Sponsored
Techradar |
- Nintendo responds to 3DS headache complaints
- Apple Worldwide Developers' Conference 2011 announced
- In Depth: Can you trust Android apps?
- In Depth: New mobile phones 2011: the full rundown
- Nokia still in the dark over Symbian shutdown
- NASA will not use 3D cameras on Mars Rover
- Review: Toshiba Tecra A11
- Updated: Windows 8: everything you need to know
- Updated: Top 110 best Android apps 2011
| Nintendo responds to 3DS headache complaints Posted: 28 Mar 2011 02:43 PM PDT  Nintendo has issued a statement following a predictable spate of complaints from gamers suffering headaches and eyestrain when playing the new 3DS console. Despite a successful launch of the new glasses-less 3D handheld console this weekend, a select few buyers have made waves with their inability to play comfortably. Defiantly, Nintendo's UK PR head Rob Saunders says that the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive since Friday's launch and a risk of discomfort comes with the territory of 3D content. "We have shown Nintendo 3DS at multiple events around the world to literally hundreds of thousands of people and have received very few negative comments," he told Maxconsole. Take a break "As with anything that requires focus, from reading to staring at a computer screen, taking breaks frequent breaks is always recommended. "When viewing any kind of 3D images, some people might experience minor discomfort. The effects are short term and have no lasting effect, in fact most players can continue after taking a short break. "The Nintendo 3D was designed with a 3D depth slider that lets users adjust the 3D effect to a level that suits them for optimum enjoyment." Basically Saunders is offering a priceless piece of advice to all those Nintendo fans experiencing discomfort: If you don't want a headache, don't stare at a tiny screen for hours on end. You're welcome. 
| ||
| Apple Worldwide Developers' Conference 2011 announced Posted: 28 Mar 2011 06:47 AM PDT  Apple has revealed that its Worldwide Developers' Conference is to take place 6 June in Moscone West, San Francisco. The conference which runs for five days is to predominantly look at the future of iOS and Mac OS. "If you are an iOS or Mac OS X software developer, this is the event that you do not want to miss," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, about the event. WWDC 2011: what to expect Apple has outlined some of the things that will be taking place at the event. They include:
iPhone 5 announcement? But, the rumour mill is already churning with suggestions that we will see a new cat-based OS, information about iOS 5 - unless this is shown off in April - as well as a sneak-peak at the new iPhone 5. At last year's WWDC, the iPhone 4 was announced but it wasn't actually seen in the flesh until weeks after the event. Whatever is shown, the onus will be on whether Steve Jobs will attend. The same was asked last year, and it was great that Apple's head honcho made an appearance as he was unable to make WWDC 2009, where the iPhone 3GS was announced. 
| ||
| In Depth: Can you trust Android apps? Posted: 28 Mar 2011 06:30 AM PDT  Our phones contain all kinds of important data, from our address books to our current location - and we expect that information to be used by our apps on a need-to-know basis. So why does the Android version of the WinAmp music player want access to pretty much everything? Every Android app has a manifest, which lists the data permissions it needs. WinAmp's one is a doozy: it wants to access the cellular network database to access your approximate device location, to access the GPS system to get your precise location and to view log files that can reveal how you use your phone. It's not the only one, either: another player, MixZing, wants to access the approximate location of your phone as well as access the phone features, which could potentially reveal your phone number and serial number, what number you're connected to if a call is active, and so on. That's the kind of data spyware tries to capture. Why would music players want it?
SPY AMP: WinAmp's wish-list of permissions includes GPS data and sensitive log files We asked Peter Jeffe of SocialMuse, MixZing's creator. "We're about to release a major social feature that lets you browse other users' music libraries, follow them and get updates and so on," he says. "That's what the coarse location permission is for. In fact, we're adding fine location in the next release to let people locate themselves on the map, but it's important to note that we randomise users' locations in any case - so no-one can pinpoint a user to a specific location... we may allow users to show their precise location to friends, but we haven't decided that yet." And the phone status? "We need to know the phone state so that we can properly handle controlling the music when calls start and stop." The same, presumably, applies to WinAmp. Fear vs forward planning Isn't there a danger that by allowing for features that haven't been implemented yet, developers' permission requests could alarm users? "Well, it is a balancing act, but that's the nature of it," Jeffe says. "I think the transparency for the users is important." MixZing doesn't hide its permission requests; like other Android apps, it tells you about them when you install it - and if you're not happy, you can simply quit the installer. That's certainly more transparent than Apple's approach, where you have to hope that the App Store reviewers spotted any nasties. "I think most people rely more on the reputation of an app," Jeffe says. "I know that I don't look too hard at popular apps, on the assumption that they wouldn't do anything to jeopardise their hard-won position in the rankings, and I'm betting that's a common approach."
FORWARD PLANNING: MixZing wants to use location awareness for future social networking features Privacy isn't an Android-specific problem - at the time of writing everybody in iPhone-land is piling on Color, which was designed specifically to data-mine people's social interactions - but it's still cause for concern. Lookout's App Genome Project, which aims to identify security threats, found that 28% of free Android apps could access your location compared to 34% on iPhone; and where 7.5% of free Android apps could access users' contact data, that rises to 11% on iPhone. However, Android apps do make more use of third party content such as advertising networks: nearly half of Android apps use such code compared to around 20% on the iPhone. What lies beneath Reputable firms' apps probably won't go sniffing for data, but that doesn't mean no apps will. Last year, security firm SMobile's Android analysis found that one in five apps "request permissions to access private or sensitive information that an attacker could use for malicious purposes... 29 applications were found to request the exact same permissions [as] known spyware". As SMobile pointed out, while the majority of such apps were undoubtedly benign, "there is no means available for a user to know for sure that the app they just downloaded is only doing what the user sees it doing." There is now - or at least, there is if you don't mind fiddling. Researchers from Intel Labs, Penn State and Duke universities created TaintDroid, which finds out what apps are up to. Their own tests found that of the 30 major applications they tested, half of them transmitted data without users' knowledge, in some cases including telephone numbers and even IMEIs, the numbers unique to each phone. The researchers have now released the source code and instructions explaining how to compile it. If you stick to reputable apps and read the small print when you install, you're unlikely to encounter any significant problems - like Apple, Google has a remote kill switch for dodgy apps - but if you're still worried, you can install an app to make your data useless to the data miners. Privacy Blocker is a two-stage solution: first, it finds out what data apps are trying to transmit; then, it takes that data and replaces it with nonsense. 
| ||
| In Depth: New mobile phones 2011: the full rundown Posted: 28 Mar 2011 06:20 AM PDT  The world of new mobile phones changes so fast that even we at TechRadar have a hard time keeping up, and we're the internet. Since we don't want anyone to miss the news about the newest mobile phone that might be ideal for them, we've put together this round up of our hands-on reviews. These aren't our full reviews, so won't have the same authoritative depth, but they're our early impressions of all these new mobiles after we've been able to spend some limited time with them. This page will be updated regularly as new mobile phones are announced, so you know it's always the best place to come for the all the upcoming mobile phone news you'll need. Samsung Wave 578NFC (near-field communications) is an area that the networks seem to be pushing more and more in new mobile phones, but we've mostly been seeing it in high-end devices.
The Samsung Wave 578 is an effort to get the technology into a more budget-minded device, which will be vital if it's to become widespread. The Wave 578 does feel quite budget – and sports Samsung's own Bada OS rather than Android – but it's not too large, so it should offer an attractive option for those wanting to spend their money over wireless payments rather than purchasing a new mobile phone. Read our full hands-on: Samsung Wave 578 review Samsung Wave 578 UK release date: May 2011 HP VeerWhile the Pre line is being super-sized with the Pre 3, the HP Veer sees HP/Palm's phone shrunk down to a dinky size. The basics are still there – a touchscreen and slide-out keyboard – but it's just 84mm tall and 54.5mm wide.
When we got our hands on it, we found that its small dimensions really compromised both the typing experience and stops you taking full advantage of webOS's superb multitasking. However, the OS did run well on the 800MHz processor, so it may win over some people. Read our full hands-on: HP Veer review HP Pre 3So the HP Veer became smaller, but HP's other new mobile phone, the Pre 3, has grown to accommodate a larger 3.58-inch screen, acquiring a higher resolution of 480 x 800 along the way.
There are plenty of internal updates too, with a speedy 1.4GHz processor and HD video recording. It feels much like the old Pre phones, though, with a comfortable shape and smooth finish. HP webOS zipped along on the fast CPU, and retains all of its great features, so this will be one to watch out for. Read our full hands-on: HP Pre 3 review HTC Desire SThe HTC Desire S is a device of refinement, rather than changing a winning formula. When we saw it at MWC 2010, we marvelled at its slick aluminium body, new touch-sensitive buttons, slightly decreased size thanks to the removal of the optical trackpad, and Android 2.3 with HTC's Sense UI 2.1.
Basically, we thought it felt like an improved, premium version of the HTC Desire– just what we were hoping for. Read our full hands-on: HTC Desire S review HTC Wildfire SThe HTC Wildfire made a name for itself by being a budget Android phone that was actually worth paying any mind to. Much like the HTC Desire S, we're looking at a gentle improvement for this S version, rather than a drastic overhaul.
It's a similar shape and size, but there's a front-facing camera, an improved screen resolution and Android 2.3 on-board. We found it to be a little thick, but that's no crime for a budget phone. If the price is right, this could be a tempting proposition for budget Android shoppers. Read our full hands-on: HTC Wildfire S review Sony Ericsson Xperia ProQWERTY-loving Android fans should be perking up here. When we got our hands on the Xperia Pro's slide-out keyboard, we found that it offered an impressive amount of room for tapping out long messages.
It's very similar to other Android (and Sony Ericsson) new mobile phones other than that keyboard, and it features the Timescape overlay. The camera is also a promising aspect of the phone, offering eight megapixels and SE's new Exmor technology. It look like it'll be one of the sharpest snappers on the market, and a strong Android messaging phone to boot. Read our full hands-on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro review ViewSonic ViewPad 4Though it's still not 100 per cent clear if we should be considering this a large smartphone or a small tablet (or PMP? Man, we give up), we were able to get some time with the device at MWC.
It's packed with connection, which is always welcome, but it didn't totally convince us. The touchscreen needed some strong prods to get going, while the 1GHz processor didn't zip along with quite the speed we're used to. Of course, it's not out yet, so there's time for ViewSonic to fix those problems. There are some neat additions to Android, though, including location-based phone profiles, so we'll be interested to see the final device. Read our full hands-on: ViewSonic ViewPad 4 review Acer Iconia SmartThe Dell Streak doesn't look so different anymore. Where once it was the only five-inch device to pass itself off as a phone, now we have the Acer Iconia Smart – all 4.8 inches of it.
During our hands-on, we thought it felt more like a phone than Dell's monster, and we couldn't help but be impressed by the 1024 x 480 display. The huge 185g weight is a bit of a downer, but if you can't decide whether you want a tablet or a new phone, this could be one to keep an eye on. Read our full hands-on: Acer Iconia Smart review Samsung Galaxy S2The Samsung Galaxy S2 represent a serious assault on the high-end phone market from Samsung. The AMOLED Plus screen will likely be simply stunning for watching videos on, the dual-core processor made operating it completely smooth, and it's slimmer than an iPhone 4.
It's pretty large thanks to its 4.3-inch screen, but its got a spec list to melt a techy's heart. This is definitely a device to look out for among all the new mobile phones. Read our full hands-on: Samsung Galaxy S2 review LG Optimus 3D4.3-inch screen, Android 2.2, dual-core processor – blah, blah, blah. Yes, this is an interesting Android phone in its own right, but what about the 3D? You can launch a 3D hub with a dedicated button, which gives you access to that side of the phone.
It's glasses-free, like the Nintendo 3DS and gives the images real depth. Twin cameras on the back will enable you to take your own 3D videos and pictures, and an exclusive deal with YouTube means you can share them to the world. And, if you've got a 3D TV, you can show your 3D videos on it over the built-in HDMI connection. Now this is what new mobile phone technology is all about. Read our full hands-on: HP Pre 3 review INQ Cloud TouchThe Facebook phone. Well, no, it isn't. Nothing is really, but is the new mobile phone to try to take the title.
It's an Android 2.2 phone with an overlay created in conjunction with the social network. We found that it certainly felt like a budget phone – but it's supposed to. While our experience with other INQ devices made us wonder if the Cloud Touch would be able to stand up to the influx of Facebook data of heavy users, we were really impressed with what this offers for the demographic it's aiming at. Let's hope the final version can offer the same good impression. Read our full hands-on: INQ Cloud Touch review Sony Ericsson Xperia NeoThe Sony Ericsson Vivazis gone. It's dead. Think of it no more. The Neo is what's new (that's a little Latin joke. Anyone? Ah, forget it).
Not only did we get lots of hands-on experience with the regular version, but we also managed to sneak some play time with the read variant. The form factor is similar to the Vivaz, but it runs better across the board. The centrally located 8.1-megapixel camera makes it easy to shoot great pictures, and the phone sits very comfortably in the hand. The price will make or break the Neo compared to the stunning Arc and QWERTY-wielding Xperia Pro, but if it can find a niche, this could be a good-value phone. Read our full hands-on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo review Sony Ericsson Xperia PlayPlayStation. Phone. The jury's still out on whether the two will go together quite as well as such classic double acts as Chas and Dave, but it's fair to say we couldn't be more excited to find out. It features a four-inch screen, slide-out gaming controls and the PlayStation Suite.
It'll be PSOne-era games that are on offer, which should be handed comfortably by the 1GHz processor. While Final Fantasy VII might be a bit much to delve into on the bus, we can imagine games like the original Rayman keeping people going for a few minutes. The final verdict will come once the software and games are sorted and available, but we just hope it makes its mark before all the dual-core smartphones steal the gaming thunder. Read our full hands-on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Play review Sony Ericsson Xperia ArcIs Sony Ericsson finally about to deliver on the promise of, well, every smartphone it's ever made that wasn't quite good enough? Maybe it's stupid to hope, but we do anyway.
An attractive design with a curved back that's just 8.7mm thick in the middle? Check. Impressive new Exmor camera technology? Check. Good spec list, including HDMI ouput? Check. Superb video player? Check. The potential is pouring out of every port on the Xperia Arc, and we're looking forward to seeing if it lives up to it. Read our full hands-on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc review LG Optimus BlackThe Optimus Black's initial claim to fame was taking the 'World's Thinnest Smartphone' award from the iPhone 4.
However, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc and Samsung Galaxy S2 both came to muddy those waters, so now we're left to look at the impressive four-inch screen with NOVA display, which we found comparable to class-leading AMOLED screens, but LG claims it will consume less battery. We were also impressed with LG's 'Gesture UI' Android overlay, and its incredibly lightweight (just109g) body, though we did find that it didn't feel quite as premium as its rivals. If it turns out to be light and usable, with a great screen, we can see LG's new mobile phone being a winner. Read our full hands-on: LG Optimus Black review Samsung Galaxy MiniThe Samsung Galaxy Ace has already found its way into TechRadar's dungeon torture chamber for a full review, but it's not the only cheaper Galaxy-branded handset in the game.
It's a fairly neat fashion phone, with nice flashes of colour down the side. The 3.14-inch screen sits as part of a chassis that feels a little cheap, but it sounds as though this is going to be well into the budget phone end of the market when it comes out, so we can forgive that. We weren't too pleased with the low-res QVGA screen when we had a play with the Galaxy Mini, but the Android experience seemed to be impressively intact, so we've high hopes for this low-end phone. Read our full hands-on: Samsung Galaxy Mini review Dell VenueDell's foray into the phone world has been somewhat tentative so far, being led by the decidedly niche Dell Streak. Now it looks like the PC giant is ready to get serious in the non-giant smartphone sector, starting with this Android 2.2 handset.
Actually, we say non-giant, but it still features a 4.1-inch AMOLED screen. Specs-wise, it's reasonably high end, but nothing wildly unusual. It features Dell's Stage software, which aims to make it better for media lovers than the average Android phone. With a smart design a strong brand name behind it, Dell's new mobile phone could attract a lot of attention. Read our full hands-on: Dell Venue review Dell Venue ProDell and Microsoft have had a mutually beneficial relationship for quite a long time now, but it's still fair to say that Dell wouldn't be among the expected brands to be making Windows Phone 7 devices.
Dell's not just making any WP7 handset, though – the Venue Pro offers a 4.1-inch AMOLED screen and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. We were a little unsure of the keyboard when we got our first hands-on, but we'll have the chance to play with the final version later. The Venue Pro feels robust and businesslike, so we wonder if corporate-favourite Dell could be the first to make a WP7 device that appeals to big companies. Read our full hands-on: Dell Venue Pro review 
| ||
| Nokia still in the dark over Symbian shutdown Posted: 28 Mar 2011 05:39 AM PDT  Nokia has issued a letter to developers outlining the future for Symbian and Windows Phone 7 - and it seems the Finnish firm is a long way from being settled on a strategy. The Symbian platform will keep getting the same handsets planned for 2011 and 2012, which is what Nokia is calling 'its transition period'. That transition is defined later on in the letter as the point where Nokia is looking to get as many customers onto Windows Phone 7 as possible: "Our intention is that when users come to the end of the natural lifecycle of their Symbian device they will make the change to a Nokia Windows Phone device and so it would not be in our interests to undermine their Nokia smartphone experience." Support "Operators have also been very supportive in their commitment to help us continue to sell and support Symbian devices while we make the transition to Windows Phone." However, the next crop of Symbian-based smartphones will still have a fair bit of gumption about them, with Nokia promising "GHz+ processing capabilities and faster graphics speeds" as well as "the first major update [arriving] in summer, delivering a new home screen, new flexible widgets, new icons, a faster browser, new Navbar and a fresh look and feel to Ovi Store and Ovi Maps, including integration of social media services in Ovi Maps." The lights are dimming But the writing is starkly inscribed on the wall for Symbian - Nokia's plan is only to push it in the markets where it is already strong (ie China, Turkey, Russia etc) and also while it works on getting Windows Phone 7 ready for territories where it still is incompatible: "For that reason certain markets will play a more significant role in selling the 150 million Symbian devices than others and we will be selling devices long after Windows Phone devices from Nokia have already started to appear in other markets. "That is why we cannot give you the date when Symbian will no longer be supported." 
| ||
| NASA will not use 3D cameras on Mars Rover Posted: 28 Mar 2011 05:15 AM PDT  NASA has announced that 3D cameras will not be used on its Mars Rover, despite James Cameron developing the technology for the space group. In a statement NASA revealed that it will be sticking to its tried-and-tested Mast Camera (MastCam) instrument that's already on the vehicle and won't be messing around with 3D. Although this has undoubtedly come as a disappointment to Cameron, who was busy developing a new MastCam which could cope with 3D, the director does note that some other features he has been working on will be used eventually. Curious and curiouser "While Curiosity won't benefit from the 3D motion imaging that the zooms enable, I'm certain that this technology will play an important role in future missions," said Cameron. "In the meantime, we're certainly going to make the most of our cameras that are working so well on Curiosity right now." Curiosity is due to land on Mars August 2012, where it will be part of a two-year mission to examine whether there's any life, or if there has ever been life there. Unfortunately, if there are any Little Green Men we won't see them in 3D - unless Cameron decides to build himself a rocket out of his Avatar billions and shoot the Red Planet himself. 
| ||
| Posted: 28 Mar 2011 04:30 AM PDT  Toshiba's Tecra A11-11H is quite an expensive laptop, so we were expecting great things. We certainly weren't left disappointed, with plenty of highlights to speak of, although this isn't quite a perfect machine. The Intel Core i5 520M processor provided an excellent benchmarking score, so anyone demanding plenty of power need look no further. Multitaskers can browse the web, enjoy their music and movies, and run intensive applications all at the same time, with no noticeable slowdown in evidence. The Tecra A11 also features Intel GMA HD integrated graphics, which is best suited to basic multimedia tasks such as browsing photos and watching movies. That's certainly all you'll manage with the Toshiba, and anyone who wants to play the latest games or edit their media will need a machine fitted with dedicated graphics instead. Benchmarks Battery life: 269 minutes The 269 minutes on offer here is a good result and anyone who regularly travels should definitely consider the Toshiba, although the 2.6kg weight and bulky chassis unfortunately reduce portability. We also disliked the cheap appearance of the Tecra A11, and the visible flex in certain areas of the chassis. However, the display does bend back to horizontal, so finding a comfortable viewing angle is easy.
The screen itself is surprisingly vibrant despite the lack of a glossy Super-TFT coating. No gloss means no reflections, so anyone who wants a laptop suitable for outdoors use should consider this alongside the Asus P52F and Dell Vostro V130. Strong usability We found the Toshiba to be highly usable despite the cramped touchpad, thanks to the excellent firm keyboard. We enjoyed touch typing on the well-sized, tapered keys. An alternative to the touchpad is provided by the pointing stick in the centre of the keyboard, complete with two dedicated mouse buttons beneath the spacebar, although this option may prove too fiddly and sensitive for many users. Toshiba has included a fingerprint scanner below the touchpad, as an extra layer of security. The 250GB hard drive is a little stingy as the Hi-Grade Notino D8000i offers double the storage space, but you do get plenty of ports including VGA and DisplayPort connections for hooking up monitors or projectors. An eSATA port allows fast data transfer with external hard drives, while one of the four USB ports offers Sleep and Charge functionality. Despite the cheap look and feel of the chassis, the A11-11H comes recommended. Performance can't be knocked, usability is excellent and there's a strong range of features, although more storage space would have been appreciated. Related Links
| ||
| Updated: Windows 8: everything you need to know Posted: 28 Mar 2011 04:25 AM PDT  What we know about Windows 8 is incomplete and unofficial - garnered from job postings, rumours and the slides allegedly leaked in June 2010 by a software engineer at HP responsible for OEM relations. The slides include plenty of marketing ideas rather than technical details, they show that Microsoft has its eye on what Apple is doing to make its operating systems so popular and they declare themselves a work in progress. Not only is every page marked 'this is not a plan of record' but the opening discussion includes the line "reality: there are currently more ideas than there is time to implement them". That's especially true if the Windows 8 release date is as soon as we think it might be. Windows 8 release date Windows 8, say the slides, will be available "for the holiday" - but not which one. There's a timeline that doesn't have many dates - the one suggesting that the coding would begin in June 2010 is suspect when some sources say the M1 (milestone 1 build) is already done and there's what we assume is a typo that we'd correct to say the third Forum (rather than the second) would be in July. (There are several points where the slides are incomplete or confusing; for instance a pointed reference to "creating great Dell + Windows Experiences" in a deck that otherwise tips the hat - and appears to have been intended for - HP.) The timeline put the first beta of IE9 in August 2010, along with the shipping date for Windows Live Wave 4 which fits other rumours and positions them just after the third Forum. UPDATE: The first beta of IE9 arrived in September 2010 and Windows Live Wave 4 was released in June 2010. That makes the forums three-to five months apart; assuming an average of four months - and assuming the chart is to scale and that the dates don't slip - that puts Windows 8 beta release date a little before March 2011 and Windows 8 RTM shortly after July 2011 (a date suggested on the blog of a now-ex Microsoft employee which you can find preserved, with the boxed version following in autumn 2011 - for the holiday). We've said before that we expect Windows 8 release date to be in early 2012 and we don't expect Microsoft to talk about a date until the Milestone 3 build, which would be around November 2010 by these calculations. UPDATE: Milestone 3 came a little later than we expected: WinRumors reported on 1 Mar 2011 that the first Windows 8 Milestone 3 build has been compiled by Microsoft. We're not expecting a Windows 8 beta release date some time in summer 2011. There are several statistics in the leaked slides (typical RAM, network connected TVs, mobile broadband penetration and 4G deployment) that talk about the specs that will be common - in 2012. Interestingly, the timeline shows Windows Live Wave 5 with a short development cycle that finishes before Windows 8; that matches suggestions that Live will offer more cloud services for Windows 8. UPDATE: On 25 October 2010, Microsoft Netherlands said "it will take about two years before 'Windows 8' [is] on the market." UPDATE: On February 21 2011, ZDNet published a slide showing the internal Windows 8 roadmap. Given leaked information on some sites around current build information, the author of the ZDNet piece surmises that Windows 8 will see a mid-2010 RTM. Windows 8 system requirements Both Windows Vista and Windows 7 have system requirements of a 1GHz processor and 1GB of RAM. Vista requires 15GB of free hard drive space, and Windows 7 requires 16GB. Given that there's been no real jump in requirements from Windows Vista to 7 (unlike the jump from XP to Vista, where XP required a 233MHz processor and 64MB of RAM) we'd expect Windows 8 to happily run on a system that can run Windows 7. Windows 8 price Windows 7 Home Premium costs £99 for an upgrade copy and £149 for the full version. Expect the Windows 8 price to be similar. Windows 8 interface Although no final Windows 8 screenshots have surfaced (it's too early for those), on 17 March 2011, we reported that Windows 8 could offer a cut-down version of its user interface, taking on some design elements from the Windows Phone 7 UI in the form of Aero Lite. Windows 8 features The 'fundamentals' Microsoft is aiming for with Windows 8 include "a fast on/off experience, responsiveness, and a great level of reliability from the start". The 'big three' are boot time, shutdown time and battery life ("Windows 8 PCs turn on fast, nearly instantly in some cases, and are ready to work without any long or unexpected delays") but Microsoft is also thinking about how long it takes to get things done - how long until you read your first email, see the home page in your browser or start playing media. PCs should feel like an appliance that's ready to use as soon as you turn on the power.
FASTER STARTUP: Windows 8 will show you what slows down startup and if removing an app you don't use improves it Mobile PCs should resume 'instantly' from sleep (in under a second from S3 sleep), and booting up will be faster because of caching, with a boot layout prefetcher and the ReadyBoost cache persisting even when you reboot. As only 9% of people currently use hibernate (which will work more quickly in Windows 8 because system information will be saved and compressed in parallel), Windows 8 will have a new Logoff and Hibernate combination that closes your apps like shutting the PC down does and refreshes your desktop like restarting does, but actually caches drivers, system services, devices and much of the core system the way hibernation does. Turning the PC back on will take about half the time a cold boot needs (and the slides point out that on many PCs the power-on tests take longer than the Windows startup, so BIOS makers need to shape up). It will be the default option but it won't be called Logoff and Hibernate; Microsoft is debating terms like Shutdown, Turn Off, Power Down and thinking through how the other options for turning the PC off will show up in the interface. You'll be able to use an encrypting hard drive to boot Windows 8 and they'll integrate with BitLocker and third-party security apps. Improving battery life will be based on some deep changes to the kernel; removing an interrupt in the kernel scheduler completely and removing more of the timers that interrupt Windows when it's trying to save power. Windows 8 might get the same option for powering down unused areas of memory to save power that's on the cards for Windows Server, it will block disk reads and writes and some CPU access when you're not doing anything on your PC and PCI devices can turn off completely when they're not in use (assuming the drivers for specific devices support it). Windows 7 stopped laptops waking up automatically when they're not plugged in; Windows 8 will get a new 'intelligent alarm' that can wake them up for things like virus scans, but only if they're plugged in. OEMs will get new test tools that check the performance, reliability, security and Windows Logo compatibility of the PC, as well as measuring performance in Outlook and IE. And depending on whether partners have "concerns" about it, Microsoft might give the same tools to journalists, IT pros and users. Windows 8 multimedia Windows 8 will have better media playback and recording, but it will balance using hardware acceleration to save battery life and using the CPU when it gives a better result. Audio will use hardware acceleration more because that does improve battery life. There will be post-processing to take out blur, noise and shakey video filmed on a phone or webcam, and support for more codecs including AVC and as-yet-undetermined 3D video codecs (stereoscopic3D support is coming, for games and for 3D movies in Media Center, but there are format issues). Microsoft talks about sharing 'with nearby devices'; one way that will work is adding the Play To option currently in Windows Media Player to the browser for HTML 5 audio and video content, so you can play it on any device that supports DLNA, another is APIs to let other software do the same. That will work with DRM content, if it's protected with DTCP-IP (digital transmission content protection over IP) or Microsoft's own PlayReady and hardware acceleration will speed up DRM decoding. There's also a new 'remote display' option that will let you send your screen from a laptop to a large monitor (which will use DirectX hardware acceleration and the same multimonitor interface that's already in Windows 7, but for wireless displays as well, which could be an Internet-connected TV - Microsoft refers to 35% of TVs having network connectivity by 2012 and wonders whether to prioritise Internet TV over further improvements to broadcast TV). Windows 8 Help and Support In Windows XP the Help and Support centre was a branded hub of tools and links; in Windows 7 it's far more minimal. Windows 8 will go back to the branded experience, with integrated search for support forums run by your PC manufacturer but add the Windows 7 troubleshooters. It will also link better with the Action Center, with tools that show more clearly what's happening on your PC; what apps are running, what resources are being used (like Task Manager showing which apps are using the most network bandwidth), how and when things have changed and what they can do about it. It will also include an Application Management tool that will let you find what apps are causing performance problems and adjust or remove them.
IMPROVED TASK MANAGER: Task manager will make it easier to see why an app might not be performing; here the Zune software is using all the network bandwidth to download podcasts, so video in the browser keeps pausing. We hope the white on black isn't the final design! The Windows pre-boot recovery environment will be simpler, combining the safe mode and 'last known good' options into one interface. It will use what Microsoft calls 'superboot' to remove malware and rootkits If you have to reset your PC, Windows 8 will restore "all the files settings and even the applications" although you'll have to go to the Windows Store to download apps and get a list of apps that didn't come from the store, so it's not clear how automatic this will actually be. UPDATE: On 28 March 2011, the Windows 8 System Restore feature surfaced in a screenshot. Devices matter (almost) as much as PCs One of the reasons that Windows took off in the first place was working more easily with devices - in those days, printers. Support for a wide range of devices is one of the reasons it's hard to other OSes to challenge Windows but Microsoft would like to get hardware manufacturers to do more with the sensor platform and DeviceStage interface it introduced in Windows 7. With Windows 8, Microsoft wants to see "PCs use location and sensors to enhance a rich array of premium experiences. Users are not burdened with cumbersome tasks that Windows can accomplish on its own. Users are neither annoyed or disturbed by the actions the PC takes. Instead, the PC's behaviour becomes integrated into users' routine workflows. Devices connect faster and work better on Windows 8 than on any other operating system." The 'current thinking' is for Windows 8 to include Microsoft's own Wi-Fi location service Orion (which has 50-100m accuracy in North America and Western Europe but falls back to using the location associated with IP addresses elsewhere, which can be as bad as 25km). Orion will be used in Windows Phone 7 (as well as Hawaii, a Microsoft Research project to build cloud-enabled mobile apps which refers to Orion as a 'prototype service'). Microsoft partnered with Navizon in March to use their Wi-Fi and mobile network location database but the slides claim that Orion is buying a bigger database than Navizon's 15 million access points, giving it 40 million compared to Google's 48 million (neither matches the 120 million Skyhook gives the iPhone). Location will be available to the browser as well as to any app that's written to use it (music players as well as mapping tools), and web apps will get access to webcams. Microsoft is emphasising the privacy aspect of location and webcam use, with mockups of how apps can ask for location and users can choose to deny it or only allow it once. And it's also asking PC manufacturers how many devices they plan to put GPS in and offering a Device Stage interface for using a PND like a Garmin nuvi as a GPS source for your PC.
LOCATION PRIVACY: Web apps can see your location and use your webcam – but you get to control that to protect your privacy As we've said before, Device Stage will become the standard way you work with devices; Microsoft previewed the options you'll get with a featurephone and a webcam as well as GPS. Along with GPS, Microsoft is expecting PCs to include infrared sensors as well as the ambient light sensors that are becoming common, and the accelerometers that are in tablets with rotating screens. Put that together and the PC could know which way up it is, whether there's anyone in front of it - or near it and what the lighting is like in the room. So when you walk into the room your PC notices and wakes itself up so by the time you sit down the webcam is ready to recognise you - and no waiting or having to line your face up with a box on screen. If this works, the camera will pick your face out of the room, like Photo Gallery finding a face in a picture (hopefully without thinking the face in a picture on the wall is you). When you walk away it goes back to sleep again. We like the idea of rotation lock buttons on 'Lap PCs' so you can move them around to control a game without flipping he screen repeatedly; again, if you look away from the game, Microsoft envisages it pausing automatically and if you pass a slate to someone it will switch to their account automatically. What's in: USB 3, Bluetooth hands free and headset profiles (mono and stereo audio). What's out: Microsoft has no plans to support Bluetooth 3.0 + High Speed, 1394 might be deprecated and Microsoft seems to expect USB 2 ports to be phased out in favour of USB 3 within the lifetime of Windows 8. What's under consideration: Bluetooth Low Energy (from Bluetooth 4.0). What's not mentioned: Intel LightPeak, although Microsoft does ask if it's missing anything on its list of connectivity. Windows 8 will know who you are With better ways to log in to your PC, like your face, Microsoft is considering giving Windows 8 a way to "securely store usernames and passwords, simplifying the online experience". Your Windows account might connect more directly to the cloud than just having a Windows Live ID, logging into web sites on your behalf; there's very little detail on this but it could revive the CardSpace technology introduced in Vista but not widely adopted.
FACE LOGIN: Forget passwords; Windows 8 will use the webcam to find and recognise your face (probably) Put it all together and you get some welcome improvements. It's impossible to say if Microsoft can come up with a simple enough programming system to appeal to the developers it wants to create Windows apps to rival Apple's App Store. Until we see some code in action it's also hard to say if the 'instant on' and better battery life will transform the PC experience to compete with lightweight systems based on Android (or if Microsoft can deliver them) and make the PC scale from the tablet to the heavyweight systems we have today – which Windows has to do if it's going to stay the dominant PC OS. Everything else here is incremental – as it would have to be if Microsoft really expects to release Windows 8 in 2011, but it's potentially disappointing if it comes in 2012 and there's nothing else exciting in Windows 8. Windows 8 gaming Microsoft hopes to use Windows 8 to relaunch itself at the forefront of PC gaming, with Redmond ready to put its weight behind the platform once more. "Windows 8 will represent a real new push into PC gaming," a source told TechRadar. "Gaming will be a key component for the whole OS." A Windows app store More than 30 app stores have launched in the last year and Microsoft isn't the only company copying Apple here; Intel has its own app store for Atom PCs. PC makers like the idea - apparently at the first forum they commented that it "can't happen soon enough". With an app store, Microsoft hopes to attract more of the type of developers who are currently building smartphone apps and it wants them to create apps that make Windows the best place to use web apps (a job advert last October claimed "we will blend the best of the web and the rich client by creating a new model for modern web applications to rock on Windows".) According to the slides, "Currently the indication is that app development will move to the Web. There is significant opportunity for Microsoft if hardware capabilities, and OS services and Web could be integrated into a hobbyist developer toolset." The 'tailored experiences' Microsoft talks about for Windows 8 sound like smartphone apps; the checklist includes fast installation and updates for engaging, social, extensible, ad-supported or 'freemium' apps. If smartphone-style apps sound too simple to be worthwhile on Windows, Microsoft wants apps to be extensible so you can share information between them - perhaps using a mix of simple apps together. It sounds like the 'mashups' that we were all going to be making online until it turned out you'd have to learn to program. The Windows Store will be branded and optimised for each PC manufacturer. Your settings will follow you from PC to PC, as will your apps (although some slides refer to this as a possibility rather than a definite plan) - but you'd need an HP ID to log into the 'HP Store powered by Windows' and get your HP-specific apps. Microsoft doesn't plan to make money from the store; the slides call it "revenue neutral". Windows 8 tablets The leaked slides are aimed at PC manufacturers who are interested in new form factors - and in getting a share of the iPad market - so it's no surprise one of the key PC form factors is a 9" slate (which Microsoft, having obviously got the point of all those iPad ads, is calling a Lap PC), optimised for web and media, casual gaming, reading and sorting email, IM and social networking.
LAP PC: Using the Lap PC to read a magazine and play a driving game Microsoft promises big improvements to the on-screen keyboard: it will be "easily launched, text prediction is more accurate, the UI is more usable, and throughput is increased for everyone". There's also the workhorse PC (which is also referred to as a laptop, because Microsoft is only talking about consumers and not business users) and the family hub (an all-in-one touchscreen system that can go in the kitchen or the living room as a media centre) which is for casual gaming, web and media as well as more demanding apps like organising and manipulating media. Key to making a successful Windows tablet is apps with user interfaces that change depending on the form factor (touch and gestures instead of keyboard and mouse), but Microsoft is also looking at stereoscopic 3D and high colour displays and natural input that uses touch, voice, 3D gestures ("on the horizon"), and facial recognition.
3D SUPPORT: Windows 8 will play 3D movies and games, but don't ask Microsoft to pick its favourite format yet Optimising "for smaller screens" will help netbook users as well; Windows 7 gets key dialog boxes to fit on a small screen but not all apps do. 
| ||
| Updated: Top 110 best Android apps 2011 Posted: 28 Mar 2011 04:12 AM PDT  While Android doesn't feature the same volume of apps in its Marketplace as iPhone users are used to, there are still loads of great apps to download. Whether you're after the best free Android apps or the best paid ones, we've compiled our favourites below. 40 best free Android apps Most of the good stuff on Android is free, thanks to the work of developers who do it for love alone. These 40 free Android apps should be any Android owner's Day One installs... Read 40 best free Android apps 30 best free Android games We've worked our way through a whole load of Android games to reveal the ones you should download to your phone.
Read 30 best free Android games 10 best Android apps worth paying for don't panic because we're mentioning money here - the average cost of this little lot is around two dollars a pop. In return, you're able to tether, customise, share data and more, all in incredible style, thanks to the work of Team Android's finest people.
Read 10 best Android apps - paid apps Top 10 best Android paid-for games Android's a world of bargains - most of the finest examples of paid-for Android games come in around the psychologically negligible 'micro-transaction' cost level, with the majority of developers selling their works for a couple of dollars, tops. So, now you've been gently acclimatised to the possibility of having to pay for something, pay for these things - the 10 best paid-for games on Android today.
Read Top 10 best Android games - paid apps 10 best alternative Android apps Even if you're using a phone layered down with a custom user interface like Sense or TouchWiz, there are many alternatives to your pre-installed tools and settings. These are our 10 favourite alternate Android apps. Read 10 best alternative Android apps 10 best HTC Desire apps HTC's custom HTC Sense user interface isn't to everyone's taste. Some of the supplied apps have been tweaked a little too much by HTC's eager-to-please software developers, straying so far from the Android norm they're totally unrecognisable. So, to redress the balance, we thought we'd compile a list of the best apps for the HTC Desire to help it hold onto its top smartphone status for another year. Related Links
|
| You are subscribed to email updates from techradar To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment