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- Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar
- Anonymous hacking suspects arrested in Spain
- Review: Updated: HTC Sensation
- Hacked Codemasters admits personal info stolen
- Sky Player and Sky Mobile TV rebrand as Sky Go
- Updated: 10 best touchscreen phones for 2011
- Video: Nintendo at E3 2011: top 10 games
- Video: Nintendo at E3 2011: Top ten games
- Red Epic cam footage of Amazing Spider-Man 'best ever'
- Home ent heavyweights team up for Project Grass
- Buying Guide: Best Windows Phone - which should you buy
- RealD's shares rise but CEO's 3D talk puts investors off
- BlackBerry Playbook comes to Carphone Warehouse a day early
- Review: HTC ChaCha
- O2 network down in East London
- LulzSec reveals NHS web security holes
- Opinion: Why the 3D revolution is a myth
- Week in Tech: Apple blurs the lines between iOS and OS X
- Review: Pathos Ethos
- Twitter: iOS 5 integration is a 'great opportunity'
- Microsoft to pay record £170m patent fine
- Review: Audio Note Zero System
- Review: Microsoft Photosynth (iPhone)
| Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar Posted: 11 Jun 2011 01:00 AM PDT This week's top reviews start with an unexpected winner - the TomTom Start 20 packs in features while achieving an affordable price point. We've also looked at one of the most eagerly-awaited new compacts, the Canon IXUS 220 HS as well as a great new 37-inch 3D TV from Panasonic. Scroll down to browse through all of this week's reviews published on TechRadar. If you own an Android phone, you most likely have access to Google's Navigation app. And providing your phone's GPS chip isn't awful, that means your phone can double as a decent sat nav device. There are also free sat nav apps available for the iPhone and iPad, and so it's not surprising that traditional sat nav manufacturers like TomTom are being given the squeeze. The TomTom Start 20 packs in the features while aiming for an affordable price point in an attempt to get people to splash the cash on a stand alone unit. We think it's a brilliant little gadget, but is it enough to convince people they need a separate sat nav? It's rare to find a compact camera, especially one that comes in at under £200 that seemingly ticks all the boxes. Yet the Canon IXUS 220 HS is perhaps proof that such devices do exist. The quality of images produced exceeded expectation and go some way to rivalling higher-tech counterparts thanks to its high quality lens, 12.1MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor and Digic4 processor. The Canon IXUS 220 HS packs in the features and all for a very modest asking price. So it's certainly fantastic value for money. The Flip camcorder may have been killed off by its impatient owners but there are others out there who have more faith in the category. Last week we looked at Panasonic's HX-WA10 camcorder and this week comes the smaller, cheaper HM-TA20. It's waterproof and shockproof, can record to SD card in full HD 1080p, and it can be picked up for around about £150. As a knockabout, point-and-shoot video camera, we thoroughly recommend it. It's ideal for a family holiday where it might get dropped by the kids, or for a surfing trip where it'll get dumped in the water and thrown in with sandy clothes The TX-L37DT30B is a brilliant 37-inch LCD 3D TV. In fact, we'll go further and say it's the best 37-inch TV in the world right now. Offering barnstorming 2D pictures with excellent 3D performance and built-in BBC iPlayer amongst other decent features, it's just brilliant. It doesn't come with any 3D specs though so if you want 3D pictures you'll need to buy some separately. There's something not quite right about taking an operating system that has great potential and shoving it into a handset whose specifications are so low that they take away much of the ability to do what the operating system offers. But that's what Vodafone has done with the Smart. However – it comes with a personalised backplate.
This week's other reviews on TechRadar Amplifiers Audio systems Camcorders Desktops Advent Discovery MT1804 review Gamepads Thrustmaster F1 Wireless Gamepad review Razer Onza Tournament Edition review
Graphics cards Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 review Hard disk drives Transcend StoreJet 25M3 review Headsets Cyber Snipa Sonar 5.1 Championship review iPhone apps Microsoft Photosynth (iPhone) review Keyboards Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 review
Mice Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX review 3D Connexion SpacePilot Pro 3D mouse review 3D Connexion SpaceNavigator 3D Mouse review Mobile phones Speakers Altec Lansing Orbit Speakers review TV tuner cards TVs
Hands ons Mobile phones Hands on: BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 review Hands on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini review Laptops Hands on: Google Chromebook review Tablets
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| Anonymous hacking suspects arrested in Spain Posted: 10 Jun 2011 01:05 PM PDT Police in Spain have arrested three men, believed to be members of the notorious hackers' organisation known as Anonymous. The men were arrested in connection with Anonymous' alleged activity in the country and were the result of Spanish police trawling through millions of lines of chat logs involving the groups supporters. The arrests were made simultaneously during raids in the cities of Barcelona, Valencia and Almeria and follow arrests in the UK and the US of suspected Anonymous members. Masterminds The big break for officers came when they gained an insight into users of the LOIC internet program, which is used to execute denial of service (DDoS) attacks on websites, by bombarding them with data until the servers crash. Apparently the LOIC platform, which Spanish police called a "cornerstone" of the hacking community, wasn't doing the best job of covering the identity of its users. Household name Anonymous became a household name in April when Sony accused the 'group of connected internet citizens' of masterminding the PlayStation Network hack, which compromised the data of 77m users. The group denied that hack, but Spanish authorities claim to have made one of the arrests at an apartment which housed a server that had been used to attack the PlayStation Store, as well as banks and government websites. The group has also been a staunch supporter of the whistle-blowing site Wikileaks and is believed to have carried out many attacks on its behalf. 
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| Review: Updated: HTC Sensation Posted: 10 Jun 2011 10:49 AM PDT UPDATED: We've had our hands on a new review unit, and have expanded our test as a result, which includes new battery life findings. HTC has gone from being an unknown manufacturer for bigger brands to one spewing out leading Android smartphones. The Desire was a landmark phone in the fight against the iPhone, but now tech has moved up a level - can the HTC Sensation stay at the sharp end? With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S2, the Motorola Atrix and (to a degree) the LG Optimus 2X, dual-core phones have become the darling of the tech enthusiast. And HTC has recognised that in bringing out a phone that ticks all the boxes for the most sought-after tech, bringing an 8MP camera, 1080p video recording, a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm chipset and a qHD resolution 4.3-inch screen. Our colleagues at T3.com grabbed some HTC Sensation video footage, so check out the phone in all its digital moving picture glory: Coming in at £35 a month on a two year deal, or £500 SIM free, it's matching the cost of other high end smartphones at the moment - but given it's HTC's flagship device, we'd expect it costing a little more than the masses.
The design of the HTC Sensation is a little bit larger than its rivals, in that it comes in at 11.3mm thick - noticeably thicker than the likes of the Galaxy S2, but still feeling comfortable in the hand.
The screen is also a different animal to most of the 4.3-inch offerings out there - with the qHD (540x960) resolution display, the Sensation is a thinner offering while still allowing movies to be played in widescreen.
The phone itself is encased in toughened plastic and aluminium (which feels more like plastic) through the stripe in the centre - the whole back of the phones pulls away from the main device, with the antenna and suchlike pumped into the chassis rather than on the phone itself.
Getting the back of the phone off through the little catch at the bottom is much harder than it looks, with the fingers needed to prise it apart almost holding it in place at the same time - wiggling and shaking is needed to get to the battery and microSD card slot. The power/lock button is placed on the top right hand side of the phone, and sits probably a little too close to the chassis to be easily pressed - although it's more of a minor annoyance than a deal breaker.
HTC is one of the few brands that's still keeping faith with the dedicated search key, (the likes of the Sony Ericsson Arc and Galaxy S2 have done away with it altogether) but the keys are touch sensitive like the HTC Desire S, and react instantly to a feathery fingering. The headphone socket is at the top of the Sensation (rather than taking its design cues from the larger-screened phones like the Desire HD, which liked to plonk it at the bottom) but is probably a little close to the edge of the phone - getting a good grip when holding the phone to watch video can be a little hard.
HTC has long had a problem with screen visibility in direct sunlight, and it seems that issue has continued somewhat with the Sensation. It's definitely a step up, as at medium brightness you can make out what's on the screen, but compare it to the iPhone 4's Retina Display or the Super AMOLED Plus of the Galaxy S2 and it's miles behind. However, the resolution is definitely a step forward, and the sharpness of the text is impressive.
The HTC Sensation isn't in the same 'thin and super light' category of many of today's smartphones - it comes in at nearly 150g compared to the helium-esque devices on the market today - but it's a solid build quality and one you wouldn't panic about too much if you saw it plummeting towards a carpeted floor. With the HTC Sensation we're given our first look at the new version of the Taiwanese brand's overlay to Android. Running Android 2.3.3, the Sensation is perfectly up to date with the most recent version of Google's OS, and the new Sense 3.0 iteration is the next step forward for a user interface. The main thing most HTC fans will notice is the new 3D scrolling - flicking through the many home screens will now see each one rotating around a virtual cylinder, rather than bouncing left and right in a linear fashion. The widgets will even expand inwards and outwards to add to the effect, and really works to show off the dual-core nature of the 1.2GHz processor under the hood.
In standard HTC style, the Sensation reacts instantly under the finger - we're not talking Nokia N8 levels of swiping and waiting here, the capacitive touchscreen leaps to do your bidding in nearly every scenario.
The lock screen has also been given a massive overhaul too - instead of dragging a bar upwards to open up the phone, you have a large ring to swipe upwards to get started.
But it's not just that - there are four application spaces to drop your favourite functions into, and you can drag these into the ring to jump into them instead of starting up in the home screen. This is brilliant for things like the camera (as there's no dedicated button) so you can start snapping as fast as you can. It's not a perfect system though - we had a few instances where we couldn't get the ring to slide fully up with our touch, meaning we had to have multiple attempts to simply get into the phone. The other annoyance is notifications - if you have a message or missed call, it shows in a big pop-up at the centre of the lock screen, which is cool. But you can't drag this into the ring to jump straight to the notification unless you have the phone or message application selected as one of your quick links - seems like a missed trick from HTC.
The drag-down notification bar, which is present throughout the phone and one of the key pieces of the Android OS, has been given another makeover by HTC compared to the likes of the Desire (although we've already seen the upgraded functionality on the Desire S). This means you can drag it down to see emails, messages and application notifications, but also see a scrolling list of the most recently used applications in a sliding bar and access the music player controls if you've got some tunes playing.
However, there's also a little tab at the bottom to let you control oft-used elements of the phone - we're talking Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS etc all toggle-able with the touch of a check box. It's a little convoluted to get into (we prefer the Samsung TouchWiz version, where these controls are at the top of the drag down menu) but it's great to be able to activate Bluetooth without having to open Settings. There's clearly been a great deal of effort made with the HTC Sense 3.0 user interface, and it shows - it's not as snappy as the Samsung Galaxy S2, but it's unflappable and we found very little slowdown throughout. If you're upgrading from another HTC Device, this is Sense on a whole new level. You can access contacts on the HTC Sensation using the People app, or by just going straight into the phone app. Your most recently used contacts will be at the top, or there's the dialler underneath to search for someone using smart dialling (ie in the old T9 predictive text fashion). There's a widget on one of the Home screens by default for accessing your favourite contacts, which comes in three forms and ports Facebook, Google or Twitter pictures across automatically. Contact lists can be imported in several ways. The most obvious is your Google contacts, which Android adds when you sign into one of the Google apps. You can also add Twitter and Facebook contacts, as well as Exchange if you're a working girl.
As ever, this can mean multiple entries for people. We've always been impressed by HTC's ability to link together contacts, and that's present on the HTC Sensation - the auto-link icon comes up with a lot of suggestions. However, we couldn't get the Twitter app to automatically add contacts, and then suddenly it decided to do so after a day - having already done the same thing with the onboard Twitter for HTC Sense, we now had reams of Twitter people polluting the phone and asking to be linked.
Linking contacts manually isn't too arduous, though – there's a link button at the top of every contact, and it's then just a matter of searching for the other entry and hitting Save. The People app is presented as a list, with social networking status updates appearing beneath someone's name. You can sort by forename or surname, and you can also choose to display contacts from only some of your linked accounts if you want (for example, you could have Twitter and Google, but not Facebook).
You can also use the arrow at the top to quickly see your contacts from only one of your social networking accounts, or go back to seeing all contacts. One really irritating problem, like the Twitter app above, is the contacts didn't automatically load from social networks, so we were forced to keep re-entering the details. And even after having linked up a load of friends, the names wouldn't appear in the messaging section, so each message was from a random set of numbers. However, tap the number and the contact page would load. Odd. What's crazier than that is after 24 hours the Sensation suddenly realised what was going on and managed to sort out the problem, complete with Facebook pictures a-plenty, and it's been fine since, so we won't mark it down too much for that. Going into someone's contact entry presents you with lots of useful quick options for getting in touch with them. The initial screen displays their phone and messaging details, and you can tap on them to get in touch using your preferred method. However, if you slide to the next tab at the bottom, you'll be able to see your text history with that contact, presented in a threaded view. You can send a new message from here.
The next tab does the same for emails, and the next shows you their recent social network status updates. There's also one to see their galleries from linked social network sites, and buried right at the end is your call history with them. Plus Android has the awesome feature of any time you see a contact's picture you can tap it to get a quick list of all the ways to talk to them - really nice, and makes the whole phone experience seem much more integrated. Adding a new contact sees you presented with the option of choosing to save to your cloud accounts or to the phone memory or SIM. After that, you've got all the usual options, including phone numbers, email addresses, IM usernames, postal addresses, birthday and more. Of course, the more simple method also works – just tap a number into the dialler and a 'Save to People' option appears. Calling Call quality on the HTC Sensation seems to be poorer than many other phones, which is even more perplexing when there seems to a be a separate noise reduction microphone on offer above the camera.
Even in slight wind we were asked if it was really gusty where we were, and in a bar environment we were practically inaudible. The speaker on the back of the phone is perfectly usable for day to day calling - it's not ear-splitting at maximum volume, which might be irritating in a noisy car or conference environment, but for one on one use in a relatively quiet environment, it's fine. We also like the fact that our friends' Twitter or Facebook status updates pop up when we phone them, as well as birthday notifications should we be close to forgetting. The only problem here is we spend so much time reading them updates we haven't got the phone to our ear - but that's more stupidity than HTC's fault. The signal quality was excellent on the whole for the HTC Sensation, with up to 50% more signal reported in known weak spots. However, we're wondering if this is just the phone exaggerating what's on offer, as internet speeds didn't seem to corroborate the three bar signal strength we were apparently getting. As mentioned in the Contacts section, messaging is heavily integrated into the Sense experience. You can get to email and text conversations with people through their contact entry in the People app, but there are dedicated email and messaging apps. Messages is a fairly straightforward text app, showing you an overview of the different people you've been texting on the main screen, with a threaded conversation view on offer if you tap on one. To write a new text, just tap in the field at the bottom to bring up the on-screen keyboard. We've always been mightily impressed when it comes to writing messages on HTC's Sense range, including the original Desire and the HTC Desire HD, which is partly down to the excellent autocorrect.
We've always been fans of the HTC keyboard, and we're glad that the same thing is back in full force on the Sensation - we found accuracy much higher than that on the Samsung Galaxy S2 for instance, where the full stop kept getting in the way. In landscape mode, this problem did creep in though, thanks to the size and dimensions of the screen. Another oddity: the 'I' sometimes decided not to capitalise when typing, but then would do so when you go back to it.
Words still take as long as before to save to the dictionary - it's only a fraction of a second, but it's still an annoying pause. As is often the case, you have the choice of a Gmail app or a more generic Email app. The Gmail one is just as easy to set up as ever; if you have your Google account details, it's automatically set up. The Email app also proved easy, offering an Exchange option and a generic POP/IMAP option initially. To set your POP/IMAP, you generally just have to put in your email address and password and the phone will do all the configuring for you.
Both email apps are very good, though HTC's Mail app fits in with the aesthetics and UI of the Desire S's other app better. It offers several ways to view your messages, including options to view your email as a straight up inbox, or as conversations. You can also view email just from your favourite contacts, and this tab also enables you to address an email to all of your favourites with one tap. There's an unread-only view, and also a screen that enables you to view only emails with attachments. Writing emails uses the same keyboard as the messaging, so it's easy to write emails of a good length without getting frustrated. When it comes to social network messaging, HTC's Friend Stream does a good job of bringing Facebook and Twitter together, but it isn't quite the complete messaging solution. It's more suited to fairly passive users who like to read others' statuses, lacking the depth you can go into for both social networks.
Basically, public replies on Twitter and Facebook status comments are in, but direct messages, trending topics and any other wider information is out - you'll need to download the official applications for that, which we would recommend as they integrate very well throughout the phone. The large 4.3-inch screen of the HTC Sensation, like the Desire HD and HD7 before it, is simply ace for browsing the web, easily as good as anything else in the Android range and even better because of the improved resolution. The qHD resolution makes web pages look as crisp as anything else on the market at the moment, and the pictures and video all pops with slick ease. That's right - thanks to Flash 10.3 integration and the dual-core processor chugging away in the background, the HTC Sensation is the best HTC device for internet, hands down (taking out the Flyer, of course, but even then it's only a question of size).
The Flash integration is sensational (we're sorry) as videos will stream without a judder and will instantly leap to full screen (once you've figured out the convoluted full screen option through long-pressing, that is) and it's really as simple as watching a video on your PC - iPlayer rocks, even though it doesn't have the option to download yet. You can use also the dedicated mobile YouTube site, which uses HTML5 to work quickly and simply, so it's future proof too for standards going forward. There are a number of other positives to the internet experience on the HTC Sensation - multiple windows with thumbnail scrolling through them mean various websites can be open at once.
It's odd that you're limited to just four windows though - and that's still in effect despite that limit being offering on the single-core offerings. Surely the Sensation can handle at least six open at once without destroying performance?
One think that Android (and HTC's Google portfolio especially) does well is text-wrapping; namely, zoom into whichever size you want on a column of text and the words will jumble around the screen and reformat to fill the display. Sure, you can double tap to get closer to the text in the same vein as other smartphones, but the text wrapping puts you in control of the size... and you can go mightily close on the HTC range as no matter where you pinch and zoom to, the text stays all on screen.
Another winning feature from Android is the ability to share web pages to a variety of sources without having to break stride: if you're on a page that you think your buddies online will like then you can head into the 'Share Page' option and lob the link out via Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, SMS, Bluetooth - you name it, you can get it there via that method. Not carrier pigeon though. This is a mobile phone, you fool. We've always been fans of the bookmarks, as when you enter this section you can either look at the ones you've saved (via thumbnail, nice) or see your most visited or history of pages you've been to - enabling you to choose bookmarks that you need without realising it. With the Sense UI (this is a feature we've loved and is carried forward to Sense 3.0), users of the HTC Sensation can also subscribe to an RSS feed (if present on the page) by hitting the icon in the top left hand corner of the screen - it makes keeping up to date with the sites you love very easy. Another plus we've always loved on the HTC Android range: the implementation of copy and paste. It's a little Apple-esque, as you long press on text and see a little magnification pane pop up.
From there you can drag two little pins to select the text you want - which bar the colour is almost precisely the same as Apple's offering. Where the difference lies is in the pop up menu that appears after: you can copy the text, share it via the same options mentioned earlier or use it to search. But not just search on Google, oh no. You can look for the phrase on Wikipedia, YouTube, Google Dictionary or even Google Translate - and that's an awesome option. The internet experience on Android phones has always been a plus, and the sheer speed, functionality and slickness of the offering on the HTC Sensation means web browsing a really great experience, although we didn't experience the jaw-dropping, eye-popping speeds we did with other dual-core handsets.
The camera on the HTC Sensation is an 8MP effort with dual-LED flash and autofocus - pretty much ticking all the boxes on offer aside from a Xenon flash, but then again some comprimises have to be made to keep the width down. The autofocus is a good feature though, and one we've seen from the likes of the Desire HD and Desire S in the past, where tapping the screen will alter the focus of the photo. This extends to exposure values as well, meaning that if you're trying snap something in a darker area, the Sensation will work out the optimum light levels needed. The shutter speed is pretty nifty on the Sensation too, with the camera loading very quickly from the lock screen if you choose it as one of the 'ring options' we mentioned in the interface section, with photos taken in around three seconds after pulling the phone out of our pocket. There are the usual plethora of shooting options on offer - from the pointless negative/grayscale/sepia range to more useful ISO, white balance and exposure sliders, the HTC Sensation is a camera phone that offers more than enough functionality to take some decent snaps.
The standard settings show a decent amount of contrast and a good level of sharpness for a well-lit shot Click here to see the full size image
With a bright background, the object being photographed quickly gets lost as the camera looks to focus on the clouds Click here to see the full size image
Forcing the camera to focus on the tower doesn't really seem to help the exposure, which is odd considering it's so adept at doing so for video recording Click here to see the full size image
The HTC Sensation doesn't have a macro mode, instead choosing to automatically work out the focal length, with some surprisingly good shots Click here to see the full size image
The VGA front facing camera is perfectly acceptable for self shots if you happen to meet a famous lion Click here to see the full size image
This is a standard photo in a darker corner of London Click here to see the full size image
But with the exposure turned up, you can see a signifcant difference in detail without much penalty on the shutter speed Click here to see the full size image
This poncey cocktail is shot in fairly dark conditions but still maintains a decent level of detail Click here to see the full size image
This shot was taken at speed using the quick unlock function - the Sensation does not appear to be adept at fast moving photos Click here to see the full size image
The Sensation is good at capturing changeable conditions, although the lighter section of the photo is quite over-exposed Click here to see the full size image
This photo is taken indoors with the auto focus turned on Click here to see the full size image
With the auto focus turned off, you can see the white balance is quite heavily skewed, showing how good the automatic mode is Click here to see the full size image
The dual LED flash is quite poor given its brightness - the throw of the light is minimal Click here to see the full size image The HTC Sensation is a device with a stronger focus on video recording than ever before, with 1080p footage possible from the 8MP sensor, thanks to the dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor. A video light is on offer to help make shots look that little bit classier and at 30fps the footage we captured is nice and smooth, with no hint of the choppiness affecting the likes of the HTC Desire HD from before. What is nice is the touch to focus option on offer, meaning you can choose what part of the screen the footage will be looking at. Be warned, only use a feather touch for this, as otherwise you'll shake the living daylights out of your recording. If you want to port your HD video across to a larger TV, you can either do this through the Connected Media sharing over DLNA or fork out for the MHL lead to bring HDMI connectivity to your phone - no luck getting this on the box unfortunately. Check out the footage we captured using the HTC Sensation and see if the full HD footage lives up to the hype: The HTC Sensation is a phone that's clearly built for media, with the Taiwanese brand not only offering a range of applications to help make your media experience as good as it could be, but the addition of the on demand HTC Watch service for movies shows it's looking to plough a new revenue furrow.
We're upset that there's only 1GB of internal memory, but our sample came with a 4GB card and can be expanded all the way up to an additional 32GB if you're into that, so it's not the end of the world, although it pales compared to the 16GB internal memory of the Galaxy S2. Music Sonically, HTC has done well again with the Sensation - sure, it might not be market leading, but it's perfectly competent and works well within the phone. The same system as before is in place, namely that you can slide your finger along the bottom of the screen to search through your media to find the song you want, plus hit that little search key to find what you're after.
HTC has also added another little treat, in the new arrow at the top of the screen - tap this and you can instantly stream to another DLNA-enabled device with ease. It takes a little while for the song to load, but overall it's cool functionality that actually works. The audio is acceptable without being mind-blowing on the HTC Sensation - you can use custom equaliser or have virtual SRS enhancement to make the songs sound bassier or less tinny, but the range of customisation doesn't actually afford too much control.
The other annoying element is that you can't control the music player from the notifications bar, only pause the music - although you can tap the album art to get straight back into the music application.
One REALLY cool bit of functionality that shows HTC has design at the heart of the Sense UI: the lock screen music control widget lets you spin the album artwork around to let you choose between the picture or additional lock screen controls... and we love playing with things like that. Video and HTC Watch Given HTC is putting so much effort into movies with the Watch offering, it's surprising that the video offering on the Sensation is irritatingly poor. We say poor only because there is a) no dedicated video application, and b) when you open the video section in the Gallery you get a list of thumbnails and no labels for each video, so you have to either look at the details or open the file to see what it is.
Come on HTC, we've begged you to fix this so many times - please just do it. The thumbnails load much faster than before thanks to the dual-core processor, but not as lightning fast as the Galaxy S2 it has to be said, or even the single core Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. Video performance is perfectly respectable, although certainly not market leading. The sharpness of the picture is really, really nice, and we enjoyed a few TV shows in the right conditions because of it. SRS is still offered, although Dolby Mobile has sadly not made it on board - it wasn't really necessary to have two audio modes on there. We also love how NOBODY at HTC has noticed that it's not 'enchancement' after two iterations of phones since the Desire HD.
Take the HTC Sensation into the light (we don't mean kill it), not even direct sunlight, and you'll have to instantly turn up the brightness as high as it will go, which really washes out the picture. Samsung and Apple are certainly well in the lead when it comes to media on your phone for this category. The HTC Watch service looks like a winning offer for those that are locked into a two year contract with the phone, as the DRM means you can only play the files in HTC Devices (although that includes the Flyer if you have one). The quality is great, but £9.99 for a film seems a lot to pay for not the most up to date titles - and renting for £3.49 feels rubbish when it's not yours to keep.
The selection of four old series of TV shows is disappointing too - but we're sure the collection will grow quickly in the future, and hopefully the cost will come down. Over Wi-Fi the download speeds were pretty good for movies, and the ability to pay directly with your credit card is good too - it feels less like you can accidentally spend loads on watching films, especially if you're renting (although remember it used to be cheaper to rent videos from Blockbuster). We've always been slightly confused by HTC phones when it comes to the battery life, as they seem to offer wildly different experiences depending on who is using them it seems.
The HTC Desire was fine for us when it came to lasting a day, but others found it would be dead by 7PM. The Desire HD was more universally panned for a poor battery, but still some chastised our verdict of it being unacceptable. Well, it's going to happen again with the HTC Sensation, as the battery life, to us, seems woeful and not up to scratch. We're talking dead by 8PM with no push email, minimal Wi-Fi and about 30 mins of music and video at the most.
We've cycled it a few times to see if it can be improved, but the same things happens: it holds charge averagely well mostly, but then will get very warm and discharge at a rate of 10% per hour... which is a familiar scenario with the Desire HD. We constantly kept the applications killed and the notifications to a minimum - but it seems only turning off the background synchronisation altogether helped the issue. And don't even think about hammering the camera in the middle of the day, or you'll be without a phone come the evening for sure.
That said, we're going to request another sample to test this out with, as it's probably the poorest experience we've had on an HTC device so far, so it's only fair we test to make sure it wasn't just a diff unit.
On the plus side, at least HTC has decided to break the 1500mAh barrier in terms of power unit: it's a whopping 20mAh more, although still miles and miles behind the power of the 1950mAh unit in the Motorola Atrix.
UPDATE: We've finally managed to get our hands on a new review model of the HTC Sensation, and the good news is the battery life is definitely improved. It seems that a combination of data-hungry applications and a slightly dodgy model caused the odd readings from before, although we're not entirely convinced the above scenario isn't one power users will face, which is why we've left it in. But in normal use, and by that we mean sending 42 texts, spending 49 mins on the phone, watching an hour and bit of video and using the music player constantly, plus a few minutes spent using GPS to track ourselves and browsing the internet for roughly 45 mins, the battery pretty much lasted the day, although it was often in the yellow zone come 11PM. However, what was more impressive (and a relief) was the sleep state of the HTC Sensation. Where before the phone would get very hot and start spewing out battery life in our pocket for no reason, if you leave the phone locked up for around 10-15 minutes on our new model the power consumption dropped to almost nothing. This is more what we expect from Android Gingerbread devices, as the intelligent power management kicks in to stop background applications updating pointlessly - so if you're a lighter user then you'll generally find at least 30% battery power left at the end of the day. The HTC Sensation is one of those phones that has a huge range of connectivity on board, from Wi-Fi b/g/n to Bluetooth 3.0. The Wi-Fi is certainly a step up from the likes of the HTC Desire S, which had a very strange attenuation problem if you held the phone in a certain way. The Sensation is a lot better, and even a big improvement over the Samsung Galaxy S2, which is useless in mid-strength Wi-Fi signal zones.
Bluetooth connection strength and speed was very good throughout our review time, with wireless headphones showing no problems at all, no matter what we threw at them. The range was impressive too, with around 10 metres the maximum with walls in the way.
HSPDA is at an acceptable 14.4Mbps speed, with the upload speed bouncing in at 5.76 Mbps, both of which seem plausible in our tests - plus the lovely option of setting up your own Wi-Fi hotspot if you fancy chewing the battery in heartbeat.
HTC has chucked on quite a few options when it comes to connecting the phone up to the PC, with the main one being HTC Sync.
While this is more of an option to get your contacts and such backed up, it works well for keeping your calendar, document folder and even internet bookmarks safe should you lose your phone or transfer to a new one.
If you're after an easier way to get content across though, simply dragging and dropping media into the phone will work just as well - it zips across in no time at all, which is a blessing when you're getting movies ready for a long journey. HTCSense.com The HTC Sensation also offers connection to HTCSense.com, a portal that allows you to control your phone from afar. If you leave your phone at home or misplace it, this website is designed to take the hassle out of that. You can perform basic tasks like forwarding all your calls to another number and messages too - it works nicely and makes the hassle of people not being able to get hold of you a distant memory. You can also ring the phone as loud as possible - it overrides the vibration setting as well, so even if you've turned the ringer off you can still hear where you've left your precious device.
But there's a lot more to this portal than just that - being able to send a message to your phone or lock it remotely means that if you think you're going to get it back you can protect it or entice someone to return it. You can also see roughly where your phone is - handy if you think you might have left it at that restaurant across town but don't want to go over there on a wild goose chase. And of course there's the remote wipe option, allowing you to protect any data that might fall into the wrong hands. You can also see your messages and contacts on this offering as well, so make sure you sign up to the free service as soon as you get your shiny new Sensation out of the box to make sure it's easy to find it when you start panicking that last night's drunken fug resulted in a wasted £500.
We've been so excited about the power of the HTC Sensation ever since we heard rumblings that the company was making a dual-core handset - and we've not been let down. What's annoying though is we weren't blown away, and that's mostly because there was nothing wrong with the speed of Sense before on the likes of the Desire HD or the first Desire. Sure, we get new fancy animations and 3D graphics, but it's not the step change that we saw from the Galaxy S to the Galaxy S2, which is a complement in a way to HTC. We liked This section of our HTC reviews is always well-stocked, and that's the case again here - we really like the HTC Sensation and it ticks all our boxes for the most part. Be it the constantly impressive contact integration, the ability to download movies and books (although we need a wider selection for the former) and the sheer level of customisation means that the Sensation is a great phone for the general user. The internet browsing speed is impressive over Wi-Fi, and the qHD screen is really impressive for video in the correct conditions. The design is nice and stylish too, plus the power of the camera is clear to see for anyone that likes to dabble in a spot of Full HD video and share it on a larger screen.
We disliked The big worry for the HTC Sensation is whether the battery life can hold up, and right now we don't think it can based on our review sample running out of juice by the evening without fail. The screen quality is good, but not market-leading; if you're comparing it to something like the Samsung Galaxy S2's Super AMOLED Plus offering you'll notice a massive difference in quality at times. The back cover to hot-swap the microSD card is very hard to get off, and the Sensation as a package is pretty chunky compared to the competition. Verdict Whether it's just that we're getting spoilt by the quality of the HTC range or that the brand simply can't innovate at the electric pace it managed when it made Android smartphones good enough for the masses, the HTC Sensation doesn't get our pulses racing like other models in its range have. HTC Watch needs to a larger range of movies and TV shows before we can even begin to assess whether it's going to take off or not - and the price seems a little high at this early stage. We love the Sense UI still, and the 'Unlock Ring' is a cool addition to the party - we still want the notifications to be more interactive, but overall it's still a neat idea. The design of the phone is different and, in our eyes, pretty premium with the metallic feel and steel grill - the weight feels solid in the hand and the screen size is impressive and sharp. It's still not one of HTC's best, but one we'd definitely recommend over a number of other phones in the marketplace and if you're an HTC fan or just looking to get one of the cutting-edge dual core devices, we suggest you seriously think about the HTC Sensation. Thanks to Vodafone, which is initially exclusively stocking the HTC Sensation, for supplying our review unit. 
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| Hacked Codemasters admits personal info stolen Posted: 10 Jun 2011 09:40 AM PDT Gaming company Codemasters has admitted that it is the latest company whose customers details have been compromised by hackers. The company has emailed its customers to tell them that their personal data could now be in the public domain, after an attack on 3 June. Personal data including user names and passwords on the website, names addresses and telephone numbers along with purchase history from the E-store (but not credit card details) and a mass of personal data from the CodeM database are all believed to have been compromised. That makes it a pretty big deal for anyone who has bought from the company. Unauthorised "On Friday 3rd June, unauthorised entry was gained to our Codemasters.com website," said Codemasters. "As soon as the intrusion was detected, we immediately took codemasters.com and associated web services offline in order to prevent any further intrusion. "Whilst we do not have confirmation that any of this data was actually downloaded onto an external device, we have to assume that, as access was gained, all of these details were compromised and/or stolen. "The Codemasters.com website will remain offline for the foreseeable future with all Codemasters.com traffic re-directed to the Codemasters Facebook page instead. A new website will launch later in the year." Codemasters has advised that anyone who uses the site, is on CodeM, or has brought from its online store should change passwords for any other accounts that use the same and be cautious over potential scams. And if you happen to have a large database of personal information and you are involved in gaming, it might be the right time to double check that it's not being compromised as we speak. 
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| Sky Player and Sky Mobile TV rebrand as Sky Go Posted: 10 Jun 2011 09:09 AM PDT Sky has announced that it is merging Sky Player and Sky Mobile TV into a new offering, called Sky Go. The mobile service is free to all Sky customers and features all the functionality of Sky Mobile TV and Sky Player but you will not be able to access dome channels – it all depends on the device you are using. If, say, you are using an iPad, iPhone and iPod touch then you will get access to sports and news content only - Sky Sports 1-4, Sky Sports News and ESPN. Originally this was given away for free as part of a trial last year. If you are watching from a laptop, PC or Mac then you have access to 30 live sports, movies and entertainment channels and various VoD ones too. If you fancy getting all this access but don't have a Sky account, then you can pay from £15 a month for the privilege. Xbox and Fetch TV customers will get the same service they have at the moment, but it is to be simply rebranded to Sky. Value, choice and flexibility "The explosion of smartphones and tablets demonstrates the increasing consumer demand for accessing entertainment and communicating on the move," said Stephen van Rooyen, Deputy MD of Sky's Customer Group. We have already responded to this by offering a range of services, including live TV, across many new innovative platforms and devices, like laptops and iPhones. "Clearly the consumer appetite is there, and it's growing. In responding to that, and to create even more value, choice and flexibility for our customers, we are now going to offer online and mobile access to Sky content at no extra charge." Sky has also announced that Sky Go will be supported by The Cloud – the outdoor Wi-Fi network. Timings for the rollout of The Cloud are still to be announced. The Sky Go UK release date is 6 July. 
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| Updated: 10 best touchscreen phones for 2011 Posted: 10 Jun 2011 09:09 AM PDT Our best touchscreen phone article is constantly updated. Quite simply, touch screen technology is the innovation we now expect to see in some shape or form from every new smartphone that launches. Swapping a button-bashing existence for a softer sensing interface we can press, swipe, pinch and zoom, means we can now do a little bit more than simply stare into that pint-sized screen of ours. If the only QWERTY keyboard you want to see on a daily basis is the one nestled next to your office computer, here's our pick of the best touchscreen smartphones available right now in the UK. 1. Samsung Galaxy S2
The Galaxy brand has restored our faith in Samsung's ability to make great phones, and with Google's Android OS and some impressive touchscreen technology, the S2 continues that trend. Housed within a supremely slender form, the 4.27-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen is an ideal surrounding for viewing your 8-megapixel snaps. Running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread and packing a 1.2Ghz dual-core Exynos processor ensures there is plenty of zip for your web browsing and with eye-popping colours it's perfect for watching a plethora of video formats on the go. Read our full Samsung Galaxy S2 review 2. Apple iPhone 4
There's plenty to laud over Apple's latest smartphone creation, particularly the 3.5-inch capacitive touch screen and Retina Display which is a vast visual improvement on the 3GS. Admirably serving all your multi-touch, pinch, zoom, cut and pasting needs, the 800:1 contrast ratio and 960x640p resolution makes the iPhone 4 a suitable partner for all your widescreen movie-watching and looking back at your freshly-snapped photos - and web browsing is still a dream on this pin-sharp display. Read our full iPhone 4 review 3. Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
Despite the Xperia Play hogging the media limelight, the Arc has captured our imaginations from the latest range of Sony Ericsson handsets much in part to the gorgeous 4.2-inch touchscreen display. With a curved-body design making it one of the most comfortable to grip in your hand, the new Reality Display which uses LED backlighting along with the Mobile Bravia Engine, should serve your video playback, browsing and deliver a slick response to touch. Read our Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc review 4. Samsung Galaxy S
Setting the benchmark for immensely bright displays, the Galaxy S houses a 4-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen that does not disappoint. Its 480x800 WVGA resolution is someway behind the iPhone 4 (640x960), but you can still expect vivid colours, true blacks and outstanding contrast ratio. It's no longer at the top of the pile when it comes to awesome picture quality, having been usurped by its Galaxy S2 brother, but this is still one of the best touchscreen phones to show off in the pub if you want to bedazzle your mates with awe-inspiring picture quality. Read our full Samsung Galaxy S review 5. HTC Desire HD
Sporting a massive 4.3-inch Super LCD touch screen display, the HD has plenty of room for slick manoeuvre around HTC's overhauled Sense UI. Incorporating the same 480X800 WVGA resolution as the original Desire does, however, mean it lacks the vividness and superior contrast ratios of Samsung's Super AMOLED displays. Most importantly though, your digits are rewarded with a fluid interface interaction and the kind of satisfying pinch-to-zoom experience we saw with its predecessor, making it a worthy addition to this best touchscreen list. Read our full HTC Desire HD review 6. Google Nexus S
Having resurrected the Nexus brand, new suitor Samsung has packed Android 2.3 behind a curved 4-inch 800x480 WVGA Super AMOLED display. With 235ppi, the screen is exceptionally bright and sharp and as we've come to expect from AMOLED displays provides excellent contrast ratio for your pictures. A wide range of video format support should make for prime viewing delivering deep blacks, while Samsung claims that it has 75% less glare than other screens, so should make it perfect for the sunny-ish days we're given in good ol' Blighty. Read our Google Nexus S review 7. HTC Incredible S
Proving to be a quirky hit on British shores, the Incredible S hosts a 4-inch 800x480 WVGA Super LCD display. Matching the HTC Desire in the resolution department, the touchscreen is kinder on the battery life, and boasts Desire-like response for your digits. The screen size which measures in slightly smaller than the Desire HD, delivers bright colours and great contrast, which should be fitting for your 720p HD video and eight-megapixel pictures. Read our HTC Incredible S review 8. HTC Desire S
Inspired by the HTC Legend in the looks department, the new aluminium design is complimented by a 3.7-inch Super LCD display. It may not deliver eye popping colours like the S2 but it still offers bright viewing for 720HD video playback and web browsing. A new Qualcomm 1GHz Snapdragon processor is in tow to deliver speedier browsing an improved overall performance, and with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and HTC Sense 2.1 overlaying the whole experience it's an impressive all round Desire S package. Read our full HTC Desire S review 9. Samsung Omnia 7
In the battle of the Windows Phone 7 handsets, the Omnia 7 has one feature that set itself apart from the rest, a gorgeous 4-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touch screen. The 800x480 resolution has colours looking bold and vivid, delivering deep contrast ratios, and showing off the Windows Phone 7 UI's slick, angular design. A tactile feel under the fingertips makes it easy to swipe around screens and get familiar with the new OS - if only getting video on there didn't feel like you were trying to paint the Sistine Chapel from the floor. Blindfolded. Read our full Samsung Omnia 7 review 10. HTC HD7
The biggest Windows Phone 7 launch handset in its most literal sense, the HD7 joins the Desire HD sporting an equally hulking 4.3-inch capacitive LCD touchscreen. The similarities do not end there, with the screen-dominated smartphone boasting Desire HD-like 800x480 WVGA resolution that should do justice to images and text against the white background. There's plenty of room to pinch-to-zoom your way through websites, and while it's not techically to do with the touchscreen, the kickstand on the back is still one of our favourite features on a phone and makes video watching a joy on the long train rides. Read our full HTC HD7 review 
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| Video: Nintendo at E3 2011: top 10 games Posted: 10 Jun 2011 07:57 AM PDT Nintendo caused a stir at E3 2011 by finally unveiling its plans for Wii U, with the new HD home console set to arrive underneath a TV near you later in 2012. Wii U is clearly the standout from this year's E3, both for Nintendo, E3 and the industry at large. But what about the games? To help you sift through the morass of new titles announced and demonstrated for the current-gen Nintendo Wii and the recently released 3DS, we have selflessly edited out the many titles that don't warrant your interest or cash, whittling it down to the best ten Nintendo titles at E3 2011. Wii U and a decent slate of games "I think Nintendo may have initially caused more confusion than excitement with the Wii U reveal," says Ngamer magazine editor, Charlottle Martyn. "But now that things are clearer it's obvious that Nintendo have pulled something pretty spectacular out of the bag. "The gameplay possibilities opened up by Wii U – not to mention the third-party support – easily overshadow the slightly underwhelming 3DS showing. Luigi's Mansion aside, there were no big surprises on the handheld front, just (admittedly impressive) updates on games we've known about for a while. "Nintendo is once again leading the way when it comes to gaming innovation. And for all its potential for gimmickry, Wii U does look like a real gamers' machine, with some big third-party franchises signed up – all of which should be considerably enhanced by that unique controller. The tactical potential alone in games as diverse as Ghost Recon and something like FIFA or Madden is huge." Still, all of that said, below is our list of the top ten Wii and 3DS games that you will actually be able to buy and play later this year (or, where indicated, early in 2012). Despite every single one of these games promising to be superb, there are two things worthy of note here. Firstly, other than the new Zelda game later this year, Nintendo seems to have almost given up on the Wii (most of the titles below are for 3DS). Secondly, despite pushing the message that third-party publishers are upping their support for Nintendo at E3 2011, nine of the ten titles in our list is a first-party Nintendo-developed game. Read into that what you will… The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii, due out 'holiday season' 2011) Kirby (Wii) Heroes of Ruin (3DS, out 2012) Kid Icarus Uprising Mario Kart 3DS Super Mario 3DS Starfox 64 3D Animal Crossing (3DS) Luigi's Mansion(3DS, early 2012) Mario Sports Mix (Wii) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
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| Video: Nintendo at E3 2011: Top ten games Posted: 10 Jun 2011 07:57 AM PDT Nintendo caused a stir at E3 2011 by finally unveiling its plans for Wii U, with the new HD home console set to arrive underneath a TV near you later in 2012. Wii U is clearly the standout from this year's E3, both for Nintendo, E3 and the industry at large. But what about the games? To help you sift through the morass of new titles announced and demonstrated for the current-gen Nintendo Wii and the recently released 3DS, we have selflessly edited out the many titles that don't warrant your interest or cash, whittling it down to the best ten Nintendo titles at E3 2011. Wii U and a decent slate of games "I think Nintendo may have initially caused more confusion than excitement with the Wii U reveal," says Ngamer magazine editor, Charlottle Martyn. "But now that things are clearer it's obvious that Nintendo have pulled something pretty spectacular out of the bag. "The gameplay possibilities opened up by Wii U – not to mention the third-party support – easily overshadow the slightly underwhelming 3DS showing. Luigi's Mansion aside, there were no big surprises on the handheld front, just (admittedly impressive) updates on games we've known about for a while. "Nintendo is once again leading the way when it comes to gaming innovation. And for all its potential for gimmickry, Wii U does look like a real gamers' machine, with some big third-party franchises signed up – all of which should be considerably enhanced by that unique controller. The tactical potential alone in games as diverse as Ghost Recon and something like FIFA or Madden is huge." Still, all of that said, below is our list of the top ten Wii and 3DS games that you will actually be able to buy and play later this year (or, where indicated, early in 2012). Despite every single one of these games promising to be superb, there are two things worthy of note here. Firstly, other than the new Zelda game later this year, Nintendo seems to have almost given up on the Wii (most of the titles below are for 3DS). Secondly, despite pushing the message that third-party publishers are upping their support for Nintendo at E3 2011, nine of the ten titles in our list is a first-party Nintendo-developed game. Read into that what you will… The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii, due out 'holiday season' 2011) Kirby (Wii) Heroes of Ruin (3DS, out 2012) Kid Icarus Uprising Mario Kart 3DS Super Mario 3DS Starfox 64 3D Animal Crossing (3DS) Luigi's Mansion(3DS, early 2012) Mario Sports Mix (Wii) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
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| Red Epic cam footage of Amazing Spider-Man 'best ever' Posted: 10 Jun 2011 07:52 AM PDT The Amazing Spider-Man may not be out for another year but some footage of the movie has already been shown, with John Schwartzman, cinematographer of the movie, said it is the "best images I have ever seen." Now you would expect the creator of the footage to be 'happy' with what they have shot, but this seems to be all down to the quality of the footage coming from the Red Epic camera. The Red Epic is a camera of choice for Hollywood at the moment, with James Cameron buying up 50 of them for his productions and Peter Jackson using a not-too shabby 30 Epics to shoot the Hobbit with. In a blog post, Jim Jannard, creator of the Red camera, said: "So we were invited to see some Spider-Man footage today at Sony. John Schwartzman was there and we talked a bit before going into the screening room. "'This is the best looking footage I have ever shot... these are the best images I have ever seen!' was his comment. I asked him if this was just his enthusiasm spilling out or if this was actually the case (pretty big statement). "He thought for a few moments and said 'No, really... this is the best footage I have ever seen from any camera. Ever.' Stunned. Shocked. So incredible The blog continued: "So, with that, we went in. There was a Sony T420 projector (same as we have at Red Studios) in a grading room at Colorworks. "We talked to 'The Steve' (colorist) about his experience with the Epic footage and opinion. He confirmed his opinion matched John's and we sat front row with huge expectations. "I have to say that we were all stunned. Shocked. So incredible. Not like Red One MX. Not like anything we had seen from another camera. Same resolution and feel of our new Epic reel, but with actors and a story and Schwartzman's ability to light." Obviously Red has a vested interested in telling the world how awesome its cameras are, but this initial feedback does sound promising. And it's a far cry from the frankly rubbish shaky cam footage we have seen leaked on to the web so far. The Amazing Spider-Man has a UK release date of 4 July 2012. The movie is currently being shot in 3D. 
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| Home ent heavyweights team up for Project Grass Posted: 10 Jun 2011 07:25 AM PDT Big names from the world of home entertainment and audio have decided to come together to create an industry body which will help tackle the sales decline in the AV industry. Project Grass is a work in progress title for a new industry trade association that's being headed up by BADA (British AV Dealers Association) and it is planned that the new committee will help manufacturers, distributors, retailers, consultants and the media in all aspects of the AV industry. Tough times "Let us not pretend that times aren't tough for our businesses. There are a wide range of pressures coming to bear on us, consumer confidence is at an all time low and the GfK sales statistics show a 20% decline in CE sales year on year," said Simon Byles, chairman of BADA. "The industry has said it wants a trade association that represents and works for all parties, to help promote the benefits of buying home entertainment products from specialist manufacturers and quality retailers. "Project Grass is intended to fulfil this need and I would implore anyone who is serious about securing the future for our industry to come along on 4 July and get involved. We can only do this together." For more about the Project Grass, head over to www.bada.co.uk and see how you can get involved. 
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| Buying Guide: Best Windows Phone - which should you buy Posted: 10 Jun 2011 06:00 AM PDT With Windows Phone 7, Microsoft went from being a non-entity in the world of modern smartphones to becoming an important player. The old Windows Mobile operating systems had their fans, but they weren't as consumer-friendly as the iPhone and Android devices. WP7 changed all that, bringing integration with Facebook, a clear, touch-friendly user interface, slick multimedia functionality and Xbox Live games and connectivity. Of course, Microsoft didn't forget its roots, either. There's email and Exchange support, and it's the only mobile OS with official Microsoft Office apps. All of this means there's something for everyone, so we've looked at what's best for each kind of owner below. Best for working - HTC 7 Pro
As the only phone operating system with Microsoft Office apps available for it, Windows Phone 7 should be ideal for getting a bit of work done outside the office. However, a touchscreen software keyboard is the only option on many of the phones currently available, which isn't ideal for writing any longer documents. This is where the HTC 7 Pro comes into its own over the other handsets, offering a landscape QWERTY keyboard for getting your fingers into. You'll be able to see your documents clearly enough on the 3.6-inch screen, while the usual Windows Phone 7 1GHz processor powers things. There's also a five-megapixel camera and 8GB of storage. Read TechRadar's full HTC 7 Pro review Best for video - Samsung Omnia 7
With its ability to record and play back 720p video, Windows Phone 7 devices can make for great video players, but it's the Omnia 7 that has the edge, thanks to its AMOLED screen. It's still got the standard resolution of 480 x 800 in the four-inch display, but boasts vivid colours and incredible deep blacks thanks to the OLED technology. The Zune software required to load videos is still irritatingly slow, but the screen makes up for it once you get it on the device. With up to 16GB of storage available, you should be able to store plenty of entertainment. There's also a five-megapixel camera for recording your own videos. Read TechRadar's full Samsung Omnia 7 review Best for photos - HTC 7 Mozart
With the hardware standardised on many Windows Phone 7 handsets, five-megapixel cameras seem to have become the norm. The Mozart offered something a bit juicier for phone photographers, however, boasting an eight-megapixel snapper instead. The improved resolution is also paired with a Xenon flash, instead of the usual LED option. The difference really comes though, and the Mozart is capable of producing some excellent pictures for a phone. Unfortunately, video recording hasn't been bumped to 1080p Ð it's still the usual 720p Ð possibly because the single-core 1GHz processor isn't quite up to it. Read TechRadar's full HTC 7 Mozart review Best for size - HTC HD7
The HTC HD7 is easy to spot compared to the other Windows Phone 7 options. It's not particularly differently styled Ð it's just massive. It's a 4.3-inch beast, though there's no upgrade from the standard 480 x 800 resolution to fill that space. With an OS as visually driven as Windows Phone 7, which uses icons to display information wherever possible, the extra size can make a big difference. It often feels a lot easier to interact with the phone, though there's obviously a significant trade off when it comes to size. The large screen works well for video (though the AMOLED screen on the Samsung Omnia 7 still bests it), and there's even a built-in kickstand for propping the device up. Read TechRadar's full HTC HD7 review Best for apps - LG Optimus 7
While some Windows Phone 7 handsets differentiate themselves with hardware, LG took the software route. The Optimus 7 boasts two clever apps in particular that neatly expand on what Windows Phone 7 can do. Play To is a DLNA app, enabling you to stream photos, music and videos between devices. It's a great way to send photos quickly to your TV for viewing, or sending your music to someone else's PC for an evening's entertainment. The other app is ScanSearch, an augmented reality app that can point you in the right direction for something you want to find if you hold the phone up. In fact, point it at the sky and you'll even be told the weather forecast. In addition to the pre-loaded apps, there's also an ample 16GB of storage to fill with downloads from the Marketplace. Read TechRadar's full LG Optimus 7 review Best for value - HTC 7 Trophy
The HTC 7 Trophy made its way into the works with one primary purpose: be really, really cheap. With all the other Windows Phone 7 handsets launching at costs of over £30 per month each, the Trophy stood out by being free at just £25 per month. Its value has eroded slightly compared to Android phones in particular in the last six months, but it's still an incredible amount of smartphone for the money. The only really noticeable cut corner is the screen, which is still 480 x 800, but doesn't as good viewing angles as the higher-end phones. However, there's a 1GHz processor keeping things ticking over, and the build quality is as good as any option here. Read TechRadar's full HTC 7 Trophy review Best for messaging - Dell Venue Pro
The Dell Venue Pro brings something of the BlackBerry experience to Windows Phone 7, offering a portrait slide-out QWERTY keyboard much like the BlackBerry Torch. Because the phone is kept in portrait, unlike the HTC 7 Pro, it's easy to see the messages that have gone back and forth in the threaded speech bubble view, and without the on-screen keyboard to clutter things up. It's got an AMOLED screen as well, so videos look great on the large 4.1-inch screen. Hands on: Dell Venue Pro review --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
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| RealD's shares rise but CEO's 3D talk puts investors off Posted: 10 Jun 2011 05:26 AM PDT Michael Lewis, the CEO of RealD, managed to turn off a number of investors this week, when he failed to acknowledge that the downturn of 3D movies in cinemas as a trend. Before his speech, RealD's stocks had jumped, due to the company posting strong results for the quarter. According to RealD, it made a profit of £4.5 million. When compared to a £20.9 million lost in the same quarter last year, this is impressive. A trend is a trend is a trend However, when Lewis spoke to RealD's investors, according to Deadline, something went a bit wrong. In his briefing he explained that despite the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie and Kung Fu Panda 2 disappointing in 3D sales, there was no sign that 3D viewing was on the wane. "I don't see a trend. It's a trend until the trend changes to something else," said a cryptic Lewis. He also added that this year "will be all over the place, but the end result will be a good one. "I don't think you can really read that much into a couple of films' performance." This unfortunately brought stock prices down 7.4 per cent. You win some, you lose some. 
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| BlackBerry Playbook comes to Carphone Warehouse a day early Posted: 10 Jun 2011 05:03 AM PDT Anyone who's itching to get their mitts on a BlackBerry PlayBook should pop down to Carphone Warehouse where they'll be selling the tablet a day earlier than anywhere else. That's right, you can enjoy a whole 24-hours of exclusive PlayBook time before the great unwashed get in on the 7-inch QNX action. Carphone Warehouse is offering the BlackBerry PlayBook from 15 June at Selfridges on Oxford Street, Westfield, Manchester Trafford, Bluewater and Bristol Cribbs. PlayBook Other retailers will be left scrabbling for customers when the official BlackBerry PlayBook UK release date hits on 16 June. The BlackBerry PlayBook UK pricing was also recently revealed; the 16GB model will set you back £399, the 32GB model £479 and the 64GB version will be £559. For your money, you'll get full-Flash-enabled web browsing, a 7-inch screen and Wi-Fi connectivity, although, as we noted in our review, it may be a better fit for the business world than the playful consumer. 
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| Posted: 10 Jun 2011 04:52 AM PDT Let's get one thing straight: the HTC ChaCha is not the Facebook phone. It's not manufactured by Facebook. But let's get another thing straight, too: the HTC ChaCha is the Facebook experience
And it's even endorsed to a certain extent by the King of the network, Mark Zuckerberg, who gave a sermon about it at the phone's launch.
HTC has taken its already winning Sense interface and remoulded it with a big blue 'F' at the centre - something the notoriously quiet Facebook founder went on record as saying he's "very happy" with and, in a nod to the future, how they "look forward to a lot more to come".
Rocking the latest Android iteration, Gingerbread 2.3.3 and fully capable of a dance-off with some other 3G-capable Android devices, it's due to hit stores any day now, with a sim-free price tag around £250, and a contract offering of around £20 per month. That's probably too much for the 14-21 age bracket the ChaCha is evidently aimed at, though we'd imagine Pay As You Go offerings might make it a little cheaper too. Like its (bizarre choice of) name, the HTC ChaCha is no bore. Slim and well built, it feels like a quality device in the hand. It's not particularly light at 124g, but feels a lot heavier than the Incredible S for instance (despite being 13g lighter). The body is made of white plastic and brushed metal. The battery door is plastic, and if you plan on changing the battery or the SIM card often, you may find yourself uttering a few choice words.
The ChaCha ships with a sticker on the screen warning about not pressing too hard on the screen, but we practically put our fingers through it trying to get the stubborn battery cover off. Thankfully, we can't see the Facebook generation seeing the need to swap SIM and memory cards too often, so this shouldn't be that much of a problem. For retro HTC fans, the chin is back. Introduced with HTC's first ever Android device (in fact, the world's first ever Android device), the G1, it became an odd design quirk we thought was being phased out. Evidently not. In fact, looking at the ChaCha next to the HTC Hero of a few years back, they look remarkably similar - as if they were designed at the same time. Same colours, same materials, same chin. But it does have a function here - as you hold the ChaCha to look at the screen, the keyboard is naturally tilted towards you. We can't work out if it's a nifty bit of designer genius or a coincidence but either way, the chin makes the phone bulge out if wearing tighter trousers, so beware!
The QWERTY keyboard is handy and pleasant to use with rubberised keys, since the ChaCha is a messaging device, but that dedicated Facebook button at the bottom of the phone which fires up a Facebook client is the main selling point. At the top is the standard 3.5mm headphone jack and a lock button, and the left hand side holds the volume rocker and micro USB charge/sync port, while the bottom holds nothing but a tiny hole for the microphone. There are two cameras - a 5MP autofocus job on the back complete with LED flash and a VGA camera on the front for self-portraits (or using the very handy Mirror app, which HTC bundles on Android devices and has saved our blushes on numerous occasions). There's also an ambient light sensor for putting the display brightness onto automatic.
Under the screen, you'll find dedicated hardware call and hang-up buttons (something we thought HTC were no longer using, as we haven't seen them in a long time) and four touchscreen controls. They're standard fare for HTC Android devices these days - Home, Menu, Back and Search - and acknowledge you've pressed them with a little vibration. The SIM card and memory slot are both inside the phone, behind the battery.
As handset manufacturers go for gold, piling in dual-core processors, Super AMOLED Plus screens and 4G capability, it's refreshing here to see that the ChaCha has some of the more old-school (and budget) specs. The touchscreen is just 2.6 inches, with a 480x320 resolution, and the processor sits at 800MHz (it was originally set at 600MHz, but HTC appears to have upped this closer to launch). Yet, for what this phone is designed to do, that's adequate and doesn't impinge on the experience too much. HTC has seen fit to kit the ChaCha out with both HSDPA and GPS, which is just as well since browsing and location based services are two of this handset's biggest selling points. Within HTC's domain, the ChaCha only has competition in the form of its big brother, the HTC Salsa. That's the other 'Facebook phone' it's releasing, although it will be an O2 exclusive at launch. HTC's biggest rival for the social networking market is BlackBerry. Ironically, the device that was, for so many years, the preserve of the businessman or CEO is now the big force for schoolchildren and teenagers who want IM. Elsewhere, there are the INQ devices. INQ brought us the very first Facebook handset - the INQ1 - a few years ago. It sold well (albeit only on the 3 network), and now INQ is following up with the Cloud Touch, which also has deep Facebook integration. Prepare for an onslaught and expect phones such as this to be heavily marketed by the networks - especially towards Christmas, bearing in mind the teenage target audience. The ChaCha runs Android's latest Gingerbread iteration, which is a welcome move. We couldn't hide our disappointment recently when we reviewed the far more advanced Motorola Atrix (also a big social networking device) and discovered that it ships with the older Froyo version. We wouldn't have been too surprised to see Froyo on the ChaCha, since it's more entry-level, so it's a real credit to HTC that they've decided to make this as up-to-date as possible.
Do you smell a 'but' coming? Good - here it is. The HTC Sensation - the company's newest flagship device - ships with the very latest HTC Sense on it (3.0). So why is the ChaCha (which comes out after the Sensation) running the older version of Sense? Curiously, the unlock screen of the ChaCha does include a nod toward Sense 3.0 in the form of a ring that you slide to unlock the screen - so one of the main things missing is the 3D spinning interface, which we assume is simply down to a lower amount of grunt under the hood.
Also, another thing that we noticed missing is the Quick Shortcuts tab that HTC introduced in its Gingerbread rollout to the Incredible S. On that device, when you pull down the notifications bar, there are options to quickly toggle Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS etc. It's very handy and, yet, it's been left out of the ChaCha. We don't understand why. Since the screen is smaller than what we're used to seeing on HTC devices, everything it reformatted. Icons are smaller, and on the homescreen they're at the side of the large clock, rather than below it. Facebook status updates are also present, thanks to a widget. By the very nature of Android, all of this can be redrawn by the user and you can decide which icons /notifications/clocks etc (if any) you want and where. Out of the box, the ChaCha gives you four homescreens to play with, which you swipe across with your fingers, though you can easily increase this number to seven. The capacitive touch screen is highly sensitive and we found no issues with lag or slowdown. - impressive for a skinned Android device with a sub-1Ghz processor.
Another feature that we've come to love from Android phones is the sharing options that are present. Unlike the iPhone, where 99% of tasks have to be done from within a specific app (even with the forthcoming iOS5), with the ChaCha, you can export files across apps seamlessly. So, if you see some text on a webpage, highlight it and tap 'share', and every conceivable method and app you own that allows sharing will let you. It means that you can transfer just-taken photos to Dropbox, send a song you're listening to to a mail contact or add a soundfile from AudioBoo to a tweet. It's easy to use and makes life incredibly easy.
Interestingly, with most Android phones we've tested, the user has been required to have a Google account to use the phone. The ChaCha is different, though - when you first turn it on, you just have to log into Facebook and the phone will then start up. You're prompted to enter your Google details (and you'll need them in order to use, for example, the Android Market) but you're not forced to, which is jolly handy if you're never going to use that Google malarkey anyway. Contacts have always been one of HTC Sense's strong points, with a fantastic and unmatched ability to manage your address book well. The ChaCha takes that and builds upon it. To bring up a contact, you just tap out their name on the keyboard and, as you spell the name, it appears in front of you. You can then access their contact card and see every conceivable option of contacting them (bar carrier pigeon) and each last bit of information on them - from their latest Facebook update to their Twitter status. You can message them on Whatsapp, and you're also able to view previous messages, emails, Facebook galleries and call history.
HTC really has managed to nail contacts, and they feel just like a natural part of the ChaCha. As with previous HTC models, there's also a sorcerer-like ability to automatically link Twitter, Facebook and Google contacts together, with the option of accepting or declining the change. It's one of the reasons we're big fans of Sense.
This being a Facebook phone, your Facebook contacts are all in there, too, meaning that you don't have to go rooting through the actual app to dig out a contact - you can just call them up on the Contacts app and away you go. It saves time and effort; you feel that HTC really understand what they're trying to achieve here. Some of the keys double up as your numbers for dialling (in the same way that they do on a BlackBerry) but there is a really helpful quirk. Say you want to call 'Pete", you dial PETE with the letter keys and Pete's contact comes up. Say you want to call Daz, you press D (also number 5), A and Z (also number 7). Instead of instantly getting a D when you press the letter, you get a number 5 on the screen, because the ChaCha thinks you're dialling a number. But then when you press the A letter, it changes the 5 to a D. It seems to know what you're doing instinctively.
To add a number, just start typing it and the ChaCha will helpfully invite you to add it to your contacts.
The ChaCha managed to keep hold of a signal just as well as other phones and callers on the other end of the line said we sounded fine. The quality of the earphone speaker isn't going to win any awards due to a lack of bass but it was by no means bad. We were able to hold a conversation for a good half-hour without any problems, and part of that was in the front seat of a car on the A1 going towards Hertfordshire from London, where signal bars were going up and down like an elevator. Bluetooth syncing worked well with our car stereo, too, with no problems to report. The integrated speaker is loud enough to place in the centre of a table and hear the caller at full pelt. In fact, at times it was so loud, we had to turn it down because some sounds were distorted - but this only happened when the person at the other end admitted to shouting down the line, and so isn't something that HTC can be blamed for. Bearing in mind that this phone is clearly aimed at younger users, we can't help but feel sorry for bus passengers who may soon be subjected to a high-volume dose of Justin Bieber at the hands of teenagers, once they cotton on to how loud the speaker can be. If you buy this phone, the chances are you won't be picking it up as a tool to make calls, but as a way of staying in touch via messaging. You can see just by looking at the ChaCha that it is set up for that purpose - and it obliges with great aplomb. The chances are, any kind of messaging or social networking feed you want will be catered for by the ChaCha.
Aside from the obvious Facebook messaging - which we'll get onto in a moment - out of the box, you can set it up with Exchange, Gmail, Flickr, other email accounts, news feeds and Twitter.
That's on top of the rather fantastic Whatsapp cross-platform messenger we mentioned before, which you can download from the Android Market. There are also plenty of other add-ons that will allow you to do this. Text messaging is standard Android fare with the HTC Sense skin overlaid and looks nice. Threaded conversations are supported, along with little thumbnails. It is a small thing, but it's these tiny cosmetic elements that make a huge difference when you're using the handset day in, day out. The dedicated Gmail app is buried away in the app folder and the HTC mail app is given prominence on the main homescreen. We think that this is a great email app, for what it's worth - messages are displayed clearly in HTML, which is resized automatically to fit the window, and you can search easily through your mail and the whole experience feels well thought-out. Tapping out a new message can be done in a number of ways - you can either go into the individual app (Mail, Messages, and so on) and compose a new one, or you can go in through the recipient's address book entry. The built-in keyboard is a dream to use. Because of the shape of the ChaCha, the hands seem to fit around it perfectly so that you can hold it and type out your messages promptly. As with all of these things, it's a bit of a learning curve (it took us a while to stop habitually getting the FN and Shift keys mixed up) but it happens eventually.
The full stop button also doubles up as a shortcut to the camera. Quite why it's necessary is another matter, because you have shortcuts (including a camera) on the homescreen, but it's better to have it than not, we suppose. Keys go down with a satisfying click and we couldn't fault them at all, with blistering speeds possibly within an hour of use. Of course, the main selling point of this phone is the 'F' word. Although it's not being marketed explicitly as the Facebook phone since there are already a few on the market, it is being pushed as the phone to buy if you're a Facebook afficionado. And fans will love it. We must admit, we were unsure what we were going to get here. We knew it'd be unlikely that the 'F' button would just fire up the Facebook website ir application, and what we get is something that has been deeply integrated into the Sense skin. Push the Facebook button and you're invited to post a status update. You have to post one to get past the update screen, which can become a bit tiresome - especially if you want to just view other people's statuses.
If you really don't want to write your umpteenth status update of the day, then you have to go out of the application back to the homescreen and tap on the Facebook widget to get in that way. It's a slight annoyance but nothing major. Once you're in, you can view All Feeds, Status Updates, Photos, Links, Lists, Locations and Notifications. You can also update other social network statuses should you wish, recommend apps, post photos or your own location. It's basically a variation of the Facebook for HTC Sense app that we've seen on other handsets from HTC in the past, but it just seems to work so much better on the ChaCha.
Hold the Facebook button down for a long press and up pops Facebook locations, allowing you to check in at various places. It was quite effective using our GPS indoors and confirmed that we were where we thought we were. That Facebook button acts a little like a wise old seer as you navigate through the phone - advising you whenever there is something you can share.
For example, just have a little scan through your photo album and it'll start to pulsate to let you know that you can share those pics on Facebook. Listen to a song, then it'll glow quietly to let you know you can tell your friends on Facebook what you're listening if you press it. It becomes a bit like a greedy dog - always wanting to digest what you're doing and tell everybody. In fact, the little blue button even acts as a camera shutter button - taking the snap, then preparing it for you to send to the big social network in the sky. One thing we noticed and instantly missed: no support for the YouTube applications. After photos, sharing videos is one of our favourite things to do on the network, so to not be able to pop them up too is a big oversight in our opinion. The ChaCha is not the phone to have if your boss is a Facebook friend, as he or she will think that you never get any work done due to the amount of status updates you'll be churning out on this thing. Facebook chat is integrated into the ChaCha and it works really well. This has been an element that various Facebook apps have struggled with across platforms, but it's built into the phone as what appears to be a separate Facebook Chat app.
We were really impressed with the fact that it had its own dedicated widget. It meant that our contacts were listed on the homescreen with a green light if they were available to chat, and we just had to do a quick tap to start talking to them. This is what we mean about Facebook's fantastic integration into HTC Sense; it's like having a chatroom on your standby screen. One thing we didn't quite understand is why the ChaCha comes with all of this Facebook integration yet is also preloaded with the separate Facebook for Android app. It makes the whole thing confusing. For example, if we took a photo and decided to send it the old-fashioned way (rather than pressing the 'F' button, going into the 'share menu'), we're presented with the option of sharing with 'Facebook' or 'Facebook for HTC Sense'. We obviously know that it's the latter, but somebody using this phone for the first time may not well realise this and if they hit 'Facebook' (as most people probably will), then it will just do it via the standard Facebook app that you could use on any Android phone - rendering the ChaCha's main selling point useless. Another thing we noticed is that when you sign into Peep (HTC's Twitter viewer), the status updates widget that's automatically included on the homescreen seems to populate itself with tweets instead of Facebook notifications, with the less-frequent FB offerings getting lost in the noise. Speaking of Twitter, we couldn't help wondering why it's not getting a more prominent position on the ChaCha, as it would be nice to be able to share websites, songs and photos via Twitter in the same deeply-integrated way - although we know there are several applications to get most of the functionality. This being an Android device, the ChaCha comes with one of the best mobile browsers on a phone. Android's stock offering is brilliant at rendering pages and resizing text and it is testament to that that where Sense is so prevalent over other parts of the OS, when it comes to the internet, HTC does, on the whole, leave it alone. It isn't broken - so it's not fixed.
But, where messaging is where the ChaCha excels, browsing is definitely this dancer's Achilles heel. Coming from an Incredible S, we found the browsing experience to be disappointing. The real issue here is Flash support. Smaller flash elements appeared OK - advert banners and the like. But when we tried to load up flash video on a number of websites, the ChaCha just gave up. An swirling loading icon filled us with hope - which was then dashed by a large yellow triangle with an exclamation mark warning us we had no chance of getting any further here.
We already assumed Flash wasn't going to work thanks to the lower-spec Qualcomm processor, but to come so close to seeing the video and having it cruelly taken away is more annoying than being told it's not available at all. Aside from that, browsing speeds are absolutely fine and we had nothing to complain about. The ChaCha is a 3G device that supports HSDPA, and loading pages happened quickly with the rendering speeds we've come to expect from Android's browser. Wi-Fi was obviously quicker in the majority of cases, but we found absolutely nothing to complain about over 3G instead and we're big fans of the way text reformats upon tapping. The Android bookmarks system is top-notch and, combined with HTC's bookmarks widget, browsing is made even easier.
That said, the screen size can impede your enjoyment. It feelsa little too small for any real web browsing and, although it's fine for a little bit of light use, you won't find yourself navigating full sites on the ChaCha for too long.
The ChaCha comes with two cameras - a fairly nondescript VGA on the front and a much better 5MP job around the back. It's not a bad camera - but it's not wonderful. We'd put it in the category of "gets the job done." Pictures come out alright and are fine for a quick Facebook post or MMS. This being a Facebook phone, the likelihood is that most photos will simply be sent over social networking anyway and therefore, it doesn't really matter. The irony is that the pictures look pretty bad when you view them on the ChaCha's screen. Yet when uploaded to a computer, they're much, much better. We actually thought a lot of our photographs were blurred and dull-looking when we viewed them on the phone, but they were sharp as a pin on the computer screen. The other issue we had is that there is virtually no visibility in direct sunlight. Taking photographs as you lie on a beach in the Mediterranean is something you won't be doing with the ChaCha. On the plus side, starting the camera from cold is speedy and you're looking through the viewfinder in less than a second, which is a good attribute to have. We've lost count of the amount of times we've missed the moment whilst waiting upwards of three seconds for an iPhone to get going and open the camera lens up. Once in, you've got four options - switch cameras, switch to camcorder mode, flash on/off and gallery. These are displayed as thumbnails at the side of the screen. Beyond that, hit the options button and you're presented with a wealth of options including self-timer, various fun effects, image adjustments, ISO levels etc. There really are lots to pick from -possibly too many considering the ChaCha is not a phone for budding Lord Lichfields but hats off to HTC for at least giving us the choice.
The camera has autofocus, but it gave us mixed results. It makes plenty of cute noises like a real camera, but when taking a picture we found that we had to consciously tap to focus the portion of the picture we were after in the majority of cases or we were left with a slight blur.
Shutter speed is not so great. At times, we expected to get an extremely awful picture, but actually got something that worked. At least on the screen. When sent to a computer, the photo looked a lot worse. The camera performed well in good light, colours were reproduced well and, as mentioned, there are plenty of options to change the levels should you want more. In dimmer light, the camera was adequate, but the LED flash comes in handy and you can set this to automatic. In pitch-black conditions, it managed to bathe the subjects in enough light to do the job well. In low light conditions, the pictures looked great with the flash on but pretty awful without. The camera also struggled if we were in a room with a lot of light coming in through the window - picking up the light but making the rest of the room look incredibly dark.
Taken in good light with a window behind us. No problems with colour reproduction. Click here to see the full-size image
We actually expected this photograph to look awful when sent to the computer because it looked so dim on the screen and quite blurred - yet surprisingly, the orchid came out clear. Click here to see the full-size image
Similarly, the iPhone looked very dim and blurred on the ChaCha's screen. Not so when sent to our computer. Click here to see the full-size image
These two photographs were taken as we moved the camera across the room in a sweeping motion to check the shutter speed. Unsurprisingly, they came out rather blurry. Click here to see the full-size image Click here to see the full-size image Click here to see the full-size image
Close up subjects in direct light fared well on the ChaCha's camera. Click here to see the full-size image
Macro shots in good sunlight didn't do too well with the autofocus. This image looks more like something you'd expect to see on a 2005 camera phone, not a 2011 model. Click here to see the full-size image
We took this picture in low light and the LED flash managed to perform brilliantly. However, when we turned the flash off and took the same picture in the low, natural light results were not so pleasant. Click here to see the full-size image Click here to see the full-size image
The kitchen was actually really, really bright. However, the ChaCha struggled to work out what was happening with the sun pouring in through the window and just made it look bleak. Click here to see the full-size image
This wasn't so much of a problem when we actually went outside, though. Click here to see the full-size image
In artificial light, the Macro mode seemed to kick in and text was easily shootable with fairly good results. Click here to see the full-size image
Outside, we cranked up the zoom and shot off into the distance. The result was surprisingly good - we could barely see this roof with the naked eye. Click here to see the full-size image
These photographs were taken in pitch black conditions but you'll need to keep a steady hand if you're doing the same to avoid blur. Click here to see the full-size image Click here to see the full-size image Of course, the benefit of Android is the Market, and there are dozens of camera tweaking apps that you can take advantage of to crank up exposure or modify your photos if you feel that the HTC offerings (of which there are many) aren't enough. The video offering on the ChaCha is, like the stills camera, adequate but not ground-breaking. It shoots at a maximum resolution of 720x480 and looks good on the screen. Unfortunately, it only records in the slightly old and outdated .3gp format. One thing we liked is the fact that when in the video recorder, you're able to fiddle around in the options and adjust your levels just like you can in the normal camera app. You're also able to shoot videos with a number of effects to jazz them up, and we think this is something that the target market will lap up. Our only criticism is that you have to dig through the menus to do this and for most users, that'll be a chore. Having a shortcut on screen would have made this a lot more intuitive but it's hardly a big deal. You can choose whether you'd like to save the video with audio (though why you wouldn't is beyond us) and the sound does record well. We had no issues with it being out of sync in any way, and audio was clear.
You have the option of shooting with the LED flash on and can also record from the front-facing video camera, which is ideal if you'd like to record your musings to Facebook (again, watch out for the pulsing blue 'F' button). The ChaCha did struggle to keep up with the light as we moved from darkness to light and, it sometimes found it hard to work out if we were indoors or outdoors at time, making bizarre jumps from lightness to darkness. The handset also found it hard to move around (which is odd, since that's what video is all about) and pictures looked blurry unless filming a static subject. The ChaCha is first and foremost a messaging phone. You see that as soon as you pick it up and notice the keyboard. That's not to say that media isn't supported, because it is - but messaging rules the roost here. For watching media, it's not great for the simple reason that the screen is small compared to, say, the HTC Sensation - which obviously wants you to consume as much media as you can. Internal storage is fairly paltry. Our unit told us that it had 150MB but only 79MB was free (presumably because of the OS) - and that was only because we cleared out the cache first to maximise what was available. The ChaCha does support MicroSD cards, meaning you can bump it up to 32GB. Our ChaCha even came with a 2GB card included, although this is retailer-dependent, so it's worth checking before you buy. There's only one music app on board - the standard Android one that's been given a bit of a Sense makeover - but HTC has been savvy enough to include its own widget that supports album art so you can change tracks from the homescreen. There's also an Android widget to do a similar job, so you're spoilt for choice.
Playing music through the loudspeaker is incredibly loud and sounds very tinny, but listening through the supplied headset was fine. There's no SRS surround sound like we've seen in other models from HTC but it's no great loss. One thing we did like was the option to automatically search YouTube for music videos of the song you're listening to, and if you hit that blue Facebook button, it'll notify your Facebook friends what you're listening to with a chance to buy the track (do it too often, though, you may find your friendship quota goes down - especially if you're a Celine Dion fan).
You'll be able to play most formats and we certainly didn't struggle with any we had on our unit. Officially, the ChaCha supports .aac, .amr, .ogg, .mid, .mp3, .wav and Windows Media files. Sounds are recorded in .amr.Video wise, there's support for the usual suspects like .3gp, .3g2, .mp4 and .wmv. Video There a Videos app in the app drawer that scans the media card and plays what's in there - we had no trouble with it and it did the job it was employed to do. However, we still wish HTC would label each video so we knew what we were trying to open before we did so - it's pretty much trial and error unless the thumbnail is explicit.
You probably won't watch too many videos on the ChaCha, though. The screen is too small and although it's light enough to hold, just try propping the ChaCha up to watch a video on with that chin. You'll soon give up and find yourself getting a book out instead! If your music collection really is appalling, there's also an FM radio onboard. We're always pleased to see these; although internet streaming means the lack of an FM radio is no longer a problem, it's always nice to have the option to listen to one. As with most phones, it uses the headset as an antenna, so you'll need to plug that in to get a signal.
Accessing your photos through the gallery is easy enough and fairly pedestrian - the app displays your photos and allows you to share. There's no built in editing software (which would have been a nice touch) but that's easily rectified by a quick visit to the Android market, so no great hardship there. Battery life When the Desire HD launched last year, it came with a disastrously small 1230mAh battery pack that many struggled to make last a day. With the ChaCha, HTC has seen fit to kit it out with a 1250mAh battery so it's only marginally bigger. But it's a massive improvement.
Thanks to the Android battery monitor on Gingerbread, you can see where the power is zapped from and it's more often than not the display. Since the ChaCha has a pretty small screen, it doesn't require too much power to suck on to keep it going. It does, of course, use power to keep your feeds up to date, but we would go so far as to venture that this is some of the best battery life we've seen on a HTC device so far. It also charges remarkably quickly - probably because that battery is smaller. HTC quotes talk time as being up to 450 minutes on GS, with 400 hours of standby time. Of course, it's never quite possible to match the manufacturer's claims, and it will always depend on how you use your phone. Gone are the days when we all had only phone calls, text messages and Snake to measure our usage. We took our review unit off charge at 9pm on a Monday evening. After setting it up and downloading a few apps from the Market, by 9am, it was still on 80%. Over the next day, we took about 15 photos, a couple of videos, played games for about 30 minutes, sent 36 texts and 24 emails plus dipped in and out of Twitter and Facebook. It didn't completely die until just after 8am on the Wednesday morning which, for a modern smartphone, we think is fairly impressive. More so when you consider that Android phones don't have the best record when it comes to battery life. If you decide to go away for the weekend and use the ChaCha sparingly, we see no reason why this phone wouldn't give you a full two days' worth of juice. Connectivity Aside from the 3G and Bluetooth, we have Wi-Fi and GPS, which are now pretty much standard and essential for a phone of this kind. We found the Bluetooth worked well with our car stereo, despite the car unit being a model designed for use with an iPod. Once paired, the ChaCha connected straight away each time we got in and streamed the music to the stereo making it a pleasant experience. An added bonus was that it also automatically synced our phonebook each time, though this may be stereo dependent.
Speaking of stereo, we weren't able to find any DLNA client onboard. It wasn't too much of a surprise, as that tends to be a feature reserved for higher-end phones, and we can't see it a feature being missed too much by the target market. HTC always make it easy to connect your device to your computer, with a really helpful pop-up menu that offers you various connection options. It's here on the ChaCha too, and although the actual options haven't changed (Charge only, disk drive, HTC sync, USB tethering and internet pass through), we were pleased to see that the menu has been given a little bit of a makeover compared to previous HTC devices.
Not having to use proprietary software such as Samsung's Kies makes the whole thing a lot easier and whether you're rocking Windows. Mac or Linux, you don't have to start worrying about compatibility issues which is helpful. There's also another option that's not in the menu, and that is to use your phone as a wireless hotspot. It's been part of Android for a little while now and you'll find this option tucked away in the app drawer. Maps This being an Android phone, the fantastic Google Maps is here and works brilliantly, as it does on most Android devices. Google's free sat-nav system, Navigation, is on here too - though it still says its a beta, despite having been around for what feels like forever.
Whether you're driving or walking, it makes navigation easy and - crucially - free, though we must admit that we did find it slightly frustrating using the screen for sat nav in the car because it's so small. This is more because we've become used to larger touchscreens - it still works as it should and does a sterling job. Getting a GPS fix the very first time took around 45 seconds but after that, we had no real problems, with a lock tending to be found within 10 seconds. We also used the ChaCha for a sport session after downloading Adidas's fantastic MiCoach app and it managed to keep us on track. A few times we heard Jonny Wilkinson's voice in our ear warning us that the GPS was low, but it still clung on for dear life and managed to give us what we hope was an accurate reading of our run when we got home. Apps Aside from the Facebook Chat widget, there are no brand-new Earth-shattering widgets on the ChaCha that we've not seen before. But that's not to say that what's there isn't good, because it is.
You get the standard Android widgets but also the HTC variants (with the option to download more once you've set up a HTC Sense account). The thing about widgets is that, like apps, there are so many free ones available on the Android Market, you can always find one to do virtually anything you need. Preloaded apps are standard fare - everything from a calculator and voice recorder to stocks and Google Latitude. But there was one new one we hadn't come across before on an Android device and that's Google Books.
There were three loaded on as standard (Frankenstein, Wonderful Stories by Hans Christian Andersen and Pride and Prejudice) with the option to download more, but you may be limited as to what you can get by legal and copyright issues. The free Amazon Kindle app should sort you out, though, if you run into bother. One very odd thing about Google Books is the way it's set up. When you open the app, it looks fine onscreen, but as soon as you select a book it opens sideways, which then means you have to turn the phone on its side to read a book in portrait mode. If this were a large touchscreen, you could understand it but, frankly, you look odd holding the ChaCha the way you have to in order to read a book. There doesn't appear to be an option to change this. One of the common complaints about Android is that it's difficult to put your apps into relevant folders - something BlackBerry and Apple have both managed to nail. Most Android phones will just throw everything into the app drawer and you have to dig around, searching by alphabetical order. Samsung do offer a folder facility of sorts on their current flagship model, the Galaxy S2.
Unfortunately, HTC doesn't accommodate this in the ChaCha but it does the next best thing. To the right of the App Menu, you're given three options - all apps, frequent apps or downloaded apps. It's a nice touch and makes navigating your downloads even easier. Considering you only have seven homescreens on the ChaCha and are therefore limited on space for app shortcuts if you also want to have widgets on display, this makes all the difference. It's an easy and intuitive system, and anybody familiar with Android will know instantly how to work it, and somebody new to Android will still be able to navigate it easily too.
If you're bored of all the one-upmanship from manufacturers looking to outdo each other with specs and just want something fun, then the ChaCha is a serious contender. It takes what is a fairly stable HTC Sense/Android combination and builds on it to make a phone that looks fun, and does its primary Facebook job well while not scrimping on (most of) its other obligations. It's currently being marketed very heavily here in the UK - and will likely be on many a Christmas list at the end of the year. It'll be interesting to see what impact it has on BlackBerry's similar offerings. We liked HTC's Sense has become one of the big successes of the Android story, and the way they've integrated it here with Facebook is both intuitive and inventive. Tapping out your status or just an email or message is a piece of cake, because the keyboard is usable and doesn't present any real issues like some do. You'll also get more bang for your buck here with the battery. While Androids are notorious battery hogs, we felt comfortable enough with the drainage to not have to check how much was left every five minutes. We disliked Seriously, HTC... the ChaCha? It's one thing having a cool name - but who on earth thought that one up? We actually felt embarrassed when our Facebook status updates revealed they were 'posted from a HTC ChaCha', and became a bit of a laughing-stock among friends. Although the shape does work well for the keyboard, the chin looks downright odd. We thought HTC's random design flaw/feature (delete as appropriate) had been consigned to the bin but evidently not. You'll notice the bulge this creates in your pockets, and people do comment on it, wondering why the phone is bent - although it does have some benefit for screen viewing angles. Finally, creating a phone on Android Gingerbread that can't cope with Flash is a terrible omission. OK, we get that the ChaCha is designed to have a lower price point, and as such needs to have compromises here and there, but it seems this phone would really benefit from a spot of Flash integration. Verdict The ChaCha is not a revolutionary device. Yes, the Facebook button is new and a few of the elements in there are premiered here but ultimately, it's an evolution, not a revolution. Having said that, it's not necessarily a bad thing. You know what you're getting here - a stable OS with an extra skin on top that has proven to be more than competent. And for the 14-21 year-olds who have their eye on this 'Facebook phone', it'll be enough. The price certainly is closer to the budget end of the scale, which we really like, and the quirkiness of the phone makes it a real breath of fresh air in a sea of indentikit black-slab touchscreens. However, with the cramped screen it feels like the HTC ChaCha is a one trick pony at times - get bored of the Facebook integration and you'll probably start casting envious glances at your friends' whizzbang phones and thinking 'do I really love having a keyboard?' When you turn the ChaCha on, you're greeted with HTC's logo and slogan: "Quietly Brilliant". There's certainly nothing quiet about the ChaCha - and while 'brilliant' may be pushing just a little, it's certainly not far off for the Facebook generation. 
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| O2 network down in East London Posted: 10 Jun 2011 04:45 AM PDT O2 has conceded that it has a problem with its network availability in areas of East London and Essex. Users in these areas may be having problems making calls or using data at the moment, although O2 says it is working on the problem. A status update on its website says, "Unexpected issues: We've got a problem that means you can't make calls, use the internet, or send/get emails the east London/Essex area." More downtime for some The latest outage follows a previous bout of down time due to theft and vandalism at its East London site in mid-May. O2 hasn't said that the current service impairment is down to thieves or vandals this time, although some of the same customers will be affected. Have you had a problem with your O2 reception today? Are these problems turning you off the oxygenated network? Let us know on our Twitter and Facebook pages. 
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| LulzSec reveals NHS web security holes Posted: 10 Jun 2011 04:00 AM PDT Notorious hacker collective LulzSec has targeted the NHS, publishing an email sent to the health organisation which highlights holes in its security systems. In the typically bizarre correspondence, LulzSec describes itself as a "band of pirate-ninjas" and claims not to mean any harm to the department. Setting the tone, Lulzsec begins: "We're a somewhat known band of pirate-ninjas that go by LulzSec. Some time ago, we were traversing the Internets for signs of enemy fleets." It's not Star Wars, you know "While you aren't considered an enemy - your work is of course brilliant - we did stumble upon several of your admin passwords, which are as follows..." Here followed a number of passwords, although LulzSec was kind enough to blank them out when it published the email on Twitter. It also clarified in a later tweet exactly where it had been poking around: "Subdomain NHS access compromised 5 core admins and contact info of several affiliates. Luckily they stored nothing of importance on that DB." The Department of Health, meanwhile, is keen to stress that it's no big deal. A spokesperson told the BBC, "This is a local issue affecting a very small number of website administrators. "No patient information has been compromised. No national NHS information systems have been affected. The Department has issued guidance to the local NHS about how to protect and secure all their information assets." Bones and that Concluding on a somewhat irrelevant note, LulzSec stresses that it merely wants to help the NHS with its "local issue": "We mean you no harm and only want to help you fix your tech issues. Also, we hope that little girls feasts on the bones of many giving souls. All the best." The weird point about the little girls feasting on bones is a reference to Alice Pyne, a 15-year-old girl with terminal cancer whose bucket list includes a wish to "make everyone sign up to be a bone marrow donor." 
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| Opinion: Why the 3D revolution is a myth Posted: 10 Jun 2011 03:55 AM PDT Call me a cynic but I just don't buy into the so-called 3D revolution. Sure, I went and paid a quid extra to see Avatar in 3D just like most people. The problem with that movie though is that it's so fundamentally terrible that the 3D eye candy is the only reason to bother watching it at all - so it's not a good example. Watching Avatar is a bit like watching footage of a horrific natural disaster or an act of terrorism on the news – you're utterly horrified by what you're seeing and hearing, but you can't help staring at it anyway. Since it came out we've heard lots about how the 3D revolution has finally arrived, but really, the idea that there is some kind of revolution going on is a myth, a fabrication. Anyone remember the '3D revolution' of the 1980s? News came on Wednesday that the BBC is to conduct a 3D experiment by hijacking its own BBC HD channel on the first weekend of July to broadcast the Wimbledon singles finals in sparkly 3D. Marc Chacksfield wrote an interesting piece about how this could be a game changer for the format. I disagree and I'll tell you why. People buy new TVs. This is a fact. It has been a fact since the television was invented and it will remain a fact until the sun swells into a red giant, burns the Earth to a cinder and we're all just particles of atomic dust floating about somewhere. The fact there are so many 3D-ready TVs on the market now means many of these TV-purchasers are going to buy them. But for a revolution to be a revolution, people would need to be so captivated by 3D that they'd be ditching their current HD TVs and specifically going out and buying a 3D one instead - just for the sheer hell of it. And then they'd need to fork out more money to get access to 3D content. A tech revolution is a measurable shift in public consciousness surrounding a product or category- the tablet is a perfect example; 25 million iPads sold? That's a revolution. This isn't what we're seeing with 3D TVs. Indeed, some of the industry insiders I've spoken to at some of the big name companies say that while 3D TV sales are encouraging, they're not selling any better than the previous generation of high-end TVs. 3D sets have merely replaced their older counterparts on the shelves. Manufacturers are starting to include 3D as a regular feature on many screens in much the same way they do now with HD tuners. You could argue it's being included more as an add-on than an innovation, one that you can opt in for, or ignore - hence the number of TVs that have 3D but no bundled glasses. You've also got other types of 3D products, of course, Nintendo 3DS and LG Optimus 3D included. But again, they're first generation products that will slowly be improved in iterations. Panasonic said recently that early 3D TV sales are outstripping the mainstream rollout of HD TVs nearly a decade ago. This may be true, but you know what? An HD TV even back in 2005 would cost well in excess of £1000. The good ones cost a heck of a lot more than that. In contrast, 3D TVs today can be acquired for under £400. Not really surprising then that the uptake has been quicker – if your TV breaks and you decide to buy a brand spanking new one, you'd probably opt for a 3D one too. The fact is that the rise of 3D products and the development of 3D broadcasting is occurring in tiny, incremental steps just like every other innovation in display technology history and in the wider world. The BBC was always going to broadcast in 3D eventually, just like every other TV channel on the planet will at some point in the future – be it in 5 years or 20. You only need to get out there and talk to the public to see that while 3D can wow as a novelty, it's simply not compelling enough on the small screen to send us all flooding onto the highstreets to panic buy 3D ready sets. 3D is merely the latest innovation in a long stream of innovations. Next will come the glasses-free 3D innovations. And then who knows what's coming next? Flexible, roll-up TVs? Holographic TVs? Whatever, revolution will never have anything to do with it. 
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| Week in Tech: Apple blurs the lines between iOS and OS X Posted: 10 Jun 2011 03:45 AM PDT Apple's World Wide Developers' Conference (WWDC) is easy to parody: Steve Jobs says "boom", the assembled hordes shout "woo!" and a million hands reach for their credit cards to buy whatever shiny new thing Steve has just showed off. This year, though, things were a little different. Apple may not have shown off shiny new hardware, but it did demonstrate some very big ideas. First up was OS X Lion, the latest and greatest version of Apple's desktop operating system. As we predicted last year, the lines between OS X and iOS - which runs on Apple's iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches - are blurring. Lion has lots of iOS-inspired features including multi-touch gestures, full-screen apps and autosaving among the 250 enhancements making their way into Apple's OS. One thing we didn't predict was OS X Lion's price: at $29.99 - around £21 plus VAT over here - it's "stupidly affordable", especially when your licence covers you for five devices. One reason it's so cheap is that there's no DVD this time: OS X Lion will only be available as an App Store download. OS X isn't the only Apple OS heading for a major update. iOS 5 cuts the cable between iDevices and computers - you'll be able to sync libraries, apps and even operating system updates wirelessly - and the rather hopeless notifications system has been given an Android-style makeover. Interestingly, iOS 5 won't shut out iPhone 3GS owners - although if it runs like lightning on a 3GS, we'll eat an iMac. Messaging and the cloud So what else does iOS 5 have to offer? There's a new BlackBerry BBM-style messaging system called iMessage for free texts between Apple devices; Newsstand, which is essentially iBooks for magazines; Twitter integration, which is cooler but probably less useful than Windows Phone's Facebook integration; a new version of Safari with tabbed browsing; location-aware reminders; improved Mail and the ability to take photos from the lock screen and to trigger the camera shutter with the volume-up button. Want to know more? Check out our in-depth guide to iOS's new features. Brand new versions of desktop and mobile operating systems would be enough for most firms, but Steve Jobs had one more thing: iCloud. The service replaces the ageing MobileMe, and unlike MobileMe it won't cost you a penny. There's more to iCloud than email and calendars, although it does that too. Its 5GB of free storage enables you to share documents between your various devices, so for example you might write something in Pages on the iPad and then grab it from iCloud when you're at your desktop Mac. iCloud provides effortless photo syncing between devices - Apple calls this feature Photostream - and it will also enable you to share your purchased music between devices. Music match Music sharing is for iTunes purchases only: if you want to share stuff you didn't buy from iTunes you'll need the $24.99 per year iTunes Match, assuming that service makes it across to the UK. There's no word of a similar service for purchased movies or TV shows. iCloud also keeps with the cutting-the-cables theme: it'll automatically backup your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch when you charge it, although once again non-iTunes music isn't covered. iTunes purchases won't count towards your 5GB of storage space, which is a nice touch. Ten years ago, Steve Jobs announced Apple's "digital hub" strategy, with the iMac at the centre of your digital life. Now, Jobs says, "we're going to demote the PC and the Mac to be just a device." The digital hub still exists, but Apple clearly thinks it should move from the iMac to iCloud. 
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| Posted: 10 Jun 2011 03:30 AM PDT The increased use of music sources other than CD has led to the need for hi-fi components with a broader range of options. In particular, the ability to accept digital source material stored on computer hard drives has become an added factor. With the Ethos, Pathos has created a powerful hybrid tube/transistor integrated amplifier capable of accepting a wide range of sources – from balanced analogue via XLR, to digital via USB (via an optional DAC). Here's an amplifier that meets the needs of two-channel purists, while catering for those interested in using digital sources. Five alive The Ethos makes provision for five unbalanced line sources via RCA phono plugs, two balanced line sources via XLR plugs, plus four video inputs. There's an optional built-in 24-bit/192kHz digital-to-analogue convertor, with inputs via two USB ports type A and B, and a S/PDIF co-axial RCA socket. A stereo pre-out and mono subwoofer output, are also provided.
The preamp section is entirely tube; pure Class A and based around a pair or ECC88s (6922) valves, one each per channel. The power-amp section is a true dual-mono solid-state design that delivers around 100 watts per channel into eight ohms – or 200 watts into four ohms. It's also possible to bridge the output, creating a single-channel output of 270 watts. All circuits are feedback-less. The electronic volume control has 180 steps with digital readout and is entirely resistive – using laser-trimmed resistors for accurate channel balance and precise adjustment. Each volume 'step' is around 0.5dB, allowing specific repeatable control of loudness. An alpha-numeric fluorescent display indicates things like volume setting (in dB values), and input selected. Specifications are impressive, with a claimed frequency response from 2Hz to 200kHz (+/- 0.5dB) and less than 0.01 per cent distortion. Each tube sits in its own little well and would be easily removable should the need for replacement arise. The tubes produced some heat but not that much – even though surrounded by casework, the tubes seem to run fairly cool, but during use, the casework gets mildly warm after an hour or so. A slight mechanical transformer buzz was just audible with our review sample when sat close by, but this wasn't felt to be serious. The amp is fully protected against things like excessive temperature rise and accidental short-circuit. There's a relay-protection system that mutes the amp while everything warms up and settles down – this takes about 30 seconds.
After switch-on, the amplifier defaults to Input One (XLR) and the volume control is set at – 52dB. If you switch the amplifier off from the front panel, your previous volume and input settings are remembered. However, if you switch off from the wall socket, or disconnect the mains supply, your settings are lost. Each input has its own individual volume control memory and can be set independently. This means you can adjust levels to cope with sources of differing sensitivities – a nice touch. There's provision to adjust left/right stereo balance, available from the remote handset via button five. The remote allows volume control, input selection, mute, and lets you put the amp into Standby. It has six press buttons, but these are not labelled. This means you have to remember what each one does – a free memory test with each amplifier! Massive beast Weighing in at a hefty 20 kilograms, the Ethos is a massive beast. Just lifting it tells you it's a well-made piece of kit. The casework features a combination of steel top and bottom plates, with heavy cast-alloy heatsinks and front panel. It's pretty large for an integrated and quite a bit deeper than usual. The heatsinks are extruded in the shape of the Pathos brand name logo when viewed from above. The two valves each have their own little 'well' for protection, but the glass apex of the tube sits slightly proud of the top-plate – so take care not to place anything over them for fear of breaking the tubes. Although the amp doesn't get massively hot, you need to keep the ventilation slots clear. The casework is very well finished and solidly built – oozing quality and class from every pore. The styling is a matter of taste; we love it. For sure, it's a big, uncompromising unit and not everyone will like the way it looks (the price is also fairly high for an integrated). However, given the features and facilities offered (balanced inputs, optional built-in DAC and USB inputs) you undoubtedly get a lot for your outlay. This is a highly versatile unit that should be pretty future-proof. So it's a good investment for reasons other than sonic ones. Immensely impressive Straight from the box, the unit needs time to burn in. Initially, it sounds rather bright and forward. But after a week or so it settles down nicely, producing a winning combination of immediacy and clarity. While it hasn't the smooth creamy richness you get with the best all-tube amps, the Ethos does have a certain tonal allure. It's very lucid and detailed, but not excessively 'toppy' or over-bright. The sound has excellent focus, lots of fine detail and there's plenty of power. The bottom end is taut and powerful, with better control than most transformer-coupled tube amps. The Ethos features a MOSFET power amp and being direct-coupled (rather than transformer coupled like an all-tube amp), there's an immediacy that is immensely impressive. Transient attack is very good, and wide dynamic swings are handled with aplomb – the sound expands impressively, with no hint of compression. The use of tubes in the preamp probably adds a degree of richness and warmth, but the Ethos is not obviously rose-tinted or soft. Listening blind, we're not sure you'd automatically register the use of tubes. We initially used our review unit via its unbalanced inputs and sonically the results were extremely good. However, we later tried the balanced option and noticed a very worthwhile improvement in tonal depth and richness, plus a heightened sense of scale and dynamics. The sound seemed bigger and more dimensional. It was louder, too – by about 6dB. However, even after adjusting volume levels to compensate, the unbalanced option never seems to match the extra 'something' we noticed with balanced. To exploit the balanced option, you'll need a CD player with balanced outputs, plus a set of balanced cables with XLR plugs at each end. These will obviously add to the cost, but we think you'll find the difference well worth it. Mix of virtues The Ethos is a sophisticated highly accomplished stereo integrated amplifier that is good enough sonically to appeal to discerning purist two-channel audiophiles, while offering lots of 'extras' to interest those looking for something more versatile. It's very well made and offers a lot for the money. It delivers the kind of smooth refinement you expect from a good valve amplifier, but has the extra power, drive and control you get from solid-state. Given such a mix of virtues, it should enjoy a wide appeal. 
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| Twitter: iOS 5 integration is a 'great opportunity' Posted: 10 Jun 2011 03:30 AM PDT One of the bigger shocks when Apple announced iOS 5 to the world earlier this week was that the new mobile operating system would come with a modicum of Twitter integration. Given that Apple is usually such a closed shop, especially when it comes to its OS, its embrace of the micro-blogging giant surprised many - but Twitter's head of platform Ryan Sarver think it makes perfect sense. "Overall the big thing for us is the combination of two big platforms," Sarver explained to TechCrunch. "And we're complementary to each other. Twitter from day one has been a mobile-friendly company — that was a part of Jack's [Dorsey] original vision. So to pair up with Apple on this is a great opportunity." Big referer Sarver explained that within iOS5 Twitter users will be able to sign in once and then have the ability to read and write tweets and send DMs. Sarver also said that anyone making an app for iOS should seriously think about using some sort of Twitter integration. "I think this integration has the potential to be the second biggest referral for app growth behind the App Store. "The main point in my mind is that if you're making an app for iOS and you're not thinking about Twitter, you're really missing an opportunity." 
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| Microsoft to pay record £170m patent fine Posted: 10 Jun 2011 03:11 AM PDT Microsoft has lost yet another appeal in its patent dispute against little-known Canadian company i4i. i4i maintains that Microsoft infringed its text manipulation patent in Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007, and the US courts agree. Judges in the case, which has been rumbling on since 2007, have repeatedly upheld the original ruling that said Microsoft should pay a $290 (£170) million fine. Objection! After the regular, juried court made the decision, Microsoft went through the higher courts in order to get out of the fine; the US appeals court upheld the ruling, the US Patent and Trademark Office vouched for the validity of the i4i patent and now the Supreme Court has also upheld the ruling. Microsoft, which has already set aside the money to pay the fine, still hopes to undermine it with a challenge it has filed on a patent pending at the patent office. Some might pontificate that it would save the company time and money to just suck it up and pay already, but Microsoft hopes to change the way the courts decide patent infringement has occurred, presumably to protect the company in future cases. Kevin Kutz, Microsoft spokesman, said, "While the outcome is not what we had hoped for, we will continue to advocate for changes to the law that will prevent abuse of the patent system and protect inventors who hold patents representing true innovation." i4i, meanwhile, it pretty pleased with yet another unsuccessful appeal: "We're very pleased that the court did the right thing. This is one of the most significant business cases the court has decided in decades." 
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| Review: Audio Note Zero System Posted: 10 Jun 2011 03:00 AM PDT High-end audio tends to be a tad expensive. When a manufacturer sets out to employ specialised military-grade internal components that are large and massively over-specified, you can't expect prices to be low. Nevertheless, some high-end manufacturers relish the challenge of designing products that deliver a taste of high-end performance at more wallet-friendly prices. After all, it's not easy to produce outstanding results within tight budget constraints, but Audio Note's Zero System aims to do just that. It offers high-level performance at prices that are realistic. Individually, each item boasts sonically excellent results which compare favourably with similarly priced (and more expensive) competition. But, at the same time, there's the promise of something more: an overall result that's greater than the sum of the parts. And it's when you put the whole thing together that the magic begins. Less is more In keeping with the minimalist ethos of high end, each Zero System component is a simple no-frills design. Audio Note takes a less-ismore approach, so don't expect to find anything more than the absolute basics. The IZero integrated amplifier offers four line-level inputs, plus a set of loudspeaker outputs. There's a volume control and an input selector, and that's it!
The Zero CD/II CD player is only a little less Spartan: you get the usual operational controls, a single set of unbalanced analogue outputs, plus a digital output. A remote handset is supplied with the CD player and there are buttons for direct track-selection and fast-search, a button to dim or turn off the illuminated display, plus buttons for repeat (one track or the whole disc), random track playback and time – either track elapsed time, remaining time (track or disc) and total elapsed time. There are additional buttons for volume and input selection that, unfortunately, have no effect on the IZero amplifier. Both amp and CD player feature tubes. The amplifier employs four ECL82 output tubes (two per channel), run in Class A up to about 80 per cent of their power and then switched to Class A/B. The CD player features a single 6111WA tube in the analogue output stage, with a Philips TDA 1543 filterless DAC used without up-sampling. The transport is a modified Philips L1210. The 6111WA tube is soldered in place and Audio Note claims its lifespan should exceed 100,000 hours.
Retro appearance Audio Note offers its Zero electronics with a choice of fascia plates – silver alloy, or black acrylic. Our review samples came in the former and look understated, but smart. There's nothing flashy about the build quality. Each item is nicely finished, but the plain somewhat 'boxy' styling means there's not much 'wow' factor. Both amplifier and CD player exude a distinct retro appearance and will appeal to those who prefer hi-fi with a traditional look. The AZ Two loudspeakers can be obtained in black ash, rosewood, beech, or cherry veneers and again styling is fairly traditional. No grilles are supplied, but these can be bought as accessories for about £60. Given all this, it's unlikely that anyone will choose the Zero system for 'battleship build quality' or stylish appearance. So, whether or not it offers good value is intimately related to how highly you rate its sound quality. The CD/II and AZ-Two speakers are both very fine-sounding products that will easily stand comparison with comparably priced (and dearer) equivalents from other manufacturers. The CD player is especially good, giving a rich warm, yet open tonality that is unusually 'analogue' in nature. The amplifier is excellent too. While its lack of power makes it expensive on a pound-per-watt basis and limits its usage to efficient speakers only; it sounds absolutely gorgeous – the audio equivalent of smooth rich chocolate!
Lively and assertive Since the IZero amplifier offers just eight watts per channel, power output could be an issue. Fortunately, the speakers offer reasonably high sensitivity (around 93dB) and make the most of the power available. They seem fairly easy to drive, too; our guess is they don't represent a nasty difficult load and this helps maximise the IZero's limited output. The innate naturalness of the amplifer's ECL82 output tubes helps ensure a gorgeously smooth and richly detailed sound that has excellent clarity and definition. And, allthough 'only' eight watts, the sound has remarkable presence, plus surprising weight and drive, with impressively crisp transients. When partnered with sensitive speakers, like the AZ-Twos, youu'd never suspect the IZero has so little power – it sounds unfeasibly immediate and assertive. If you push it past its power limits, the sound tends to compress slightly and maybe gets a wee-bit congested. But, on most music, most of the time, you can play as loudly as you like without obvious power-limitation problems. The CD Zero/II provides a smooth, clean, refined-sounding source that combines dynamic presence with a rich, beguiling silky-liquidity. It really is a CD player for those who don't like CD. The AZ-Two loudspeakers make the absolute most of what they're given, sounding lively and assertive, with lots of brilliance and detail. A slight forwardness in the upper midband, ensures the music projects into the room with plenty of authority and presence. We used the Zero system in a fairly large room and found it able to fill the space with relative ease. It went as loud as we would ever want. Even on uncompressed recordings of vocal music (opera, choral, classical lieder), which normally test low-powered amps to destruction, the system covered its tracks. If the amp was under pressure, it hardly ever showed signs of distress. We're not recommending this system for headbangers. But, although (on paper) somewhat challenged in the wattage stakes, lack of amplifier power is much less of an issue than you might think. On rock or classical, the sound is sharp, transparent; very clean and nicely balanced. It's subtle and delicate, yet suitably gutsy and immediate when the music demands muscle. As previously mentioned, the tonal balance exhibits a mild degree of upper midband forwardness and this sometimes results in a sense of peakiness. However, after listening for a few minutes, this impression diminishes and one quickly adjusts to what's on offer. The AZ-Two is very good at pitch differentiation and has excellent timing. You're literally drawn into the music. We found the Zero system very good at conveying the impression of people singing or playing in a unified coherent manner, so that the music (and performance) makes sense. Our review samples had hemp-coned bass/mid drivers. What's more, the clarity and definition proved excellent, conveying a clear impression of forward momentum. Subjectively, the speakers produce nicely extended bass – the bottom end might not seem obviously 'full' or powerful, but it's clean and free from smearing. Claimed low-frequency point is about 28Hz, but we found a reasonably healthy output down to 20Hz. Placing the speakers near to walls or corners will increase bass output. A winning combination Audio Note's Zero system is a great advertisement for the benefits of partnering a good low-powered amp with sensitive loudspeakers. It's a winning combination of cohesiveness and integration; brilliance and detail; dynamics and attack. With each individual component being very well matched, the overall result is superb and, as we've already indicated, as separates they need no excuses making for them. Obviously, the lack of power is a potential limitation that needs consideration. But, when partnered with an efficient loudspeaker like the AZ-Two, even this is hardly an issue. Indeed, if you play your Zero system at full tilt, you'll probably get complaints from your neighbours! 
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| Review: Microsoft Photosynth (iPhone) Posted: 10 Jun 2011 02:30 AM PDT When a stunning vista takes your breath away, your natural reaction, after drinking it in for a few moments, is to want to take the memory away with you to look back on. But a regular photo often fails to capture the scene in all its glory - nothing like actually being there. Microsoft's free Photosynth iPhone app goes some way to rectifying this by helping you capture a full panorama of the view. Now, while there are plenty of apps out there that do a competent job at stitching photos together, Photosynth is in another league entirely. Not only does it help you capture shots that are suitable for stitching, but it combines them pretty much flawlessly - even our discerning colleagues over on sister publication Digital Camera Magazine were impressed. When you've snapped and it has stitched, you can pan around the view from within the app and upload it to Microsoft's Photosynth.net service. Each vista also gets exported to your Camera Roll, though not as a pannable image. While we tested it on the iPhone 3GS, Photosynth struggled because of the lack of a gyroscope in this model - it really needs an iPhone 4 or latest-gen iPod touch. We can't recommend this highly enough, it's quite simply a must-have app. Thanks, Microsoft! 
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