Sponsored

Techradar

---

• Iwata confirms Nintendo 3DS sales woes
• PSN outage: Sony confirms personal data compromise
• Exclusive: Last.fm: we feel for Spotify
• FA Cup final to be screened in 3D
• Blue screen of death to go black in Windows 8
• Interview: Last.fm: 'Free on-demand not successful for us'
• Facebook takes on Groupon with new online deals feature
• Review: BlackBerry PlayBook
• ARM chips to be used in next-gen LG phones, TVs and set-top boxes
• Google set to unleash Gtalk video calling on Android 2.3.4
• Apple MacBook Pro set for complete makeover?
• LG launches flicker-free Cinema 3D monitors
• Review: Unique Melody Miracle
• YouTube to offer updated movie on demand service
• Review: Tannoy Revolution DC6T
• Jobs responds to iPhone tracking fears: 'We don't track anyone'
• Review: Electrocompaniet PD 1 DAC
• Updated: Wii 2 news and rumours: what you need to know
• Video: Gallery: Sony Tablet S1 and S2
• Review: Musical Fidelity M1 Series CD player and DAC
• PlayStation Network still down, no end in sight
• Sony S2 unveiled as Honeycomb dual-screen tablet

Iwata confirms Nintendo 3DS sales woes Posted: 26 Apr 2011 07:09 PM PDT Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has admitted concern over 3DS sales and thinks the company needs to work harder to win over the gaming public regarding the usefulness of the device. Iwata-san was speaking after yesterday's earnings call which saw Nintendo post sales of 3.6m units, which fell short of the 4m it had expected from the initial launch period. "Sales of the 3DS have been weaker than expected since the second week and this is not just in the Japanese market but also in the United States and Europe, where no direct impact from the great earthquake has occurred," he said. "Therefore, we recognize that we are in a situation where we need to step up our efforts to further promote the spread of Nintendo 3DS." Win over Iwata reckons that Nintendo haven't yet won over the public with its glasses-less 3D technology and thinks that the demo booths in store aren't giving users the best experience of the device. "The value of 3D images without the need for special glasses is hard to be understood through the existing media. "However, we have found that people cannot feel it just by trying out a device, rather, some might even misestimate it when experiencing the images in an improper fashion," The right time? The president added that the company perhaps hasn't given gamers the impression that they must have this device right away, with some waiting for a higher profile line-up of software before taking the plunge. He admitted: "There aren't yet so many people who are absolutely sure that now is the time to buy it. "Some people may be waiting, thinking that there aren't yet enough software titles that they want to play." Iwata also said that Nintendo needs to make more of the device's other 3D elements, like the 3D cameras and the opportunity to watch 3D movies on the screen. Nintendo is relying on the 3DS to be a huge cash cow during 2011 to resurrect the profits that have been on the slide since the Wii passed its peak. Related Stories Nintendo 3DS sells 3.6m units PSN outage: Sony confirms personal data compromise

PSN outage: Sony confirms personal data compromise Posted: 26 Apr 2011 03:45 PM PDT Sony has confirmed the worst fears of PlayStation Network users after admitting that personal information stored on the online gaming service has been accessed by hackers. Sony took the PSN offline almost a week ago after an "external intrusion" but it appears that the hack is way more serious than the company was initially letting on. In yet another apologetic post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony says your name, address, email address, username, password, billing history and perhaps even credit card data might have been obtained. In an embarrassing and damaging statement, Sony says it has no evidence that credit card details have been accessed, but cannot rule it out and encourages users to keep an eye on their accounts. Statement The message reads: "We have discovered that between April 17 and April 19, 2011, certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network." The company says it is rebuilding the system to make your account information safer and have brought in an independent security team to get to the bottom of what happened. Sony says it has a clear path to get the PSN and Qriocity service back online and aims to have some services restored within a week. However, it might take some PlayStation Network account holders a little while before they're ready to trust Sony with their money or their personal information again. Related Stories Nintendo 3DS sells 3.6m units Iwata confirms Nintendo 3DS sales woes

Exclusive: Last.fm: we feel for Spotify Posted: 26 Apr 2011 09:41 AM PDT Spotify's recent move to reduce the amount of music that users can stream for free has prompted sort-of rival Last.fm to express sympathy for the Swedish music service. Speaking exclusively to TechRadar, Last.fm's head of product Matthew Hawn said he understands how difficult it can be to move from a free product to a subscription model. He told us, "I feel for [Spotify]. There's definitely a place for ad-supported services. Don't forget, radio has always been ad-supported, it is a very successful model." Radio, it's true "Free on demand as an ad-supported model hasn't had the same illustrious history. We were in that space, we had a rough time in that space - it didn't really move our numbers and it costs a lot," he continued. "I won't comment on Spotify's [move], I think they've got a different model to us and it's good that they're trying stuff out. We tried it a few years ago and made a decision that it wasn't who we are." Last.fm made the tricky move from free service to subscription itself, which prompted "some noise on our boards" but the company still sees it as a good value service. "It's an ad-free experience for £3 a month which I feel pretty good about. "We recognise now 45 million unique tracks. We have 12 million tracks [to stream]. Us and Spotify are right at the top of that but we're in more places because of our subscription product. We're really popular now in Brazil. "Last.fm started off flying the rebel flag, saying 'we're going to break the music industry' - that's not eventually what happens. We tried free on-demand for a while and it wasn't a particularly successful feature for us." Related Stories Google and Spotify discuss joint US streaming service YouTube to offer updated movie on demand service Facebook takes on Groupon with new online deals feature

FA Cup final to be screened in 3D Posted: 26 Apr 2011 09:15 AM PDT The FA Cup final will be given the 3D treatment, with ESPN's coverage of the world's most historic club football cup being shown on Sky 3D. The FA Cup final – between mega-rich Manchester City and plucky underdogs Stoke City – is on 14 May, and will be screened on ESPN, ITV and now Sky 3D. Sky 3D is available to anyone on Sky's World package and a 3D capable television, and the game will also be shown in 3D in a host of pubs across the UK. Proud "ESPN is extremely proud to have been at the forefront of the development of 3D sports coverage, and are very excited to work with other companies like Sky that are leading the way as well," said Murray Barnett, vice president , ESPN Media Distribution. "Sports have proven to be a driver for technology and innovation repeatedly through the years, and that continues today with 3D TV. "Bringing ESPN 3D's production of great events like the FA Cup Final the Winter X Games and more to fans on Sky 3D will help showcase the new dimension that technology has made possible." High quality John Cassy, Channel Director, Sky 3D added "Sky's 3D story continues at pace. Working with high quality channel partners such as ESPN means that we can continue to extend the choice of high quality 3D content for customers. "With Sky Sports continuing to break new ground, and with the addition of the best of EPSN's live 3D coverage, Sky's customers are enjoying the richest 3D experience available." Just make sure you're ready to duck whenever Rory Delap launches one of his long throws. Related Stories Review: Thinkflood RedEye Mini Explained: How 3D TV works

Blue screen of death to go black in Windows 8 Posted: 26 Apr 2011 08:06 AM PDT Microsoft's infamous blue screen of death could be getting a new look in the company's upcoming Windows 8 operating system; it's going black. A sneaky photo of one of the latest builds of the OS reveal the system error messages on a black screen, with that dreaded message "Your computer needs to restart". We dread to think how many millions of irreplaceable words, tricky lines of code and billions of edited pixels have been lost to the blue screen of death over the years, yet it has become somewhat of a legend as its occurrences become increasingly rare. Rainbow screen of death Encountering a blue screen of death joins the Xbox's red ring of death as an unpleasant but somehow fondly-remembered event. The change may not be a permanent one, however, as WinRumors points out; Microsoft has switched to black screens of death in builds of other Windows OSes and always ends up back at blue. At least we can keep the BSOD initialism going, no matter what the colour. We'll find out this essential information for sure when Windows 8 is revealed, probably this autumn. Related Stories Exclusive: Microsoft: Windows Collection is not biased by OEMs

Interview: Last.fm: 'Free on-demand not successful for us' Posted: 26 Apr 2011 07:15 AM PDT Last.fm, the music discovery service, was the subject of criticism in February when it decided to go premium-only with its mobile apps and hardware-based services - like those on Sonos and Logitech Squeezebox. So, two months on from that, has the move helped or hindered the organisation? We met with Matthew Hawn, recently installed head of product for Last.fm. Hawn arrived at the London-based, CBS owned company in December after a stint in the record industry "because, you know, I like an underdog". He joined Universal in 1998 to work out how to digitise its catalogue. "Some of my early suggestions weren't well received if I can put it like that, then I helped with digital distribution dealing with people like Apple and Nokia." After Hawn's arrival at the company, he set about figuring out Last.fm's strengths. "So we've been listening, trying to figure out what we are and what we're going to be when we grow up. "Are we a data company that has radio or a radio company that has data? I think we're both but… the scrobbling is the one thing we do differently, that's the heart of our service. It's really key to who we are." Scrobbling - the word used to describe sending your music play data to Last.fm - is now available on 600 different devices and the service receives 800 scrobbles every second. "[People] ask 'do you guys compete with Spotify, do you compete with whoever.' Not really, we're a different part of the ecosystem." The cost of on demand Talking about the move to subscription, Hawn isn't slow to point out that the UK is unusual in having a free model - a subscription is the only way to get Last.fm in many countries - and that it still represents good value for money. "It's an ad-free experience for £3 a month which I feel pretty good about." On the move to premium for the mobile apps and device-based listening he says, "we got some noise on our boards about that. I understand we made a shift, and you have to respect [opinions]." "We recognise now 45 million unique tracks. We have 12 million tracks [to stream]. Us and Spotify are right at the top of that but we're in more places because of our subscription product. We're really popular now in Brazil. "Last.fm started off flying the rebel flag, saying 'we're going to break the music industry' - that's not eventually what happens. We tried free on-demand for a while and it wasn't a particularly successful feature for us." On Spotify's move to a "more premium" model, Hawn says "I feel for them. There's definitely a place for ad-supported services. Don't forget, radio has always been ad-supported, it is a very successful model. "Free on demand as an ad-supported model hasn't had the same illustrious history. We were in that space, we had a rough time in that space - it didn't really move our numbers and it costs a lot. "I won't comment on Spotify's [move], I think they've got a different model to us and it's good that they're trying stuff out. We tried it a few years ago and made a decision that it wasn't who we are. Future developments Hawn says Last.fm is "up there in terms of the big data companies" and cites the company's Xbox Live interface as a best-in-breed service. "The Xbox [has] a very simple interface, it's a great experience." "Our mobile apps have four or five things they do. We chose to make [those] a premium service in February because it's growing and because we can offer an ad free environment. "We looked at it and thought 'can we make this a good advertising experience' but we decided we couldn't make it a good one. So what else is on the horizon for Last.fm? "Things like higher quality audio, being able to play your local files, all these things are on the roadmap for this year," says Hawn. "We want to develop a premium service in which we do better things for our customers." He says Last.fm always comes back to what's successful, the scrobbling. "Xbox radio is the most-played radio we have. All those things are really positive and the number of people scrobbling is going up." Hawn also talks positively about open systems. "Android phones are outnumbering iPhones - in terms of our users - five to one. The Android app is now scrobbling five times [the plays] the iPhone app is. Open just wins. We want to remain open. Scrobbling radio coming? Hawn is also keen to stress that Last.fm is a great radio company - it now sits in parent company CBS' radio division. He is also a passionate follower of radio in the UK. "I'm a 6 Music listener, I'm a big fan of how radio works in this country. I love how it works and I love how it's moving. "I'm a huge John Peel fan. He's the patron saint of music discovery. 'What would John Peel do?' should be the motivating factor behind music discovery services." But what about scrobbling radio plays, we ask? "Now they've moved [the BBC] Radio Player out of iPlayer and onto its own platform there's a good conversation there. That's as far as I'll go on that one. Scrobbling radio makes a ton of sense. Hawn says it doesn't really matter to him where people get their music from as long as they are scrobbling their plays to Last.fm. "Where you stream doesn't really matter to me - the bigger the ecosystem gets, the better it is for us. "We're a good recommendations engine, right? A lot of people use algorithms, turns out the useful thing is the more people you have and the more data you have the better the recommendations are. "It's the difference between Yahoo categorising everything versus [Google] PageRank. Our recommendations are based on 40 million experts that we've got signed up. That isn't exposed enough to people as they use our service. "The [music listening ecosystem] is getting more diverse, it's getting bigger. The ecosystem is getting more confusing but we're in a great place for that because we can become the connective tissue between those services. Hawn talks about Last.fm as the connection between different music services online. "If you listened to something on iTunes or you bought something on Amazon, we'll scrobble that wherever you listen to it. I scrobble in, like, 20 different places now. My music is in a lot of places. That's why I want to make sure Last.fm is a connective tissue for services." "As the cloud begins coalescing that. You'll see features from us this year that build on that, bringing great playlisting and recommendations to you. "Think of Last.fm as a great recommendation engine that has great radio attached to it and a great way to track your musical history. If Twitter knows what you're thinking, Facebook knows what you're talking about and Foursquare knows where you've been, I want to be what you listened to."

Facebook takes on Groupon with new online deals feature Posted: 26 Apr 2011 06:17 AM PDT Facebook is rolling out a brand new Deals feature through which users can enjoy bargain offers from local businesses via the online Facebook site. Initially rolling out in five US cities, the feature differs from the existing Facebook Deals feature, although we can see why you'd get confused what with them having the same name and all. The Deals feature which was launched in the UK in January 2011 makes use of Facebook Places to offer location-based deals to mobile Facebook users but the new Facebook Deals is more in line with sites like Groupon and Wahanda, in that online offers are targeted to your local area. Delicious discounts Things like restaurants, sporting events and cinema tickets will be offered at a discounted rate, and users can then redeem them at the venue at a later date. Deals will be offered by email as well as in Facebook news feeds and, of course, come with buttons making them easily shareable with all your Facebook friends. Although you'll be able to buy deals using a credit card, it's also another way for Facebook to put its internal currency, 'Facebook Credits', to good use, although the company refuses to say how much revenue it will take from each deal. The first five cities to get the deals are San Francisco, Austin, Dallas, Atlanta and San Diego; who knows when and what areas of the UK will follow suit. Related Stories Google and Spotify discuss joint US streaming service YouTube to offer updated movie on demand service Exclusive: Last.fm: we feel for Spotify

Review: BlackBerry PlayBook Posted: 26 Apr 2011 05:40 AM PDT With a name that sounds like something you'd use at a sporting event, the BlackBerry PlayBook is the latest – and most unique – Apple iPad 2 challenger. Running a new OS called QNX, with quirky features like bridging to a BlackBerry phone for secure email and an oddly confusing initial setup, the PlayBook is a stark departure from the more iPad-like Motorola Xoom. Business-minded features such as built-in viewers for spreadsheets and word processing files are welcome, and the PlayBook gets extra credit for being fast and nimble on a dual-core 1GHz processor. Throw in a 3MP front-facing camera, a 5MP rear-facing one, a bright and crisp 1200x600 resolution screen, a light 425g body and all the typical gyro, accelerometer and GPS sensors and you have the makings for a powerful 7-inch tablet. As we discovered in our first hands-on test, the PlayBook is sorely lacking third-party apps, but does show promise. The powerful multi-tasking, where you can run a video in one window and play a game in another with both apps running concurrently, is a first of its kind for a mainstream tab. File storage capabilities, support for an HDMI connection for playing 1080p video and a slick interface make the PlayBook an interesting anomaly. Unfortunately, the overall experience can't compete with either the iPad 2 or the Xoom, and even falters compared to the original Samsung Galaxy Tab. Yet, we're still hopeful that Research in Motion (RIM) will keep working with developers (it gave them free PlayBooks if they created an app) and boost the device out of niche territory. At $500 (£300) for the 16GB model we tested (there are also 32GB and 64GB versions available), the PlayBook is the same price as the entry-level 16GB Apple iPad 2. The BlackBerry PlayBook is designed to be mobile and business-friendly. That means, at 130x194mm, the device is small enough to hold with one hand, slip in a laptop bag side pouch, and even carry around all day to meetings. The smaller screen does make movies look less than thrilling, and there's not much space for more complex tablet apps. Like the 730g Motorola Xoom and 599g Samsung Galaxy Tab, the PlayBook feels a little heavier than its actual weight of 425g. That's probably due to its solid construction: it feels rigid and durable, as though you could drop it and not cause too much damage. The tablet is easy to grip and looks bright and crisp. The dual-core 1GHz processor, made by Texas Instruments, and 1GB of RAM add some muscle to the PlayBook, running most of the apps we tested smoothly and quickly. Early reports claimed that the BlackBerry PlayBook is crash-prone and has trouble with basic web browsing, especially when you open multiple tabs. We had very few problems with the latest OS 1.0.1.1710, which is now a required update. We even stress-tested the unit with five to six websites, the email client and Doodle Blast open, and rarely noticed slowdowns. Like the Motorola Xoom, the dual-core processor handles multiple tasks and delegates processing to open apps. We shot an HD video with the Camera app while running Doodle Blast at the same time. You can swipe between the two apps or view both of them at the same time. When watching HD videos alongside another app, the audio keeps playing but the video shows a blank screen. The BlackBerry PlayBook doesn't support external storage, but does have a micro USB port you can use to connect the tablet to your computer. Once you do, you can configure the PlayBook so that it shares files over Wi-Fi. This means copying files to and from the tablet without having to connect is possible. Configuring this option was very simple: we enabled Wi-Fi sharing, installed a BlackBerry Device Manager driver and opened the Network section under My Computer (or you can use SMB://playbook on a Mac). Otherwise, the PlayBook offers the standard power, volume up and down and play/pause buttons. These buttons are exceptionally small and hard to find. The power button is so small that you have to look at it, tilt your finger and press it in just the right way. Saying that the PlayBook's OS – called QNX – is a revelation might be a bit strong. It is more of an iteration, specifically of Palm webOS with a dash of Windows 7 and a touch of the iPad 2. The gestures are similar to the Palm OS in that you swipe to put apps in a window (aka, card). Like the iPad, you press and hold down on an app icon to move it (the apps throb like a sore tendon) and click a small trash icon to remove them. Swiping worked remarkably well, though, and the QNX interface is quite responsive. There's no question that RIM was shooting for the moon when it designed this OS, because it's highly intelligent. We just can't recommend the multi-tasking features enough. It's amazing to record a video, swipe to the left and play a game, go back and see that your video is still recording. Multi-tasking is not just a gee-whiz feature for swiping open apps. It also means that as an app loads, you can decide to close it as it opens. Or, you can start one app, switch to the home screen, start another, then go back to the first app. It has a robust next-gen tablet feel. That said, we do have a few complaints. One is that the interface tends to assume a lot of previous knowledge on the part of the user. You never know when you swipe from the bezel down to see settings if the app even has any settings. The piecemeal part-Apple/part-Palm/part-Android interface sometimes causes confusion. For example, in the browser, you can swipe down to see tabs. When you add one, you'll see buttons for new pages (think iPad and Palm) but then you can see open tabs like on Android 3.0 devices such as the Xoom. The PlayBook does support copy and paste, and the interface for this is very simple. You just longpress on an email address or text portion until you see the copy-paste window. Then you can copy the selection or paste. The interface for this works better than the Apple iPad 2 or Motorola Xoom. Apps The PlayBook comes with a selection of apps. There's a music player, the Kobo e-book app for buying and reading books, a YouTube app, Bing Maps (which doesn't include turn-by-turn navigation), a weather app, a clock, the game Need for Speed: Undercover, an app for taking voice notes, the Adobe PDF Reader, Tetris, links to webmail services like Hotmail and Facebook and Twitter shortcuts. RIM also includes viewers for Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. You can't edit these documents, but you can open them and play slideshows. The productivity apps are integrated into the BlackBerry Bridge system, so when you receive an email with a Word doc, you can open it from the email. Third-party app availability is abysmal. There's no Skype client, nothing for checking flight status, no official Facebook or Twitter apps, nothing from Google, very few games and few business apps. There are a few minor exceptions, however. The Adobe Connect app is supposed to let you connect to a web conferencing portal to collaborate on documents and even video chat. But we couldn't get the app to connect to our test account, even though we could from a computer. For games, there are one or two good options: Bubble Birds is a Tetris-like puzzle game, and then there's Tetris itself. App World on BlackBerry phones is not exactly a raging success – there may be a few apps available, but their quality is poor. For the PlayBook to succeed, it needs more apps. Games on PlayBook – the few that are available – worked well. Need for Speed looked smooth, and the controls for steering worked reliably as expected. The browser supports Adobe Flash and, for the dozens of sites we tested, worked well. We did have some trouble with sites that block access from tablets, including Hulu.com. And, the more intensive Flash sites, like GamesRadar.com, were a bit slow to load but eventually worked. The 7-inch screen on the BlackBerry PlayBook is remarkably bright and clear. The bezel around the screen looks fairly innocuous, like a picture frame. Yet it's also touch sensitive: you can swipe up from the bottom bezel to minimise an app (it actually raises the app icons and puts the window up above them), swipe left or right to see open apps and move between them and swipe from the top bezel down to see the settings for each app. (Some apps don't have any settings.) There's no question the WSVGA, 1200x600 touchscreen is a marvel – rivaling even the Apple iPad 2. It's bright and clear, responsive, and colourful. In a side-by-side comparison to the Motorola Xoom and the iPad 2, we found that the PlayBook screen is noticeably clearer, thanks to the smaller size and high resolution. There is a trade-off in that there isn't as much room for full tablet apps. If the PlayBook did support something like a flight tracking app, the 7-inch space would be cramped if you wanted to pull up flight info on one side and a map view on the right. Usability The PlayBook uses a smart interface paradigm – like the Apple iPad 2 and Motorola Xoom, it is gesture-based and logical. You swipe to move about the screen, press app icons to start them and spread fingers out to zoom in and pinch to zoom in. Overall, the QNX interface is highly useable and easy to learn. One of the most puzzling usability flaws is linked to BlackBerry Bridge. The idea is that your PlayBook can connect to your BlackBerry phone over Bluetooth from about 200 feet away. Once you form the connection, you can then view contacts, check email and open tasks and notes. The reasoning for this is sound: it means one less device to manage in IT. The email and contacts are secure because they're not housed on the PlayBook at all. Consumers can still use the browser for email, and RIM helpfully includes icons that link to these services. The problem is that not everyone has a BlackBerry, or you might decide not to take one with you. It's also confusing for non-technical users. And, we even wonder if it's that secure. Once you connect to your phone and open an email, you can copy the email or save it locally. The Bridge apps also tend to run slowly – while every other app opened almost instantly, the email client took at least three seconds to open, no matter how many other apps were running. Another usability issue is that there is no Home button. Instead, you have to swipe up to see the app list and the currently running apps in a window. As a design convention, it works ok. Users of Apple iPads who decide to switch over will find they are constantly looking for a Home button. Battery life on the PlayBook was not quite up to par. We played videos and music continually on the device, and found it only lasted about six hours. However, for everyday use such as checking email and browsing the web, the PlayBook lasts for more like nine hours on a charge. Media support on the BlackBerry PlayBook is a bit unpredictable. There's a music store provided by 7 Digital, and we generally found the albums we wanted, including the latest Kings of Leon release. The PlayBook works with the most common video formats, including MPEG4, WMV, and H.264. There is no video store, however, and that is one feature the Samsung Galaxy Tab does have. The PlayBook makes up for this by allowing you to add videos over Wi-Fi that you've downloaded from the web. Speaker quality is just ok. When we played a sample HD video we found the audio rich and distinct, but when we played songs from an album we'd bought, the speakers sounded a bit muffled. Connecting using a headphone set solved the problem, and the audio sounded much clearer. The device also provides an HDMI-out port. When you connect using a micro-HDMI cable, your PlayBook will mirror on the big screen. You can swipe through apps, play games, and show off HD movies. Unlike the Xoom, movie playback when connected over HDMI was smooth and never paused or stuttered. In an early peek at the device at CES, the PlayBook seemed to have powerful front and rear-facing cameras. In our tests with the final product, the results were mixed. We found the video we shot with the PlayBook looked a bit blurry and not that colourful. However, the photos we took with the rear-facing camera were sharper and more vibrant. Even the iPad 2 takes better photos and videos. DULL: Colours were lacking lustre Click here to see the full res shot Still, the smaller size of the PlayBook makes it easier to use for taking quick photos, which can help with the common blurred image issue caused by a larger tablet moving too easily when you take a photo. BLURRY: In low light, excess noise was experienced on pictures Click here to see the full res shot In low-light conditions, the PlayBook introduced some undue noise to photos, likely due to a lens that only works well in brightly lit rooms and outside. We wouldn't rely on the PlayBook camera any more than other tablets, but the camera interface is simple enough and offers a few basic options, such as image stabilisation, a shooting mode for 16:9 aspect ratio and a sports setting for action shots. There's no movie editing app like there is on the Apple iPad 2 and the Motorola Xoom. Once you take a video, you have to offload the movie to a computer to do any editing work. The BlackBerry PlayBook comes in fourth place. It is well behind the Apple iPad 2 in terms of app availability and quality. The Motorola Xoom has a better browser and comes with built-in apps for email, contacts and calendar. The Samsung Galaxy Tab, while lacking an abundance of apps like the PlayBook, is similar in size and at least provides a video store. But that is the current state of affairs. In the next few months, if RIM is successful in luring developers to the platform, and apps like Skype and Facebook appear, the PlayBook has the makings of a useful tablet. Some IT shops might even prefer the BlackBerry Bridge features, which mean one less device to manage. Consumers might end up preferring the slick QNX interface, which relies more heavily on gestures than other tablets. And the $500 (£300) pricepoint is not out of reach for early adopters. We're not counting the PlayBook out. We're big fans of the multi-tasking features. We also wonder if bridging could be expanded further, maybe even into the realm of corporate app development. Imagine bridging to your CRM data or your accounting app, all without adding another security layer. It might all work out in the end. For now, the PlayBook is a faint glimmer of things to come.

ARM chips to be used in next-gen LG phones, TVs and set-top boxes Posted: 26 Apr 2011 05:19 AM PDT LG and ARM have announced a strategic partnership, which will see ARM Cortex-A15 MPCore processors and ARM Mali-T604 GPUs used in the next generation of LG mobile phones, set-top boxes, tablets and TVs. At the moment, the LG Optimus 2X and the LG Optimus Pad both make use of the Nvidia Tegra 2 chip, so this is something of a change for the electronics company, as it will be using the ARM license to create its own processors. "LG's relationship with ARM over a number of years has provided significant value to our overall business. In addition, the ARM ecosystem has provided LG with partners to help differentiate our product offering," explained Boik Sohn, VP and Head of System IC Center, LG Electronics. "The scalability of ARM processing solutions combined with the software ecosystem will enable smart, open platform systems, and drive connectivity and web enabled interactions." Maintain leadership Sohn continued: "This new licensing agreement will provide LG with the next generation processor technology that will allow us to maintain leadership in display enabled connected devices, such as smart digital TV's and smart phones, and drive our platform strategy." LG has been using ARM processors since 1995, but the new agreement will see this technology built-in to more of the company's products. The agreement will make the likes of Nvidia and Qualcomm anxious, as they seem to be getting shunned by big-name manufacturers who are taking their system on a chip development in house.

Google set to unleash Gtalk video calling on Android 2.3.4 Posted: 26 Apr 2011 05:18 AM PDT Google may release a new version of Gingerbread, Android 2.3.4, at Google I/O next month, complete with the ability to make video calls through Gmail. The speculation comes after a Samsung-affiliated Twitter user tweeted that he had "Just had a video call using gmail on Nexus S. Impressive quality @googlenexus Gingerbread 2.3.4" and hash-tagged it "io2011". Although Android does have a proprietary video calling facility on Android 2.3, it can only be used to call Android phone-to-phone, much like Apple's original FaceTime app. Like FaceTime, but not Apple has since introduced a desktop version of its in-house video calling system, and Google looks likely to follow suit with the supposed new feature seeing Android users able to video call desktop Gmail users and potentially non-Android phones with mobile Gmail. Google I/O is the search giant's developer conference which is taking place in San Francisco on 10-11 May. We're not going to be holding our breath for Gtalk video calling on Android though; last year's I/O announcements included Google Music and Google TV neither of which have yet made it to the UK.

Apple MacBook Pro set for complete makeover? Posted: 26 Apr 2011 04:51 AM PDT Apple could be set to give the MacBook Pro a whole new look, its first design makeover since 2008, if insider sources are to be believed. No clues have surfaced as to what this new design will entail, but it is said to be already under development, described by one sources as a "milestone" for the MacBook Pro range. The latest MacBook Pros were unveiled in February this year and were the first to include high-speed Thunderbolt file transfer. The design, however, was largely the same as its previous iterations, with the now-familiar aluminium unibody casing. New iMacs incoming The other Apple computing chitchat today is that we may see the next iMac refresh surfacing next week, complete with Thunderbolt connectivity. Apple has dispatched delay notes for iMac orders speaking of 'unexpected delays' and promising delivery in week commencing 2 May, which seems to confirm insider tips that the new breed will be revealed the same week.

LG launches flicker-free Cinema 3D monitors Posted: 26 Apr 2011 04:00 AM PDT LG has unveiled a range of 3D monitors which it claims offer flicker-free 3D performance. The two Cinema 3D monitors, the D41P and D42P, come with LG's new Film Pattterned Retarder (FPR) technology, which sounds mildly offensive but is in fact meant to give a brighter, clearer, flicker-free 3D picture by lowering crosstalk. The 'Flicker-Free' certification is something LG has also bestowed upon its own Cinema 3D TV range, which, it says, banishes dizziness and nausea from the 3D realm. So if you like your 3D computing experience sans dizziness and nausea, you're in luck. Life's good in 3D Supporting all graphics cards and "popular home PC operating systems", the monitors also offer HDMI 1.4, 2D to 3D conversion and come in a range of sizes, with screen sizes from 21.5-inch to 25-inches. LG's vice president of Monitors, Si-hwan Park, reckons these new monitors solve all the main 3D problems: "Although 3D is one of the hottest items in technology today, some consumers are holding back from purchasing 3D products because of concerns over performance and price. "With Cinema 3D Monitors, we've addressed all these concerns. The advanced picture quality, more comfortable glasses and competitive pricing makes it very hard to keep putting off 3D." So basically, LG says there's no excuse not to get one. You will still need glasses for the new monitors, however, and there's no word yet on that 'competitive' UK pricing for the new monitors which are rolling out to Europe in June.

Review: Unique Melody Miracle Posted: 26 Apr 2011 04:00 AM PDT New to the UK, Unique Melody is an earphone specialist with an impressive range of feature-heavy products. The flagship model tested here, the Miracle, is unusual in boasting six drive units: twin treble; twin mid and twin bass drivers, with a passive three-way crossover all packed into a compact shell barely any bigger than rivals from Shure and ACS. From a respectable line-up, the UK distributor AmpCity, suggested we dive straight in with the top model, aimed at audiophiles on the move. Like many high-end in-ears, the Miracles are offered with tailor-made moulds and if you take mobile music seriously, these are now a must. Not only do they offer all-day comfort, their superior noise cancelling protects hearing by enabling lower volume levels. Tech marvels Of course, the Miracle's biggest feature is its driver count. The Miracle doubles-up on HFC favourite the £500 Shure SE535, with pairs of drivers for treble, mid and bass. But, just like a multi-driver floorstander, more isn't necessarily better: it's all about the design and execution. One interesting aspect of the Miracle is the option for customers to 'tweak' the frequency response curve at a factory level. AmpCity says it's possible to add or subtract a couple of dB as you see fit, if required. Each set comes with a factory-generated frequency response graph; our pair's chart, for example, showed off an incredibly linear response from 10Hz to 500Hz. Customers can choose any colour and any artwork for the shells and usefully, the cable is detachable; which is handy for those rush-hour snags and, more importantly, upgrade experimentation. Ear-jewels The Miracles are impressively well built. The shell uses a German-made hard plastic which appears flawless on close inspection. The only real grumble is that the cable feels cheap and insubstantial (even if it isn't), tangles easily and lacks the elegance of the Shure system; but it is replaceable. We mentioned the tough plastic and the jury is still out on this one. It's used for longevity as the silicone used in some rivals doesn't last nearly as well (trust us!). But, it's more uncomfortable to insert and remove, although importantly it's fine once it's in, and doesn't interface with the inner ear as well as silicone. Still, points added for finish, quality and lifespan. Value is harder to summarise, however. Build is first-class, custom moulds are included and there's a lot of tech inside, but £800 is considerable for an earphone, but this is the high end. Melody-makers Remember that linear trace on the graph? Well, you can hear it! The Miracle's have phenomenal bass ability: simply the best we've heard. There's depth, extension, dynamics and musicality to the low stuff you simply won't get anywhere else. Electronica and rock fans will be rewarded. The midband is good and, although we would have preferred a little more presence and neutrality, there's plenty of rhythm and musicality. Things are less rosy in the treble band: a steep roll-off from 7kHz robs the presentation of sparkle in the high frequencies; we found ourselves pointlessly upping the volume to try and compensate. Here's a good example of how the 'tweaking' service could help. Things did, however, improve a little as we progressed through the 150-hour run-in and beyond. Uniquely appealing The Miracle is a very good product. It's not without criticism, though, but there are sound arguments against some of our grumbles (the hard plastic) and solutions for others (such as the adaptable frequency response). It deserves to be auditioned, along with the non-moulded Shure SE535 and moulded models from ACS.

YouTube to offer updated movie on demand service Posted: 26 Apr 2011 03:46 AM PDT YouTube is set to launch a new premium movie rental service this week, with a few screenshots of the store making their way on to the web. The updated service isn't yet up and running, but a sneaky member of Hacker News has managed to obtain a glimpse of it through Google Cache, which shows a number of movies available to rent through YouTube from $1.99. YouTube already has a rental section on its site - it's been around for a year - but the selection on offer has been very limited. Up for rent But now it seems a re-launch – in the US at least – is on the cards for this week, although it is doubtful that the UK will actually get to see the movie rental service anytime soon. The biggest thing about the new YouTube Store is that it seems that some big-name movie studios are on board, with movies by the Weinstein Company and Lionsgate dominating the leaked list. Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Brothers and Universal have also signed up but Paramount and Fox seem to be dragging their heels. Related Stories Google and Spotify discuss joint US streaming service Facebook takes on Groupon with new online deals feature Exclusive: Last.fm: we feel for Spotify

Review: Tannoy Revolution DC6T Posted: 26 Apr 2011 03:30 AM PDT The Tannoy Revolution DC6T is an impressive newcomer dual-concentric full range driver, with a 150mm bass-only unit (similar in specs to its sister product, the Signature DC6T). All this is contained within a compact 30-litre, rear ported enclosure and the detailing throughout is excellent. The enclosure is tapered so that the back is significantly narrower than the front, helping to spread and distribute internal reflections and standing waves. All this is elegantly wrapped in an attractive dark 'espresso' real wood veneer and the overall stability of this model is substantially enhanced by the provision of a black plinth, which significantly increases the footprint. Famous driver Tannoy's famous dual concentric drive unit has been a cornerstone of the brand for more than 60 years. Its unique feature is that a hornloaded tweeter fires through the centre of the bass/mid cone, so it's effectively a two-way full-range drive unit where the tweeter is well protected from small prying fingers. The 150mm DC driver has a silver-coloured, flared-profile paper cone 115mm in diameter, which crosses over to the 25mm tweeter at a lowish 1.7kHz. The bass-only unit matches the size of the DC driver and both are decorated by silver trim. The port is on the rear here, well above two pairs of socket/binder terminals set conveniently close to the floor. Tight focus One key characteristic of the DC driver's horn-loaded tweeter is that the treble is focused into a 90-degree cone, rather than the much wider dispersion shown by most speakers with conventional dome tweeters. This is neither 'right' nor 'wrong', but it is 'different'; sharpening the image precision and focus, but diluting the illusion that musicians are in the listening room. Tannoy claims a sensitivity of 89dB, which if anything seems a tad conservative: we'd happily award 90dB here, which is a very healthy figure, especially since the bass extension is an exceptional -3dB at 20Hz under in-room far-field conditions, helped by very low (sub-30Hz) port tuning. Some compromise is, perhaps, inevitably involved here and is seen in the load presented to the amplifier which is rather demanding at low frequencies. Clean and deep This is a fine-sounding loudspeaker by any standards or price and actually represents a slight imrovement over the Signature DC6T. It might not have the smoothest sound around, but it is exceptionally well balanced right across the audio band and also has impressive bass weight and extension. An important element in the bass reproduction is that it seems to be unusually free from the mid-bass boom or thickening that is so widespread amongst inexpensive commercial speakers. Even with the speakers well clear of walls, the sub-60Hz bass is a little strong, but thereafter the frequency response holds within an impressive +/-3dB right across the band. There's no sign here of the uppermid forwardness that afflicted the Revolution Signature DC6T, though again the top end (above 8kHz) looks a little untidy. The only serious criticism concerns the pair-matching, which the impedance traces showed to be poor. Deep and authoritative The two-and-half-way configuration inevitably compromises the time coherence a little, but this didn't prove unduly serious and all told this is a very fine loudspeaker indeed, especially since it's not unduly costly. The speaker has numerous pluses, including sharp styling with elegant wood veneer, but its real strength lies in its fine all round performance. There's little evidence of boxiness or other midband coloration and the total balance is even, if not particularly smooth. Bass is deep and authoritative and overall the sound is exceptionally well judged. Related Stories Review: Acoustic Signature Manfred Review: Rega DAC Review: Musical Fidelity M1 Series CD player and DAC Review: Electrocompaniet PD 1 DAC

Jobs responds to iPhone tracking fears: 'We don't track anyone' Posted: 26 Apr 2011 03:06 AM PDT Steve Jobs has apparently responded to a customer's email asking about iOS location tracking controversy that emerged last week, saying that Apple does not 'track anyone'. A couple of ex-Apple developers unearthed evidence that iOS 4 devices have been logging and time-stamping their location co-ordinates and syncing them to a file on the user's computer - thus keeping tabs on everywhere the device (and its owner) have been and when. Apple's PR team has so far kept schtum on the issue, but Steve Jobs has seemingly taken matters into his own hands, replying to a MacRumors reader's email on the matter. A man of few words Jobs wrote: "We don't track anyone. The info circulating around is false." He also took a couple of seconds to succinctly stick the knife into Android, responding to the customer's threat to "switch to a Droid" because "they don't track me." "Oh yes they do," quoth Jobs, thus supporting a claim by researcher Samy Kamkar who has found that Google also collects location data of Android phones every few seconds and stores it in a file on the handset – but goes as far as to regularly send that data back to Google. Jobs' short email seems to claim that Apple isn't actively gathering the location information collected by iPhones and iPads; but if that's the case, why are its iOS devices collecting all that data to begin with?

Review: Electrocompaniet PD 1 DAC Posted: 26 Apr 2011 03:00 AM PDT A decade or more back, the rationale for buying an outboard DAC was to upgrade the performance of an older CD player or transport with the latest digital technology. However, now that many current CD players offer upsampling to 24-bit/196kHz as standard, such reasons no longer seem convincing. But, wait; what about a DAC that has balanced analogue outputs, plus the ability to access and play music stored on a hard drive? Not only do you get the promise of improved sound, you can now link your ripped music to the hi-fi . The stylish Electrocompaniet PD 1 DAC delivers just such an upgrade. Interested? High-precision Like many recent digital products, the PD 1 is based around a 24-bit/192kHz digital-to-analogue convertor. The incoming digital signal (say, 16-bit/44.1kHz from Red Book CD) is converted to this higher specification by something Electrocompaniet dubs ASRC (Asynchronous Sample Rate Convertor). A high-precision master clock is used which it's claimed, virtually eliminates jitter at the output – so, even if your sources contain timedomain errors, they're quickly zapped. Prior to processing, the USB input is likewise converted into standard S/PDIF format by the sampling-rate convertor – so it's similar to the other inputs. Audio information from the USB data stream is extracted using low-jitter PLLs (phase-locked loops) and output to S/PDIF. With the sample-rate convertor being 'clocked' by an ultra-accurate reference device any remaining timing errors are further reduced, resulting in an output that is accurate and jitter-free. The analogue output stage employs discrete transistors running in a pure Class A configuration with no negative feedback. A carefully designed 2-pole linear-phase, anti-aliasing filter further removes any delta-sigma conversion artefacts. Analogue and digital sections feature individual power supplies for reduced interference. The power supplies for the analogue output stage and DAC employ ultra low-noise tight-shunt regulators, which the maker claims results in a more open and transparent sound, due to reductions in spurious noise. As a result of these measures, the PD 1 effectively 'cleanses' all digital signals that pass through it. Digital inputs include: 2x S/PDIF (coax via an RCA phono plug); 1x S/PDIF TOSLink optical; 1x USB Type 2; and an RF wireless link for use with the optional EMS 1 music streamer. The S/PDIF inputs support 24-bit/192kHz sampling, while the USB and RF options are 16-bit/48kHz. There are two sets of analogue outputs: unbalanced (single-ended, RCA phono plugs) giving 1.7-volt output and balanced (XLR) giving 3.4-volt output. This output is variable. The maker claims distortion is less than 0.003 per cent from 20Hz to 20kHz, with noise levels 140dB below peak output over the same bandwidth. The unit is supplied with an infra-red remote control handset that allows input switching and volume adjustment, plus mute and standby. There are additional Play, Pause, Stop and Fast Search buttons for those using their PD 1 with an Electrocompaniet CD player. The illuminated front panel keeps you informed regarding the input selected and the volume level set. You've a choice of two brightness settings and there's an 'off' position if the glare of blue LEDs becomes distracting. It might be imagination, but the sound seems a tad cleaner with the display off – though, the difference is very small! Neat and tidy The PD 1 is a solidly made unit that's nicely styled. The front panel is made from alloy, while the casework is steel. All the various controls are touch-sensitive types, so it's not really possible to talk about the 'feel' of the unit as such. Internal circuits look neat and tidy. There's nothing here to make you gasp with astonishment, yet neither is there anything to cause concern or disquiet. There's no undue emphasis on cosmetic appearance, or extravagant 'luxury' build; you'll choose this unit for its performance and features, not its facade! Mechanically, the unit is virtually silent. Put your ear up close and there's a barely audible hint of transformer buzz, but you have to be right on top of the unit to hear anything. There are no switching thumps to worry about, either; when using the RF Link the unit mutes if no signal is detected. Purposeful momentum We connected our review sample to a Shanling SCD-T2000 SACD player. This features a 24-bit/192kHz Burr-Brown PCM 1738 DAC and should, therefore, be quite close to the PD 1 in digital terms. However, we heard an immediate difference: essentially, the Electrocompaniet delivers a cleaner, more detailed sound. While the tonal balance hardly seems to alter, the PD 1 definitely produces a tauter, more focused sound that seems to project the music with greater presence and immediacy. On solo piano, for example, there's definitely an enhanced sense of space and separation, so subjectively the notes start and stop with increased alacrity. Although the PD 1's unbalanced analogue output is slightly lower than the Shanling's – around 1.7V compared to 2V – the PD 1 actually sounds bigger and better-able to project the music, thereby creating a more holographic 'out of the boxes' sort of result. The PD 1 focuses your attention on the music and performance. It enhances the impression of commitment – making it sound as though the players are involved and concentrating. Used alone, the Shanling seems a tad less disciplined musically. With the PD 1, everything suddenly becomes keener and more precisely focused; more alive and awake. Brass rasps; cymbals shimmer; voices sing out and rock bands rock. All early comparisons were made using unbalanced analogue outputs, as the Shanling does not offer balanced. Via the PD 1's balanced outputs, the sound grows dimensionally. It's bigger; bolder; with increased separation; a palpably heightened sense of scale. Yet the end-result feels natural too; it's not pumped up or inflated. Of course, with balanced, the output level increases by between 3dB to 6dB, which is significant in itself. But, even after you've reduced volume levels to bring things back to an equal footing, the sound is still bigger and bolder. It's definitely more assertive and displays increased depth and separation. Essentially then, the PD 1 offers a two-pronged improvement. Its low-jitter digital conversion and high-performance DAC results in a cleaner more focused sound, while balanced analogue outputs deliver increased scale and dimensionality. The result is a very worthwhile sonic improvement – even over a good one-box player. There's more. Add the EMS 1 music streamer (£250) and via iTunes you can access music stored on your computer hard drive. Connection is made wirelessly to the PD 1 and currently digital conversion is at 16-bit/48kHz – though it's possible that 24-bit/192kHz conversion may be offered at some future point. The quality of sound from CDs ripped to a hard drive and conveyed to the PD 1 via the EMS 1 is fine – clear, open, lively and detailed. However, you need to save the disc in a high-quality format like WAV for best results. Saved as AAC, the sound is still good, but seems thinner and slightly lacking in richness and refinement. Without doubt, the facility to play music stored on your computer hard drive – with a lack of fuss and drama – is alone as persuasive a reason as any to invest in a PD 1. Compelling package The PD 1 is an excellent product, delivering worthwhile upgrades in sound quality and user-convenience that many users will appreciate. As a DAC, it should provide an audibly cleaner, more detailed sound over most one-box CD players. And, if you're able to utilise those balanced outputs, the improvement will be even greater. Then there's the added benefit of being able to access music stored on hard-drives via the PD 1's USB socket – with the advantage of a wireless interface using the optional EMS 1 music streamer. It all adds up to a compelling package at a realistic price – indeed, we're sorely tempted to buy one; it's that good! Related Stories Review: Acoustic Signature Manfred Review: Rega DAC Review: Musical Fidelity M1 Series CD player and DAC Review: Tannoy Revolution DC6T

Updated: Wii 2 news and rumours: what you need to know Posted: 26 Apr 2011 02:55 AM PDT As original Nintendo Wiis gather dust in households across the UK, Nintendo has confirmed that it will unveil a second-generation 'Wii 2' at this year's E3 in June. The official statement on Nintendo's investors' website, confirming that the as-yet-unnamed "Wii successor system" will arrive next year, reads: "Nintendo Co., Ltd has decided to launch in 2012 a system to succeed Wii... we will show a playable model of the new system and announce more specifications at the E3 Expo, which will be held from June 7-9, 2011, in Los Angeles." Considering PlayStation 4 rumours have little substance and Xbox 720 rumours are wispy at best, any revamped, upgraded, HD-friendly follow-up to the Wii would undoubtedly turn heads. And Wii sales finally show signs of decline, Nintendo needs a new console to maintain its momentum. Our colleagues at T3.com have rounded up the latest rumours in the Wii 2 video below: Enter 'Project Cafe': more than just a Wii HD If the Wii 2 rumours are to be believed, then Nintendo's Project Café is more than just a high-def Wii. Game Informer started the rumour mill turning, citing the existence of an HD ready Wii from mysterious 'multiple sources'. French website 01net.com then chipped in with the Project Café codename and suggested core specs that could eclipse those of the Xbox 360 and PS3. Wii 2 specs could include a touchscreen display… The 01net.com website has form - it previously leaked the specs of Sony's NGP handheld before the official reveal. So it's tempting to believe that the Wii 2 could indeed be powered by a three-core IBM Power PC chip, feature an ATI R700 GPU for 1080p/3D visuals and use a unique gamepad with a 6.2-inch touchscreen, dual analogue sticks and a built-in camera. This machine would also be backwards-compatible with the current Wii and its motion-sensing peripherals, enabling it to go head-to-head with Kinect and PlayStation Move. Such a specification would make the Wii 2 faster than the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. But you'll note that it's hardly cutting-edge tech we're talking about here. In contrast, the components are proven, reliable and reasonably cheap. If this is the specification Nintendo opts for, it won't take two years to turn a profit on each Wii 2 sold. One thing that is highly unlikely is 3D support, with Nintendo making it clear that it would resist the urge until glasses free technology was at a high enough standard for the television. Goodbye Wii, hello 'Stream'? There's a good chance that Nintendo's new console won't be called the Wii 2, Wii HD, Super Wii, 'Wii Wii' or any other variation of Wii. IGN has heard the name 'Stream', but it could be one of many names up for consideration. Moving on from the Wii brand would make sense if Nintendo is building a powerful machine to win back hard-core Western gamers. Rather than recycle Wii Sports Resort and Just Dance in 1080p Full HD, Nintendo has its eye on greater 3rd-party software support. EDGE claims that "Ubisoft, Activision and Electronic Arts have had development units of the new hardware for months." Of course, having AAA titles like Mortal Kombat and LA Noire alongside a next-gen Mario Kart or Zelda on the Wii 2 isn't going to win Nintendo many converts. It will also need to revolutionise its online offering for the Wii 2 to be taken seriously as a credible gaming machine. Wii 2 release date With the Wii 2 set to be revealed at this year's E3, then it's possible that Nintendo could start rolling it out before Christmas. But given the complexity of a global console launch, early 2012 looks a more sensible bet. That would give Nintendo two years to rack up sales if Sony and Microsoft don't launch new consoles until 2014. "Nintendo is doing this one right," an anonymous source told Game Informer. "[It's] not a gimmick like the Wii." The statement is a little harsh on the Wii, which opened up video gaming to a whole new demographic. Nintendo won't want to throw that all away.

Video: Gallery: Sony Tablet S1 and S2 Posted: 26 Apr 2011 02:30 AM PDT Sony has officially unveiled the Sony Tablet S1 and the Sony Tablet S2, with the Japanese company hoping that its Android 3.0 offerings will be a public hit. The Sony Tablet S1 is the company's attempt at an iPad competitor, boasting a 9.4 inch screen and designed to team up with Sony Qriocity and the PlayStation Network. The Sony Tablet S2 offers up dual 5.5-inch screens which will either work together or independently. We've gathered together all of the official images for your perusal, with both designs at the very least looking unlike any of the rival offerings. From the front, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Sony Tablet S1 was very similar to the slew of rectangular Android tablets already arriving to market. But a side view of the tablet shows the novel design - something that Sony believes will make it a pleasure to hold. The back of the tablet shows the curve in black and the silver tablet back - but will the design add weight without much gain? The soft buttons on the front are minimal: back, home, windows - and the information bar shows a clock, signal and battery life. In hand, the dimensions are clearer. The S1 is joined by the S2 - a secondary tablet with a curious rounded form. And finally a bit of movement for you; gaming blog Kotaku has unearthed a video of the two tablets in action. Related Stories Sony Tablet S1 unveiled, will take on Apple iPad

Review: Musical Fidelity M1 Series CD player and DAC Posted: 26 Apr 2011 02:30 AM PDT Musical Fidelity has returned from its latest period of reinvention on something of a roll and the rapid release of new products shows no signs of abating. Following on from the headphone and integrated amps, this is our first experience of the new range of digital products from the company. The M1 DAC has been on sale for a few months now, but has recently been joined by the partnering M1 CDT. This is a brand new product and is, perhaps, the more unusual one of the two. With the general consensus apparently being that all DACs being sold are for a future of computer and streamed audio, the release of a dedicated CD transport into the market might seem an unusual one. Together, the two products make a £1,000 CD player so naturally we elected to review them as a pair to see if the two-box approach still brings something to CD replay that one box players do not. Neat touches The £400 M1 DAC is, at first glance, relatively conventional, but proves to contain some neat touches. The half-width chassis contains four inputs selectable from the front panel. The optical, coaxial and USB inputs are expected, but the fourth, an AES balanced input, is more unusual at the price. This, combined with the matching balanced analogue output, allows the M1 DAC to operate in a balanced mode which, if not an absolute guarantee of good performance, is usually a sign that the internals are of reasonable quality. The internals comprise a Burr-Brown DSD1796 DAC chip (supported by a SRC4392 chip) that allows all digital material the M1 DAC receives to be upsampled to 24-bit/192kHz. Another positive feature is that the rear panel features a full-size IEC mains input, rather than relying on a wall wart power supply. While the internal PSU of the M1 isn't especially large (not that it needs to be), the result is neater for installation and the unit proves totally silent in use. The £600 M1 CDT is an identical size to the DAC and together the units are the equivalent of a single full-width component. Its rear panel is conventional enough, but features the matching AES output to feed the DAC as well as more conventional optical and coaxial feeds for other DACs. The mechanism is an inhaler-type drive and is the same specification to the M3 CD, although the mechanisms for the transport are apparently handpicked for the purpose. The result is an elegant-looking unit, although like all drives of this type the M1 CDT will 're-inhale' a CD partially ejected and left poking out of the front if you do not remove it relatively quickly – which can be an annoyance if you have mislaid the box. Like the DAC, the CDT also features a full-size mains input on the rear panel. A remote handset borrowed from the M3i allows for track selection and volume control of Musical Fidelity amps. Impressively solid The fit and finish of both units is good. The front panels are attractive and well laid out, and they both feel impressively solid. They make an interesting comparison to the current crop of CD players fitted with digital inputs. Combining the DAC and CDT via their AES connection gives you a CD player that is fitted with optical, coaxial and USB inputs for additional sources. In addition, the two boxes can live side-by-side on a shelf, be stacked, or indeed be placed a considerable distance from one another. Come the need to upgrade, the two-box layout allows for one box to be upgraded at a time. The only downside to this is that two mains sockets will be required, but otherwise, the combination exhibits considerable flexibility as a pairing and has to be considered good value at £1,000. Listening to the units connected via the AES connection and via the balanced output of the DAC show that the pairing is sonically competitive as well. The overall impression is one of even-handedness and there is a sense that the M1's main ability is to get out of the way of the music and let the disc speak for itself. This seems to be largely down to a flat presentation with no discernable lift at any part in the frequency. This may not sound desperately exciting, but the ability of the duo to bring as little of themselves as possible is great for anyone seeking either a neutral system or wanting to introduce colouration via their amplification or speakers – in other words, at a point where all sources would benefit. Low-end weight The bass and mid bass reproduction is extremely adept. There is considerable low-end weight to proceedings, but the bass avoids any sense of being overblown or overbearing. Orchestral pieces, in particular, benefit from a fabulously natural low-end presence that greatly aids realism. Tonality with vocals and instruments is also very good with excellent decay to plucked strings and piano notes. This is further helped by an excellent and convincing soundstage that usually gives performers space to breathe. The unforced naturalness that results makes this a very easy source to listen to for long periods. When compared to competitors such as Audiolab's extremely advanced 8200CD, the Musical Fidelity combination is less detailed and revealing, but in many ways more natural, as well as being more forgiving of poor recordings. Timing is assured, but the pairing does not inject additional vitality into recordings; this is because Musical Fidelity amps need no help in this regard; but if you are partnering with another amp that is equally neutral, you may find the pairing lacks a sense of excitement. Others will appreciate the extremely even-handed nature of the performance. Main influence Listening to other inputs on the DAC, via other CD and DVD players, as well as USB from PC, reveals that the M1 DAC is the main influence of the sonic signature and has to be considered something of a star for the £400 asking price. The same natural, unforced presentation comes through from all inputs and the DAC treads a fine line between being revealing enough to bring details to the forefront, while ensuring that compressed material stays listenable. The unbalanced RCA output of the DAC – once you have adjusted the levels – has the same qualities as the XLR output; although, we preferred the balanced one, if only because both amplifiers we tried it with also work better over XLR. The M1 pairing impressed us greatly. This is a well-thought-out and capable duo that stands comparison to any £1,000 CD player we have tested recently. The performance with CD via the CDT is excellent and the performance of other equipment connected to the M1 DAC is equally strong. The DAC is the more cost-effective component of the two takes some beating for £400. As a £1,000 CD player, the addition of the CDT makes for an engaging combination with considerable flexibility in performance. There is no shortage of competition at or around the £1,000 price point and there will be people who prefer to buy a single box and be done with it, but if you are looking for a player which artfully combines a very natural presentation and brings very little of the character of the electronics to the performance, the M1 system demand an audition. Related Stories Review: Acoustic Signature Manfred Review: Rega DAC Review: Electrocompaniet PD 1 DAC Review: Tannoy Revolution DC6T

PlayStation Network still down, no end in sight Posted: 26 Apr 2011 01:58 AM PDT The PlayStation network is still down, leaving Sony with a major embarrassment on its hands on a day when it announced the Sony Tablet S1 and Sony Tablet S2. The latest tablets are being billed as a key new arrival for Sony, but some of their functionality is dependent on the Qriocity and PlayStation Network services. But, both of these are currently down, with Sony's latest update not exactly providing major hope for a swift recovery. Waiting "I know you are waiting for additional information on when PlayStation Network and Qriocity services will be online," Patrick Seybold wrote on the PlayStation blog. "Unfortunately, I don't have an update or timeframe to share at this point in time. As we previously noted, this is a time intensive process and we're working to get them back online quickly. "We'll keep you updated with information as it becomes available. We once again thank you for your patience." Of course, patience is not something that the gaming community is particularly renowned for having, and the timing could not be much worse as Sony tries to show off its cloud-based tablet future.

Sony S2 unveiled as Honeycomb dual-screen tablet Posted: 26 Apr 2011 01:42 AM PDT Sony has unveiled the new S2 tablet with two 5.5-inch displays, offering Android 3.0 in a clamshell design. It's a bold statement from Sony, with the two screens able to operate together or independently for video, web browsing or email – plus the option to have one screen dedicated to controls. The S2 will be able to 'throw' content via DLNA to a TV or wireless speakers, and access the PlayStation Network (should it ever decide to become available to the public again). Qriocity will also be a central part of the S2 tablet, with music and video available on demand, although we're awaiting confirmation that the UK will be getting the full range of services as it's badged differently on our fair shores. Looking to the past The S2 will also be able to connect to the PlayStation Suite, giving access to a number of first generation PSOne titles to 'enjoy'. Sony hasn't given anything away about the specs as yet, but early rumours (which nailed the codenames and screen sizes) tipped the tablets to pack Tegra 2 dual-core processors and, rear-facing cameras and 3G connectivity. Worryingly, the same source also called the S2 tablet 'a dog' of a project, with a price tag of around £500. The S2 has a UK release date of 'autumn 2011' so we'll probably be hearing a lot more from this over the coming months.

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