US, throwing down the gauntlet to iTunes across the pond. The service, which comes under Sony's on-demand entertainment Qriocity umbrella, can be accessed primarily through connected Bravia TVs, Sony Blu-ray players and on the PlayStation Network. Music Unlimited launched in the UK back in December with a library of 6 million songs. Spotify-like Music Unlimited offers a Spotify-like experience with all-you-can-eat access to the music of your choosing, ad free, for $9.99 a month. For $3.99 a month subscribers can get a radio-like service based around genre preferences, like the Pandora and Rhapsody internet radio apps. Sony's offering will be ad free. Users can also upload their personal digital music library to access at any time. Android app incoming While focusing on bringing the content to its own connected devices such as the PS3, Sony will also be launching a Music Unlimited app for Android phones, and users will be able to access the service on their PC. Sony's announcement follows yesterday's rumblings that Google might be about to launch its own subscription-based music service with the arrival of Android 3.0. 
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| Sony launches Music Unlimited in the US Posted: 17 Feb 2011 01:19 PM PST Sony's cloud-based Music Unlimited subscription service has launched in the US, throwing down the gauntlet to iTunes across the pond. The service, which comes under Sony's on-demand entertainment Qriocity umbrella, can be accessed primarily through connected Bravia TVs, Sony Blu-ray players and on the PlayStation Network. Music Unlimited launched in the UK back in December with a library of 6 million songs. Spotify-like Music Unlimited offers a Spotify-like experience with all-you-can-eat access to the music of your choosing, ad free, for $9.99 a month. For $3.99 a month subscribers can get a radio-like service based around genre preferences, like the Pandora and Rhapsody internet radio apps. Sony's offering will be ad free. Users can also upload their personal digital music library to access at any time. Android app incoming While focusing on bringing the content to its own connected devices such as the PS3, Sony will also be launching a Music Unlimited app for Android phones, and users will be able to access the service on their PC. Sony's announcement follows yesterday's rumblings that Google might be about to launch its own subscription-based music service with the arrival of Android 3.0. 
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| Nokia 'sold out' to Windows Phone says Intel boss Posted: 17 Feb 2011 11:58 AM PST  Nokia has made a mistake by hooking up with Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 platform according to Intel CEO Paul Otellini. Nokia backed-out of a recent deal with Intel to make devices based around the MeeGo platform in order tyo concentrate on making devices for Microsoft's latest mobile OS. Now Otellini has accused the fading Finnish mobile giant of selling-out to Steve Balmer and co and reckons, if anything, the company should have listened to Google's pleas to join the Android platform. "Incredible offers" He says Nokia boss Stephen Elop received "Incredible offers - money" from both Google and Microsoft in order to make devices for those operating systems. He added: "I wouldn't have made the decision he made, I would probably have gone to Android if I were him. MeeGo would have been the best strategy but he concluded he couldn't afford it." Otellini reckons that Nokia will now struggle to differentiate itself from other manufacturers on the closed WIndows Phone 7 platform. He says: "It would have been less hard on Android, on MeeGo he could have done it. "Some closed models will certainly survive, because you can optimise the experience, but in general, if you harness the ability of all the engineers in the world and the developers in the world, open wins." New partners In the wake of the MeeGo platform's status as a complete non-starter, a sore Otellini says Intel will find new partners in order to press ahead in the mobile sphere. He added: "We will find another partner. The carriers still want a third ecosystem and the carriers want an open ecosystem, and that's the thing that drives our motivation" So despite the WP7 tie-in seeming like a perfect fit for the embattled mobile giant, Nokia can't seem to catch a break. Shareholders are dissatisfied with the deal and rumours continue to persist that Microsoft is preparing an eventual takeover. Tough times. Source: Reuters 
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| Google adds deeper Twitter integration to search Posted: 17 Feb 2011 08:43 AM PST  Google has announced some new features to its social search functionality, adding more integration with Twitter and other social networks. In a blog, Google highlights how it is bringing "the opinions of the people you care about" into its search, enabling you to get even more information from your friends, whether they're publishing on YouTube, Flickr or their own blog or Twitter feed. "Social search results will now be mixed throughout your results based on their relevance (in the past they only appeared at the bottom)," said Google in its blog. "This means you'll start seeing more from people like co-workers and friends, with annotations below the results they've shared or created." Social search Google has also tweaked the way your information is seen on Google – which means you now have the choice as to whether your Twitter posts appear within its search engine. As with all Google updates, the search giant has created a video showing off its new features. Warning: it contains more twee than your average Belle and Sebastian tune. 
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| Ministry of Sound reviews letters to filesharers campaign Posted: 17 Feb 2011 08:21 AM PST  Ministry of Sound Recordings (MoS) is reviewing its policy of sending letters to alleged filesharers, following a recent court ruling criticising such activity. One high-profile law firm responsible for sending out hundreds of threatening letters to alleged fileshares, ACS:Law, recently stopped trading, following intense criticism of its strong-arm tactics on behalf of its client MediaCAT. The end of threatening letters? ACS:Law targeted alleged illegal file-sharers and demanded money from them to avoid court action. Following the demise of ACS:Law, the Ministry of Sound has now admitted that while it still plans to continue its "fight against piracy" that the record label has also "noted the judge's comments and will, of course, address these as part of any future actions.' An MoS spokesperson told Which? this month: "We're undertaking a thorough review of how to proceed and as part of that exercise we will be reviewing the existing cases and previous letters." For the average man on the internet, this recent ruling basically means that it is going to be "more difficult for content and rights owners to speculatively bombard potential file-sharers with letters demanding money," as IP expert Kim Walker, a partner at legal firm Pinsent Masons explained to TechRadar. "In other words, they are not going to be able to use their lawyers as a profit centre – sending out letters effectively claiming money to scare people into paying up – instead of having to produce evidence that they might be embarrassed with, such as producing evidence of downloading pornographic films and so on. "Following this, if you are going to make a claim that a third party is infringing your copyright you have to be very clear on what evidence you have… in other words you cannot just fire out letters in the hope of bullying people into paying you some money." The Ministry of Sound, via its law firm Gallant Macmillan Solicitors, has to date issued over 1,500 letters to consumers accusing them of illegally obtaining and sharing copyrighted music files, requesting £375 in compensation and costs from each alleged filesharer. Deborah Prince, head of Which? in-house legal, said of this campaign: "Judge Birss made it clear in his judgement that copyright owners can't say for certain that an IP address proves file sharing or that not securing your wi-fi makes you liable, [so] the MoS will require a wholesale reform of previous tactics." 
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| iPlayer links up with ITV, Channel 4 and Five Posted: 17 Feb 2011 07:55 AM PST  The BBC has started integrating non-BBC channels into iPlayer, hoping that consumers will use the site as a landing page for other on-demand services. Back in May it was announced that the iPlayer would begin to link to non-BBC channels and nine months later it has given birth to this 'sharing the link love' idea. Now don't get your hopes up that you can now watch ITV content on the iPlayer, but you can search for on-demand ITV channels and they will appear on the iPlayer, with a link out to ITV Player. Partner linking This deep integration of non-BBC content is all part of 'partner linking' and ITV, Channel 4, Five, SeeSaw.com and S4C. There's also a new partner involved, in the form of MSN Player. "We think BBC Online should serve as a hub to support other UK sites and want to double the traffic we send externally," said Paul Clarke from the BBC in a blog. "Already the BBC News product is one of the top 5 sites driving referrals to UK newspapers, adding value to the UK online economy and our audiences: this partnership is a good example of how the BBC iPlayer can follow in those footsteps. "Given the popularity of BBC iPlayer, we hope this feature will support fellow broadcasters and boost the overall uptake of video on demand." It may turn the iPlayer into an all-encompassing on-demand site that Project Canvas wants to be through set-top boxes, but it's a start. 
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| iPlayer links up with ITV, Channel 4 and Five Posted: 17 Feb 2011 07:55 AM PST The BBC has started integrating non-BBC channels into iPlayer, hoping that consumers will use the site as a landing page for other on-demand services. Back in May it was announced that the iPlayer would begin to link to non-BBC channels and nine months later it has given birth to this 'sharing the link love' idea. Now don't get your hopes up that you can now watch ITV content on the iPlayer, but you can search for on-demand ITV channels and they will appear on the iPlayer, with a link out to ITV Player. Partner linking This deep integration of non-BBC content is all part of 'partner linking' and ITV, Channel 4, Five, SeeSaw.com and S4C. There's also a new partner involved, in the form of MSN Player. "We think BBC Online should serve as a hub to support other UK sites and want to double the traffic we send externally," said Paul Clarke from the BBC in a blog. "Already the BBC News product is one of the top 5 sites driving referrals to UK newspapers, adding value to the UK online economy and our audiences: this partnership is a good example of how the BBC iPlayer can follow in those footsteps. "Given the popularity of BBC iPlayer, we hope this feature will support fellow broadcasters and boost the overall uptake of video on demand." It may turn the iPlayer into an all-encompassing on-demand site that Project Canvas wants to be through set-top boxes, but it's a start. 
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| Opinion: The winners and losers of MWC 2011 Posted: 17 Feb 2011 07:45 AM PST  This was a very interesting Mobile World Congress. And not actually in terms of devices; although we saw some special stuff, there was nothing to top the hardware inside Motorola's dual-core Tegra 2 Xoom and Atrix announcements at CES last month. But the show was certainly rather more interesting in terms of the strategy and positioning of the various mobile chip and operating system players. In terms of hardware, the LG Optimus 3D was of great interest, the Samsung Galaxy S2, Galaxy Tab 10.1 and LG Optimus Pad superb, while HTC's hardware disappointed with no dual-core (although it surely won't be long) and the specs of the HTC Flyer were a letdown – unless it can hit a stupidly low, iPad-bashing price point, of course. If you'd any doubt about it before, Android 3.0 is huge. Honeycomb is, of course, where it's at but the openness of Android has helped it become the mobile ecosystem that accepts all comers. And that means that everybody from never-heard-of bit-part players through to Samsung to LG to Dell to Nvidia is talking up the OS. All had massive Android branding everywhere. The Android stand itself was something to behold, with its own slide (yep, you read that right) and huge numbers of partners demoing their wares. Android is here to stay and Honeycomb especially is seriously grade A. It feels good. It looks good. And it works wonderfully. We also like HP's webOS. But HP will have to be careful it doesn't get crushed under the Android juggernaut. And that's before you think about the BlackBerry PlayBook. Once again, despite its promises to the contrary at CES, Intel was a footnote at MWC 2011. What about MeeGo? Could it be that we we were going to see a MeeGo-powered N9 at MWC before the Microsoft Windows Phone deal was signed? We think so; at CES we got the distinct impression it was planning to announce a device here in Barcelona. Intel may keep saying that it's serious about smartphones and tablets but come on - show us the partners, show us the devices. Why the urgency? Because the performance that ARM and its partners like Qualcomm, Nvdia and Texas Instruments are talking about shows epic promise over the next few years. Tegra 3, future Snapdragon and OMAP 5 all look so good, while looking further on, versions of ARM's Cortex-A15 design will undermine Intel's Atom and Core still further – it supports the Windows DirectX 11 graphics platform for when the OS becomes ARM-compatible. At the show Intel staged a preview of Medfield, its 32nm mobile processor. But, as with Intel's previous mobile announcements, there was no partnership to talk of – only the mention that it was "sampling to customers." But who? Anand Chandrasekher, senior vice president of Intel's Ultra Mobility Group, showed a prototype Android phone (nope, not MeeGo) packing the processor, but it was a tease - it could have been the Aava Mobile handset that has been mooted – but again there was no partner announcement. Intel says it will continue with MeeGo on its own, but it surely won't make an impression on the market and could very well go the way of Symbian, the phone OS with no summer wine left. Nobody is mourning good old Symbian, the phone OS we've all used and, at one point, cherished. Nokia and Microsoft The Nokia QT stand looked rather like the HD DVD stand did at CES a couple of years ago – completely deserted. Indeed, it was interesting to see that everybody was mentioning the Nokia-Microsoft deal when talking about the industry's direction and, in terms of sheer numbers of device shipments, we think we'll see Windows Phone really start to be the third mobile OS of choice. It helps that Windows Phone is terrific to use – when Microsoft said that 93 per cent of people that bought Windows Phones were really pleased with them it might have been PR bluster but we can well believe it's true. The Windows Phone ecosystem will get better and better. It shows a softer side to Microsoft, one that's willing to learn and work together rather than dictate. But it's Android that's the mobile OS powerhouse. 
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| Posted: 17 Feb 2011 07:35 AM PST  Panasonic is quite possibly trying to hit every target with the HDC-SD900 – and it may just do it. This is a Full HD 1920 x 1080/50p camcorder, which benefits from three 2.53MP sensors, uses the AVCHD recording format and has enough manual features and creative functions to keep even the most demanding movie maker happy. The sub-£900 price only adds to the prospect that this could already be one of the best camcorders of the year. However, if you're thinking it's got all this functionality and can fit into a coat pocket you'll have to think again. The SD900 is – relatively, you understand – a chunky camcorder, rather than a svelte pocket-friendly model. But thank heavens for that, because it means you can find and easily use the controls, and there are neat design touches such as the inclusion of a widescreen electronic viewfinder, 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD, manual control ring (for focus and zoom etc) and all the input/outputs you need.
The camcorder sits among two other similar models in Panasonic's 2011 3MOS range. While the SD900 records to SDHC and SDXC cards (it can record to SD but it's not recommended and our advice is not to try), the HS900 and TM900 provide alternative storage options. The HS900 features a 220GB hard drive and SD card recording, but is heavier and costs over £1,150. The TM900 comes in at under £1,000 and uses a 32GB flash memory along with SD card recording. In terms of other major specifications the three camcorders are the same. What's worth bearing in mind is that though the SD900 is the most affordable option of the three, you'll need to have at least an 8GB card installed in order to record for any practical duration. More SD cards mean more investment. The SD900 offers the potential for 3D moviemaking, as do its siblings, and for that matter models in the less-expensive Panasonic 1MOS HD range. 3D recording is achieved by purchasing an additional 3D conversion lens, the VW-CLT1, which costs in excess of £200.
If you then also have a 3D TV and the appropriate glasses, it's possible to watch the movies you've made in 3D. On consumer camcorders, this is a technology in its infancy, and so please be prepared for your results to be a little less Hollywood than your ambitions might suggest. What's certain to attract excitement and scrutiny is the way the SD900 has every base covered. It's a camcorder that likes to think it has the answer to everything. And, in the many ways, it has. Aside from manual control over focus, white balance, shutter and iris – through the menu and using a rotating control ring around the suitably up-market Leica Dicomar lens – there are superb functions such as the Digital Cinema mode that alters shutter speed to create film-like footage. There's also the option of Timelapse recording at 10sec, 30sec, one minute and two minute intervals.
The advanced functions keep on coming too, with a Zebra pattern over-exposure warning mode, picture adjustment settings (for sharpness, colour, exposure, white balance) that can be made during recording, and a Histogram option giving vital information on exposure levels. The creativity that's possible is quite stunning in its breadth, and it even extends to audio quality with mic level adjustments available, as well as our particular favourite: bass setting. This mode lets users select from 0dB, +3dB and +6dB bass settings for the mic, and in many respects quells the oft-quoted criticism that camcorder's built-in microphones aren't capable of bass-y enough reproduction. Trust us, there's even more to explore on this 'advanced feature' front. Performance
'Ease of use' is a subjective term, and can be confusingly used in reviews. How? Well, the SD900 is easy to use, in the sense that finding, activating and employing many of its controls is straightforward. However, getting the most from its lengthy list of features isn't easy: it takes time and practice. But you won't be any the poorer for that. Finding the most appropriate, appealing or effective settings involves a journey of discovery. Video quality The HDC-SD900 produces sumptuous, detail-rich images with precious few areas for complaint. It's an outstanding performer. The auto white balance reproduces accurate colours, which give scenes an authentic, lifelike quality. Reds are calm rather than too vibrant and blues and greens have a natural resonance. The SD900's autofocus is similarly effective and efficient. It detects subtle changes in the scene and acts decisively to return the image to pin-sharpness. With our test footage we attempted to throw it off course with ambiguous, difficult footage but it reacted quickly and with accuracy in all but the most-trying conditions. What's easy to love about a camcorder that's so flexible and adaptable as the SD900 is that you notice so much more about your movies when you play them back. The intricacies of flowers, the sinewy flight of seagulls, these details come back to you in Full HD glory.
The camcorder is capable of smooth movement and even on fast-moving action we didn't see evidence of artefacting or excessive picture noise. The 35mm wide-angle lens also ensured we crammed as much of a shot as possible into the frame without having to move miles away. And the 3.5-inch touchscreen is an absolute gift for both framing/composing shots and replaying them to see if you got what you needed. The 0.27-inch electronic viewfinder is good to see, since viewfinders are a forgotten feature in the age of the LCD. However, while it's not as small as some we've seen, it's fair to suggest that the majority of users will choose the LCD instead. Audio quality Where it is easy to criticise a camcorder's audio performance is usually because of a lack of flexibility. The built-in mic may give middling performance but it's the inability to do anything about this that causes the aggravation. You're stuck with what you've got – or you have to record audio separately.
The SD900 doesn't fall into this trap: its mic-level adjustments, bass settings and range of mic options (surround, focus, zoom mic and stereo mic) neatly circumvent the obvious problems. Also include the external microphone input and you have a practical and productive set of controls. The 'bare' audio isn't exemplary but it is clear, crisp and even on dialogue. The bass settings rescues a rather tinny performance on recorded music by providing a tangible sense of low-end sounds. Photo options Photography settings are almost as impressive as movie recording, particularly since they concentrate on features that benefit snapping rather than being gimmicky. The maximum resolution of 14.2MP is excellent – and the end results are detailed and sharp – while the 13.3MP 'compromise' quality you get when shooting stills while in movie mode puts many other camcorders in the shade.
The touch shutter function, used on the touchscreen LCD, adds a neat rapid-shooting element to the SD900's functionality and the flash is flexible enough to have settings for different brightnesses. Users will also love the fact that Histogram, Luminance, Picture Adjust and Zebra functions are available in photo mode as well as movie record mode. Sockets and software There is no area of complaint when it comes to the Panasonic HDC-SD900's range of sockets. HDMI (mini) output is for connecting to a high-def TV, USB 2.0 for computer connectivity, AV for non-HD device connection, and DC-in for charging up the battery.
There are also sockets for an external microphone input and headphone output: the latter so you can monitor the audio you are recording, and is a brilliant feature to have, too. Software comes in the form of the Windows-only and rather simplistic HD Writer AE 3.0. Editing is best performed through a standalone software application. Panasonic's user manual indicates that the SD900 is compatible with Apple's iMovie 11. Verdict
As much as it is easy to gush about the SD900, this camcorder is not going to meet everyone's tastes. It is both a sizeable product and a sizeable investment, and it also lacks the cutesy element of fast YouTube upload that's to be found on pocket-friendly models. However, as a movie-making device for enthusiasts, semi-pros, film students and low-budget producers, it is exceptional. We liked Superlative video recording is matched by digital photography functions, but what really seal the deal for the SD900 are its advanced features. Accessed through the exemplary 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD, there is such a rich, treasure trove of modes that it's hard to think what else you could possibly have wanted to include. The Digital Cinema mode genuinely provides a different style of footage, while the Zebra warning provokes your creativity and nudges you towards using the manual features. The manual control ring is smooth and resistant where it needs to be, and while it can lead to fingers occasionally appearing in front of the lens, eradicating this involves practice rather than a design rethink. Simultaneous recording of photographs while in movie mode may have limited wow factor but since those stills are 13.3MP it becomes a brilliant addition. The Leica Dicomar lens and 3MOS sensors might be behind the superior movie recording but what we particularly enjoyed was the wide-angle nature of the lens. No more edging backwards and backwards until everything's in the frame (or the cameraperson falls into the hotel pool). And, as Panasonic Viera TV owners will find, if you do get the chance to use Viera Link, the timesaving nature of controlling the SD900 camcorder using your TV remote is fantastic. Ultimately, what we most liked about the SD900 is that it pushes you towards being a better filmmaker, but in doing so doesn't forget to give you the tools you need to do the job. We disliked It may be more productive or entertaining to insert your own top tip or amusing anecdote here, because there is so little you can criticise this Panasonic model on. Perhaps the viewfinder does feel like an unnecessary throwback – if you're going to include one why not design it to be properly large and make a feature of it? The audio quality from the built-in microphone is only adequate, but then we do also recommend you buy/use an external microphone. You don't need to save on space – this is a chunky camcorder after all. Verdict If you have the money, and also the need, for this level of Full HD camcorder then the Panasonic HDC-SD900 has to be near the top of your shopping list. The SD900 is as essential as camcorders can get. Related Links
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| Updated: 15 best PC upgrades for gamers Posted: 17 Feb 2011 07:03 AM PST  What are the best gaming upgrades for your PC today? How do you turn a whimpering little PC into the gaming goliath you want, nay, deserve? Well, stick around because no matter what you can afford to spend, we've got a the best PC upgrade for you. Obviously the key components we'll be looking at are the graphics card, CPU, motherboard, memory and your storage devices. Upgrading any of these will always help, and we're here to tell you which ones are right for you. To get the most out of your machine you need to know first what you're mostly going to be using it for and secondly which components will deliver the best performance increase for the things you're going to do with it. After all, there's little point in forking out £500 on a dual-GPU graphics card when all you're using it for is playing Farmville on a 1280x1024 screen. Likewise sticking with 2GB of low-spec RAM and a dual-core CPU isn't going to be much cop for editing down your directorial opus, or even putting together the family holiday movie. But for gaming on a tight budget, you might be surprised at what you ca get away with. So, do you want the best gaming PC ever, need the best gaming upgrades? Or do you just want the single best upgrade component to give you the most for your money? Stick around and let us show you the best upgrades for each of the five key areas. And don't worry, it doesn't have to cost the earth. The humble CPU aint so humble any more. Sure the graphics card is the super-model of the components world, but you can always survive without one. You're not going anywhere without a processor... The humble CPU aint so humble any more. Sure the graphics card is the super-model of the components world, but you can always survive without one. You're not going anywhere without a processor... Money no object - Intel Core i7 Extreme 990X - £870 Hands-down the fastest desktop processor available to us mere mortals is the supreme Gulftown CPU from Intel. The six-core behemoth that is the Intel Core i7 Extreme 980X, with a full twelve threads of processing power at its disposal, is the pinnacle of desktop CPUs right now. Plus, as an extreme edition, it features an unlocked multiplier making it a candidate for overclocking too.
It's the undisputed champion for applications which can utilise all of its cores, and can reduce HD video editing from hours to minutes, and minutes to seconds. Unfortuntately, this might six core king is in danger of being usurped by its own cheaper stablemate... see below. Price/performance king - Intel Core i7 2600 - £235 Based on Intel's latest Sandy Bridge architecture, this four core CPU is capable of handling eight threads at a time. It's basic clock speed, 3.4GHz, is almost identical to that of the older Core i7 980X above and that's bad news for its rival, because the Sandy Bridge chips can get a lot more done per cycle. In other words, this is very nearly as quick as a CPU which costs three times the price.
If you shop around, you may even find an unlocked version of this chip - the 2600K - available for the same price. That's a stellar bargain to be had. It's not cheap though, and if it's a little bit rich for your tastes have a look at its slightler slower cousin, the Core i5 2500, which is almost its equal. Budget hero - AMD Phenom II X2 545 - £68 As a gamer there are still few titles that will take full advantage of the multi-threading performance of a hex or even quad-core CPU. So, if you're on a budget a decent dual-core chip, like AMD's Phenom II X2 545, will still stand you in good stead. For future-proofing a quad-core will serve you well - and the Phenom II X4 955BE is only just over £100 at the time of writing. But at 3GHz this AMD dualie will handle most of your gaming needs without breaking sweat. There's also a chance that you'll be able to sneak in some extra value for money by literally doubling its performance. It's fairly straightforward to unlock two dormant cores on some of these cheeky little chips for a half-price quad that will last you years to come. There's really no guarantee what chips will have stable cores to unlock, mind you, so it's not worth basing your purchase on it. Even without that, though, this is a bargain champ. The motherboard is the basis for every PC in existence and is absolutely the workhorse of your rig. Making sure you have the right chipset to match your processor to is vital, and within those categories are a wealth of further options. Money no object - Asus RoG Rampage III Extreme - £300 Right now the Rampage III Extreme is the best motherboard you can pick up based on Intel's top-performing X58 platform. As well as looking like something torn straight out of the innards of the Starship Enterprise (one of the modern ones, not the Sixties, cardboard and Formica one), it's also an overclocker's dream motherboard.
It's the perfect accompaniment to the Core i7 980X, and any other X58 Core i7 CPU you can mention. the AsusP6X58D-E is worth a mention too as it can almost keep pace with the Rampage III Extreme and for half the price. Almost. Read our Asus Rampage III Extreme review Price/performance king - Gigabyte P67A-UD3 - £107 In order to run Intel's latest Core i3, i5 and i7 processors you'll need a 6 Series motherboard like this one, which sport a 1155 pin socket designed for those chips. These boards currently come in two flavours, called the P67 and the H67, and there are a couple of big differences between them. The performance oriented P67 has lots of BIOS features for tuning clockspeeds and getting the most from your chip, but unlike the H67 it won't let you take advantage of the graphics processor that's integrated on the CPU die.
That's a bit of a shame, as video encoding is lightning fast when the built in graphics are allowed to come into play. but for this price we're happy to settle wit Gigabyte's micro-ATX board that can support six hard drives and has 14 USB ports, including two for ultrafast USB 3.0. Budget hero - Foxconn A7DA-S 3.0 790GX - £55 AMD's older 790 chipset doesn't have the latest features like USB 3.0 and 6GB/s SATA connections, but frankly, at this price who cares? There are few hard drives or peripherals which can take advantage of such speeds, and this board has everything else you need for making the most of a Socket AM3 chip like the Phenom II or newer Athlon IIs. If you're brave, the 790GX is also an excellent chipset for overclocking, so you can build a budget system and tweak it to compete with the big boys. This is the superstar of any gaming PC, and the most important upgrade for any gamer looking for the best framerates out of their PC. Increasingly though it's not just about the gamers. With more and more desktop software like video editing, photo manipulation software and even web browsers, now taking advantage of the power of your GPU it's starting to become an important upgrade for everyone. Money no object - AMD Radeon HD 5970 - £500 Money no object - AMD Radeon HD 5970 - £500 The best, fastest graphics card you can buy right now is still AMD's Radeon HD 5970, although there are precious few left around and the price is ridiculously high. Packing two full DirectX 11 GPUs onto one slab of PCB has created a graphics card that's proved practically impossible to beat. NVIDIA's latest GTX580 comes close to reaching these performance heights, but it's not enough to take on a card with two chips for the price of one.
It's getting on a bit now in GPU terms, mind you, and we fully expect an even faster two-chip card - speculatively known as the Radeon HD 6990 - to come along and replace it any day soon. Read our AMD Radeon HD 5970 review Price/performance king - Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 1GB - £140 Another card which has been around for a while now, the 1GB variant of NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 460 (avoid the 768MB version) not only continues to offer up as much performance as most of us need, it's dropped in price to something verging on ridiculous. You can even pick up a factory overclocked GTX 460 without paying a penny more, which can compete with cards that cost a third as much again.
What it means is that for £140 you'll be able to comfortably play any current DirectX 10 or 11 game at 1920x1080 resolution with a pleasing amount of image quality settings turned up. Unless you're gaming on a 30 inch monitor, or have a two screen set-up at home, that's going to keep you playing for a long time to come. Read our Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 review Budget hero - AMD Radeon HD 5770 - £90 As a gamer you should really be looking to spend a minimum of £100 on a new graphics card if you want any hope of future-proofing, but you could get away with AMD's Radeon HD 5770 for less. With a full 1GB of GDDR5 and a DirectX 11 capable GPU, the HD 5770 is a great little card and no mistake. It may not have the clout at the top resolutions, but if you can afford a display that outputs at 2560x1600 then what are you doing trying to power your £1000 display with a £100 card? At the more standard desktop res of 1680x1050 though you'll happily hit over 30fps, at full settings, on pretty much any game you care to mention. At just under a ton, this card's a bargain. What memory upgrade you choose will really be dependant on your platform of choice. With an X58 motherboard you really need to fill at least three of the DIMM sockets in order to get the full benefit of triple channel memory, while everywhere else you can make do with dual channel alone. Money no object - Corsair 6GB Dominator GT DDR3 - £180 Traditionally Corsair is the name on gamer's lips when they think of memory, and the Dominator range does just that, dominates. With low latency settings and a sophisticated heatsink designed to support overclocking, you can squeeze every drop of memory bandwidth out of your motherboard. It's the go-to guy for extremists everywhere. If you're after the ultimate performance, this is where you'll find it.
Read our Corsair 6GB Dominator GT DDR3 review Price/performance king - Corsair Vengance 12GB DDR3 - £135 How times have chainged. It seems like just a year ago we were tapping into our life savings for just a couple of gigs of DDR3 RAM, and now you can get a massive 12GB of Corair;'s 1600MHz for almost £10 a gig. The drawback, of course, is that this is a three stick pack and therefore designed for those with an X58 motherboard that can use triple channel memory. Curiously, though, even if you don't use one of the 4GB, it still works out cheaper than most 8GB packs. Odd, huh? We'd also recommend, however, Geil's dual channel pack of two DDR3 1600MHz 4GB sticks for £85, although you won't get the same kind of overclocking performance from it. Budget hero - G.Skill RipjawsX 4GB DDR3 - £40 Most of us have no need for vast quantities of high performance memory, though, and for the majority of systems out there 4GB of RAM will be more than enough to cover all your running apps and leave you with a little bit extra to spare.
The flashy heatsink on G.Skill's new RipjawsX range is as cleverly designed as Corair's infamous Dominator and is more about looks than performance, but there's no arguing with the price. It's excellent quality for such bargain basement stuff. With the advent of the solid state drive (SSD) the traditional spinning platter hard drive is facing competition for the first time in a long while. The incredible speed compared with the old school HDD makes them the only real upgrade if you're talking in performance terms On one hand they are incredibly fast at certain functions, but on the other they come in low capacities at an incredibly high price. More worrying though is the performance degradation that many have experienced (including your's truly) using SSDs over time. Most of those performance issues though stem from the memory controller used. At the moment SSDs using the latest Sandforce memory controller are showing to be the most stable, and things will continue to improve as this new technology matures. Money no object - OCZ Ibis 240GB - £555 In reality, there's no way we could possibly advocate a 240GB drive which costs over £500 unless you're running a broadcast video workstation or a sophisticated medical imaging lab and need to process an enormous amount of data at lightning fast speeds.
The rest of us are allowed to look on and admire, however, quite what OCZ has done with Sandforce's latest SF-1222 controller: sustained read/write speeds of over 600MB/s leaves other SSDs looking like they're based on quills and paper. One day, all drives will be made like this. Just not yet. Price/performance king - Crucial RealSSD C300 128GB - £190 Prices are falling, and even though Crucial's C300 series of drives brings them into the range of affordability, they're still a luxury few will splash out on. That said, the performance of this Crucial drive is consistently close to the top. It's not quite as pacey as some of the Sandforce-based models from OCZ and Corsair, but is approaching affordability if you're after fast boot times and bit of a boost to your videoi processing times.
Importantly, it retains the important Windows 7 TRIM command for keeping performance degradation at bay. Read our Crucial RealSSD C300 review Budget hero - Samsung 1TB Spinpoint - £40 When you're working on a budget loading times can quite happily be swapped for increased storage, and you'll be hard pushed to get more of an increase than upgrading to a full 1 terabyte of storage space. With the larger, more modern drives too performance is slightly improved. Obviously you'll never hit the sort of speeds you can muster with an SSD but you'll also not want an SSD that costs £50. Because it'll probably fall over and lose your data after five minutes. But that will scarcely matter because you'd only be able to store five Word documents on one that cheap anyways... But a 1TB drive for less than £50 is a bargain and will happily hold your entire Steam back catalogue without breaking a sweat, and makes it entirely possible to buy two and set them up in a RAID configuration. Related Links
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| Google buys Ireland's tallest commercial building for Euro HQ Posted: 17 Feb 2011 06:20 AM PST  Google has bought Ireland's tallest commercial building in Dublin to house its EMEA headquarters. Following the announcement of the real estate deal this week, Google is soon set to move its staff into its new 15-storey Montevetro office building on Dublin's Barrow Street. At 67 metres high, Google's new EMEA HQ is Ireland's tallest commercial building, although a number of cathedrals tower considerably higher, such as the 97-metre high Limerick Cathedral. Which means there will be no 'bigger than God' claims from Google anytime soon. Google's John Herlihy, VP of ad operations and head of Google in Ireland said of the new HQ in Dublin: "We are at capacity in our EMEA headquarters on Barrow Street and the additional space will allow us to relocate some teams to Montevetro and to create an even more spacious working environment for Googlers in our existing buildings. "Acquiring Montevetro also means we have the space and flexibility to support our future operations." European expansion The immense 15-storey building comprises 210,000 square feet of office space in Dublin's Grand Canal Dock, allowing Google to plan for considerable European expansion in the future. John Bruder, Managing Director at Treasury Holdings Ireland said of the deal: "Google is an iconic name globally and its decision to buy Montevetro is good news for Ireland and we wish them every success in their new home." 
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| Google buys Ireland's tallest commercial building for Euro HQ Posted: 17 Feb 2011 06:20 AM PST Google has bought Ireland's tallest commercial building in Dublin to house its EMEA headquarters. Following the announcement of the real estate deal this week, Google is soon set to move its staff into its new 15-storey Montevetro office building on Dublin's Barrow Street. At 67 metres high, Google's new EMEA HQ is Ireland's tallest commercial building, although a number of cathedrals tower considerably higher, such as the 97-metre high Limerick Cathedral. Which means there will be no 'bigger than God' claims from Google anytime soon. Google's John Herlihy, VP of ad operations and head of Google in Ireland said of the new HQ in Dublin: "We are at capacity in our EMEA headquarters on Barrow Street and the additional space will allow us to relocate some teams to Montevetro and to create an even more spacious working environment for Googlers in our existing buildings. "Acquiring Montevetro also means we have the space and flexibility to support our future operations." European expansion The immense 15-storey building comprises 210,000 square feet of office space in Dublin's Grand Canal Dock, allowing Google to plan for considerable European expansion in the future. John Bruder, Managing Director at Treasury Holdings Ireland said of the deal: "Google is an iconic name globally and its decision to buy Montevetro is good news for Ireland and we wish them every success in their new home." 
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| Sony reveals new 25-inch OLED TV Posted: 17 Feb 2011 05:28 AM PST  If you are in the market for a 25-inch OLED TV and happen to have a spare £17,880 under the bed, then Sony's latest pro display is just the thing you've been looking for. Sony pulled sales of the consumer-grade XEL-1 OLED TV in Japan early last year, with the current focus squarely on the professional market with the latest 25-inch OLED display releasing this month. Trimaster OLED range Sony has unveiled a couple of new OLED monitors in its Trimaster EL professional range: the BVM-E250 25-inch model and the slightly more 'affordable' BVM-E170 17-inch display (a snip at a mere ¥1.3 million/ $15,710/ £9,740). The "Super Top Emission OLED" panels used in both new displays feature an RGB 10-bit driver, 100 cd/m2 standard luminance, 1920 x 1080 resolution, and a 178-degree viewing angle. The Sony Trimaster BVME-250 is currently the biggest OLED panel in production right now. And, no surprise, the most expensive! As you would expect from dropping nearly £18,000 on a monitor, the new OLED display offers almost no motion blur and (breathe in) "a nonlinear cubic conversion color-management system that delivers stunning uniformity, smoother-than-ever gamma performance, and picture quality consistency." Sony plans to make the 25-inch model available in May and the 17-inch one later in July. If you are a freelance TV or film producer, of course, remember that it's all tax deductible… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REAC0c1tGzw 
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| PlayStation Network ban incoming for all PS3 hack users Posted: 17 Feb 2011 05:06 AM PST  Sony has released a statement with regards to news that the PlayStation 3 has been hacked, explaining what the repercussions will be for those who decide to play hacked games on their console. In short: Sony will take away all your PSN privileges, a bit like when your parents take away your console when you have been a very naughty boy. Obviously the implications of widespread PS3 hacking are pretty severe for Sony. The PlayStation 3 has been a massive success to the company in recent years, but the majority of the time it has been on sale, it has been something of a loss-maker – the hardware behind those next-gen graphics costs a packet. The real money has come from selling the games. Terminated permanently In the statement, Sony explained: "Unauthorised circumvention devices for the PlayStation 3 system have been recently released by hackers. "Use of such devices or software violates the terms of the 'System Software License Agreement for the PlayStation 3 System' and the 'Terms of Services and User Agreement' for the PlayStation Network/Qriocity and its Community Code of Conduct provisions. "Copying or playing pirated software is a violation of International Copyright Laws. Consumers using circumvention devices or running unauthorised or pirated software will have access to the PlayStation Network and access to Qriocity services through PlayStation 3 system terminated permanently." Sony also notes that using this homebrew kit will void any warranty you have on your system. "To avoid this, consumers must immediately cease use and remove all circumvention devices and delete all unauthorised or pirated software from their PlayStation 3 systems," the statement continues. Sony seems intent in nipping piracy in the bud before it starts – but is stopping access to the PSN really going to deter users? 
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| Posted: 17 Feb 2011 04:45 AM PST  It was only ever a matter of time before someone thought to incorporate a projector inside a digital camera, but two and a half years after Nikon took the plunge it remains the only manufacturer to have done so. Despite the lack of any competition the company clearly reckons it can better its original concept, and does so in the shape of the new Coolpix S1100pj. Read TechRadar's Nikon Coolpix S1000pj review Predictably, perhaps, Nikon has justified the new release with improvements to the projector's functionality, but other revisions to both its specification and design show Nikon's willingness to also make it a better camera overall. With regards to the projector, Nikon now claims the S1100pj is 40% brighter than before, which in turn allows it to perform better in brighter conditions and against brighter surfaces. Images and videos can now be projected up to 47-inches in size, while wider compatibility with different file types allow it to be used for business purposes, such as for displaying presentations. The camera comes complete with a stand which can be adjusted out of its base, as well as a remote control for controlling the projector from a distance.
The sensor has also been upgraded to offer an effective 14.1MP, although the 5x optical zoom lens still provides a focal range between 28 and 140mm. Showing little tolerance to camera shake of any kind, Nikon has also fitted the S1100pj with a 5-way VR system which uses optical and electronic methods, as well as a Best Shot Selector system, Motion Detection and a maximum sensitivity of ISO 6400 to ensure images taken in any conditions blur-free. Exposure modes are limited to Easy Auto, Auto, Smart Portrait and scene modes, the latter category comprising seventeen different functions to suit every eventuality. Sadly, there's no manual exposure control of any kind, save for an exposure compensation function which can be adjusted over +/-2EV. As well as receiving a marginal boost to 3-inches, the LCD has also doubled in resolution to 460,000 dots and gained touchscreen functionality, while HD video recording is also now on offer at a maximum resolution of 1280 x 720p. The camera still supports SD media for recording images and movies, although the use of SDXC cards is now also a possibility.
The design of the S1100pj makes it clear that it follows on from its predecessor, but Nikon has arguably made the new model easier on the eye. Both the lens and projector have lost their more angular details, and are instead surrounded by circular motifs, while the projector's once-sliding focus switch has also been replaced by a round dial. Furthermore, to better fit the larger LCD screen, all controls have been consolidated into three buttons on the back, which means that many key functions are now accessed directly through the touchscreen. A stylus is supplied with the camera, which goes some way to explaining why many buttons are small and awkward to press with a finger, although the fiddly nature of using something so small is likely to frustrate some users. It's not particularly helpful that the screen can often lack responsiveness too, all of which translates to an overall frustrating user experience.
One of the better aspects of the camera's performance is its focusing system, which finds subjects with ease and locks on to them quickly, even when shooting conditions aren't great. Focusing and releasing the shutter at once can also be done through the touchscreen by simply pressing the desired area, although the afforementioned issue with responsiveness can make this tricky. Post-capture, it takes a good couple of seconds for the image to be displayed, while browsing through images is made problematic by the sensitivity of the LCD screen, which requires a surprisingly firm swipe of the finger in order to cycle through stored images. While the camera is capable of producing a good standard of image quality, overall performance is inconsistent. Metering is largely accurate, although the camera has a tendency to overexposure in certain situations. Highlight detail is generally well maintained, though, while colour in optimum conditions is punchy and vibrant, and largely faithful. In such conditions the camera can also produce images with a high level of detail, particularly at the centre of the frame. White balance in the auto settings is largely fine, but occasionally leans towards coldness, particularly when there is less information in the scene for the camera work with. The main problem concerns the softness which characterises many images. Noise and noise reduction leaves images looking heavily processed and devoid of detail, and remind us of the problem with cramming 14MP on a 1/2.3in sensor. Furthermore, images taken at the longer end of the zoom are soft and lacking in definition, despite the camera claiming to be within the limits of its image stabilisation technologies. To compensate for all of this, the camera has a tendency to oversharpen images which creates unnatural edges, and again contributes to the general processed look of images.
f/3.9 at ISO 228 (Click here to view full-res version)
f/3.9, 1/170 sec at ISO 80 (Click here to view full-res version)
f/4.2, 1/30 sec at ISO 83 (Click here to view full-res version)
f/5.8, 1/30 sec at ISO 84 (Click here to view full-res version)
f/3.9, 1/800 sec at ISO 80 (Click here to view full-res version)
f/5.8, 1/270 sec at ISO 80 (Click here to view full-res version)
f/3.9, 1/90 sec at ISO 80 (Click here to view full-res version)
The projector is activated upon a press of a button on the top-plate, which is encircled by a dial for focusing. This button, being small and recessed into the dial, requires a good press for the projector to turn on, which may be awkward with larger fingers, but once on it's easy to operate the projector with the supplied remote (which is advised over touchscreen operation). Controls on offer include starting slideshows, browsing through images and videos, and zoom functionality, and it also possible to change the volume over three levels for any recorded videos. Projected images are well exposed and colourful, and maintain a contrast we'd expect from a projection, although this depends on the image and the conditions in which it is viewed. The projection can appear a little dull and muddy, particularly if the video has any shadowy details and if the viewing conditions are a little bright, but this is somewhat to be expected. Sound quality is a little tinny from the camera's small rear speaker, but for capturing everyday scenes and family occasions this shouldn't be too great a deal; only when the recording contains little sound does background hiss become noticeable.
The Coolpix S1100pj fulfils its aim as a pocket projector well, with large clear images and the helpful inclusions of the built-in stand and remote. Indeed, this is the camera's major selling point and with no alternative than the S1100pj's predecessor – at least not in camera form – it's likely to attract attention. But those who are drawn to it will need to place a great deal of value on this feature alone, as it's an otherwise average camera with frustrating operation and mediocre image quality, certainly not to the standard of other camera's with a £330 asking price. Hopefully one day the technology will proliferate to other manufacturers which will create both variety and competition, but for now the S1100pj remains a pricey lifestyle gadget that can only be said to do one thing well. Related Links
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| Motorola Xoom: who will stock the Honeycomb tablet? Posted: 17 Feb 2011 04:31 AM PST  The Motorola Xoom looks set to be one of the most desired (and priciest) tablets of 2011, so it's no surprise that a number of UK retailers have put their names down to stock the device. According to Motorola, the Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy will launch with Motorola XOOM (3G/Wi-Fi), and Currys and PC World will launch with Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi in Q2 2011. Powerful device Andrew Morley, vice president of marketing for Motorola Mobility, said about the news: "We're excited to be bringing a device as powerful as Motorola Xoom to leading carriers and partners in the UK. "Today's announcement is testament to how well Motorola Xoom has been received by consumers and carriers alike." It may have been well received but leaked pricing of the device, which comes with a 10.1-inch screen and Android 3.0 Honeycomb, seems to suggest that you will have to part with around £700 if you want the tablet. The Motorola Xoom UK release date is spring. 
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| Tutorial: Customise Ubuntu with Ubuntu Tweak Posted: 17 Feb 2011 04:00 AM PST  Customisation is an inherent part of Linux, but if you're not comfortable working without your mouse, tweaking aspects of your desktop can be tricky. That's where Ubuntu Tweak comes in. It's a nifty little app that helps you modify aspects of your Ubuntu installation. It breaks your desktop into various categories and enables you to tweak settings buried inside the regular Gnome admin panel and config scripts. It's not just about desktop eye candy though - Ubuntu Tweak lets you manage apps and increase productivity. You can add packages, keep track of updates to them, remove any unwanted packages and even add options to the right-click context menu. If you're running Ubuntu on a laptop, you'll also be able to tweak some basic power settings to get more from your battery. New users can use the tool to batten down the hatches of their fresh installation. Whether you're a new Linux user or an experienced one, Ubuntu tweak has plenty to add to your Linux experience. Fine tune your desktop with Ubuntu Tweak 1. Get Ubuntu Tweak
Grab Ubuntu Tweak's '.deb' package from www.ubuntu-tweak.com and install with GDebi. It will pull in all the required packages and park itself under 'System Tools | Ubuntu Tweak'. Make sure you allow it to update itself when prompted, and browse through the preferences. 2. Install new apps
When you visit the Application Centre for the first time, Ubuntu Tweak will fetch the list of available applications from its repository. The apps are listed in categories such as 'Browser', 'Email', 'File Sharing' and 'Game'. Pick the ones you want, then click 'Apply' to install them. 3. Control your apps
The Package Cleaner utility enables you to clear the download cache and purge personal package archives (PPAs). The Source Centre keeps track of updates to third-party applications such as the Adobe Flash plug-in, Google Chrome, Deja Dup, Cairo-Dock and a lot more besides. 4. Control startup
You can use Session Programs to select the apps that launch at startup, like the Bluetooth Manager, Evolution Alarm Notifier and Gwibber. Session Control provides options for editing the look and behaviour of the login screen, such as disabling the list of users and the restart button. 5. Desktop control
To tweak Ubuntu's Compiz settings, you need the Advanced Desktop Effects settings manager. You can also install Screenlets to display widgets on the desktop. If you change your mind, use Ubuntu Tweak to back up and then restore Gnome and any apps to their default settings. 6. Advanced features
Add scripts such as 'Compress PDF', 'Link to Desktop' and 'Check MD5sum' to the right-click context menu. You can also add pre-defined templates to create new documents such as an ODT document or an ODP presentation, and alter applications associated with file types. 
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| Updated: Android 3.0: all the latest updates Posted: 17 Feb 2011 03:32 AM PST  Information about Android 3.0 - Android Honeycomb - is coming thick and fast now as a raft of Android 3.0 tablets are lined up for release this year. Here's what we know about Android 3.0 so far. On 20 October, we reported that Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets were rumoured to be heading out to engineers in time for Christmas. This resulted in a huge range of tablets arriving at CES 2011, with UK release dates later in the year, but none of the tablets on show were actually running Android 3.0. Android 3.0 release date Android 3.0 release date is looking like early 2011. In a video on All Things Digital posted on 7 December 2010 Google's Andy Rubin showed off a prototype Motorola Android 3.0 tablet and confirmed that the Android 3.0 release date will be "some time next year". As of mid-February 2011, we've seen Android 3.0 running on a wide range of tablets which are all due out soon, which means Android 3.0 is very nearly ready for launch. Android 3.0 features and specifications As we reported in July 2010, a Russian podcast detailed how Android 3.0 Honeycomb will be restricted to high-end handsets and tablets. The podcast explained that Android 3.0 phones will require at least a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 3.5-inch or larger displays. A Korean electronics firm then claimed that Android 3.0 will actually require a dual-core processor to run. Google's Dan Morrill scotched the rumours in a tweet, saying "there's no hard minimum processor requirement for Honeycomb. Trust me, if there were I'd know." According to the Google Mobile Blog, Android 3.0 has had a huge amount of user interface refinement, and is designed specifically for large-screen devices (so, tablets). Widgets have been made more interactive, and the Home screen has received a snazzy 3D makeover. The new Chrome browser in particular has received some major polish, with the addition of tabbed browsing, auto-fill, syncing with desktop versions of Chrome and private browsing all bringing it closer to the browsing features of a PC. Android Market is now also web based and it's designed for the tablet - you can purchase directly from here and finally search more comprehensively for applications. 'Bubbled' widgets are also being introduced - they can present multiple stories, videos, emails or books without you having to enter the application, giving easy access to your important information without entering any apps. Also, all applications will be able to use the fragmentation mode, meaning that, like Gmail, things like Twitter will be able to have side by side information in the same app. Support for in-app purchases is coming too. Google has detailed more of the new features in this video:
Android 3.0 is also set to offer music syncing, as we reported on 18 January 2011.The 'sync music' option could enable Android 3.0 devices to sync local music with cloud-based services. Android 3.0 phones One of the first Android 3.0 phones could be the Samsung Galaxy S2 if another rumour is to be believed. However, in our hands on Samsung Galaxy S2 review from Mobile World Congress the S2 was confirmed as having the 'latest generation of Android on it', with the current iteration running Android 2.3.1. On 27 October 2010, reports appeared that Google was planning to release an Android 3.0 powered Nexus Two with Carphone Warehouse, although we now know that the next Nexus - called the Nexus S and available through Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy - is running Android 2.3. Check out our Google Nexus S review for the lowdown. It's also been claimed that the PSP Phone will be running Android 3.0, but again, the version we got hands on with - now officially called the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, was running Android 2.3. So where are the Android 3.0 phones? After a chat TechRadar had with Google in January 2011, it seems quite possible that Android 3.0 is a tablet-only OS and will never be coming to mobile phones. Android 3.0 tablets Acer has announced 7- and 10-inch Android tablets which are slated for release in April 2011. They'll be running Android 3.0. The two tablets are the Acer Iconia Tab A100 and the Acer Iconia Tab A500. Asus announced a range of tablets at CES, including the 7-inch Eee Pad MeMO, which comes with a capacitive stylus for use with a dedicated note-taking app. Pansonic has announced the Viera Tablet for use with the company's connected TVs, though it's unclear whether it will use Android 3.0 or an earlier version. The Motorola Android 3.0 prototype that Andy Rubin showed off last year surfaced as the Motorola Xoom, now confirmed to be sporting a dual-core processor 10.1-inch screen, front- and rear-facing cameras and HD video recording. We were able to get some time with it at CES, and at MWC 2011 we brought you our Hands on: Motorola Xoom review. LG also got in on the Android 3.0 game at CES, launching the T-Mobile G-Slate. The LG Optimus Pad is on its way too. We played with the Optimus Pad at MWC 2011 for our Hands on: LG Optimus Pad review.
We're also going to see a Honeycomb tablet in the form of the HTC Flyer (see our Hands on: HTC Flyer review) and the Dell Streak 10. We got hands-on time with the Android 3.0 Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 at Mobile World Congress. The new Tab features a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU and a luxurious 10.1-inch (1280 x 800 pixel) touchscreen. In a separate event back in the UK, Toshiba let us get hands on with its as yet unnamed Toshiba tablet which will be running Android 3.0 when it goes on sale. We'll bring you more Android 3.0 details as they emerge. Android Honeycomb: 10 things you need to knowGoogle unveiled its tablet-specific Android 3.0 OS at CES to a flurry of excitement thanks to some pretty exciting new tablet-focused additions to the already impressive OS. But, with a preview of the SDK only just released to developers, we won't be seeing Honeycomb on our Android tablets for a little while; in the meantime, whet your appetite with our round-up of the key new features. 1. There'll be 3D-effect graphics You can't swing a cat without hitting something 3D (literally) in the tech world these days, and Google knows it. Honeycomb offers developers the opportunity to use high-performance 3D graphics which should offer no noticeable lag, even with the extra rendering required. This means we'll see 3D creeping into our apps, wallpapers and carousels as the developers get to grips with the extra dimension. 2. The Android UI has been redesigned especially for tablets The Android user interface had always been intended for smartphones with screens no bigger than around 4-inches - with the advent of tablet devices, displays have shot up in the size stakes. Lucky for us, they're not short of a brain cell or two over at Google and have re-designed the Android UI taking the larger screen into account. The updated UI isn't a million miles away from what we're used to on Android handsets - there are still multiple, customisable homescreens, universal search box and widgets galore - but the small tweaks will make it so much better to use on the larger scale.
An ever-present menu bar at the bottom of the screen will hold notifications, system status updates and on-screen navigation as well as a handy clock, with a "lights out" mode to dim the bar when you're watching a film and want the full screen. Meanwhile, the action bar at the top of the screen is dependent on the app you're in; its look and feel are dictated by each individual app, as are the options available to compensate for the lack of dedicated menu button. 3. Recent apps will make multi-tasking a breeze Multi-tasking is where we expect the dual-core Android tablets to shine, and Honeycomb gives it the tools to do so. The 'recent apps' launcher lays out the last apps you used and the state you left them in, so you can quickly nip from one to another and straight into work. The tool lives in the system bar which is always onscreen, so there'll be no tedious navigation through menus.
4. The keyboard will be tablet-friendly Of course you could buy an external keyboard for your tablet but lugging a million accessories around defeats the object of having a sleek and handy tablet. To save you the hassle, Google has put a bit of thought into the onscreen keyboard; the keys have been reshaped and repositioned to make typing more comfortable and the targeting more natural for the larger screen, instead of simply scaling up the keyboard. We love the inclusion of a tab key, which makes the typing experience more akin to that of a desktop or notebook than that of a phone. 5. Better copy and paste than ever before Ah, copy and paste. Such a small function and yet so universally adored. While regular Android does allow text selection, copying and pasting, the Honeycomb system has had a few tweaks. Tapping a single word will select it while the bounding arrows either end make expanding the selection super simple - simpler even than the one used in Gingerbread.
A menu in the action bar at the top of the screen then allows you to either cut, copy, copy to clipboard, share, paste, search the web for or find. 6. Connectivity upgrades include improved Wi-Fi and Bluetooth tethering Google has improved Android's Wi-Fi connectivity with a new scanning system; it reduces scanning time across bands and filters, so you should be up, running and connected in shorter times. Bluetooth connectivity has been updated too; more devices can now tether to the tablet and share its connectivity, while simple devices with no user interface (think sensors and the like) are also supported. 7. There'll be anonymous tabbed web browsing If you fancy a spot of private web browsing on your Android tablet, then you're in luck; the new "incognito" mode lends an air of Poirot-era respectability to your secretive searching. Google has also done away with the multiple-window browser, instead going for a tabbed browser system with your open web pages displayed in the action bar at the top of the screen.
Google Chrome users can easily sync their bookmarks to the tablet browser too, thanks to Honeycomb's option to automatically sign in to all Google sites with one supplied account. 8. Legacy apps will work seamlessly Worried that you won't be able to make use of the thousands of Android apps already in the marketplace? Never fear, even though they were designed for a much smaller-screened device, Honeycomb is still compatible with apps developed for earlier Android iterations as long as devs add in a simple spot of code. The menu key functions from Android phones are migrated to the Action Bar menu in Honeycomb, and there's the option for developers to create dedicated layouts for larger screens and add them to existing apps. 9. Two-pane email should mean easy inbox oraganisation Two-paned email sounds a little familiar - oh yes, that's right. We've seen it before on the iPad where it works brilliantly. If it ain't broke, and all that. The ability to select multiple messages in the inbox and move or delete them mean there's no excuse for a messy, disorganised inbox, while attachments can be synced to the tablet for you to view later. 10. Widgets are going to get interactive Widgets saved to the home screen on Honeycomb tablets are going to have a whole new level of functionality available. Rather than passively relaying information to the user, they'll be interactive. Gestures can be used to scroll through 3D stacks or lists of content, while touch gestures can also flip and move the widget's innards like never before.
If you're still crazy for more, then check out the video Google has kicked out about the new Android 3.0 OS - it's like looking at pictures but a lot faster. 
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| Posted: 17 Feb 2011 03:27 AM PST  'S' means Style in the Nikon Coolpix range, and following on from the S70, the new Coolpix S80 brings improved features to the mid-range compact camera market with updated styling. The Coolpix S80 comes with a useful 5x optical zoom (equivalent to 35mm-175mm) combined with 5-way Anti-Blur Hybrid Vibration Reduction (using Lens shift, Electronic vibration reduction, maximum ISO6400, Best Shot selector and Motion Detection) to ensure the 14.1 megapixel CCD sensor captures shake-free images. Viewing images on the Coolpix S80 is improved thanks to a new touch-sensitive 819k-dot Organic LED screen, with anti-reflective coating, higher contrast and more vivid colours. If you want to enhance your images further there is an easy to use editing menu and Retouching Filters that allows practical or fun adjustments to be made in the camera. There are five dedicated shooting modes on the Coolpix S80 with Easy Auto being the simplest. You can take further control over your shooting in normal Auto by using exposure compensation (+/- 2EV), White Balance Presets, ISO setting, Multi-shot 16 and Best-Shot selector. In 'Scene' mode there are seventeen pre-set Scenes to choose from, the majority of which allow simple adjustments prior to shooting. Smart Portrait mode has what Nikon calls a Smile Timer where the camera detects faces, focuses and releases shutter automatically when it detects a smile. The fifth shooting mode is 720p HD video, with a built in microphone that records in stereo, and a HDMI outlet socket allows the camera to be connected straight to a television. In keeping with the overall theme of minimum user input the S80's autofocus system has a straightforward approach. The camera can select up to nine small focus areas and, as usual, pressing the shutter button halfway locks the focus, which is ideal for off-centre shooting. The touch screen allows a further three options to be accessed for focusing. In Touch-Shutter mode, tapping the screen focuses the camera on that point in the scene and simultaneously releases the shutter. In Subject-Tracking mode you tap the screen on the subject you wish to follow and the camera does so, in this mode the shutter button is used to release the shutter. Finally, AE/AF lock lets you tap the area in which you wish the camera to focus and pressing the shutter button halfway locks the exposure and focus. Pressing the button down fully takes the shot.
The first thing you notice when taking the Coolpix S80 out of its box is how slim it is, it's a svelte 16.5mm thick. Soft touch, sturdy, brushed-metal surfaces it give the Coolpix S80 a positive feel your hand, while the black chrome end plates add a extra style. The 819k-dot Organic LED intuitive touch-screen is not overly sensitive to the touch and requires deliberate actions to get what you need from the camera. Fortunately, there is a shutter release button (the only button) and I prefer to use this as there is a tendency to jog the camera when using the touch-screen shutter release. Also, shutter lag is more noticeable when using the touch-screen and there were occasional missed shots. The shutter button is quicker and gives more reliable results. The Camera (or shooting) and Review mode menus are both logical and have easy to understand icons which slide into view at the touch of a tab. Switching back and forth between shooting and review mode is straightforward as their symbols are constantly displayed in the upper left corner of the screen. Images are reviewed by swiping fingers across the screen and can be zoomed in and out using a pinch technique with your fingers. This too needs a deliberate action to get the camera to respond to your commands. Other than on a camera phone, handling doesn't come much simpler in photography.
In keeping with form over function the Coolpix S80 comes with a no-frills standard evaluative meter, which gives a good overall exposure balance for the majority of images, with an occasional tendency for slight over-exposure. Extreme situations fool it, but this is easily resolved by a half-press of the shutter button, locking the exposure and then recomposing or using AF/AE lock mentioned previously or by using the exposure compensation facility. A camera like the Coolpix S80 is likely to mainly be used with its auto white balance setting selected, and it does a very good job. Scenes have an accurate and natural feel to them. There are also 5 pre-sets and a manual white-balance option should the need arise. Overall, images are neutral with a natural contrast and the camera retains good shadow and highlight detail with minimal clipping. It is only at extremes this can be become a problem. The 5 x optical zoom, a 35mm-175mm VR ED lens has a useful range, but would benefit from being wider at the lower focal-length - a 28mm equivalent would be ideal. Camera shake can be a serious issue with long telephoto lenses, but the 5-way vibration-reduction (VR) combination helps keeps this to a minimum. With care it is possible to achieve good hand-held results at 1/8sec at the longest focal length. That is very impressive. Nikon has also included ED glass (used in Nikon professional lenses) to ensure images are clear and smooth with good resolution, but unfortunately colour fringing is still be a problem in some situations. For a camera of this price noise is controlled exceptionally well through the ISO80 - ISO6400 range (ISO 3200 & 6400 files are limited to 3-million pixels) and images are still acceptable at the higher ISO settings. There is little evidence of detail 'smearing' but from ISO 1600 onward fine detail starts to lose definition due to the effect of noise-reduction. Edges appear to join smoothly together as opposed to having hard definition. Overall the Coolpix S80 images would benefit from a small increase in sharpening, but to my mind that's better than them being too sharp as at least USM can be applied to taste. Some cameras have sharper images in the lower ISO range, but appalling image quality at the higher end. The Coolpix S80 gives images that are usable across its entire ISO range making it very practical. Not surprisingly, the Coolpix S80 doesn't have a raw capture mode. Although this would allow users to extract more quality from images using their own noise reduction or sharpening techniques, but that would defeat the point of the Coolpix S80. It is camera about play and not work.
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The Coolpix S80 with its smooth lines and touch screen is clearly marketed at those who embrace technology and style. The layout will make it ideal for beginners, or those who just want stylish, easy, photography. Image quality at high ISO settings more than makes up for its minor shortcomings. The majority who buy the Coolpix S80 will not be disappointed as it performs well in most of situations and at £299.99 gives good value for money. Related Links
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| Posted: 17 Feb 2011 03:03 AM PST  The Fujifilm Finepix Z800 EXR was announced back in July last year, and is loaded with several impressive features more commonly found on higher end compacts. Within the crowded compact market (especially at the Z800's price point) the touch-screen, the EXR sensor and 5x optical zoom found on board a stylish body, means the Z800 certainly has lots of plus points. Something bound to appeal to many photographers is the promise of instantaneous auto-focus and shutter release. Thanks to the new intelligent Phase Detection AF, Fuji promises the Z800 can autofocus and take an image in 0.158 seconds. The 12 megapixel second generation EXR sensor, first introduced back in 2009 on the Finepix F200EXR has been designed to work well in low light, and in the Z800 is claimed to offer even higher resolution while maintaining low noise images. Touch-screens are becoming a common feature on many modern compact cameras. On the Z800, a large 3.5 inch, 460k dot touch screen takes up the entire back plate, doing away with any physical buttons.
Other new features on board include Motion Panorama 360, a popular addition on several other compact cameras, the processing of the panorama is done entirely in camera. Intelligent image stabilisation with a newly enhanced gyro sensor is designed to compensate for handshake, allowing you to shoot at lower sensitivities and shutter speeds. Uploading to Facebook and YouTube can also be done from within the camera, as well as the creation of photobooks. Face recognition, pet detection and auto release for babies and children (the camera automatically takes the shot when a subject looks directly at the lens) are also included. Related Links
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| Review: Manhattan Plaza DS-100 Posted: 17 Feb 2011 03:00 AM PST  The number of standard-definition Freesat zapper boxes released thus far can be counted on the fingers of one hand, but the continuing digital switchover means that there's still a need for beginner-friendly, quality FTA sat boxes. What Freesat receivers offer that many other FTA boxes don't is a common spec which ensures that you at least get a superior EPG even if few are particularly well suited to finding channels on satellites other than 28°E. The DS-100's black casing is pretty generic for a Freesat box – lacking any kind of display other than a blue power light and concealing a row of operating buttons beneath a flap on the front. The rear panel is also minimal – just a single LNB input and two Scarts, which makes it easy to hook it up to a VCR or DVD recorder (though only the TV Scart can output in RGB). There are no separate audio connectors or data ports (software updates are strictly over the air). The remote has plenty of bright white buttons and a layout that quickly becomes intuitive to use, with the box responding fast to commands. Setup involves entering your postcode (to decide which regional versions of ITV and BBC One you get – although these can be swapped around later) and selecting aspect ratio before automatic tuning starts. The menu interface is also familiar from other Freesat boxes we've tested, with a few tweaks here and there. TV and radio channels can be accessed quickly from a main list with the option to lock channels, show TV only or add them to a single favourites-only list. Scheduling and recording EPG data for eight channels at a time can be viewed as a full-screen grid for all channels or organised into 12 genres such as radio, lifestyle and children. Synopses are shown and you can jump page by page and skip back and forth 24 hours, but there's no timer for making external recordings. The programme info banner can be used to view now-and-next data for the current channel and others without needing to switch over and can be toggled to show synopses in half-screen. A manual tuning menu caters for non-Freesat channels in range of your dish. Frequency, symbol rate and polarity can be entered but – as might have been expected from the Manhattan brand – there's no motorisation, DiSEqC switching, advanced searching or the ability to select which satellite you want to scan. Located channels are listed from number 3000 onwards and accessed from the channel list by pressing the swap button or via the programme info bar. They can't be favourited and don't show up in the EPG. MHEG and audio description services are supported. The DS-100 falls rather short in the picture department when viewed on our 40-inch plasma TV even with good reception. A seemingly lacklustre tuner generated soft-looking results regardless of the source with minor but noticeable artefacting. Not one for the big telly in the living room, perhaps – nor, indeed, those with home cinema audio systems as there are no audio outputs, though sound via Scart was perfectly acceptable on our Panasonic TV. Related Links
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| Virgin Media boasts 5.8% rise in revenue Posted: 17 Feb 2011 02:52 AM PST  The story has been updated Virgin Media has shone a light on its fourth quarter earnings, announcing that 2010 was its "best ever" year. The cable company saw strong growth last year, with revenues up 5.8 per cent. Subscriptions for Virgin Media's fixed-line service were 17,100, but considering Virgin Media has only just begun to offer its Virgin Media TiVo box to the general public – its next-gen PVR - that number is bound to rise in 2011. Broadband signings up Virgin Media now has a total of 4.8 million subscribers, which means it isn't exactly snapping at BSkyB's heals, more like nibbling at its feet fish-manicure style. The good news is that Virgin Media is bringing more and more people into the world of HD, with 39 per cent of its user base now using a HD ready box. There were also smiles all round in the company's mobile phone sector – as revenue grew 6.7 per cent in the fourth quarter to £148.3 million. The biggest rise for the company was in the broadband sector, with a total of 118,000 customers signing up for the 50Mb service. This equates to a 29 per cent increase in sign-ups from the third and fourth quarter. We are putting it down to using Speedy Gonzales in the advertising campaign – that mouse sure is popular. 
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| Review: Panasonic Toughbook CF-31 Posted: 17 Feb 2011 02:30 AM PST  Panasonic's Toughbook range is built to survive in the harshest climates, making it perfect for more adventurous users. The Toughbook CF-31 is the latest entry and an extremely well-built laptop, well suited to travel. With an Ingress Protection rating of 65, this machine can withstand a jet of water from any direction and is impervious to dust infiltration. It's been tested to military-grade standards and can withstand a drop of up to 180cm, thanks to the rugged magnesium alloy casing and flexible internal parts. The chassis is incredibly bulky and weighs 3.8kg, but it's undeniably solid and features a built-in handle for transport. The battery life of 563 minutes is truly remarkable for an Intel Core i5-powered machine and means you get a full day of use even if you're miles from a plug socket. Comfortable keyboard Despite the boxy build, we had no problems with the firm and tapered keyboard. Some of the keys are squashed due to the restricted size, but the wide palmrests make typing comfortable. Unfortunately, the touchpad is tiny and non-responsive and infuriated us in seconds, so we quickly resorted to the touchscreen controls instead. The square 13.1-inch screen is one of the brightest displays we've seen, with an effective anti-reflective finish. You can prod the solid surface with your finger or the included stylus to move the cursor, which is preferable to using the touchpad, despite Windows 7's fiddly menus. The solid hinges mean the screen doesn't shake when jabbed, although it picks up fingerprints and smudges a little easily and you have to push hard to get a response. Performance is strong, thanks to the Intel Core i5 520M processor, and you can comfortably multi-task with various applications open. The integrated Intel GMA HD graphics are more limiting, but there's enough power to enjoy your media and even indulge in some light photo editing. Although our test model didn't come with an optical drive, there's a slot for adding a DVD drive if desired. There's a large number of ports, including VGA and HDMI connections for attaching external monitors, 4 USB ports for connecting peripherals, and even an aerial socket. 802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet provide speedy networking and Bluetooth is also on board for sharing files with compatible devices. Although the Toughbook CF-31 is bulky and heavy, it's an indispensable companion for anyone who regularly visits inhospitable climates. And despite some usability issues, they don't detract too much from the resistive build, bright screen and excellent features. Related Links
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| Dell confirms Streak 10 to use Android 3.0 Posted: 17 Feb 2011 02:21 AM PST  Dell has confirmed that its forthcoming new Streak tablet which it first teased back at CES in early January is set to use Android 3.0 'Honeycomb'. The news was revealed in a Q4 fiscal earnings call this week, in which the company revealed that a 10-inch "Dell Tablet/Slate Concept" will run on Android 3.0 and be officially called the Dell Streak 10. No official information on when we might expect to see the new Dell Streak 10, other than at some point later in 2011, has yet been announced. However, leaks (outlined below) suggest it may arrive as soon as April. Dell will offer tablets using either Android or Windows 7 to consumers, with a Windows 7 tablet also due to launch later in 2011, aimed more at business users. Windows 8 tablet? Elsewhere, Dell's2011 smartphone and tablet line-up has been leaked, revealing and a slate running Windows 8 WPCentral and Android Central somehow managed to obtain Dell's smartphone and tablet roadmaps for the rest of 2011, which also reveals devices running the forthcoming Android 'Ice Cream' OS. In terms of Dell's smartphone plans, it looks like we should see the Dell "Wrigley" Windows Phone 7 vertical QWERTY slider handset in April and those handsets based around Android Ice Cream around September time. Dell's plans for Tablets are perhaps a little more interesting, with the new Dell Streak 10 due around April time. Already looking as far ahead as CES 2012 in January, Dell is expected to release three tablets - the Opus One and Silver Oak Android Honeycomb flavours, as well as the Peju running Windows 8. 
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