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- Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar
- Netflix coming to the UK in 2012?
- Apple releases iOS 4.3.4
- iPhone 5 delayed due to faulty processors?
- Hotmail forbids 'easy' passwords
- Exclusive: Pentax UK speaks out on Ricoh sale
- Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray video preview
- Video: Best iPad 2 tablet alternatives
- RIM may have a BlackBerry Messenger music app in the works
- Quad-core Motorola Xoom successor 'being tested'
- Hands on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray review
- Win a Ricoh CX5 camera
- Sony Ericsson posts losses after difficult quarter
- Hands on: Olympus M.ZUIKO 12mm f/2.0 lens review
- Google Badges gamifies online news reading
- Tutorial: How to improve your mobile phone photos
- LG Optimus Pro and LG Optimus Net unveiled
- Free binoculars with Tamron superzoom lens
- Microsoft briefly reveals social search project
- Review: Lenovo ThinkPad X1
- 3D TV prices on the rise
- Buying Guide: Best DSLRs for video: under £500
- Review: Medion Erazer X6813
- Week in Tech: Are iOS and Android now unbeatable?
- Android now on 130 million devices
| Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar Posted: 16 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT In this week's top reviews we've reviewed several new cameras including the PowerShot A3200 IS and A800 from Canon as well as the latest PEN from Olympus. We've also looked at a high-performance Medion Core i7 laptop as well as the new super slim Lenovo X1. It's budget compact season in the world of Japanese giant, Canon! The latest snazzy snapper to hop off the cheap train is the Canon PowerShot A800. The A800 is Canon's entry-level compact camera, and as you'd expect for 60 quid, it's a no-frills affair. No-frills doesn't necessarily mean dumbed-down, however, and there's actually quite a lot to like about this device. Indeed, the specifications belie the bargain-bucket price and include a 10-megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom, Digic III processor and Smart Auto mode. At this end of the market, Canon is competing against camera phones, so does the A800 offer enough to persuade punters not to put the money towards an iPhone instead? Like the MSI GT680 and the diminutive Alienware M11x, the 15.6-inch Medion Erazer X6813 laptop is designed to offer gamers the kind of frame rates they're used to on desktop machines, but on the go. Some notebooks compromise practicality for sheer performance, but the Medion boasts both practicality and power. Like MSI's GT680, the GPU that Medion has opted for with the Erazer X6813 is Nvidia's GeForce GTX 460M and it provides a lot of gaming poke for your money. When we first laid hands on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1, we were impressed. The conventional plain black design remains, but the firm body measures just 27mm at its thickest point and weighs a mere 1.8kg, making it effortlessly portable. In typical ThinkPad style, it's also one of the most rugged ultra-portables we've seen. Sure, the X1 lacks the immediate beauty of the Samsung 9 Series or Apple MacBook Air, but it's solidly built in all areas, from the impressively tough lid to the rubberised frame and it performs well, too. Canon PowerShot A3200 IS review The second silly season snapper off the canon conveyor belt is the budget PowerShot A3200 IS. Costing £40 more than the A800 above, it comes with image stabilisation. You get a lot more besides, including a 14.1-megapixel sensor, 5x optical zoom, 720p HD video recording, better-looking slimmer metal case, 5x optical zoom and Advanced Scene Detection modes. The A3200 is an upgrade of the A3100 IS camera, which had 12.1 megapixels, 4 x optical zoom lacked HD video capability. So are these extra features worth the upgrade? We think it is – the A3200 is a fantastic little camera, offering decent image quality and good battery life and a sturdy compact design. The new PEN E-PL3 slots into the middle of the new Olympus PEN range, a halfway house between its older brother, the E-P3 and its smaller sibling, the E-PM1 (PEN mini). The Lite uses the same 12-million pixel sensor and 35 point autofocus system as the other models in the new line-up, so the main differences come in the way of its shape and a few minor tweaks in the operation and menu of the camera. Further testing is required when we get our hands on a final production model, but the PEN E-PL3 seems to handle most lighting and exposure conditions well.
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| Netflix coming to the UK in 2012? Posted: 15 Jul 2011 02:15 PM PDT Netflix is to bring its US-dominating movie streaming and rental service to the UK as part of a European expansion, according to industry bible Variety. The report claims that the UK and Spain will be first in line for a European launch, perhaps as soon as Q1 of 2012 Variety says that Netflix officials met with Europen movie distributors last week to discuss the plans, although the company declined to comment. LoveFilm beater? Any UK plans would put the service into direct competition with LoveFilm which has an equally strong grip on the British scene, and provides an identical service. Earlier this week, the Amazon-owned LoveFilm announced plans to boost its London-based workforce in order to bolster its digital offering. Netflix on the other hand has endured a rough week with an enormous customer backlash over its decision to hit users with a 60 per cent price hike. Earlier this year Netflix announced plans to expand its rental and on-demand service to 43 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, so a European invasion wouldn't be a huge surprise. Source: Variety 
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| Posted: 15 Jul 2011 01:42 PM PDT Apple has rolled-out a minor iOS 4 update to fix a potentially dangerous security flaw. The iOS 4.3.4 upgrade plugs a vulnerability in the PDF reader in the Safari browser, which JailbreakMe.com exploited to enable users to jailbreak their device. However, the security flaw also made iPhone, iPad and iPod users vulnerable to attackers seeking to steal personal data. "The Jailbreakme.com exploit downloads a payload to jailbreak the phone, but it could be changed to deliver a malicious payload," Apple security expert Charlie Miller told CNET this week. Vulnerability The iTunes software download screen explains to users that the 4.3.4 upgrade "Fixes security vulnerability associated with viewing malicious PDF files." This isn't the first time Apple has had to plug a security weakness relating to the PDF reader. Back in August, JailbreakMe.com exploited another loophole to allow users to install third-party apps on their devices. 
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| iPhone 5 delayed due to faulty processors? Posted: 15 Jul 2011 09:52 AM PDT Rumours of delays have dogged the upcoming iPhone 5 for months now, but the latest chatter from those apparently in the know suggests that the new iPhone may be held back until early 2012. The reason behind the hold-up, sources say, is that the dual-core A5 processor that Apple is intending to use has been overheating. Many have speculated that this will see Apple waiting until the A6 chip is available, which won't be until the beginning of next year. Note the 'if' If true, this could mean we will see a slightly updated iPhone 4S launch in autumn (another recurring rumour), with a more major upgrade made public after Christmas. It's getting harder and harder to know what to believe on the iPhone 5 front. The rumours in this instance come from Sohu.com, which is not a site we've ever dealt with before so we can't really vouch for the legitimacy of their intel. We'll just settle ourselves down firmly on the fence for now; roll on autumn.
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| Hotmail forbids 'easy' passwords Posted: 15 Jul 2011 08:42 AM PDT Hotmail has banned new users from using obvious and common passwords like '123456' and 'password'. The free Microsoft webmail service has also outlawed over-used phrases like 'ilovecats' from being used as the only thing standing between the bad guys and your emails. According to Ars Technica, Microsoft is also considering extending the ban to existing Hotmail accounts too. Security conscious Microsoft is also rolling out a feature that allows Hotmail users to report if another Hotmail user has been hacked. Dubbed 'My friend's been hacked!' the tool will then block the infected account and 'your friend' will have to go through the account recovery process to get back into it. It's clearly a good move for Microsoft to put more effort into making users secure their accounts – it only looks bad for the company if Hotmail accounts are regularly being compromised. We hope Sony is taking notes. 
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| Exclusive: Pentax UK speaks out on Ricoh sale Posted: 15 Jul 2011 08:30 AM PDT Two weeks ago, Pentax announced it was to be sold to Ricoh in a $77million deal. Ricoh, who is most widely known for its photocopier and business technology products, does already produce a small range of digital cameras, including the GXR, the world's first interchangeable unit camera. All of Pentax's camera business, including DSLR manufacture and sales will be transferred from the current owner, Hoya, to Ricoh. Hoya will continue to develop digital camera modules, along with other parts of the Pentax business that it already owns. We are currently seeking clarification as to exactly what the manufacture of 'digital camera modules' refers to. In an exclusive interview with Pentax, TechRadar spoke to Marilyn Dixon, marketing manager for the brand about what possible changes we can expect to see in the upcoming months. According to Marilyn, the benefits for Pentax are diverse. "They [Ricoh] definitely intend to grow the business globally," she said. "They intend to invest in our interchangeable lens camera production, which is fantastic news to hear on the back of the launch of the Pentax Q a few weeks ago." "They expect to grow the business in Europe, they have said they want to create a billion Euro business within the next three years. From their point of view it was key to have the Pentax brand within their portfolio to allow them to achieve this." When asked about potential worry current Pentax users may have about the merger, Marilyn assured that the merger was positive and would lead to more collaboration and cameras from both Ricoh and Pentax that would enhance and complement, not conflict with, each other's ranges. At the moment, it's still unclear what will happen with lens construction, or whether Pentax's relationship with lens manufacturer Tokina will continue after the transition to Ricoh, but we will be pressing to find out more in the coming weeks. According to Marilyn, the Pentax brand and name will continue under the new structure, "that's absolutely certain," she told us. The transition to the company comes into effect from the 1st of October. Marilyn says that Ricoh is keen to "hit the ground running" when it comes to developing the existing line-up of Pentax products. "We can only speak for the UK, but certainly we've got established channels for distribution that they would want to see developed in the next couple of years," she revealed. Keep following TechRadar for more on this story as it develops. 
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| Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray video preview Posted: 15 Jul 2011 08:20 AM PDT Sony Ericsson's recently announced Xperia Ray got its first public outing this week, and we were on hand to capture it in all its motion picture glory. In our video preview, you can see for yourself how those shakable floating widgets look, as well as getting the lowdown on what we made of the little handset when we saw it in the flesh. Spoiler alert – we were pretty impressed with the diminutive handset. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in high resolution and good design. Once you've filled your visual boots with the Ray on video, head on over to our hands on Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray review for more of our sparkling thoughts on the handset. 
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| Video: Best iPad 2 tablet alternatives Posted: 15 Jul 2011 07:18 AM PDT The iPad 2 is an awesome bit of kit – but plenty of people are looking for a tablet that doesn't come with an Apple logo on the back. TechRadar has played with all the major tablets, and there are plenty of alternatives to Apple's tour de force, including offerings from the major names. So, you can check out our video of the 10 best iPad 2 alternatives – and then check out our top 20 best iPad alternatives with even more detail. 
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| RIM may have a BlackBerry Messenger music app in the works Posted: 15 Jul 2011 07:12 AM PDT RIM may be working on a social music app that uses BlackBerry Messenger to share songs between friends. The app, which may launch soon after BlackBerry App World 3.0 is officially released, is said to be named BBM Music and will come loaded on all new devices. BBMers will be able to share songs and music playlists with their contacts, while RIM will also offer a music library of its own. Songs will be downloaded directly to the BlackBerry handset through the standalone app. The hills are alive For a subscription fee of around £3 a month ($5), BlackBerry users will be able to send and receive 50 songs every month. RIM has promised that it has seven BlackBerry handsets waiting in the wings, and will be keen to make their messaging service an ever more attractive proposition now that Apple has gone and aped it with iMessage in iOS 5. With most phone OS owners looking to find a way into cloud music storage, this could be RIM's main take on the trend; but will 50 songs a month keep the digital generation happy? The rumour comes from an anonymous source talking to NerdBerry.net – while we haven't reported on any rumours from the site before, it's a well known fact that RIM is looking to social and hoping to incorporate BBM into as many other features as possible, so we'd say this rumour could well turn out to be true.
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| Quad-core Motorola Xoom successor 'being tested' Posted: 15 Jul 2011 07:12 AM PDT Motorola's Xoom tablet successor is reportedly being tested – apparently offering up rather nifty specs that include a quad-core processor Nvidia processor and a much higher resolution screen. Fudzilla is suggesting that the new Xoom will bring not only Android 4.0, but also a powerful quad-core Kal-El chip at its heart and a 2048x1536 pixel display. The name of the chip is a reference to Superman's Kryptonian name, and will be one of the most powerful mobile processors around when it, ahem, lands. Development path The Motorola Xoom made a big impact at launch, but there were immediate rumours that a successor was not only planned but well along the development path. If the current story is true then this could be a real contender from a company that has put a sorry few years behind it and is looking to build on the successes of smartphones like the Motorola Atrix. Currently dominant in the tablet market is Apple's iPad 2, and its successor, the Apple iPad 3, could well also boost a higher resolution screen and a quad-core processor.
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| Hands on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray review Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:54 AM PDT At the recent Sony Ericsson Christmas in July showcase we spotted the latest handset from the company's joint venture: the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray. The new phone is another phone that marks the brand's rise from the smartphone doldrums - sure, the Xperia Play and Xperia Neo might not have been the greatest phones to ever leave the factory, but the Ray offers some decent tech in a low-price package. The Xperia Ray is an altogether smaller affair than the likes of the Xperia Arc and Play, with a 3.3-inch screen on the front, powered by the same Bravia engine we've seen on a number of other SE handsets, coming along for the ride.
The highlight of the phone is undoubtedly the screen - with a FWVGA offering (which translates into 854x480 pixel count) the resolution is absolutely pin-sharp - only 26ppi less than the iPhone 4.
The rubberised chassis feels very nice in the hand - it's angular yet compact, meaning you'll get a decent typing speed up in no time. In comparison to the Xperia Arc, one of our favourite handsets at the moment, the Ray performs very well indeed - it's got the same 8.1MP camera with Exmor technology, a single LED flash and quick shutter speed, plus it doesn't have the terribly small power button.
Both the power/lock key and volume switches are much improved, with a decent size and better travel to use them with one hand.
The only real difference is the size of the screen and the loss of an HDMI-out port - and we can't say we're too sad to lose that functionality as there's not even a lead in the box to allow you to lose the functionality. Sony Ericsson told us that the new phone will be running version 4.0 of the TimeScape Android overlay, which brings not only the Facebook Inside functionality to let users easily share content and recommendation over the social network, but the same cool screen shut-off animation from the Google Nexus S.
The overview mode has been tweaked slightly as well, with widgets floating around the screen when pinching in frmo the home screen. The cool bit comes when you shake the phone and all the objects bobble about... useful? No. Fun? Hell yes. The annoying thing about the demo unit we saw was the lack of internet connection - the screens all looked pin sharp, but we couldn't test to see how text looked on the smaller screen when zoomed out. But video looks, as you can imagine, superb - the resolution is cracking and the screen size is just big enough to warrant using it as a portable video player instead of a dedicated unit. The Nokia E6 has a slightly better ppi count, but with a tiny screen it's not much use as a video player. One thing we're really happy about: the keyboard already seems improved over the Xperia Arc too - better accuracy impressed us despite the smaller screen.
But we can imagine that once you buy the Xperia Ray and you pick up a better video player (as the default option is simply far too basic) you'll be treated to a more than acceptable movie player.
On top of that the media player is the same decent offering we've come to expect from the Walkman-powered brand; the infinity button serves to show you YouTube videos of your chosen artist and as we mentioned, the Facebook option means you can see what tunes your friends are into at the moment.
Overall, we're really impressed with the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray - given we expect it to come in at around £20-£25 per month on contract, the compact dimensions, decent camera and high-res screen could see this become another winning phone for the Japanese-Swedish alliance. 
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| Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:44 AM PDT Our colleagues at PhotoRadar are giving away 3 Ricoh CX5 compact cameras worth £250 each in a prize competition to celebrate the 2011 Women's British Golf Open. The Ricoh CX5 features a fast autofocus system, super resolution zoom and scene modes, including the 'Golf Swing Continuous Mode' where gridlines appear when you take or playback photos, making it easy to check your swing position. The camera also features a 10 million pixel CMOS sensor and is equipped with a 28-300mm (35mm equivalent) lens. Step zoom allows for any of eight fixed lengths including 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm and 300mm to be used. The lens is constructed of 10 elements in 7 groups and has a maximum aperture of f/3.5-f/5.6 and has a 10x optical zoom, plus a digital zoom of 4.8x. Along with the golf swing mode, a number of other shooting modes including macro, pets, fireworks, cooking and creative art modes are available. The CX5 is also capable of high definition video recording. Ricoh is sponsoring the 2011 British Women's Open, more information can be found about the partnership on the dedicated microsite. PhotoRadar has three of the cameras to giveaway. To win one, all you have to do is answer a simple question. Find out more from PhotoRadar. Please note the competition is only open to GB residents. 
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| Sony Ericsson posts losses after difficult quarter Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:28 AM PDT Sony Ericsson has revealed its financial results for the last quarter (April – June), blaming poor performance on a shortage of components in the aftermath of the earthquake in Japan in March. The company shifted 7.6 million handsets in the three month period, but it had expected to sell between eight and eleven million. But it's not all bad news, with Sony Ericsson insisting that the hard times are behind it, and forecasting bigger sales for the second half of the year. Xperianced Chief executive Bert Nordberg said, "There might be some minor spillover. In our planning this [shortage] is behind us." Sony Ericsson expected big things of 2011, unveiling a strong line up of smartphones at this year's Mobile World Congress, including the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc and the long-awaited Xperia Play PlayStation phone. The company has bet big on Android, but whether or not this move will see them turn a profit in 2011 remains to be seen. 
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| Hands on: Olympus M.ZUIKO 12mm f/2.0 lens review Posted: 15 Jul 2011 04:51 AM PDT The new M.ZUIKO 12mm f/2.0 lens was announced by Olympus at the same time as its new PEN line-up of cameras and is designed for use with the micro four-thirds mount. Featuring an all-metal construction, the 12mm lens – which produces a view equivalent to a 24mm on a full-frame camera - has been billed as a 'street photography' lens. The snap focusing ring around the centre of the lens barrel can be pulled back to reveal depth-of-field and distance indicators for use when focusing in manual mode. The lens has multi-layer coating which promises to halve the effect of ghosting and flaring, compared with conventional coatings. With an RRP of £700, this is a serious piece of kit to invest in. However, the lens is versatile, offering a maximum f/2.0 aperture allowing for creatively blurred backgrounds. The premium build associated with fixed length lenses is usually associated with higher quality images and with the range of subjects that this lens is well suited too, you may find it's hardly ever off your camera. Using the 12mm lens is quick and easy, with the manual focusing ring operating smoothly. The snap-focus ring is a quick way to switch between the two modes, proving handy when speed is of the essence. The distance indicators and depth-of-field indicators really come into their own when shooting from the hip, allowing you to judge with a relative degree of accuracy whether or not your subject will be in focus without having to check the back of the screen. The all-metal casing lends the lens an air of quality, while still maintaining a low weight to keep the overall weight of the system down while in use. A good walkaround lens, the 24mm equivalent length is good for a variety of subjects. In practice, we found it worked well for portraits, landscapes, street shots and more, producing sharp images with minimal drop off towards the edge of the frame.
Coupled with the ultra-quick 35 point autofocus system housed in all of the new Olympus PEN cameras, focusing using this lens is quick and easy – locking onto subjects with the minimum of fuss, which is especially useful for street shooting or blink and you'll miss it moments. The major selling point of this lens is its maximum wide aperture of f/2.0 which allows for some creative blurred backgrounds shooting. This combines well with the creative art modes that can now be used while in aperture and shutter priority on the new PEN line-up, and it makes this a really fun lens to shoot with. Full testing of the lens is still needed, but so far, the results are very promising. All images were shot using the Olympus PEN E-P3.
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| Google Badges gamifies online news reading Posted: 15 Jul 2011 04:48 AM PDT Google has rolled out Google News Badges in the US, which digitally awards people for reading articles on Google News. Although it is only for those living in America at the moment, it is an intriguing premise which may well get rolled out globally. The idea is that you will be awarded anything from a bronze badge, all the way up to a platinum badge, depending on how many online articles you consume on Google News. Level up Although Google is trying to gamify news reading, it has laid a few ground rules so you can't beat the system. The most pertinent being: "Badges will level up faster if you read a few relevant articles every day, rather than trying to read everything at once." So there's no point in clicking on every article every day, as Google will know you are a news cheat. To get badges, you need to have your web history enabled. For those worried about getting an embarrassing badge – if you are reading an unhealthy amount of celeb gossip, say – then you can hide some of the badges you get and also tweak whether or not your badge system is shared with your Google friends or not. Google News Badges are available now in the US – and not 1 April, which is what we thought when we first heard of the service. 
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| Tutorial: How to improve your mobile phone photos Posted: 15 Jul 2011 04:45 AM PDT Gone are the days when an unexpected photo opportunity made you wish you'd packed a camera - you always have one on you. However, the poor quality of many mobile phone photos might put you off pointing and clicking. It's not really the device's fault. Or, more accurately, it is its fault, but you're not compensating for its limitations. Mobile phone cameras have their foibles, but you can work around them. As you read on, we'll talk you through how to take better pictures possible with your phone. Lets begin with the obvious question: when compact digital cameras are so small, why use your phone? Aside from the fact that it's always there, your phone has a couple of clear advantages. For one, it's a phone, so no one notices when you take it out. Mobile phones are great for snapping candid action and getting pictures discreetly. Secondly, your phone is well connected. When you've taken a picture, you can publish it almost instantaneously to blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites. A digital SLR like the Nikon D90 can take great photographs, but it can't publish them instantly. The result of this convenience and connectivity is that mobile phone cameras tend to have slow responses, poor resolution and awkward design features compared to dedicated cameras, but we can work around this. Picture resolution The picture resolution of modern mobile phones caught up with entry-level digital cameras a couple of years ago. It's now common for smartphones to boast camera resolutions between three and five megapixels. The iPhone 4 has a five-megapixel camera, for example, while users of LG's popular budget Android handset the Optimus One have three megapixels to play with. There are exceptions, like the relatively new Nokia N8. More like a camera with a phone built in, it boasts a 12-megapixel camera and professionally tooled Carl Zeiss lens for pin-sharp results. What do these figures actually mean? You determine the megapixel count by multiplying the maximum number of horizontal pixels by the number of vertical pixels. For example, a three-megapixel camera has a maximum resolution of 2,048 x 1,536 pixels. Multiply those two figures and you have 3,145,728 pixels, or 3.1 megapixels. However, you'll only get that full count if you select the highest resolution on your camera phone, which may not be the default setting. Your phone will probably have a 'Normal' setting that only uses a fraction of the camera's capabilities. You need to set it to the highest possible resolution (often labelled either 'Fine' or 'Superfine') to get the most from your mobile pictures. On Android phones you'll see the resolution in width, height and megapixels. It's important to remember that higher resolution images take up more of your available storage space. One way around that, if your phone supports it, is to upgrade your storage. Most Android and BlackBerry phones have additional media storage that uses Micro SD cards. This is easy to upgrade, because you can just buy a higher capacity card. A cheaper way to maximise your storage is to regularly transfer images from your phone, wipe the media from it and start again. Fibres and dust will inevitably find their way onto your mobile phone's camera lens as it rattles around in your pocket. All it takes is a quick wipe with a clean tissue before you start to shoot to avoid the disappointment of images obscured by eyelashes and crumbs. Better still, try the lint-free cloth that came with your phone - the one you thought you'd never use.
And while we're on the subject of occlusion, the compact form factor of the average mobile phone is more suited to making calls than taking pictures. That makes it easier to ruin an image with a dangling strap or errant thumb in front of the lens. Double-check for obstructions before taking your shot. Look for light Getting the best photographs isn't just about having more megapixels, memory and higher resolutions. To get the best from your images, you need to get the light and composition right. Digital imaging is notoriously bad at coping with low light levels. Our advice if your image looks too dark is not to even try to compensate for it. All built-in light compensation does is boost the brightness and contrast levels, which tends to lead to grainy images with an orange cast. If you have a built-in flash, expect hard shadows and a blue cast instead. The only real cure for dark conditions is to add more light, which isn't always easy in the kind of impromptu situations where you might use a mobile phone camera. Try to shoot outdoors for the best results, and make sure the light source is always behind you. If you can't do that, then use the camera's flash to fill in the subject or you'll end up with a photo full of silhouettes. Your mobile phone's lens is fixed, which means that when you zoom in on something, it's done digitally rather than optically. That means that the software samples part of the image and blows it up in real time. While you get the illusion of zooming into the image, what you're actually seeing is a portion of the image in the viewfinder resized to fit. You'll get much better results from cropping and resizing a portion of an image after you've taken the picture. Better still, try to use the 'human zoom' instead - get as close as possible to the subject of the photograph to get the best possible image. Avoid the shakes
One of the worst problem affecting mobile phone photos is motion blur. A variety of factors contribute to this issue; the small form factor of the average phone, cameras that are slow to respond, and interface design that's bolted on rather than built in. The worst culprits for this are touch-screen operated devices. To get rid of blur, you need to eliminate shake, which isn't always easy. There are a few things you can try to keep your phone steady. Brace yourself against something sturdy when you take a picture - plant your elbows on a wall, or lean against a doorway. In an ideal scenario you'd use a tripod, but that defeats many of the advantages of using a mobile phone camera. You may as well use a DSLR if you're going to carry extra equipment anyway. The best solution we've found is a lateral one: use the timer. You might usually only use this function if you want to get into shot, but it can also help you get sharper pictures by eliminating the shake when you press the shutter button. What you'll lose in spontaneity, you'll gain in pristine pictures. We've already advised against using light compensation and zoom on your camera, but these aren't the only in-camera tools you should forget. Turn off all effects and shoot images as plainly as possible. When you filter effects, you're degrading the image - subtracting data that you'll never get back. With mobile phone images, every pixel counts. If you do want to add effects to an image, do it in post-production on your desktop for the best results. In fact, it's a good idea to do all of your picture editing on your PC rather than in your camera. You don't need to spend a lot of money on image-processing tools either. Photoshop is a superb application to use if you can afford it and know how to make the best of it, but for editing mobile phone photos, all you really need is something simple that lets you crop, resize and colour-correct your pictures. Google's Picasa does all that for free.
You can also use Picasa to share your images and organise them into albums. Windows Live Photo Gallery is a similar application, also free. Follow these tips and make them part of your mobile phone photography routines. You'll end up with superior images that can compete against those taken with dedicated digital cameras. 
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| LG Optimus Pro and LG Optimus Net unveiled Posted: 15 Jul 2011 04:30 AM PDT LG has announced two new Android handsets, the LG Optimus Pro and LG Optimus Net. Both phones will come with Gingerbread (Android 2.3), an 800 MHz processor and a 1500 mAh battery. As well as a physical QWERTY keyboard, the LG Optimus Pro comes with a 2.8-inch touchscreen, all laid out in a candybar style. BlackBerry-esque Apparently it's perfect for 'simple social networking' thanks to the ergonomically designed keyboard and hotkeys to whisk you directly to the email and calendar action. It also comes with Bluetooth 3.0, a 3MP camera, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity plus an FM radio receiver. The Optimus Net is a pure 3.2-inch HVGA touchscreen - in Europe, at least. The handset will have a QWERTY bolted on to the bottom of the screen in the North American market. Some European models of the handset will come with an near field communications (NFC) chip so users can get in on the mobile payments revolution. The single camera is a 3MP affair, while the handset offers Wi-Fi and 3G connections and comes in black or white. There's no word yet on pricing, but we expect both handsets to be fairly affordable. Both the LG Optimus Pro and LG Optimus Net UK release dates are scheduled for this summer. 
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| Free binoculars with Tamron superzoom lens Posted: 15 Jul 2011 04:05 AM PDT Tamron, the lens manufacturer, has launched a new travel promotion. From today (15 July), customers purchasing a new Tamron 18-270mm PZD lens can claim a pair of Steiner Safari 8x22 binoculars worth £99. Superzoom lenses such as the 18-270mm Tamron lens make great holiday lenses as they allow you to take one lens to cover a variety of situations without having to change lenses all the time or weigh your luggage down with extra kit. The 8x22 Safari binoculars coupled with the superzoom lens make for an ideal travel kit. The Tamron 18-270mm PZD is the world's lightest and most compact 15x DSLR zoom lens. It boasts an f/3.5-6.3 maximum aperture and a mimimum focus range of 49cm. The lens is constructed of 13 groups and 18 elements and is available in mounts for Nikon, Canon and Sony DSLRs. To claim the free binoculars, customers need to purchase the lens between 15 July and 15 September 2011. Claims must be received by Intro 2020 on or before 30 September 2011. Lenses must be purchased in the United Kingdom and Ireland only from an authorised Tamron stockist. For more details, to find a stockist near you and to download the claim form for the binoculars, visit the Intro 2020 website. 
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| Microsoft briefly reveals social search project Posted: 15 Jul 2011 04:01 AM PDT One of Microsoft's research teams mistakenly pressed the big green button on a social search project codenamed Tulalip, which was briefly online at socl.com. The site was quickly taken down, which is just as well given the unpolished, grammatically suspect nature of the site. The welcome message declared that, "With Tulalip, you can Find what you need and Share what you know easier than ever." Good writing It also featured Twitter and Facebook sign in buttons as well as open sign in, so it doesn't look like a social networking project per se. We're not sure that Microsoft would launch a search service that wasn't under the Bing brand, but it's interesting to see that the company is experimenting with social search. The page has been taken down and replaced with a message from the team behind the site: "Socl.com is an internal design project from a team in Microsoft Research which was mistakenly published to the web. We didn't mean to, honest." 
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| Posted: 15 Jul 2011 03:59 AM PDT Lenovo is well known for its ThinkPad range, a collection of rather serious-looking business laptops that often do their job in an efficient, if unexciting, manner. When we first laid hands on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1, we were definitely impressed. The conventional plain black design remains, but the firm body measures just 27mm at its thickest point and weighs a mere 1.8kg, making it effortlessly portable. This is also one of the most rugged ultra-portables we've seen. Sure, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 lacks the immediate beauty of the Samsung 9 Series or Apple MacBook Air, but it's solidly built in all areas, from the impressively tough lid to the rubberised frame. We're a sucker for rubber, which helps with grip and means no pesky fingerprints. Unlike the fragile-feeling Sony SB Series, we're confident that this 13.3-inch PC laptop can survive a drop from a desk. Not only can the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 survive a few whacks on the move, it can also handle accidental spillage. We witnessed a glass of tap water being poured into the keyboard by a gleeful marketing bod, which made the laptop shut down to protect its vital components. After tilting and shaking it to get rid of the water, we left it a short while then tried the power button. To the marketing bod's further glee, it powered up without a whimper.
When we got back to TechRadar HQ, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1's keyboard was thankfully dry again. We spent a couple of hours bashing out a lengthy exposition and were impressed by the comfort it offered. Each key is firmly set, poking through individual holes cut in the chassis, isolation-style. Even better, they're backlit for ease of use in the dark. It's a great board for touch typing, although the arrow keys are a little cramped and we occasionally hit the PgUp/PgDn keys by accident. Our only other complaint is the corner position of the Fn key, which indents the left Ctrl key. We often hit Fn by mistake when using Windows shortcuts, which never failed to be bloody annoying. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1's touchpad is rather ropey, its bevelled surface proving unresponsive to our swipes and prods, while the mouse buttons are unfortunately integrated into the bottom corners. Lenovo has also built in its trademark 'nipple' pointing stick, which protrudes from the centre of the keyboard. We can't stand the thing, but others may disagree.
ThinkPad laptops always have a good range of features, aimed at business types, and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 is no exception. To the right of the touchpad you'll find a fingerprint scanner that can be used to log you into Windows and even your favourite websites. It's a good alternative to remembering passwords, if your memory is as bad as ours. A SIM card slot at the back allows you to access the web while roaming, and you have standard built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi if you're in range of a wireless network. Other ports include HDMI and DisplayPort connections for attaching monitors or projectors, and a SATA port that doubles as a sleep-and-charge USB port, for charging portable devices with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 powered down. You only get 320GB of storage, but there are few laptops this slim that offer more. This should still satisfy most people, although anyone who wants to carry around a large media collection would be advised to get a portable external drive. There's also no built-in DVD drive. Although the Lenovo ThinkPad X1's screen is rather compact, at just 13.3 inches, it's also vibrant enough to bring photos and films to life. HD movies look fantastic, and even sound great thanks to the surprisingly powerful built-in speakers. We were particularly impressed by the wide viewing angles, and it's bright enough to make working all day a comfortable experience. Unfortunately the Super-TFT coating means annoying reflections appear when it's used outside.
One of Intel's latest Sandy Bridge processors, a Core i5 2520M running at 2.5GHz, is the brains behind the Lenovo ThinkPad X1. We expected great things from our benchmark tests, and sure enough this laptop delivered. The whopping Cinebench score of 10918 was only recently bettered by Dell's incredible XPS 15z, which packs an Intel Core i7 CPU. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 will happily run anything you want, and last you quite some time to come. We noticed no slowdown even when running the most demanding editing suites and memory-crippling software. Unfortunately, there's no room in the Lenovo ThinkPad X1's slender body for a dedicated graphics card. While Intel's Sandy Bridge processors do a decent job of handling image rendering, more than doubling the performance of the previous generation chipsets, it's still nowhere near enough power to play the latest games on anything resembling a decent detail setting. Still, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 is a business machine at heart, and you definitely have enough graphical grunt to edit your media with applications such as Corel VideoStudio Pro. If you do want to kick back and relax, you'll at least be able to play older games such as Left for Dead 2 and stream HD video. The battery uses Lenovo's RapidCharge technology, which recharges to 80% in a very impressive 30 minutes. However, we found the battery drained just as quick. If you watch a film on your hard drive with the screen turned up to full brightness, you'd better make sure it's a short one – our review unit died after just 107 minutes. If you dim the screen and restrict your usage to web browsing or bashing out a chapter of your novel, you'll get another hour before the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 dies. It's still not massively impressive though, considering its ultra-portable status. Benchmarks Cinebench: 10918 Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 business laptop may look familiar, but it's impressively slimmed down from previous models and also reassuringly rugged. But can this ultra-portable hold its own in an increasingly competitive market? We liked The Lenovo ThinkPad X1's rubberised body is solid as well as slender, and can take a few knocks or drops and come back fighting. We were particularly impressed by how well it coped with water spillage, powering down quickly and returning to normal as if nothing had happened. The latest Sandy Bridge Core i5 technology provides stunning performance, coping with any software we threw its way. Features are plentiful, from the built-in 3G roaming support to the integrated fingerprint scanner. We loved the Lenovo ThinkPad X1's vibrant 13.3-inch display, with its rich colours and excellent viewing angles, while sound quality is surprisingly strong from the built-in speakers. And all this comes in a slim and light package that can be carried around everywhere you go.
We disliked The lack of dedicated graphics on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 is a shame, but you can still watch HD films and run media editing suites. More of a sin is the battery, which dies in less than two hours when watching films on the move. Although the backlit keyboard is well-sized and comfortable to use, the indented Left Ctrl key made using Windows shortcuts a real pain. We also found the Lenovo ThinkPad X1's touchpad awkward to use at times. It's not as responsive as we'd have liked, and the integrated mouse buttons are a downer. Finally, if you want an ultra-portable laptop for working outside, bear in mind the reflective glossy screen coating. Verdict The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 presents a tantalising combination of impressive power and ruggedness that should appeal to anyone seeking a regular travel companion. Just don't expect it to last long without a power socket. 
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| Posted: 15 Jul 2011 03:57 AM PDT The US has seen the price of its 3D TVs rise for the fourth month in a row, with the price increases hitting the active shutter market. According to a study by 'global information' company IHS, active shutter tech seems to be more of a premium of late, which means the price gap between this technology and passive is shrinking. "The biggest pricing increases for flat-panel televisions last month were among the new 3D models employing active shutter glasses, the most popular type of three-dimensional set on the market today," explained Riddhi Patel, IHS television systems and retail services director. "There is an increasing number of models with 3D capability in the product mix that have higher than average prices. These sets drove price increases for the entire flat-panel television market in the United States in June." Passive aggressive What's interesting is that active shutter TVs hold pretty much the same technology inside them as high-end 2D TVs. The added cost is within the glasses and the IR sensor, which is sold separately. Passive TVs on the other hand are costlier to make, as the screen needs special treatment for the passive glasses to work. It's a surprise, then, that passive TVs are now seen as the cheaper 3D alternative. The IHS is saying that in the 40- to 49-inch range, passive TVs are now cheaper by 9 per cent. This rises to 14 per cent when you look at TVs 50 inches and above. This cheapening of passive TVs does seem to be aggressive pricing by LG and likes to get the technology in the market, much like Sony and Samsung did in the UK before Christmas. 
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| Buying Guide: Best DSLRs for video: under £500 Posted: 15 Jul 2011 03:22 AM PDT A modern day DSLR or Compact System Camera (CSC) is almost guaranteed to feature video capture in addition to its stills prowess. But with so much jargon out there and often very little information in manufacturer's specifications it can be tough to work out which is best for making top-notch home movies. At the budget end of the market there are a whole host of DSLRs and CSCs available for under the £500 mark. But which of them to choose for the best video capture? In our guide we separate the interlaced 'i's from the progressive 'p's, break down movie frame rates, resolution, compression, focusing ability, audio options and connectivity to ensure you know the ins and outs of which camera will best match what you're looking for. We've seen all these cameras individually and assessed them on their overall ability, but in this feature we'll be solely focused on each camera's movie capture abilities.
Canon's latest entry-level DSLR may be a budget piece of excellence for stills shooting, but it has a few hurdles when it comes to HD video recording. The Canon 1100D offers three forms of focus for movie capture: AF Live for single autofocus during capture; Face Detection AF for adjusting focus once a face is detected; and Quick AF Live View which disengages the live view mode, acquires focus and then begins recording (this latter mode can't be used during capture, only before hand). If you wish to make HD recordings of subjects at fixed focus distances then the 1100D does a perfectly good job, but it's when focusing that difficulties arise. The contrast-detection based AF system is slow off the mark and can take quite a few seconds to acquire focus. This will relay back to the capture and so show in your final shots. Tracking subjects through different focus distances (such as when a subject moves towards the camera, for example) isn't on the cards, and while manual focus is available, there's no provision for a manual focus assist to magnify the rear screen's image for fine-tuning focus. During capture it's possible to utilise the 1100D's exposure compensation, while white balance, image effects and auto-correct for image brightness can also be adjusted prior to recording commencing. The 1100D's 720p resolution is captured at either 25 or 30fps (ideal for UK PAL and US NTSC systems respectively) and rendered using the H.264 compression format to create MOV format files. A minute of footage will come in at around 220MB in size, so there's plenty of data being squeezed into the files. PerformanceIn good light shots are decent and there's plenty of clarity to subjects, though lower light (and thus higher ISO) reveals visible colour noise, which shows up as flecks of subtle red-coloured blotches that flicker through the scene. The latter isn't reserved for Canon cameras, however, as all stills and video cameras will see a rise in this kind of result due to upping the ISO sensitivity, a requirement when there's little available light. Audio is taken care of by the built-in microphone and, although mono, quality is good. However, the 18-55mm kit lens is very noisy when autofocusing and can pose a problem. Canon EOS 1100D sample videoCanon EOS 1100D video specApprox price: £449 with 18-55mm kit lens File format: Linear PCM audio and MOV Manufacturer Website: www.canon.co.uk
For a more budget DSLR the Nikon D3100 has plenty of movie features to offer: it's the only sub-£500 model with Full HD 1080p recording at 24fps 'cinema' mode and has a continuous autofocus option too. There's even a 30fps option at 720p resolution. However, there're words on paper and then there's the reality of how a function truly operates. With the D3100 it's a bit of a mixed bag. Although the camera's new live view AF system is faster than any other Nikon DSLR it won't outsmart the likes of a Compact System Camera's speedy autofocus for example, and this reveals itself when recording videos of moving subjects. While the D3100's autofocusing speed is certainly good, the camera hasn't quite eradicated the over- and under-focusing issues that show in captured just prior to attaining final focus. The D3100's AF-Area modes – that allow the user to select how and where the camera will focus – are more comprehensive than many competitor cameras. Subject Tracking AF is designed to track moving subjects by 'recognising' them and their movements on screen, while Face-Priority AF is of a similar ilk but can auto-recognise facial features (as represented by a boxed area around the face) and then focus on them. Both have a lot of potential but neither cease the slight mis-focusing issue. As well as a wide, automated focus array there's also a very cool user-defined AF mode (with a rather conventional 'Normal-area AF' namesake) where the focus point, represented by a small rectangle, can be moved to any point of the screen using the d-pad. It's rare a camera can offer edge-to-edge focusing across the entirety of the screen, but even better than you get to choose exactly where focus takes place. During capture it's possible to adjust the exposure compensation with the results shown live on screen. Although it's possible to change the aperture value displayed on screen during recording this has no correlation to the actual aperture – the camera automatically sets this itself on each occasion, so the D3100 repertoire lacks any manual video modes. PerformanceUsing the H.264 codec the D3100's MOV files stream at around 20mbit/s to create files of 150MB per minute. The compression's a little on the high side and detail isn't as forthcoming as it should be. Add to this muted colours and the final files don't wash quite as well as the specification would have you believe. Yet, of course, the D3100's focusing controls are beyond many other DSLRs so it's a case of weighing up potential use against final quality. In terms of audio the D3100 is a lot like the Canon 1100D. The on-board mono microphone captures decent quality audio, but any sounds from the lens autofocusing are amplified and prominently picked up in clips. Nikon D3100 sample videoNikon D3100 video specApprox street price: £459 with 18-55mm kit lens File format: Linear PCM audio and MOV file format Manufacturer Website: www.nikon.co.uk
Olympus's Micro Four Thirds standard Compact System Camera is a bit of a dark horse when it comes to video – perhaps because the majority of its movie controls are tucked away in a sub menu of another menu. But if you do dig in those menus, the E-PL2 quickly reveals that it can shoot movies in a point-and-shoot fashion yet also offers full user-defined manual control. Aperture, shutter, ISO and exposure compensation values can be adjusted as you please, but, in all cases, only prior to capture taking place. This means you can create those more intricately exposed shots should you care to spend the time experimenting. One other trump card the E-PL2 has is its swift autofocus system that gleefully glides between one subject and another using the continuous autofocus system. At any time you can use a half depression of the camera's shutter to engage a single autofocus override too, though this does cause slight over- and under-focusing (but it's very quick to resolve focus). The main qualm with the E-PL2's control is that, despite plenty of focus-point control for stills shooting, the camera's movie mode dictates what's going to be focused on. It's not possible to be more specific and tell the camera to focus on the left-most autofocus point position of the screen, for example. Manual focus can also be employed but, again, there's a lack of thought here: without the ability to zoom into the image shown on screen it's nigh on impossible to fine tune the focus with accuracy (fortunately the autofocus is good, so manual focus is unlikely to be at the top of your list). PerformanceDespite its good points the thorn in the E-PL2's side is the format it records in: while the 720p, 30fps specification looks good on paper, the chosen Motion-JPEG format, which is like a series of compressed still images reeled through in quick succession, looks over-compressed and lacks finer details even when recording in good light. Movies are rendered as AVI files but the format is large at around 260MB per minute. Big files, low quality – a bit of a let down, really. Although there's no conventional 2.5 or 3.5mm microphone port, there is an optional microphone accessory that can connect via the E-PL2's Accessory Port. This is the only way to capture stereo sound, as the microphone built into the camera's body is mono only (an oddity, we know), though audio is of good quality despite this single channel format. Olympus E-PL2 sample videoOlympus E-PL2 video specApprox street price: £470 with 14-42mm kit lens Manufacturer Website: www.olympus.co.uk
The Samsung NX11 is the company's second generation Compact System Camera and it's far more adept at video shooting than the original NX10 was. This improvement is partly down to the Samsung NX11's Depth of Field Preview button that doubles up to allow quick toggling between continuous autofocus on or off (though AF-S isn't an option) when recording video. Manual focus is also available and includes an MF Assist that magnifies part of the image on the rear screen to aid fine-tuning focus during capture - the shortcoming of this, however, is that the zoom-in area is always centrally-aligned even if that's not where your subject is. The NX11's video autofocus speed is good, certainly among the faster contrast-detection types available in a CSC and it outshines any DSLR's live view (and therefore video AF) system by comparison. Focusing is slower than during stills capture, but the camera 'thinks' that extra bit harder and it's rare that there's any over- or under-focusing in normal conditions, instead transitions between subjects are smooth. However it's not possible to adjust the size of the autofocus area and this can be limiting for fine focus where smaller subjects are concerned. In the menus it's possible to select either 'A' (Aperture Priority to select the lens's aperture to control depth of field) or 'P' (Programme to let the camera chose the settings – though exposure compensation can be adjusted). It's Disappointing that exposure compensation adjustment can only take place prior to capture beginning, plus the exposure lock (AEL) isn't available during capture, both of which would have been of significant use. This, plus the lack of ISO control (Auto ISO is the only option) mean the NX11 doesn't offer true manual movie control. For a bit of fun it is possible to employ the Picture Wizard mode, which handles colour presets such as Vivid and Black & White. The NX11's 720p 30 frames per second (30fps) 'High Quality (HQ)' setting produced files between 75-80MB per minute (more compressed 'Norm' files are also available at the same 30fps frame rate), meaning a full 25mins of capture is possible in any one sitting. PerformanceUsing the well-regarded H.264 compression codec, MP4 files come direct from the NX11, but these are over-compressed as there should have been plenty more scope for greater data transmission and larger files from such a system camera. Picture quality is reasonable, but not great, and low-light conditions amplify this shortcoming with a 'graininess' that's visible through the frame.The biggest issue, however, is the auto-exposure can 'jump' between exposure levels and this can show abruptly in playback where the image will suddenly show brighter or darker – the metering isn't very subtle or elegant at switching between values. Audio can only be recorded direct from the camera's built-in microphone and is rendered as single channel mono using AAC (Advanced Audio Codec). The quality's akin to a mid-level bitrate MP3 file, though the restrictions of mono and any close-to-camera sounds such as the lens autofocusing can easily be picked up during recording. Samsung NX11 sample videoSamsung NX11 video specsApprox street price: £480 with 18-55mm kit lens Manufacturer Website: www.samsung.com In the sub-£500 market, it's an equal mix of video-capable DSLRs versus Compact System Cameras. All four models tested here perform with some merit – and that's saying something when considering how primitive DSLR movie modes were upon their conception back in 2008. So which of our foursome is the best stills camera for video under the £500 mark? First and foremost there's autofocus and focus control. No stills camera has got this quite perfect yet, and certainly not at this lower price point. The Canon EOS 1100D's autofocus isn't up to scratch for use during movie capture and, even though the Nikon D3100 is streets ahead in terms of autofocusing speed and AF-Area options, it's still not able to offer perfect transitions from one subject or focal plane to another. However, the variety of tracking options and a user-controllable focus point do make the D3100 the greatest success in this area, autofocus issues ignored.
Then there's the Samsung NX11 that's able to continuously autofocus and can do so with some accuracy, but the feedback on the screen is limited and AF-Area control non-existent.
It's the Olympus E-PL2 that wins in terms of its continuous focus capability – it's a camera that can elegantly glide between a close-up macro frame, then pan out to a wider shot and the focus will gently slide into place, usually without any focusing problems. It can take a little time to do so, but at least it does so with accuracy, though it's a shame there isn't more user control of where focus is targeted.
Quality-wise, however, and that result is shaken up once again. The E-PL2's M-JPEG quality won't stand up to critical work and the AVI file format is large, yet the Olympus E-PL2 is the only camera of the four to offer manual exposure modes. Despite the Full HD 1080p quality of the Nikon D3100 the final files look a little dull and the compression is too high. The Samsung NX11 suffers from too little data being streamed into its files, which results in so-so quality, plus the exposure metering is the least reliable as it 'jumps' between exposure values. Despite the Canon 1100D having the weakest autofocusing by far, its quality is marginally ahead of the others.
In short there's no one winner here. All cameras fall into various issues, and there isn't one model that sweeps top prize in every important area. There are plenty of positives to be had too, of course, as all the cameras produce more-than-credible files. For continuous autofocus the E-PL2 is the most consistent, for focusing area options the D3100 has the most comprehensive range available at this price point, while it's the Canon 1100D's 720p final quality that packs in the most detail. 
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| Posted: 15 Jul 2011 03:10 AM PDT Medion's Erazer X6813 – branded as a "gaming notebook" – might seem like an oxymoron to some. Gaming is a traditionally immersive endeavour, and while casual gaming marches forward with the momentum of a sinister (but casual) army of men in silly hats, there are still serious games with serious budgets that offer serious escapism, if you've got the gear to render such visual finery. Here's where the 15.6-inch Medion Erazer X6813 comes in. Like the MSI GT680 and the diminutive 11.6-inch Alienware M11x, it's designed to offer gamers the kind of frame rates they're used to on desktop machines, but on the go – at the expense of £1,000 or more. Here's where the incongruity kicks in – how and why would you want to play such visually impressive, immersive titles in public places? Isn't that the point of notebooks, after all? Well, maybe you're taken with the idea of using the Medion Erazer X6813 like a traditional notebook while you're on the move, working with office apps and browsing the web, then plugging its charger in when you get home and unleashing that powerful GPU on the latest DirectX 11 games. Some 'notebooks' such as Alienware's M18X throw that notion out of the window entirely, and compromise practicality for sheer performance. Like MSI's GT680, the GPU that Medion has opted for with the Erazer X6813 is Nvidia's GeForce GTX 460M. The GPU is an absolutely pivotal component for a gaming notebook, and while the GTX 460M's impressive architecture and performance are undeniable, Nvidia's release of the GTX 570M and GTX 580M Optimus mobile discrete GPUs shoves it down the pecking order somewhat. Not only are the GTX 570M and GTX 580M the fastest notebook GPUs ever, but they at least promise to improve battery life, the mortal enemy of gaming laptops and notebooks. With AMD's excellent Llano APUs already hitting shelves and offering comparative performances to notebook GPUs from an integrated graphics solution with much better battery life, Medion's Erazer X6813 comes at an interesting time in mobile gaming.
The biggest asset that Medion has given its Erazer X6813 is pure gaming performance. As the 3DMark 11 scores indicate, that GTX 460M under the hood does a sterling job with bleeding edge rendering techniques such as tessellation, bokeh filtering and advanced dynamic shadows and lighting. The GTX 460M itself is based on the GTX 450 desktop GPU, which might be overshadowed by the GTX 460 (note the lack of an 'M') in the desktop market. It's a capable Fermi card with solid architecture. It's not perfect, though. The chief drawback comes from the noisy fan and the hot air it chucks out. For a notebook, these are real drawbacks. MSI's GT680 is equipped with the same GPU and suffers the same problem, but as Medion's Erazer X6813 will set you back £400 less, the cash you save might drown out the fan noise somewhat. The bottom line for the GTX 460M inside this Medion Erazer X6813 is that playing new games at max settings shouldn't be a problem, even at the screen's native resolution of 1920 x 1080. Of course, it has help from the Intel Core i7 2630QM CPU, too. With four cores of eight threads at its disposal, and a Turbo Boosted running speed of 2.9 GHz, it's one mighty fine piece of Sandy Bridge silicon. The downside is that although the integrated graphics processor (iGPU) in the 2630QM is capable in present day integrated graphics terms, early testing of AMD Llano chips blows this Intel HD Graphics 3000 engine out of the water. And when the AC adapter's unplugged from the Medion Erazer X6813, you're relying on integrated graphics for rendering tasks. As is the status quo with gaming notebooks, you're only really able to make use of the notebook's full gaming performance when you're hooked up to mains power.
It's another element of the whole 'gaming notebook' concept that doesn't quite work, along with having to cart around peripherals such as controllers and mice. Nowhere is this problem more prevalent than with Alienware's M18X. It'll set you back a cool £2,318, for which you'll get two AMD Radeon HD 6970Ms in a CrossFireX configuration, but as soon as it's separated from its AC adapter you're pretty much relying on that HD Graphics 3000 engine again. Plumping for 8GB of DDR3 RAM instead of the oft-preferred 4GB among system builders, Medion has ensured the Erazer X6813 offers nippy file operations and CPU-intensive tasks. You won't see a whole lot of difference in gaming performance between 4GB and 8GB, but at this price point that extra memory comes as a welcome addition, rather than an unnecessary extra outlay, as is the case with the MSI GT680. The choice of components inside the Medion Erazer X6813 can't be faulted, and represent real value for money. Gaming performance on Alienware's M11XR3 at the same price isn't as quick, even on an 11.6-inch screen with a smaller native resolution of 1366 x 768, and while MSI's GT680 can compete in performance terms, it's much more expensive and doesn't justify that extra cash. But there's no such thing as a free lunch. In order to ensure the Erazer X6813 lands near the £1,000 price point, there are some less than premium elements to this gaming notebook's package. The most obvious shortcoming is the screen. Clarity isn't the problem; it's the black-and-white saturation. Lighter colours appear washed out, and forget about trying to get a true black out of this screen – you can fiddle around with brightness and contrast until the cows come home. For anyone prepared to pay £1,099 for a notebook, this is a major sticking point. You're paying for bleeding edge graphics, but for all the hard work that the Nvidia GTX 460M puts in rendering them, if the screen can't deliver a good picture it becomes a slightly moot point. The same goes for watching 1080p HD movies. If you want a good quality display, your best bet is to make use of the HDMI output. There are further grumbles to be had about build quality. Alienware really has this area sewn up – both the M11XR3 and M18X offer unrivalled sturdiness and a reassuring feel to their keyboards and trackpads. You do pay through the teeth for it, though. MSI's GT680, on the other hand, suffers a poor screen, flimsy keyboard and dated visuals. The problem for the Medion Erazer X6813 is likewise, with a slightly unresponsive trackpad and flimsy keys. The visuals won't set many gamers' hearts a-thumping either, but they're at least kept restrained and offer a welcome break from tacky neons. Battery life isn't great, either. The GTX 460M is a power-hungry card and that results in gaming times of around one-and-a-half to two hours. Again that hobbles any notion of genuine mobile gaming, but it's a malady that spreads across the market – it isn't localised to the Medion Erazer X6813. Benchmarks CineBench R11.5: 4.99 pts
The Medion Erazer X6813 stands up very well against competition from Alienware and its M11XR3 and M18X notebooks, and also MSI's similarly specc'd GT680. At the same price point, Alienware's M11XR3 falls behind in gaming performance but does offer superlative build quality and the Haile Gebrselassie of batteries. The M18X is a frankly ridiculous beast, priced at £2,318, but it's about as mobile as an OAP. We liked Medion has done a lot right with the Erazer X6813 gaming notebook. The crucial components are all top-notch. A Sandy Bridge CPU isn't to be sniffed at and will excel in multithreaded applications, thanks to its eight available threads. The component that gamers really care about is the GPU, and again Medion is on the money by sticking an Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M inside the Erazer X6813. In mobile discrete GPU terms it's just been pushed out of the limelight by Nvidia's new Optimus cards, the GTX 570M and GTX 580M, but it still has more than enough clout to generate playable frame rates from demanding DX11 games, thanks to some solid Fermi architecture. What the GPU gives the Medion Erazer X6813 in performance, the CPU and RAM add to with aplomb, and for just over a grand the gaming performance it offers looks almost bargainous. We disliked The problem is, the whole notion of mobile gaming doesn't stand up too well to scrutiny. For all the fancy mobile components, as soon as you factor in battery life, peripherals and integrated graphics, it seems a tiny bit pointless – the better a notebook performs in games, the heavier and more battery-draining it becomes, making it distinctly less 'mobile'. The MSI GT680 is really close in performance terms to the Medion Erazer X6813, but costs around an extra £400, which makes the Medion's price tag look more and more appealing. Sadly there are compromises to keep that cost down but still include such quality CPU and GPUs. The Erazer X6813's screen is the worst of the MSI and the two Alienwares, suffering from some seriously washed-out blacks and whites. Elsewhere, the track pad doesn't always recognise your taps, and the keyboard feels light and low budget. The aesthetic in general doesn't match the gaming notebook vibe and the high-end components inside. Verdict So can a gaming notebook with a mediocre screen and build quality be recommended on the grounds of gaming performance alone? It all depends on how you intend to use the Medion Erazer X6813. Its uses are limited by short battery life, but it does compare favourably to other manufacturer's offerings at this price. 
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| Week in Tech: Are iOS and Android now unbeatable? Posted: 15 Jul 2011 03:00 AM PDT The world of smartphones - and their spin-offs, tablets - is a fickle one, with entire empires collapsing in the blink of an eye. A few years ago Nokia ruled the smartphone roost and Windows Mobile was a big hitter; today, Nokia's gambling an incredible £80 million to promote its forthcoming Windows Phone handsets. As Chris Smith explains, the campaign is crucial not just to Nokia, but to Microsoft too. "Nokia needs a strong software partner after years of persisting with Symbian sent the company into the smartphone abyss," he writes, "while Microsoft needs a high-profile hardware manufacturer that isn't also offering Android phones." We like Windows Phone a great deal, but good reviews don't seem to have translated into big sales. Even Steve Ballmer admits that Windows Phone hasn't been quite as big a deal as Microsoft might have hoped. Speaking at the company's Worldwide Partner Conference, Ballmer said: "We've gone from very small to very small". Estimates suggest that Microsoft's phone operating system has only picked up 1% of the market, with sales dwarfed by Apple's iOS and Google's Android. What about MeeGo? (again) Windows Phone isn't Nokia's only smartphone OS: it also has MeeGo, which proudly powers exactly one Nokia device. When the best thing a firm can say about its OS is a promise to support one device for years, it's clear that the platform isn't a top priority. MeeGo may live on in other devices, such as tablets - Microsoft is adamant that Windows Phone is not for tablets - but its days as a smartphone operating system appear to have ended rather prematurely. So which OSes are next for the glue factory? RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook suffered from embarrassing publicity when O2 decided not to stock it, citing "issues with the end to end user experience" that appear to include a distinct lack of tablet apps for its Tablet OS. HP's webOS appears to be healthy - the firm is apparently discussing licensing deals with other manufacturers. Mind you, there's a big difference between firms "expressing interest" and plumping for a new and relatively untried OS. And especially when that OS currently delivers "sluggish" performance, a poorly stocked AppCatalog and what our HP TouchPad review describes as "death by 1,000 paper cuts". Can iOS and Android be touched? The challenge for webOS is to do something different from iOS and Android, two platforms whose future isn't in any doubt. The sole webOS tablet, the HP Touchpad, "is less polished than the iPad, with a smaller range of impressive third-party apps," we found. "Yes, it's got features that the iPad lacks, but so do the Android tablets, and they have a bigger app selection too... HP webOS is a very well thought out operating system, [but] would you buy it over the others? We're not sure many people will find an answer to that question." The question applies equally to hardware manufacturers: why buy webOS over Android, when even Android is struggling to match Apple's enormous catalogue of apps? As Gary Marshall reports, the forthcoming Android 4.0 - codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich - is precision-targeted at app developers, with a unified codebase enabling them to code for every kind of device and a host of new APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to make app development easier. As we said earlier, the world of smartphones and tablets is a fickle one - but it's safe to say that unless Google or Apple does something amazingly, incredibly stupid, mobile devices will be dominated by iOS and Android for the foreseeable future. It'll be interesting to see what, if anything, webOS, the BlackBerry Tablet OS and Windows 8 can do to dent that. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
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| Android now on 130 million devices Posted: 15 Jul 2011 02:32 AM PDT Google has revealed that its Android operating system is now on 130 million devices, with 550,000 more joining the Android party every day. Back in May, Google announced that it had hit the 100 million Android activation milestone, which means it has added 30 million users in just a couple of months. It's an extraordinary rate of growth for the OS, which can now be found on smartphones, tablets, all kinds of home appliances and even car dashboards. Inevitable Apple comparison Over at Infinite Loop, meanwhile, Apple's sitting atop a mountain of cash made by the 200 million iOS devices sold but is no doubt eyeing Google's progress shiftily. With 550,000 new Android activations happening every day, Google is fast catching up with the fruity manufacturer. But Apple still has an iPhone to launch this year and, if the rumours are anything to go by (and we're not entirely convinced that they are), another iPad coming – it'll be very interesting to see how the two operating systems' figures shape up towards the end of the year. 
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