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- Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar
- White Samsung Galaxy S2 official and coming to Three
- Buying Guide: Best DSLRs for video: £500-£1000
- Twitter to flag NSFW links in tweets
- Leica M9 and M9-P delays
- Samsung to make Sony PS Vita's CPU?
- Review: Sonos Play:3
- 10 3D movies and shows to watch out for
- Buying Guide: Best compact camera 2011: 25 reviewed and rated
- Review: Olympus XZ-1
- HTC: Apple lawsuit not cause for concern
- Free digital photography iBook
- Advanced AI voice control 'just the start of a journey' for Kinect
- Review: Canon PowerShot S95
- Review: Canon G12
- Polaroid reveals analogue and digital roadmap
- Pixeet 360 panoramic iPhone lens launched
- AMD considers dropping low-end discrete graphics
- Spotify may face US ban over patent case
- In Depth: Sony S2: what you need to know
- Lonely Planet and SendMyPostcards.com team up
- EA boss claims 3D gaming is giving 'poor returns'
- Week in Tech: Is Mango too little too late for Windows Phone?
- Office for Mac 2011 with Lion features coming 'in months'
- Has the iPhone 5 been spotted in the wild?
| Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar Posted: 30 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT This week we've been looking at Apple's new lightweight marvel, the MacBook Air, as well as the new K1 Android Honeycomb tablet from Lenovo. We've also looked at a new 42-inch Smart TV as well as a new Blu-ray player for Sony. And that's just for starters - there's plenty more below. New MacBook Air 2011 (13-inch) The new MacBook Air from Apple might well be the most terrifying computing devices ever built. How a device so puny can pack such a powerful punch is absolutely astonishing. Gone are Intel's so-last-decade Core 2 Duo CPUs and in come the Intel Sandy Bridge chips that harness masses more might while using less power and running cooler. And let's just remind ourselves, this laptop is so thin it's practically two dimensional. Of course, it still doesn't harness enough juice for proper power users, but anyone with a penchant for prestige and a soft spot for Apple will be foaming at the mouth at the very prospect. You may need to sell one of the kids for medical experiments though, as you'll be paying through the nose. The Lenovo IdeaPad K1 is another Tegra 2-powered Android 3 tablet which packs all the hardware power of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Asus Eee Pad Transformer. So it's a dead-cert that this is going to be a nailed-on hardcore success. Right? Wrong. In its current form it's an absolute mess, with inconsistent performance, freezes and lock-outs, a poor screen and the biggest bezel of any 10.1-inch tablet we've yet laid eyes on. There is potential there, though, and a silver-bullet firmware update might transform this into a genuine contender. But until then, we advise you steer a wide berth around it and go for something else. If you're looking for a versatile, multimedia-savvy 42-inch TV that looks great and doesn't cost the earth, the LG 42LV550T has a lot going for it. Its PLEX system works great with PCs and Macs alike, it plays back an unusually wide variety of multimedia file types and for most of the time it also produces extremely enjoyable pictures. If you're a fan of watching films with the lights off, though, you might find yourself troubled by a few black level shortcomings. And there's no 3D to be found on offer here either. As a result, this TV has a good price and it'll get cheaper in time. Picture quality from the BDP-S480 blu-ray player is predictably terrific. Blu-rays drip with fine detail and colour fidelity is gorgeous. The player is also a great choice for music fans, being the only model here able to play hi-res Super Audio CDs. This multichannel music playback is stunning, easily giving this player an audible edge over others. Picture quality from the BDD7500 is very good. There's a clinical precision to its images which is easy to appreciate, though it's less enticing as a CD player.
This week's other reviews: AV kit Tannoy Arena Highline 300 review Cameras and equipment Olympus ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-54mm F2.8-3.5 II review Nikon AF-S DX 16-85mm F/3.5-5.6 G ED VR review Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM review Sigma 18-50mm EX DC OS HSM review Tokina AT-X 16-28mm F2.8 PRO FX review
Laptops Panasonic Toughbook CF-53 review Networking Netgear ReadyNAS Ultra 4 review Buffalo AirStation WLAE-AG300N review Operating systems Apple Mac OS X 10.7 Lion review Printers Epson Stylus Photo R2880 review Canon PIXMA Pro9000 Mark II review Canon PIXMA Pro9500 Mark II review Epson Stylus Photo 1400 review Software G Data Internet Security 2012 review Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 review Panda Internet Security 2012 review ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2012 review Sony Vegas Movie HD Platinum 11 review Speakers Magnat Quantum 650 Series review Tablets TVs
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| White Samsung Galaxy S2 official and coming to Three Posted: 29 Jul 2011 10:00 AM PDT You remember when we told you the Samsung Galaxy S2 was getting a white variant? Well, it's only gone and got all official! That's right, Samsung has issued a press release with words like 'incredibly' and 'stylish' to what it describes as its 'whitest smartphone' - surely the Galaxy Mini might have something to say about that? Word on the mobile street says that the new colour variant of the phone will be landing across 'all major networks and retailers from 1 September'. Three number one Three is the first to blink in issuing a press release on the subject, offering the 'new' phone at a snippity-snip price of £30 per month. Oh, you can also get the phone for a penny under £499.99 on pay as you go if you don't want to be tied down to all that contact malarkey. Samsung is following a growing trend of making things white, the list of which includes: bears, walls, Power Rangers and paper (for those that remember, Papyrus was a pile of crap compared). And all those things were MASSIVE in their own fields. 
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| Buying Guide: Best DSLRs for video: £500-£1000 Posted: 29 Jul 2011 10:00 AM PDT Most stills cameras – whether a DSLR, compact system camera (CSC) or one of Sony's latest SLT (Single Lens Translucent mirror) models – come equipped with a video capture mode. If you're looking to spend upwards of £500, but less than the crucial £1000 mark, then there's a wide choice available that each offer their own pros and cons. The more you spend doesn't always equate to a 'better' movie mode, however, so there's a lot to consider. In our guide to the best DSLRs, SLTs and compact system camera (CSCs) under £1000 we'll explore every detail through from operability to final capture and audio quality. While we've seen all these cameras individually and assessed them on their overall ability, this feature solely focuses on each of the camera's movie capture abilities. The selection of models represents the most prolific cross section available on the market within the price bracket. So which of these sub-£1000 models is best for video capture? Read on…
The Sony Alpha A55 is among the first of a new breed of camera. Dubbed an 'SLT' (Single Lens Translucent), the A55 may appear like a DSLR from the outside, but its internal construction is quite different. The mirror inside is translucent which means light can permanently pass to the sensor while reflected light is always fed the autofocus sensor. As technological as this may sound, all you need to know is that this allows for true continuous autofocus that's perfect for tracking moving subjects during movie recording. Auto focusThe A55's continuous autofocus works like a dream, indeed it's the best continuous AF system for movie of any stills camera, though it's not without its issues. Clever though it may be to quickly slide focus between one subject and another, there's little choice as to what the camera will focus on as the camera always focuses on the most central point. Should someone walk through your shot, for example, the camera will quickly adjust to this new subject, even if that's not your intention. What the A55 lacks is the ability to easily toggle the focus on or off, or manipulate the focus sensitivity. It is possible to pop many lenses into manual focus using their direct AF/MF switches, but this isn't a practical way of 'pausing' the focus. ExposureThe A55's movie shooting mode doesn't venture outside of the automated Programme mode either, which means beyond the ability to control exposure compensation and exposure lock (AEL) during capture there's little else at your disposal. LCDDesign-wise the A55 comes equipped with an LCD screen that's mounted on a vari-angle bracket. This means the screen can be moved away from the camera and rotated through a variety of angles – it's most useful for waist level shooting for lower-angle shots. PerformanceWith Sony, as per Panasonic cameras, the choice to use AVCHD as its primary movie capture has a series of benefits and downsides. On the one hand the H.264 compression is very good as it maintains high quality while rendering small file sizes. The 17Mbps data rate is high for a camera of this type, and a minute of footage equates to around 135MB. On the other hand, the native MTS files captured aren't useable in most computer programs or editing suites (VideoLAN - VLC can read them though not always smoothly) and this means files need to be decoded into a different format, such as the larger MOV file type, using (free) software such as Windows Movie Maker or Apple's iMovie. The 'Full HD' branding of the A55 comes with a slight pinch of salt: the sensor captures files at 25fps in an interlaced format, i.e. odd lines are captures on one pass of the sensor, even lines on the next pass. It can be hard for the human eye to recognise this as a problem until, that is, fast moving subjects show signs of 'tearing', which is a like seeing one frame in one position and the next frame slightly offset from the other half. Downgrade to Sony's 'AVC' capture and you'll get progressive capture, but at a 1440x1080 resolution with a far lower data rate that's then upscaled (to Full HD). This secondary option produces MP4 files direct from camera that are more immediately useable, but the quality just isn't as top notch. AudioAudio is handled by the camera's built in microphone, though this will pick up surrounding sounds such as the lens's autofocus. However, flip open a panel to the left side of the camera and a 3.5mm microphone jack means you can record using an external mic with improved results. Overall the A55 is up there with the best when it comes to point-and-shoot capture and continuous autofocus. It's not 100% reliable, however, as using the sensor's SteadyShot image stabilisation system will cause overheating (resulting in cut out) after around nine minutes depending on the ambient temperature. It's not an exclusive Sony issue, but one to be aware of. Key video specificationsApprox price: £600 with 18-55mm kit lens
Panasonic's champion mid-level compact system camera, the Lumix G3, is small in body but big on its automated movie features. The camera's 3in, vari-angle touchscreen LCD screen extends from the side of the body and can be rotated through any angle. The G3 even includes a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) that, due to the camera's construction, can be used during capture for extra stability where needed (this isn't possible with any DSLR camera). Auto focusWhat really sells the G3's movie mode is the camera's continuous autofocus (AF-C) mode combined with the touchscreen technology. Pressing a finger onto the screen itself dictates the point of focus and this can be used in real time during recording – the camera glides the subject into focus and rarely over- or under-focuses due to the controlled speed of focusing. Focus can be achieved anywhere across the screen, meaning even subjects to the edge of the frame aren't out of reach. For more accurate focusing the 1-Area AF Mode realises a square-shaped focus area that can also be resized with the drag of a finger. Face Detection, Subject Tracking and a 23-Area auto mode are also available. Pop the camera into single autofocus mode (AF-S) and focusing is just about as quick as it gets, owed to the impressive live view AF speed, but can falter a little from time to time. Manual focus is also available and a 'macro-landscape slider' shows on screen to assist with focus distance, but its generalised terms aren't overly helpful and no full-size zoom assist to show the recording in actual size on the screen means tweaking focus can be problematic. Using the zoom during recording can cause a bit of a battle with the autofocus system too, as the focus here fails to keep up. PerformanceAlthough the G3 fails to offer full manual control (something seemingly reserved for the higher pegged Lumix GH2 model), the AVCHD 1080i capture at 50 fields per second (output at 25fps for PAL or 60i output at 30fps for NTSC standards) is of good quality, though the MTS files will need to be decoded into MOV files (using software such as iMovie or Windows Movie Maker) for use with other devices. Exposure compensation is available, but this is only prior to commencing recording rather than during capture. Exposure itself can occasionally 'jump' between levels as the light changes, though slow shifts in light won't cause such problems. In addition to AVCHD, a Motion-JPEG capture is also available which produces larger-sized AVI files of lesser quality but which require no processing for use straight from camera. AudioSound-wise the G3 has an onboard stereo microphone in front of the hotshoe, or a 2.5mm (yup, not a standard 3.5mm fitting!) mic jack is available for external microphones. The onboard mic's location keeps it out of reach from the lens and no autofocus sounds are audible in playback. Overall the G3's a great point-and-shoot bit of kit for video capture that can accurately track subjects and glide between focal depths with accuracy. It's just the lack of manual controls that hold it back. Key video specsApprox price: £619 with 14-42mm kit lens
The thing that really sells the D5100 is its 921k-dot, 3in, vari-angle LCD screen. As this is mounted on a side hinge it's possible to turn it away from the camera and rotate it through any angle. This provision is particularly useful for video capture where a waist-level or high-up shooting position may be desired. It's worth noting that the D5100 was released before the more budget Nikon D3100. However, the latter release benefitted from live view improvements that translated into faster movie autofocusing. When the D5100 was released these improvements had not been rolled out so, as a benchmark, the D3100 is actually a more capable video-shooting machine in terms of its autofocus ability. Auto FocusThe D5100 offers edge-to-edge focusing across the whole screen, and it's possible to move the AF-Area focus point anywhere using the d-pad. In addition there are Face-Priority AF and Subject Tracking AF modes that do a good job of selecting subjects and recognising their movements, yet can't always follow this up with the swift autofocus to maintain focus at all times. PerformanceAlthough the D5100 offers a 24 or 25fps frame rate choice at both 1080p and 720p, the resulting (1080p) MOV files equate to around 150MB per minute and have the same excess compression characteristics of the D3100's files. There's just not the biting detail that you'd expect from a Full HD file because of this, plus exposure can 'jump' between brightness levels in certain circumstances. ExposureControl-wise, the Programme mode takes care of all the settings and, despite the screen relaying aperture and shutter values these are only displayed as a carry-over from the stills shooting side, they're not values that apply to the movie capture – the camera takes care of all that. The only exposure control that can be tweaked live during capture, is exposure compensation adjustment. As well as a built in mono microphone the D5100 adds a 3.5mm microphone jack for use with external microphones. When using the in-built option it's easy to pick up lens focusing sounds, so the capacity to use an external mic is a significant and essential benefit. Key video specificationsApprox price: £690 with 18-55mm kit lens
The direct competitor for Nikon's D5100, the Canon EOS 600D has notable similarities – most prominently a 3in, vari-angle LCD screen. However in the Canon camera's instance the screen is as high a resolution as they (currently) come, at a whopping 1,040k-dots. The articulating mount means it can be put through almost any angle for unusual framing and is particularly useful for lower-angled shots when capturing video. Auto FocusThe 600D utilises a contrast-detection autofocus system when in live view (and therefore movie mode), which is far from swift off the mark. Indeed focusing isn't any better than the budget Canon EOS 1100D model and has trouble with over- and under-focusing when attempting to acquire focus. It's therefore best not to re-focus during movie capture unless you're tweaking manual focus only. Unlike the Nikon D5100, the 600D doesn't offer a continuous autofocus option during movie capture. ExposureAlthough the autofocus isn't great, the 600D offers plenty of manual control – through from aperture and shutter speed to ISO sensitivity and exposure compensation, everything is at your disposal should you so wish. Of course a quick flick of a button in the main menu can also set the exposure to 'Auto' for point-and-shoot simplicity too. Movie Digital ZoomOne quirk of the 600D is the Movie Digital Zoom option that gives an additional 3x magnification without loss of resolution (it can offer up to 10x mag though this will come with some loss of detail). As the 1920x1080 Full HD movie resolution only equates to around 2-megapixels in total, it's far smaller than the full 18-megapixel sensor on offer. By using a smaller portion of the sensor, the camera is able to multiply its zoom capabilities. Theoretically the 600D's sensor could fit three 1080p captures side by side across its sensor, hence the 3x equating to no detail loss. PerformanceVideo files are captured at 24, 25 or 30fps and rendered as MOV files using the H.264 compression codec. Quality is very good overall, with a (variable) 45mbit/sec data rate in our test squeezing some 360MB of footage into a single minute. Audio is dealt with using on on-board microphone, though those looking for better sound will be pleased to see the 3.5mm mic jack for external microphones. The linear PCM sound quality is good (though can get distorted due to wind when using the built-in mic). Key video specificationsApprox price: £700 with 18-55mm kit lens
Like a suped-up version of the E-PL2 (as found in the under £500 section of this article), the latest Olympus PEN E-P3 has a lot of video control on offer. This is the first PEN model to introduce AVCHD capture, though this doesn't directly replace the Motion JPEG capture of previous models – both options are available. AVCHD capture uses better compression for smaller files that then need to be rendered outside of camera, whereas M-JPEG is a series of JPEG images replayed as a movie (AVI format) that can be used straight from camera. ExposureThe E-P3's movie capabilities have some great quirks: Full manual control means aperture, shutter and ISO options can be adjusted for absolute control. However none of these settings can be changed during capture, a significant oversight that could have stepped up the camera's capabilities considerably. Pressing the one-touch movie button will start recording rolling, but accurate composition is flawed here as the E-P3 uses a different portion of the sensor for movie capture. This causes cropping, i.e. the original frame you thought was going to be captured will suddenly be more 'zoomed in' and lose the surrounding edge (this even occurs if set to 16:9 ratio in stills mode). Small details like this hold the E-P3 back from having a more pro-fulfilling movie mode. Auto focusDuring recording there's the option of continuous autofocus, single autofocus (both of which can have the addition of manual override) or manual focus. The E-P3's continuous autofocus mode is the one that particularly impresses, as it eases subjects into focus with little problems. It's a frustration that the focus point can't be moved around during capture, which becomes yet more of a misgiving when considering the E-P3's touch-sensitive screen (that's rendered useless in movie mode). It should have taken a leaf out of the Panasonic G3's book and allowed for full touchscreen focus control during capture. PerformanceThe E-P3's 20Mbps data rate should produce high quality, though compression seems a bit over the top at times – looking in detail areas reveals processed, 'fuzzy' edges. A lower 'Normal' compression option is also available as a further space-saving option. Sound is captured via the on-board stereo microphone, though wind noise can be an issue. While it's possible to employ an external microphone the Olympus-only Accessory Port means there's only one current microphone (SEMA-1) available. A standard 3.5mm fitting for third party microphones would have made more sense and opened the camera up to an even wider audience. Overall the E-P3 improves capture options from previous models but fails to iron out small details that would have taken this good camera to levels of greatness. Key video specificationsApprox price: £799 with 18-55mm kit lens
Pentax's K-5 is the company's most able video-shooting DSLR, capable of capturing Full HD 1080p clips at 25fps in the Motion JEPG (AVI) format. Although the K-5's body is rugged and weather-sealed, which makes it hard wearing and ideal for use in sandy or rainy conditions, there aren't too many movie-based perks for the videographer. Auto focusThe main thing lacking from the K-5 is that there's no autofocus available during video capture – instead it's only possible to predetermine the focal point and then commence recording after. When attaining focus prior to capture, the K-5's focus system, as per its live view operation, is very quick and will zoom in to the image (to actual size to ensure accurate focus is made). Manual focus is also available, but this isn't always practical as assessing focal distance isn't easy to judge using a DSLR. It's made more tricky by the K-5's lack of a manual focus assist (to show the image zoomed in to actual size on screen for more accurate focusing). ExposureThe K-5 makes up for its AF shortfall elsewhere by the provision of Aperture Priority exposure control (though the aperture can only be set prior to recording) and the inclusion of a 3.5mm mic jack to connect an external microphone. Exposure compensation and exposure lock are available during capture for more critical exposure decisions, as in Aperture Priority mode the camera auto-adjusts the exposure level. Other fun options include 'Cross Processing' and Digital Filter modes that can also be applied to videos to add an 'arty' edge (but once they're applied there's no way of removing the final effect). PerformanceThe K-5's final movie quality is very good, though there are some signs of grain in shadow areas. The rendered AVI files are also huge, with a minute of footage eating up some 430MB of space (though this is why the quality is high). A three-tiered compression option accessible via the main menu means file size can be reduced by compromising further on quality should you need the extra space. Sound-wise it's mono recording only, which is of adequate quality, though not a match for straightforward stereo sound. Key video specsApprox price: £930 with 18-55mm kit lens As the price bracket increases so does the expectation for more features and greater control over video making, though this won't be realised in every purchase. Despite the Pentax K-5 being the most expensive of the cameras on test in this price bracket, it's the only camera that doesn't offer any autofocus ability for its movie mode. While, arguably, some of the other cameras' autofocus modes aren't of pratical use, and therefore obsolete, this is certainly an area Pentax needs to see some progression in. The AVI files are good quality, but the file sizes are huge and this just isn't going to cut it for more pro-grade applications either. The other two remaining DSLRs – the Nikon D5100 and Canon 600D – are very similar on paper and have some great features, but are quite different beasts. The vari-angle screens of both cameras are very practical for movie shooting and the 3.5mm mic jack of each model means external microphones can be connected for sound recording. The D5100's continuous autofocus is a step in the right direction, but it's not fast enough to deal with all subjects and the video files are a little 'choppy' rather than 'cinematic' in playback. Although the Canon 600D's files may look the better of the pair, its single autofocus system is no better than that found in the Canon EOS 1100D, which mis-focuses by such a margin that it's next to useless (this could explain why Pentax avoids implementing such a system in the K-5). Then things step up a notch. The E-PL3's movie capture abilities are great, there's full manual control and the continuous autofocus is fantastic too. The letdown is in the final quality however, which lacks the sharpness and clarity of its peers due to over-processing. But still a very strong effort that's a breeze to use. The Sony Alpha A55 also puts in a sterling effort. Its continuous autofocus is very, very fast and equally as accurate, which allows for swift focusing between a variety of subjects. However the A55's main autofocus strength is also its main 'weakness' in other regards: as the camera can only autofocus to the centre-point of the screen there's a lack of control; no single autofocus features; nor are there manual controls. But it is the cheapest one of the bunch here, and for that it's a grand performer that's far faster than anything else out there. At the top of the tree is Panasonic's G3. For the snap-happy consumer crowd this camera has (almost) everything you could need. Final quality is great, the touchscreen is fantastic for changing focus points during capture (something the Olympus E-P3 failed to address), the continuous autofocus is very smooth as is the ability to track moving subjects. I t may not be quite as swift as the Sony A55, its 2.5mm mic jack is annoying and there's no full manual control. But what you do get, however, is a device that's small, affordable, endlessly useable and will appeal to the wider masses that want good video capture and controls right at their fingertips. 
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| Twitter to flag NSFW links in tweets Posted: 29 Jul 2011 09:33 AM PDT Twitter has announced that it is incorporating a feature that will notify users if links included in tweets are "possibly sensitive". The code for the safety feature is now in the Twitter streaming API, but hasn't been rolled out to actual users yet. Twitter's media policy states, "Images that have been marked as containing sensitive content will have a warning message that a viewer must click through before viewing the image. Only users who have opted in to see possibly sensitive content will see these images without the warning message." Unmasking Super-Injunction Man Twitter has long insisted that it doesn't censor users' tweets, most notably when people took to the micro-blogging service to unmask Ryan Giggs as the person behind a super-injunction that prevented the media from naming him. However, the company does "remove media that might be considered sensitive such as nudity, violence or medical procedures". But the good news is that the warning will be optional so you can continue living your devil-may-care surprise-link-clicking lifestyle if you wish. 
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| Posted: 29 Jul 2011 09:29 AM PDT Customers purchasing the Leica M9 or M9-P are still experiencing waiting times, after production is slowed while some of the Japanese factories hit by the earthquakes earlier in the year take time to recover. Speaking to PhotoRadar, Leica UK's Richard Swan spoke of the delays the company had been experiencing, suggesting an average three month wait for most customers. Although Leica is a German manufacturer, which uses sensors from an American company (Kodak), some smaller components are produced in Japan. At the moment, according to Swan, the demand for the M9 and M9-P outstrips availability, but he said that three months was the absolute longest that a customer would have to wait. 'Bigger issues' But Swan was also keen to point out that Leica is in no rush to speed up the process, allowing factories to take as long as they needed. "We won't rush to get them out, just to meet demand – that's not the Leica way - and the Japanese have bigger issues to tackle at the moment," he told us. The Leica M9 is a full-frame digital rangefinder which was launched in 2009 and features an 18.5 million pixel Kodak CCD sensor. The Leica M9-P was introduced in June featuring a tougher, scratch-resistant sapphire coated screen and more discreet branding for professional photographers. Both cameras are claimed to be the world's smallest full-frame system cameras and are designed with photojournalists in mind. The M9 retails at around £4,950 (body only) while the M9-P RRP is £5,395 (body only). Photographers looking to get their hands on the £6,800 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux lens can also expect to join a year-long waiting list before receiving the lens. 
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| Samsung to make Sony PS Vita's CPU? Posted: 29 Jul 2011 09:16 AM PDT Sony's new PS Vita will reportedly be powered by a Samsung manufactured CPU, according to Japanese trade newspaper Semiconductor Industry News. The new CPU for Sony's latest handheld will apparently be made using a 45 nanometre process. PlayStation Vita is expected to launch in Japan later this year and in Europe and the US early next year. Vita demos and launch plans Games journalists and eager hardcore gamers will no doubt be looking forward to getting their hands on the new Sony gaming console at this year's Gamescom in Germany in August, followed by the Tokyo Games Show in early September and the Eurogamer Expo later in September. TechRadar has contacted both Sony and Samsung for further comment on this latest PS Vita news. One listed PS Vita developer revealed earlier this week that the machine would have at least ten times the amount of RAM memory in it when compared with the original PSP. We still await a response from Sony to confirm the final spec on its forthcoming handheld. 
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| Posted: 29 Jul 2011 09:12 AM PDT Sonos has been leading the wireless multi-room music revolution since before anyone really knew what wirelessly streaming music was. The idea being that you can stick a speaker in every room and wirelessly play your digital music tracks on any or all of them at once. The company's last wireless speaker unit, the Play:5, was an excellent piece of kit – we gave it 4.5 stars – but the one thing that the it lacked was an affordable price tag. But, after a spot of rebranding, Sonos is back with the Play:3, a speaker set offering the same great functionality in a smaller, cheaper package. Price drop The lower price is big news - a single Sonos Play:3 will set you back £259 which may sound like a fair lump of cash, but it's a snip compared to the Play:5 units, which sell for around £100 more. The beauty of the Sonos system is that you can start with one speaker attached wirelessly to the Sonos Bridge (which, in turn, is attached to your router by Ethernet cable), and later add more to the system in different rooms – as many speakers as you like up to 32 (in case you happen to live in a palace). Once you have speakers all over you house, you can control them all from your PC desktop. The other option is to use the free controller app on an iOS or Android device; perfect if you don't fancy shelling out over £200 for Sonos' own touchscreen controller.
Unfortunately you do have to go through Sonos' proprietary software, which takes an image of all the music and playlists stored on your PC and allows you to create a queue of songs to be played. But it also gives you the option of listening to the hundreds of digital and internet radio stations out there, or, wonderfully, hooking up to a premium Spotify account and a handful of other online music services. The Play:3 comes with three speakers inside its plastic and mesh housing, where the Play:5 has five; this means you're looking at slightly less rich music playback – but we'll come back to that later. It does all come in a smaller housing, though – about half the size of the S5, meaning its small enough to slot onto a bookshelf or into a kitchen nook, with feet on both sides so you can stand it either on its side or on its end.
There's also the wall mounting option, as the Play:3 comes with the necessary holes for a standard wall bracket (sold separately). Wireless multi-room music streaming may sound fairly daunting to a technophobe, but the Play:3 is very simple to set up. If you already have a Sonos system set up, it's a case of plug, pair and play, if not there are just a couple of extra steps to follow. Sonos really has made it incredibly easy. For such a small speaker, the Play:3 manages to fill a good-sized room with sound, although it's worth thinking carefully about placement as the drop off as you move to the side or back of the unit is quite significant.
Music playback from both a Spotify account and your existing MP3s is very satisfying; the Play:3 handles bass better than we'd expected with just a hint of fuzziness, but its trebles are occasionally a bit tinny, especially at higher volumes. Inside the Play:3, there are three dedicated amps that work with the three interior speakers; one tweeter, two mid-range drivers and a bass radiator. This means it's lacking one tweeter and one subwoofer driver compared to the Play:5. So yes, there's a drop in sound quality – compared to the Play:5 you lose a that rich creamy quality to playback. It's not the speaker for audiophiles who'll notice and hate that slight fuzz, who'll pick up on when distortion is that little bit too distorted and a bit jarring on the ear. But there is the option to install two Play:3 units in one room for stereo playback, which should round the sound out. We haven't tried it yet, though; we're waiting on a second Play:3 unit to arrive, and will bring you our verdict on this next week. Because you've got the option to turn the Play:3 on its side and slot it on to a shelf in portrait mode, you might think you're going to get unbalanced playback because the speakers are formatted for landscape – but you'd be wrong; there's an accelerometer inside the casing that detects when its turned on its side and adjusts the playback accordingly. It works really well; you'll notice the music shifting and the sound changing as you turn the speaker, and once its in place, there's minimal difference between the two.
On the software side of things, we're not in love with Sonos' proprietary player; although it has no trouble finding music folders and syncing existing playlists from iTunes and Spotify, the queuing system is a bit clunky and, at times, slow to respond. However, the free Sonos iPhone app is excellent. Changes made to the volume and playlists are immediately reflected by the speaker and switching between playlists was straightforward.
The only problem we had with the app was with navigation; at times it's easy to get bogged down in a mire of now playing and the existing queue, and a little too difficult to get back to the main home screen.
The Sonos wireless system is so easy to set up and use that it's difficult not to rave nonsensically about how wonderful it is; and despite the lower price tag, the Play:3 doesn't let it down. We liked: The easy set up, the wealth of music options (digital radio, MP3s, Spotify, Last.fm etc.) and the size of the Play:3 are all major positives. Being able to slot the unit into a nook or cranny where, previously, we'd have had to make do with a low-quality wired speaker is brilliant, and we're absolutely in favour of the lower price point. And despite that, you don't lose out much on sound quality with a full, filling sound that offers the depth and breadth of a larger system. The free control apps for Android and iOS devices offer a brilliant remote control experience at no extra cost. We didn't like: We're still not massive fans of the price; for a system that is intended to be built up and added to, you're still looking at over £500 to kit out two rooms; and that's not even counting the premium Spotify account (£10/month) or any additional extras like the remote. While the Play:3 is brilliant for incidental rooms, like the kitchen or the bedroom, you're not going to want to replace your high-end living room hi-fi system with the dinky little speaker, and audiophiles will no doubt notice the grating trebles and slightly hollow bass more than most. We'd really like to see Sonos rethink its desktop software, which isn't very beautiful to look at and could be clearer to use. Verdict: The Play:3 is an excellent multi-room option and brings the Sonos system slightly closer to the realms of the common man's bank account; worth saving up for? We think so. 
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| 10 3D movies and shows to watch out for Posted: 29 Jul 2011 09:00 AM PDT As well as an increasingly good choice of quality 3D Blu-ray movies, 3D TV broadcasters such as Sky and Virgin Media in the UK are already promising viewers lots more quality 3D content later this year and beyond and we've gathered together 10 of the best new shows and movies below. Sky, in particular, is really pushing the development of quality 3D TV content in the UK (and beyond), announcing this week that it has now formed a brand new 3D production company, Colossus Productions. It has teamed up with leading UK Independent producer, Atlantic Productions, producers of the BAFTA award-winning Flying Monsters 3D and follows the recent confirmation of new 3D output deals with Disney, Discovery Networks and MTV. And, most importantly of all for fans of 3D cinema, it looks like Hollywood has been listening to recent criticisms from the TV industry about the dodgy quality of a lot of its recent 3D output, with the major Tinseltown studios clearly stepping up their 3D game later this year and beyond. Talk about the future of the 3D medium is no longer centred on James Cameron's sequel to the technically ground-breaking Avatar, which speaks volumes about the number of other major 3D projects now in development. "The bad news is that Hollywood took the interest and mild excitement that people had for 3D and spewed out several movies that were either outright poor all over the place, or were poorly converted to 3D in post-production," says Adam Taylor, Adotomi agency analyst and 3D expert, in summary of the state of 3D play in the cinema industry. "The good news is that with Avatar, the 3D genie is out of the bottle and if directors really want to wow the audience in terms of special effects, it's got to include 3D." Taylor's tip is to look out for the big name directors that you trust the most in cinema. Which isn't actually too difficult, with major 3D productions currently underway from the likes of Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Ridley Scott and Peter Jackson. Whether you plan to catch up on Sky's forthcoming 3D Meerkats or sample the music festival delights of Bestival 3D on your 3D TV in the comfort of your own home, or want to know which 3D movies you should be looking out for at your local multiplex over the next year or two - here are the definitive top ten 3D movies and TV programmes on the way to you soon. 1. Ridley Scott's 'Prometheus' - due June 2012 With Guy Pearce, Charlize Theron and Idris Elba playing three of the lead roles, it's fairly easy to see why sci-fi fans are already getting excited about Scott's forthcoming 3D masterpiece. "Ridley Scott's return to science fiction would be excitement enough and while it's too bad that it's not a full-blown 'Alien' prequel, it's close enough," says Adam Taylor. 2. Francis Ford Coppola's 'Twixt' - due late 2011 True to form, Coppola's first major 3D movie is going to take a slightly different twist, encouraging the audience to don 3D glasses only at certain moments and scenes throughout the picture, using on-screen visual clues to let you know when to take your glasses on and off. It's a massive gamble, but one his legions' of fans are praying will pay off. The story focuses on a has-been writer who gets caught up in a murder mystery while away on a book tour. This unconventional 3D film stars Val Kilmer, Bruce Dern and Ben Chaplin, with Coppola describing Twixt as "one part Gothic romance, one part personal film, and one part the kind of horror film that began my career" – adding that the idea for the story came to him in a dream and was also inspired by the writings of Edgar Allen Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne. 3. 3D Bestival - due September 2011 Forget about the BBC's impressively-good blanket coverage of the Glastonbury festival each year. Sky plans to 1-up the Beeb this year, by broadcasting the Bestival festival in glorious 3D in September. Which means, should you not be able to drag your sorry self to the Isle of Wight this coming autumn to enjoy all of Rob Da Bank's fun-and-frolics in real life, you can at least still pretend you were there by watching the whole thing on your new 3D TV.
"In what is undoubtedly our finest year to date, which will include sets from The Cure, Pendulum, Primal Scream presents Screamadelica, PJ Harvey, Brian Wilson and DJ Shadow amongst a huge and ever-growing line-up of musical treats, Bestival 2011 hurtles headlong into the future, adding a whole new dimension to our televisual shenanigans, breaking new ground for festival entertainment with a super-generous seven and a half hours of Bestival 3D TV on Sky this coming September" says Da Bank. "It's amazing to be part of the world's first 3D TV festival extravaganza on Sky. Bestival in 3D will be a mind-blowing explosion of colour and multi-dimensional music and mayhem and it's great to be working with Whizz Kid again to bring it to life. Having Camp Bestival too as part of the Sky festival season means we've got a great summer of TV ahead." 4. Martin Scorsese's 'Hugo' - due September 2011 That's right. Scorsese! He of Goodfellas, Mean Streets and Casino fame is actually planning on making a charming 3D family and kids' movie called Hugo. Scorsese's new 3D movie is an adaptation of Brian Selznick's popular children's adventure, starring Ben Kingsley, Christopher Lee, Emily Mortimer, Helen Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Sacha Baron Cohen and a load of other major AAA-stars. 5. Steven Spielberg's 'The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn' - due late 2011 Spielberg does Tintin, in which our French adventurer and his chums discoverer directions to a sunken ship commanded by Captain Haddock's ancestor and head off on a treasure hunt. It is fully computer animated, uses the latest motion capture tech in 3D and is directed by one of the greatest filmmakers of our age. What could possibly go wrong? (Hopefully nothing) 6. James Cameron's Avatar sequel - Avatar 2 - due 2014 Yes, you read that correctly. The sequel to Avatar is not actually scheduled for release until 2014. Which seems a hell of a long time to wait for those people who genuinely liked the first movie (as a movie, and not as a 2-hour-plus tech demo, that is). 3D-movie evangelist Cameron is also apparently looking to shoot some footage seven miles underwater in the Challenger Deep, the deepest location on earth. How the hell he is practically going to manage that is still to be revealed. We only hope that it doesn't take his focus away from storytelling, character and dialogue… 7. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - due December 2012 There is pretty much no question that The Hobbit in 3D is going to be one of the biggest 3D movies of 2012. With Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephen Fry, Christopher Lee and a host of other AAA-Hollywood talent joining Peter Jackson in re-making one of the greatest fantasy stories of our age in 3D… 8. Brave from Pixar - due 2012 With Kelly MacDonald, Emma Thompson and Robbie Coltrane involved in the next major new 3D movie from the cinema tech ninjas at Disney Pixar, it is obvious why cinephiles are looking forward to Brave. This new Pixar movie is set in Scotland "in a rugged and mythical time" telling the story of Merida, who likes archery and is described as "an impetuous daughter of royalty" looking to put things right after she makes a number of unfortunate mistakes. 9. 3D Meerkats - Sky - due October Meerkats in 3D. Who is not going to want to watch that? Surely only a true cynic that has had their heart and soul surgically removed by their own misplaced contempt for modern life? Caroline Hawkins and her Oxford Scientific 3D movie crew are currently putting the finishing touches to their latest meerkat doc, following the hugely successful four Meerkat Manor series and the Flower movie "Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins". "The footage gathered so far has been extremely good. The 3D effect is truly amazing, you really feel you can reach out and touch the meerkats. We've had a few impromptu screenings at the reserve and everyone has been transfixed," says Hawkins. 10. The Amazing Spider-man - due 2012 Spider Man 4(or whatever the fans may call it) may not have Tobey Macguire playing our favourite super-hero, yet it is said to be something of a re-boot in the series, featuring that guy out of The Social Network (Andrew Garfield) as Spidey instead of Macguire. Can Garfield cut it? It's one of the most highly–anticipated 3D movies since Avatar. So one would certainly hope he can! | ||
| Buying Guide: Best compact camera 2011: 25 reviewed and rated Posted: 29 Jul 2011 09:00 AM PDT Finding the best compact camera for your needs is never going to be easy because the compact camera market is a very crowded place. There are literally hundreds - if not thousands - of digital compact cameras out there, waiting for you to ogle them, to scratch your heads over them, and eventually hand over your hard-earned cash for them. Once the transaction is complete and you're unboxing your newest purchase, a nagging doubt enters your mind: did I make the right choice? The right choice, of course, depends on what you want from your digital camera. Maybe you're looking for a high-end compact camera to use on your DSLR's day off, or perhaps you want something more basic to help someone else get started in photography. Whichever compact digital camera you might be looking for, we've pulled together a selection of what we believe are the 25 best compact digital cameras on the market now. Best compact cameras 2011: High-end Fujifilm Finepix X100
Fuji turned plenty of heads with this retro-tastic beauty, which makes use of a revolutionary hybrid viewfinder that combines an optical and an electronic viewfinder in one screen. Looking to captivate hardened DSLR users, it offers plenty of control with an aperture ring, shutter-speed dial and raw mode. Read our Fuji X100 review Canon PowerShot G12
When it comes to the high-spec compact camera market, Canon has set the standard with the G-series, and raised the bar again with the PowerShot G12. The Canon G12 offers full manual control and raw shooting mode as well as smart auto, which lets the camera take charge. Add to this image stabilization, HDR capability and multi-aspect shooting, and you can see why this compact camera gives interchangeable lens cameras a run for their money. Read our Canon G12 review Nikon Coolpix P7000
The P7000 offers the full manual control that you'd expect from a pro-level camera, but comes with the automatic functions of a compact camera. The Nikon P7000 has 18 different scene modes to help you capture everything from fireworks to museum visits, automatically corrects red-eye, and it even has a smile timer. This could be the best compact camera for you if you don't want a DSLR in your bag. Read our Nikon P7000 review Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
With its f/2.0 Leica lens and high ISO capabilities, the Panasonic LX-5 is a great low-light companion. Its video mode allows you to record in HD, adjust the aperture or shutter speed when you're in creative mode, or have the camera take control in iA mode. You can even hook up this compact camera to an HD-enabled TV directly via the HDMI port, making this the best compact camera for any budding filmmakers out there. Read our Panasonic LX5 review Olympus XZ-1
This might be the most stylish of the pro-level compact cameras, but the Olympus XZ-1 has substance to back it up. There's full manual control with a range of nifty features, such as a histogram, but it also has a full range of automatic settings and fun 'art modes'. Add to this its bright Zuiko lens and HD video mode, and the Olympus XZ-1 is worth a long look. Read our Olympus XZ-1 review Best compact cameras 2011: Ultra-compact, high-end Canon PowerShot S95
Since its launch in summer 2010, scarcely a bad word has been uttered about the Canon S95. You've got full manual control via the lens ring, or you can let the camera decide with smart auto. The lens boasts a maximum aperture of f/2.0, you can make HD videos or shoot in raw. All of this - along with outstanding image quality, even in low-light - and the Canon S95 still fits in your pocket. Read our Canon S95 review Nikon Coolpix P300
The Nikon P300 might give the Canon PowerShot S95 a run for its money with an f/1.8 lens and slightly higher resolution, but do bear in mind that it doesn't have raw capability and its sensor is slightly smaller. If you can live with that, though, Nikon might be on to a winner of the pocket-sized camera wars with a compact camera that records excellent still images and video for less than £300. Read our Nikon P300 review Samsung EX1
Samsung's EX1 led the way for pocket-sized, low-light prowess: f/1.8 lens, a large sensor and a maximum ISO 3200. It comes with full manual mode, records 720p HD videos, records raw files for extra editing flexibility and comes with HDR capability, and it even has a range of filters to let you get creative. What's that? You'd rather that the camera did the hard work? It's got a fully automated setting, too! Read our hands on Samsung EX1 review Best compact cameras 2011: Travel compacts Nikon Coolpix S9100
The potential for blur with an 18x optical zoom is high, but the Coolpix S9100 does have sensor shift and electronic vibration reduction in place. There's an ISO 3200 setting for low light situations and an easy-to-use panorama mode that lets you pan vertically or horizontally, as well as a heap of automatic settings to make life easier and a bundle of special effects to let you get creative. Canon PowerShot SX230 HS
The Canon SX230 is a great little compact camera for still images, but it seems to have been taken to heart extra warmly by the video crowd. The PowerShot SX230 HS lets you record 1080p HD videos with stereo sound, in high-speed bursts or super slow motion. As for stills, the Canon SX230 enables you to take full control of your pictures or implement the smart auto mode with 32 different scene options. There's even a GPS function so you can track exactly where you took your pictures. Read our Canon SX230 HS review Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V
If you fancy venturing into 3D territory, the Sony HX9V lets you go there with both stills and video. Video is 1050p full HD, too. There's also a GPS function to record your location, and if you're new to taking pictures there are in-camera instructions. This compact camera does miss out on Aperture and Shutter Priority modes, but it does allow you to shoot fully manual. I reckon this could be the best compact camera to have if you're about to go off on safari! Read our Sony HX9V hands-on review Casio Exilim ZR-100 If its 12.5x zoom isn't enough, the Casio ZR-100 can virtually double this with its multi-frame SR zoom, which combines multiple shots to create one super-close, but sharp, image. Or you can get great landscapes with a 24mm wideangle shot. This Casio camera also boasts an HDR function, high-speed continuous shooting at 40 frames per second, and you can fiddle all you like with your photos in manual - or stick to automatic modes. Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ20
With GPS, HD video and 3D technology, the Panasonic TZ20 really does seem feature-packed. This Panasonic camera offers full manual capability as well as auto features that can be accessed via the rear touch screen. 'Intelligent zoom' means that the 16x optical zoom can be boosted to 21x with surprisingly good results, compared to what we're used to from digital zoom. Read our Panasonic TZ20 review Fujifilm FinePix F550 EXR
The Fuji F550 EXR gives you close-up and wideangle options, can geo-tag your images with its GPS function, has a ludicrously high maximum ISO of 12,800, makes HD video and even offers a panorama mode. Combine all of that with its SuperCCD EXR technology (better sensitivity, dynamic range and resolution) and you should be well on your way to taking brilliant images. Read our Fuji F550 EXR review Best Compact Cameras 2011: Super-zooms Canon PowerShot SX30 IS
The Canon SX30 has an impressive 24-800mm focal range, which it backs up with zoom framing assist to help keep distant objects in the shot. Smart Auto mode offers 28 different scenes, but full manual lets you take control. The Canon SX30 also lets you record 720p HD videos, get creative with a miniature effect, and snap away in low-light with confidence. Read our Canon SX30 IS review Nikon Coolpix L120
The Nikon L120 features a staggering 35mm equivalent focal range of 25-525mm, giving you wideangle and great zoom capability. You can get as close as 1cm in macro mode, too, making the Coolpix L120 the ultimate long-distance and super-up-close weapon. The vibration reduction feature is great at reducing camera blur as well. You can push the ISO to 6400, and of course there's video: 720p HD. If you know someone who wants to try a bit of everything with their camera, this could be the best compact camera for them. Read our Nikon L120 review Olympus SZ-30MR Does the Olympus SZ-30MR do it all? Olympus thinks so, and we're inclined to agree. This compact camera offers an amazing 26-600mm (35mm equivalent) super zoom lens that should take care of most shooting situations. To that, you can add dual image stabilization, SLR-rivaling 9 frames per second continuous shooting, a fun (if slightly pointless) 3D stills mode, and - of course - 1080p HD video. And you can even capture stills at the time as shooting a video. Nifty! Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V
This is one of the newest super-zooms out there, and Sony has packed in the features so it can compete in a busy market, from GPS to 3D stills, along with 1050p full HD video. The Sony HX100V can shoot 10 frames per second, its sweep panorama makes capturing vistas easy and there's even in-camera editing. Read our Sony HX100V hands-on review Fujifilm FinePix HS20 EXR
Whether you want full control or prefer the camera to make the decisions, the Fuji HS20 gives you the options. Its EXR technology helps to get the best out of every picture, and you can choose JPEG or raw formats. There's also a sweep panorama mode that's great fun to use. Simply find a panoramic view and wave your camera through the air to create a great-looking panorama. Read our Fuji HS20 EXR review Best compact cameras 2011: All-rounders Fujifilm FinePix Z90
Coming in six different colours and with its quirky sliding cover, the Fuji Z90 is a stylish-looking camera. Its touch screen makes for easy image and video capture, and there's an easy upload facility to put pictures directly on to FaceBook or YouTube. Digital image stabilisation helps to prevent blur, and there are some in-camera editing functions, too. This is the best compact camera for the fashion-conscious, Facebook-conscious teen. Read our Fuji Z90 review Pentax Optio S1 With a maximum ISO of 6400, autofocus tracking, some cool effects that you can apply to images, in-camera editing, and 720p HD video, this compact camera offers a whole heap of nifty features for your money. The pictures aren't bad, either. With a great price-point and a solid level of tech built-in, the Pentax S1 is the best compact camera for someone just getting to grips with how to use a camera. Canon IXUS 220 HS
A stylish stainless steel body conceals a camera capable of decent low-light shots, a Smart Auto mode with 32 different scenes, the ability to shoot without flash, HD video with super slow motion and high-speed burst options, along with a host of creative options, from fish-eye to toy camera effect. If you only want to own one camera and don't want to spend the Earth, the Canon IXUS 220 HS is the best compact camera for you and should be at the top of your list. Read our Canon IXUS 220 HS review Samsung PL120
The Samsung PL120's front screen allows you to preview self-portraits to make sure you get them just right and it shows animations to keep little ones' attention when you switch on the children mode. Add to that its range of effects, video mode, and in-camera editing function, and what you're looking at is a great heap of fun packaged into a quality camera that is the best compact camera for anyone with a young family. Best compact cameras 2011: Waterproof cameras Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT3
Panasonic's go-anywhere camera has a 4.6x optical zoom Leica lens, 3D photo capability and an optical image stabiliser. There's a built in GPS function, as well as an altimeter, a compass and a barometer. Whether your hazard of choice is sky- or scuba diving, you could do a lot worse than this little gem! Read our Panasonic FT3 review Olympus TG-810
Not only can the Olympus TG-810 be dropped in the sea, trodden on and withstand temperatures of -10° Celsius, but its GPS can record where you took your pictures, some of which you might have shot in 3D, and then you can upload them to your PC wirelessly using Eye-Fi connectivity. And don't forget its 5x optical zoom and HD video mode, either. I'm not sure how much wi-fi you get in the jungle, but if that's where you're head this should be the best compact camera for your journey! Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX10
This camera won't look out of place beside the pool, and if you drop it in, it's no big deal. The Sony TX10 also happens to have a 4x optical zoom lens, takes panoramas and 3D images, and records HD videos. It's a great combination of stylish and practical and will suit anyone who wants their camera to look as good as they do, and take pictures to match. 
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| Posted: 29 Jul 2011 08:50 AM PDT The 10-million-pixel Olympus XZ-1 enters a market in which compact and compact system cameras are becoming increasingly popular. In addition to the burgeoning collection of interchangeable lens hybrid models, the enthusiast photographer who wants to travel a bit lighter now has options available from Canon (PowerShot G12), Fuji (X100), Leica (X1), Nikon (Coolpix P7000), Panasonic (Lumix DMC LX5), Ricoh (GR Digital III) and Sigma (DP1x and DP2s) as well as Olympus. Update: See our video review belowSo if the XZ-1 is to prove a commercial success for Olympus it's going to have to offer snappy performance and deliver top-knotch images. With the exception of the APS-C format models from Sigma and Leica (and Fuji in the next few weeks), the Olympus XZ-1 has the largest sensor of the popular enthusiast-level compact camera collection, with a 1/1.63-inch CCD unit. This is only matched by the Panasonic LX5, while the Canon G12, Nikon P7000 and Ricoh GRD III have 1/1.7-inch devices. A larger sensor should give the Olympus camera an advantage as it often allows for bigger photosites, which usually means less image noise. Another reason to get excited about the Olympus XZ-1 is that it is the first compact camera to have a lens with the Olympus Zuiko moniker. The iZuiko Digital 6-24mm f/1.8-2.5 optic is equivalent to a 28-112mm lens on a 35mm camera. Impressively, even at its longest point this lens has a wider maximum aperture than the Canon G12 and Nikon P7000 lenses at their widest setting. This affords a much higher level of control over depth of field than is normally available with a compact camera. It also means that faster shutter speeds are available in low light to help cut down camera-shake. The chance of blur from involuntary camera movements spoiling images is further reduced by the Olympus XZ-1's sensor shifting image stabilisation system, which is claimed to extend the safe handholding shutter speed by up to 2 stops. Unlike the Canon G12 and Nikon P7000, the Olympus XZ-1 doesn't have an optical viewfinder built-in, though given the pokey nature of the Canon and Nikon units, this isn't that much of a hardship. There is, however, a port that allows an optional electronic viewfinder (EVF) to be attached and mounted in the Olympus XZ-1's hotshoe. In the absence of a viewfinder, images are composed on the XZ-1's 3-inch 610,000 dot LCD screen. Although there are 6 Art Filters and 18 automatic scene modes (including a double exposure mode) that tailor the exposure and white balance etc to the subject, enthusiast photographers are more likely to choose the XZ-1 because it has program, aperture priority, shutter priority and manual exposure modes. In these advanced modes shutter speed can be adjusted in the range 60-1/2000 sec, with the bulb option allowing exposures as long as 16 minutes, while sensitivity can also be adjusted in 1/3EV steps from ISO 100 to ISO 6400. In case ISO 100 isn't quite low enough, the XZ-1 has a built-in ND filter that can be used to cut out three stops of light. Light measurements may be made using 324 Digital ESP, centre-weighted average or spot metering. The Olympus XZ-1's Trupic V processing engine allows 1.2-million-pixel images to be captured at up to 15fps (without the mechanical shutter moving) in High Speed Sequential shooting mode. However, around 20 full resolution JPEG images can be captured at a rate of 7fps. As we might hope for a top-end compact camera, the Olympus XZ-1 allows images to be saved as raw or JPEG files (or both simultaneously) and there's plenty of control over the appearance of images via the Picture Mode and Gradation (dynamic range) options (auto, high key, normal, low key). Impressively, in addition to providing the Olympus XZ-1 with a small pop-up flash unit, Olympus has given it the ability to trigger compatible flashguns such as the FL-50R and FL-36R wirelessly. Video technology is also present and 1280x720 pixel movies may be recorded at 30fps as AVI Motion JPEG files, with mono sound via the built-in mic or stereo via an external mic. It all adds up to a comprehensive package and on paper at least the Olympus XZ-1 seems a worthy competitor to the Canon PowerShot G12, Panasonic LX5, Nikon Coolpix P7000 and Ricoh GRD III. Olympus has opted for understated elegance with the XZ-1 body. It feels well made and comfortable to hold. The XZ-1's body isn't littered with control buttons and dials, so even though it's small (think Olympux XZ-1 vs Panasonic LX5 or Olympux XZ-1 vs Canon S95 rather than vs Canon G12 or Nikon P7000) there is still room for your fingers and thumb. While the front of the camera is smooth and grip-free (the raised letter of the Olympus badge provides the only purchase) the rear has a textured rubber pad in the natural thumb resting position and this helps to make the camera feel safe in your grasp. It prevents the XZ-1 from slipping between your fingers when composing a shot one-handed. Of course keeping the number of buttons down means that there are a few direct controls missing. There's no sensitivity or white balance button or dial for example. Fortunately these options and 11 others can be reached reasonably quickly via the XZ-1's control screen, which is accessed by pressing the OK button the camera back. Although it's not unusual for a compact camera (or an SLR for that matter), the Olympus XZ-1 has an exposure compensation button which is used in conjunction with the adjustment dial. I much prefer the immediacy of the exposure compensation dials found on the Canon G12 and Nikon P7000, but these are substantially larger cameras. When you look at the Olympus XZ-1 vs the Canon S95, the XZ-1 also has a dial around the lens barrel that is used to select the aperture setting in aperture priority and manual exposure mode, and shutter speed in shutter priority mode. It's quick, easy to use and given the unusually large number of aperture settings that the Olympus XZ-1 has for a compact camera, it's much better than continual button pressing. It's not a major issue, but I found that the mode dial changed position fairly easily, and on a few occasions the camera switched modes while I was carrying it between shots. A mode dial lock would prevent this, but it would also slow down deliberate changes. The message for the XZ-1 is to check the mode dial before taking a shot. In summary, the Olympus XZ-1 is very pleasant camera to use. Olympus has kept the menus short and to the point, but there are few occasions when it is actually necessary to use them. There are automatic shooting options available for the less experienced photographer (iAuto and scene modes etc) as well as more advanced options for enthusiast photographers. Unless the ambient light is very bright, the 3-inch, 610,000-dot LCD screen also provides a decent view of the image being composed, but it's a little over-saturated. With 10 million photosites on a 1/6.3-inch sensor the Olympus XZ-1 isn't going to be able to match the image quality of a DSLR, but in good light when low sensitivity settings are used it can match the output from its main competitors. In fact, in some conditions its raw files have more detail than those from either the Canon G12 or the Nikon P7000. To achieve this the files need to be processed using the supplied Olympus Viewer 2 software, as this is the only way that the Noise Filter can be turned off. Even then, the lack of chroma noise in the final image makes it clear that there's a fair bit of noise removal activity still going on. When viewed at 100% on the computer screen, high sensitivity images have quite strong edges around softer even-toned areas. If the noise filter is left in its default Standard setting, images taken at higher sensitivity values look almost like water colours at Actual Pixels (100%) on screen, with well defined edges surrounding soft, smudgy patches. The effect is even noticeable at ISO 400, though it is much less so. While pixel peeping is interesting, it's the results at more sensible viewing and printing sizes that are important. At the lower sensitivity settings the Olympus XZ-1 is capable of producing images that make very pleasant A3 prints. This is even true in some cases with the very highest sensitivity setting, ISO 6400, but I wouldn't take this for granted and would only use it where strictly necessary. It is safer to keep prints to A4 size or smaller if the images are shot at ISO 6400 or 3200. Images of strongly linear subjects reveal that the XZ-1's iZuiko lens isn't able to correct distortion completely. It's most noticeable at the wide-angle end where barrel distortion is visible, especially in close-up images. Pin cushion distortion is also apparent at the telephoto end of the lens, but it's less noticeable than the distortion at the wide-angle end. Although Olympus Viewer 2 has a distortion correction control it isn't able to correct the most extreme bending visible in macro images. On a more positive note, chromatic aberration is not an issue and I only found a few very limited examples of it in my images from the Olympus XZ-1. The majority of the brightly backlit edges in my images show no sign of chromatic aberration. Olympus has a good reputation for colour reproduction and the XZ-1 doesn't call this into question. The auto white balance system also performs well in a variety of lighting conditions, often capturing the atmosphere of mixed lighting without overly correcting or totally eradicating any colourcast. Even when shooting under a heavily overcast sky, however, the Cloudy white balance produces images that are too warm to be natural. In the default Natural Picture Mode the Olympus XZ-1 produces punchy, vibrant images, which push the 'natural' description a little, but are nevertheless likely to find favour with most users. As usual, on many occasions the results from the Monochrome Picture mode look better when the contrast is pushed to its highest value. The overwhelming majority of the images shot during this test were taken with the XZ-1's metering set to its general-purpose 324-zone multi-pattern mode. Although I had to adjust the exposure using the compensation facility occasionally, it was no more often than I would expect, and in some instances is was unnecessary when I expected it to be required. In fact, even when shooting with a bright overcast sky in part of the frame, the XZ-1 managed to correctly expose the main subject in the foreground with no intervention from me. Thanks in part to the development of compact system cameras, contrast detection AF systems have improved a fair bit over the last couple of years. The XZ-1's AF system is on a par with its competition and is probably assisted by the brighter than average lens, which allows more light to reach the sensor. It struggles when light levels drop or subject contrast goes down, but it is respectably quick in more average lighting conditions. I found the AF Tracking system has a mixed performance. On some occasions it managed to latch onto and follow a fairly low contrast subject as it moved around the images frame, while on others it failed to follow a more distinctive subject. When it works it's very good. I had less success with the XZ-1's manual focus system. Although the camera displays an enlarged section of the scene, there's no focus scale to give any indication of where the focus point is. Also, the level of detail visible isn't high enough to allow you to set the focus with a great degree of confidence. As part of our review process we've implemented a new testing procedure. To test the Olympus XZ-1 image quality, we shot our resolution chart. If you look at our 100% crops below or download the images and view the central section at 100% (or Actual Pixels) you will see that, at ISO 100 the Olympus XZ-1 is capable of resolving up to 22 (line widths per picture height x100) in its highest quality JPEG files. Examining images of the chart taken at each sensitivity setting reveals the following resolution scores in line widths per picture height x100:
JPEGs
Olympus XZ-1 Review: ISO 100 Score: 22 (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: ISO 200 Score: 20 (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: ISO 400 Score: 20 (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: ISO 800 Score: 18 (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: ISO 1600 Score: 14 (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: ISO 3200 Score: 12 (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: ISO 6400 Score: 12 (Click here to view full-res version) Raw files
Olympus XZ-1 Review: ISO 100 Score: 22 (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: ISO 200 Score: 20 (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: ISO 400 Score: 20 (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: ISO 800 Score: 18 (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: ISO 1600 Score: 18 (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: ISO 3200 Score: 16 (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: ISO 6400 Score: 14 (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: JPEG at f/2.8 and ISO100 using macro focus mode (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: Raw at f/2.8 and ISO100 using macro focus mode (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: ISO 400 raw file with noise filter turned off post capture (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: ISO 400 raw file with noise filter at Standard setting (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: 28mm (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: 112mm (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: Monochrome mode with contrast set to its maximum of +2 (Click here to view full-res version)
Olympus XZ-1 Review: Taken in very overcast conditions, this image taken using AWB is neutral (Click here to view full-res version) These graphs were produced using data generated by DXO Analyzer. The raw files are analysed with no conversion or processing to enable us to evaluate the intrinsic image quality of the sensor. This avoid the problems that arise from the fact that different raw converters produce very differnt results. We also analyse JPEG images with the camera in its default settings, so we can see what you get straight from the camera. Olympus XZ-1 Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) graph
A high signal to noise ratio (SNR) indicates a cleaner image. As we would expect, the JPEG images have less noise than the raw files and the level of noise goes up with sensitivity and thus image quality decreases. The difference between the raw and JPEG files gives an indication of the amount of in-camera noise reduction applied. As we analyse more cameras we will add to this graph to allow comparisons to be made. Olympus XZ-1 Dynamic range graph
Our analysis indicates that the dynamic range of the XZ-1's raw output decreases in an almost linear fashion from just over 10EV at ISO 100 to around 4.5EV at ISO 6400. The in-camera optimisation, which happens automatically to make images closer to print-ready, means that JPEG files have a higher dynamic range than simultaneously captured raw files. JPEG dynamic range bottoms out just above 7EV at ISO 6400. Olympus has managed to produce a compact camera that is a real joy to use. It's perfectly pocket sized, jumps quickly into action and has responsive controls that are sensibly laid out. The wide aperture lens also means the camera can be used handheld where some others can't and a greater degree of background blur is possible. Although they are not completely without fault, the images are also very good provided the lower sensitivity settings are used. It's also worthwhile shooting raw images so that they can be processed through the supplied software, Olympus Viewer 2, which is really rather good. It may not have as versatile a focal length lens as the Nikon P7000 and Canon G12, or some of the direct controls, but the XZ-1 has a much wider maximum aperture and is considerably smaller. Its controls are also more responsive than the Nikon P7000's. Well done Olympus: you've made choosing a high-end compact camera much harder for enthusiasts. 
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| HTC: Apple lawsuit not cause for concern Posted: 29 Jul 2011 08:46 AM PDT HTC has attempted to calm worries that it will be destabilised by the ongoing Apple lawsuits, stating the company can weather the impending storm. Apple is seeking to stop sales of HTC phones and tablets it feels infringe on its patents, and is likely seeking royalties on each relevant device sold in the future. However, despite stating it is willing to meet with Apple to thrash out the problems within the suit, HTC CEO Peter Chou still maintains the Taiwanese firm is merely a victim of its own success. We're just too good "Many lawsuits nowadays are results of being successful; it's part of the business," said Chou in a telephone conference according to Reuters. "We will not bring the company to a dangerous position." HTC's share value dropped in the wake of the announcement of a lawsuit from Apple and have yet to fully recover. The firm is already paying a license fee to Microsoft to use elements of Android, and further royalty payments to another company would have another impact on its bottom line. Let's just hope all these patent issues get solved in the next year or two and we can get back to publishing blurry pictures of possible phones that may be the next iPhone/Galaxy/Desire killer. 
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| Free digital photography iBook Posted: 29 Jul 2011 08:43 AM PDT Our colleagues at T3.com have teamed up with Apple to offer iPhone and iPad owners a free digital photography iBook. For photographers looking to get the most from their new DSLR, the book is a must. So, for this weekend only, Digital SLR Settings and Shortcuts for Dummies is free for T3 readers in the iBooks store. The straightforward guide takes you through the 100 most common photos that amateur photographers typically shoot, offering specific advice on getting the correct exposure sttings, composition and lighting without using technical jargon. Digital SLR Settings & Shortcuts for Dummies acts as a starting point to help you tackle tricky settings and get the best digital photos you can. A range of other photography iBooks are also available this weekend at reduced prices: Make Money with Digital Photography: £12.99 normally, offer price £2.99 Photographing Children Photo Workshop, 2nd edition: £12.99 normally, offer price £2.99. Canon EOS Rebel 1100D Digital Field Guide: £10.99 normally, offer price £2.99 Nikon D5100 Digital Field Guide, £9.99 normally. Offer price £2.99. Follow the iBookstore link on the T3 website to download your free copy of Digital SLR Settings and Shortcuts for Dummies and for more on those discount offers. 
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| Advanced AI voice control 'just the start of a journey' for Kinect Posted: 29 Jul 2011 08:16 AM PDT Scott Henson, boss of UK games developer Rare, has revealed that the Xbox Kinect is "just getting started" in terms of technological developments. Rare is currently working on the follow-up game Kinect Sports: Season Two. Many new Xbox 360 games are making use of Kinect's in built microphone and voice recognition capabilities, and Kinect Sports: Season 2 will recognise more player-spoken lines than any other game available at the moment. Henson claimed that players will be able to speak naturally to their Xbox using Kinect and it will be able to "pick up the right phrases and no matter what the language is, no matter who it is." Chit chat But it will go further than that, with players able to have full conversations with gaming characters; Henson uses the example of a golfing game to explain: "You'll literally say something like, 'you know caddy, I think I need something that helps me with the wind conditions.' Then the caddy will respond with, 'well, it could be either a six iron or a seven iron.' And you say, 'oh, I'd like the seven iron.' It'll be that natural of a conversation." Further innovations to the Kinect experience include Kinect Fun Labs which will allow you to scan objects in real life and have them transformed into moving 3D objects on screen. Don't stop believing Henson didn't make any promises about the future of Kinect, but when asked about the possibility of our hands and bodies replacing the controller in a similar way to the 2002 film, Minority Report, where giant screens are controlled by hand movement, he said: "We need to strike that balance between what's possible and what actually works and people can understand…Everyone needs that fun, but at the same time there needs to be this sense of progression and skill. It's a challenge. We welcome it with open arms." The motion-sensing Kinect, which has become the fastest-selling consumer electronics device in history, has had a few issues since its launch last year, not least that it's almost impossible to use in a confined space. "Every canvas has its borders. We just work with those borders in a way that keeps people immersed in the experience but lives within the realities and constraints of whatever might be someone's living room or situation. This is where software comes into play. We look at all kinds of things, from clothing type to lighting type," said Mr Henson on the issue. With the Kinect SDK being released, it is definitely going to be an exciting "journey". Where it will take us, we do not yet know. 
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| Posted: 29 Jul 2011 08:10 AM PDT The Canon Powershot S95 was released a little over a year after its predecessor, the Canon S90, was announced. Building on a legacy of quality premium compact cameras, and with more and more entering the market, Canon have a lot to compete with nowadays, so does the Canon S95 still hold muster? Update: See our video review belowImprovements on the Canon S95 include the addition of the HS system, a combination of a high-sensitivity 10.0 megapixel CCD sensor and DIGIC 4 processor, promising optimised low-light shooting. Manual control has also been upgraded, while HD movie recording has been added. For the first time in a compact, Canon's Hybrid IS technology which provides image stabilisation has also been incorporated. It's brought over the ability to shoot in RAW, the useful ring-control system and the same 6-22.5mm (35mm equivalent: 28-105mm) f/2.0 lens. In short, you're getting a fair old bang for your buck.
Bearing in mind that physically the Canon S95 is more or less the same as the PowerShot S90 (it's a touch smaller than the S90 and now uses the same coating as found on the Canon 7D semi-pro DSLR in a bid to improve grip), first impressions of the camera are good. The sleek body and metal finish lend it air of class, while its miniature size belies its impressive stats. The little brother of the Canon G12, this is probably one of the only high-end compacts on the market that is truly pocketable. As well as adding to the sleek design, it's nice not to have a fiddly lenscap to keep track of such as on the likes of the Panasonic LX5. Photographers familiar with Canon's IXUS range will be at home with the buttons and layout on the back of the camera, while the scroll wheel and mode dial are more reminiscent of their DSLR range. The buttons are fairly well laid out and easy to use on the back of the camera, however the closeness of the 'ring function' and 'on/off' button on top of the camera was sometimes frustrating. The mode dial itself is a little stiff, but some may like this as it means it won't slip out of your favoured mode as it glides in and out of a pocket. Although it's obviously streamlined, the shutter button could do with being a little bit more beefy and less delicate, as it is it seems to get a little lost on the top of the camera and isn't very satisfying to push. The Canon S95 brings over the ring function from the PowerShot S90, a turnable ring around the base of the lens which you can use to change a variety of functions including aperture, ISO, exposure, white balance and zoom. In practice, I found it most useful to use this for ISO as there is, annoyingly, no dedicated ISO button elsewhere on the camera (although you can set the shortcut button to this if you wish). It's odd that there's no dedicated movie record button either, as the Canon S95 boasts 720p HD video recording. Not only does this mean that you can't film in creative modes (with the exception of miniature mode), but it's a little fiddly having to flick the mode dial around when you're in a hurry. The flash is a little clunky, and relies on electronic operation by pressing a button on the scroll wheel, which again can slow things down if you want illumination in a hurry, it also feels a little cheap compared to the rest of the body. The 3in PureColour II G LCD screen is large and bright, and performed well when we used it on a sunny day. You can bring up a histogram for on-the-fly levels checking as you shoot, albeit meaning you have to put up with grid guides too. One of the key concerns with any compact is start-up and write times. In other words, how quickly can you go from switched off to picture taking. With the camera set in AV mode, it took around a second to boot up, with another couple to focus and take. Not exactly lightning speed, but it should do for most situations. Write time when set on RAW+L is pretty quick, and if you wanted to speed it even further you could always switch off the preview.
One of the big plus points of the Canon S95 is the ability to shoot in Canon's raw .CR2 format. This is a great feature, and one that will be appreciated by all serious photographers. Another high point is the lens. It's nice and bright at f/2.0 and thanks to the inbuilt image stabiliser, even shooting handheld at ISO 80/100 in a dimly-lit church provided usable and mostly steady results. The Canon S95 doesn't have as many creative options as something like the Panasonic LX5, but the couple that it does have are quite fun. Fish-eye mode does a reasonable job of recreating an ultra wide angle lens, while miniature mode blurs the top and bottom of the frame for a tilt-shift type effect. 'Nostalgia' on the other hand desaturates the image on a sliding scale from slightly to completely greyscale and ups the grain to recreate a filmic look. Unfortunately, you can't shoot in RAW when using the creative modes, which is a shame as you might want to go back and use a normal version of the image at a later date. It would have been nice to be able to change the autofocus point from the centre, rather than relying on half-press and reframe. This is something you should expect from a camera of this price, and is offered on similar high-end compacts from other manufacturers, such as the Panasonic LX5 and the Sigma DP2, so it's disappointing not to see it here. Overall image quality is good. Colours are punchy and sharp. The auto white-balance can struggle a little in some conditions, another good reason to shoot in RAW. Distortion at the wide-angle end of the zoom range appears to be at a minimum and we also saw little evidence of fringing. ISO can be increased in increments ranging from 80-3200. Noise only started to creep in from ISO 640 and was only distractingly noticeable from ISO 800 onwards – a solid performance from a compact.
Canon PowerShot S95: ISO 200
Canon PowerShot S95: ISO 400 - 100% crop
Canon PowerShot S95: ISO 640 - 100% crop
Canon PowerShot S95: ISO 1000 - 100% crop
Canon PowerShot S95: ISO 1250 - 100% crop
Canon PowerShot S95: ISO 1600 - 100% crop
Canon PowerShot S9: ISO 2000 - 100% crop
Canon PowerShot S95: ISO 2500 - 100% crop
Canon PowerShot S95: ISO 3200 - 100% crop
For £100 more you could pick up the Canon Powershot G12, released at around the same time. For your extra money you'd get a larger zoom range (5x with the Canon G12 vs 3.8x with the Canon S95's 28-105mm equivalent), an optical viewfinder, a vari-angle LCD screen and better battery life. In our Canon G12 review, but to compare the specs on paper, it would seem as if the smart money would be on the Canon G12. £100 for all those extra features does seem like quite a good deal, but bear in mind this effectively takes you from a discreet pocket-friendly camera to a bulkier and heavier design perhaps slightly more suited to compact upgraders than as a handy DSLR backup. It's also worth considering that the Canon S95 uses exactly the same sensor and ISO range as the Canon G12 while also offering a larger aperture on its lens (f/2.0 compared with f/2.8).
Aperture priority, ISO 80, 1/250 sec at f2.0, pattern metering (click to see full-res image)
Shutter priority, ISO 200, 1/60 sec at f2.0, pattern metering (click to see full-res image)
Aperture priority, ISO 250, 1/200 sec at f8.0, pattern metering (click to see full-res image)
Macro mode, ISO 800, 1/50 sec at f2.5, pattern metering (click to see full-res image)
Aperture priority at fully wide, ISO 80, 1/160 sec at f8, pattern metering (click to see full-res image)
Aperture priority at fully zoomed, ISO 100, 1/250 sec at f8, pattern metering (click to see full-res image)
Miniature mode, ISO 80, 1/1000 sec at f2.2, pattern metering (click to see full-res image)
Nostalgia mode, ISO 80, 1/1000 sec at f3.2, pattern metering (click to see full-res image)
Fisheye mode, ISO 1600, 1/50 SEC at f2.0, pattern metering (click to see full-res image)
The Canon S95 is a great little camera that enthusiasts will love. It's small, fits in the pocket and is classily designed as well as shooting good quality images. DSLR users looking for an everyday camera to shoot with the on the fly will appreciate the high image quality this offers in a neat package. That said, it's pricing is, at the moment, a little expensive for what you get, and a couple of niggles (like the lack of selectable autofocus points, no ISO button, no movie button) begin to make other premium compacts, such as the Panasonic LX5 which answers many of these problems well, seem more attractive for serious users. 
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| Posted: 29 Jul 2011 08:00 AM PDT The latest in its G-series range of high-flying compact cameras, Canon's PowerShot G12 replaces the flagship PowerShot G11 just a little over a year after the latter was released. The G11 received rave reviews on its launch, and the Canon G12 offers some interesting new features over its predecessor. In our in-depth Canon G12 review we test the articulated screen, ISO range, image quality and more in this latest Canon compact camera. Update: See our video review belowThe king among Canon compact cameras, the top-range PowerShot G series has long been the Holy Grail for those who wanted the manual features of a DSLR but couldn't afford to commit to the larger, more expensive format. However with prices plunging and basic DSLRs available for around £350, the PowerShot G12 has its work cut out for it. Bristling with dials and buttons, the Canon G12 is clearly built for photographers who know what they're doing, and its maximum ISO 3200 sensitivity and articulated screen give it an edge over DSLRs. But can its image quality convince?
Differences to the outgoing G11 are rather thin on the ground. Externally, the Canon G12 body is about the same as it's ever been, although you won't find us complaining. It's still well-adorned with dials and switches, and while that's intimidating to beginners, for those comfortable using a manual mode it's an absolute godsend. For instance, on lesser compacts - and even many low-end DSLRs - changing the ISO requires that you give the menu system half a dozen prods. The Canon G12 has a manual ISO dial right on the top, with the mode dial sitting on top of that in a kind of wedding-cake arrangement.
On the left-hand shoulder there's a dial for adjusting exposure compensation, while the back of the G12 features a secure, solid-feeling jogwheel for scrolling through the menu system. One addition to the Canon G12 is a dial on the front of the camera, which is designed to be used by your shutter finger to dial in shutter speeds or aperture settings. It's arguably quicker to find and use than the solitary wheel on the back of the G11, as it requires you to move your shooting hand less, and is very useful in manual mode, with the front dial operating shutter speed and the rear wheel changing the aperture.
Like the G11, the Canon G12 has a 3in, 461,000-pixel screen, and it remains one of the best examples you could wish to see. It's bright and extremely sharp, which is makes it superb for checking focus and making adjustments to your settings.
It's so good, in fact, that the presence of a tiny, cramped optical viewfinder above the monitor is a mystery. It's too small to be even moderately helpful: use the LCD instead.
Buy a Canon G12 and you'll have spent well over £400, so it's only fair to expect superlative image quality. Like the G11, the PowerShot G12 has a 28-140mm f/2.8-f/8 lens and offers exactly the same ISO range – from 100 to a sky-scraping 3200. Between ISO 100 and 800 there's precious little difference in our test images. While the Canon G12 is never going to trouble even the cheapest of DSLRs, it's streets ahead of lesser compacts and is roughly on-par with more expensive cameras, such as the micro Four-Thirds Olympus E-PL1. After ISO 800, our test images begin to soften noticeably, but while our test images taken at ISO 3200 are demonstrably softer and noisier than shots taken at lower settings, there's no argument from us that the Canon G12 is a superb low-light camera. And, in the event that you find a situation in which high ISOs are undesirable, those with Canon accessories will be pleased to note the hotshoe on top of the camera, which is compatible with all manner of Canon Speedlite and wireless flash transmitters. Adding to the Canon G12's suitability for low-light performance is the fast lens – f/2.8 not only means you can take pictures in severely reduced light, but it also lends the PowerShot G12 well to nature and macro photography, offering the ability to make use of greatly reduced depth of field. Our outdoor shots bear out the conclusion that the Canon G12 is capable of some excellent results. It's arguably better at handling chromatic aberration than the G11, with leaves against a high-contrast sky resisting purple fringing extremely well. We also found that the PowerShot G12's lens was sharp throughout the range of available apertures. It's a hugely competent performer. ISO Test
ISO 800
ISO 1600
ISO 3200 Test images The Canon PowerShot G12 does well in macro mode, offering the ability to make use of greatly reduced depth of field: 1/100sec at f/2.8, ISO 100 The Canon G12 is better at handling chromatic aberration than the Canon PowerShot G11: 1/30sec at f/8, ISO 100 The Canon G12 boasts a versatile zoom range with the same 28-140mm f/2.8-f/8 lens as its predecessor, the Canon PowerShot G11, which you can see evidenced in this close-up of the building obscured by trees in the centre of the image above: 1/20sec at f/8, ISO 100
The list of differences between the Canon G12 and the older G11 is a short one, but a crucial change has been made in how the PowerShot G12 records video. Where the Canon G11 offered only an anachronistic 640 x 480 mode, the Canon G12 gets with the times. You get 1,280 x 720p, 24fps recording, which is a significant step up. It isn't perfect, though. The Canon PowerShot G12's H.264 recording is good, but video enthusiasts will prefer AVCHD, as offered by Panasonic's high-end compacts. There's also no way to access the Canon G12's formidable manual modes, which is frustrating. You can't even access the optical zoom while recording – presumably on the grounds that the camera would pick up the noise of the motors. On the plus side, the PowerShot G12's optical image stabilisation works fantastically well, even at the lens's full 140mm zoom.
If you're in the market for a new camera and don't want the bulk of a proper DSLR – or even a smaller mirrorless camera such as the Sony NEX-3 – the G12 fits the bill extremely well. The manual modes and dials on offer, while daunting to beginners, will be hugely appreciated by anyone who's grown frustrated by the mistakes their compact makes in manual mode. However, although the Canon G12's image quality is as good as it can be for a camera with a 1/1.7in sensor, it still can't match the quality from a DSLR, which is a major problem for photographers. The difference between the Canon PowerShot G12 and something like the Canon EOS 1000D might not be hugely apparent when images are viewed zoomed out, but start cropping – particularly at higher ISOs – and you'll soon appreciate the benefits of a larger sensor. And with the likes of the Canon 1000D, around £100 less than the G12, the choice is made muddier still. The 1000D doesn't offer HD video recording and takes longer to configure thanks to fewer body-mounted dials, but it does record better images up to its maximum ISO 1600 sensitivity. The fact that it's compatible with the formidable range of Canon EF and EF-S lenses is another major plus. If you're rigidly set on buying a compact, the Canon G12 is just about the best you can buy – but keen photographers should carefully consider whether they shouldn't just bag a DSLR instead. 
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| Polaroid reveals analogue and digital roadmap Posted: 29 Jul 2011 08:00 AM PDT Polaroid has outlined its plans for more cameras to come in the next few years, including a new instant analogue camera along with a Lady Gaga 'Grey Label' branded digital camera with inbuilt printer. Speaking to PhotoRadar, Polaroid's European VP, Michael Thomas, who has worked for the company for the past nine years expressed how he felt disappointed when Polaroid closed down their analogue division in 2008. "I couldn't really understand why. Yes, sales were declining but there was still big demand and a big market for the product," he said. What followed was a huge backlash which saw an online campaign to stop the closure, and eventually, the Impossible project managing to resurrect film production independently. Back in 2009, Polaroid re-entered the instant printing market with its Pogo printers, which used ZINK (zero ink) technology and was capable of producing 2x3 inch prints. Polaroid is now, according to Michael, keen to re-establish the channels that were lost when the company bowed out of analogue. "There were whole swathes of people who used Polaroid in a professional capacity that really missed the instant analogue printing. People like the police, fashion designers and TV continuity editors." A good example of this kind of tie in is Clarks, which now offer a free Polaroid Two, one of the company's digital cameras with inbuilt printer, print to document a child's first pair of shoes. Michael also points out while there has been a whole generation of people that haven't grown up with instant prints, but it is this group of 15-23 year olds that are proving to be the target audience for their products. The Polaroid 300 was released last year, a new analogue film camera that produces instant 2x3 inch prints. The company is now working on a new analogue camera that will be capable of producing 3x4 inch prints – the same size as the new Z340 digital camera with inbuilt printer that was announced earlier this week. Lady Gaga It was back in 2010 that Lady Gaga was announced as Polaroid's Creative Director, but it's only now that we are seeing the first products from the new 'Grey Label' range which she heads up. Michael is quick to point out that she's not just a figurehead for the brand, "She has spent a lot of time working with the research and development guys, and has always had a great love of Polaroid," he says. A new printer, the GL10, which is capable of connecting to Bluetooth enabled devices, such as mobile phones, was announced last week and, according to another Polaroid representative, Lady Gaga has been involved with the design, look and feel of the product. Next up in the range is a new digital camera with inbuilt camera, to complement the newly released Z340. According to Michael, the GL30 release date will be at CES 2012, the world's largest consumer technology trade show taking place in January. Relevance But for anyone thinking that Polaroid is a brand which is consigned to the history books, Michael is keen to emphasise the big plans the company has for the future. "Polaroid had a place in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, we think today even in the digital world it still has a place. Polaroid is all about giving people the ability to share and capture instantly. 'Retro' is really cool now, and we think the brand is as relevant today as it was then." 
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| Pixeet 360 panoramic iPhone lens launched Posted: 29 Jul 2011 07:00 AM PDT Pushing the iPhone's camera to the limit has become a favourite pastime with many amateur iOS snappers, with a wide range of photographic apps available on the market. However, even with the best panoramic apps such as Occipital's superb 360 Panorama it is still often tricky to get really decent 360-degree pics, without lots of time and trial and error. How to take better panoramas Which is why the new Pixeet 360 Panorama lens is likely appeal to a large swathe of the iPhone photography user-base, as it immediately lets you get better panoramic shots with ease. Pixeet has developed an innovative-looking fish-eye lens and case alongside its own Pixeet 360 app to help the most amateurish of amateurs still quickly knock out awesome looking panorama pics from their iPhone. The app also lets you create quick, on-the-go panoramas by just quickly shooting a mere four photos and then stitching them together to create the believable illusion of a widescreen picture. Users can also share their panoramic pics online via the app or check out what other Pixeet 360 app users are shooting with the new lens and app. The Pixeet 360 is available right now for 49.90 Euros over at the Pixeet site. 
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| AMD considers dropping low-end discrete graphics Posted: 29 Jul 2011 06:09 AM PDT AMD's focus on its Fusion accelerated processing units could see the processor giant ditching its low-end Radeon graphics cards. The Fusion architecture combines the CPU and GPU on a single chip, negating the need for a dedicated graphics card. Interim chief executive Thomam Seifert told analysts and investors that "parts of this business will be cannibalised and the low-end discrete GPUs will be replaced with Fusion-type products." Long-term Seifert didn't set a timescale for the move away from discrete graphics, but did say he was looking at the long-term future of the company. AMD bought graphics card company ATI in 2006, and immediately started working on the Fustion platform. The acquisition saw the ATI name gradually replaced with AMD's on graphics cards. A move away from discrete graphics cards and chips makes sense - but only if it's timed correctly. Adding a graphics card - no matter how cheap - to your PC is a guaranteed way to boost performance, particularly in gaming. But as Fusion takes off low-end GPUs will be rendered redundant. The question is if Fusion will take off, and whether or not AMD can afford to lose the cheap and cheerful end of the graphics market. Seifert pointed out that AMD doesn't make a huge revenue from its low end graphics card, and seems confident that the move will work out. "This is all goodness for us," he said, "because it replaces low-cost margin revenue with high-gross margin revenue." 
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| Spotify may face US ban over patent case Posted: 29 Jul 2011 04:41 AM PDT Spotify is being sued in the US by a company called PacketVideo, which claims the service infringes on one of its patents. If the lawsuit holds up, Spotify could face a ban in the US or be forced to cough up hefty licensing fees. The claim has popped up a mere two weeks after Spotify launched in the US, with PacketVideo claiming that the Spotify is violating a patent is has for a "Device for the Distribution of Music in Digital Form" and says that it informed Spotify of the patent in May. Patent trolls? Both the Luxembourg and UK divisions of Spotify have been brought into the complaints by the California court. The big question is, might this case see Spotify face a permanent ban in the US unless it reaches an agreement with PacketVideo? TechRadar has contacted both companies for further comment, and a Spotify rep gave us the following statement today: "In just under three years, Spotify has become more popular than any other music service of its kind. This success is, in large part, due to our ownhighly innovative, proprietary hybrid technology that incorporates peer-to-peer technology. "The result is what we humbly believe to be a better music experience - lightning fast, dead simple and really social.PacketVideo is claiming that by distributing music over the Internet, Spotify (and by inference any other similar digital music service) has infringed one of the patents that has previously been acquired by PacketVideo. Spotify is strongly contesting PacketVideo's claim." No response to date from PacketVideo. But patent cases can rumble on over several years, so don't hold your breath for the definitive answer on what exactly is going on just yet. 
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| In Depth: Sony S2: what you need to know Posted: 29 Jul 2011 04:15 AM PDT If two heads are better than one, does the same apply to screens? Sony clearly thinks so, because its forthcoming S2 tablet boasts not one but two touchscreens. So is the S2 a gimmick, or a gamer's perfect portable? Let's see. The Sony S2 specs are interesting While most of the Sony S2 specifications are fairly typical - dual-core Tegra, Android Honeycomb (Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich has been rumoured, but that seems unlikely), twin cameras - it has one very big and very obvious extra: a second screen. Instead of the ten-ish inch screens we've become familiar with, the Sony S2 has a pair of 5.5-inch touchscreens. That makes it more portable than most - you can fold the S2 and chuck it in a pocket - and it also makes it more interesting than a typical tablet. The Sony S2 features could depend on what you're doing As we reported in our Sony S2 update earlier this year, the Sony S2 features could vary from application to application: because the twin screens can operate independently the Sony S2 could split media between its screens, or it could use one screen for controlling the other, or games could use one screen for action and one screen for maps, inventory and so on. It'll be interesting to see how that works with movies: will you have to squint at a single screen, or put up with hinges halfway across the picture? Sony isn't letting anyone near the damn thing When Sony showed off the Sony S2 tablet to the press earlier this month, nobody was allowed to see it in action. "We were only allowed to eyeball the lifeless slate from outside the confines of a perspex box," we duly reported back. Our impressions? "It didn't seem much bigger than a Nintendo 3DS".
The Sony S2 release date is in September Like its sibling, the Sony S1, the Sony S2 will be available in John Lewis, Sony Centres and no doubt the usual online suspects from September. However, while the Sony S2 release date is in September, we don't know exactly when: you'll be able to pre-order the S2 from 1 September, but Sony hasn't said when you'll actually get to take your shiny new tablet home with you. We can't imagine you'll have to wait long, though, as Sony won't want to lose any sales in the incredibly lucrative pre-Christmas shopping season. The Sony S2 UK price probably won't be cheap The S1 price hasn't been announced yet, but Sony is a premium brand and the Sony S2 specs are pretty hefty, so we're not holding our breath for Tesco Value prices. Early rumours suggested a price in excess of £500, but Sony won't be drawn on that just yet. It's probably a good idea to start saving, just in case. 
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| Lonely Planet and SendMyPostcards.com team up Posted: 29 Jul 2011 04:05 AM PDT Lonely Planet Images and Sendmypostcards.com have announced a partnership. The deal allows customers to use the Lonely Planet Image library to create personalised postcards. Customers can use images from the global image gallery, Facebook, Flickr or their own camera, phone or computer to create a postcard which is sent to the recipient in the UK. Lonely Planet Images is a digital image library with a collection of over 300,000 downloadble travel photographs taken by some of the world's best travel photographers. An image collection for sendmypostcards.com includes major tourist attractions, every scenes, popular destinations and little known places off the beaten track. Customisation Cards can be further customised by a selection of handwriting style fonts and unique messages for the front of the card. The service costs €1.79 for the printing and postage of a single postcard, and can be created while on the go. The product aims to cut out the hassle of finding the correct stamps and postboxes while on holiday. According to Sendmypostcards.com, an estimated 135 million postcards are sent and received per year in the UK and Ireland, with summer holidays proving to be the peak period. A free trial of the service can be found over on the Sendmypostcards.com website. 
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| EA boss claims 3D gaming is giving 'poor returns' Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:57 AM PDT EA boss John Riccitiello has claimed this week that the publisher sees little current demand for 3D gaming, with poor returns to date from the investments the company has made in 3D console and PC game development. The gaming exec said that EA was "not here to drive a market" when discussing what he thought to be the slow uptake of 3D TVs in the home. What customers want "We are here to react to what customers want," said Riccitiello. And what gamers want (according to the hive-mind at EA HQ) is mobile and social gaming, not high def 3D console gaming.
Following EA's recent buy-out of leading mobile and social gaming developer PopCap, Riccitiello added: "We really see high returns in these markets…and very poor returns focusing on 3D, so we are allocating our resources toward new innovations." Riccitiello added that most of the games industry's console development is focused on making games in 3D already, hence there is no need for a massive extra investment to produce stereoscopic 3D gaming content, unlike the current situation in the TV industry. Nintendo has had to slash the cost of its glasses-free stereoscopic 3DS handheld this week, reportedly now losing money on every 3DS handheld sold. 
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| Week in Tech: Is Mango too little too late for Windows Phone? Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:48 AM PDT It's been an exciting week in the world of mobile devices: Microsoft's Mango, the latest version of Windows Phone, is en route to manufacturing - although it'll be a few weeks before we get it. As Chris Smith points out, it's been a long wait. "The upgrade was announced in May, so by the time the autumn comes around Mango will be around 6 months in the making," he says. "Get a move on, guys!" There's a lot in Mango - "The Windows Phone Mango update brings 250 new features to the operating system, including Internet Explorer 9 integration and app multi-tasking," Smith says - and of course, we've got an in-depth guide to the whole thing. But is it good enough to put Microsoft on top of the mobile world? There's no doubt that Windows Phone is getting massively spanked by Apple and Android, and Gareth Beavis wonders "whether Microsoft is doing enough to really become a front running mobile OS provider." Mango should have shipped a long time ago, he argues, and the focus should have shifted to Tango, the brilliantly named successor to Mango. Beavis argues that the problem isn't with the technology. "I think the approach is spot on, as by focusing on the UI and intuition of the phone, rather than the raw functionality, you're giving the handsets the best chance of attracting the new smartphone user that has a play with a phone in the shop, and that's a very important demographic indeed." Where are the handsets? The problem is with the play-in-the-shop bit. Where are the phones? "It's perplexing to see no new handsets from the big manufacturers already - I was really hoping to have a good 10-15 phones to choose from on the market to show people Microsoft was serious about the project... come on HTC, Samsung et al: let's see some cool Windows Phone models in the near future." Perhaps Microsoft's partners have been too busy mucking around with Android: Samsung might not have a slate of Windows Phones to impress you with, but it's doing a fine job flogging Android devices such as its Galaxy smartphones and Galaxy Tab tablets. The Galaxy S2 won our prestigious phone of the year award, one of several triumphs for Android, which bagged the Best OS award by eight votes to one. While Microsoft bets its mobile future on Mango, there's another new entrant in the mobile OS war - or at least, there might be. Mozilla has unveiled plans to create a brand new open operating system that it calls Boot To Gecko. The aim is "to pursue the goal of building a complete, standalone operating system for the open web", but our columnist Gary Marshall warns that that's an enormously difficult thing to pull off. "No matter how good your tech," he writes, "you need to persuade handset manufacturers to build devices running it; you need to persuade mobile phone operators to stock and support it; you need to persuade app developers to code for it; and you need to persuade end users to buy it. Fail to win over any one of those groups and you might as well stay in bed." He continues: "That's Nokia-scale stuff, BlackBerry-scale stuff, Microsoft-scale stuff, and even those firms are finding things difficult in mobile... Mozilla's right when it warns that the mobile web is becoming increasingly closed. But I can't help thinking that unless it gets a Google-sized backer, it's planning to bring a spud gun to a tank battle." 
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| Office for Mac 2011 with Lion features coming 'in months' Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:29 AM PDT Microsoft has revealed that Office for Mac 2011 will be updated to incorporate Mac OS X Lion features, with the upgrade arriving in a matter of months. Pat Fox, from Microsoft's Office team blogged that the software would be getting Auto Save, Versions and fullscreen mode support. He also explained that the wait for the new software will be "measured in months not days", meaning a release date is still a little way off; not brilliant news for users who have already upgraded to Lion. Word processing Meanwhile, he confirmed that Office for Mac 2004 "will not (ever) work on Lion", due to the absence of the Rosetta code needed to make the Lion OS compatible, adding that "Now would be a great time to upgrade to Office for Mac 2011 if you're upgrading to Lion!" Mac users getting frustrated with repeated crashes in Lion can download a new update for Communicator for Mac, however, which should solve some issues. The update should be pushed through on Microsoft AutoUpdate in the next few days. 
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| Has the iPhone 5 been spotted in the wild? Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:18 AM PDT Given we're likely around a month away from the iPhone 5 being announced, the rumours are really starting to fly - but this could be a big one. A mystery Apple device has been spotted in the wild, and looks every bit like it could be the iPhone 5. A chap on a train in San Francisco (well, we think it's a train judging by the photo - but let's be honest, that's not the bit we're assessing here) was spotted playing on an Apple phone, with covert photos taken and sent in to 9to5 Mac. According to the nosey tipster, he got a good look at the device the guy was using, and said he wasn't able to see a front/home button. Bigger screen, thinner phone The screen was a lot larger, although the chassis remained the same size, corroborating theories Apple will be making an edge-to-edge display - plus the device was thinner than the iPhone 4.
The phone was curved, again as rumoured, and the edges were rounded metal 'like a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1' - which all seems to fit with the design specifications for the iPhone 5 being bandied about at the moment. We're not sure if this makes it more real or not, but the user was apparently trying very hard to cover the apple logo on the back of the phone - let's hope, for Jobs' sake, that didn't make the signal drop. So, complete bunkum or another iPhone spotted in the wild before launch? Either way, we're not far away from the announcement, so you can expect plenty more rumour, myth and speculation throughout August. 
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