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• Steve Jobs speaks out on iPhone location tracking
• Dutch cops using TomTom data to position speed cams
• Review: Leica X1
• YouTube to stream astronaut interview live from space
• Acer launches 3D monitor and 'entertainment centre'
• Apple sets sights on TomTom with location data collection
• Apple is collecting location data, but not YOUR location data
• Updated: White iPhone 4 UK release date: 28 April
• Explained: Sony PSN hack: what you can and can't do
• Explained: NFC in phones: what you need to know
• New PS3 models hit FCC
• MySpace owners looking for over $100 million for site
• Amazon profits fall 33% despite Kindle sales boost
• Gary Marshall: PSN: Pretty Stupid Network?
• Banned Xbox 360s briefly unlocked amid PSN data nightmare
• Review: Icon Audio Stereo 60 Mk 3
• ARM namechecks big deals in latest results
• Review: Consonance Cyber-100 Signature
• Nokia ditches 4,000 workers, offloads Symbian
• LG claims it has 'turned corner'
• PSN users 'should cancel credit cards immediately' says expert
• Review: Cayin A55-T
• Buying Guide: Best Blu-ray player 2011: 10 recommended
• Review: Yamaha NP-S2000
• Google survey suggests many smartphones have dumb owners

Steve Jobs speaks out on iPhone location tracking Posted: 27 Apr 2011 03:24 PM PDT Apple CEO Steve Jobs has brushed-off the notion that Apple is using the location-tracking 'bug' in iOS to keep tabs on its users. The Cupertino-based company today admitted that the iPhone 4 does back up historical location data but doesn't need to collect quite as much and promises to resolve the issue with a software fix Jobs, who remains on hiatus from full-time duty with the company due to illness, moved to dismiss the ever-present naysayers who suggest Apple might using the data for ill means. "We haven't been tracking anybody," he says. "Never have. Never will." Investigation Jobs also chose the interview to defend Apple's delayed response to the controversy, saying that they wanted to identify the essence of the problem before rushing out a statement. The stance has echoes of the antennagate fiasco that accompanied the launch of the iPhone 4, which also took Apple plenty of time to respond to. "Rather than run to the P.R. department," Jobs says,"the first thing we always do when a problem is brought to us is we try to isolate it and find out if it is real," "It took us about a week to do an investigation and write a response, which is fairly quick for something this technically complicated." "Scott (Forstall - Senior VP of iPhone software) and Phil (Schiller - Apple's marketing kingpin) and myself were all involved in writing the response because we think it is that important." To find out more about Apple's response to the controversy, see our earlier news item on the matter.

Dutch cops using TomTom data to position speed cams Posted: 27 Apr 2011 12:41 PM PDT TomTom has issued a statement after it was revealed that police in Holland are using historical speed data, captured by its savnav devices, as a guide for positioning speed traps. Devices like the Go LIVE 1000 collect speed information automatically and backs it up to a TomTom database, which allows the company to improve the service the dashboard companion can offer. TomTom also makes the database available to authorities for safety and logistic purposes, but says it was unaware that the police were using it in this way and promises to listen to customer concerns. The statement reads: "We make this information available to local governments and authorities. "It helps them to better understand where congestion takes place, where to build new roads and how to make roads safer." Customers TomTom continues: "We are now aware that the police have used traffic information that you have helped to create to place speed cameras at dangerous locations where the average speed is higher than the legally allowed speed limit. "We are aware a lot of our customers do not like the idea and we will look at if we should allow this type of usage." Satnavs like TomTom have traditionally informed drivers of where speed cameras are located, so news that speed information of drivers could be used in this way is a strange reversal of roles. TomTom also assured customers that any information it gathers is anonymous and can never be traced back to drivers, so there's no need to worry about a speed ticket coming through your door.

Review: Leica X1 Posted: 27 Apr 2011 09:53 AM PDT Leica X1 review: overview Leica's foray into the digital world may have been at a slower and more considered pace than what we're used to seeing, but working in partnership with Panasonic has nevertheless meant that it's managed to saturate a healthy range of the camera market. For more everyday use the company's point-and-shoot C-LUX and enthusiast D-LUX ranges sit at the base of its stable, while the M9 rangefinder and S2 medium format model lie at the other end to cater for professionals. In between the two, and among a handful of intermediate models, sits the X1, which can safely be considered as the company's answer to the growing popularity of compact system cameras. In many ways the model is unique, or at least it was upon its launch in September 2009 and its recent firmware upgrade improves upon the original performance. It begins a new series for the company, pairing a 12.2MP APS-C format CMOS sensor with a 24mm f/2.8 fixed lens, the combination of which produces a camera with an effective focal length of 36mm in 35mm terms. It's targeted at the enthusiast who requires a solid, high-quality model with dependable image quality in a pocketable form, albeit it one who will be willing to part with around £1400 for the privilege. The camera offers a capable feature set, but rarely does it go out of its way to offer any additional niceties. The sensitivity range, for example, is restricted to a reasonable span of ISO 100-3200, with no extension settings are either end, while metering patterns comprise the standard multi, centre-weighted and spot options. Five colour settings are on hand, including two black and white flavours, while the camera records all raw images in the Adobe DNG standard, which makes them immediately compatible with Adobe's editing programs. Image stabilization is also included, although it's neither lens nor sensor based; instead, the camera uses processing to blend two images into one to achieve a sharper result. There's a little flexibility in the camera's 11-point focusing system, with high-speed focusing options in 1-point and 11-point modes, as well as a more precise spot focus option and face detection setting, although sadly video recording - HD or otherwise - is nowhere to be found. Also a shame is the 230,000dot resolution of the camera's LCD screen, which today is bettered on models a fraction of the X1's price. At 2.7in it's hardly the largest display either, although, of course, a larger screen would necessitate a slightly bigger body. Leica X1 review: Build quality & handling Considering its target market, the X1 has more in common design-wise with Leica's rangefinder offerings than with its cheaper consumer-orientated models, providing the user with a more manual experience. The shutter speed dial common to the M-series, for example, is included on the top-plate, while a smaller aperture dial is provided alongside, as opposed to a more traditional lens-based aperture ring. The collar around the shutter release button is used to cycle through drive modes and power the camera up and down, while on the other side of the top plate lies a small flash, concealed under a rounded tab. Separating the two sides is a standard hot-shoe which accepts optional accessories such as flash units and an optical viewfinder. Although it's something for which Leica is well known, it's difficult to fully appreciate the exhaustive checking and testing of each model that goes on during its manufacture, which no doubt goes some way to justifying Leica's pricing. Nevertheless, the X1's build quality and attention to detail should be obvious upon handling the camera for the first time, with the all-metal construction ensuring it's as solid as needs be, and leather trim around its middle to provide a better handling. Some of the buttons on the rear may be a little too small for some, but all are clearly marked. While the camera's retro design is clearly key to its appeal, a slightly more modern menu system would be welcome. Admittedly, with its restricted colour palette and single list of options its focus is more on ease of use, and there's little chance of getting lost or confused by anything within it. At just over 300g with its battery in place the camera also puts paid to the notion that an APS-C sensor and a wide-aperture lens translate into a weighty model, and while it's certainly a little bulky it's far smaller than it's nearest competitor, Fujifilm's X100. With its lens protruding only around half an inch or so away from the main body, it can also happily squeeze into most coat and trouser pockets. Leica X1 review: Performance Thanks to the camera's manual controls and a simple menu system, operating the camera is reasonably straightforward. It takes less than a second to fully power up the camera and around twice that time to power down, and buttons presses show the camera to be largely responsive. The focusing system lacks some of the expected fluidity in both normal and high-speed modes, and focusing speed on the whole could be better, but the camera does make it clear when it's found focus with bright green boxes over the focused areas. There's very little shutter lag once the shutter release is depressed, and the images spring up reasonably quickly on the LCD, while the iris shutter located in the lens clicks positively as images are captured. With a minimum focusing distance of 30cm, it can be difficult to fully isolate a subject from its background even when shooting wide open, much more so than with the Fujifilm X100 whose minimum focusing distance of 10cm makes this easier. The resolution of the LCD screen also makes manual focusing a little trickier than necessary, and as manual focus is performed electronically - as opposed to mechanically through a focusing ring – the off-putting unsteady nature of the focusing system makes itself known. The camera does, however, provide a distance scale to aid focusing, and also automatically magnifies the centre of the frame for more precise control. While the LCD screen may be sub-par on paper, it's perfectly usable in controlled lighting conditions; sadly, in harsh lighting conditions its usability drops significantly, to the point where even shielding it with the hand only does so much. Yet, as we would expect from any camera breaching the four-figure barrier, the X1's image quality is impressive. Metering in particular is spot on most of the time, with even tricky conditions failing to sway the camera one way or the other, while the hit rate of the auto white balance is equally impressive. Both of these are matched by superb control over noise throughout the camera's sensitivity range, with excellent results in terms of both noise and colour accuracy through till ISO 1600, and just a minor dip at the ISO 3200 maximum. Once the lens has been stopped down to its middle aperture range, there's no drop in sharpness in neither edges or corners of the frame, with detail remaining consistently high across the frame. There's a very marginal amount of distortion visible when shooting linear details, but this isn't generally too big a deal with most subjects, while chromatic aberrations are slight and only visible under close scrutiny, and bokeh as smoothly circular as is often promised. In fact, the only thing that really lets the camera down is its default JPEG output. In contrast with many other cameras, it's the raw files from the camera which are the more dynamic and vibrant, with JPEGs looking a little lacklustre by comparison. Colour tends to be a little more muted and brightness a little lower, although this latter point remedies the slightly highlight loss visible in the brighter raw files. There's definitely room for improvement with sharpness in JPEGs, although as slight noise patterning is visible in shadowy areas on all sensitivities, this should be preceded by gentle noise reduction. Of course, it's more than likely that X1 users will be processing their DNG files rather than relying on JPEGs out of the camera, but few users will be inclined to process every image they shoot. Leica X1 review: Our sample images While the Standard colour setting left this image lacking a bit of life, the vivid colour mode shown here has injected it with more of the vibrancy present upon capture This scene is a good candidate for underexposure, but the X1's metering system has ensured that all the main details remain well exposed The camera's auto white balance system does an excellent job to retain the correct mood of images, even when there's little colour detail in the image The overall level of noise at the top sensitivity of ISO 3200 is minimal, but the camera does an excellent job to process it out of JPEGs without sacrificing detail JPEG: While brighter areas are brought in a touch in JPEG files, their raw counterparts files show more pleasing colour Raw: While brighter areas are brought in a touch in JPEG files, their raw counterparts files show more pleasing colour Raw file: Sharpness in JPEGs is slightly higher than in raw files, but overall JPEG quality is still no match for what can be achieved with some careful raw processing JPEG file Distortion is well controlled Leica X1 review: Sensitivity images JPEGs ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 800 ISO 1600 ISO 3200 Raw images ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 800 ISO 1600 ISO 3200 Leica X1 review: Specification Sensor APS-C CMOS sensor, 12.9MP total, 12.2MP effective Lens Lecia Elmarit 24mm f/2.8 ASPH Memory SD, SDHC, internal memory approx. 50MB. Viewfinder none (optional optical viewfinder available) LCD Screen 2.7in TFT, 230,000dots Video resolution n/a ISO range ISO 100-3200 Focus modes 1-point, 1-point High speed, 11-point, 11-point High speed, Spot, Face Detection Max burst rate 3fps Shutter speeds 30-1/2000sec. Weight 286g (without battery), 306g (with battery) Dimensions 124 x 32 x 59.5mm Power supply BP-DC8 rechargeable lithium-ion battery (supplied) Leica X1 review: Our conclusion By any standards the X1 is certainly expensive, particularly when you consider that many of its specifications are bettered elsewhere. Then again, together with the Sony NEX series of models and Sigma's DP range it's among the smallest and lightest camera to incorporate an APS-C sensor, and Leica models have the added advantage of holding their value extremely well. Crucially, what it sets out to do it does well: that is, to provide high-quality images in a small and compact body. Still, with the arrival of Fujifilm's X100 and, to a lesser extent, Ricoh's GXR system, it's less of a unique proposition than when it first came onto the market. Unfortunately for Leica, in that time those two companies have managed to leapfrog the X1 with better-specified models delivered at a cheaper price point, and while it's true that each is affected by its own issues, for the enthusiast market they have more than just price to tempt buyers away from the X1. To that end, the best thing Leica could do now is to release a successor to the X1, with a better LCD, a revised focusing system and video recording, and perhaps even an expansion to its sensitivity range, too. Leica X1 review: We liked With its large sensor in a small format body – and a beautiful one at that – the X1 is a pocketable but serious camera that can deliver sharp, noise free images with a superb amount of detail. Leica X1 review: We disliked No video recording, sub-standard JPEG quality, a tardy focusing system, and an asking price that comfortably makes it the most expensive compact on the market, the X1 won't be to everyone's liking.

YouTube to stream astronaut interview live from space Posted: 27 Apr 2011 09:44 AM PDT YouTube is set to broadcast a live interview with the crew of the imminent Endeavour space mission once the astronauts are up in space. In a live stream which will be at least 73 per cent more interesting than that of the Royal Wedding, YouTube will finally conquer the final frontier with STS-134 operation, the Space Shuttle Endeavour's final flight. The Google-owned site is also calling for everyday YouTubers to submit video questions for the intrepid space men, encouraging wacky outfits, unlikely props and, probably, minimal nudity. Popularity contest The submitted video with the most votes will be used in the interview, which takes place on 2 May on the PBS News Hour channel – assuming the shuttle successfully blasts off and encounters no major delays, of course. YouTube has wholeheartedly embraced live streaming of late, having granted certain 'trusted partners' the ability to broadcast live via the video sharing site. It's also looking to increase the amount of live sports broadcasts and looking into movie rental and streaming in a bid to keep users on the YouTube site for longer and pleasing advertisers along the way. Related Stories YouTube to offer updated movie on demand service Facebook takes on Groupon with new online deals feature Exclusive: Last.fm: we feel for Spotify MySpace owners looking for over $100 million for site Amazon profits fall 33% despite Kindle sales boost

Acer launches 3D monitor and 'entertainment centre' Posted: 27 Apr 2011 09:07 AM PDT Acer has gone 3D-crazy with its latest products, a 3D 'entertainment centre', the Acer Aspire Z5763, and a new 27-inch full HD 3D monitor to boot. The Aspire Z5763 comes running Windows 7 with Nvidia 3D technology built-in, as well as a 23-inch full HD 1080p 16:9 display and a 5W stereo speaker system with Dolby Home Theater v4. Inside, the PC is rocking 2nd gen Intel Core processors with Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, 802.11b/g/n/ Wi-Fi connection, optional Bluetooth 2.1, 2TB of storage space and 15GB of RAM. And the eight USB ports ought to keep even the most peripheral-obsessed owner happy. Eye-popping? Of course it also comes with a Blu-ray disc drive, but since it only offers stereoscopic 3D, you'll have to invest in special specs to appreciate the no doubt eye-popping third dimension. The Acer Aspire Z5763 is also the first PC to come with Acer AirControl – a nifty addition that uses the integrated cameras to interpret hand and finger movements so you can execute commands using gesture control instead of that pesky mouse (although you may be relieved to hear that it does still come with one). 3D fans may also be interested in picking up an HN274H, the monitor which Acer claims is the world's first 27-inch full HD 3D monitor. It is, apparently, the first 3D monitor to support the HDMI (dual link) 3D solution. As well as that, it offers a 27-inch LED backlit panel, 100,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 16:9 aspect ratio and a 120Hz refresh rate for super fast 3D rendering. You'll need specs for this too; handily, it comes with Nvidia active shutter 3D glasses. 3D plane not included.

Apple sets sights on TomTom with location data collection Posted: 27 Apr 2011 08:01 AM PDT Apple has finally admitted that it has indeed been gathering location data, but it isn't tracking you personally; the company claims it is using the 'anonymous' data to build a crowd-sourced traffic database. This sounds suspiciously similar to the kinds of services offered by Android Maps' turn-by-turn navigation services and TomTom, which is no doubt quaking in its boots at the thought of competing directly with Apple. Apple's Q&A states, "Apple is now collecting anonymous traffic data to build a crowd-sourced traffic database with the goal of providing iPhone users an improved traffic service in the next couple of years." Currently the iPhone maps service offers directions with approximate timings based on the traffic on your route, but doesn't offer much more jam-based information than that. The bell tolls TomTom already uses information gathered from phone providers to offer a more accurate live traffic service, but the sheer wealth of information available to Apple – and only Apple – would make a proprietary turn-by-turn mapping service with accurate traffic data built in to the phone a serious contender. And would, you know, remove the need for you ever to download TomTom's £50 app or invest in a stand-alone sat-nav device. As Tap! Magazine's Chris Phin ponders, "Is the iPhone now so ubiquitous that location data from the millions of handsets in use – which, fundamentally, reports not only where you are but how fast you're travelling – is fine-grained enough to provide or even just boost live data about road congestion in a free satnav app Apple is developing for the iPhone?" We'll find out in 'the next couple of years'; meanwhile, there's still time to make hay while the sun shines, TomTom. Related Stories Google survey suggests many smartphones have dumb owners Nokia ditches 4,000 workers, offloads Symbian Updated: White iPhone 4 UK release date: 28 April

Apple is collecting location data, but not YOUR location data Posted: 27 Apr 2011 07:25 AM PDT Apple has released an extensive Q&A about iOS 4's apparent gathering of location data and is adamant it is not tracking the location of your iPhone, rather "maintaining a database of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers around your current location." This is to help speed up finding your location when, for instance, you need to load up a map app. "Calculating a phone's location using just GPS satellite data can take up to several minutes," said Apple. "[The] iPhone can reduce this time to just a few seconds by using Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data to quickly find GPS satellites, and even triangulate its location using just Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data when GPS is not available (such as indoors or in basements)." Location, location, location According to Apple, this goes some way in explaining all the location data which can be taken from your iPhone – essentially it is not your own personal data but info that has been "crowd-sourced". "This data is not the iPhone's location data—it is a subset (cache) of the crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower database which is downloaded from Apple into the iPhone to assist the iPhone in rapidly and accurately calculating location," explained Apple. "The reason the iPhone stores so much data is a bug we uncovered and plan to fix shortly. We don't think the iPhone needs to store more than seven days of this data." Apple concludes with a heartfelt message about privacy, saying it is a big believer of putting the 'I' back into the iPhone. "iPhone was the first to ask users to give their permission for each and every app that wanted to use location. "Apple will continue to be one of the leaders in strengthening personal information security and privacy." Sometime in the next few weeks Apple will be releasing an iOS software update to reduce the size of the crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower database cached on the iPhone, stop backing up the cache anddelete the location-storing cache entirely when Location Services are turned off. Whether the Q&A is an example of complete honesty from Apple or a case of baffling its users with techno-babble, remains to be seen but it's good to see Jobs and co aren't burying their collective heads in the sand about the location data issue, and just in time for the UK release of the white iPhone 4, too.

Updated: White iPhone 4 UK release date: 28 April Posted: 27 Apr 2011 06:59 AM PDT In the worst kept secret in technology, the white iPhone 4 officially lands in the UK and worldwide tomorrow, 28 April. In a statement Apple bigs up the new iPhone's beauty and thanks everyone for being patient - they obviously haven't read any of the fanboy rants. "The white iPhone 4 has finally arrived and it's beautiful," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "We appreciate everyone who has waited patiently while we've worked to get every detail right." Update: The long awaited white handset will also be available from Three.co.uk and Three stores tomorrow morning. You can nab it on a 24-month contract starting from £25 a month, or on Three's One Plan for £35 a month, including all-you-can-eat data, 2,000 any network minutes, 5,000 Three to Three minutes and 5,000 texts. If you're interested in pay as you go, Three is offering the iPhone 4 for £499.99 where a £15 top up will get you 300 minutes, 3000 texts and all-you-can-eat data. Colour corrected Considering "every detail" constitutes a colour change, we are not quite sure why it has taken so long for Apple to give us a white iPhone 4 but we are glad it is finally making its way to the UK this week. Apple has offered up dollar pricing for the white iPhone 4, stating that the 16GB model will retail for $199 and it's $299 for the 32GB. With talk of the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S making an appearance before the year is up, it seems a little funny to still be talking about the iPhone 4 - especially considering Samsung has already released its iPhone 4 killer, the Samsung Galaxy S2 - but it's bound to be lapped up by colour-conscious Apple fans. Related Stories Google survey suggests many smartphones have dumb owners Nokia ditches 4,000 workers, offloads Symbian Apple sets sights on TomTom with location data collection

Explained: Sony PSN hack: what you can and can't do Posted: 27 Apr 2011 06:47 AM PDT Sony admitted this week that its PlayStation Network (PSN) has been hacked, which has put all of the 77 million accounts on the service at risk. Not only has the Japanese government condemned the data breach, as well as an American senator, most security experts are telling users to take precautions with their banks - as their credit card details could already be in the hands of scammers. There's a lot of confusion surrounding the data breach so here is TechRadar's guide to what you can (and can't) do in the face of the PSN hack to make sure your details are safe. PSN hack: What you you CAN do 1. Keep an eye on your bank account Now is the time to monitor your bank account and make sure that no dodgy transactions are taking place. Sony may be unclear if your credit card details have been taken, but you can do no worse than contacting your bank to make sure that money isn't being taken out to pay for someone's holiday in Jamaica. 2. Watch for spam We all get email spam but if the account you used to sign up to the PSN with starts filling up with phishing emails asking for your account details, then crank up the filter as it's more than likely your email address has got into the wrong hands. Sony has already said that it will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information - so don't reply to any Sony-related emails if they start coming in. 3. Change passwords that are the same as your PSN one If you are anything like the majority of people, then you will be using the same password for many of your sites. Once that password is out, fraudsters will be able to get into your other accounts that use the same password, such as Facebook, Twitter and your online shopping sites. If you don't know how to create a password that recognisable but not 12345, then check out Sophos' decent how-to video below. 4. Listen to the experts - act now Graham Cluely from Sophos has been very vocal about the PSN hack and has come to the conclusion the breach is serious. We would follow Cluely's advice. He said about the hack: "The fraudsters won't wait around - for them this is a treasure trove ripe for exploiting. You need to act now to minimise the chances that your identity and bank account become casualties following this hack. "That means, changing your online passwords (especially if you use the same password on other sites), and considering whether it would be prudent to inform your bank that as far as you're concerned your credit card is now compromised." Christopher Boyd, senior threat researcher at GFI Software, also gave the following warning: "It's crucial that access [to the PSN] is restored as soon as possible so that users can confirm what information might have been compromised." 5. Buy an Xbox Yes, we're joking but what's the betting Microsoft is rubbing its hands in delight at the fact that some users burnt by Sony will defect to the Xbox 360. PSN hack: What you can't do Here's the big problem: with the PSN down, there are a number of things that you just can't find out… 1. Know if you account is affected The main problem with Sony's statement was that it was a sweeping one, which addressed 77 million people. There was no get out of jail card for the UK, Japan etc… at the moment, and until Sony updates, all PSN users are affected and have been for a week. 2. Change your PSN password All PlayStation Users would love to get into their account and change their passwords but they can't as Sony has put the PSN on lockdown. It may be closing the stable door once the horse has bolted, but the mere fact you can't change your password at the moment is worrying. And what's even more worrying is that when the PSN does come back online, it may crash with everyone trying to amend their accounts. 3. Find out what credit card you used for PSN The PSN has been around since 2007 (in the UK, since November 2006 in Japan), which means some users will have no idea which card they have linked to the PSN. This is a bit of a nightmare, considering you would want to know which card you need to keep an eye on. Until the PSN is back up and running there is no way to see which card you have on your account - unless you want to trawl through months of statements to see which account that last SingStar micropayment came from. 4. Change your gamer tag If someone has stolen your PSN identity, then the first thing you would want to do is change it enough so that you claim it back. One of the best ways to do this is change your gamer tag. Unfortunately, with the PSN down this is impossible to do. With this in mind, it is recommended you change any tags that are the same as your gamer one. So if your Twitter identity is the same as your PSN one, then it's best to think another one up pretty quick. Related Stories PSN users 'should cancel credit cards immediately' says expert

Explained: NFC in phones: what you need to know Posted: 27 Apr 2011 06:00 AM PDT Near-field communications (NFC) is a technology that's getting a lot of coverage recently, thanks to its inclusion in the Google Nexus S and rumours that it'll be present in the iPhone 5. And one in five smartphones will feature NFC tech by 2014, according to forecasts by Juniper Research. But what is it, and what's it good for? The first thing to know is that NFC is actually not new tech. It's an evolution of the radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, which has been used for years as the basis for the London Underground's Oyster cards, where you simply tap your Oyster card on a pad to pay for your journey. NFC extends the capabilities of RFID, though it's still compatible with the older technology, and should be able to do more than just take payments. NFC's development is overseen to a degree by the NFC Forum, which publishes specifications and has developed a certification scheme for ensuring that different NFC devices work with one another. The Forum's members include lots of electronics manufacturers, as well as most major mobile operating systems, including Android, Symbian and RIM (in case you're wondering, Apple isn't on the list, and NFC Forum director Debbie Arnold says the organisation is "keeping an eye out" for the iPhone manufacturer, but declined to comment on whether there had been any contact already). Uses for NFC There are three different use cases for NFC, which Debbie Arnold describes as "sharing", "pairing" and "transactions". Technically, these are known as "reader/writer", "peer-to-peer" and "card emulation" respectively. For "sharing", connections between NFC devices always work in the same way: one acts as the reader, while the other is the writer. The reader will be powered, and produces a small (typically 4cm at most) radio frequency (RF) field that activates the writer, which then sends it information. The RF field alone is enough to power the NFC capabilities of the writer, which enables it to be placed in something as small or thin as an Oyster card, which has no battery of its own. Smart Poster is the name given by the NFC Forum to small writer RF tags, which Arnold says can be embedded "almost anywhere, from a magazine to a poster or a statue, or on the wall". You can then tap this with an NFC device, such as a suitably equipped phone, and see whatever information has been included. It could be a short description of what you're looking at, or a film poster could give you the showing times at your local cinema and directions to it, or an advert in a magazine might give you a coupon. It could have more important uses, too. Arnold gives the example of a prescription bottle with more safety and usage information available using an embedded Smart Poster than you could fit on the label. With two powered devices, peer-to-peer data transfer similar to Bluetooth is possible. Although it's slower than Bluetooth and has a much more limited range, it consumes less power. There are also no set-up passwords or codes required, as there is with Bluetooth and secure Wi-Fi. You could simply place your digital camera next to your TV to send photos across for viewing. Because of this, one of the possibilities for NFC use is as a way for devices to 'handshake' as a way of accepting another type of connection. For example, it could actually replace the set-up hassles when pairing two Bluetooth devices. They would need to be placed close enough for the NFC to register first, but could then be moved away to normal Bluetooth distances once the connection was established. Many wireless routers come with a card with the WEP/WPA code on it for reference, but this could be NFC-equipped, meaning you would only need to tap your new computer/phone/laptop with it to connect securely. Contactless payment in phones All of these extended uses for NFC could be very useful, but contactless payment is what's really hitting the headlines. Barclays already uses debit cards with what it calls 'contactless technology' built in, in conjunction with Visa. It enables people to pay for items less than £15 simply by placing their card on or near a payment pad. While incorporating NFC in debit cards is one way to ensure wide distribution of the technology, it doesn't make the most of some of the other features it's capable of. When paying with a phone, you could not only pay, but receive plenty of information digitally in return. Arnold says that users can make a payment, and in the same simple tap receive back "coupons, receipts, loyalty points and warranty programs". It could save customers time, and retailers money and resources. Those coupons could also be very targeted, since the retailer will know what you buy and how often. This system is already in place with many loyalty card schemes, but the process could be streamlined. Of course, with this kind of focussed data collation, we're getting into the realm of arguably NFC's most high-profile supporter so far… Google and NFC Google declined to talk about concrete plans regarding NFC for this article, confirming to TechRadar that its inclusion in the Google Nexus S phone was more a case of future-proofing than part of an immediate strategy. However, at the Web 2.0 summit in 2010, Google's Eric Schmidt actually demonstrated using NFC as a way to get information on a place by tapping a phone against a special Google-branded location card, negating the need to search manually. He also talked up the ability of phones to act as a payment system when equipped by NFC. Google told us that this can be considered a guide to where the search giant hopes to see the technology go in the near future. "We think the overall mobile market, which is already extraordinarily excited about these payment systems, will benefit from having [NFC]," Schmidt explained. "One way to think about it is that this could replace your credit card," he added. Mobile phones - and smartphones more recently - have become the ubiquitous accessory of our lives. If payment technology can be built into them, would a wallet with cards even be necessary any more? Samsung and Visa have teamed up to raise awareness of this possibility with a high-profile distribution of NFC-capable phones to the Olympic and Paralympic athletes at the London 2012 games. The phones are also set to be released to the general public as well, and it's clear that Samsung - as an early innovator of the technology - is hoping to be at the forefront of any wider uptake. "We regard the greatest show on earth as the perfect opportunity to showcase how this technology can make a positive difference to people's lives," said Seokpil Kim, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics Europe. NFC security Of course, the obvious question to ask about payment where you simply pass your phone or card over a receiver regards security. There have been concerns that NFC would be vulnerable to people wandering around with a reader device, making unwanted transactions for anyone who walks past, or that a stolen card wouldn't even need a matching PIN for the thief to use it. The first of these scenarios is combated partly by the short-range nature of NFC - you can't simply scan a room as you could with Wi-Fi. You still need to effectively touch against whatever device holds the information. Barclays details a few methods designed to combat the second concern above, including that £15 transaction limit, which means that a thief couldn't simply empty your account in one go. "Where you're going to see security, especially from the payment world, is in that payment application itself," says Debbie Arnold. This bears out in Barclays' system, in which the payment machine will ask for a PIN to be entered if your card is used several times in a row. To a degree, NFC could be considered a dumb connection, and the security needs to be integrated into the software that surrounds it. The usual fraud cover that's offered by other payment systems is also in place, meaning that you won't be liable for any fraudulent transaction provided you've acted with reasonable care. "The reason this NFC chip is so interesting is because the credit card industry thinks that the loss rate's going to be much [lower]," Eric Schmidt says. Continuing that thought, Arnold details one particular reason why NFC integrated into phones could actually offer greater security: "Today, if you lose a card you're not liable because of the business rules around it, but somebody can still go around and make transactions either under the [£15] limit or in offline terminals, and the bank has to eat that fraud. Today, if you lose your phone, not only might you have password protection on it, but also the operator can turn it off instantly. So you have double protection if you have a phone with a payment application on it." Services like Apple's Find My iPhone and HTC's Sense.com can also wipe phones remotely, meaning you could immediately render your phone useless as a payment device yourself when you notice it's missing. Certainly, it would be a boon for consumers if the technology did prove to be more secure in the long run, as well as convenient. When it comes to introducing a new payment technology, we can't help but think of the resistance to bringing in chip-and-PIN from some quarters, but NFC-based payments look set to be purely optional for the foreseeable future, so may have a smoother introduction. In any case, with the likes of Google, Samsung, Barclays and Visa behind it, it's likely that NFC will find its way into your pocket before too long, one way or another. Related Stories Google set to unleash Gtalk video calling on Android 2.3.4

New PS3 models hit FCC Posted: 27 Apr 2011 05:58 AM PDT Two new PlayStation 3 models have been filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), with model number CECH 3001A and CECH 3001B. Under product name, the two models are listed as "Computer Entertainment System (PlayStation 3)", and a prototype of each console has been through testing already, thus proving that they do indeed exist. The FCC regulates all non-governmental technology in the US which uses radio spectrum as part of its operation. Details on the new console iterations are few and far between, but the test reports confirm that both models are approved for Bluetooth 2.0+ and Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as coming with a hard disk drive. We've put our best men on the job and they've come up with the following theory: the A and B versions could be down to differing capacities. We're working 'round the clock on this There are also two debugging stations in the filing, which suggests we could be looking at a new chipset on board the consoles, both of which are stated as 'tested'. Sony sneakily requested that the schematic diagrams and theories of operation were withheld as confidential, which spoils basically all of our fun. We can, however, see the label position. Apparently it will be on the bottom of the console, aligned left. Thrilling news. Related Stories Nintendo confirms Wii successor for E3 Banned Xbox 360s briefly unlocked amid PSN data nightmare

MySpace owners looking for over $100 million for site Posted: 27 Apr 2011 05:04 AM PDT News Corp is readying the sale of MySpace and is looking for more than $100 million for the ailing website. No longer a social network but now an entertainment hub, MySpace is up for sale by its owner News Corp and there seems to be a number of potential buyers ready to part with cash for the site. One of the more notable (and still rumoured) people looking at the site is Chris De Wolfe, who is MySpace's co-founder. Other parties interested include private equity firms THL Partners and Redscout Ventures. Space saver There's also Criterion Capital, which seems to have a habit of snaffling under-performing social sites as it already owns Bebo. Whoever purchases MySpace will be paying almost a sixth less than News Corp did when it bought the website back in 2005. News Corp paid $580 million, which looked like good money for a social-network at the top of its game. But then Facebook came along and relegated the site, along with many others. Related Stories YouTube to offer updated movie on demand service Facebook takes on Groupon with new online deals feature Exclusive: Last.fm: we feel for Spotify Amazon profits fall 33% despite Kindle sales boost YouTube to stream astronaut interview live from space

Amazon profits fall 33% despite Kindle sales boost Posted: 27 Apr 2011 04:52 AM PDT Amazon has reported a tumble in its profits for the first quarter of 2011, down by a third compared to the same period last year. It's not all doom and gloom for the international sales behemoth, however, with sales of £6 billion and international sales up by 31 per cent. Ebooks were among Amazon's most popular products of the quarter, with one print book and four ebooks in its top 10 bestselling items and the Kindle its top-selling product. Burning a hole So where's all that extra money going? It's being invested into new products and technologies, including the Kindle e-reader, Amazon smartphone apps, Amazon's in-house appstore and, potentially, a tablet device of its own. Christopher North, Managing Director of Amazon.co.uk said of the results, "This is a strong quarter for amazon.co.uk; for the first time we are seeing our other segments such as grocery and clothing push up sales. "We predict growth to continue around 35-40 per cent in Q2 thanks to investments in new technologies and innovations." Related Stories YouTube to offer updated movie on demand service Facebook takes on Groupon with new online deals feature Exclusive: Last.fm: we feel for Spotify MySpace owners looking for over $100 million for site YouTube to stream astronaut interview live from space

Gary Marshall: PSN: Pretty Stupid Network? Posted: 27 Apr 2011 04:30 AM PDT Another day, another big company gets hacked: this time it's Sony, whose PlayStation Network (PSN) has been compromised. There are two big differences between this one and, say, Play.com's data being hacked. The first is the scale and the seriousness of it, and the second is the reaction to it. Scale and severity first. Having a few thousand users' data compromised is unfortunate. Having 77 million users' data compromised is disastrous, especially when that data may include addresses, passwords and possibly credit card details too. The reaction is interesting. Much of the internet, it seems, reckons that Sony is the bad guy here. The reasons vary. For some, it's because Sony took a week to tell anybody their data might have been compromised. For others, it's karmic justice for the case against firmware hacker George Hotz, aka GeoHot. For people who really, really hold a grudge, it's payback for the CD rootkit debacle of 2005. And for some, it's hubris: what else do you expect if your latest update is an "epic save" that "bests hackers"? So which side are we supposed to be rooting for here? Few winners, many losers I don't subscribe to the "hackers good, companies bad" point of view that you see a lot online. Irrespective of their intentions, the people who compromised PSN have inconvenienced millions of people and possibly exposed them to identity theft or fraud. It's not as if Sony simply stuck all its customer data in a text file, called it OurSuperSecretCustomerData.txt and left it on the Sony website. Is it? Well, actually, if Ars Technica's source is accurate, Sony didn't exactly do much to protect users' data. According to its source back in February, crucial data such as credit card details was being transmitted in plain text. Whether that particular detail is true or not, Ars's advice - use PSN cards instead of credit cards - proved to be prescient. The details of the incident may still be sketchy, but there's no doubt that Sony's been making a right arse of things since the problems emerged. As GFI Software's Christopher Boyd points out, it's hard to tell what's going on when Sony's taken the whole sodding network down: "It's crucial that access is restored as soon as possible so that users can confirm what information might have been compromised," he says. If Sony has indeed been sloppy, if it's been committing schoolboy errors such as transmitting personal data in plaintext, if it's failed to act when the flaws have been exposed, then it deserves our contempt - and the hackers deserve our support. It's a pain if you're a PS3 owner, but surely it's better to have one big high-profile mess than to have details of how to intercept PSN customer details floating around where only ne'er-do-wells and ruffians congregate. If a company is providing any kind of online service, this should be a wake-up call: if Sony can screw things up this badly, other firms can too. And it should be a wake up call for us, because once again it demonstrates the dangers of trusting your personal data to the cloud and the danger of letting faraway firms hang on to your credit card details. No matter who's at fault here, it's clear who loses: Sony's customers. At best, they're unable to use a service that's a big part of the PlayStation experience; at worst, they're going to have to keep a close eye on their credit cards for the foreseeable future. Comments on this story are temporarily disabled.

Banned Xbox 360s briefly unlocked amid PSN data nightmare Posted: 27 Apr 2011 04:19 AM PDT Microsoft un-banned a number of locked Xbox 360 consoles and banned gamer tags last night, whether intentionally or not. Consoles that were banned for being modified – eg with a flashed disc drive to enable users to play pirated and homebrew games – seemed to be making a comeback on the Xbox Live network, but have since been restored to 'banned' status. It doesn't sound as though anyone was able to go further than simply signing in to the service, and users encountered an error when trying to download games and updates from the Marketplace. X-unboxing It's not clear whether this was some kind of sneaky PR move from Microsoft, or simply a glitch in the system. The un-banning comes during Sony's biggest ever security breach and PR disaster, which leads us to suspect that the unlocking could have be a result of tests on Microsoft's own network security to avoid a similar catastrophe. Either way, it looks as though the banned then un-banned consoles have now been re-banned. It's just a rollercoaster of emotions for gamers this week, eh? Related Stories Nintendo confirms Wii successor for E3 New PS3 models hit FCC

Review: Icon Audio Stereo 60 Mk 3 Posted: 27 Apr 2011 04:00 AM PDT Icon's exuberant literature makes many claims for the Stereo 60 Mk 3 amp, including higher output power than most KT88 models can muster: 65-watt ultralinear or 35-watt triode. There's nothing outrageous about that, though, and indeed we've seen 100-watt amps using just a pair of KT88s. The relatively high output power is partly responsible for the considerable weight of this amp, but the chassis is very substantially built too, complete with a solid copper top-plate around the valve area. Unusually, all the valves are octal-base types, including the small-signal valves and voltage regulator. These are relatively old designs, compared with the 'modern' (about 1960!) KT88. We weren't surprised, given the valve complement, to find that internal electronic assembly is entirely point-to-point, with the only circuit board being a small one for the remote control decoder. Passive components are good quality throughout, including one-watt-rated resistors almost everywhere, brand-name polypropylene capacitors and a motorised volume control. The input selector switch is manual (not remote-controllable) and connected to the input sockets with PTFE-insulated screened wire. The complement of inputs looks a bit stingy, but don't forget that the 'Source/tape' switch effectively gives you a fourth input. Sound quality In many ways upheld the classic stereotype of 'valve sound', with strong, very present vocals, good vitality and persuasive communication in all sorts of music. If there is a quality to this amp that may cause dissatisfaction it's tonal coloration. This clearly isn't a function of frequency response which is fine, rather it's something about the distortion 'fingerprint' of the amp that is pesistently audible and can be a little distracting. One listener pointed to cymbals as being the main indicator of this and indeed it is the region where high midrange becomes treble that shows it up most. We'd probably live with it happily enough, though, considering the Stereo 60's many admirable traits. Notably, and perhaps to some people's surprise from a valve amp, it has very good timing and gets feet tapping reliably across the widest range of musical styles. It's also very good at resolving detail and, for instance, our musically dense opera excerpt benefitted no end from the way this amp keeps all the different parts clear and well-balanced. Bass is a little mixed, with good extension but sometimes a slightly soft attack, at least compared with the very tight leading edges this amp produces on high-frequency notes. On the other hand; the bass is well integrated with the rest of the range. Dynamics are very good, swinging effortlessly from one extreme to the other and also making the most of finer gradations around the middle of the range. Related Stories Review: Musical Fidelity M1 Series CD player and DAC Review: Electrocompaniet PD 1 DAC Review: Tannoy Revolution DC6T Review: Cayin A55-T Review: Consonance Cyber-100 Signature

ARM namechecks big deals in latest results Posted: 27 Apr 2011 03:57 AM PDT ARM is finally seeing long term licensees turn its designs into key products, with the company's latest financial results boasting about recent deals with Broadcom and Korean giant LG. The news that LG had sealed a deal with the British tech giant broke this week, and ARM will be looking forward to seeing more of its offerings in the company's products. When that happens it will be joining 1.15 billion ARM-processors shipped in mobile devices and 700 million in other devices – like TVs, disk drives and microcontrollers. Really Smart TVs On top of this, several 'major semiconductor companies' developing chips for set top box and televisions have licensed ARM technology – which could lead to some interesting future products. "Influential market leaders are licensing ARM technology to gain access to a growing ecosystem of operating systems, software applications, tools and service providers, said CEO Warren East. "Many of these companies have been ARM licensees for many years, and are now deploying ARM technology across a multitude of applications; in mobile, consumer electronics and embedded devices. "This licensing drives ARM's long-term royalty opportunity. Shipments of ARM-processor based chips increased 33% on the same period last year driven by growth in smartphones, tablets, digital TVs and microcontrollers. "ARM's revenue growth enables us to continue to invest in innovative technology development at the same time as delivering strong increases in profits and cash flow."

Review: Consonance Cyber-100 Signature Posted: 27 Apr 2011 03:30 AM PDT There seem to be quite a few similarly-named amps in the Consonance range and the Cyber-100 Signature is equipped with KT88 output valves appears to be specific to the UK market. It's a classic design, both electronically and mechanically, and a very simple one in terms of its circuit. The valve count is typical: two double-triodes per channel looking after phase-splitting and driving the output valves. In keeping with current trends, there are a couple of 6SN7 valves, an old type that pre-dates the ECC8x varieties so popular in audio. Selection from among the generous five inputs is made by relays and the volume control is motorised and is, therefore, also remote-controllable. Component quality throughout the amp is good, if not outstanding. There are internal bias adjustment points, but these are not intended for use by the owner. Operating mode is fixed. The look of this amp is considerably enhanced by the profiled wooden slats which cover the transformer enclosure. By contrast, the valves are covered by a rather unprepossessing cover, easily removable and has an unusually high propensity to ring when struck. By the same token, it can 'sing-along' in harmony with the music and, although we prefer valve cages to be fitted from a safety point of view, we can see the attraction of going without, if the amp is sited safely out of the way. Sound quality Although our listeners quite liked this amp, and indeed found praise for almost every specific area of performance, they didn't quite seem to have been fired up to paeans of enthusiasm over it. Perhaps one comment from their notes sums up what seems to be the problem: 'The sound lacks natural beauty'. Everything is there: apparently - bass; mid and treble; detail; imaging; timing – but it just doesn't quite add up to beautiful music. Well, saying everything is there is a little vague and needs some clarification. Bass is one of the Cyber 100's best points, present when needed with plenty of attack and precision, but never overwhelming or exaggerated. Midrange is not obviously coloured, but lacks some insight and, at times, can seem to emphasise certain instruments a little at the expense of others. We never really established a clear pattern here; the emphasis benefitting higher-pitched instruments on one recording, lower ones on the next. Treble isn't entirely clean and rather like the midrange, alternates between slight sibilance and a rather dull quality. Such paradoxical results are often the result of a lack of purity in the sound. Distortion, in the most general sense, can have the oddest effects subjectively and we strongly suspect that that's the case here. Despite this, it is perfectly possible to enjoy this amp and we found it relaxing and inviting. We just would have liked a little more revelation – it's all a little safe and lacking in surprise. Related Stories Review: Musical Fidelity M1 Series CD player and DAC Review: Electrocompaniet PD 1 DAC Review: Tannoy Revolution DC6T Review: Cayin A55-T Review: Icon Audio Stereo 60 Mk 3

Nokia ditches 4,000 workers, offloads Symbian Posted: 27 Apr 2011 03:19 AM PDT Nokia has announced the 'next steps in [its] transformation', which include axing 4,000 jobs and outsourcing all Symbian software activities to Accenture as it focuses on Windows Phone 7. Employees of the Finnish firm have known for some time that redundancies are coming, but the scale of the losses has now been revealed: 4,000 of the company's 65,000 global staff will be ditched by the end of 2012. 1,400 of the jobs will be lost in Nokia's native Finland and will be mainly in the Symbian and Meego research and development departments. Farewell Symbian As well as the redundancies, 3,000 Nokia staff will move to Accenture, the company to which Nokia is outsourcing all Symbian software development and support. Stephen Elop, Nokia's president and CEO, said of the new plan: "With this new focus, we also will face reductions in our workforce. This is a difficult reality, and we are working closely with our employees and partners to identify long-term re-employment programs for the talented people of Nokia." To this end, Nokia has launched a social responsibility program, which, it says, will invest time, money and expertise to support re-employment in all countries and communities in which the job losses will have a significant impact. Weirdly, Nokia's press release announcing the redundancies begins with a rather twee analogy about sipping some water and blinking being the reasons that the company fell behind in the smartphone race. We're sure that reducing the reason for 4,000 people losing their jobs to such a banal basis will bring the soon-to-be-ex-Nokia employees great comfort. Related Stories Google survey suggests many smartphones have dumb owners Updated: White iPhone 4 UK release date: 28 April Apple sets sights on TomTom with location data collection

LG claims it has 'turned corner' Posted: 27 Apr 2011 03:09 AM PDT LG believes that it has turned the corner, with sales of flat panels and operating profits up and optimism that an 'aggressive' product line-up in televisions will drive profits. The company as a whole saw its first operating profit since early 2010, although investments in affiliated companies brought a net loss of 16 billion Won (£9m). The Home Entertainment arm posted a revenue decrease of 4.8 per cent year-on-year – with the company blaming slower demand and average selling price decline. Turnaround However, LG is confident that its 'Cinema 3D' TV range and Smart TVs will be leading the turnaround for the company. "Thanks to cost-cutting efforts, the company saw progress in its turnaround quarter-over-quarter, posting a KRW 82 billion (USD 73.1 million) operating profit in the first quarter," said LG "An aggressive product line-up, led by CINEMA 3D TVs and Smart TVs, is expected to continue to drive profits and expand market share for the Home Entertainment business." Mobile steady LG also pointed to 'significant improvement' in operating profits for its mobile arm, despite a decrease in revenue on the same period in 2010. "While overall handset shipments declined quarter-over-quarter as a result of slow seasonality, operating profit showed sig-nificant improvement in the first quarter due to an increase in smartphones in the company's portfolio and reduction in overhead costs," added LG. "The company expects to improve its product mix by launching new smartphones including the LG Optimus Black and the LG Optimus 3D and gain profitability by further cutting costs."

PSN users 'should cancel credit cards immediately' says expert Posted: 27 Apr 2011 03:04 AM PDT Security specialist Sophos has put out a stark warning to anyone who has entered their credit card details on the PlayStation network, saying they should "cancel that card immediately". Sony this week admitted that a hacker has infiltrated the PSN and, along with it, the personal information of potentially all of the 70 million people who use the service. In the UK, three million people are part of the PSN, and Graham Cluely from Sophos believes that everybody should be changing passwords and cancelling cards to minimise any damage. Treasure trove "If you're a user of Sony's PlayStation Network, now isn't the time to sit back on your sofa and do nothing," said Cluely. "The fraudsters won't wait around - for them this is a treasure trove ripe for exploiting. You need to act now to minimise the chances that your identity and bank account become casualties following this hack." "That means, changing your online passwords (especially if you use the same password on other sites), and considering whether it would be prudent to inform your bank that as far as you're concerned your credit card is now compromised." Alongside credit cards and passwords, there were also personal details obtained – such as dates of birth, email account information, names and addresses. Christopher Boyd, senior threat researcher at GFI Software, is also worried about the implications of the data breach. He explained: "The breach is extremely serious, but the key question is whether or not the person or group responsible was able to obtain the details of all 77 million PSN users or only 'some' of them. "What's particularly frustrating for users of the PSN is that anybody unsure of what information is stored against their account such as personal information, card details and password reset answers won't know until the service is back online. "It's crucial that access is restored as soon as possible so that users can confirm what information might have been compromised." Sony does not yet know how systemic the hack was, but announcing that all credit card details could be compromised means that this could be one of the biggest data leaks the web has ever seen. Related Stories Explained: Sony PSN hack: what you can and can't do

Review: Cayin A55-T Posted: 27 Apr 2011 03:00 AM PDT Cayin is one brand name of Zuhai Spark, a Chinese hi-fi specialist operation. Its amps are all valve-based designs running the gamut from relatively pedestrian valves, like the KT88 and EL34, to the exotic-looking GU29. The Cayin A55-T is one of the most comfortingly traditional models in the range, using a familiar line-up of four KT88 valves, plus two each of the ECC82 and ECC83. Like many current pentode/tetrode amps, this one has a choice of operational modes: ultralinear or triode. Rather classily, these are selected via the remote control (a front-panel switch would have been useful). The choice of mode gives flexibility in the matter of output power, with 40 watts on offer in ultralinear mode, but only 18 watts in triode mode. But what may be of more significance to most listeners is that it invariably slightly alters the basic sound, due to the different impedances and distortion signatures involved. The layout of this model is classic, with transformers behind and valves neatly displayed in front. Inside the chassis, connection is a mixture of small printed-circuit boards and neatly executed wiring (with quite a few boutique components), plus generous power-supply capacitance and a smoothing choke. Inputs are switched by relays and the volume control is a motorised ALPS 'blue velvet' component. Sound quality Auditioning this amp in triode mode, our 'blind' listeners were generally very taken with its presentation. It's particularly good with voices and that, of course, is a big plus with any hi-fi kit. In similar vein, it communicates melodic lines well and one is always clearly aware of the tune when listening – as one listener succinctly put it, 'musical!'. But there's more to this amp than just sounding vaguely nice. It has good detail across the midrange and into the treble and presents very good images, too, with clearly defined lateral placement and stable, plausible depth; you could say this amp makes the direction and focus of a piece of music very clear. There's something of a down side in the handling of frequency extremes, although it didn't greatly trouble our listeners. Bass is a little lacking in real extension and although it is reasonably tight and rhythmic, it doesn't pack quite the punch that one or two other amps managed. Treble is just slightly on the dull side of sweet, but it's clear from our listeners' notes (and our own subsequent sighted listening) that this is something one gets used to in a couple of minutes and not a serious distraction. Dynamics are interesting, seeming somehow to make the shift from quiet to loud rather rapid, though the reverse direction is natural enough. This seemed less noticeable in ultralinear mode, which also gave rather more kick to the bass – but the mellifluous quality in the midband suffered slightly and, on the whole, we preferred triode mode. Related Stories Review: Musical Fidelity M1 Series CD player and DAC Review: Electrocompaniet PD 1 DAC Review: Tannoy Revolution DC6T Review: Consonance Cyber-100 Signature Review: Icon Audio Stereo 60 Mk 3

Buying Guide: Best Blu-ray player 2011: 10 recommended Posted: 27 Apr 2011 03:00 AM PDT When big and bulky Blu-ray players first appeared a few years ago they were all about high definition. Back then, simply getting HD content into your HD Ready TV was the hottest ticket in town - and it came at a high price. Come 2011 and those first-gen players seem light years away, Now we've got super-slim machines with loading times in single figure seconds, 3D Blu-ray playback, 2D-to-3D conversion, movie streaming and all kinds of networking and digital file possibilities. Most of those features are now standard and shouldn't be considered particularly high-end, though the likes of iPhone App control, genuinely engaging online content hubs that include BBC iPlayer, and built-in Freeview HD tuners are harder to find. Here are ten of the best Blu-ray players to give you a flavour of what's available, but do expect a slew of new machines over the summer months. 1. Panasonic DMP-BDT110 - £190 The company that invented the active 3D format isn't too keen on the interactive side of Blu-ray; this entry-level 3D machine lacks any built-in BD Live storage, but otherwise this is an exceptional deck. 2D and 3D pics are sparkling and conversion between the two isn't bad, either, though it's Skype video calling and DLNA networking (via wired LAN unless you buy a WiFi USB dongle) that will appeal to just as many. 2. Sony BDP-S570 - £150 High on features, but low on price, Sony's 2010 range of Blu-ray players are now going for a song - and their combination of features and performance still stand-up to 2011's competition. The user interface, a copy of the Xross Media Bar on the PS3, is superbly intuitive and very responsive using the no-nonsense remote control. Add 2D and 3D pictures par excellence to a host of online content (including BBC iPlayer and LoveFilm), Wi-Fi and 1GB of storage for BD Live, and it's a mighty tempting package. Read our full Sony BDP-S570 review 3. Samsung BD-D6900 - £250 We're surprised at how few Blu-ray players double-up and include Freeview HD tuners, which makes Samsung's UK-specific BD-D6900 all the more standout. Excellent pictures flow from 2D and 3D Blu-ray discs as well as from the likes of BBC HD and ITV 1 HD, but it's the appearance of Samsung's new Smart Hub online portal that most impresses. Also includes 2D-to-3D conversion, and digital file playback via DLNA networking, USB and NAS drives. 4. Denon DBP-1611UD - £400 Wrapped up in a typically dour, albeit durable, black metal casing comes Denon's first 3D Blu-ray player - and it's a cracker. With 1GB of built-in memory for enjoying BD Live functions, there's no necessity for a rear USB socket, but there is one around the front for memory expansion or for reading multimedia files. There's also access to YouTube and DLNA networking, and although the onscreen menus are a tad basic, the DBP-1611UD wins friends with its accurate colour fidelity, smooth moving images and exceptional detail in even the most gloomy of scenes. Read our full Denon DBP-1611UD review 5. Sony BDP-S470 - £120 Sony is attempting to get 3D compatibility into your lounge whether you like it or not with a bevy of well-specified 3D Blu-ray players that include the incredibly affordable BDP-S470. DLNA networking and BBC iPlayer are possible, though only via wired Ethernet LAN unless you buy a dongle. That's where the bad news ends; SACD compatibility is a surprise extra alongside cracking 2D and 3D pictures and disc loading in single figure seconds. Read our full Sony BDP-S470 review 6. Panasonic DMP-BDT210 - £210 Here's a convincing argument for spending more than the sub-£100 supermarket prices for bog-standard Blu-ray players; 3D playback, 2D-to-3D conversion, built-in Wi-Fi and a touch-free sensor that enables the disc tray to open with a simple wave of your hand. In fact, you can banish the remote completely thanks to a free iPhone app that both mimics the remote control hardware and has its own gesture controls. A polished effort for 2011, again with Skype Video calling. 7. Yamaha BD-S667 review - £230 The original proponent of home cinema and multichannel sound came to the Blu-ray party a little late in the day, but Yamaha has been playing catch-up very fast if the BD-S667 is anything to go by. A mid-range option and strictly 2D, this rather dull looking unit is nevertheless a top performer with Blu-ray and digital files; in our tests it aced every file we could think of via a USB stick, NAS drive and from a PC using DLNA networking. Read our full Yamaha BD-S667 review 8. Panasonic DMP-BDT310 - £260 3D picture adjustments and 2D-to-3D conversion and the additions for those serious about the third dimension, but elsewhere this flagship deck's dual HDMI 1.4 outputs, built-in Wi-Fi (to power Viera Cast) and DLNA networking make it perfect for home cinemas. Skype video calling is reserved for those who buy a £130 HD Communication Camera from Panasonic, but the excellent iPhone control - using a free app - is for all to revel in. Read our full Panasonic DMP-BDT310 review 9. LG BD570 - £125 LG was an early advocate for network Blu-ray players - and the result of that is the BD570, a disc spinner that equals or exceeds many dedicated network media streamers. If you have music or video files on your PC or a NAS, as well as a significant disc collection, this do-it-all deck could be a perfect buy. And while it's not videophile grade, even in a high-end cinema environment the player doesn't disappoint. Currently going for a knockdown price, too. Read our full LG BD570 review 10. Oppo BDP-83SE NuForce Edition - £1,300 A Special Edition of Oppo's long-lost European Blu-ray debutant, the BDP-83 - with some additional pixie dust from high-performance amplifiers company NuForce - this player is battleship grade. A universal model, it can play Super Audio CDs and DVD Audio discs, as well as the usual roster of BD, DVD and CD platters, and DivX HD and its ilk, too. A spectacular analogue audio performer that doesn't fatlter with MP3s, this is the deck for audiophiles - and its resolutely 2D Blu-ray video ain't bad, either. Read our full Oppo BDP-83SE NuForce Edition review Related Stories Review: Thinkflood RedEye Mini Explained: How 3D TV works FA Cup final to be screened in 3D

Review: Yamaha NP-S2000 Posted: 27 Apr 2011 02:30 AM PDT You can tell that Yamaha means business with its first-ever network player the moment you lift the new NP-S2000 out of its box: its overall appearance being one of slimness and sophistication, which is probably why its considerable weight comes as a real surprise. And it's only then that you spot other audiophile touches like the adjustable spiked feet and magnetic spike protectors. These and the balanced XLR connections on the rear panel suggest that someone truly wanted to make this a leading contender in the world of high-end network audio players. A world in which it will be competing with the likes of the Marantz NA7004, the Arcam Solo Neo and digital streamers from both Linn and Naim. The NP-S2000 is a particularly fine-looking beast – with its minimalist slim-line fascia disguising the complexity and capabilities that lie within the casework. Like the Marantz, but unlike the Arcam, the Yamaha does not (despite its weight) provide an integral amplifier; there are just line-level connections to hook it up to a pre or integrated amplifier and a digital output for connection to a DAC. We used the latter, because while the analogue stages sounded fine, as they ought with an individual Burr-Brown PCM-1792A DAC in each channel, we thought that the digital connection through a Naim DAC sounded particularly enjoyable and refined. Music formats The Yamaha will play ripped/downloaded music from a media server or PC on the network, as well as from a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device that is DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) compatible. This is why Yamaha thoughtfully provides a licensed copy of TwonkyMedia to be installed on your media server or NAS, from the software bundle on its download site.This also includes a network search utility and a link to the iPhone/iPod Touch app. The graphical interface of the latter is definitely the best way to control the player and is, in our opinion, far superior to the remote control or using the fascia buttons, which are somewhat restrictive (especially if you have many thousands of tracks stored on your server) two-line display. You can also have a similar interface surface on a web browser on your PC or Mac, provided it has access to the same network. The NP-S2000 will handle all the usual music formats at rates up to 96kHz and bit depths of 16-bit and 24-bit: – WAV; FLAC; MP3; AAC and WMA files are all supported, but Yamaha wisely recommends using WAV and FLAC for optimum quality sound. While WAV might be preferable to some, it does have 'issues' with not supporting tags, so we stuck with FLAC files, which support Vorbis Comment-style tags. The player will handle all, but the highest resolution files currently available. There really are not that many 24-bit/192kHz files in circulation at the moment; 24-bit/96kHz currently seems to be the most popular high-resolution format. When you have heard all the networked recordings you wish to hear, the player will also connect to internet radio and use the vTuner database. The player can also provide access to your iTunes library if you have TwonkyMedia installed alongside it. Like the less expensive Marantz NA7004, the NP-S2000 offers balanced audio outputs. Many feel that such connections are redundant in a domestic audio environment, but at least they offer a consistent balanced connection throughput to the Yamaha high-end A-S2000 amp or a similarly equipped amplifier for people who value it. Bullet-proof build The seemingly bullet-proof build quality, along with the stylish appearance, inspires great pride of ownership and confidence in the NP-S2000. Under the lid, dual transformers feed discrete power supplies that run the analogue and digital circuitry independently, so minimising the transfer of noise between the two stages. There is a toroidal transformer powering the analogue circuits and an IE core device supplying the digital components. The transformers occupy the middle third of the triptych-style internal layout, so optimising the distribution of weight in the player. The audio stages are symmetrical and balanced throughout. Together with the power supply arrangements and features, such as an ultra- low-jitter clock, the unit strives to deliver music against a notably silent background. Keeping extraneous noise and interference away from the audio doubtless influenced Yamaha's decision not to include any storage or optical devices in the NP-S2000, such as hard disks or CD/DVD drives. Our listening test used a raft of LPs ripped to 24-bit/96kHz on a NAS, and, in this instance, a super-quiet background seems not quite as important as Yamaha imagines, not unless one is swayed more by the cosmetics of the presentation than by the music. Live sound This is a highly capable player with a sound that is delicate and room-filling at the same time. It really impresses with straight ahead, live-in-the-studio jazz recordings, such as Art Pepper meets the Rhythm Section – a 24-bit/96kHz rip of the fantastic 1957 analogue session. It digs in deeply to reveal a wealth of instrumental detail, nuances and resonances that vividly bring the music to life. And it positively revels in albums, such as the Richard Thompson's acoustic demo version of Dream Attic. We found the NP-S2000 better suited to jazz and classical than the more contemporary likes of Eminem and Dr Dre. It still plays these with gusto and enthusiasm, but nonetheless sounds a little too polished and refined for some listeners' tastes with music that benefits from a few rougher edges. Despite this 'politeness' it still articulates Eminem's vocals and demonstrates remarkable bass weight and punch. In fact, that LF heft also helps the player to create convincingly expansive sound stages with all types of music. However, it saves its most convincing portrayals for the likes of the Kirov Orchestra performing Stravinsky's Firebird, where the player dexterously and convincingly balances conveying the delicacy of a triangle strike with the thunderous might of the percussion section and the blare of the massed horns in full flight. Contrary to what we intimated earlier, the NP-S2000 manages splendidly when replaying high-resolution rips of well-cared-for vinyl albums. Despite the occasional bit of surface noise, which passes virtually unnoticed, the player focuses the listener's attention squarely on the music and the performances. Its low noise floor exploits the dynamic range available and brings out an abundance of detail. It keeps this all firmly in perspective and does not allow it to dominate or interrupt the ebb and flow of the performance. A collection of Graham Parker albums benefit particularly from their transfer to NAS by increasing the ease with which they can be auditioned, yet losing none of their musical integrity or vitality. The album Live! Alone in America is a special case here: the Yamaha allows the full artistry of Parker and his recording crew to come across in a entirely convincing and persuasive manner. Listening to a favourite internet radio station, Radio Paradise, the NP-S2000 makes the most of the relatively limited amount of data available and produces a dynamic, well-articulated, full-bodied presentation that delivers the smooth, rich, enjoyable listening experience that we've come to appreciate over the last year or two. Its performance on Radio 4 with live voices is also thoroughly satisfactory and very pleasing. Premier league The NP-S2000 is a fine example of a network player from a 'big name' manufacturer. Its appearance is exemplary and its construction is superb. Its audio performance is fittingly premier league as well. It performs well with all types of music, but it truly excels with classical, jazz and acoustic recordings. And, as with so many similar products today, the best way to control it is through an app for those ubiquitous iGadgets: the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, or through a web browser. Related Stories Review: Cyrus Audio Stream XP

Google survey suggests many smartphones have dumb owners Posted: 27 Apr 2011 01:57 AM PDT A study by Google and Ipsos into US mobile behaviour has thrown up the kind of findings that suggests a broad section of users don't really understand what they are doing The "The Mobile Movement: Understanding Smartphone Users" study is of more than 5,000 US smartphone owners and, although Google draws its conclusion from what people are actually using their phones from it's even more interesting what percentage are not using the familiar features. So, the assertions that 81 per cent of smartphone owners browse the internet, 77 per cent search and 68 per cent use an app raise some interesting questions. Mystifying It's a little worrying that 19 per cent of smartphone users don't use the internet application, and the fact that 32 per cent – a staggering percentage – don't use an app is, well, mystifying. Considering apps are massively important to a smartphone , you do wonder if the people surveyed understood the survey questions, or if it's true that just under a third of people are forking out for a posh phone when they could have been better served by a feature phone. And, given the previous findings, the fact that 95 per cent of those surveyed have used their smartphone to look up local information does beg the question – 'using what?'. Video usage That 48 per cent of people use a video makes a lot more sense, and is perhaps illustrative of the fact that mobile video usage is hampered by costs and the difficulties in converting home libraries for use on portable devices. And seven per cent of the participants in the survey claim they don't use their smartphone at home. "Smartphones have become an integral part of users' daily lives," suggests Google. "Consumers use smartphones as an extension of their desktop computers and use it as they multi-task and consume other media." Given the downright odd findings you might be forgiven for suggesting that some of these smartphones are considerably smarter than their owners. Related Stories Nokia ditches 4,000 workers, offloads Symbian Updated: White iPhone 4 UK release date: 28 April Apple sets sights on TomTom with location data collection

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