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Techradar |
- Review: Toshiba Camileo P20
- Sony's Vaio C series glows orange or green
- Sony's Vaio L series all-in-one PC arrives in UK
- Egyptian baby named 'Facebook'
- Microsoft to launch Kinect for Windows SDK this spring
- Facebook Breakup Notifier app goes live
- Facebook Breakup Notifier app goes live
- Updated: HTC Flyer: what you need to know
- Updated: HTC Flyer: what you need to know
- Samsung NaviBot Silencio promises quieter robotic hoovering
- Exclusive: Samsung TV streaming only for Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy S2
- Sony readying S2 dual-screen Android clamshell tablet?
- HTC Flyer price revealed already
- HTC Flyer price revealed already
- Nintendo's Legend of Zelda turns 25
- Review: Dell Inspiron Duo
- Tutorial: 20 Facebook privacy settings tips
- iPhone 6 or iPad 3 to come with 6-inch screen?
- Spotify valued at $1 billion, massive investment incoming
- Nokia to rush out cheap Windows Phone handsets?
- Review: QED Reference Audio Evolution
- Huawei to bring mobile signal to the tube
- Updated: iPad 2 rumours: what you need to know
- Review: Peerless Sigma
- iPad price drops indicate iPad 2 launch is imminent
| Posted: 22 Feb 2011 01:30 AM PST  Toshiba's Camileo range is a departure from the traditional flip-style camera, and its roots are firmly in the camcorder rather than the phone. The Camileo P20 benefits from a pistol-grip form and fold-out screen, which make it feel natural to use. With excellent image stabilisation built in, it isn't a victim of the shake associated with many models. While the P20 is much larger than the MinoHD, it has that pocket feel, and is easily transported without you being bothered by its bulk. In recording mode the screen flips out like that of a traditional camcorder, but it folds back for playback, so you feel like you're watching on a dedicated video device. The extra size means that Toshiba has been able to use a 3-inch touchscreen, which makes filming and watching comfortable and puts the Kodak PlayTouch and Sony Bloggie MHS-PM5K to shame. Video quality is excellent, and recorded footage looks crisp and clear. The image stabilisation is fantastic: even in the middle of crowds our subjects were still and the footage wasn't ruined by shaking. One of the most noticeable assets is lightning-quick focusing, which left the Samsung HMX-U20 for dead. The Camileo handles bright light poorly though, and subjects are often overexposed in places. However, if you're looking for quality beyond what the Toshiba can offer, you should be looking at a full form, high-def camcorder. The biggest weakness is the sound from the internal microphone, and there are no provisions for using an external one, which rules the P20 out for anyone wanting to add a more professional touch to their home movies. Related Links
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| Sony's Vaio C series glows orange or green Posted: 22 Feb 2011 01:11 AM PST  Sony has unveiled a laptop range which positively glows, with the Vaio C series offering the novel if slightly odd sounding 'light emitting translucent style option'. The 14 inch Sony Vaio C series offers the usual range of goodies including Exmor HD web camera and 3D supported HDMI out, but it is the glow that's going to catchj the attention. "With eye-grabbing looks that demand attention, the colourful new 14" VAIO® C Series from Sony makes a dramatic lifestyle statement," states Sony's release Radical! "The latest Vaio C Series showcases a radical style direction by Sony that stands out from run-of-the-mill notebook PCs, it continues. "A choice of fashion colours include two special orange and green 'light emitting' options. "This audacious design scatters light along edges of the translucent PC lid and other key surfaces to create a dramatic glow effect." Also worthy of mention is a backlit keyboard and speedy internet access without booting up the full OS. Specs wise the laptop brings Core i5 Intel processors, 320GB HDD and 4GB of memory along with Windows Home Premium. Did we mention that it glows? 
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| Sony's Vaio L series all-in-one PC arrives in UK Posted: 22 Feb 2011 01:01 AM PST  Sony has unveiled its latest all-in-one, with the Vaio L series multimedia PC bringing what the Japanese electronics giant is terming an 'elegant focal point for your home multimedia collection'. The Vaio L series brings a 24 inch Full HD display with full-frame multi-touch and LED backlight. The screen features a glossy-black display and a is a tilt-adjustable "floating" display on a V-shaped stand with a novel touch sensitive 'edge access' to functions. "It's beautifully easy to interact with your media collection using the full-frame multi-touch screen," explains Sony's release. Mouse-less "Open and scroll through files, zoom and rotate images with intuitive fingertip gestures… and no mouse or menus needed," it continues. "In an exciting innovation by Sony, the LCD screen of the VAIO L Series is surrounded by a touch sensitive new "Edge Access" that gives friendly 'no mouse' access to key functions." Spec-wise, you can have either Core i7 or Core i5 Intel processors and the possibility of a Blu-ray player, along with S-force front-surround 3D and the potential to use the screen as just a monitor (for such things as a PS3, Sony readily points out). It's certainly a nice bit of kit and is available now, but don't expect much change out of a grand for the basic version, with the UK price starting at just under £1000 and moving ever upwards as you boost the features. 
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| Egyptian baby named 'Facebook' Posted: 21 Feb 2011 03:34 PM PST  An Egyptian father has named his newborn daughter 'Facebook' after the role the site played in the country's recent revolution, according to reports. Many used the social networking site to raise awareness of the attempts to remove president Hosni Mubarak and organise the widespread protests that gripped the country during the last month. Now Gamal Ibrahim has commemorated Mark Zuckerberg's multi-billion dollar baby, by naming his own baby girl in the site's honour, reports the Al-Arham newspaper. The paper says that Ibrahim chose the name "to express his joy at the achievements made by the January 25 youth," the name given to the movement that successfully campaigned to remove Mubarak. Overjoyed TechCrunch has translated the report which reads: "The girl's family, friends and neighbors in the Ibrahimya region gathered around the new born to express their continuing support for the revolution that started on Facebook. 'Facebook' received many gifts from the youth who were overjoyed by her arrival and the new name." Facebook, Twitter and YouTube were all used as efficient tools to organise the regime change despite a widespread government-enforced internet blackout during the protests. 
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| Microsoft to launch Kinect for Windows SDK this spring Posted: 21 Feb 2011 01:15 PM PST  Microsoft has moved a step closer to bringing Kinect to Windows-based PC's by announcing that the SDK will be launched this spring. The motion sensing tech launched last year as a peripheral for the Xbox 360 console and developers will now get the opportunity to create software for desktop and laptop PCs. A post on the Official Microsoft Blog says that interested parties will get access to the total Kinect package in order to create new tools. The post reads: "The Kinect for Windows SDK is being developed and released by Microsoft Research. "It will be available this spring as a free download, and will give academic researchers and enthusiasts access to key pieces of the Kinect system - such as the audio technology, system application programming interfaces and direct control of the Kinect sensor itself." More than gaming The announcement confirms what we're been expecting for some time and will come as a huge fillip for software developers seeking to get their mitts on the tech. The blog continued: "We are very excited by this announcement. Not only does it showcase our investment in this important technology trend, but it ensures that people have the tools they desire to revolutionize how people interact with technology. "The possibilities are endless. Natural and intuitive technologies such as Kinect can be more than just a great platform for gaming and entertainment. "They open up enormous opportunities across a wide variety of scenarios, including addressing societal issues in areas such as healthcare and education." You can read the full blog post on the Official Microsoft Blog 
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| Facebook Breakup Notifier app goes live Posted: 21 Feb 2011 12:20 PM PST A new Facebook web app will send you an email to let you know when your friends' relationship statuses change. If you allow the Breakup Notifier to link up with your account you can select the Facebook friends you'd like to monitor and then receive an email notification when their love life takes a turn. So, for example, if you're friends with an old school sweetheart who's got married to the guy who stole her from you, you can have Breakup Notifier follow her in the hopes that it all goes south. "You like someone. They're in a relationship. Be the first to know when they're out of it," says the app's website. Many of us have probably been there, but it's still pretty creepy. Unofficial While, to our knowledge, the app isn't endorsed by Facebook, the site hasn't exactly discouraged the voyeuristic folks among us in the past. So if you're living hope that "In a relationship" is going to become "it's complicated" then there's now a tool that'll do it for you without you having to manually check every day... or every hour. 
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| Facebook Breakup Notifier app goes live Posted: 21 Feb 2011 12:20 PM PST A new Facebook web app will send you an email to let you know when your friends' relationship statuses change. If you allow the Breakup Notifier to link up with your account you can select the Facebook friends you'd like to monitor and then receive an email notification when their love life takes a turn. So, for example, if you're friends with an old school sweetheart who's got married to the guy who stole her from you, you can have Breakup Notifier follow her in the hope that it all goes south. "You like someone. They're in a relationship. Be the first to know when they're out of it," says the app's website. Many of us have probably been there, but it's still pretty creepy. Unofficial While, to our knowledge, the app isn't endorsed by Facebook, the site hasn't exactly discouraged the voyeuristic folks among us in the past. So if you're living hope that "In a relationship" is going to become "it's complicated" then there's now a tool that'll do it for you without you having to manually check every day... or every hour. 
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| Updated: HTC Flyer: what you need to know Posted: 21 Feb 2011 09:29 AM PST  At Mobile World Congress HTC announced the HTC Flyer tablet. But the specs didn't blow us away - it's a 7-inch single-core device running an older version of Android instead of one of the dual-core larger options running Android 3.0. So what do we know about the new device? The HTC Flyer doesn't have Android 3.0 HTC plumped for the earlier Gingerbread version of Android (2.3/2.4) rather than the Android 3.0 version a lot of the other tablets are using. It seems Honeycomb will arrive on the tablet imminently though. The HTC Flyer processor is 1.5GHz The HTC Flyer packs a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor - surprising amidst the slew of dual core tablets being released at the moment. However, it is clocked high at 1.5GHz. There's also 1GB of RAM. The HTC Flyer has a 7-inch screen Like the BlackBerry PlayBook and Acer Iconia A100, the HTC Flyer plumps for a 1024 x 600 7-inch display surrounded by an aluminium unibody. That's the same resolution as the PlayBook too. 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 – however voice calling is not supported despite a 3G connection. The HTC Flyer has a stylus Yep, you heard that right. Although during our hands on: HTC Flyer review we weren't that impressed by the pressure sensitivity which "doesn't really seem to work that well when trying to annotate text – although the range of brushes and options were accurate and useful." Every time an application can make use of the new stylus, a small icon pops up in the bottom right hand side of the screen. We weren't blown away by the video quality on the device we were having the demonstration with, but with the settings unable to be altered at this early stage we couldn't get the brightness to an acceptable level anyway – whether this will be a decent PMP substitute remains to be seen.
The HTC Flyer has HTC Sense It was rumoured that the skin that HTC uses on its Android phones - HTC Sense - may get a redesign and a new name for the HTC Tablet. HTC has trademarked HTC Sensation alongside a list of devices which include mobile phones, wireless devices and portable computers. But the Flyer will actually run HTC Sense atop Android Gingerbread. There's a bunch of new 3D widgets, while HTC says it has done a lot of work on the interface - but the only visible difference is that apps are now much bigger of course (as well as working in landscape). The dual-pane windows for things like video, contacts and mail seem to work well. The Notifications bar now also gives you quick access to the Settings, as on the HTC Desire S. The HTC Flyer battery life is said to be good The charger is a slightly altered microUSB offering, designed to facilitate power to the 4000mAh battery.
The HTC Flyer is thin and light The HTC Flyer is really light at just 415g, and with a thickness of just 13.7mm. It will fit nicely in a bag, though is 7-inch too small for you, especially if you've used an iPad? The device also has a thick iPad-like bezel. The HTC Flyer has the standard HTC buttons There are controls for the Menu, Back, Search and Home functions which glow when in use. Otherwise there's just a volume switch. When is the HTC Flyer UK release date? According to DigiTimes, Apple Daily says that a JP Morgan analyst says that Google is messing around with its Android support. Motorola is Google's priority for 3.0, LG will be priority for 3.5 and HTC follows on, which means the HTC Tablet won't ship before the second quarter of 2011. We're betting on a March or April HTC Flyer UK release date.
The HTC Flyer price may be $790 One DigiTimes report took a stab at the HTC Tablet price, and it predicts that without subsidy it'll be $789.75. On February 21 the HTC Flyer hit German pre-order, with pricing set at €669. The tablet was listed by the company itself; so if we use a straight currency conversion that gives the HTC Flyer UK pricing of around £563 – not at all bad for the tablet, in our view.
The HTC Tablet price might be zero Download Squad says the HTC Flyer will launch on Verizon in the US with a price tag of zero depending on the tariff you choose. Similar deals are likely here: we've already seen Three, T-Mobile and Orange offer subsidised iPads. 
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| Updated: HTC Flyer: what you need to know Posted: 21 Feb 2011 09:29 AM PST At Mobile World Congress HTC announced the HTC Flyer tablet. But the specs didn't blow us away - it's a 7-inch single-core device running an older version of Android instead of one of the dual-core larger options running Android 3.0. So what do we know about the new device? The HTC Flyer doesn't have Android 3.0 HTC plumped for the earlier Gingerbread version of Android (2.3/2.4) rather than the Android 3.0 version a lot of the other tablets are using. It seems Honeycomb will arrive on the tablet imminently though. The HTC Flyer processor is 1.5GHz The HTC Flyer packs a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor - surprising amidst the slew of dual core tablets being released at the moment. However, it is clocked high at 1.5GHz. There's also 1GB of RAM. The HTC Flyer has a 7-inch screen Like the BlackBerry PlayBook and Acer Iconia A100, the HTC Flyer plumps for a 1024 x 600 7-inch display surrounded by an aluminium unibody. That's the same resolution as the PlayBook too. 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 – however voice calling is not supported despite a 3G connection. The HTC Flyer has a stylus Yep, you heard that right. Although during our hands on: HTC Flyer review we weren't that impressed by the pressure sensitivity which "doesn't really seem to work that well when trying to annotate text – although the range of brushes and options were accurate and useful." Every time an application can make use of the new stylus, a small icon pops up in the bottom right hand side of the screen. We weren't blown away by the video quality on the device we were having the demonstration with, but with the settings unable to be altered at this early stage we couldn't get the brightness to an acceptable level anyway – whether this will be a decent PMP substitute remains to be seen.
The HTC Flyer has HTC Sense It was rumoured that the skin that HTC uses on its Android phones - HTC Sense - may get a redesign and a new name for the HTC Tablet. HTC has trademarked HTC Sensation alongside a list of devices which include mobile phones, wireless devices and portable computers. But the Flyer will actually run HTC Sense atop Android Gingerbread. There's a bunch of new 3D widgets, while HTC says it has done a lot of work on the interface - but the only visible difference is that apps are now much bigger of course (as well as working in landscape). The dual-pane windows for things like video, contacts and mail seem to work well. The Notifications bar now also gives you quick access to the Settings, as on the HTC Desire S. The HTC Flyer battery life is said to be good The charger is a slightly altered microUSB offering, designed to facilitate power to the 4000mAh battery.
The HTC Flyer is thin and light The HTC Flyer is really light at just 415g, and with a thickness of just 13.7mm. It will fit nicely in a bag, though is 7-inch too small for you, especially if you've used an iPad? The device also has a thick iPad-like bezel. The HTC Flyer has the standard HTC buttons There are controls for the Menu, Back, Search and Home functions which glow when in use. Otherwise there's just a volume switch. When is the HTC Flyer UK release date? According to DigiTimes, Apple Daily says that a JP Morgan analyst says that Google is messing around with its Android support. Motorola is Google's priority for 3.0, LG will be priority for 3.5 and HTC follows on, which means the HTC Tablet won't ship before the second quarter of 2011. We're betting on a March or April HTC Flyer UK release date.
The HTC Flyer price may be $790 One DigiTimes report took a stab at the HTC Tablet price, and it predicts that without subsidy it'll be $789.75. On February 21 the HTC Flyer hit German pre-order, with pricing set at €669. The tablet was listed by the company itself; so if we use a straight currency conversion that gives the HTC Flyer UK pricing of around £563 – not at all bad for the tablet, in our view.
The HTC Tablet price might be zero Download Squad says the HTC Flyer will launch on Verizon in the US with a price tag of zero depending on the tariff you choose. Similar deals are likely here: we've already seen Three, T-Mobile and Orange offer subsidised iPads. 
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| Samsung NaviBot Silencio promises quieter robotic hoovering Posted: 21 Feb 2011 09:17 AM PST  Samsung has announced the NaviBot Silencio robotic cleaner, a faster, quieter iteration of the original Roomba-alike NaviBot. The little alien-like device can be programmed to simply putter around your home, sucking up dust and dirt while you put your feet up or go out to aerobics or whatever it is you do when you're not hoovering. The robot also has cognitive mapping technology which uses two CPU control chips and a navigation program that allow it to remember where it has already cleaned. Robotic servant It also has a little camera which takes 30 photos of a room per second to create a virtual map which the NaviBot uses to decide the quickest and safest route around the room. We've always said that robot vacuums should be seen but not heard, and the NaviBot Silencio is on its way to a quiet life with its running volume of 62dB, about the same as a normal conversation. Don't be fooled by the name of the pet haircare system; it is not a handy dog-grooming attachment, but a special comb for picking up pet hair. The NaviBot Silencio UK release date is set for April 2011, while UK pricing will be around £500. But the real question on everyone's lips is: will the NaviBot Silencio prove as popular with our feline friends as the Roomba? 
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| Exclusive: Samsung TV streaming only for Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy S2 Posted: 21 Feb 2011 08:27 AM PST  Samsung has confirmed to TechRadar that its TwinView technology - the ability to stream Samsung TV content to a mobile device - will only be available to Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Samsung Galaxy S2. Samsung announced at CES 2011 that it would be offering dual-screen streaming functionality through its latest Samsung remote, the Second TV Smart Touch TV remote. This technology would be available to those who purchase either the D8000 or D7000 range of televisions. Samsung also hinted that this technology would come to other devices – something that was confirmed at Mobile World Congress with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Smart remote functionality Speaking to TechRadar, at its annual European Conference in Budapest, Russell Owens, general manager, CTV & AV marketing, explained that this service will be restricted to just these two devices for the time being. "At the moment, from a technology point of view, we can confirm that it will be for the Tab 10.1 and the Galaxy S2. "The Android app should be out in March and it will offer the same functionality as the upcoming Second TV remote." The app will allow the streaming of a separate TV channel on to a Samsung mobile device. Owens also explained that the Smart Touch Control TV remote, which was set to be part of the D8000 Series, will be delayed and now will be available as a bundled accessory after the launch of the D8000 series. The Samsung D8000 series UK release date is sometime in March. 
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| Sony readying S2 dual-screen Android clamshell tablet? Posted: 21 Feb 2011 08:19 AM PST  Sony could be working on two more unusual tablets for launch in 2011; a two-screened Android clamshell and a Windows 7 slider, named the S1 and S2. Following the rumour that Sony is to launch a PlayStation tablet named the S1 last week, the S2 is set to be an Android tablet running Android 3.0, and featuring two 5.5-inch displays. According to Engadget's two sources, the shape closely resembles an oval cylinder when closed - a bit like a flask. It certainly sounds, er, different, although not exactly economical with space. Flask-like Android When it comes to spec, Engadget has been told it will offer a Tegra 2 SoC, WiFi, 3G and at least one rear-facing camera, although which way is rear-facing may be hard to tell. The source also said that Sony will be working on the Honeycomb OS to make the most of that dual display; a prototype device apparently showed Gmail running with the inbox shown on one screen and the open message shown on the other. The two sources aren't exactly enthused by the project, unfortunately; one says that "the whole project is being met with skepticism within Sony." Meanwhile, the other source "calls the S2 an outright "dog."" Ouch. Europe is set to get the ambitious dual-screen tablet by Christmas, with a UK price of around £590. And now, to Windows Meanwhile, Windows fans may be pleased to hear that a VAIO-branded Windows 7 slider tablet is also rumoured to be in Sony's works. This fared a little better among Engadget's sources, being described as "nice" and similar to the Asus Eee Pad Slider. The unnamed Windows tablet has a slightly higher target price of $799 (£670) although this is quite likely to rise, apparently. Both tablets will have a focus on Qriocity, Sony's music and media service, although there's no word on whether or not either or both will be PlayStation Certified. 
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| HTC Flyer price revealed already Posted: 21 Feb 2011 07:40 AM PST  The HTC Flyer has hit German Amazon.de pre-order, with pricing set at €669. The tablet was listed by the company itself; so if we use a straight currency conversion that gives the HTC Flyer UK pricing of around £563 – not at all bad for the tablet, in our view. Although the price was given, there's no HTC Flyer release date listed on the German retail site, but if you're super-keen it is possible to place an order to receive the tablet when it's launched. According to Amazon's figures, 51 per cent of people viewing the product page have done just that. Keen beans HTC's long awaited Android tablet was first shown off at Mobile World Congress earlier this month. It's set to ship with Android 2.4 (a new release of Gingerbread) and HTC Sense. It also comes with a pressure-sensitive stylus which can be used to annotate text and all sorts. Aside from that there's also 3D widgets, a 7-inch LCD screen and a nice-to-hold aluminium unibody casing. We'll be reserving judgement until our full HTC Flyer review hits, but we went hands on with the tablet over at Mobile World Congress which should keep you going for now. 
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| HTC Flyer price revealed already Posted: 21 Feb 2011 07:40 AM PST The HTC Flyer has hit German Amazon.de pre-order, with pricing set at €669. The tablet was listed by the company itself; so if we use a straight currency conversion that gives the HTC Flyer UK pricing of around £563 – not at all bad for the tablet, in our view. Although the price was given, there's no HTC Flyer release date listed on the German retail site, but if you're super-keen it is possible to place an order to receive the tablet when it's launched. According to Amazon's figures, 51 per cent of people viewing the product page have done just that. Keen beans HTC's long awaited Android tablet was first shown off at Mobile World Congress earlier this month. It's set to ship with Android 2.4 (a new release of Gingerbread) and HTC Sense. It also comes with a pressure-sensitive stylus which can be used to annotate text and all sorts. Aside from that there's also 3D widgets, a 7-inch LCD screen and a nice-to-hold aluminium unibody casing. We'll be reserving judgement until our full HTC Flyer review hits, but we went hands on with the tablet over at Mobile World Congress which should keep you going for now. 
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| Nintendo's Legend of Zelda turns 25 Posted: 21 Feb 2011 07:06 AM PST  It may be hard to believe, but it's been a quarter of a century since we first saw Link's first Japanese release on 21 February 1986, with The Legend of Zelda video game series turning 25 today. Twenty-five long years since Link first found himself on a quest to rescue Princess Zelda from the evil Ganon and 300 months since the triforce symbol became synonymous with Nintendo adventure gaming. You found a gold rupee Thirteen different Zelda games have been played on all the major Nintendo consoles since the original game was released on the NES and the next game, Skyward Sword, is slated for release later this year. How gaming has changed since 1986 – instead of being tethered to the console by a 2m wire, we're roaming our living rooms and flinging our limbs around, slicing the Wii controller through the air like a sword as Link mirrors our actions on screen. Yet still the Zelda franchise endures where so many others have fallen by the wayside. Even stoic, unchanging, sort-of wooden Link was voted the second best video game character of all time just last month. So let's kick open that chest, call Epona using a piece of grass, ace a mini-game, throw on our iron boots and blow all our rupees on the greatest 25th birthday party of all video gaming time. 
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| Posted: 21 Feb 2011 06:35 AM PST  This highly innovative netbook/tablet hybrid is easy to criticise, but the Inspiron Duo offers a glimpse at the future of personal computing. Those that can look past its undeniable quirks may find a device that changes the way they use a computer. The idea is that you buy the device with a dock. This acts as a hub for the netbook and converts it into an alarm clock and photo frame, while also charging it. The dock comes with JBL-branded speakers, which are decent enough, but won't challenge a home hi-fi system.
When you're out and about with the device you have the choice of either netbook or tablet mode. Switching between them, by flipping the panel horizontally and then closing the lid, is intuitive and the mechanism feels sturdy enough to survive rigorous use. Firstly, the device impresses in netbook mode. The 1366 x 768-pixel resolution is sharp inside the 10.1-inch screen, while the spacious keyboard provides a great typing experience, despite a bit of flexibility. Those who want to edit and type in word documents will have no problem using the device for hours on end.
Performance is standard fare for a netbook and, while office applications run fine, more resource-intensive programs and multi-tasking causes serious lag. Benchmarks Battery life: 215 minutes In terms of connectivity, 802.11n Wi-Fi is great for wireless networking to a home router, for example, but the lack of an Ethernet port (even though the dock features one) and video out does seem an omission. It means that those who like to view content on their TV, for example, simply don't have the option.
In tablet mode you're introduced to Dell's 'Stage' touch software, which gives you quick access to your music, videos and photos, among other things. It sits over the Windows 7 interface and, although intuitive, features a few quirks that make it sometimes confusing. You can't travel back through some menus, for example. Flawed touchscreen The touchscreen isn't as accurate as we would have liked either, which can be frustrating, but once you get used to it, browsing the web and selecting music is surprisingly quick and easy – and offers a much more intuitive experience than in netbook mode. The Inspiron Duo is also pretty heavy.
Portability-wise the device is no problem to carry around, but the 215-minute battery life is a little disappointing. There's no doubt the Inspiron Duo is flawed by a few issues, but we thoroughly bought into Dell's vision of combining the netbook and tablet, and flipping between the two to carry out different tasks is intuitive and fun. Related Links
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| Tutorial: 20 Facebook privacy settings tips Posted: 21 Feb 2011 06:18 AM PST  Privacy on Facebook can be complex, but if you're prepared to put in some effort, you can exercise a fine degree of control over who can and can't see your personal information. Facebook privacy settings are constantly developing as new features arrive, so you need to keep on top of things. Here are our top Facebook tips for managing your privacy while still being sociable. 1. Privacy settings You can access Facebook's main privacy settings by logging in and then choosing 'Account | Privacy settings' from the menus in the top-right corner of the page. Most – but not all – of your account settings can be accessed from here. There's a summary of your current privacy levels, along with links to modify them. 2. Quick privacy level On the 'Privacy settings' page, there are three quick privacy levels that you can set in a single click. These are shown to the left of the summary, and include 'Everyone', 'Friends of friends' and 'Friends only'. The 'Everyone' setting is the equivalent of broadcasting all your information as widely as possible and should be avoided. 'Friends of friends' isn't much better, because you have no control over who your friends connect with. 'Friends only' is a reasonable starting point for protecting your information, but bear in mind that you'll need to make some tweaks to customise it.
QUICK CONTROL: Choose 'Friends only' to adjust your settings quickly. This is a good basic level of privacy, but it's worth fine-tuning it a little. 3. Basic directory From 'Privacy settings', choose 'View settings' under 'Connecting on Facebook'. This displays the information that's available to everyone, and the functions that enable people to find and contact you. If you want to be able to receive messages from anyone, set 'Send me messages' to 'Everyone'. It makes sense to limit 'Education' and 'Work' to 'Friends only', and set 'Friend requests' to 'Friends of friends'. If you find yourself receiving inappropriate requests you can choose it lock it down to 'Friends only', although this eff ectively prevents you from gaining any new friends. 4. Customise settings Avoid the 'Recommended' level in your privacy settings. This leaves details such as relationships and your birthday open to pretty much anyone. To alter each setting individually, click 'Customise settings' at the bottom of the summary. Here you can set a privacy level for each of the items you share, plus those others share about you and your basic contact information. 5. Preview profile You can preview your Facebook profile as a general user by choosing 'Customise settings' from your 'Privacy settings' page. At the top of this page, click the button marked 'Preview my profile'. This will display your profile as it appears to a Facebook user who isn't listed as one of your friends. Use the preview to check information that's publicly available. 6. Preview as someone else In this preview page, you can also choose to view your profile as a specific user might see it. Enter a username in the box marked 'Preview how your profile appears to a specific person'. Select the completed name to see this person's view of your profile. You can use this to help you tweak your privacy settings for friends.
PROFILE PREVIEW: Preview your profile as it can be seen by any named Facebook user to check what information that person can access. 7. Facebook search If you'd rather not be found in a general search, you can set everything to 'Friends only', but if you've modified any settings or just want to double check, try the following. Go to 'Account | Privacy settings' and then choose 'View settings' under 'Basic directory information'. Next to 'Search for you on Facebook', ensure that the setting is 'Friends only'. 8. Web search The default setting for web searches enables search engines such as Google to pick up your Facebook profile. Again, the global 'Friends only' setting should prevent your profile being available this way, but it's a good idea to double check to make sure. In 'Privacy settings' choose 'Edit your settings' under 'Applications and websites'. Next to 'Public search', click 'Edit settings' and ensure that the box marked 'Enable public search' isn't checked. 9. Places You can limit who has access to geolocation information by choosing 'Customise settings' on the 'Privacy settings' page. Now set 'Places I check into' to 'Friends only'. Also clear the box marked 'Include me in people here now after I check in' to prevent other people who are checked in nearby seeing your location. 10. Friends lists You may be comfortable sharing some information with close friends, but not work colleagues. You can add greater flexibility by setting up friends lists. From your homepage, choose 'Friends' in the left-hand column and click 'Edit friends' at the top of the page. Now select 'Create a list'. Enter a name for the list and select each of the friends you want to add to it, then click 'Create list'. Repeat for each list you want to create.
FRIENDS SEARCH: Set the people who can search for you on Facebook to 'Friends only' to stop people finding and contacting you out of the blue. 11. Control visibility by list: You can now send updates to people on a particular list. Enter an update as normal, click the padlock below it and choose 'Customise'. Under 'Make this visible to' choose 'Specific people' and enter your list name. Under 'Hide this from', enter the name of the list you want to exclude. You can do the same with individual privacy settings. Go to 'Customise settings' and select 'Customise' for one of the items. You can now enter lists to make it visible or hide it from in the same way. 12. Chat privacy You can also manage your chat availability using lists. Click the chat window and choose 'Friends lists'. Now tick each of the lists that you want to be visible in chat to and clear any that you don't want to be displayed. Within the chat window, click the button next to each list to appear offline to those people. You can be online to some lists and offline to others. 13. Delete an update If you want to remove a previous status update, you can do so on your wall. Go to your profile and select the wall. Now scroll down to the update that you want to remove. Move your mouse over the update and click the 'X' to the right of it. Choose 'Remove post' and click 'Remove post' again to confirm. 14. Photo privacy When you're uploading photos to Facebook, remember that you could be inadvertently invading someone else's privacy. Make sure that you have their permission to post images of them. Also be aware that anyone can tag a photo if they have access to it. You can set your photos to 'Friends only', but it only changes future albums. You need to change the settings of existing albums individually.
SHARING: Choose 'Applications and websites' from the 'Privacy settings' page to remove apps and control data available to other sites. 15. Event privacy If you create an event from your homepage, it becomes public by default and appears in your feed. You might want to avoid this if the event is a surprise. Instead, click 'What are you planning?' under 'Events' on your homepage. Click the padlock and choose 'Private' before entering any details or inviting anyone. Only invitees will be able to see the details. 16. Messages reply to all The default setting for replaying to a message on Facebook is 'Reply to all'. If a message is sent to a lot of recipients, you can be caught out by sending a private message to everyone. Click the name of the person you want to respond to in the thread and choose 'Reply' to respond to that person only. 17. Liking Be sparing with your likes. Every time you click 'Like' on a fan page, it shows up on your profile so everyone can see that you've liked it. Also bear in mind that updates from any page you've liked will appear in your feed, and it can become cluttered.
CUSTOM SETTINGS: Use custom settings to apply different privacy levels to each kind of information stored in your profile. 18. Your wall You have little control over who can write on your wall. You can choose your friends or set it to no one. Go to 'Account | Privacy settings | Customise settings'. Scroll down to 'Things others share' and tick or clear the box marked 'Friends can post on my wall'. You can change who can see postings on your wall just below this setting. 19. Comments If you want to limit who can comment on other people's wall postings or your status updates, go to 'Customise settings' under 'Privacy settings' and then scroll down to 'Can comment on posts' under 'Things others share'. You can set this to 'Friends only' or choose 'Customise' to allow or exclude specific people or groups. 20. Picture tagging You can't prevent people from uploading and tagging pictures of you, but you can control who gets to see them once they're tagged. In the 'Things others share' section of 'Customise settings', select 'Custom' next to 'Photos and videos I'm tagged in'. Choose 'Specific people' next to 'Make this visible to' and set people or lists who you want to allow to see tagged images. Next to 'Hide this from', enter the names or lists that you want blocked from seeing your tagged photos. 
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| iPhone 6 or iPad 3 to come with 6-inch screen? Posted: 21 Feb 2011 04:35 AM PST  Apple is said to be working on a 6-inch device to sit somewhere between the current iPhone and iPad ranges. A "connected industry expert" has told AppleInsider that Apple intends to widen its range with a device that sits somewhere between the iPhone and the iPad size-wise, with a 6-inch display. The mystery 6-incher could be the iPad 3, which has been speculated to launch later this year, or the iPhone 6, dwarfing the current iPhone 4's 3.5-inch display. Honey, I shrunk the iPad Some industry insiders, however, are more confident that we'll see a big iPod touch than a mega iPhone or a mini iPad - particularly given Apple's critical view of smaller tablet screens. A blown-up iPod touch would fill a gap in Apple's portable device range, allowing apps and emails to be enjoyed on a bigger screen without necessarily resulting in the iPad's premium price tag. And, without the 3G connection, users wouldn't have the option to look like an idiot holding an enormous phone up to their ears to take calls (unless they're determined to by using VoIP). Our heads are spinning with rumours of iPhone 6s and iPad 3s, and we haven't even seen the iPhone 5 or iPad 2 yet. Come on Apple, announce something already! 
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| Spotify valued at $1 billion, massive investment incoming Posted: 21 Feb 2011 03:41 AM PST  Spotify has been valued at around $1 billion according to a number of venture capitalist sources, with a major new round of investment on the way to the Swedish music streaming service. The exact extent of the latest round of financing is not clear, with Spotify quickly returning a 'no comment' when asked about the matter by TechRadar today. US music label deals pending However, TechCrunch reports that numerous sources are claiming that Digital Sky Technologies (DST) are leading the Spotify deal, said to be at least $100 million. DST is the company founded by Yuri Milner and the same group of venture capitalists that has given significant backing to Facebook, Groupon and Zynga, valuing Spotify at around $1 billion. Spotify has recently been working hard to finalise music label deals in the US, in order to finally launch the service to the massively lucrative American market. Is Spotify worth a billion dollars? "I guess if DST think that Spotify could be worth a billion dollars then who are we to argue?," says digital music industry analyst Steve Mayall, from Music Ally Ltd. "Particularly since their previous investments look so smart. We can see a couple of reasons why DST might be so bullish: for one thing there seems to be a very high awareness of Spotify in the US already - and Spotify has demonstrated its genius for large scale viral marketing in Europe. "Also given the way Spotify's open APIs work it could provide the engine for a lot of extra growth as more and more people share URLS rather than download files. If you look at what a company like Playdio is doing with Spotify streams you can see how we're still at the beginning of the curve for streaming music. "But the US is a tough market to crack with an established base of great music services like MOG, Rdio and Rhapsody; not to mention whatever is stirring at Apple and Google. They'll need the money. While music industry execs and bands and artists alike will no doubt debate the valuation of Spotify at $1 billion over the coming weeks, it looks like DST could well follow the successes it has had with Zynga, Groupon and Facebook with Spotify in the near future. We have contacted the major record labels - Sony, Warners, EMI and Universal – in addition to a number of digital music industry experts for further comment on this story, so stay tuned for updates as they come in. 
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| Nokia to rush out cheap Windows Phone handsets? Posted: 21 Feb 2011 03:36 AM PST  Nokia has said it will be manufacturing low-cost Windows Phone 7 handsets to allow the OS to reach a very low price point, very quickly. Speaking to a group of Finnish business journalists, Nokia's CEO Stephen Elop said that the ability to quickly bring a cheap handset to market was a key topic in its discussions with Microsoft. Windows Phone £7 After convincing the software giant that it could reach "a very low price point", Elop reiterated the need for speed: "We have become convinced that we can [reach the low price point] very quickly." During its press conference at Mobile World Congress, Nokia said it hoped to have its first Windows Phone device on sale by the end of 2011 – but this latest revelation suggests an earlier release could be on the cards. Given Microsoft's stringent minimum hardware specifications for its mobile OS, it remains to be seen if Nokia will get special dispensation in order to bring costs down, or whether it is relying on falling component pricing. 
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| Review: QED Reference Audio Evolution Posted: 21 Feb 2011 03:00 AM PST  Unlike other cables in this group, the QED Reference Audio Evolution uses multiple conductors beneath the screen – four, to be exact. Connected as two pairs, they are twisted together to make a highly symmetrical assembly which has excellent rejection of interference from magnetic fields, something that normal screening can do nothing about. There is a screen as well, of course, connected at one end only and, therefore, not carrying signal current. It's made up of silver-plated copper and aluminised plastic tape, while the inner conductors are also silver-plated and insulated in foamed polythene. The floating screen can be expected to make the cable slightly directional and it is marked for direction – don't be afraid to try it reversed, though, as in some installations this can be beneficial. It's eight millimetres in diameter, but a little on the stiff side. There's a slightly bassy quality to this cable's sound, something we rather enjoyed especially through smallish speakers. It's not exactly a huge lift to the bass or anything like that, just a subtle increase in the 'presence' of low notes. And it's mostly notes that are affected, not percussion, which is kept taut and energetic but not over-emphasised. Male voices also seem to benefit a little, with just a little more ring and resonance. It may not be strictly accurate, but it's fun! Midrange and treble are certainly highly neutral and accurate, with very fine detail and excellent imaging, though the highest treble can sometimes seem ever so slightly dry. Related Links
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| Huawei to bring mobile signal to the tube Posted: 21 Feb 2011 02:59 AM PST  The London Underground is set to get mobile phone signal from Huawei as the Chinese firm bids to install transmitters on the tube. It's all thanks to the Olympics, which sees London getting quite the lick of paint ready for the influx of international visitors for the games in 2012. The Sunday Times reported that the Chinese firm is offering to put in the phone network for free – free! – as a sign of solidarity from one Olympic nation to another. That's quite a gift, given that the network is estimated to cost £50m. HELLO? I'm on the underground The paper also said that Vodafone and O2 have agreed to pay for installation work, with Huawei making its money from maintenance fees. Transport for London is sticking to its original statement, saying that talks are ongoing and that the implementation of signal underground should not cost customers or taxpayers any additional money: "Given the financial pressures on TfL's budgets, any solution would need to be funded through mobile operators with no cost to fare or taxpayers. Discussions are ongoing." While many Londoners dread the invasion of the mobile phone, with tube-time previously given to gentle meditation and the reading of philosophic texts, it would certainly come in handy for workaholics, those running late to meetings and lost tourists. 
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| Updated: iPad 2 rumours: what you need to know Posted: 21 Feb 2011 02:53 AM PST  The internet loves Apple and it loves ill-founded speculation, so it's hardly surprising that iPad 2 rumours were flying before the first iPad even reached the UK. With only weeks to go before its expected unveiling the iPad 2 release date, specs and price are still closely guarded secrets, but that doesn't mean there aren't some juicy rumours, inspired guesses and possibly even Apple leaks to consider. Reports suggest Apple is also expecting massive demand for the new device and has ordered six million units per month. Here's our pick of the latest iPad 2011 rumours. UPDATE: iPad 2 has apparently been spotted. Reuters reports on a "source with knowledge of the device" who spotted the new iPad at the launch of News Corp's The Daily. UPDATE: On 8 February 2011 the Wall Street Journal claimed that the new iPad has gone into full production. iPad 2 specs: cameras and a gyroscope Gizmodo reckons that FaceTime support's a given, and that means a front-facing camera like the iPhone 4. BuzzBizzNews echoes the camera story, suggesting twin cameras. It also suggests that there'll be a three-axis gyroscope like there is in the iPhone 4. EETimes says Apple has been testing gyroscopes but decided not to put one in the original iPad. On 10 December 2010, images of a new iPad case appeared online, suggesting that the iPad 2nd generation will feature a rear-facing camera. On 17 January 2011, we heard word of not only a rear camera, but a front one too... it seems more likely that FaceTime will be coming to the iPad 2 as well. iPad 2 specs: a USB port and SD card slot Rumours suggest that the iPad 2 will have a USB port, which BuzzBizzNews says will enable users to "upload movies, documents and photos". We're not convinced it's for that, because Apple is moving increasingly to wireless. The iPad prints wirelessly. The iPad streams media wirelessly. Why add USB? More likely, we think, is a MicroUSB port or adapter so the iPad meets new EU regulations on mobile device chargers. Images of a new iPad case have appeared online that seem to show space for an SD card slot. On 17 January 2011, we also reported on said SD clard slot - it would be a dramatic move for Apple to go with such expandable memory, but a clever one if true. iPad 2 specs: GSM and CDMA AllThingsDigital quotes analyst Brian Blair, who says that Apple may be readying a "world iPad" that uses both GSM and CDMA networks, enabling it to get online anywhere in the world. CDMA, incidentally, is the technology used by Verizon in the US. iPad 2 case: thinner and more like a MacBook Brian Blair also says: "the new iPad is thinner than the existing model and is essentially made from one piece of metal with no pins needed. We understand it requires a new type of manufacturing process as a result, similar to the company's unibody approach seen in MacBooks." iPad 2 specs: retina display Will the gorgeous screen from the iPhone 4 make its way to the iPad? The Apple Blog thinks so: "You can be sure that Apple's Retina Display, or something very close, will make its way to iPad". Then again, such a screen would massively increase the number of pixels, increasing the demands on both the iPad's processor and its battery, so a nine-inch Retina Display is a challenge. If Apple's solved it we'll see you down the Apple Store the second it goes on sale. iPad 2 specs: a seven-inch screen? All of Apple's rivals have plumped for 7-inch displays, which means their tablets are lighter than the iPad. Will Apple follow them into seven-inch territory? iLounge says prototypes exist, while earlier this year DigiTimes predicted not just a seven-inch iPad 2, but a 5.6-inch iPad 2. Apparently the smaller iPads would target ebooks while the current iPad would target multimedia entertainment, "sources stated". We're doubtful. Apple already does a mini-iPad with a retina display. It's the iPod touch. The idea of a smaller iPad 2 took another knock in November, when 9to5Mac reported that the iPad 2 adverts have already been shot - with current-generation iPads playing the role of iPad 2s. The iPad 2s will be digitally added nearer the time, and of course that's much harder to do if the iPad 2 is smaller than the iPads the actors are actually holding. iPad 2 specs: a faster processor KitGuru "has been hearing rumours from the Far East" that the iPad 2 will be a seven-inch job with a 2GHz processor and an HD video camera. It reckons the processor will be based on ARM's Cortex A9, the 1GHz dual-core processor that you'll find in the BlackBerry PlayBook. On 18 January, we also reported the iPad 2 will have a boosted dual core GPU, based on an upgraded graphical core from Apple. This will allow better pixel management, lending weight the theory that the iPad 2 will have a much higher-res screen. iPad 2 specs: more memory This is a no-brainer: the iPhone 4 has twice the memory of the iPad (512MB compared to 256MB), largely because the iPhone does multitasking. Since the iOS 4.2 release, iPads do multitasking too. 256MB already seems a little bit stingy. iPad 2 specs: no home button Boy Genius Report says a source has told it that Apple has employees testing iPads with no home buttons, but we're inclined to agree with ZDNet, which says "don't bet on it". iPad 2 features: Find My Friends On 13 January 2011 we reported that Apple seems to have a location-based tool called Find My Friends in the works for its iOS 4.3 iPhone and iPad update. The iPad 2 release date is probably in the Spring Rumours suggested that the iPad 2 would be rushed out in time for Christmas, but if that's Apple's plan they're being awfully last-minute about it. Early 2011 seems like a much better bet, and it fits with Apple's annual product cycle: the first iPad was announced in January and shipped in the spring. On 7 December we reported on rumours that Apple would be shipping iPad 2 units out to warehouses in February 2011. If that date is correct, it suggests an iPad 2 release date of some time around April. This has been corroborated by our report on 17 January, with the April UK release date backed up by 'insiders'. On 20 January 2011 we reported that the iPad 2 release date could be 9 February, after images leaked showing that date on the home screen (the original iPad launch promotional material had a 27 January 2010 date on the home screen - the date the first iPad launched). On 7 February 2011, Elton John, speaking on BBC Breakfast, said he is looking forward to buying an iPad 2 in April so he can make video calls using Skype. Did he just out the iPad 2 release date or has he been hearing the same rumours that we have? On 21 February 2011, we reported that T-Mobile and Orange have dropped their iPad prices. This could indicate that a new iPad is imminent as the carriers try to clear out old stock. The iPad 2 price won't change much Unless there's a new seven-inch model we'll be amazed if the iPad 2 price is dramatically lower than the model it replaces: Apple isn't struggling to shift units and rivals are charging similar prices. Cheapo tablets do exist, but they're rubbish. 
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| Posted: 21 Feb 2011 02:30 AM PST  Peerless is an American company that majors in stands and mounting systems for AV components, but it includes a moderately wide range of cables in its lineup. The Sigma products are the current top of the range. This particular model is a straightforward coaxial design, along the lines of good-quality industrial RF cables: it has a stranded core of silver-plated copper, foamed polythene insulation and a notably robust screening assembly with four layers – aluminium foil, braided copper, more foil, more braid. That should help keep interference to a minimum, at least, though the inevitable compromises of phono plugs will slightly spoil the effect at high radio frequencies. The jacket is fairly soft and a fabric braid is applied over the cable for mechanical strength, completing an assembly eight millimetres in diameter and moderately flexible. We found the Sigma an excellent interconnect, producing finely detailed images when hooked up between various sources and amps. It has a very even tonal balance, too, with perhaps just a touch of excess in the bass at times, but despite that there is very good control in the lowest octaves and low instruments are very well defined. The treble is open and clear, with very good, natural decay of sounds into ambience, something that can easily be 'dried out' by poor interconnects and there's a real sparkle on intrinsically bright sounds like cymbals and violins. Perhaps image depth isn't always the best defined, but by the normal standards of sub-£100 interconnects this is something of a star performer. Related Links
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| iPad price drops indicate iPad 2 launch is imminent Posted: 21 Feb 2011 02:18 AM PST  Both T-Mobile and Orange have dropped their iPad pricing, suggesting that the iPad 2 will be with us in a matter of weeks. Dropping product pricing to clear stock is an age old indicator that a new version is on its way, and the two EverythingEverywhere networks' pricing has fallen significantly. Here come the numbers Orange is now selling the iPad for £99 on its 24-month contracts and T-Mobile is offering the same to existing customers. Previously, Orange was offering the iPad WiFi + 3G at £199.99 upfront on a £25 per month contract to existing customers and at £229.99 for new customers on a £27 per month contract - so the new pricing offers a saving of at least £100 on each. T-Mobile, meanwhile, is only offering the discount to existing customers on a 24-month £25 tariff. The tech industry is on tenterhooks awaiting an announcement from Apple, given that the first iPad was announced in January last year – and Elton John reckons he's getting his iPad 2 in April. On the other hand, the reduced price could just be Orange and T-Mobile offering customers a bargain because they're nice like that - right? Thanks Hinesh! 
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