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• Google declares war on Microsoft and Apple over Android
• Randi Zuckerberg quits Facebook role
• Instagram hits 150m photo uploads
• Facebook facial recognition declared illegal in Germany
• Exclusive: RIM to launch budget BB OS 7 device
• Opinion: Dodgy maths and last year's phones won't save RIM
• Opinion: Last year's phones or poor maths won't save RIM
• Exclusive: Analysts hit out at 3DS' 'underperformance'
• Qualcomm overhauls Snapdragon nomenclature
• Review: Samsung UE37D5000
• Updated: iCloud: all the latest details
• Samsung 60mm macro lens sample images released
• BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 UK release date announced
• Review: Panasonic Lumix LX5
• Golden Joystick Awards 2011 voting open
• Hands on: BlackBerry Torch 9860 review
• Video: PlayStation Vita - what you need to know
• Nintendo chief apologises to 3DS early adopters
• Transformers 3 passes $1bn mark at box office
• Exclusive: Darksiders 2 developer chips in on Wii U
• In Depth: OS X Lion problems solved
• BlackBerry Torch 9810: In pictures
• TechRadar and LateRooms looking for best hotel gadget
• Gary Marshall: Why copyright change changes nothing
• Microsoft reconsiders usage of Live.com geolocation data

Google declares war on Microsoft and Apple over Android Posted: 04 Aug 2011 01:45 AM PDT Google has openly declared war on Microsoft and Apple, with the internet giant claiming that a "hostile, organized campaign against Android" is being waged through "bogus patents". The search giant has accused Microsoft and Apple of getting in to bed together because of the success of Android, in an attempt to make the mobile OS more expensive for phone manufacturers to licence. "Android's success has yielded something else: a hostile, organized campaign against Android by Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and other companies, waged through bogus patents," blogged Google's high profile senior VP and chief legal officer David Drummond. I want to be a (patent) billionaire The accusation stems from a mind-boggling auction for Nortel's patents which saw the CPTN group fork out $4.5 billion – some $3.5 beyond the predicted price. "This anti-competitive strategy is also escalating the cost of patents way beyond what they're really worth," added Drummond. "Fortunately, the law frowns on the accumulation of dubious patents for anti-competitive means — which means these deals are likely to draw regulatory scrutiny, and this patent bubble will pop. "We're not naive; technology is a tough and ever-changing industry and we work very hard to stay focused on our own business and make better products. But in this instance we thought it was important to speak out and make it clear that we're determined to preserve Android as a competitive choice for consumers, by stopping those who are trying to strangle it. "We're looking intensely at a number of ways to do that. We're encouraged that the Department of Justice forced the group I mentioned earlier to license the former Novell patents on fair terms, and that it's looking into whether Microsoft and Apple acquired the Nortel patents for anti-competitive means. "We're also looking at other ways to reduce the anti-competitive threats against Android by strengthening our own patent portfolio. Unless we act, consumers could face rising costs for Android devices — and fewer choices for their next phone." A gun boat in Apple's harbour? The full statement – on Google's blog – is well worth a read, as it represents perhaps the first shots of a war between the highest profile technology companies on the globe. With the tablet and mobile phone being labelled as 'post PC devices' by no less than Steve Jobs, it is clear that the major players need to a hefty slice of the market and will pay whatever it takes to make sure they remain at the top of the tree. Whether that's with the purchase of patents, huge investment in products (ie Microsoft's Windows Phone 7) or by marketing – it is clear that nobody can pretend that it is good-natured rivalry that is spurring on a now vicious battle. Related Stories Hands on: BlackBerry Torch 9860 review BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 UK release date announced Opinion: Last year's phones or poor maths won't save RIM Opinion: Dodgy maths and last year's phones won't save RIM Exclusive: RIM to launch budget BB OS 7 device

Randi Zuckerberg quits Facebook role Posted: 03 Aug 2011 10:27 PM PDT Facebook's marketing director Randi Zuckerberg has left the social networking giant to start her own media company. Zuckerberg, sister of Facebook founder and CEO Mark, will form a company called RtoZ media, which is aimed at helping media companies improve the social side of their business. In her resignation letter, revealed by the AllThingsD website, Randi says she poured her heart into the company, but it is time to move on to continue the work started by Facebook, outside of the company. Affect change The letter reads: "I have spent my years at Facebook pouring my heart and soul into innovating and pushing the media industry forward by introducing new concepts around live, social, participatory viewing that the media industry has since adopted. "We have made incredible progress, but there is still much to be done and other ways I can affect change. "Now is the perfect time for me to move outside of Facebook to build a company focused on the exciting trends underway in the media industry." Facebook has confirmed the resignation, but so far there has been no comment from Mark Zuckerberg personally on the departure of his sister. Randi had been with Facebook since the very early days, and joined in 2004. She had recently been nominated for an Emmy award for her work on the Facebook Live video streaming service. Link: AllThingsD Related Stories Facebook adds pregnancy status update Google+ races to 25 million users Ofcom: Site blocking feasible, but framework for it impossible Government scraps website blocking plans, ripping legalised Facebook facial recognition declared illegal in Germany

Instagram hits 150m photo uploads Posted: 03 Aug 2011 02:29 PM PDT iPhone photo-sharing app Instagram has announced it has hit 150m uploads since its launch just nine months ago. The free app, which is famous for the hipster-friendly retro filers it adds to your iPhone snaps, has now gained a whopping user base of seven million, the company announced today. That 150m equates to 15 uploads from the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch every second. Understatement "To say that we're excited and humbled by the initial success of Instagram would be an understatement," co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom told the LA Times. The company said in a blog post on the official website: "There are Instagram photos from major events like the World Series and the Grammys, and some Instagram photos have even made the national news. "Artists and celebrities have begun to give fans a unique look into their lives through photos, while brands like Burberry have started to realize the power of communicating with their followers through images." Systrom also added that 80 per cent of all photos uploaded to the service have filters applied to them. TechCrunch points out that it took Flickr two years to reach the same 150m landmark and that Instagram has been a feature in the 25 top free iPhone apps for quite some time now. via LA Times, TechCrunch

Facebook facial recognition declared illegal in Germany Posted: 03 Aug 2011 01:35 PM PDT Germany has officially declared Facebook's controversial auto-facial recognition feature illegal and given the site two weeks to remove it. The feature, which makes it easier for people to tag pictures of their friends through automatically suggesting their identity, has caused a storm since it was announced in Europe in June. Tag suggestions keeps track of what faces are tagged with which names so that next time you upload photos it can begin offering you time-saving suggestions as to who is in them. Authorities across Europe, including the UK and Ireland, are probing the legality new feature - which has been in use in America since December - but the Germans are the first to declare it illegal. Anonymity Johannes Caspar, a data protection official in Hamburg, claims says that the data Facebook is gathering by using this technology is threatening the anonymity of its users. "The right to anonymity is in danger," he told the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper "If the data were to get into the wrong hands, then someone with a picture taken on a mobile phone could use biometrics to compare the pictures and make an identification," he added. "We have repeatedly asked Facebook to shut down the facial recognition function and to delete the previously stored data," he also said in a statement on Tuesday. Obligations Facebook, which has provided users with a simple opt-out for tag suggestions, now has two weeks to respond to the ruling or face a fine of $500,000. So far it is steadfast in its assertion that the feature isn't breaking any data protection laws. A spokesperson for the company said the site "firmly rejected any accusations that we are not complying with our obligations to European Union data protection laws." That statement overlooks Germany's own extremely strict privacy laws, which were put in place following the abuses carried out by the Nazis. It'll be interesting to see how Germany vs Facebook will play out here. Maybe Mark Zuckerberg is still annoyed that Angela Merkel told him she enjoyed The Social Network? Via: The Atlantic Wire Related Stories Facebook adds pregnancy status update Google+ races to 25 million users Ofcom: Site blocking feasible, but framework for it impossible Government scraps website blocking plans, ripping legalised Randi Zuckerberg quits Facebook role

Exclusive: RIM to launch budget BB OS 7 device Posted: 03 Aug 2011 11:29 AM PDT RIM's UK chief Stephen Bates has told TechRadar that the company intends to serve its budget phone-favouring customers a new device in the near future. Speaking at the launch of the BlackBerry Torch 9860 and Torch 9810, Bates said that those that loved the Curve 8520 and 9300 were a key demographic that will be 'subject to announcements later': "We're learning a lot about the market we've exploited with Curve; that range helped us open up new price points as well as services such as BBM and email. "What's interesting is the feedback we're getting is once those people have become used to those services is they want to do more, and we see that group of customers as a great base for BlackBerry. So we intend to serve them very well at a future point." Big social impact Bates also elucidated on the impact he expects the new BlackBerry Messenger to have on the market, pointing out that the ability to use it in more applications and run more integrated messaging than ever before is a key feature in keeping users satisfied: "What [the improved apps are] doing is giving those people that chose BlackBerry for improved communications and a better social networking experience more enhancements and better capability. "However, there is a hardware dependency for some of this capability, which will be subjects to announcements later." It's pretty clear that RIM intends to launch another BlackBerry phone in the Curve range, and given OneMobileRing has picked up a sample of a new device named the Curve 9360 it makes sense that this will be the new device to appear. Why RIM didn't announce it today is beyond us - but for those that adored the cheaper end of the BlackBerry line-up, there's clearly good news on the horizon. Related Stories Hands on: BlackBerry Torch 9860 review BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 UK release date announced Opinion: Last year's phones or poor maths won't save RIM Opinion: Dodgy maths and last year's phones won't save RIM Google declares war on Microsoft and Apple over Android

Opinion: Dodgy maths and last year's phones won't save RIM Posted: 03 Aug 2011 10:21 AM PDT At this morning's media event, RIM's maths went a bit awry. It is "our biggest ever launch!", spokespeople insisted, at which the company would reveal "five new phones!!" Five new phones in one go – about time, we thought as we feverishly readied our cameras for five new hands on reviews. But what did RIM actually announce? A phone it had already unveiled in May, two international variants and just two new phones to speak of. Two is the new five It's this kind of "clever" marketing trick that is costing RIM dear. At a time when the company really needs to put its hands up and say, "We know we've got some ground to make up", it's messing about trying to trick everyone into thinking its smartphone roster is more robust than it actually is. Let's face it: what we saw today was not a line up that's going to save RIM. The BlackBerry Torch 9810 is what the original Torch should have been. Yes, the faster processor and higher-res screen are both great - but it's not progress. It would have been a brilliant phone in some respects. The rest of the industry has moved on while RIM has been chasing last year's devices. Kudos to them for doing it, but after a nine-month smartphone dry spell what we need from RIM is something spectacular, if only to reassure us that it can keep up with the Android and iOS Joneses. Now - not in 18 months when the QNX-based 'superphones' are ready. Spectacular is not the word that sprang to mind as we played with the BlackBerry Torch 9860; yes, it's got a bigger, higher-res screen but the plasticky finish, sluggish camera and single-core processor hold it back, especially when you think about future proofing (yes, we might not really need a dual core unit, but consumers have been slightly brainwashed to think that it's very important). Out of focus It's been said before, but it's true: it could take so little to turn the company around – a bit of internal focus and a couple of smart hires could be all it needs. But the first step to recovery is acceptance and that's the hurdle at which it is most likely to fall. At its best, RIM can be brilliant. That QWERTY keyboard is still unrivalled on any handset, BlackBerry Messenger showed others where to follow and you can't fault BlackBerry handsets for their security prowess and data efficiency. But this bullish, number fudging, average phone-releasing RIM is not the original email device wonder at its best, and it's becoming ever more likely that the company, clearly flailing around trying to grab onto the next big thing, isn't going to get back there. Related Stories Hands on: BlackBerry Torch 9860 review BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 UK release date announced Opinion: Last year's phones or poor maths won't save RIM Exclusive: RIM to launch budget BB OS 7 device Google declares war on Microsoft and Apple over Android

Opinion: Last year's phones or poor maths won't save RIM Posted: 03 Aug 2011 10:21 AM PDT At this morning's media event, RIM's maths went a bit awry. It is "our biggest ever launch!", spokespeople insisted, at which the company would reveal "five new phones!!" Five new phones in one go – about time, we thought as we feverishly readied our cameras for five new hands on reviews. But what did RIM actually announce? A phone it had already unveiled in May, two international variants and just two new phones to speak of. Two is the new five It's this kind of "clever" marketing trick that is costing RIM dear. At a time when the company really needs to put its hands up and say, "We know we've got some ground to make up", it's messing about trying to trick everyone into thinking its smartphone roster is more robust than it actually is. Let's face it: what we saw today was not a line up that's going to save RIM. The BlackBerry Torch 9810 is what the original Torch should have been. Yes, the faster processor and higher-res screen are both great - but it's not progress. It would have been a brilliant phone in some respects. The rest of the industry has moved on while RIM has been chasing last year's devices. Kudos to them for doing it, but after a nine-month smartphone dry spell what we need from RIM is something spectacular, if only to reassure us that it can keep up with the Android and iOS Joneses. Now - not in 18 months when the QNX-based 'superphones' are ready. Spectacular is not the word that sprang to mind as we played with the BlackBerry Torch 9860; yes, it's got a bigger, higher-res screen but the plasticky finish, sluggish camera and single-core processor hold it back, especially when you think about future proofing (yes, we might not really need a dual core unit, but consumers have been slightly brainwashed to think that it's very important). Out of focus It's been said before, but it's true: it could take so little to turn the company around – a bit of internal focus and a couple of smart hires could be all it needs. But the first step to recovery is acceptance and that's the hurdle at which it is most likely to fall. At its best, RIM can be brilliant. That QWERTY keyboard is still unrivalled on any handset, BlackBerry Messenger showed others where to follow and you can't fault BlackBerry handsets for their security prowess and data efficiency. But this bullish, number fudging, average phone-releasing RIM is not the original email device wonder at its best, and it's becoming ever more likely that the company, clearly flailing around trying to grab onto the next big thing, isn't going to get back there. Related Stories Hands on: BlackBerry Torch 9860 review BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 UK release date announced Opinion: Dodgy maths and last year's phones won't save RIM Exclusive: RIM to launch budget BB OS 7 device Google declares war on Microsoft and Apple over Android

Exclusive: Analysts hit out at 3DS' 'underperformance' Posted: 03 Aug 2011 09:44 AM PDT Nintendo president Satoru Iwata made the surprising move this week of apologising to early adopters of the Nintendo 3DS after the handheld games console's price was slashed. We asked a number of analysts to comment on the reasoning behind Nintendo's latest move, with Adam Taylor, in-house analyst at social gaming company Adotomi, telling TechRadar: "Such a severe price drop after the initial launch is by no means a slight decrease to the early adopters, but reflects the lower than expected sales of the 3DS. Excitement has been muted and Nintendo needs a bigger than average price drop in order to hopefully regain some sales momentum and improve the overall health of the burgeoning platform." Regaining sales momentum Taylor continues: "Once again, this underlines just how crowded the handheld platform market space has gotten in the last 12 - 16 months with dedicated systems under increasing threat from the smartphone gaming business." Elsewhere, UK industry analyst Nick Gibson, from Games Investor Consulting told TechRadar, following the recent price slash of the Nintendo 3DS: "The price cut was a genuinely radical move by Nintendo not only because of the size of the discount but also because it reportedly means Nintendo will be selling it at a loss, something it has rarely, if ever, done with its platforms in the past. "However the cut and the measures taken by Nintendo since the cut was announced simply reflect the severity of the 3DS' underperformance and suggests also that it was significantly over-priced at the outset. "It should be noted that the price cut was one of two major problems, the second of which – the paucity of quality 3DS software – will only be solved over time and with greater investment in new titles by Nintendo." Related Stories Nintendo chief apologises to 3DS early adopters Golden Joystick Awards 2011 voting open

Qualcomm overhauls Snapdragon nomenclature Posted: 03 Aug 2011 09:09 AM PDT Qualcomm has announced that its Snapdragon system-on-a-chip mobile processors are to be renamed, in an effort to make consumers more aware of what's powering their mobile devices. Snapdragon processors have powered huge amounts of mobile device since 2008, and have formed a key part of Android's quest to take over the world. Big names like HTC, Sony Ericsson and LG all use the processors in some of their handsets. Until now, Snapdragon processors have had rather functional, technical names, such as QSD8x50 and MSM8x55. During an investor call, Qualcomm announced that it has taken a leaf out of Intel's Core i-number book and made the Snapdragon processor's titles a bit more, well, snappy. S-Express There are four new tiers of processor, named S1 to S4. That "S" stands for "System", with the number referring to how powerful the chip is. S1 includes standard handsets such as the HTC Droid Incredible and Sony Ericsson X10i, S2 is featured in more powerful phones like the HTC Thunderbolt and LG Revolution, and S3 powers uberphones and tablets such as the HTC Sensation and HP TouchPad. S3 is the current top-of-the-range processor, with the mysterious S4 devices set to be launched at the end of the year. Qualcomm has said that the S4 devices will include 28nm quad core processors. Expect to see "Powered by S1" appearing on new phone packaging very shortly.

Review: Samsung UE37D5000 Posted: 03 Aug 2011 08:55 AM PDT The Samsung UE37D5000 is one of best value flatscreen TVs available, despite a few surprising holes in the spec sheet. Fitted with a full HD panel and plenty of HDMI inputs it may be, but there's no Freeview HD tuner. With the digital switchover having long since swept aside analogue broadcasting in large swathes of the country, it's a huge risk to sell a TV to the masses that doesn't have the hardware to fetch the likes of BBC One HD, ITV HD and BBC HD. However, we're presuming that this gap in the UE37D5000's spec is deliberate. After all, subscribers to Virgin and Sky both need flat tellies (and at this price, there's none flatter than the UE37D5000), but obviously don't want to pay for duplicated hardware. With Samsung's range of TVs that use LED backlighting growing by the year, the UE37D5000 – together with its siblings, the 22-inch UE22D5000, 27-inch UE27D5000, 32-inch UE32D5000, 40-inch UE40D5000 and 46-inch UE46D5000 – finds itself sandwiched between various models that are identical save for a few minor details. It's got nothing on the sublime gorgeousness of the flagship D8000 and D7000 Series screens, and nor can it challenge the D6530 screens for sheer feature-count. But it's a close call between this set and the D5530 Series just above it in Samsung's arsenal; those screens are also fitted with LED backlighting and 100Hz scanning, with the 32-inch UE32D5520, 37-inch UE37D5520, 40-inch Samsung UE40D5520 and 46-inch UE46D5520 all including the brand's expanded Smart TV Apps – including 3D content – as well as a Freeview HD tuner. Below the D5000 Series is the – wait for it – D4000 Series, a two-strong range that removes 100Hz scanning and offers just a sole USB slot. The 32-inch UE32D4000 has four HDMI inputs, but the 19-inch UE19D4000 has just three. Everything else below these sets in the Samsung line-up are built around more basic, and cheaper, CCFL-backlit LCD panels, the likes of which have been around for yonks. Looks-wise, the UE37D5000 is a cracker. At a mere 29mm in depth it's one of the slimmest around, and is sure to catch the eye of anyone impressed by the biscuit thickness of Samsung's much more expensive LED sets. We're not huge fans of the 'looking glass' tube that connects the UE37D5000 to its desktop stand and aren't all that impressed by its build quality, either. In fact, the whole TV seems a little unsteady and, supported by a couple of tiny screws, it's not difficult to see why. Anyone with kids ought to bear this potential fragility in mind, though wall-mounters won't have anything to worry about. Elsewhere the UE37D5000's bezel, while wider than Samsung's higher-end sets, measures just an inch and is rimmed by a couple of millimetres of yet more transparent plastic. Still, it's better looking than gloss black, a finish that's quickly becoming indicative of budget TVs. Hi-def is purely an add-on for the UE37D5000. As such, it's equipped with four HDMI inputs, so hooking-up a plethora of HD gear poses no problem. Elsewhere on the UE37D5000's rear are a few clues that things have had to change radically in order to achieve that 29mm depth. In the box is a Scart adaptor, and also a meatier version that combines inputs for component video with a set of stereo analogue jacks. In normal operation neither of these adaptors should get heavy use, though anyone planning on attaching an Xbox360 via component might find the extra cables an unsightly mess beneath a wall-hung TV. Unusually, all the in and outputs are stored on the right-hand side of the screen. The side houses two USB slots (one can take a hard-disk drive, but both are placed rather too high up), four HDMI, a digital optical audio output and that socket that combines component video with stereo audio inputs. The undercarriage takes care of RF aerial, 15-pin VGA for PC, Ethernet LAN, a slimmed-down Scart socket, a headphones jack and composite video. If you do need to place the TV away from a broadband router then Samsung makes an optional USB dongle – the WIS09ABGNX WiFi Link Stick. That will take-up one of the USB slots, which can accept iPods and cameras via USB cables, as well as thumb drives full of files. The UE37D5000 can also stream media from a networked PC using DLNA AllShare, something we'll come on to later, though Samsung has rested its Smart Hub interface and app store on this mid-range set. In terms of picture quality, the UE37D5000's Hyper Real Engine suite of picture processing has more in its arsenal than most in this price category. The edge LED backlight arranges its lights around the sides of the panel to fire across it. This system isn't as dynamic as full (or direct) LED panels, but Samsung has clearly – and rightly, given most consumers' preferences – put slimness at the top of its list. Still, if you're upgrading from an older LCD TV you'll immediately notice that blacks are more convincing and colours more realistic, especially with Blu-ray. The panel's full HD resolution is joined by 100Hz Clear Motion Rate tech and Samsung's 3D colour stretching Wide Colour Enhancer circuitry. While it's not necessarily there to help improve the picture quality, the UE37D5000 also includes an optional Eco Sensor that auto-calibrates the panel's brightness according to the levels of ambient light in a room. The UE37D5000 is capable of some slinky, silky pictures far from the extreme brightness of its dynamic mode. Put into Movie mode and properly calibrated (we ignored typical Samsung features such as black tone enhancer and various noise-suppression tools but tweaked the gamma) the UE37D5000 is capable of serious highs with Blu-ray. That innate brightness and wide contrast combine to lend colour some bold, well saturated tones, while remaining natural on our Blu-ray test disc The Tourist. Black levels are good, nothing more; night on Venice's canals, nooks and alleyways seem a distinctly blue affair, though it's worth experimenting with the backlight level (accessed through the picture menu) to reduce that. At times, the UE37D5000 gets closer to pure black than it's any right to at this price, though the panel's brightness isn't completely uniform. Horizontal camera pans are smooth enough and during fast action, such as the chase across the Venetian roofs in The Tourist, there's a touch of blur and loss of detail. It's never serious. More troubling are vertical camera pans, which leave a nasty stepped visual that are uncomfortable to watch. Meanwhile, the many close-ups of Angelina Jolie in the movie are rendered with some flair that's miles from Freeview, though the UE37D5000 proves itself a pretty versatile set by producing clean digital TV images. Soft, yes, but clean. Sound Audio is astonishingly poor. There's plenty of detail – a blast of orchestral music from CDs receives tremendously nuanced treatment – but a complete lack of low frequency is to the overall sound's huge detriment. The various modes, including a choice between Music, Movie, Amplify and Clear Voice, don't do much to help. Value If the UE37D5000 had a DVB-T2 tuner for Freeview HD, it would be the steal of the century. It hasn't, but a combination of excellent hi-def images, clean upscaled standard-definition, decent media support from USB and a network, an excellent EPG and 100Hz add up to an ultra-competitive package. Ease of use It may lack apps, but the UE37D5000 does a reasonable job with digital media. Those after obscure file playback should head for a media streamer, though the basics are covered well enough here; insert a USB stick and a grid of files is presented, with a thumbnail for each – though a grab or still from each file never materialises. In our test we managed to get AVC HD, MKV, MOV, AVI, MP4, MPEG and WMV files to play in rudimentary manner – though don't expect niceties like subtitles, chapter skipping, or a choice of audio – this is a relatively basic codec support system. It's even more rudimentary when on a network. Connected to an iMac using TwonkyMedia we managed to get the same files to play, though not MKV. Given its current popularity, this is a real shame – as is the set's inability to use a hard-disk drive as simple PVR. This rules out at a stroke pause and rewind live TV features and is more evidence that the UE37D5000 is aimed at cable or satellite TV subscribers. Meanwhile, music in MP3, WMA and AAC formats works across both USB and networks. Despite lacking hi-def channels, the seven-day electronic programme guide for Freeview is excellent. Showing six channels and two hours of TV schedules in one view, its mixture of nuanced graphics and colour brings it alive, as does a thumbnail of the programme playing underneath, blessedly with audio, too. The only complaints are that the EPG takes a second or two to appear upon pressing the remote's 'guide' button, and the whole page evaporates if not used for 20 seconds or so. The remote itself is standard issue Samsung fare that's not changed in yonks; slightly chunky, curved, and of reasonably good build and design. Buttons are large and important keys obvious and well labelled. Not much need, then, for a smartphone app, but one does exist. With the UE37D5000 on a Wi-Fi network, we downloaded the simply named 'Samsung Remote' from Apple's app store. It wasn't supposed to work with this TV – the remote informed us that only D5500 models and above are compatible – but we had few problems linking-up and operating the UE37D5000. Trouble is, the gesture screen is way too wild to navigate the EPG (it's tricky to hover over a specific programme without wobbling away), though there are some nice touches – a representation of the remote switches to show the directional keys if, say, you select the 'source' list. All very logical, though we've seen far simpler apps for TVs that do more than just replicate a physical remote. Despite that haul of pros and few cons, it's the UE37D5000's slim design that will help it see off much of its competition and for many this TV will represent a solid bargain. Firmly in Samsung's Series 5 TVs for 2011 and already discounted to below the £500 mark, value seeps from every pore of this 37-inch Edge ED set. Who cares about 3D, Smart TV or Freeview HD? We liked Its great value pictures are studded with blacks, contrast, natural but punchy colours, and some anti-blur tech that, for the most part, works well. Its media capabilities and classy Freeview EPG impress and although a slight annoyance to some, the lack of Freeview HD means a better value set for those who either aren't interested in hi-def, or who have a Virgin HD/TiVo or Sky HD box. We disliked The lack of a DVB-T2 tuner for fetching Freeview HD channels does seem a shame, as does the absence of Samsung's Smart Hub platform and associated apps – with BBC iPlayer being the biggest draw. The set's incapable of streaming MKV files over a network despite being able to play them from a USB drive, while audio is simply terrible. Final verdict A great value LED backlit LCD TV that deserves to sell in droves. Freeview HD, 3D, Smart Hub apps and decent audio are missing, but this 37-incher has enough about it to be the ideal living room TV; good looks, a slim profile, and versatile picture quality – and it's capable of delivering extraordinary pictures from Blu-ray.

Updated: iCloud: all the latest details Posted: 03 Aug 2011 08:30 AM PDT Although it had been rumoured for years that Apple would somehow finally fully embrace the cloud, it was only recently that it felt as though Cupertino was moving in the right direction. Steve Jobs took to the stage for the WWDC 2011 keynote on 6 June 2011 and announced the Apple iCloud service. iCloud will indeed store your content and wirelessly push it to all your devices. Apple says it's serious about the cloud and even showed pictures of the company's third data centre during the keynote. You can check out T3's Apple iCloud video here: "Today it is a real hassle and very frustrating to keep all your information and content up-to-date across all your devices," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "iCloud keeps your important information and content up to date across all your devices. All of this happens automatically and wirelessly, and because it's integrated into our apps you don't even need to think about it - it all just works." Check out our full guide to iCloud features: iCloud price Apple says that iCloud will be completely free for 5GB of storage - it will be set up by default on new iOS 5 devices. Users get up to 5GB of free storage for mail, documents and backup. Music, apps and books purchased from Apple, and the storage required by Photo Stream doesn't count towards this 5GB total. You will need to pay for bigger iCloud storage though. 10GB of additional space will cost £14 a year, 20GB extra will be £28 a year, while 50GB of space on top of the free offering will be £70 every 12 months. However, don't fret, this doesn't include any media files, such as photos from the Photo Stream functionality or music. iCloud release date iCloud will shop at the same time as iOS 5 in the Autumn for the public. The service has gone live for registered Apple developers, with those lucky few able to test the functionality using iOS 5 and Mac OS X Lion. Feedback so far from the developer community has been mixed with some parties disappointed that full document editing in iWork using iCloud doesn't offer Google Docs-like solution many had hoped for. iCloud replaces MobileMe During the keynote Jobs also noted that as of today, MobileMe - which cost $99 - is no more. MobileMe apps have been rewritten to work with iCloud. The former MobileMe services - Contacts, Calendar and Mail - have all been completely re-architected and rewritten to work seamlessly with iCloud. Users can share calendars with friends and family, and the ad-free push Mail account is hosted at me.com. Your inbox and mailboxes are kept up-to-date across all your iOS devices and computers. iCloud Documents in the Cloud there's a number of features with iCloud, including Documents in the Cloud. This is a Google Docs rival, where you can access all your documents uploaded to iCloud. If you edit them, then you edits will automatically sync. iCloud iTunes in the Cloud iTunes is also being made available on iCloud, so you can share purchased songs on all your devices."You know, it's the same old story," said Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple. "I buy something on my iPhone, and it's not on my other devices. I grab my iPod and it ain't there. "For the songs you've already bought, we've added a purchased button. It shows the history of all the songs you've bought on any device. I can download any song to any device by pushing that little cloud button. "It shows the history of all the songs you've bought on any device. I can download any song to any device by pushing that little cloud button. At no additional charge. "This is the first time you've seen this in the music industry: multiple downloads to different devices for no charge. So in the future, it will push it to all of my devices." The files are high quality 256 kbps AAC, and it only works with music purchased from iTunes, so if you buy elsewhere for the cheaper prices, you won't be able to make use of the iTunes iCloud service. iCloud iTunes Match Music not purchased from iTunes can gain the same benefits by using iTunes Match, a service that replaces your music with a 256 kbps AAC DRM-free version if Apple can match it to the over 18 million songs in the iTunes Store - so that means any rubbish It makes the matched music available in minutes, and uploads only the small percentage of unmatched music. iTunes Match will be available this fall for a $24.99 annual fee - we've no word on UK pricing as yet. Reports are saying this is US only for now, but no doubt it will come to the UK at some point. iCloud Photostream As you might expect, iCloud will allow the syncing of photos to the cloud. This is just displayed as aseparate album in Photos, so it's not actually a different app - which is handy. Photos are stored on iCloud for 30 days, forever on your Mac or PC (of course) while the last 1,000 pictures can be stored on each of your iOS devices or Apple TV so they can then be moved elsewhere. Photostream doesn't count within your 5GB of storage. Photostream automatically uploads the photos you take or import on any of your devices and wirelessly pushes them to all your devices and computers. Photo Stream is built into the photo apps on all iOS devices, iPhoto on Macs, and saved to the Pictures folder on a PC. iCloud Contacts Contacts are stored in the cloud and pushed to all devices. Changes are automatically replicated on your other devices. This sounds so much better than Google Sync. iCloud Calendars There's also full calendaring support in iCloud - calendars can also be shared between users, too. iCloud backup iCloud Backup automatically and securely backs up iOS devices to iCloud daily over Wi-Fi when you charge your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Backed up content includes purchased music, apps and books, Camera Roll (photos and videos), device settings and app data. If you replace your iOS device, just enter your Apple ID and password during setup and iCloud restores your new device. iCloud Storage The service seamlessly stores all documents created using iCloud Storage APIs, and automatically pushes them to all your devices. When you change a document on any device, iCloud automatically pushes the changes to all your devices. Apple's Pages, Numbers and Keynote apps already take advantage of iCloud Storage. iCloud apps and books The App Store and iBookstore now download purchased iOS apps and books to all your devices, not just the device they were purchased on Want to look back? Check out the iCloud rumours we looked at before the event: Apple's rumoured to have splashed out $4.5 million on the Cloud.com domain. The company is also said to be striking deals with a number of record labels (in stark contrast to the gung-ho approach taken by Google and Amazon for their respective cloud-based music services) and has even posted a job advert for a 'Media Streaming Engineering Manager'. Latest rumours also suggest that iCloud could be free to Mac OS X Lion users. Here are the 10 things we want to see from Apple when it unleashes iCloud: 1. Cross-device support Apple's often championed for its integrated approach. Apple kit isn't perfect, but it generally works well with other Apple kit, software and services. Therefore, when Apple's iCloud ambitions are revealed, we'd like them to work with Macs and iOS devices, offering similar features to all (although we're not crazy enough to hope anything running less than the latest versions of Mac OS X or iOS will be supported). 2. iOS data back-up/restore Cloud services could be the means to detach iOS devices from PCs and Macs, finally making iPhones, iPods and iPads truly standalone units. You'd be able to store data in the cloud and access it from a range of apps. Apple should also back-up and enable you to restore iOS app data. It's absurd that when you delete an app or a game, your data and progress is gone for good - you should be able to optionally reinstate these things on an app reinstall. GET IT BACK: Delete an app and your data disappears. With cloud-based data restore, this needn't happen in future 3. Music locker Apple's iOS devices are hardly known for their generous storage, and now Macs are going the same way, embracing SSD. If you've tons of music, chances are your iTunes library is the biggest folder on your Mac, and you can't fit much of your music on your iPhone. But if Apple can figure out what music you own and enable cloud-based access to it via iCloud, problem solved. 4. Label participation Of course, any major shifts in how Apple deals with music will need label backing. Rumours suggest Apple's in talks with the 'big four', which should give Apple more options than its rivals. It remains to be seen whether labels would allow playback of content not purchased through iTunes, but remember when DRM was removed and iTunes enabled you to 'upgrade' your tracks for a small cost? Perhaps Apple could do the same again with iCloud - a few pence to enable you to play a track from the cloud. 5. Music streaming For people who don't really want to buy music but still enjoy listening to it, Spotify's more appealing than iTunes. While Spotify is still struggling to expand into the USA, Apple already has worldwide presence and ongoing discussions with labels. Perhaps another string to its music bow will be a streaming subscription service to complement a music locker. 6. Movie and TV streaming Historically, the movie industry has been even more bone-headed than music labels when it comes to new technology. Therefore, we're not holding our breath about Apple announcing movie and TV-show streaming through its iCloud services, but this would be great to have, again dealing with storage issues on iOS devices and SSD-equipped Macs. 7. Fast media playback One problem with cloud-based media playback is speed - too often, you have to wait while files buffer. Rumours suggest http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/apple-music-streaming-to-be-sped-up-by-local-storage--957549 Apple might deal with this problem by storing small portions of files locally on your device. Playback would start locally and then sync with a downloaded file, reducing caching problems. 8. Improved existing services Apple's been pretty bad at unveiling new online services and letting them die a long, lingering death. We like the concepts behind the likes of iWork.com, Ping and Game Center, but the execution in all of them is lacking; a new iCloud offering would be a great excuse to beef up and integrate these services. NEW AND IMPROVED: Unveiling new cloud services gives Apple a good excuse to improve mediocre existing offerings 9. Document storage When using iOS devices, moving documents between them is a pain. Even worse, if you want to move something between your Mac/PC and an iOS device, you have to use email or hideous iTunes File Sharing. Many apps now get around such problems by using Dropbox for storage, but Apple doesn't control this and it's not fully integrated. It'd therefore be great to see Apple provide a service of the same quality in iCloud. (Sorry, iDisk - you just don't cut it.) 10. Optional sync/merge Finally, if Apple offers even a fraction of these things with iCloud, it must enable users to more easily manage their computers and devices, along with the information on them. You should be able to easily sync and merge app collections, music, movies and documents. Using iOS devices and Macs is typically simple and intuitive; Apple must bring similar thinking to the complexities of document and media management across a number of devices and computers. Related Stories Apple iOS overtakes Symbian Apple announces iCloud pricing In Depth: OS X Lion problems solved

Samsung 60mm macro lens sample images released Posted: 03 Aug 2011 08:22 AM PDT Images taken with the upcoming 60mm macro lens in the Samsung NX line-up have been released on the company's blog. The 60mm macro lens features a Super Sonic Actuator (SSA) to deliver a fast and quiet Autofocus. The maximum aperture of the lens if f/2.8, while Optical Image Stabilisation is designed to help reduce blur caused by unstable shooting. The macro lens is among five new NX lenses which will be available soon, after an announcement at the end of 2010 revealed the NX lens roadmap. Other lenses soon to come include a wide pancake 16mm, an 18-200mm superzoom and later in the year, an 85mm f/1.4 portrait lens. The new 60mm lens is equipped with Samsung's i-Function technology, which allows photographers to change key settings such as aperture and shutter speed directly from the lens. Samsung 60mm f/2.8 macro lens price The lens is certainly not a budget optic, with several photography suppliers listing it for around £530. Samsung's NX cameras are compact system cameras which feature an APS-C sized sensor. i-Function lenses were introduced with the NX100 camera back in 2010, and continued with lenses for the NX11 released in December. The pictures in the blog post demonstrate the lens's capability to capture fine details, such as on leaves and insects. Via SamsungImaging Related Stories Tilt-shift compact camera announced by Photojojo Photojojo unveils digital time-lapse camera Panasonic DMC-FZ48 review: TechRadar labs data Buying Guide: What camera should I buy? Your options explained Review: Panasonic Lumix LX5

BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 UK release date announced Posted: 03 Aug 2011 08:04 AM PDT The BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 UK release date has finally been revealed, courtesy of Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy which will be stocking the handset from 18 August. The retailers will offer the Bold Touch for free on contracts from £31 per month, with no word on SIM-free pricing just yet. Announced back in May, the touch and type candybar handset combines RIM's much-loved physical QWERTY keyboard with an itty bitty 2.8-inch touchscreen. Boldly go It's the follow-up to the popular BlackBerry Bold 9780, with a very similar design rendered in premium materials like the brushed stainless-steel casing. The Bold Touch is also the first handset to rock BlackBerry OS 7, which brings faster loading times, redesigned icons, an updated Facebook app and the new iteration of BlackBerry Messenger to the party. Matt Stringer, UK MD for The Carphone Warehouse reckons that all this means the Bold Touch will, "appeal to more than just the traditional business user." We're sure RIM is hoping so too. The other handsets it is pinning its hopes on include the BlackBerry Torch 9860 and BlackBerry Torch 9810, both of which were announced this morning. Related Stories Hands on: BlackBerry Torch 9860 review Opinion: Last year's phones or poor maths won't save RIM Opinion: Dodgy maths and last year's phones won't save RIM Exclusive: RIM to launch budget BB OS 7 device Google declares war on Microsoft and Apple over Android

Review: Panasonic Lumix LX5 Posted: 03 Aug 2011 08:03 AM PDT The Panasonic Lumix LX5 is a refresh of the popular Lumix LX3, a well-regarded power compact that's also caught on as a D-SLR replacement. Update: See our video review below The first thing you notice about the Lumix DMC-LX5 is that it feels more compact and pocketable at 110 x 66 x 43cm than the LX3, and the metal body is really sturdy. Panasonic has junked the joystick controller in favour of a clickable control wheel, and there's also a slider around the lens for changing aspect ratio (a mixed blessing, as we'll see later). A simple movie-record button's been added too, making it very easy to record 720p HD video in AVCHD or Motion JPEG format. Onto the more significant improvements of the Lumix LX5 . These include a 10.1 megapixel sensor with an eye-poppingly high ISO range of 80-12,800, and a 24-90mm equivalent lens (f/2 maximum aperture). In terms of positioning and competition, the LX5 sits below Panasonic's interchangeable-lens hybrid cameras, but lacks the power zoom of the new Lumix FZ45. It's currently selling for around £360, so while this isn't a particular cheap D-SLR replacement, it's a very convincing rival to the Canon G11 (also sporting a 10.1 megapixel sensor, high ISO range and 28-140mm lens). Panasonic's clearly going after the G11, so will it win this power compact challenge? Some of the new features of the Lumix LX5 are more useful than others. Let's start with ergonomics. While it's cool to be able to adjust aspect ratio via a slider on the lens body, the slider is quite loose, and you have to be very careful that you don't accidentally change from standard 4:3 to 3:2 format when taking the camera out of your pocket or bag (it happened to us several times). Having to worry about checking this can slow down your shooting. And while the buttons round the back make it easy to adjust focus points, ISO or metering modes, it'll take newcomers to Lumix a while to work out how to adjust exposure compensation (you click in the control dial). Such a fundamental exposure control really should be more clearly flagged. Intrusive menu options make it a bit of performance to play back video until you get used to it , too. Otherwise, the LX5 is very easy to use. Although you don't get an electronic viewfinder as standard, the three-inch rear screen is bright and crisp. No problem there, but sadly, the LCD is fixed. This is a surprising omission considering the G11's flexible screen, and certainly limits your composition options. As for the menus, while not as slick as Canon or Nikon's, they are very straightforward to navigate too. The LX5 is also impressively fast to start up, and the lens extends with the minimum of delay. Images are saved to card with the minimum of fuss too, even when shooting in RAW. The burst mode of 2.4 frames per second (full-resolution image) is OK, but can't hope to keep up with a speedy hybrid like the Sony NEX-5 or a D-SLR. The Lumix DMC-LX5 features an impressive 24-90mm equivalent lens, with a maximum aperture of f/2. So the lens offers the benefits of 'fast', wide aperture glass – it lets in lost of light and makes it easy to get a shallow depth of field, for instance – while still giving you some zoom flexibility. Image stabilisation has been brought into line with other models in the Lumix range too, and as with the FZ45, gives three options, Auto, Mode 1 and Mode 2. While Panasonic's harping on about the wider dynamic range offered by the new tech inside the LX5, we were more immediately impressed by the lens. While you obviously won't get f/2 throughout the lens's range, it's really great for bringing the depth of field right in. So the lens is a solid macro performer too, and the benefits of such a wide maximum aperture can't be overstated. See full-res image COLOURS: In good light the camera rewards you with warm, well-exposed images Zoom performance is reasonable too, though we did feel a tad short changed after using the monster-zoom Lumix FZ45. The Canon G11 still has a longer reach at 140mm at the telephoto end, so it would have been nice to be able to go in a bit further. See full-res image EXPOSURE: The 'intelligent auto' function does a better job at judging exposure than most 'auto everything' modes The image stabilisation system works well when zooming right in, so make sure it's turned on when you first set the camera up. Lens distortion is well controlled, though not perfect - we did notice some distortion on the tower on Glastonbury Tor when shooting in 16:9 format. See full-res image IMAGE STABILISATION: Make sure the image stabiliser is turned on when shooting at the telephoto end, it really makes a difference In terms of overall sensor and image-processor performance, it's up to Panasonic's usual high standards. Colours are characteristically warm and vibrant without being garish, and edges are kept sharp in JPEG mode without it looking artificial. See full-res image MACRO: That fast f/2 lens really comes into its own with close up nature work In terms of ISO, keep it under 800 and you'll be impressed. Noise is well controlled at this level but as our ISO tests show, kick it up to 12800 and colour and detail really suffer. Still, even at this extreme level it's not a bad performance for the money, and this, combined with the effective pop-up flash, make the Lumix DMC-LX5 a convincing low-light performer. See full-res image METERING: The metering system copes well with a variety of challenging light conditions AF is generally unflappable and metering reliable, though as with many cheaper cameras, the LX5 has a tendency to blow out highlights in brighter light. So make sure you've got to grips with the slightly eccentric way of adjusting exposure compensation before heading out. See full-res image SKIN TONES: Skin tones are accurate but the Lumix does have a tendency to blow out highlights in bright sunlight As you'd expect, there's a full PASM dial mode, with the inclusion of Intelligent Auto (iA). iA's no replacement for learning how to adjust exposure yourself, but as an auto everything mode, it does seem more consistent – and indeed intelligent – than you'd first expect. See full-res image WIDESCREEN: Note the distortion on the tower when shot at 16:9 format - it shouldn't lean in like that! See full-res image ZOOM: While hardly a super zoom, the lens stays nice and sharp at the far telephoto end We tested the Lumix DMC-LX5 at every available ISO setting... ISO 100: See full-res image ISO 200: See full-res image ISO 400: See full-res image ISO 800: See full-res image ISO 1600: See full-res image ISO 3200: See full-res image ISO 6400: See full-res image ISO 12800: See full-res image See the Panasonic Lumix LX5 video sample in HD So you're not getting full 1080p video here but even so, 720p performance is pretty good, with good auto focus and reliable movement tracking. It's certainly better than the frankly embarrassing VGA offerings of the Canon G11. The dedicated button on top makes movie mode a cinch to activate, though playback on the rear LCD takes a bit longer to figure out. There's a choice of Program AE mode, Aperture Priority, Shutter Speed and Manual, so there are plenty of options for creative control, and that fast, bright lens really helps. The wind-cut function has been overhauled too; while wind noise is very audible on our test video, to be fair to Panasonic, the clip was taken on top of the windiest places in South West England. 'Intelligent Auto' mode is available when shooting movies too, and as with stills, this delivers consistent results. This is a worthy successor to the DMC-LX3, offering a powerful sensor and image processor and a great lens at a reasonable price. It just falls short of being a five star best buy though. We liked: The lens is really good. It's sharp, fast and bright and the maximum aperture, and offers reasonable telephoto reach (just watch out for some building distortion when shooting widescreen ). The Lumix DMC-LX5 is very easy to use, but also has some very useful extras, such as aspect-ratio adjustment via the lens, easy HD video recording and high ISO flexibility, We disliked: There's no electronic viewfinder as standard, and the fact that the fixed rear LCD can't be swivelled rubs salt into the wounds. The aspect-ratio adjuster we praised a moment ago is also annoyingly easy to activate by mistake, and changing exposure compensation should be more idiot-proof. Telephoto reach is a bit limited, too. Verdict: If you don't need long telephoto reach, full 1080p HD video recording and a swivel screen, the Lumix DMC-LX5 is definitely worth considering. It's well made, generally well-thought-out and has a great lens. A great family camera or SLR replacement in other words, but hardly an impulse buy at £360 - so while its downsides are not huge, they do need to be weighed up. Related Stories Tilt-shift compact camera announced by Photojojo Photojojo unveils digital time-lapse camera Panasonic DMC-FZ48 review: TechRadar labs data Buying Guide: What camera should I buy? Your options explained Samsung 60mm macro lens sample images released

Golden Joystick Awards 2011 voting open Posted: 03 Aug 2011 07:23 AM PDT If you want to cast your vote in the 29th annual GamesMaster Golden Joystick awards, run by TechRadar parent Future Publishing, then you now can. The awards ceremony sees the great and the good (and, hilariously, the haplessly worse-for-wear) in the UK's games industry come together every October to celebrate the year's best games, developers, publishers and new gaming tech of the year. New gongs for mobile gaming With 14 categories to vote in, this year's Golden Joystick Awards also sees new awards for downloadable, mobile and free-to-play games. Last year saw over 1.5 million votes cast in the 2010 Golden Joysticks, with Mass Effect 2 named Ultimate Game Of The Year and RuneScape studio Jagex awarded UK Developer Of The Year. "The shortlist features huge sequels living up to the hype, new IP establishing itself, and incredible innovation and creativity wherever you look," says GamesMaster editor Robin Always. "There could be some major upsets when the winners are announced." Voting is live now at www.goldenjoystick.com. Voters who participate in all 14 public categories are in with a chance of winning the GamesMaster Ultimate Gaming Prize - including consoles and many of the award-nominated games. GamesMaster Golden Joystick Awards 2011 categories Ultimate Game of the Year One To Watch Best Shooter Best Action/Adventure Best RPG [Role-Playing Game] Best MMO [Massively Multiplayer Online game] Best Fighting Game Best Racing Game Best Sports Game Best Strategy Game Best Music-based Game Best Free-to-play Game Best Mobile Game Best Downloadable Game Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony, at London's Westminster Bridge Park Plaza on October 21. To cast your vote, head over to www.goldenjoystick.com Related Stories Nintendo chief apologises to 3DS early adopters Exclusive: Analysts hit out at 3DS' 'underperformance'

Hands on: BlackBerry Torch 9860 review Posted: 03 Aug 2011 07:06 AM PDT It's no secret that RIM is struggling to compete in today's ultra-competitive smartphone market, playing both hardware and software catch-up to the likes of Android and iOS. So does the launch of its first full-capacitive-touchscreen smartphone, the BlackBerry Torch 9860, herald a change in fortunes for the Canadian company? We've snaffled some hands on video time with the new phone, so check out our findings: We took a good hard hands-on look at the new handset to find out where the new Torch shines brightest. To start with, it certainly doesn't have the premium feel of the iPhone 4 or even the touch-and-type BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900. The chassis is pure plastic, with the glossy black finish proving to be the forensic examiner's dream, what with its ability to cling on to fingerprints and smudges. The 3.6-inch touchscreen is fairly bright, although we're not convinced that it will fare too well in direct sunlight as it is super reflective. There's a front-facing camera on the handset too, for video calling and cheesy profile-picture taking. Unlike many Android manufacturers, RIM has kept a few buttons alongside the Torch 9860's touch control. Under the touchscreen are four navigation buttons and an optical trackpad; call and end, menu and back - these are physical buttons rather than soft keys. As is RIM's wont, the lock/power button sits on the top side of the handset while the back features a 5MP snapper which comes with an LED flash situated a few centimetres away. To take pictures, there's a rubberised, slightly raised shutter button on the edge of the handset, with volume controls nearby. These buttons are very subtle but also kind of difficult to actually press, which may mean you're safe from accidentally turning the volume up and down in your pocket, but does make taking pictures a bit of a pain. The other edge of the Torch 9860 is home to the micro USB port. The BlackBerry Torch 9860 comes with BlackBerry OS 7, the updated OS that we first saw on the BlackBerry Bold Touch back in May. It's largely the same as OS 6, with homescreen control very similar to the original BlackBerry Torch's. This means you have access to a collapsible menu on the homescreen, in which you can arrange your various apps to your heart's content. With various screens (All, Most Used, Favourites, Media etc.), navigating to specific apps will be easy as pie once you have the phone set up the way you want it. Notifications now live in the tool bar under the date and time; pulling the icon down to reveal your latest alerts, including missed calls and social media updates, is a quick and easy move. The icons themselves have had a bit of a makeover, which is nice but not exactly thrilling. Powering the Torch 9860 is a 1.2Ghz processor; it's a single-core affair as RIM has long protested that dual-core is only really necessary on tablets at this point. We can't say we had any complaints about speed during our brief stint with the phone, but it'll be interesting to see how it holds up when faced with some hardcore multi-tasking in our full BlackBerry Torch 9860 review. The touchscreen is nice and responsive – anyone who ever owned a BlackBerry Storm handset will be pleased to hear that there's no weird clicky screen to contend with on the Torch 9860, it's pure capacitive. Web browsing over Wi-Fi was fairly quick, and it was novel to have the big-screen experience on a BlackBerry; portrait set up was nothing to write home about, but landscape mode meant text was legible and you get a good flavour of the page. Pinch to zoom also worked well, with rendering speeds proving not too shabby at all. What many people love most about their BlackBerry, marketing guff aside, is RIM's physical QWERTY keyboards. Even the cramped little layout on the original Torch was better than most other manufacturers' keyboard efforts; so how does the virtual QWERTY on the Torch 9860 measure up? Keyboard fans won't fall in love with this onscreen typing tool (we've run out of different ways to say 'keyboard', can you tell?); it's not that typing is painful on it or anything, it's just… average. In landscape mode, the spacing is quite comfortable and the screen isn't so big that you couldn't still stick to thumb-based typing. The predictive text was quite quick to come up with the words we were aiming for, which is good news for the messy typers among us, but the overall typing experience is nothing special. The 5MP camera is another fairly average affair; the shutter is a little slow to react, which, when coupled with the difficult shutter button we mentioned earlier, doesn't make for a great experience. You do have the option to use the onscreen camera button, but that can also lead to fuzzy pictures. One high point, however, is the nice array of photography options that RIM has built in, everything from ironic faux-vintage effects to optimised settings for landscapes, party scenes and so on. The gallery is nicely segmented into albums, with thumbnail view making it easy to swoop in and out of your favoured shots. It's no secret that RIM has been trying to up its media credentials, and the BlackBerry Torch 9860's 3.6-inch screen certainly lends itself better to video-watching than the cramped Bold 9900. Playback was smooth and crisp, too. The music player also uses the larger screen to its advantage with scaled up album art work nicer to look at and bigger controls easier to use. BlackBerry OS 7 will also come with Facebook 2.0, RIM's updated Facebook app, pre-installed – unfortunately our demo unit didn't have this so we can't tell you how well it worked. As usual, we have to lament the App World which was painfully slow to load. RIM still can't compete with Android or iOS on app volume, which will be a dealbreaker for some. Early verdict The BlackBerry Torch 9860 is a nice phone. It's not hideous, it works well and it should offer you all the basic functionality you could want. But it's just nice. We don't feel the earth move when we look at or play with it, and it can't compete with the suave good looks of the iPhone 4 or the sheer grunt behind some of the high-end touchscreens coming out on Android, like the Samsung Galaxy S2 and HTC Sensation. If RIM can bring the BlackBerry Torch 9860 out at a low-enough price point to appeal to the BBMing teenage masses who want to social network and watch a lot of video, it could be a winner. But we're expecting it to land at around £30 a month (or upwards of £300 SIM-free) which would put it on a par with high end HTCs and the Samsung Galaxy range; we can't help but feel the BlackBerry Torch 9860 might be punching above its weight. Related Stories BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 UK release date announced Opinion: Last year's phones or poor maths won't save RIM Opinion: Dodgy maths and last year's phones won't save RIM Exclusive: RIM to launch budget BB OS 7 device Google declares war on Microsoft and Apple over Android

Video: PlayStation Vita - what you need to know Posted: 03 Aug 2011 07:02 AM PDT The PlayStation Vita is getting ever closer, with the latest handheld console looking to take on the Nintendo 3DS when it launches later in the year. The original PSP was a decent piece of kit, but with it never really looking like it could battle with the mighty DS, Sony fans will be expecting more from its successor. TechRadar has put together an exclusive video highlighting the things you should be aware of in the PS Vita to go alongside our PS Vita: what you need to know feature. So check out our "PlayStation Vita video: what you need to know", below.

Nintendo chief apologises to 3DS early adopters Posted: 03 Aug 2011 06:50 AM PDT In something of a surprising move, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has issued a written an open apology to the first wave of Nintendo 3DS buyers, following the recent hardware price cut. Iwata has published an online letter to early adopters, claiming that the new global price cut is something of a "drastic step" for his company. Customers may feel betrayed The Nintendo president understands that his customers "may feel betrayed" and adds that there is "nothing [Nintendo] can do to completely make up for the feeling that you are being punished for buying the system early." Iwata published his letter on Nintendo's website, writing to try to explain to gamers: "In the past, there have been price drops for videogame systems some time after their release in order to broaden the userbase further," he writes. "However, never before has Nintendo chosen to issue such a dramatic price drop less than six months after a system's release. "We are all too keenly aware that those of you who supported us by purchasing the 3DS in the beginning may feel betrayed and criticise this decision. "This unprecedented timing for a price cut is because the situation has changed greatly since we originally launched the 3DS. We decided it was necessary to take this drastic step in order to ensure that large numbers of users will continue to enjoy the 3DS in future." Iwata continues: "If the software creators and those on the retail side are not confident that the 3DS is a worthy successor to the DS and will achieve a similarly broad [userbase], it will be impossible for it to gain popularity, [and] acquire a wide range of software. "Those customers who purchased the 3DS at the beginning are extremely important to us. We know that there is nothing we can do to completely make up for the feeling that you are being punished for buying the system early." In Iwata's own words, Nintendo feels "a strong responsibility to develop the 3DS as a platform - to ensure that, in the end, everyone is satisfied - and we will make every effort to do so." Related Stories Golden Joystick Awards 2011 voting open Exclusive: Analysts hit out at 3DS' 'underperformance'

Transformers 3 passes $1bn mark at box office Posted: 03 Aug 2011 06:37 AM PDT One of the highest profile 3D films of the year has joined the final instalment of Harry Potter in breaking the $1 billion barrier – with Michael Bay's Transformers: Dark of the Moon smashing the ten figure mark in global box office take. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows part 2 hit the $1 billion (£610m) mark in a matter of weeks, and although it has taken Transformers 3 longer, it now represents Paramount's first ever movie to hit the billion dollar landmark. "Transformers: Dark of the Moon is the first billion dollar grossing movie in the history of Paramount Pictures, marking a substantial milestone in the 99 year life of this legendary studio," said Brad Grey, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Pictures. Grateful "We are grateful for the extraordinary work of Michael Bay and his film-making team, executive producer Steven Spielberg, and everyone at Paramount around the globe who played a part in helping make this latest Transformers one of the 10 highest grossing films worldwide of all time," he added. That both this film, and Harry Potter, were 3D titles will not be lost on Hollywood, which has been asking some fairly searching questions about the technology of late. Bay was adamant that the best experience of Transformers was at a 3D cinema, and although the 3D take has not been split out of the total box office, it's clearly proven to be a 3D hit for Paramount

Exclusive: Darksiders 2 developer chips in on Wii U Posted: 03 Aug 2011 06:25 AM PDT EA's already told us how much it loves the Wii U, and now Darksiders 2 developer Vigil Games has told us about its experience of developing for the console. At a recent event promotional event for the game, Jay Fitzloff, Vigil Games' studio marketing manager, talked us through the process. Based on the same engine as last year's Darksiders, Vigil Games initially faced a bit of struggle porting it to the Wii U. "It's our engine, it's our code, so it's our problem, to figure it out," said Fitzloff. "It was hard, but you enjoy that challenge of breaching new ground." Darksiders 2 was demonstrated on the Wii U at E3 earlier this year, and the developers only had five or six weeks to get the game running. "Getting it started was the hardest part, but once they got it going, they said it was really easy to beat it through," said Fitzloff. 'A line of code' Vigil Games' biggest concern was getting the game running on the Wii U's major selling point - its controller, which includes a tablet-style 6.2-inch screen. Fortunately, the developer didn't have too many problems, as Fitzloff said: "getting the whole game to appear on that controller was, like, a line of code, and it was parity, right there." A new console is always going to bring its own problems for developers, and the PlayStation 3 has been notoriously difficult to program for given its complicated Cell Processor. But Nintendo's doing everything it can to help developers get their heads around the revolutionary new console. "It seems relatively easy for us to work with so far," said Fitzloff. "And Nintendo's been really helpful with it, so it's cool." Darksiders 2 will be released by THQ as a Wii U launch title next year.

In Depth: OS X Lion problems solved Posted: 03 Aug 2011 06:10 AM PDT OS X Lion is a great operating system, but as with any new large-scale software project, some people will encounter OS X Lion problems and issues. Some of those issues will be incompatibilities, others will be bugs, and still others will be minor niggles that could all too easily become major OS X Lion annoyances. Read on to discover our pick of the problems together with our solutions. And, afterwards, why not read our OS X Lion tips and tricks? Q: I'm worried that my apps won't work Some apps, such as Office 2004 and Logic Pro 8, aren't supported by Lion (officially, anyway: there's a way to make Logic Pro 8 work). Find out whether your apps will still work before you upgrade by visiting Roaring Apps. Q: Lion's download only, and my broadband is slow and capped. How do I get it? Get thee to an Apple Store, where you can use the free Wi-Fi to download Lion. If that's not an option, Apple plans a USB stick version for later this year - although it'll be two or three times Lion's £20.99 download price. Q: How do I install Lion on multiple Macs? You'll need to be running Snow Leopard for this one. Download but don't run the Lion installer (it zaps itself once you've used it) from the Mac App Store. Find it in your Applications folder, right-click and choose "Show Package Contents". Look for Contents > SharedSupport > InstallESD.dmg. Now, launch Disk Utility from Applications > Utilities and drag InstallESD.dmg to the sidebar. If you're burning a DVD, all you need to do now is insert a blank disk, select InstallESD.dmg in the sidebar and click on Burn. Q: I don't have a DVD drive either! Make sure you have an 8GB USB drive - smaller capacities aren't sufficient - and follow the steps above to locate InstallESD.dmg. Now, go to Disk Utility, select your drive, choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for its format and click Erase. Make sure you've got the USB drive selected here! In Disk Utility, drag InstallESD.dmg, control or right-click and select Restore. The source is InstallESD.dmg and the destination is your USB drive. Once it's done - it takes a while - stick it in the machine you want to install Lion on, reboot and hold down the Option key. Select your USB drive and Lion will now install. Q: Lion says "some features of Mac OS X Lion are not supported for the disk" during installation During installation, Lion creates a recovery partition on your hard disk, and if it encounters problems doing that you'll get the error message above. It's often the result of fiddling with Boot Camp, although we encountered it on an unfiddled-with MacBook Pro. Reinstalling Snow Leopard and running the Lion installer again fixed the problem for us, although as Apple notes, if you're using RAID drives the partition won't work. It won't stop Lion from working, but it means you can't use FileVault or Lion's disk repair tools. Q: Lion freezes when I play video clips The Internet is full of people whose computers lock up at the first sniff of a YouTube clip, and Apple's working on a fix. We found that updating the third-party QuickTime codec collection Perian solved our non-Flash freezes, while the ClickToFlash plugin stops unwanted Flash videos from playing in Safari. If you're using Chrome, you can disable Flash by typing about:plugins in the address bar. Q: Where's Front Row? It's gone - but a nice man can get it back! But not if you've upgraded to iTunes 10.4! Q: My Mac won't sleep Your Mac may be trying to share with other computers. Have a look in System Preferences > Sharing and untick any services you don't need. Internet Sharing seems to be the culprit on many people's machines. Q: LaunchPad is full of crap! The free LaunchPad Cleaner is your friend. Q: How do I stop All My Files appearing in new Finder windows? You can change the default in Finder > Preferences > General. Q: How do I Save As? In Lion-friendly apps, Save As is no longer there. Instead, you have to choose Duplicate. You can then save the duplicated file with a new name. Q: How do I get the Dock in full screen mode? Scroll to the bottom (or to the left or right if that's where your Dock lives), and then try to scroll again in the same direction. Behold the dock! Q: Where's my Library folder? Library is hidden by default. Bring it back by launching Terminal and typing chflags nohidden /Library - or just navigate to it by Option-clicking the Go menu in Finder. Q: How do I stop applications re-opening everything? Quit by using Command-Option-Q or press Option when you select Quit from the menu bar. When you reopen the program it won't open all your previous windows. Q: How do I make Lion work like Snow Leopard did? If you don't like natural scrolling and wish you had the keyboard repeat back, it's easy to change: in System Preferences > Mouse and > Trackpad, untick "Move content in the direction of finger movement" to return scrolling to normal. To disable the accented characters pop-over and get your keyboard to repeat, open Terminal and type: defaults write -g ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool false. Logout and login for the change to take effect. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Related Stories Apple iOS overtakes Symbian Apple announces iCloud pricing Updated: iCloud: all the latest details This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

BlackBerry Torch 9810: In pictures Posted: 03 Aug 2011 05:23 AM PDT TechRadar managed to spend some quality time with the tip-top device launched by RIM at the recent smartphone unveiling, with the slider/touchscreen combo of the BlackBerry Torch 9810 taking top billing. The new smartphone features an improved 1.2GHz processor, higher-res screen and more importantly, runs the latest BB OS 7 platform designed to make communications more integrated than ever. Check out our gallery of photos with the new phone, and stay tuned for our hands on review with the device imminently - or you can even see our l'il video if you fancy a spot of that too: Related Stories BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 UK release date announced Opinion: Last year's phones or poor maths won't save RIM Opinion: Dodgy maths and last year's phones won't save RIM Exclusive: RIM to launch budget BB OS 7 device Google declares war on Microsoft and Apple over Android

TechRadar and LateRooms looking for best hotel gadget Posted: 03 Aug 2011 04:32 AM PDT TechRadar is supporting hotels discount specialist LateRooms.com in their Best Kept Secret Awards for 2011. Now we don't know too much about hotels, but we do know a lot about technology so what better way to celebrate these awards than partner with Laterooms.com for the Best Gadget Award? We are searching for the hotel which has the best technology, or the best innovation in gadget wizardry, to make your hotel stay that little bit better. State-of-the-art? So if you've stayed in a B&B with innovative climate control and sliding blinds, or a hotel room with a state of the art sound system, we want to hear about it. Nominations for the awards are open and close on the on the 21st August with winners being announced in early September. TechRadar's very own Marc Chacksfield will be heading up the judging panel for the Best Gadget Hotel category in the UK. To nominate your favourite gadgetry hotels, simply visit www.bestkeptsecretawards.com

Gary Marshall: Why copyright change changes nothing Posted: 03 Aug 2011 04:30 AM PDT Later today, Vince Cable will announce some important changes in the law. No longer will it be illegal to rip your eight-track cartridges to C90s, provided it's for your own personal Walkman! No more will you need to fear the copyright cops when you backup your Laserdiscs to Betamax! I'm exaggerating, but only by a little bit. Just twelve years after the MP3 revolution kicked off, ten years after the iPod launched and five years after the Gowers Review pointed out that the no-ripping stuff made our copyright laws look a bit silly, the government plans to make format shifting legal. Apparently we'll be able to rip our DVDs for personal use too, although the FT reports that - surprise! - the film industry's really against that idea, so don't hold your breath for that one to turn up on the statute books. But legalising format shifting is a positive step. While nobody's been prosecuted for ripping to their iPods, firms advertising hardware or software can have their collars felt: earlier this year the Advertising Standards Authority banned ads for the Brennan JB7 CD-ripping hi-fi because of a single complaint claiming the ads incited people to break the law. But Vince Cable's speech will also demonstrate just how in thrall the government is to the copyright industries. Nothing's really changing Remember the Digital Economy Act, which the Lib Dems promised to repeal before the coalition gave them a good excuse not to do anything? Vince Cable will say that some parts of the Act are unworkable, so for example the government won't make ISPs block copyright-infringing websites. That'd be much more impressive if ISPs weren't, er, being forced to block copyright-infringing websites: the BT/Newzbin2 case has established site blocking in UK law, and that means more sites can and will be blocked. The Guardian reports that Ed Vaizey will meet ISPs next month to discuss "curbing infringing sites voluntarily". Cable will also announce a "scoping review" regarding a proposed new copyright exchange, a one-stop-shop that would make it easier for people to licence copyrighted content. The copyright industries really didn't like that idea, and as the Guardian reports, calling for a review is "in effect kicking the idea into the long grass". Don't let the moans of "this is terrible!" fool you: thanks to Mandelson-era machinations and Ed Vaizey's many meetings the copyright industries have already got what they want; they're just moaning about the details. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Microsoft reconsiders usage of Live.com geolocation data Posted: 03 Aug 2011 04:29 AM PDT Microsoft has decided to rethink its plans to use the geo-location data of Live.com, following renewed privacy concerns amongst users. Cnet reports that Stanford Security Laboratory postdoctoral researcher Elie Bursztein, who was investigating the company's ability to track where a laptop had been by analyzing Wi-Fi data stored by Microsoft's MAC location database, was one of the first to notice that access to the database had been restricted. Privacy versus usability This follows a similar move by Google, which limited the access to its geo-location database back in June, following similar privacy concerns from users. Companies such as Google and Microsoft collate these geolocation databases in order to provide relevant location-based information to smartphones, tablets and Wi-Fi connected laptops. The problem arises when these companies collect private MAC addresses (which is a pretty reliable identifier of that smartphone in your pocket or the laptop or iPad in your bag) and then publish this information in a public forum on the internet. Both Google and Microsoft have both paid a not inconsiderable amount of money to have teams of drivers scour most of our major cities and conurbations, noting Wi-Fi access points and their MAC addresses and location data. Apple and Google both came under fire for storing private data on mobile devices earlier this year. And now it looks like Microsoft could well be guilty of the same "privacy crime" according to some concerned observers. But what is the actual crime here? Hotspots and location databases The latest privacy worry is that Microsoft may well be storing data from private smartphones that are also being used as personal mobile Wi-Fi hotspots (ie NOT public Wi-Fi access points). Which is exactly why Microsoft has now chosen to re-evaluate its MAC-location database. Although, to date, there is little clarity on the extent to which this issue may well threaten a users' privacy, as even when you are using your smartphone as a mobile hotspot, the only data your MAC address can communicate to Microsoft would be a description of your device or of its chipset manufacturer. Is this a case of throwing the usability baby out with the (*ahem*) privacy bathwater? Or should Microsoft and others collating such data be properly held to account? TechRadar has contacted Microsoft and a number of online security experts for further comment on this story. Related Stories In Depth: How Microsoft makes money from Android

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