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Techradar |
- OKCupid apps add location-based dating
- Google+ adds Games
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 still on sale in the UK
- Gartner: Android takes top smartphone OS spot
- Motorola Fire gets UK release date and price
- In Depth: Nikon D4 rumours: what you need to know
- Windows Phone 7 Mango release date 1 September?
- News Corp reveals just how much it lost on MySpace
- Samsung Galaxy R looks set for UK release
- GAMEfest 2011 gets Modern Warfare 3 showcase
- PM looking into social media clampdown after riots
- In Depth: Inside Panasonic's Hollywood labs
- Robo-exoskeleton almost in production
- Hands on: Samsung Galaxy S Plus review
- Intel investing $300m to make Ultrabook great
- Casio introduces 'silent' camera
- Research warns of PlayBook security holes
- Explained: Mozilla's vision for Boot to Gecko
- Mario on the iPhone? Nintendo investors want it
- Nintendo exec: Lack of great 3DS games killed momentum
- Review: Cyrus DAC X+
- OnLive UK launch date set for 22 September
- Review: NAD C446
- HTC partners with Beats by Dr Dre to clean up mobile audio
- Review: Cambridge Audio iD100 iPod/Pad dock
| OKCupid apps add location-based dating Posted: 11 Aug 2011 04:46 PM PDT Popular online dating site OKCupid has made its mobile applications location aware, allowing users to contact potential dates in their present locale. The update for Android and iPhone users means that if you see a fellow member of the site is close by, you can view their profile, start to chat or even exchange photos. The app also lets members put the word out to fellow singles if they are free and up for a date. These advertisements can be customised to be seen only by only those with common interests or requirements, who also happen to stroll into the same Starbucks. CompatibilityAlso, after scanning other members in your area the app will gauge your compatibility with those also in the neighbourhood and recommend potential dates. The new location-based functionality takes its lead from the massively successful Grindr smartphone app for gay men, which works on a similar premise. The creators of Grindr are also currently working on a version of the app for women, to allow them to contact nearby men who have created a profile in the hope that someone beautiful ladies will take a look. Link: TechCrunch 
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| Posted: 11 Aug 2011 03:42 PM PDT Google has launched a gaming platform for its new Google+ social network. The long-expected addition offers the likes of Angry Birds and Zynga Poker in a new Games page within the Google+ interface. In a post on the official Google Blog, the company was keen to point out that the Games platform will allow users to connect and play together, but won't be an overbearing, in-your-face feature. "We want to make playing games online just as fun, and just as meaningful, as playing in real life," said the post. "That means giving you control over when you see games, how you play them and with whom you share your experiences. Games in Google+ are there when you want them and gone when you don't." AchievementsThe Games page will showcase the latest titles, your achievements as well as the gaming activity of those in your circles. If you don't want to dabble with the platform, your profile will remain undisturbed by its presence. Gaming on Google+ is now live for some users and will be rolled out for all users in the coming weeks, with more titles to be added in due course. Google also used the blog post to encourage developers to jump on board with developing titles for the platform. Obviously, the launch of Games for Google+ will grab the attention of Facebook, which is investing heavily in its own social gaming project at present. Link: Official Google Blog 
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 still on sale in the UK Posted: 11 Aug 2011 10:12 AM PDT While the 'Apple vs the rest of the world' lawsuits rumble on in the European courts, British Android-fanciers have one last chance to snap up a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. That's because retailers have been given the all-clear to sell the stock they bought from Samsung prior to the 9 August ruling in Germany. The clock is ticking though, because when stock runs out, that's it for the foreseeable - it's going to be several weeks before Samsung can even challenge the temporary injunction, let alone overturn it. Retailer restrictionsThe exact legal position remains a grey haze of misinformation, and Dixons Store Group PR told TechRadar earlier this afternoon that it had received "no legal instruction to remove the product" from its stores. So it would seem as though the court ruling doesn't ban retailers from selling the 10.1, rather it restricts Samsung from distributing to retailers. While Amazon UK was among the retailers to immediately list the product as unavailable, Currys still has not followed suit, with all models still seemingly available for purchase. Indeed, at the time of writing the product is still advertised on the front page of its website. The status of the Galaxy Tab at Currys was confirmed when we put a call in to its retail department, who said that they'd been "given the all-clear from the higher-ups" to sell off remaining stock. However, we were also told that the website is in the process of being updated and that only 16GB white and black Wi-Fi-only models are still available. No 32GB, 64GB or 3G models remain. Naturally, we asked Samsung for clarification on the exact legal situation here and it confirmed that "products already distributed prior to the injunction on 9 August may still be sold, we do not expect this to have an immediate impact on sales." So the message here, folks, is that if you want to pick up one of these snazzy Android tablets, put on your running shoes - you'll need to be quick. 
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| Gartner: Android takes top smartphone OS spot Posted: 11 Aug 2011 09:53 AM PDT Gartner has released its report into mobile phone sales for Q2 2011, revealing that Android is now the top selling OS. The results show that the Google-made OS increased its market share to 43 per cent from 17 per cent last year, while Apple hit 18 per cent – not bad considering the sheer volume of Android handsets compared to iOS phones. Nokia also managed to cling on to the top manufacturing spot, although its share has fallen to 22 per cent of the market thanks to sales of 97.87 million smartphones in the three months from April to June. Top of the popsGartner notes that the Finnish company has managed to "reduce levels of held stock, partly by cutting prices on older products", a tactic that has helped it keep the top spot. It's bad news for RIM and Windows Phone though; RIM saw its smartphone share drop by 7 per cent year on year, while Microsoft and its Windows Phone platform garnered only 1.6 per cent of the OS market – less, even, than Samsung's Bada OS. Ouch. Overall sales of mobile devices grew by 16.5 per cent compared to the same quarter in 2010, with smartphone sales up by 74 per cent. 
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| Motorola Fire gets UK release date and price Posted: 11 Aug 2011 09:00 AM PDT The Motorola Fire will go on sale in late September at the fairly reasonable UK price of around £200, according to one retailer. But it's not the Motorola Fire that we reported on last week; it's actually the Motorola Pro that we reported on in, er, February. We're as confused as you over this whole naming-different-phones-the-same-thing scenario, and we've got a call in to Motorola to ask them to sort it out – or at least clarify what's going on. Unfortunately, the company is staying tight-lipped as it hasn't officially announced any release dates or pricing for either handset yet, but we're fairly confident that the Motorola Pro will now launch as the Motorola Fire. Seeing doubleSo forget the other one for a minute, this Motorola Fire comes with a physical QWERTY keyboard in a power-bar form, with 2.8-inch touchscreen and Android 2.3. It also offers a 3MP camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G and a 1GHz processor, which is not a bad selection of specs for the money. Clove, the retailer that unveiled the upcoming release date, doesn't think it will be stocking the full-touch version – that's the Motorola Fire XT531 that was unveiled last week – but it's possible that other UK retailers will. 
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| In Depth: Nikon D4 rumours: what you need to know Posted: 11 Aug 2011 08:30 AM PDT Speculation is rife that we might be about to see a Nikon D4 released onto the market soon. Several hints suggest that it will be revealed as soon as this month, which would make sense given that the D3 was released back four years ago, back in August 2007, with the D3s following two years later. Rumours suggest that the D4 will be announced at the same time as the expected DX format, the Nikon D400. Nikon D4 specsAny impending D4 would sit at the top of Nikon's range, aimed at professional photographers and featuring a full-frame sensor. The D3 and D3s are both equipped with a 12.1 megapixel sensor, which by today's standards seems quite low, so expect this to be increased in the new model, perhaps even past the 24-million pixel sensor currently found in the D3x. A recent report by Sony Alpha Rumors suggests that the D4 will use a "tweaked" Sony sensor, which is likely to be 36 megapixels. Nikon D4 nameWhether or not the new camera will be called the D4 is open to debate. The number four is unlucky in Japan, sounding close to the word for 'death'. Several other Japanese camera manufacturers, including Panasonic, have skipped the number in their line-ups altogether, so are we about to see a D5 instead? If the camera turns out to only be a minor upgrade, there's also the possibility that we could see a Nikon D3sII alongside a D3xII. 
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| Windows Phone 7 Mango release date 1 September? Posted: 11 Aug 2011 08:28 AM PDT The Windows Phone 7 Mango update could land on handsets as soon as 1 September, if the latest rumours prove to be true. Tech site Pocket-Lint has had a chat with 'multiple trusted sources' which all apparently confirmed the launch date. It does make a certain amount of sense; Microsoft has always claimed the software will be available to consumers in autumn, and no doubt wants to launch a host of handsets at the IFA 2011 trade show in Berlin. New phones ahoyWith HTC, Samsung and LG all expected to release new Windows Phone phones before the year is out, it could make IFA one to watch for phone lovers. Plus, Microsoft released the software to manufacturers in late July so it's entirely possible that the company is gearing up to a September launch. TechRadar nabbed some hands on time with an early build of Mango and deemed it to have "an extremely promising future". Will that future begin on 1 September? We'd say it's quite likely.
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| News Corp reveals just how much it lost on MySpace Posted: 11 Aug 2011 08:08 AM PDT News Corp's financials are in and with it the company has revealed just how much it lost on the sale of MySpace. The results were a mixed bag for a company that has had a number of upsets in recent weeks, including a hacking scandal which lead to the closure of the News Of The World and also meant the company had to back down on its bid to take full control of BSkyB. Before the hacking scandal, however, the company had also sold MySpace off for what has turned out to be a massive loss. Revenues upAccording to reports, News Corp's selling of MySpace lost the company 10 cents a share, which equates to a $254 million (£157 million) after-tax loss. It actually sold the social network for just $35 million (£22 million), even though it bought it for $580 million (£360 million) back in 2005. It wasn't all bad news. Despite a 22 per cent drop of earnings in the quarter, News Corp did manage to post better than expected revenues (11 per cent) and has upped its dividend as a result. 
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| Samsung Galaxy R looks set for UK release Posted: 11 Aug 2011 07:01 AM PDT Samsung now looks like it's going be bringing the Galaxy R to UK shores, complete with a Tegra 2 dual core chip. The new phone will be sold in 'North and East Europe', meaning it's likely the UK will get its own taste of the Galaxy S2 Lite, despite Samsung telling us something to the contrary last month. We call it Lite as Samsung seems to have dialled down all the specs of its behemoth-like sibling, including a 4.19-inch Super LCD screen, 8GB of built in memory and a heavier chassis of 131g. Smarter and fasterHowever, it does win in one department: there's a Tegra Zone app section on Android market designed to bring specially optimised games for the correctly-specified dual core phones. To aid this, there's also a GeForce GPU for faster gaming and web browsing, and of course we're treated to a spot of Android Gingerbread too. We're pushing for some kind of UK release date, and we expect it to be within the next month or two, with possibly the lowest price tag to date for a dual-core phone... so stay tuned while we attempt to dig out the info. 
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| GAMEfest 2011 gets Modern Warfare 3 showcase Posted: 11 Aug 2011 06:12 AM PDT UK games retailer GAME has announced that it will be the first to offer hands-on time with Modern Warfare 3 at its GAMEfest 2011 expo. Taking place at the Birmingham NEC 16-18 September, the expo will be showcasing Modern Warfare 3 and it will be the first time gamers in the UK will be able to get to play the much-anticipated game. Place to beSpeaking about the event, Anna-Marie Mason, marketing director at GAME said: "We are delighted that GAMEfest attendees can be the first consumers in the UK to have the opportunity to get hands-on with Modern Warfare 3 before it releases to the world. "We know that our customers love to be first to play and with this year's sneak peek of the newest instalment of Call of Duty, GAMEfest once again proves it is absolutely the place to be." The official Modern Warfare 3 UK official release date is 8 November. Tickets for the event are available now, at www.game.co.uk/gamefest. 
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| PM looking into social media clampdown after riots Posted: 11 Aug 2011 05:54 AM PDT In an emergency meeting with parliament today, prime minister David Cameron has revealed he is speaking to police about the role of social media in the riots and whether extreme measures like blocking those who are inciting violence through the sites. The riots that have taken place in London and other areas of the UK have been much documented on social network sites, where we have seen both the good and the bad of how people use the sites. Twitter was subject to much disinformation during the riots, but it also sparked the fantastic riot clean-up operations. A number of people, however, have already been arrested for using both Twitter and Facebook to encourage rioting. "Everyone watching these horrific actions will be struck by how they were organised via social media," explained Cameron. "Free flow of information can be used for good. But it can also be used for ill. "So we are working with the Police, the intelligence services and industry to look at whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality. "I have also asked the police if they need any other new powers." Social implicationsWhile Cameron doesn't seem to be talking about a wholesale ban of social-networking sites while disorder is taking place – you only have to look to Egypt to see the repercussions of this – there is much talk that if you are seen to incite anti-social behaviour you will be cut off. Quite how this will be policed is up to much debate. Later on in parliament, Cameron fielded another question about the videos and images of the riots that are appearing online and are seen to be glorifying the violence. In a pop at media-upload sites, he noted: "Everyone has responsibilities, including social media companies who are displaying these images and that is the why the home secretary will be in meetings [with these companies] to see what can be done." 
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| In Depth: Inside Panasonic's Hollywood labs Posted: 11 Aug 2011 05:45 AM PDT Panasonic believes it has an unbeatable advantage over rival 3D TV companies, a trump card so powerful that gives it an edge in every aspect of home entertainment. It's called the Panasonic Hollywood Laboratories (PHL for short) and it's the Japanese brand's fast track into the heart of Tinsel Town. PHL is literally a stone's throw from Universal Studios in Los Angeles and a short cab ride from the main studio lots. This proximity to the Hollywood creative community brings big rewards.
CODECS: PHL was responsible for both the AVC and Multiview codecs behind Blu-ray and Full HD 3D It's not uncommon to see an A-list director or DP drop by to talk tech, before availing themselves of screening rooms large and small. Infiltrating the inner circlePHL was established as a research and development facility back in 2001. At that time, the buzz in the biz was high-definition. Rather than work in isolation from Hollywood's heavy hitters, who were beating the drum loud for home hi-def, Panasonic's executives sought to become part of their inner circle. As it turns out, this was a shrewd move. Hollywood wanted to sell HD movies and Panasonic wanted to make the gear to play them. There was a profitable meeting of minds. Within a few short years, PHL had influenced the direction of HD for the home, through the development of the AVC Blu-ray codec, and kick-started the 3D revolution. Facility director James Mercs says: "For us 3D Blu-ray was a logical follow on from the excitement that was the theatrical 3D experience." PHL duly opened the 3D Innovation Centre Hollywood, on the PHL site "Our inspiration was James Cameron," says Mercs.
3D LOGIC: PHL director James Mercs says James Cameron has been a a major inspiration for the facility "He shared his vision with us early on. He passionately wanted to create the best possible 3D experience at home. This led us to form an early relationship with him and his development team at Lightstorm. This interaction was instrumental in accelerating our own understanding of 3D, and how we would go about bringing it to the home." Warning: Core technology research aheadTechRadar has visited PHL on several occasions, usually to witness a new technology launch, such as the roll-out of Full HD 3D. It's always exciting. A love of cinema and high technology is everywhere. Movie posters adorn the walkways and film toys and figures crowd the desks of the site's authoring wizards and engineers. Awards garnered by PHL sit in every nook and cranny. It's like Pixar for propeller-heads. Jeannine Patton is the director of the site's Blu-ray Authoring Center. "We have the distinction of being the only consumer electronics company in the world to conduct core technology research and title development right in the heart of the entertainment community," she tells us. "That affords us some very unique opportunities, like translating the requirements of film makers and content creators into product, through our relationship with the Player & Device development group in Osaka." The most recent example of this co-operation is the Panasonic's first 3D projector, the PT-AT5000E
DEVELOPED AT PHL: Panasonic's first 3D projector, the PT-AE5000, has been co-developed with the 3D Blu-ray engineers at PHL . 3D projection Hollywood styleKeen to catch up with rivals JVC and Sony in the 3D projection stakes, this new projector sports a number of innovations, including the first use of transparent LCD panels driven at 480Hz. Panasonic says this high-speed refresh rate all but eliminates crosstalk (double-imaging caused when part of the left eye image overlaps with the right), a bugbear of 3D TVs. PHL engineers took time out from their Blu-ray projects to play a key roll in the development and tuning of this projector. Their aim was to develop a light canon able to satisfy Hollywood's film making professionals. At the heart of the PT-AT5000E is a newly developed optical engine, which not only produces a claimed 300,000:1 contrast ratio, but outputs an industry-leading 2,000 lumens of brightness. This direct addresses a long held concern that watching 3D through Active Shutter glasses is just too dark. Another innovation is to use a 3D Viewing Monitor and 3D Picture Balance mode to minimize bad 3D effects, by ensuring stereoscopy is within the safety zone set forth by the 3D Consortium committee. Left and right eye images can be displayed side by side with individual waveform monitoring to adjust the stereoscopic picture balance.
OUTSIDE THE LAB: A short walk from Universal Studios, PHL often plays host to Hollywood A-listers This goes some way to addressing the growing concern within the Hollywood elite over bad 3D presentations, be it through clumsy post-conversion work or uncomfortable user experiences. Jeannine Patton says this is something PHL is uniquely placed to address. "We have a 3D innovation centre co-located here, which enables us to extend our reach and work with content developers." That daily interaction with Hollywood's visionaries is what PHL is all about, she says. "It's what makes us special." 
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| Robo-exoskeleton almost in production Posted: 11 Aug 2011 05:41 AM PDT Robotic exoskeletons have been a staple of Hollywood sci-fi since Sigourney Weaver lobbed an unfortunate Alien queen out of the hangar doors in Aliens. Now they're one step closer to reality thanks to the splendidly sinister Raytheon Sarcos group, which has demonstrated its XOS 2 robo-suit. The suit uses a series of hydraulics, sensors, actuators and controllers to lift heavy items, but also leaves users "agile enough to kick a soccer ball". Iron Man and Avengers actor Clark Gregg tried the suit, and described it as "the closest thing we have at the moment to the Iron Man suit". Plugged inTest engineer Rex Jameson said, "the XOS 2 is more fluid and stronger, I don't feel the strength but I know I can pick up more". Unfortunately, its achilles heel is that it needs to be tethered to a power supply - something Raytheon Sarcos is working on. "We wanted to reduce power consumption to make it more practical for non-tethered use," said Dr. Fraser Smith, Raytheon Sarcos's vice president of operations. Don't expect to be picking one up from Toys R Us just yet - the suit is still five years away from production, and set to be aimed predominantly at military users. 
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| Hands on: Samsung Galaxy S Plus review Posted: 11 Aug 2011 05:37 AM PDT We've managed to nab some time with a weird new phone: the Samsung Galaxy S Plus. We're not sure that we can even call it a new phone, as it's essentially the Samsung Galaxy S with a slight tweak under the hood. The phone itself bears a striking resemblance to the original Galaxy S - it's the same chassis if we're honest, apart from the fact the rim around the edge is now a glossy chrome rather than the darker silver offering we were treated to before.
The rest of the phone is almost identical, with the weight ever so slightly lower than its predecessor, which sadly means no flash on the 5MP camera... still. It's unforgivable really to have a phone that will cost towards the higher end of the scale without this basic feature.
The operation of the Samsung Galaxy S Plus is noticeably faster than the original, although not in general operation. The 1.4GHz processor (sadly only single core) is a 40% increase on the one used in the Galaxy S, and when opening and closing applications it's obviously more snappy. Another upgrade is the battery - we're now treated to a 1650mAh offering which means the terrible battery life of the original should be slightly mitigated, although it will be interesting to note whether the faster processor will be more juice-hungry.
The internet browser was snappy too - we were impressed that we could jump between web pages only a shade slower than the dual-core Galaxy S2, and Flash video loaded and played quickly, although we didn't get a chance to properly stress it with our normal full range.
The keyboard is the same as on the Galaxy S - we noticed absolutely no difference in this aspect - we had hoped for a couple of tweaks to improve this as it wasn't always the most accurate on the market.
At least it comes with Android 2.3.3 from the get-go - without it, we couldn't see a single person buying the phone. This means the same old battery and speed increases the Galaxy S brigade has been hankering after for so long. It's also popping TouchWiz 3.0 on top of the Android experience, like the Galaxy S - if only the new TouchWiz 4.0 overlay was on offer to make this a little more next-gen.
The Samsung Galaxy S Plus looks like it's going to be launching exclusively on Vodafone in the UK - but brace yourself for some bad news. The phone will likely launch for at least £30 per month in order to get a free phone, which is a huge price to pay for a phone with a processor and battery upgrade. When you consider that Samsung Galaxy S2 is available for a similar price widely on the web, it's hard to see who's going to be interested in last year's hardware - but kudos to Samsung for going back and beefing up the specs.
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| Intel investing $300m to make Ultrabook great Posted: 11 Aug 2011 04:55 AM PDT Intel's much-vaunted skinny-but-powerful Ultrabook laptop PCs have received a boost with the company's announcement of a $300 million fund (£185m) for the development of software and hardware. The Ultrabooks - which are said to deliver "a highly responsive and secure experience in a thin, light and elegant design" - are natural competitors to Apple's Macbook Air and other ultra-slim PCs. Intel's Capital Ultrabook Fund is set to invest in companies that specialise in hardware and software that will give the laptop longer battery life, as well as improve physical designs and storage. 'Cycle of innovation'The cash will be invested over the next three to four years, with the overall aim being to create a "cycle of innovation and system capabilities". Intel's Ultrabook strategy comprises of three stages, which begins with its second-generation Core processors later this year, then moves on to its Ivy Bridge processors in 2012, and concludes with Haswell chips in 2013. The Haswell chips are estimated to have half the power consumption of current chips. In addition, Intel has announced that the first Ultrabooks will be launched later this year at the under-$999 (£617) sweetspot. Lenovo, Asustek and Acer will be the first manufacturers to produce Ultrabooks. Despite powering the ubiquitous netbook and powerful desktop PCs, Intel has been out of the mobile innovation game for some time. Hopefully the Ultrabook will put the company back on track in this market. "The PC is the ultimate Darwinian device and Intel is striving to again reinvent mobile computing," said Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager of Intel's PC Client Group. 
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| Casio introduces 'silent' camera Posted: 11 Aug 2011 04:46 AM PDT Casio has introduced a new compact camera into its Exilim range. The first 'silent' camera in the range, it is designed for use in places such as museums, aquariums, restaurants and churches where a noisy camera might disturb. The EX-ZS100 also features a 12.5x optical zoom lens, which is capable of shooting 24mm wide angle up to 300mm at the telephoto zoom. The camera also sports a 14-million pixel CCD sensor. Macro shooting is available, with focusing as close as 1cm away. Advanced EasyCasio has also introduced a new 'Advanced Easy Mode' which means the camera automatically focuses at an object its pointed at, rather than having to use the traditional half-press to focus method as found on most digital compacts. The camera is also equipped with anti-shake mode and face detection, along with other recording modes such as Best Shot, Snapshot and Self-timer. When the new Silent Mode is activated, the camera settings are automatically configured to avoid disturbing others, such as suppressing the flash and removing all operation noises. The Casio Exilim EX-ZS100 price is £149.99 RRP and will be available from 18 August. 
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| Research warns of PlayBook security holes Posted: 11 Aug 2011 04:30 AM PDT The first independent study into the security credentials of the BlackBerry PlayBook has found a couple of causes for concern. The issues the NGS Secure team found included unintended access to the file system, flaws in relation to a third-party web server and a problem with the HDMI video interface. The company has made RIM aware of these security flaws and says that the company is making changes to address them. Can't count what you don't haveNGS Secure's main concern, however, is that some of the PlayBook's key functionality is yet to be released – with onboard email, calendar or contacts applications on the way, it's impossible to tell how secure the tablet will be. Currently, the PlayBook uses BlackBerry Bridge to access those features, meaning that the tablet itself should be as secure as the BlackBerry smartphone you're using it with. Andy Davis, research director at NGS Secure, commented that the missing functions mean that "if businesses are to take IT security as seriously as they should be, it is difficult for them to decide whether this technology is mature enough yet to be adopted in the enterprise. "Our advice to any business looking at tablet technology, or indeed any new technologies, is not to rush into implementing them until all aspects have been proven." It's pretty tenuous reasoning, but if you're super security conscious it may be a consideration. Still, if the PlayBook's good enough for the US government… 
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| Explained: Mozilla's vision for Boot to Gecko Posted: 11 Aug 2011 04:19 AM PDT Mozilla's on a mission: it wants to sort out the world of smartphones, enabling web-based apps to benefit from the same features as native apps. The ambitious project is called Boot to Gecko, and sounds like Mozilla's planning an entire mobile operating system. That raises all kinds of important questions, so we asked Mike Shaver, Mozilla's vice president of technical strategy, to share his thoughts. As Shaver explains, there's a growing gap between what web-based applications can do and what native applications can do: there are features that web apps can't access and proprietary APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that are only available to platform-specific developers. Mozilla would like to change that. "We believe that the next frontier for web applications is full device integration, so that web developers have the same capabilities as those building for OS-specific stacks," Shaver told TechRadar. "Boot To Gecko is intended to identify those missing device capabilities and other application needs, and design standardised solutions for app developers to use." That sounds like a pretty good description of HTML5, but Mozilla wants to offer developers more than just HTML5 features. "B2G would offer mobile users all the power of HTML5, extended with device capabilities like Bluetooth and SMS, a richer capability model for interaction with the filesystem, and a way to tie these 'native HTML5 apps' together," Shaver says. "The intent is very much that B2G leads to improved capabilities for the web platform, not that it replace HTML5 or related tech in any way. Many of these new capabilities will also make sense in desktop browsers, and we look forward to seeing them there as well." All together nowWhile Boot To Gecko is designed to address the shortcomings of current mobile browsers, Shaver doesn't see other browsers as targets; Mozilla wants other browser makers to start their photocopiers. "Ideally, the technology pioneered or refined in B2G will make its way into all mobile browsers, so that enhanced open web applications can be great regardless of operating system or device," he says. "We look forward to working with other OS and browser developers on standards activities and even implementations." One criticism of Boot To Gecko is that Mozilla might be punching above its weight here: after all, it took the might of Google to turn mobile Linux into the all-conquering Android. Can Boot To Gecko scale without a similarly deep-pocketed partner to get the mobile manufacturers and carriers on board? Shaver seems unconcerned. "B2G is designed to build on the success of the web, and given the early stage of the project it could reach users in many forms," he says. "We're certainly interested in working with OEMs and others who share our vision of even greater success for web-based applications." Web apps and mobile securityDesktop browsers have made increasing use of sandboxing - keeping the browser in a kind of walled compound, separate from the operating system - since the web became a vector for all kinds of exploits and malware, but a system such as Boot to Gecko is going in the other direction by giving the browser more access to the phone hardware, whether that's its camera, its USB ports, its GPS chip or any other component that web apps might find useful. "It absolutely raises security issues," Shaver admits, "and they're ones that we're taking very seriously." As he points out, "Installing applications on a mobile device right now raises similar security issues" - although on some platforms apps are vetted for security issues and pulled from the marketplace if they don't conform - and Mozilla is "looking at ways to improve on those existing models." So is Boot To Gecko a whole new platform? Shaver says no. "Boot To Gecko is definitely not designed to be another platform," he says. "It's a project to extend what developers can do with the web, especially in the context of mobile devices, and to do so in a way that leads to interoperable standards. Just as with HTML5, ES5, CSS3 and other web technology it will reach different browsers and different operating systems at different times, but the pace of web platform development gives us confidence that good web technology can reach a lot of people very quickly." The vision is to work across multiple platforms, not in opposition to them. "We don't want Boot To Gecko to lead to applications that only run atop Boot To Gecko, or that only run in Firefox," Shaver says. "That's an important difference between what we're doing and proprietary mobile stacks today. We don't want a competitive advantage for Mozilla. We want a competitive advantage for the web." To find out more about Boot To Gecko, check out the Mozilla Wiki. 
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| Mario on the iPhone? Nintendo investors want it Posted: 11 Aug 2011 04:05 AM PDT Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata has always been adamant that Mario won't ever be ported on to non-Nintendo consoles, but it seems that this is what some investors want to see happen. With the Nintendo 3DS suffering from poor sales and the Nintendo Wii U still some time off, things aren't exactly looking great for the games company. Because of this, a number of investors have been looking at ways the company can boost its income and one of these could be unleashing Mario on other mobile platforms like the iPhone and even on to social networking sites like Facebook. This business model has seen massive success for gaming companies such as PopCap, Zynga, Rovio and even EA. New battlefieldFund Manager Masamitsu Ohki, speaking to Bloomberg, believes that getting Mario on to phones may be one way to bring the money in. "Smartphones are the new battlefield for the gaming industry," explained Ohki. "Nintendo should try to either buy its way into this platform or develop something totally new." Mario's one-time nemesis Sonic made the successful transition to iOS devices earlier this year, with the blue hedgehog going back to its old-school roots in an episodic gaming format. Mario will be heading to the Nintendo 3DS on 13 November, with Super Mario 3D Land. 
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| Nintendo exec: Lack of great 3DS games killed momentum Posted: 11 Aug 2011 03:31 AM PDT Nintendo's failure to offer strong games at launch is responsible for poor sales of the Nintendo 3DS handheld console, according to the company's US president. The lack of major games was actually highlighted in Nintendo's financial reports as a reason behind the failure to sell more than 710,000 Nintendo 3DS consoles in the last quarter, and the always vocal Reggie Fils-Aime expanded on this in USA Today. "We needed to have key franchises and stronger first-party titles," he said. "Certainly, we needed to have stronger support at the launch from a first-party perspective and maybe have some of these key first-party titles earlier in the launch window in order to get the system selling stronger at the start and, ongoing, drive momentum." SlashedThe price of the 3Ds has now been slashed by Nintendo, as it tries to regain its early momentum and attract new buyers. "We've seen very positive reaction to the digital offerings but it needed to be much sooner in the launch window, added Fils-Aime. "As a result that created a situation where the momentum wasn't sustained. And that's why we have now had to go back and reduce the price and reduce the price by a large amount in order to make sure we have stronger momentum beginning on Friday and powering through. "It's a situation where we weren't able to sustain those first few strong positive weeks. This is a momentum business and when you don't have the momentum it creates a tough situation whether it's with retailers or with third-party publishers who become a bit more reluctant to support a platform." 
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| Posted: 11 Aug 2011 03:30 AM PDT Cyrus currently offers two Digital to Analogue Converters, the DAC X+ we have here and the DAC XP+ (the latter also includes a preamplifier). You might think this one has some preamp functionality, given the presence of what looks remarkably like a volume control on the front, but the rotary knob is actually used for set up functions, including the rather appealing option to name the inputs to something relevant. And if you hanker after a built-in preamp later, you can always return your DAC X+ to the Cyrus factory for an upgrade to XP+ status. Cyrus has always been good at this upgrade thing, of course. One of its most successful optional extras is the PSX-R power supply, a stonking great transformer in a Cyrus box, alongside some very high-performance supply regulation circuits. The transformer built into the X+ is followed by several regulators and these supply juice to a pair of DAC boards, each one sporting a good-quality DAC chip and a handful of op-amps plus decent quality plastic-film capacitors. There's actually quite a lot of analogue circuitry, not least because of the requirement to drive balanced outputs, two sets of which grace the rear of the unit. As for inputs, there are six in total, all S/PDIF – two optical and four electrical. There's also an optical digital output which simply relays the chosen source for recording or multichannel decoding purposes.
The lack of a USB input slightly dates this unit, though one can pick up USB-S/PDIF convertors for well under £100. Sound qualityAn arguably more serious indictment of this DAC's age (it's one of the longest-serving here) came in terms of comments on its sound. Criticism wasn't strong, but our blind listeners would have liked some more detail and insight, especially in musical lines below the top one. As one listener pointed out, there seems to be a consistent dullness in voices and instruments, making the music quite forthright, but ultimately less engaging. Conversely, brighter-sounding melody instruments seem even more cutting than usual – hard-played lead guitar, for example, which developed a degree of 'fizz' in our Led Zeppelin track. To some extent this is ameliorated by a strong and well-placed bass, but the balance does seem a little treble-heavy on average. In fact, the business about dullness of accompaniment is a complex one. When, as happens from time to time, the melody is in a low-ish register it still seems to be unduly prominent, so clearly the issue is not simply tonal imbalance. Rather, it's the lack of detail that's the crucial issue, with foreground material grabbing more than its fair share of attention. The background doesn't so much recede as lose the listener's focus – one is less aware of it and interesting little details slip by unnoticed. A similar thing happens with stereo imaging. On the positive side, we found this DAC to be quite unfussy about digital sources. Overall, though, it just doesn't quite have the resolution we'd hope to find in an upmarket digital-to-analogue convertor. 
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| OnLive UK launch date set for 22 September Posted: 11 Aug 2011 03:25 AM PDT OnLive's UK launch date has been set for 22 September, when we'll finally get our gaming hands on its instant-play video game streaming service. The 100-strong launch line-up includes titles like Dirt 3, Lego Harry Potter, F.E.A.R. 3 Multiplayer and Lego Batman, which you can demo, rent or buy through the service. You'll then be able to play them on an HDTV, PC, Mac, iPad or Android tablet. Transformer"OnLive will utterly transform gaming in the UK," said OnLive Founder and CEO Steve Perlman, not afraid to dabble in a spot of hyperbole. "No discs, big downloads or specialised hardware needed." The launch is set to coincide with the 2011 Eurogamer Expo London, where OnLive will be showing off sneak previews of upcoming games and tech. HTC invested £25 million in OnLive earlier this year, which leads us to suspect that we'll see the company launch a dedicated gaming platform on its HTC Flyer tablet, perhaps to coincide with the launch of the HTC Puccini. Eager UK beavers have already been able to sign up and reserve their OnLive player tags but there's still time to get priority access in advance of the launch over at OnLive.co.uk. 
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| Posted: 11 Aug 2011 03:00 AM PDT NAD seems to have stuck to its established tradition with the C446 network audio player (the C in the model signifies it being a member of the Classic range). Like the pioneering 3020 amplifier of many years ago, it is outwardly a giant-killer, giving the sort of musical performance for which you would expect to pay a lot more money, but with an appearance that you might call utilitarian. Highly revealingIf you are enthusiastic about terrestrial radio, the C446 is thoroughly well equipped to deliver these services. It even sounds palatable with bandwidth-limited DAB broadcasts, playing through a highly revealing system. The presentation has unusual, but welcome depth and presence and is far more engaging than any DAB radio has the right to be. Naturally, the C446 makes an equally fine task of servicing internet radio. Note that selecting and adjusting all the available sources is accomplished through the fascia buttons and rotary control, with the supplied remote control handset, or with an iPhone/iPad app, an Android device or a PC that is running Windows 7. Setting up favourites on the internet radio can be done through NAD's wi-fi radio portal at vtuner. nadelectronics.com. The C446 also comes fully prepared to play Last.fm, once, of course, you have paid your subscription to the service. You can also play music from a USB memory stick or hard disk connected to the front panel port.
If you do not have a compatible iPod dock, the cable supplied with an iPhone (USB to iPhone jack) does not perform its usual function, so better put £100 aside for a NAD IPD dock. The C446 will deliver its output as an analogue signal, through RCA sockets, or digitally, through a TOSLINK connection. This discovery sent us rummaging through a pile of wires – or, more correctly the wires and fibre optic box – to find a suitable interconnect. We found that a Chord Company Optichord lead, provided a reliable and sturdy optical connection through this fragile medium. Our primary interest, however, lay with the media player portion of the C446, which can be served either with a wi-fi input or through a wired Ethernet connection, which was the preferred option, so that its sound could be reliably compared to that of other streamers available to us. In fairness, however, we have to say that the wi-fi connection seemed to work extremely well, with no suggestion of any flakiness. The sound has a remarkable sense of solidity and purpose. Regardless, we connected it to a pair of NAS units on a GigaBit network: a VortexBox Appliance, running Twonky v5 and a self-built unit running Asset v3. Porsche GT3The C446 tops out below 24-bit/96kHz recordings, although the literature implies otherwise, with talk of a 24-bit/192kHz DAC. According to NAD, the C446 DAC can handle sampling frequencies up to 192kHz, but in reality that appears not to be the case. The most we were able to play were 24-bit/48kHz rips, which often sounded superior to 16-bit/44.1kHz material. But if you frequently purchase high-resolution 24-bit/96kHz recordings from HDTracks.com, or a similar web store you will be disappointed and will need to look at another player, such as the Marantz NA7004, for example.
Effectively, NAD has built what looks to be a Porsche GT3, but equipped it with the engine from a 1970's 1200cc Volkswagen Beetle. It is disappointing for those who want to buy higher resolution downloads and anyone who transfers their vinyl onto hard disc: that transcription process is such a palaver that it is really not worth considering low bit and sample rates. The unit is rather Spartan inside, with a noticeably compact power supply PCB, with a matchbox-sized transformer. There is certainly not the humungous, weighty toroidal transformer that one would expect inside a piece of equipment offering high-end performance. Regardless, we heard no signs of the power supply buckling under the pressure of playing music, so all appeared well. Its performance on radio sources seemed rather outstanding, in particular the way it refused to sound ethereal or thin and wispy. Instead it sounds full-bodied and firmly rooted and renders voices with remarkable conviction. Performers on Radio 4 broadcasts sound appreciably 'real', three-dimensional and free from any coloration – no chestiness or adenoidal afflictions are evident. CD-quality ripsThe resolution restriction is unfortunate, because the C446 is otherwise a very fine-sounding network player. With music being supplied from a VortexBox Appliance NAS, through a NetGear GS108 Gigabit switch, the sound from the C446 instantly impresses with its rhythm, dynamism and natural sweetness. Listening to CD-quality rips, it sounds thoroughly engaging and renders music in a wholly plausible fashion. It sounds smooth and composed, even on lively, maybe slightly over-enthusiastic, recordings. For instance, on Licensed to Ill it makes the Beastie Boys sound like the middle class, Jewish preppies they were and not the hard-core gangsta rappers they seemed to want to be. The player seems to have the knack for digging out details that are musically relevant. On the Tedeschi Trucks Band album Revelator, it has no trouble in letting the listener know which guitar is playing up front: Derek Trucks' Gibson SG, or Susan Tedeschi's trademark Fender Telecaster, or less frequently her solid-bodied D'Angelico. It finds no difficulty in rendering the timbre of the guitars accurately and easily conveys the player's attack on the strings and the tonal qualities they wrung from their instruments through their different approaches to playing (neither is a big fan of pedal-boards.) The C446 was equally informative with vocal performances: it vividly differentiates the qualities of Susan Tedeschi and Sandy Denny's voices, revealing the latter to be finely honed, powerful and technically excellent, while Tedeschi's perhaps lacks that English refinement and polish, but more than makes up for it with soul, passion and emotive power. Listening to The Allman Brothers Band playing In Memory of Elizabeth Reed on Live at Fillmore East, the interplay between Duane Allman and Dickey Betts' playing is nothing short of heart-aching and sublimely beautiful. Equally, Greg Allman's keyboards and the mighty, two drumkit and bass rhythm section provoke similar reactions, when you hear their playing unveiled and open to scrupulous, but effortless inspection. Leading contenderThere is no doubt that the C446 is a leading contender for anyone who is content listening to MP3s and CD rips, but if you demand higher resolution, then its restriction to 24-bit/48kHz recordings is too limiting in a world where 24-bit/96kHz downloads are fast becoming ubiquitous and the 'hi-res' norm. Our only other concern is that you need an additional iPod dock to listen to tunes on your iPad, iPod, or iPhone. The Marantz NA7004, with Apple Airplay, allows no additional extra cost access to your iPod along with iTunes and as well as giving access to its internal DAC to other sources, makes the C446 look distinctly uncompetitive. 
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| HTC partners with Beats by Dr Dre to clean up mobile audio Posted: 11 Aug 2011 02:56 AM PDT HTC has announced a new partnership with Beats by Dr Dre, the fruits of which will be a range of smartphones with integrated Beats sound innovations later this year. The 'strategic investment' on HTC's part will likely have cost the company a fair chunk of cash, with $300 million apparently the agreed sum for a 51 per cent stake in Beats Electronics. Aside from enjoying the significant cash injection, Beats wants to improve the quality of digital music according to chairman Jimmy Iovine. Dre unavailable for comment"For Beats by Dr. Dre, this represents a critical step in our continued mission to clean up the destruction of audio caused by the digital revolution; and reengineer how sound is delivered so that the consumer feels the music the way that the artist intended," he said. Peter Chou, HTC's CEO, thinks the partnership will "provide customers with unbeatable sound on HTC phones." The first HTC handsets with Beats by Dr Dre will arrive in the autumn, just in time to sneak their way onto your Christmas wishlist. 
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| Review: Cambridge Audio iD100 iPod/Pad dock Posted: 11 Aug 2011 02:30 AM PDT This not a review of the iPad, but the rather neat little digital dock upon which it rests: the Cambridge Audio iD100. The iD100 will operate with various iPods, iPhones and the iPad, from which it will extract a pure digital output that it then delivers to a stand-alone DAC or the digital input on your amplifier (if it has one) for maximum performance. Pure digital out from the iPod/ iPhone/iPad is definitely the way to go for the best sound quality. The digital outputs on the dock include TOSLINK, S/PDIF coaxial, and AES/EBU balanced through an XLR connector. There is also a USB connector to allow your iDevice to communicate with iTunes. Audio flexibilityAs well as this useful audio flexibility, the unit furthermore has a switchable video output so that you can view your stored video content through your TV, courtesy of its composite or component connection. The iD100 comes with rubber adaptors (cushion-like supports) to allow the various Apple devices to connect to the seemingly fragile Apple connector without straining it. The supplied remote control enables you to control, charge and synchronise the iPad – through the USB connection to your computer – while it is connected to the dock. You just need a standard USB 2.0 type A to type B cable for this connection. Substantial engineeringThe last thing you need in a dock, particularly one that can accommodate the relatively large-screen of a £650 iPad, is any instability. The metal-cased iD100 is reassuringly sure-footed even though it is not unduly weighty. The unit comes with a wall-wart switched-mode power supply, which you could swap for a linear supply from a third-party supplier if your system has a particular aversion to these now-ubiquitous devices. Typical of Cambridge Audio products, it almost goes without saying that the iD100 is substantially engineered and offers outstanding performance and versatility for the money. And, of course, the unit works straight out of the box without any undue faffing about, which is what any fan of iGadgets expects these days. Rewarding performanceWe tested the unit feeding the digital input on a Naim UnitiQute through an inexpensive Chord Company Codac digital interconnect. Unlike several iPod docks we have experienced, the musical performance of the iD100 comes as a truly pleasant surprise. Apple Lossless CD rips have solid bass, a rewardingly open and detailed midrange and unexpectedly delicate treble with no 'splash' or emphasis of sibilance. The vocals, in particular, on the Squeeze track Cool for Cats are especially well articulated, as is Glenn Tilbrook's dexterous guitar work on Another Nail in my Heart. Most importantly, the iD100 preserves the dynamics and rhythm of the music and the album rocks exactly the way it should. Similarly, the portrayal of Colin Hay's vocals on his Gathering Mercury album are magnificent, conveying the depth of feeling in his voice on songs such as Send Somebody and Dear Father to the point of listeners becoming visibly moved. Even pop albums from the likes of Adele and country-rock from Jerry Lee Lewis demonstrates that Apple Lossless is a fine file format if you demand music on your iPod with its full quotient of get-up-and-go. MP3s – even those encoded at the highest bit-rate – do not match the performance of ALAC files, but sound more acceptable than usual, nonetheless. For example, Tal Wilkenfeld does not sound as refined as the ALAC version does. There is neither the same detail nor the grip and control evident with the MP3. Finest soundIn short, fill your iTunes library with Apple Lossless music and you will quickly discover that the Cambridge Audio iD100 produces possibly the finest sound you will hear from any iPod dock. Just remember to use a decent digital cable to connect it to your DAC or amplifier. And remember to charge it fully beforehand for the best sound quality. 
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