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Techradar |
- Facebook adds report system for suicidal friends
- Google Maps Navigation adds live traffic re-routing
- Three launches unlimited PAYG data
- Estate agents to use broadband speeds to sell homes
- Leaked roadmap suggests BlackBerry OS 7 reveal in October
- Blizzard CEO outlines latest MMO strategy
- In Depth: Windows 8 tablets rumours: what you need to know
- Sony wins PS3 hack site visitors' IP addresses
- Asus ships E35M1 - its first AMD Brazos motherboard
- BBC-backed online UK Radioplayer out this month
- Exclusive: Sony clarifies NEX-3 'killed off' rumours
- Exclusive: Sony clarifies NEX-3 'killed off' rumours
- Fujitsu signs partnership with ARM
- Fujitsu signs partnership with ARM
- Hands on: Sony Cybershot DSC-HX9V review
- Hands on: Sony Cybershot DSC-HX9V review
- UK's TV habits revealed: we're watching more than we think
- UK's TV habits revealed: we're watching more than we think
- Review: G-Technology G-Drive Slim 320GB
- Review: G-Technology G-Drive Slim 320GB
- Samsung Galaxy Pro unveiled, coming to Three
- Samsung Galaxy Pro unveiled, coming to Three
- Hands on: Sony Cybershot DSC-WX10 review
- Hands on: Sony Cybershot DSC-WX10 review
- Updated: The best media player for performance 2011
| Facebook adds report system for suicidal friends Posted: 07 Mar 2011 11:42 AM PST  Facebook has teamed-up with UK charity Samaritans to allow users of the site to report friends they fear may be contemplating suicide. The new scheme asks Facebookers to fill in a form, detailing worrying posts and status updates that will then be dealt with as a highest priority by Facebook's operations team. They will then decide whether to call the police or to pass the information onto Samaritans. Users will also have the option of contacting Samaritans directly through phone numbers on Facebook's help page. Raising the alarm The initiative follows reports that an increasing number of people have used the social networking portal in order to announce their intentions to end their own lives. On Christmas Day Simone Black, 42, informed over 1,000 friends that she had taken an overdose, but it wasn't until the next day that anyone raised the alarm to the authorities. By then it was too late. Harness the power Samaritans chief executive Catherine Johnstone says that the aim of the scheme is to harness the power of 30m UK Facebook users to ensure this doesn't happen again. She says: "Through the popularity of Facebook, we are harnessing the power of friendship so people can get help. "As a friend you are better placed to know whether someone close to you is struggling to cope or even feeling suicidal. "We want to remind people that if a friend says that life isn't worth living, they should always be taken seriously. "Facebook is a part of daily life for so many of us and we must make sure that people online have support when they need it." Check out the Samaritans' Facebook page for more info 
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| Google Maps Navigation adds live traffic re-routing Posted: 07 Mar 2011 11:17 AM PST  Google has today updated its hugely popular Navigation app for Android by adding real-time traffic information to your route The free app will now automatically re-route drivers around both "current and historical traffic" in order to get you to your destination sooner. The announcement is yet another bad sign for satnav manufacturers like TomTom and Garmin who have seen increasing numbers of drivers rely on their smartphone for directions. Improvements A post on the Google Mobile Blog reads: "You don't have to do anything to be routed around traffic; just start Navigation like you normally would, either from the Navigation app or from within Google Maps. "Before today, Navigation would choose whichever route was fastest, without taking current traffic conditions into account. It would also generate additional alternate directions, such as the shortest route or one that uses highways instead of side roads. "Starting today, our routing algorithms will also apply our knowledge of current and historical traffic to select the fastest route from those alternates. That means that Navigation will automatically guide you along the best route given the current traffic conditions." ByeBye TomTom? The new functionality continues Google's quest to save Android phone owners splashing out on expensive stand-alone satnav equipment by providing a free alternative on their handsets. Since Navigation arrived on the Android Market last year, manufacturers have often pointed to live traffic information as the key reason to still purchase their products. What will they say now? As a free app, is there any better value available on any product in the tech world at the moment? We don't think so. The updated Google Maps Navigation app for Android is available to download now for North American and European Android owners now. 
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| Three launches unlimited PAYG data Posted: 07 Mar 2011 09:21 AM PST  Three has launched a new pay as you go deal which sees customers getting unlimited data for 30 days at a cost of £15. The new deal comes just a few months after Three's decision to remove data caps from certain contract tariffs. According to Three, the network wants to remove the stress of worrying about how much data you're using on your handset. Still, £15 a month As Three's Sales and Marketing Director, Marc Allera said, "We want to get people using their smartphones in the way they were designed to be used, and that means data." A comment which flies in the face of T-Mobile's ill-advised claims that videos ought to be watched at home using Wi-Fi and not while you're out and about. He continued, "More importantly, we want people to feel comfortable doing this without worrying about the cost. That's why the new offers include all-you-can-eat data along with a huge allowance of minutes and texts. "Three's network was built for data, and it's the confidence in the strength of our 3G network that means we can introduce deals like this." Unlimited data for £15 a month isn't bad, but you can get some pretty generous deals including 1GB plus calls and texts these days, so it's worth checking how much data you're really going to use before deciding that this is the most economical move for you. 
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| Estate agents to use broadband speeds to sell homes Posted: 07 Mar 2011 08:56 AM PST  UK estate agency website Rightmove could soon be detailing broadband speeds on all homes listed on its site. Sources say that Rightmove is set to announce a new partnership with BT this week to list the internet connection speeds of over a million homes listed on its site for sale or rent in the UK, which equates to around 90 per cent of British homes currently on the market. Garage or broadband? After all, who really cares about a garage, a spare single bedroom or an outdoor utility room if you can get hold of 100Mbps broadband?! One Rightmove source told The Telegraph: "Broadband is becoming one of the most, if not the most, important considerations for prospective buyers. "Many people fall in love with a home only to find out it can only get really slow internet. By listing broadband speed with all the other property details buyers will be able to weed out homes that don't have high-speed access." A spokesman for Rightmove added: "As a leading UK website services like superfast broadband obviously interest us and we have recently looked into how it can benefit us, although we are not currently in any form of partnership with BT." 
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| Leaked roadmap suggests BlackBerry OS 7 reveal in October Posted: 07 Mar 2011 08:21 AM PST  After the cavalcade of BlackBerry hardware leaks that broke pre-Mobile World Congress, we're entirely unsurprised to see RIM's software roadmap apparently hit the net. BlackBerry-themed blog N4BB claims that it has got its hand on the roadmap for the year, which lists BlackBerry 7 around the October/November mark. There isn't much else listed in the second half of the year, which suggests that either this isn't an official or finished document, or RIM is going to be putting all its eggs in the BlackBerry 7 basket. Vague excitement Could BlackBerry OS 7 be the QNX-based software that RIM has promised will make the leap from PlayBook to smartphone? Let's hope so; this could also see BlackBerry phones starting to get access to Android apps, should RIM's rumoured experimentations with the Google OSes applications ever come to fruition. Let's not get our hopes up too high though; there's no guarantee this is an official roadmap, no guarantee there won't be delays and no guarantee that BlackBerry 7 will be rolled out in the latter part of the year even if it is revealed. 
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| Blizzard CEO outlines latest MMO strategy Posted: 07 Mar 2011 08:19 AM PST  Blizzard is currently readying its next major multiplayer online game, with the company's CEO outlining the plans for the latest MMO from the hugely successful studio behind World of Warcraft. Paul Sams, Blizzard CEO, stressed in an interview with VentureBeat this month that the studio's new MMO game is definitely set to "capture a lot of hearts and minds". What now for WoW? But what does this mean for the future of Blizzard's current cash cow, WoW? "We believe that it will be more complementary than competitive," Sams said about the title, codenamed 'Project Titan'. Sams admitted that Blizzard designs games with the fact in mind that "people have a limited amount of free time that they can devote to these types of games," adding, "we do think that people will want to check out the new and the old [referring to WoW]". Unsurprisingly, the Blizzard boss also thinks his new MMO, "is very compelling… and will be very successful for us." As far as World of Warcraft goes, Blizzard is unlikely to drop regular support and expansion packs for its biggest title for the foreseeable future. "We intend to do more expansions too," stressed the Blizzard CEO. "There is no change in our thinking. We intend absolutely positively to continue to support the existing World of Warcraft product. "There are over 12 million global paying subscribers that are active in our game. We are not going to turn our back on them and we intend to continue to support that franchise for many, many years to come." Halo developer Bungie recently announced its own plans to enter the MMO market, with further details on that studio's first online title set to arrive very soon. 
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| In Depth: Windows 8 tablets rumours: what you need to know Posted: 07 Mar 2011 07:47 AM PST  Microsoft's been pushing tablet computers for the best part of a decade, so you can imagine how happy the iPad's success makes them. But Microsoft doesn't give up easily, and Windows 8 tablets are apparently imminent. So what's Steve Ballmer going to be shouting about when he takes the stage at CES next month? Windows 8 tablets' release date isn't imminent Microsoft could be ready to unveil tablets running Windows 8 at CES 2011 in January, according to the New York Times. The NYT credited an unnamed source for the leak, which suggests that Microsoft's keynote will be enlivened by the arrival of the next generation of Windows, as well as Samsung and Dell tablets. UPDATE: No Windows 8 tablets were shown at CES. However, the Windows 8 release date may be sooner than you think, with a beta in the spring. That means Windows 8 tablets could be out by late summer. UPDATE: According to Bloomberg there will be no Windows for tablets until 2012. As we reported on 4 March 2011, sources told Bloomberg that a tablet-friendly version of Windows will be tested at the end of this year and not released until the summer of 2012. Windows 8 tablets will be from the usual suspects It's no surprise to see the names Dell and Samsung in the NYT piece: both firms have close relationships with Microsoft, although it's interesting to see Microsoft getting groovy with an Android tablet manufacturer. We'd expect to see something like the leaked "Lap PC" from HP too. Windows 8 tablets will probably look like iPads While Dell makes some unusually shaped tablets already, the Samsung tablet is "similar in size and shape to the Apple iPad, although it is not as thin." Unlike the iPad, "it also includes a unique and slick keyboard that slides out from below for easy typing." Windows 8 tablets will be designed for business use "The company believes there is a huge market for business people who want to enjoy a slate for reading newspapers and magazines and then work on Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint while doing work," the NYT says, quoting the inevitable "person familiar with the company's tablet plans". Windows 8 tablets will have a new touch interface Engadget says: "We've heard from numerous sources that Microsoft's real tablet strategy will rely on Windows 8 and a new all-touch interface that the company has been working incredibly hard on." Windows 8 tablets will have apps and an app store Perhaps acknowledging that Windows 7 wasn't designed with fat fingers in mind, the tablets Ballmer shows off at CES will be powered by Windows but will have an additional layer for HTML5 web apps. This layer will pop up when the tablet is in portrait mode and the keyboard hidden. Apps are a big part of Windows 8, with Microsoft convinced that "app development will move to the web" and building a Windows Store with manufacturer-specific entrances. Microsoft doesn't plan to make money from the Store; like Apple, it's all about selling more machines. Windows 8 tablet specifications aren't strange or startling We'd expect Windows 8 tablets to have similar specifications to other iPad rivals such as the Galaxy Tab or BlackBerry Playbook, essentially netbooks in a different form factor: a gigahertz processor, a gigabyte of RAM, 802.11b/g/n wireless and multitouch capacitive displays. Expect lots of connectivity too, with USB ports a key selling point. Windows 8 tablet prices should be similar to Android ones Windows 8 tablets will be up against iPads, Android tablets and Chrome OS netbooks, so if they're not priced very aggressively they're going to be a tough sell. 
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| Sony wins PS3 hack site visitors' IP addresses Posted: 07 Mar 2011 07:31 AM PST  A Californian judge has granted Sony access to a list of IP addresses pertaining to those who visited a website hosting a PS3 jailbreak hack. In a series of ongoing legal battles regarding the PS3 hack, Sony has been granted access to user data in order to show the reach of the code posted by George Hotz to then establish what state he should be tried in. Sony is currently suing Hotz for breach of copyright laws after he posted the original PS3 jailbreak code and a how-to video, which allow users to play pirated games on the console. Interesting times Anyone who has accessed Hotz's site, geohot.com, may be feeling a little hot under the collar right now; but now insiders claim that Sony wants to strengthen its case against Hotz rather than get embroiled in multiple lengthy and costly legal battles. The same subpoena also gives Sony access to information from Twitter, Blogspot, YouTube and webhosting firm Bluehost. The technology corporation wants access to all data about Hotz and anyone who has viewed or shared his work. 
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| Asus ships E35M1 - its first AMD Brazos motherboard Posted: 07 Mar 2011 07:23 AM PST  Asus has begun shipping its first AMD Brazos platform motherboard – with the Asus E35M1 featuring the Zacate Accelerated Processing Unit. The Zacate APU integrates CPU and GPU bringing big savings in power consumption – and it's pitched as the perfect motherboard for a home theatre PC. "The E35M1 Series motherboards are designed to be ultra-efficient, both for energy and space savings," states Asus. 36 watts TDP "Together with the low power draw of the Zacate APU, E35M1 Series motherboard systems consume a mere 36 watts TDP, all on a fanless design –perfect for a multitude of scenarios," it continues "The E35M1 Series comes in a Mini ITX version, and combined with the low power draw of the APU makes it ideal for use in a HTPC setup, due to its discrete presence in the home and inexpensive continuous operating cost. "It also comes in two Micro ATX versions, providing more flexibility for power users who are looking for a balance between a discrete form factor with power and expandability and a low energy cost." So, if you are looking for a motherboard that is all about power-saving, without too much of a sacrifice on the graphics, then this could be an option to consider. 
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| BBC-backed online UK Radioplayer out this month Posted: 07 Mar 2011 07:21 AM PST  The BBC-backed radio catch-up service UK Radioplayer launches later this month, offering Brits the chance to access on-demand and catch-up radio programming from hundreds of commercial and BBC stations. UK Radioplayer – which has been somewhat confusingly dubbed 'iPlayer for radio' (seeing as the current iPlayer already covers many BBC stations) - is now set to launch on March 31. The opportunity of being able to instantly search almost all of Britain's hundreds of superb radio stations – commercial and BBC - via programme, musical genre, song title and the like – and then being able to create a playlist of your favourites is what the developers hope will be the key to mass appeal. The key advantage of UK Radioplayer over the current iPlayer is the fact that the service will allow you to catch-up with over 200 BBC and commercial British radio stations. The comprehensive new on-demand and catch-up radio service will initially be made available via the YouView web-connected set-top box platform. Thousands of hours of programming searchable BBC director of audio and music, Tim Davie, first outlined the plans for UK Radioplayer two years ago. UK Radioplayer notes on its website: "We'll start with about 150 stations, then add more as fast as we can. Within a few weeks Radioplayer aims to feature the vast majority of the UK's radio stations – between 200-300 individual services, with thousands of hours of on-demand programmes and podcasts searchable too" Radio consultant Matt Deega from Folder Media announced he was: "Very excited about UK Radio Player launching on the 31st March," adding that they were "very pleased with our stations' implementation." Any station can join up to the UK Radioplayer, providing that their digital content meets the necessary requirements. Unique Interactive is the company responsible for developing the technology behind UK Radioplayer, with leader of software development on the project Adrian Cross claiming that the system's "aligned streaming format will facilitate broader support across other platforms such as internet-connected set-top boxes and mobile devices." 
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| Exclusive: Sony clarifies NEX-3 'killed off' rumours Posted: 07 Mar 2011 04:38 AM PST -200-200.jpg) Sony may have ceased production of the Sony NEX-3 in Japan in February, but rumours the camera has been killed off are wide of the mark. This is according to Andreas Georghiades, a product manager at Sony, who talked to TechRadar about the situation. The Sony NEX-3 was launched alongside the Sony NEX-5 in 2010, with both cameras offering interchangeable lenses and an APS-C-sized sensor in a small chassis. Explaining what was going on with the NEX-3, Georghiades said: "The NEX-3 situation was slightly lost in translation. "Although Japan has stopped producing the NEX-3, this doesn't mean that they are to stop selling it. "Who is to know what stock-pile situation they have with the camera; it's common for productions to cease when stock is at a certain limit." Camera lifespan Georghiades did hint, however, that a new NEX line-up could be on the cards: "There is a definite lifespan for cameras on sale. "So there may well be a successor to the NEX-3 in the coming months – what improvements are to be made, I don't know." The sale price of the NEX-3 has certainly dropped in the UK. At Focus On Imaging in Birmingham, the camera is being sold on the Sony stand for a show price of £299. 
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| Exclusive: Sony clarifies NEX-3 'killed off' rumours Posted: 07 Mar 2011 04:38 AM PST Sony may have ceased production of the Sony NEX-3 in Japan in February, but rumours the camera has been killed off are wide of the mark. This is according to Andreas Georghiades, a product manager at Sony, who talked to TechRadar about the situation. The Sony NEX-3 was launched alongside the Sony NEX-5 in 2010, with both cameras offering interchangeable lenses and an APS-C-sized sensor in a small chassis. Explaining what was going on with the NEX-3, Georghiades said: "The NEX-3 situation was slightly lost in translation. "Although Japan has stopped producing the NEX-3, this doesn't mean that they are to stop selling it. "Who is to know what stock-pile situation they have with the camera; it's common for productions to cease when stock is at a certain limit." Camera lifespan Georghiades did hint, however, that a new NEX line-up could be on the cards: "There is a definite lifespan for cameras on sale. "So there may well be a successor to the NEX-3 in the coming months – what improvements are to be made, I don't know." The sale price of the NEX-3 has certainly dropped in the UK. At Focus On Imaging in Birmingham, the camera is being sold on the Sony stand for a show price of £299.
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| Fujitsu signs partnership with ARM Posted: 07 Mar 2011 04:16 AM PST  Fujitsu Semiconductor Europe has signed a licensing deal for ARM's products, with the strategic agreement meaning that the company will be able to offer platforms which implement the latest Cortex A15 processor. The partnership is not all that shiny and new – the pair have been working together for 'more than a decade' – but the latest agreement will bring all the latest designs to Fujitsu system on a chip (SoC) platforms. "Fujitsu Semiconductor is working to enhance its product appeal and boost its IP line-up," said corporate senior vice president Haruyoshi Yagi of Fujitsu Semiconductor. Comprehensive "One of the major ways in which we are doing so is through this comprehensive licence agreement that we have signed with ARM," he added "This will allow our customers to select the ARM technology most suited for their application, and use a platform that combines it with other IP that we have provided. Shining light ARM, the shining light in the UK tech industry, have become a major force in global chip technology, and president Tudor Brown believes the latest deal will enable Fujitsu to push on with 'pioneering' products. "In a constantly evolving marketplace, ARM is committed to empowering its partners with the resources they need to not only remain competitive today, but to meet future technology challenges head-on," said Brown. "The combination of ARM's advanced processor and systems technology with Fujitsu's leadership in advanced SoC development, forms a solid foundation for the development of pioneering semiconductor products." 
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| Fujitsu signs partnership with ARM Posted: 07 Mar 2011 04:16 AM PST Fujitsu Semiconductor Europe has signed a licensing deal for ARM's products, with the strategic agreement meaning that the company will be able to offer platforms which implement the latest Cortex A15 processor. The partnership is not all that shiny and new – the pair have been working together for 'more than a decade' – but the latest agreement will bring all the latest designs to Fujitsu system on a chip (SoC) platforms. "Fujitsu Semiconductor is working to enhance its product appeal and boost its IP line-up," said corporate senior vice president Haruyoshi Yagi of Fujitsu Semiconductor. Comprehensive "One of the major ways in which we are doing so is through this comprehensive licence agreement that we have signed with ARM," he added "This will allow our customers to select the ARM technology most suited for their application, and use a platform that combines it with other IP that we have provided. Shining light ARM, the shining light in the UK tech industry, have become a major force in global chip technology, and president Tudor Brown believes the latest deal will enable Fujitsu to push on with 'pioneering' products. "In a constantly evolving marketplace, ARM is committed to empowering its partners with the resources they need to not only remain competitive today, but to meet future technology challenges head-on," said Brown. "The combination of ARM's advanced processor and systems technology with Fujitsu's leadership in advanced SoC development, forms a solid foundation for the development of pioneering semiconductor products."
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| Hands on: Sony Cybershot DSC-HX9V review Posted: 07 Mar 2011 04:08 AM PST  Sony's latest range of Cybershot cameras is being shown off at Focus On Imaging in Birmingham this week, and TechRadar was invited to get hands on with the range. Not quite the flagship – that goes to the Sony DSC-HX100V – the Sony DSC-HX9V is the highest-end camera Sony is releasing in a traditional compact chassis, and it comes equipped with some big numbers. The entire series this year is powered by the Exmor R CMOS sensor, which offers 16.2MP picture quality. Alongside this is a 16x optical zoom, which is impressive given that the camera is only 104.8 x 59 x 33.9mm in size and weighs just 215g.
In the hand we found that the HX9 fits well, with a hefty grip on the front. This means that, when taking images, your hand doesn't impose on the mode dial and the like on the top. In our tests – and bearing in mind this is a pre-production model – the zoom did feel a tad sluggish. While we thought this was to do with the camera buckling under the fear that we trying to push it to the full 16x, it turned out our model needed some firmware tweaking.
When we tried another version of the camera, the zoom worked at a much more acceptable speed but never made you feel like you weren't in control. This ensured smoothness and definite picture clarity. On the back of the Sony HX9, there's a 3.0-inch LCD that's been given 921600 pixels. Even in the brightest sunlight, the LCD worked extremely well and there were a number of optional on-screen graphics to help you compose your shots.
As with the rest of the top-end of the Cybershot range, there's a lot of high-end technology within the HX9. For a start, there's GPS, as well as a dedicated 3D button. Shoot images when on this feature and you will be able to playback them on a 3D-ready screen. Sony has also pushed its HD shooting to progressive, with the HX9 capable of 1080/50p images.
Couple this with a re-jigged Sweep Panorama mode – it does 3D and creates images that are effectively 40MP in size – and what you have is a very capable compact. The Sony DSC-HX9V UK release date is late April, with pricing to be around the £330 mark. 
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| Hands on: Sony Cybershot DSC-HX9V review Posted: 07 Mar 2011 04:08 AM PST Sony's latest range of Cybershot cameras is being shown off at Focus On Imaging in Birmingham this week, and TechRadar was invited to get hands on with the range. Not quite the flagship – that goes to the Sony DSC-HX100V – the Sony DSC-HX9V is the highest-end camera Sony is releasing in a traditional compact chassis, and it comes equipped with some big numbers. The entire series this year is powered by the Exmor R CMOS sensor, which offers 16.2MP picture quality. Alongside this is a 16x optical zoom, which is impressive given that the camera is only 104.8 x 59 x 33.9mm in size and weighs just 215g.
In the hand we found that the HX9 fits well, with a hefty grip on the front. This means that, when taking images, your hand doesn't impose on the mode dial and the like on the top. In our tests – and bearing in mind this is a pre-production model – the zoom did feel a tad sluggish. While we thought this was to do with the camera buckling under the fear that we trying to push it to the full 16x, it turned out our model needed some firmware tweaking.
When we tried another version of the camera, the zoom worked at a much more acceptable speed but never made you feel like you weren't in control. This ensured smoothness and definite picture clarity. On the back of the Sony HX9, there's a 3.0-inch LCD that's been given 921600 pixels. Even in the brightest sunlight, the LCD worked extremely well and there were a number of optional on-screen graphics to help you compose your shots.
As with the rest of the top-end of the Cybershot range, there's a lot of high-end technology within the HX9. For a start, there's GPS, as well as a dedicated 3D button. Shoot images when on this feature and you will be able to playback them on a 3D-ready screen. Sony has also pushed its HD shooting to progressive, with the HX9 capable of 1080/50p images.
Couple this with a re-jigged Sweep Panorama mode – it does 3D and creates images that are effectively 40MP in size – and what you have is a very capable compact. The Sony DSC-HX9V UK release date is late April, with pricing to be around the £330 mark.
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| UK's TV habits revealed: we're watching more than we think Posted: 07 Mar 2011 03:39 AM PST  It's easy to while away the hours in front of the goggle box, but new research from TV Licensing suggests that we're watching more than we think. Adults in Britain told the researchers that they watch less than 20 hours of television a week, on average. However, the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board bit their thumbs at the UK's adults, whipping out cold hard stats that show the actual figure is more than 30 hours a week. What this means it that we're watching more than one full day of non-stop TV in a week – that's a whole lot ofMy Big Fat Gypsy Weddingaction and perhaps something to be a little ashamed of. Stat clash The new stats clash somewhat with similar research conducted by on-demand service SeeSaw. With the same sample size, SeeSaw found that 23 per cent of people now use the PC as their main source of evening entertainment instead of the television. SeeSaw also found that 60 per cent of us eat dinner in front of the computer, while TV Licensing found that 72 per cent eat their main meal in front of the box. Okay, own up: who's using the computer and watching TV and eating dinner all at the same time? Time-travelling Some of our TV-watching time is spent catching up on recorded shows; with the rise of services like Sky+ and digital television recorders, it's no surprise that recording programmes to watch later - or 'time-shifting' viewing – is increasing. Last year, the most time-shifted programme was Matt Smith's debut as Doctor Who with 2.2 million saving it for later, of which the good time-travelling doctor would no doubt approve. iPlayer, meanwhile, averages around 2.9 million online requests per day. Cinema rooms on the rise A rather optimistic 8% of UK adults say they are expecting to have a dedicated cinema room in their homes by 2020, while a further 8% reckon they'll have a TV in the bathroom by then. The latest craze is for 3D TVs, however; 125,000 3D-enabled televisions were sold last year and the rate of growth suggests that half a million of us will have 3D TVs in our living rooms by the end of 2011. Although whether or not there'll be anything actually worth watching on them by then remains to be seen. Infographic fans may enjoy perusing the findings laid out in graphical form below:
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| UK's TV habits revealed: we're watching more than we think Posted: 07 Mar 2011 03:39 AM PST It's easy to while away the hours in front of the goggle box, but new research from TV Licensing suggests that we're watching more than we think. Adults in Britain told the researchers that they watch less than 20 hours of television a week, on average. However, the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board bit their thumbs at the UK's adults, whipping out cold hard stats that show the actual figure is more than 30 hours a week. What this means it that we're watching more than one full day of non-stop TV in a week – that's a whole lot ofMy Big Fat Gypsy Weddingaction and perhaps something to be a little ashamed of. Stat clash The new stats clash somewhat with similar research conducted by on-demand service SeeSaw. With the same sample size, SeeSaw found that 23 per cent of people now use the PC as their main source of evening entertainment instead of the television. SeeSaw also found that 60 per cent of us eat dinner in front of the computer, while TV Licensing found that 72 per cent eat their main meal in front of the box. Okay, own up: who's using the computer and watching TV and eating dinner all at the same time? Time-travelling Some of our TV-watching time is spent catching up on recorded shows; with the rise of services like Sky+ and digital television recorders, it's no surprise that recording programmes to watch later - or 'time-shifting' viewing – is increasing. Last year, the most time-shifted programme was Matt Smith's debut as Doctor Who with 2.2 million saving it for later, of which the good time-travelling doctor would no doubt approve. iPlayer, meanwhile, averages around 2.9 million online requests per day. Cinema rooms on the rise A rather optimistic 8% of UK adults say they are expecting to have a dedicated cinema room in their homes by 2020, while a further 8% reckon they'll have a TV in the bathroom by then. The latest craze is for 3D TVs, however; 125,000 3D-enabled televisions were sold last year and the rate of growth suggests that half a million of us will have 3D TVs in our living rooms by the end of 2011. Although whether or not there'll be anything actually worth watching on them by then remains to be seen. Infographic fans may enjoy perusing the findings laid out in graphical form below:
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| Review: G-Technology G-Drive Slim 320GB Posted: 07 Mar 2011 03:30 AM PST  Currently an Apple Store exclusive, this portable USB drive is based on Hitachi's Travelstar Z5K320 HDD. At only 7mm deep, it's around 36% more space efficient than standard 2.5-inch drives, allowing for a casing that's less than a centimetre thick. The G-Drive Slim 320GB boasts a robust, stylish build, with a solid aluminium enclosure bound by a black rubberised border. In common with other G-Drives, it also has an attractive desktop icon. It comes preformatted for Macs, and the casing does a great job of keeping the drive cool, which was backed up in tests. In our QuickBench tests, the G-Drive Slim 320GB achieved random read speeds of 11.747 MB/s, which is pretty fast, compared to similar portable USB drives. Its random write speed of 11.414 MB/s is a little slower than we're used to, but marginally so. A competent but unremarkable performance is exactly what you'd expect from a drive operating using a USB connection, and that's exactly what we got. It worked well under sub-optimal power conditions, mounting via an unpowered USB hub, and even when plugged into a fullsized aluminium keyboard. The G-Drive Slim 320GB lacks bundled extras. There are no accessories beyond a USB cable, no FireWire connectivity and no software. But if you're looking for a solid, reliable and very portable 2.5-inch-format drive, the slim is ideal. Related Links
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| Review: G-Technology G-Drive Slim 320GB Posted: 07 Mar 2011 03:30 AM PST Currently an Apple Store exclusive, this portable USB drive is based on Hitachi's Travelstar Z5K320 HDD. At only 7mm deep, it's around 36% more space efficient than standard 2.5-inch drives, allowing for a casing that's less than a centimetre thick. The G-Drive Slim 320GB boasts a robust, stylish build, with a solid aluminium enclosure bound by a black rubberised border. In common with other G-Drives, it also has an attractive desktop icon. It comes preformatted for Macs, and the casing does a great job of keeping the drive cool, which was backed up in tests. In our QuickBench tests, the G-Drive Slim 320GB achieved random read speeds of 11.747 MB/s, which is pretty fast, compared to similar portable USB drives. Its random write speed of 11.414 MB/s is a little slower than we're used to, but marginally so. A competent but unremarkable performance is exactly what you'd expect from a drive operating using a USB connection, and that's exactly what we got. It worked well under sub-optimal power conditions, mounting via an unpowered USB hub, and even when plugged into a fullsized aluminium keyboard. The G-Drive Slim 320GB lacks bundled extras. There are no accessories beyond a USB cable, no FireWire connectivity and no software. But if you're looking for a solid, reliable and very portable 2.5-inch-format drive, the slim is ideal. Related Links
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| Samsung Galaxy Pro unveiled, coming to Three Posted: 07 Mar 2011 02:49 AM PST  Samsung just can't get enough of Android and has revealed yet another addition to its Galaxy range in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Pro. The handset isn't exactly what we'd call a looker, with its serious candybar QWERTY design sitting somewhere between a BlackBerry Bold 9700 and a HTC ChaCha. The handset comes running Android 2.2.1 (Froyo), with no word on whether it will see an upgrade to Gingerbread any time soon. Small screen dreams The screen is a capacitive touchscreen affair, although at just 2.8-inches you'd be wise to stick to the physical QWERTY for text input. Under the hood, the Galaxy Pro offers an 800MHz processor, the ability to transform into a Wi-Fi hotspot and comes with a 2GB microSD card. You can expand this up to 32GB if you need a little more room for your media and whatnot. Three has already claimed the Samsung Galaxy Pro, with the UK release date set for April. The Samsung Galaxy Mini UK release date has also been revealed by Three; the diminutive handset is coming to the numerical network in April. 
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| Samsung Galaxy Pro unveiled, coming to Three Posted: 07 Mar 2011 02:49 AM PST Samsung just can't get enough of Android and has revealed yet another addition to its Galaxy range in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Pro. The handset isn't exactly what we'd call a looker, with its serious candybar QWERTY design sitting somewhere between a BlackBerry Bold 9700 and a HTC ChaCha. The handset comes running Android 2.2.1 (Froyo), with no word on whether it will see an upgrade to Gingerbread any time soon. Small screen dreams The screen is a capacitive touchscreen affair, although at just 2.8-inches you'd be wise to stick to the physical QWERTY for text input. Under the hood, the Galaxy Pro offers an 800MHz processor, the ability to transform into a Wi-Fi hotspot and comes with a 2GB microSD card. You can expand this up to 32GB if you need a little more room for your media and whatnot. Three has already claimed the Samsung Galaxy Pro, with the UK release date set for April. The Samsung Galaxy Mini UK release date has also been revealed by Three; the diminutive handset is coming to the numerical network in April.
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| Hands on: Sony Cybershot DSC-WX10 review Posted: 07 Mar 2011 02:47 AM PST  The Sony Cybershot DSC-WX10 is part of Sony's latest mid-range of Cybershot cameras, sitting alongside the more rugged HX9 and the company's 30x superzoom offering, the HX100V. It may not boast the big zooms of the aforementioned – here you get a more-than-passable 7x optical zoom – but it still has a long list of great imaging features. In our tests, the WX10 seems like a very competent compact. Its chassis is 94 x 56.1 x 16.7mm, so it is superslim and fits neatly in the hand. It's light, too, at just 109g.
Mode dial Sony has managed to pack a mode dial on to the WX10's diminutive frame. This is situated on the back of the camera. Give it a quick flick and you can get to most features here, including an improved Sweep Panorama mode, a 3D mode and video. All of these are worth mentioning as they are all worthwhile features. The improvements made to Sweep Panorama now means you can have poster-sized (40MP), the 3D shooting can be played back on a 3D ready TV and the video on board is Full HD, at 1080/50i.
In short, these are high-end features not usually seen on a mid-range compact. There's also an addition to the auto modes. Superior auto mode will take a number of images and combine them to create the best image possible. It's like HDR but Sony were reticent to call it this.
Whichever way you look at it, it is a worthy addition – even if the consumer may get a little confused having two auto functions on the mode dial. TFT LCD The screen on the back of the WX10 is a 2.8-inch TFT LCD. In the bright shooting conditions we were testing the camera it performed well – there was no cupping our hands over the screen to see exactly what we were shooting. As with the rest of the Cybershot range, the WX10 comes with a 16.2MP Exmor sensor, which is more than enough megapixels for even the most hardened shutter nutter.
Although the model we tested wasn't quite the finished article, Sony has impressed us with the WX10. It offers features you would expect on a DSLR in a slimline and very capable compact. The Sony Cybershot DSC-WX10 UK release date is March, with pricing to be around the £280 mark.
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| Hands on: Sony Cybershot DSC-WX10 review Posted: 07 Mar 2011 02:47 AM PST The Sony Cybershot DSC-WX10 is part of Sony's latest mid-range of Cybershot cameras, sitting alongside the more rugged HX9 and the company's 30x superzoom offering, the HX100V. It may not boast the big zooms of the aforementioned – here you get a more-than-passable 7x optical zoom – but it still has a long list of great imaging features. In our tests, the WX10 seems like a very competent compact. Its chassis is 94 x 56.1 x 16.7mm, so it is superslim and fits neatly in the hand. It's light, too, at just 109g.
Mode dial Sony has managed to pack a mode dial on to the WX10's diminutive frame. This is situated on the back of the camera. Give it a quick flick and you can get to most features here, including an improved Sweep Panorama mode, a 3D mode and video. All of these are worth mentioning as they are all worthwhile features. The improvements made to Sweep Panorama now means you can have poster-sized (40MP), the 3D shooting can be played back on a 3D ready TV and the video on board is Full HD, at 1080/50i.
In short, these are high-end features not usually seen on a mid-range compact. There's also an addition to the auto modes. Superior auto mode will take a number of images and combine them to create the best image possible. It's like HDR but Sony were reticent to call it this.
Whichever way you look at it, it is a worthy addition – even if the consumer may get a little confused having two auto functions on the mode dial. TFT LCD The screen on the back of the WX10 is a 2.8-inch TFT LCD. In the bright shooting conditions we were testing the camera it performed well – there was no cupping our hands over the screen to see exactly what we were shooting. As with the rest of the Cybershot range, the WX10 comes with a 16.2MP Exmor sensor, which is more than enough megapixels for even the most hardened shutter nutter.
Although the model we tested wasn't quite the finished article, Sony has impressed us with the WX10. It offers features you would expect on a DSLR in a slimline and very capable compact. The Sony Cybershot DSC-WX10 UK release date is March, with pricing to be around the £280 mark.
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| Updated: The best media player for performance 2011 Posted: 07 Mar 2011 02:37 AM PST  Our best media player article has been fully updated for 2011. Some media players are bloated monsters, packed with unnecessary features. You've seen the results: open an HD video and they'll keep you waiting while your hard drive thrashes, your RAM is gobbled up and your CPU utilisation reaches new highs. You don't have to put up with this, though. Other media players launch in a flash, and then make minimal demands on your system resources, allowing smooth HD video playback even on the most underpowered of PC hardware. There's a problem, of course - you have to figure out which players fall into each category. And that's not easy, because everyone claims their own products are fast, efficient and great performers, whether they are, or they're really not. The answer was obvious, then. We had to benchmark the players ourselves. So we took 16 of the top contenders from around the web, measured the time it took them to load and begin playing (largely) HD videos in 6 common formats (MP4-based AVI, H264 MOV, MPEG-2, MP4, OGG and FLV), and monitored their average CPU utilisation and RAM requirements. And it turned out there were major differences in launch time and resource use between some of the programs – so let's find out which is the best media player for 2011... The contenders We selected the following 16 popular media players for the tests.
Media Player Classic Home Cinema 1.5.0.2827
How we tested The benchmark process started by selecting our test videos, and we opted for five versions of the Creative Commons-licensed animation, Big Buck Bunny. These included an AVI movie with MP4 video and AC3 surround sound, a MOV file with H264 video and AAC surround sound, and an OGG Theora video with Vorbis stereo sound, all of which were full 1080p resolution. For good measure we also grabbed a copy of the Flash video (FLV) and iPod 5G versions (320x180), before creating a PAL DVD-compliant version of the file to test MPEG-2 playback. We chose a reasonably powerful test PC, equipped with Windows 7, 4GB of RAM and an Intel Core i7-2533 CPU. And a baseline hard drive image was taken, to ensure each program would start with the same filters, codecs and system configuration. We then opened the test videos in each of our media players, noting the time it took for them to begin playback. And as the players worked, we used Process Hacker to access the average CPU utilisation and RAM (private working set) and RAM they required. We didn't try to optimise the player's settings to improve results, so our figures relate to the default settings only: it's possible that some players may work faster or use less resources if you spend time working on their settings. The best media player for performance is…As we took a closer look at the figures it was once again obvious just how important your choice of media player can be. Opening our 1080p AVI file with the DivX Plus Player rather than VLC Media Player, for instance, would leave us waiting almost 13 times as long (11.6 seconds as opposed to 0.9), while also requiring more than three times the CPU utilisation, and 2.76x as much RAM. And while that's an extreme example, there were many other situations where some players would take two or three times longer than the competition to play particular file types. We're still only talking about a few seconds, of course, and so if you like a particular program for other reasons - its interface, range of features, whatever it might be - then you might simply decide to live with this. But if speed is your top priority, then where should you turn? Surprisingly, Windows Media Player 12 delivered reasonable results, popping up quickly and not using too many resources. Of course its integration with Windows gives the program an advantage that other players don't have, though, and it also failed to play our OGG test video. And so our winner, for the second year in a row, is VLC Media Player. Its mix of fast start times (particularly for the two video formats we rated as the most important, AVI and MP4), generally low resource use, and ability to play a wide range of files meant it just kept its place.
The margin of victory was tiny, though, and several of the other programs actually beat VLC Media Player in some areas. In particular, Daum PotPlayer (the latest project from the original creator of KMPlayer), Media Player Classic Home Cinema and SMPlayer did a great job by not only playing all our test videos, but doing so with the minimum use of resources: if VLC doesn't work for you then these are fast, lightweight alternatives, and well worth a closer look.
* Couldn't play all our test files. Included for reference only. 
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