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Thursday, August 18, 2011

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Apple to bring MagSafe charging to iOS devices

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 08:05 PM PDT

Apple has successfully applied for a patent to bring its Mac-saving MagSave power cable technology to iOS devices.

The magnetic charging solution, introduced in 2006, has saved countless MacBooks from potential disaster at the hands of clumsy owners.

Instead of dragging the device to the ground when you trip over the cable, the MagSafe connector just pops right out, leaving you with just a slight tinge of embarrassment rather than a large repair bill.

Trademarked

Now Apple has trademarked the tech with the US Patent Office in order to transfer MagSafe and bring piece of mind to iPad and iPhone owners.

The filing, revealed by the PatentlyApple website, says: "In one particular embodiment, the connector may be a power connector such as the MagSafe."

So there you have it, the days of self-inflicted, gadget-smashing mis-steps could be over.

It probably won't be in time for the next generation iPhone, but soon you'll be able to trip and fall as merrily as you like without taking your precious smartphone with you.

Link: PatentlyApple (via Engadget)

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EA to reprise Desert Strike and Road Rash?

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 04:30 PM PDT

Electronic Arts is planning to bring back 'a couple' of classic gaming franchises, according to the head of EA Labels.

Frank Gibeau, formerly the head of EA Games, hinted that beloved 90s titles like Desert Strike and Road Rash may be updated for the modern era.

Speaking to CVG at Gamescon 2011 in Cologne, Gibeau says that EA won't bring back titles for the sake of it, but will embrace the opportunity to add new elements to celebrated classics.

He said: "We do have a couple of old franchises that we're looking at right now... reimagining them and bringing them back."

25 years

"We've got 25 years of good IPs and I've worked on a few of them in my career like Road Rash and the Strike series. So I have a strong affinity for a lot of the things we've done in the past.


"We kind of have a rule which is you've got to have a really good reason to bring something back - What can you do to it that makes it fresh and brings something new to the equation of the franchise?

"But when we look at Road Rash, the Strike series or some of these other franchises we really challenge ourselves. We can't just put them on new tech with the same gameplay from ten years ago, we've got to have something new. That's the typical challenge that we have."

Both Desert Strike (along with the Jungle Strike and Urban Strike sequels) and Road Rash stand out as some of the most fondly remembered titles from the Sega Megadrive era and any revamp for the PS3, Xbox or iOS devices would be welcome.

Link: CVG

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Google's Photovine sharing app goes live

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 03:03 PM PDT

Google has released its new Photovine photo-sharing app into the wild for iOS users.

The new application which, strangely enough, is only available for Apple devices, has been available in private beta but is now live on the App Store for all users.

Photovine allows users to add photographs taken on the device's camera to "Vines" which are thematic collaborations from all users of the application.

Vines are effectively categories, so you can add your own pictures to threads like "At My Bedside" or "Things I see when travelling" or "Sunrises."

Plant a photo

You can also start your own Vines, hence the tag-line "plant a photo and watch it grow."

The app isn't just limited to interacting with random users of the service, you can sync Photovine with your Facebook and Twitter contacts to enable you to follow friends' activities more closely.

The Photovine service resembles the likes of Piictu and Instagram with a touch more social thrown in, as well as the chance to interact with new people through the beautiful medium of photography.

Link: Huffington Post

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Amazon hires first author to publishing company

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 02:09 PM PDT

Amazon has signed its first author as it attempts to make its mark as a book publishing, as well as a book selling, powerhouse.

The company has snagged the services of self-help guru Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour series, and will publish all of his future works.

The first of which, The 4-Hour Chef, will arrive in hardback, audio and, of course, ebook format next spring.

Ferriss says that the deal will open a lot of doors for himself and other authors.

"Amazon has a one-to-one relationship with every one of their customers," he said. "You can just imagine the possibilities that opens up."

"The opportunity to partner with a technology company that is embracing publishing is very different than partnering with a publisher embracing technology."

Monopolistic

The move allows Amazon to cut out the middle man, something that has angered the traditional publishing houses who believe Amazon Publishing is another attempt to put them out of business.

HaperCollins UK CEO Victoria Barnsley reckons the developments are "obviously a concern"

She added: "They are also a very important customer of ours and they have done fantastic things for the book industry.

"I have mixed views about them but there's no doubt they are very, very powerful now and in fact they are getting close to being in a monopolistic situation."

Amazon stepped up its efforts to establish itself in the publishing game earlier this year by hiring former New York editor Larry Kirshbaum to head up Amazon Publishing.

Link: New York Times

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Motorola Xoom to get Android 3.2 update in September

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 10:23 AM PDT

Motorola has announced that its Honeycomb-running tablet, the Motorola Xoom, is set to get the Android 3.2 update in the UK in September.

The Android 3.2 update will be relatively minor compared to the 3.1 release that Xoom owners were treated to earlier this month.

New features include a number of unspecified "optimisations", pixel-scaled zoom for fixed-size apps intended for smaller screens and the ability to sync media from an SD card.

United States of Android

Lucky Xoom-wielding Yanks have been enjoying the Android 3.2 software for some time now – it's not clear exactly why UK users have had to wait a bit longer for the improvements.

Still, we'd expect Moto products to get a bit of preferential treatment now that it is set to become part of the Google family.

The exact release date for the UK's Motorola Xoom Android 3.2 update hasn't been set, so keep your eyes peeled for a more specific update coming soon.

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Tablet purchases to blame for slowing UK PC sales

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 09:10 AM PDT

PC sales in the UK continued to fall in Q2 2011 according to Gartner, with just 2.5 million desktop and laptop computers sold between April and June.

The continued slow-down, a drop of 15 per cent compared to the same period in 2010, was blamed on tightened consumer belts as well as focus shifting to tablets and smartphones.

However, as enthusiastically as Apple tried to sell it to us, it's not a case of the UK moving to a post-PC world. According to Gartner, we're still using PCs; we're just not buying them.

Down but not out

"Most [UK] consumers continue to hold back spending on PCs by extending life cycles on existing PCs and purchasing other devices," said Isabelle Durand, principal analyst at Gartner.

"PCs are not attracting consumers' disposable income, particularly in light of alternative devices," she added, most likely referring to tablets like the Apple iPad 2, which enjoyed global shipments of over 15 million units in the same quarter.

"While remaining an important device to consumers, there are few compelling technological reasons to drive PC replacements."

Still, Jobs and co can enjoy one small victory: only Apple and Samsung saw growth in the UK PC market with Acer proving the biggest loser of the group, declining by an astonishing 47 per cent.



Review: Acer Aspire Ethos 8951G

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 08:50 AM PDT

These days we're seeing a lot more slim and light ultraportable laptops. Rising up against these size zero models is the Acer Aspire Ethos 8951G.

Like the Dell XPS 15z and the Macbook Pro 17 inch, this is all about packing in huge amounts of power, and who cares if it's on the chunky side. After all, as our mothers told us: it's not the outside, it's what's on the inside that counts.

As with the previous Ethos models, the Acer Aspire Ethos 8951G is an entertainment centre that's designed to sit on your desk at home.

Crushing the scales at 4.2kg, you wouldn't want to carry this laptop any further than the next room, to avoid popping a couple of vertebrae.

That said, we were impressed at how thin the Ethos is. Sure, 40mm can't really be described as 'thin', when you consider that the Samsung 9000 series measures just a smidgen over 10mm. But considering the girth of this machine, it's comparatively slender.

We also liked the smart design, which follows the XPS 15z's mantra of 'keep it simple'. The dark chassis has a brushed metal finish that spreads everywhere except the palmrests, and it looks as solid as it feels.

We didn't find any hint of flex no matter how hard we poked and prodded, which is to be expected at this price point.

One of the most interesting new features of the Ethos 8951G is the detachable touchpad. In previous models, the touchpad converted to a media control panel at the press of a button.

This laptop has the same gimmick. One push of the corner gives you fast access to the Clear-Fi application, which is a media hub for enjoying your photos, films and music. Another press brings up the play, skip, pause and volume controls, and a third press returns the touchpad to normal.

On the previous models this was nice, but of limited use as you had to be sat in front of the Ethos to use it. However, the Ethos 8951G lets you remove the entire touchpad by flicking a switch, so you can use it from across the room to control your media.

It's a smart idea that works well. Even when we positioned ourselves across the other side of the office, the laptop still responded perfectly to the infrared remote.

Of course, it isn't a perfect solution. You're limited to the basic pause/play/skip and volume controls, and if you wish to go full-screen or fiddle with other settings, you need to change back to touchpad mode and fiddle around.

While the touchpad works fairly well as a remote, it works rather less well as a touchpad. For some reason, the responsiveness is all over the place, with sensitivity levels dying as you slide your finger towards the edges.

In fact, swiping the right edge did nothing at all. We'd actually recommend using a USB mouse with this laptop, to avoid frustration.

Thankfully the keyboard is typically great for an Acer laptop. As usual, an isolation-style design has been used, with each key poking up through an individual hole cut in the Ethos 8951G's chassis.

It's a well laid out board and a great size for touch typing, despite the tiny left Shift key.

The arrow keys are sadly squashed beneath the right Shift key, which seems unnecessary considering the room Acer had to play with. Still, you do get a separate numeric pad, which is useful if you're a spreadsheet junkie.

Acer aspire ethos 8951g

Since the Acer Aspire Ethos 8951G is a multimedia machine at heart, we were keen to test out the huge 18.4-inch screen by kicking back with a sack of Blu-rays and a vat of popcorn.

That's right, we said Blu-rays, not crummy old DVDs. Acer has included Sony's HD technology so you can enjoy films the way they're meant to be seen, with ultra-crisp visuals.

Of course, you can still play DVDs on the drive, so you don't need to part with your collection just yet.

The Ethos 8951G's display features a sharp 1920 x 1080 WUXGA resolution, making it perfect for taking in Full HD 1080p movies and shows.

HD films really do look amazing on this machine. Contrast levels are excellent, blacks actually look black, as opposed to grey, and colours are rich and vibrant.

Viewing angles aren't too bad either, so you can happily enjoy a movie with your family, spread out on the sofa. You don't even have to get up thanks to the detachable touchpad/remote control.

A good chunk of space above the keyboard is dedicated to the built-in speakers. Although laptop speakers are usually as powerful as a gnat's fart, we were expecting great things from the Ethos 8951G. Those expectations were sadly dashed on the rocky plateau of disappointment.

The sound quality is fine, but there's a serious lack of power. Even on top volume, we were straining to hear over ambient office noise.

This is especially disappointing considering how powerful the Dell XPS 15z's speakers were. If you want to truly enjoy a movie or some bass-heavy music, you'll definitely want to attach some USB speakers.

Those with enormous media collections are well catered for by the 1.5TB hard drive, which provides enough space for hundreds of thousands of songs and photos, and hundreds of HD movies.

If you need even more space or simply wish to back up your collection, you can attach an external drive using the eSATA port, or slip a memory card into the multi-card reader.

You also get four USB ports, one of which is USB 3.0, in addition to VGA and HDMI connections for hooking up external monitors or televisions. Acer has even included mini-Firewire, which we rarely see on laptops these days.

Rounding off the features is the almost-obligatory fingerprint scanner, which provides a satisfactory alternative to remembering ridiculously complex passwords.

Acer aspire ethos 8951g

When we saw the specs list for the Acer Aspire Ethos 8951G, we certainly weren't disappointed. Acer has stuffed in one of Intel's latest Sandy Bridge processors, the Core i7 2630QM, which runs at 2GHz.

Backed up by a mammoth 8GB of RAM, it was obvious that the Ethos would destroy our benchmarking tests.

And destroy it did. We didn't think the Dell XPS 15z's CineBench score of 11,474 would be beaten any time soon, but the Ethos 8951G topped it with a score of 12,633.

The Intel CPU's eight cores are perfect for multi-tasking, while software loads up almost instantly. No matter what we were doing, this laptop provided a smooth, fast experience.

Since the Ethos 8951G was built for enjoying media, Acer has included a dedicated nVidia GeForce GT 555M graphics card.

Most modern games that we tried ran fine, although we had to turn down detail levels on more demanding titles. HD films ran smoothly as expected, as well as video editing software.

The dedicated graphics make full use of nVidia's Optimus technology, powering down when you're doing basic tasks such as bashing out an email.

In these cases the basic integrated graphics on the motherboard take over, to save power. As a result, the Ethos 8951G's battery lasts for a full three hours when you aren't playing games, and even longer if you turn down brightness levels and performance settings.

This was much longer than we expected considering the high specs and huge screen. Okay, so the battery life isn't really a significant factor considering the size of this machine, but at least you won't have to drag the charger as well as the laptop when you shift to another room.

Benchmarks

CineBench: 12633

3DMark 06: 9989

Battery Eater: 185 mins

Acer aspire ethos 8951g

Acer's Ethos range are built for entertainment, and aimed squarely at those who want a smart and powerful portable for enjoying their games and media collection. We're big fans of previous Ethos models, so gleefully put the Aspire Ethos 8951G through its paces.

We liked

Featuring one of Intel's most powerful Intel Core i7 mobile processors and a mighty 8GB of memory, the Ethos 8951G is a better performer that ten Ron Jeremys. You're fully future-proofed and can multi-task to your heart's content.

You'll have no trouble running the latest games (although some detail fiddling is required on the most demanding titles), which look fantastic on the bright and vibrant 18.4-inch screen. The Full HD 1080p resolution means both games and Blu-ray films are presented at their best.

And now you can enjoy movies from the comfort of your sofa, thanks to the detachable touchpad which doubles as a remote. It's a cool gimmick, although not entirely perfect.

Finally, the generous 1.5TB hard drive means you won't have to constantly remove old films and games to add new ones.

We disliked

As with previous Ethos models, this bad boy is best left at home. The 4.2kg weight will break your back if you attempt to lug it around on a regular basis, and it isn't the easiest to slip into a bag or rucksack. We were impressed by the three-hour battery life though.

The Ethos 8951G has few flaws, but we were disappointed by the rubbish touchpad. It works fairly well as a remote control, but not so well as a device for moving the mouse cursor around. We'd have also preferred more powerful built-in speakers.

Verdict

As a home entertainment machine, the Acer Aspire Ethos 8951G does almost everything right. Attach a mouse and some decent speakers and you're set.

In Depth: PS Vita: what you need to know

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 08:28 AM PDT

It's here! And by "here!" we mean "nearly here!" After much rumour and speculation, Sony has announced that the new PSP - formerly codenamed NGP for Next Generation Portable - will be called the PlayStation Vita.

So what are the PS Vita specs, when will the UK release date be and how much will it cost?

PS Vita UK price will start at £229.99

The UK pre-order price for the Sony PlayStation Vita has been revealed, with both Play and Game offering the handheld for £279.99 (3G) and £229.99 (Wi-Fi).

As the more eagle-eyed of you will notice, this is a near like-for-like dollar and pounds pricing strategy, something us in the UK are unfortunately getting used to now.

There was originally a credible previously rumoured pricing. Given that the Wi-Fi only version of the new PlayStation Vita would be $249 in the US and €249 in Europe, an unnamed source told CVG that the UK price will be "in the region of £235". However, this would now appear to be untrue.

PlayStation Vita UK release date will NOT be before Christmas

Nobody expected Sony to miss the all-important Christmas shopping period, but it looks like it's going to. While the release date was originally planned for October 2011 (aflyer from Blockbuster put the PS Vita release dateat 28 October), Sony has now said that the PlayStation Vita UK release date has been pushed to 2012 - boo!

PlayStation Vita will come in two versions

In addition to the Wi-Fi only version, which does 802.11b, g and n, the PS Vita will also be available with integrated 3G. This will cost slightly more money.

The PlayStation Vita specifications are pretty tasty

The PSP's replacement has a five-inch, 16 million colour 960x544 OLED touchscreen, twin cameras, twin speakers, two turntables and a microphone. We're lying about the turntables.

You also get twin analogue sticks and a ridiculously powerful quad-core processor based on the ARM Cortex A9, the same kind of processor you'll find in many top-end tablets. Expect four to five hours of battery life.

PS vita

Some reports suggested that the PS Vita's memory would be slashed to cut costs. But according to a Sony press release in mid-August this isn't the case as the specs reveal that it will indeed have 512MB of RAM and some 128MB of VRAM to go alongside this.

The PlayStation Vita specs include a touch-sensitive back

The PS Vita has a touch-sensitive back so you can control the on-screen action without hiding it behind your fingers. The screen's multi-touch too. The combination of a touchy front and back is fascinating - Sony talks about it enabling "touch, grab, trace, push and pull hand movements."

Samsung might be making the PS Vita's processor

Sony's new PS Vita will reportedly be powered by a Samsung manufactured CPU, according to Japanese trade newspaper Semiconductor Industry News.

The new CPU for Sony's latest handheld will apparently be made using a 45 nanometre process.

The PlayStation Vita specs include POWERVR graphics

The PS Vita doesn't just have that nifty quad-core processor: it's got a quad-core PowerVR graphics processor too. We can summarise its spec in one word: mighty.

Other features include a screen resolution of 640x480 (VGA) and frame rates will be 60 frames per second. This can be doubled, however, to 120fps but the resolution is cut to 320x240 (QVGA).

The PlayStation Vita specifications include GPS

Sony promises that the Vita's built-in GPS will mean some interesting location-aware games via the PlayStation Network, and an application called Near will let you know if your friends are, you've guessed it, near you.

The Vita also includes a three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer and three-axis electronic compass for handheld-waggling motion-controlled tomfoolery.

The PS Vita may double as a PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4 controller

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe R&D manager Phil Rogers told delegates at the recent Develop conference that gamers would be able to use the PS Vita to "drive a display from a PS3 game, for example."

"PS3 can send data down to Vita and Vita can display it. You could use the unique features – gyroscope, touch front and back – as a control device for a PS3 game," the Sony exec added.

The PlayStation Vita does things with rabbit ears

From the Sony press release: 'by having both Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity, together with various applications, PS Vita will enable infinite possibilities for users to "encounter," "connect," "discover," "share" and "play" with friends wherever they are.' That "sounds" quite "good", doesn't "it"?

PlayStation Vita games

New titles scheduled to be released from SCE Worldwide Studios include Gravity Daze, Uncharted Golden Abyss, Little Deviants, Hot Shots Golf, Reality Fighter, Hustle Kings, ModNation Racers, Wipeout 2048 and Super Stardust Delta.

In a press release at Gamescom 2011, Ubisoft announced the development of six games for PlayStation Vita: Assassin's Creed, Rayman Origins, Lumines, Asphalt, Dungeon Hunter Alliance and Michael Jackson the Experience.

Other PlayStation Vita games, such as Capcom's Street Fighter X Tekken, will be available from third-party game developers and publishers.

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Samsung praises Google's Motorola purchase

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 08:19 AM PDT

While Samsung has released a statement praising the 'protection' that Google's purchase of Motorola will bring Android, in reality the company is said to be concerned at the power shift in the smartphone industry.

According to Yonhap News, Samsung's chairman Lee Kun-hee called an emergency meeting after the deal was announced, warning execs that hardware manufacturers are losing power while those who control the software are able to call the shots.

"[The company] must strengthen the competitiveness of its information technology (IT), secure more human resources and also more actively seek mergers and acquisitions," Lee was quoted as saying.

"We must pay attention to the fact that IT power is moving away from hardware companies such as Samsung to software companies."

Apparently Samsung's Bada OS isn't providing quite the robust software arsenal required to take on the likes of Apple with its proprietary iOS, Motorola with Android and Nokia's deal with Microsoft.

Opposites day

This sentiment rather flies in the face of Samsung's public statement, which insisted that, "Samsung welcomes Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility, which we believe will provide intellectual property protection for the Android ecosystem.

"We do not expect this to have any impact on our mobile business."

Sure you don't, Samsung. Sure you don't.

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PlayStation 3D TV UK release date and pricing announced

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 08:16 AM PDT

Sony's PlayStation 3D TV will go on sale in the UK this Autumn with a £499 price tag.

The 24 inch set will be bundled with two pairs of PlayStation-branded 3D specs, said to be a cheaper version of its current Active Shutter models, and claimed to work with other manufacturers' sets.

It has been confirmed that US buyers will also get a 3D game thrown in, but it's still not known whether that will apply in the UK.

SimulView tech

The set, first announced by Sony at E3, is 'designed to give the ultimate gaming experience'. It achieves this thanks to the brand's proprietary SimulView tech, which uses the active shutter glasses to enable two players to see different images (2D, not 3D) on the same screen.

Other tech specs of the PS 3DTV include a built-in subwoofer to beef up the performance of its stereo speakers, a 35mm-deep bezel, gaming-friendly 4ms response time and edge-LED lighting.

Compatability with frame-sequential 3D, as well as side-by-side and top-and-bottom modes, means the PS 3DTV can also be used to watch Full HD 3D Blu-rays.

With it's PlayStation-esque styling theTV should appeal to gamers, but our first thought is that the £499 price tag is a little high - you can pick up 40-in 3D sets (albeit without the SimulView mode) for only £100 more if you shop around.

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Interview: Meet the king of 3D

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 07:56 AM PDT

I've met Jim Chabin twice and on neither occasion was he wearing 3D glasses. Admittedly we weren't watching 3D at the time, but I still felt slightly disappointed. As the President and CEO of the International 3D Society, you'd think he'd be obliged to wear his goggles come what may.

Jim Chabin sits at the fulcrum of today's stereoscopic revolution. A former president of The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Chabin has some of the biggest names in the business on speed dial, including Jeffery (Dreamworks) Katzenberg and John (Avatar producer) Landau. Indeed, he tells us that it was a conversation with Landau that really provided the impetus for the creation of the Society in the first place.

"I went to John to ask if he felt there was a need for an organisation to support the 3D community," Chabin says, "to help educate on the best practices available."

Landau was emphatic. "He said we needed an organisation that ran 24 hours a day, 7 days a weeks and 365 days a year! So that's when we decided to form the International 3D Society, our mission to advance the art and technology of stereoscopic content. In just a short period of time it's become a global, connected community."

The world's top 3D creators

Chabin says the Society has around "400 members and individuals, including producers, directors and cinematographers." It also has support from studio and cable networks and manufacturers in eight countries. Brian Lenz, director of product development at BSkyB is one such executive member.

"Our partnering organisations include the International Cinematographers Guild, the Visual Effects society and other organisations. Many of our attendees are Academy Awards winners, Emmy winners and have been active in the industry for years."

In 2010, Chabin organised the first annual 3D Technology & Creative Awards, pointedly lauding Avatar which had been passed over at the Oscars. This year, James Cameron was given the Society's Harold Lloyd Award (named after the great silent comedian), to commemorate his devotion to the cause. "Not many people know that Lloyd was an early supporter of experimental stereoscopic film-making," explains Chabin. "Creating an award in his honour seemed the right thing to do - and what better winner than James Cameron?"

James cameron

ABOVE: James Cameron is the first recipient of the Society's Harold Lloyd Award for contributions to 3D

Educating Hollywood

Jim Chabin has no doubts about the longevity or significance of 3D. It's here to stay, he insists. The big challenge, he says, is to raise the skill levels of everyone working in the industry: "When you spend so many millions of dollars on 3D, you're going to be concerned that one bad 3D film, one bad 3D experience, could really be an enormous setback to the entire industry."

He says the core vision of the International 3D society is to educate a workforce to make better 3D "at a cost that's going to fill the pipeline as necessary."

To that end the Society approached the Entertainment Technology Centre at the University of Southern California to develop a course that would cover the entire 3D ecosystem. The result was the Immersive Ongoing Stereoscopic 3D Education and Training programme. Designed to bring 2D movie-making professionals up to 3D level, it comprises 19 modules and is taught by experienced industry leaders from Disney, Dreamworks, Panasonic and Sony Pictures.

It's not about glasses, it's about content

While Chabin welcomes the announcement of a Universal glasses standard (aka the Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative, supported by Panasonic, Sony, Samsung and XpanD), he doesn't believe that glasses per se are a disincentive to the adoption of 3D.

"During Avatar, were you really conscious about your glasses?" he reasons. "I'm not sure how many people in the UK have seen the footage of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in shops, but it is spectacular. 30 seconds into that you become oblivious to wearing glasses."

The age factor

Chabin has a theory as to why 3D divides audiences: it's all about age. If a grandparent takes a six-year old to a 3D movie, they are both going to have a very different viewing experience, he says. This is because "a child's eyes are closer together and their eye muscles are extremely reflexive. Children will always have the greatest 3D experience as a result. At Pixar they regularly bring in youngsters to watch footage with directors. They'll play a clip and the kids will say 'Amazing!', yet the director will not really have seen much at all."

Chabin cites Toy Story 3 as a good example of this phenomenon. "It's common reaction from parents who took their children to see the movie. They may have thought the film was terrific but they really didn't see much 3D. However, their children did. That's not an accident. There's a really critical difference between the way a youngster views 3D and what an adult sees."



Sony PS Vita specs revealed, still big on RAM

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 06:12 AM PDT

New specifications have been revealed for the Sony PS Vita and it seems that the handheld has not lost any of its power, despite reports insisting the console's RAM had been slashed to make it cheaper.

According to a new Sony press release this isn't the case as the specs reveal that it will indeed have 512MB of RAM and some 128MB of VRAM to go alongside this.

Feature focus

Other features include a screen resolution of 640x480 (VGA) and frame rates will be 60 frames per second. This can be doubled, however, to 120fps but the resolution is cut to 320x240 (QVGA).

Sony is still keeping some details close to its heart. These include how much on-board storage the device will eventually have and we still don't know when the PS Vita UK release date will be.

Sony has had something of a busy week – it has announced a new budget friendly PSP, the PSP E-100 and the PlayStation 3 has also gone below the £200 mark for the very first time.

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New Nintendo Wii coming to UK for Christmas

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 05:31 AM PDT

Nintendo has announced a redesigned Wii console will be launched in the UK by Christmas.

The new model will be a slimmer, "streamlined" console, intended to sit horizontally by or beneath your TV. So a bit like the old Wii but a touch thinner.

It'll mean the end of GameCube compatibility, however; the new Wii won't be able to run GameCube games or play nice with GameCube accessories and controllers.

Wii-fresh

The new Wii will come in a bundle with Wii Party and Wii Sports, a Wii Remote Plus and nunchuck, and Nintendo has a variety of other penny-saving game bundles up its sleeve for harangued parents flailing around for something to keep the kids quiet over Christmas.

With a dearth of actual new consoles to keep the coffers ticking over this festive season, all the gaming manufacturers are scrabbling to make the best of what they have.

Sony just announced a PS3 price drop and new, cheaper PSP model, while Microsoft hopes to ride the Kinect wave for a second year.

Meanwhile, Nintendo is hard at work on its upcoming Wii U console, slated for release in April 2012.

No word from Nintendo on pricing for the "streamlined" new Wii console yet, but we expect it to be hitting the shops in time for the peak Christmas gift buying season – September to November.

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FA Cup to be streamed on Facebook

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 04:53 AM PDT

The opening game of the FA Cup is to be streamed live on Facebook, after the social network struck a deal with the Football Association.

The match will be the first ever to be broadcast on Facebook as Ascot United and Wembley FC kick off the tournament.

Although this means you won't be seeing Premiership calibre players perform, it's great news for both teams as the potential audience for the game is massive.

The game will be shown on Budweiser's Facebook page and will be accessible through an app built by the beer company.

Kicking off

Speaking about the event, Iain Newell, Marketing Director, Budweiser UK, said: "As a long-standing supporter of football globally, Budweiser is committed to bringing the world's most prestigious knockout competition closer to the fans. What better way to demonstrate this than by broadcasting the very first kick to a global audience via Facebook.

"This is the first time a FA Cup tournament fixture has been broadcast live on the social network, which is great news for football fans and clubs alike."

There is an age restriction on the stream, though – you have to be of legal drinking age. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean that Budweiser will be offering free beer to go with the footie.

Facebook has been ramping up its live coverage of events recently, as well as offering things like movies to watch through the social network.

Live streaming coverage of the game will begin on Facebook Friday 19 August at 7.30pm.

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Network stock recall tips iPhone 5 for 12 September launch

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 04:30 AM PDT

Telefonica, which owns the O2 network, is reportedly set to begin scaling back iPhone stock in advance of "the launch of a new smartphone" on 12 September.

That new smartphone, it stands to reason, is the much-discussed but never once confirmed iPhone 5, with the stock recall tip coming from an anonymous network employee.

The iPhone 5 release date has swung from June 2011 to early 2012 and back again, but speculation does seem to have settled in a middling point around the September/October 2011 time.

Hype machine

Traditionally, Apple launches its iPhone upgrades in June at WWDC, but this year's show brought only iOS 5, with nary a wider touchscreen or slimmer chassis in sight.

After the WWDC no-show, the speculation over the iPhone 5's release date has become almost as absurd as the seemingly endless patent disputes being slung back and forth between Apple and various other smartphone and tablet manufacturers.

Say what you like about the rumours, though, we like September for an iPhone 5 launch. We're not sold on 12 September as the release date, but we'd say there's some credence to this particular network-led rumour.

Rumourometer

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Video: Star Wars Saga Blu-ray gets second trailer

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 03:56 AM PDT

Most movie fans will have already pre-ordered their copy of the forthcoming Star Wars Saga box set, but anyone still undecided can get yet another taster of what the Blu-rays have to offer thanks to 20th Century Fox.

The movie studio has revealed a new trailer which follows the previously released deleted scenes teaser.

This time around the focus is more on the bonus features, offering glimpses of special FX breakdowns, archive documentary footage and green-screen comparisons.

Hi-def peek

The HD trailer also gives some indication of how the newly-remastered films should look when they hit Blu-ray.

Although still 720p rather than 1080p, it's obvious that the sci-flicks will dazzle in hi-def – and be a significant improvement on the non-remastered 1080i versions shown on ITVHD.

Meanwhile, the rare documentary footage and deleted scenes exhibit all the scratches and dirt you can expect from archive material – so it looks as if George Lucas has for once resisted the temptation to polish up his pictures with CGI.

The Star Wars Saga Blu-ray UK release date is September 12 and it will be available for around £70.

There will also be an Episodes IV-VI box set for £34 – this is the set you will get a voucher for if you purchase selected Panasonic Blu-ray machines – and the Prequel Trilogy will also be sold separately.



Nikon mirrorless camera mocked-up

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 03:39 AM PDT

New pictures showing a mockup of a Nikon mirrorless compact system camera have appeared online.

The mockup, which appears on NikonRumors, but is not credited to any source (so it may just be speculation), gives an indication of the design and size of the camera, which is yet to be announced, but has been rumoured for some time.

The design, which is similar to the Nikon Coolpix P300, includes a lens release button, a direct video record button, two microphones, an electronic viewfinder, a flash and a small grip, according to the drawing posted on the website.

Other specs include a lack of a dial on the top plate, an electronic zoom button, different colours and "functionality" that will be introduced for the first time in a mirrorless camera.

Mirrorless market

Nikon has been slow off the mark in introducing a compact system camera to the market, with competitors having been around from Olympus, Panasonic, Sony and Samsung for some time. Pentax is the latest company to introduce a mirrorless system, debuting the Q earlier in the year.

Earlier in the year, it was suggested that the new Nikon mirrorless model would use the same sensor as the Pentax Q.

Rumours of a mirrorless camera from Canon have also been doing the rounds lately, but mock-ups, patents and leaked designs suggest that Nikon will enter the market first.

The release date of the Nikon compact system camera is not known, but it is suspected it will be announced before the end of the month.

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Analysis: What if Nokia had gone with Android?

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 03:36 AM PDT

Remember Nokia? It's still the world's biggest smartphone maker - Gartner's latest state of the smartphone market report shows that Nokia shipped a massive 97.9 million mobile devices in the second financial quarter of this year - but its share of the smartphone market is in free-fall.

Even the good numbers are bad: in Nokia's latest financial report, CEO Stephen Elop reports that "we took action in China and Europe to address an inventory build-up that occurred in the first quarter of 2011".

Inventory build-up is what happens when retailers have lots of your phones and customers aren't buying them. Price cuts helped shift that - "we took a more responsive approach to product pricing around the world", Elop says - but as Gartner points out, "we will not see a repeat of this performance in the third quarter of 2011."

The problem is that we're buying more smartphones than ever before, but most of them aren't Nokia ones. Gartner reports that the Finnish firm's share of the smartphone market fell from 40.9% last year to just 22.1% this year. Android's up from 17.2% to 43.4%, while Apple - currently sitting at 18.1% - will soon overtake Nokia too.

Nokia's betting on its forthcoming Windows Phone line-up to reverse that trend, but what if it's backed the wrong horse? Would Nokia's position be any different if it had embraced Android?

Right idea, wrong OS?

Nokia could have embraced Android in two ways: by betting the farm on a single platform, as it ultimately did with Windows Phone, or by taking more of a Samsung-y, HTC-y approach and making Android one of many OS choices.

Allen Nogee, research director of In-Stat's Wireless Technology Group, points out that an all-Android approach could have been risky. "If Nokia had joined the Android fray and just went to Android, then they would have been competing in the wide Android world against many others - including Google themselves now that Google is buying Motorola Mobility," he says.

Nokia would have benefited from a mature OS, a thriving marketplace and Android's popularity, but Nokia would also be risking becoming a me-too manufacturer.

There's also the risk of Google playing favourites. "Google has shown that it can play favourites among the players," Nogee says. "Look at Motorola and Honeycomb." Would the benefits outweigh the risks? "I'm not so sure."

The second option, a portfolio approach, might have worked better. It certainly did for Samsung, which has become the king of the Android manufacturers while also doing a nice line in Windows Phone and Bada handsets. "In my opinion, that would have been the best for Nokia," Nogee says. "Since they are so large and service so many separate areas, there is no reason they couldn't have gone Android and MeeGo and Windows Phone."

Phone insurance

By spreading its bets, Nokia would be insured against potential disasters - including far-fetched things such as, say, Google buying a handset company and becoming a direct competitor - and wouldn't be suffering from the catastrophic loss of interest in markets such as China, where Nokia reports that "distributors and operators [were] purchasing fewer of our smartphones during the second quarter 2011 as they reduced their inventories of those devices".

By adding Android Nokia might have maintained market share, but that doesn't mean such a move would be risk-free.

"The downside is that the company doesn't have any character of its own," Nogee points out: Nokia would be like PC firms are to Microsoft, and it "certainly wouldn't have the character that Apple has with its own OS."

Right now, Nokia's future is unclear. "I'm not writing off Microsoft/Nokia just yet," Nogee says, "but unlike some other research companies I'm not forecasting that they will be the leader, or even second place, five years down the road."

For Nogee, the worry is that Windows Phone is too, well, Windows-y. "People don't buy phones to be an extension of their office environment. They buy them as an escape," he says. "The fact that Microsoft is related to desktop Windows, and that Nokia is related to many non-smart phones, doesn't really help either company. Legacy doesn't mean a whole lot in the smartphone world."

Would the future be any brighter if Nokia had gone down the Android route? Probably not: the scenarios we've outlined above are cautious ones rather than the "sod it! Let's go to THE MOON!" bravery of betting the farm on Windows Phone.

Nokia's taken a huge risk, but if it works the benefits could be huge too. "The Nokia/Microsoft deal is certainly not a huge bet," Nogee says, "but it's probably the scenario that has the best chance of letting each company succeed the greatest." Will it work? Ask us again when we've seen the phones - and their sales.

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Facebook speaks out over Google+ gaming

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 03:31 AM PDT

Facebook has spoken out about Google+ and its new gaming service, revealing that it is pushing itself to be better than the search giant.

It's no surprise that Google waded into the gaming sector with Google+. While it may look like a similar service to Facebook's on the surface, the big kicker for devs is that Google is only taking 5 per cent revenue from the games; Facebook on the other hand nabs 15 per cent.

Facebook director of game partnerships Sean Ryan spoke about the revenue difference and made a rather cutting but key remark.

"Google is at 5 per cent because they don't have any users," he noted at a recent event.

Getting better

Ryan also revealed that Facebook is keeping a close eye on Google+, and that it is searching for ways to improve its own gaming service.

"Google has emulated aspects of our system, which is what they have the right to do," he explained. "We just need to be better."

After the announcement by Google that it was adding games to Google+, Facebook hit back immediately with improvements of its own, including more screen real estate for gaming and a tickertape of information telling you what friends are playing what games.

This was a decent riposte, but the social network will be hoping that with the next announcement it won't be playing catch-up.

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Review: Netgear Powerline AV+ 500

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 03:30 AM PDT

The biggest issues with sending data over your electrical wiring – a lack of speed and security – are neatly tied up in Netgear's bundle, which comprises two plugs and two Ethernet cables. Just plug them in and you've got a fast, secure home network instantly.

The pass-through design means you won't end up losing any of those vital plug sockets either, and one will happily sit behind your router or modem without causing too much interference. They're also the fastest we've seen so far – we managed to achieve a 1Gbps connection, although interference can affect how fast this actually is.

That 1Gbps speed shouldn't be overlooked – it's as fast as a conventional wired network, which means you no longer have to worry about CAT5 cables taking over your home.

The AV+ 500 is backwards compatible, so you can link it to existing Netgear powerline adapters, although it's not clear how this may affect the speed.

Security is the biggest concern with powerline networking, with hackers apparently able to snoop on your connection by connecting to your building's grid and 'listening' to the electrical frequencies. Netgear's hardware promises protection from the moment you plug it in, but also includes software for even stronger encryption.

Our only quibbles with the AV+ 500 are the price and the design. It looks like something that would be more at home in a 1980s office than a sleek modern home, but the nature of sockets means they're always going to be tucked away, so it doesn't matter too much.

You can pick up home networking kits for under £40, but they won't come close to Netgear's speeds. If you upgrade from Wi-Fi to the AV+ 500 you'll notice an immediate difference in performance, and it's the first true successor to a conventional wired home network.

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HTC files new lawsuits against Apple

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 03:23 AM PDT

HTC and Apple will be heading back to court once again as HTC files a new lawsuit accusing Apple of infringing its patents in the US.

The Taiwanese company has asked the International Trade Commission (ITC) to ban Apple from selling its products that it says are infringing on its intellectual property (including the iPhone, iPad and Mac computers) as well as for monetary compensation.

A statement from HTC's general counsel Grace Lei said: "Apple needs to stop its infringement of our patented inventions in its products.

"We are taking this action against Apple to protect our intellectual property, our industry partners, and most importantly our customers that use HTC products."

Latent patent

The new suit follows the ITC's ruling against HTC in July.

HTC is keen to appeal the ruling despite its chief financial officer Winston Yung expressing a wish to "sit down [with Apple] and figure it all out" and CEO Peter Chou playing down its effects on the business.

Since the July ruling, HTC has also filed an invalidation action against Apple in the UK, claiming that the fruity company does not technically lay claim to one or more of its patents.

Meanwhile, both companies are also battling patent disputes with other smartphone and tablet manufacturers, most notably Apple v. Samsung which caused a brief hiatus in Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales across Europe.

Patent ownership also appears to lie at the heart of Google's acquisition of Motorola, announced earlier this week.

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Updated: iPhone 5 rumours: what you need to know

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 03:02 AM PDT

iPhone 5 (or the iPhone 4S, as some are calling it) rumours are flying thick and fast - indeed, it's become somewhat of a storm with the industry convinced that the new handset will make its debut in early September.

Let's raid the iPhone 5 rumour fridge to find the tomatoes of truth amid the stinky stilton of baseless speculation.

Check out what TechRadar is hoping makes it into the next iPhone, in our video wish list.

iPhone 5 release date

This year's WWDC was about software, not hardware, with Apple focussing on iOS and Mac OS

On 20 April 2011, it emerged that the iPhone 5 release date may be September 2011. This date was cited by three sources who spoke to Reuters.

On 6 May it was reported that Apple manufacturer Pegatron has reportedly been given a massive order by Jobs and co to produce 15 million handsets ready for the phone's autumn launch.

On 19 July Apple seemingly confirmed the presence of a new iPhone in the market by the end of Q3, leading to yet more suggestions that the iPhone 5 will be landing in September.

Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer was asked during an earnings call why he was suggesting a 12 per cent drop in revenues for the Q3 financial period – a traditionally robust time thanks to the scores of people buying the latest iPhone.

He said that there is "a lot going on in the fall with iOS 5 and iCloud" but added there will be a "future product transition that we will not talk about today".

T3 says Apple is also hiring more staff for September, while it's also been reported that US network AT&T has slapped a holiday ban on staff for a possible launch. Some are even saying it could be 5 September.

Price cuts of the iPhone 4 in August also hint at a September release date for the iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S.

On 15 August Apple reportedly began pushing up the amount of orders for the handset.

On 17 August, the rumour of a September iPhone 5 release date gained more traction - this time pegged at 12 September - when it was reported that Telefonica, which owns the O2 network, is set to begin scaling back iPhone stock in advance of "the launch of a new smartphone".

The iPhone 5 will debut alongside iOS 5 in the Autumn

iOS 5 will ship in the Autumn, so it seems a safe bet that the iPhone 5 will have made its debut on or before then.

iOS 5

On 1 July, Digitimes reported that Taiwanese-based component suppliers were gearing up for production of iPad 3 and iPhone - adding weight to the theory that they will appear in September.

Could there be a curved iPhone 5?

The Wall Street Journal has previously reported that: "Apple is also developing a new iPhone model, said people briefed on the phone. One person familiar said the fifth-generation iPhone would be a different form factor than those that are currently available… it was unclear how soon that version would be available to Verizon or other carriers."

This has since been backed up by reports from Engadget, which state the design will be a 'total rethink'.

Chinese case manufacturers have been sent design briefings of the new iPhone 5 chassis and apparently feature a return to the olden days of iPhone design. But could iPhone 5 really have a curved back? We can't begin to tell you how sceptical we are over such a 'leak', given Apple's desperation to keep its forthcoming designs under wraps.

iPhone 5 voice control

Could the iPhone 5 have a new type of voice control? Know Your Mobile thinks so, Called Assistant, it could be used to play back music, send texts and make Facetime calls

iPhone 5 will be iCloud-based

Apple says it is "cutting the cable" with iOS 5 - just as well, as it claimed the iPad 2 was the first post-PC device earlier in the year. OS updates can be delivered over the air - you'll just received what's changed rather than the usual 600MB download - and devices can be activated without plugging them into iTunes.

You can also now create and delete iOS calendars and mailboxes too, so you really can devolve your device from your PC or Mac.

"You can activate on the device and you're ready to go," explained Apple's Scott Forstall.

"Software updates are now over the air. So you no longer need to plug in to update your software. And they're now Delta updates. Instead of downloading the whole OS, you only download what's changed," he continued.

Will iPhone 5 actually be an iPhone 4S?

Of course, since the iPhone 3G was followed by the 3GS it's possible the new iPhone won't be a total refresh and we'll see an iPhone 4S (or iPhone 4GS) before an iPhone 5.

An iPhone 4S looked more likely on 16 May 2011 after analyst Peter Misek wrote: "According to our industry checks, the device should be called iPhone 4S and include minor cosmetic changes, better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ support."

However, earlier reports from China backed up the larger-screened, metal chassis-sporting iPhone 5 rumours, so the redesign still seems firmly on the cards.

A rumour we covered on 7 March 2011 suggests that the new iPhone will do away with the glass back and opt instead for a metal back which will act as a new iPhone antenna.

And an Apple patent that we reported on on 7 April 2011 suggests that we could see the bezel put to good use on the new iPhone. The patent describes how visual indicators and touch-sensitive buttons could be incorporated to the space around the iPhone screen.

Rumours that we covered on 3 May 2011, suggest that there may even be two versions of the new iPhone: a 'standard' iPhone 5 and an iPhone 5 'pro'. Apparently, Apple is buying in components of differing quality, and those parts wouldn't be required for a single phone.

A cheaper, smaller iPhone 5 - an iPhone nano

A prototype version of a smaller iPhone is said to exist, built to ward off competition from cheap Android handsets.

Rumours around an iPhone nano picked up again on 13 February when the Wall Street Journal claimed that the so-called 'iPhone nano' exists and may even be on sale later this year.

Those iPhone nano rumours may hold little truth, though. As we reported on 18 February, the New York Times cites an anonymous source who says there will be no smaller iPhone from Apple. "The size of the device would not vary," says the source.

A white iPhone 5

The Economic Daily News is reporting that white iPhone 5 glass is being shipped, with a supplier called Wintek being the sole touch panel vendor for the white iPhone.

iPhone 5 will support 1080p HD

It's fairly likely - given that the iPad 2 supports Full HD - that the new iPhone will do the same.

iPhone 5 specs

According to the Chinese Economic Daily News (via AppleInsider), with the exception of Qualcomm chipsets - which would replace the current Infineon chipsets in the iPhone 4 - Apple's sticking with the same suppliers for the 2011 iPhone 5G components.

We'd expect the basics of the iPhone 5 specs to get a bump - more memory, faster processor, and more storage. The A5 dual-core ARM processor from the iPad 2 is extremely likely to be included.

The specs? A new antenna, 1.2GHz processor (possibly dual-core) and a larger screen: 3.7" instead of 3.5". The iPhone 5 may also be made from a new kind of alloy, or maybe meat.

iPhone 5 screen

In other rumours which surfaced on 15 February 2011, Digitimes is reporting on information supposedly leaked from component suppliers that claim the iPhone 5 will feature a larger, 4-inch screen. Digitimes quotes the source as saying that Apple is expanding the screen size "to support the tablet PC market as the vendor only has a 9.7-inch iPad in the market."

On 22 March 2011, China Times also reported that the iPhone 5 will feature a 4-inch display.

On 23 May, we reported on rumours that the iPhone 5 could feature a curved glass screen. These rumours also came from Digitimes, which said that Apple has purchased between 200 and 300 special glass cutting machines because they're too costly for the manufacturers to invest in.

The iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S will also get a massive graphical boost as it moves to a dual-core GPU - this could herald true 1080p output from the new device, according to our news story on 18 January.

iPhone 5 digital wallet

There's been some speculation that Apple might include Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in the iPhone 5G, turning it into a kind of credit/debit card. However, as Techeye.net notes, "Apple has looked into NFC before" so this might not be imminent.

However, with the tech being inside the Google Nexus S, the time for NFC may finally be here.

On 24 February 2011, we reported that an Apple patent has revealed an e-wallet icon on the iPhone homescreen. This adds credence to the rumour that iPhone 5 will feature NFC. However, on 14 March 2011, reports in The Independent cited sources from 'several of the largest mobile operators in the UK', who said that Apple told them not to expect NFC in the iPhone 5. So perhaps we'll have to wait for iPhone 6 for that.

On 24 June it was reported that the Google Wallet mobile payment platform could feature on the new iPhone. Eric Schmidt admitted that Google is looking to port the software to other manufacturers.

LTE support

At least one analyst thinks the iPhone 5 will support LTE, super-fast mobile broadband, in the US. That would make the iPhone 5G a 4G phone, which won't be confusing at all. LTE is certainly coming - AT&T plans to roll out its LTE service in 2011 - but an LTE iPhone has been rumoured for a while. USA Today floated the idea of an LTE iPhone on Verizon last year.

iPhone 5 camera

Speaking at a live Wall Street Journal event, Sony's Sir Howard Stringer was talking about the company's camera image sensor facility in Sendai, a town that was recently ravaged by the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

According to 9to5Mac, he said something along the lines of, "Our best sensor technology is built in one of the [tsunami] affected factories. Those go to Apple for their iPhones… or iPads. Isn't that something? They buy our best sensors from us."

Other sources have also said that the new iPhone could have an 8MP camera.

iPhone 5 price

If the iPhone 5 is an evolutionary step like the move from the iPhone 3G to the iPhone 3GS then we'd expect the price to stay more or less the same, although in the UK higher VAT rates may well mean a higher price tag.

What do you want to see in the next iPhone? Hit the comments and share your thoughts.

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Review: Belkin Share AV 3 Port

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 03:00 AM PDT

The number of network-capable gizmos under the average telly is rapidly expanding. If you're particularly flush, you might have a games console, an internet TV, a set-top box, a DVR, a media-centre PC, a NAS drive and a Blu-ray player. Most of these devices don't include Wi-Fi, so how are you meant to connect them?

Enter Belkin's Share Powerline AV 3 Port. This network kit comprises two plugs, one of which includes three Ethernet ports. This means you can connect the first to your router, and the second to up to three devices (although Belkin has only included a pair of CAT5 cables).

Unlike the Netgear AV+ 500, there's no pass-through on the plugs themselves, which means they'll have to take up a power socket each. They're good-looking adaptors though, and they'll complement an expensive home cinema setup. Belkin recommends that they're plugged directly into the wall rather than an extension socket, but we experienced no problems when we did so.

Security is covered by 128-bit AES encryption out of the box. It all works perfectly as soon as you plug it in, but Belkin recommends that you update the firmware first.

In spite of this, speed was a letdown, especially compared to Netgear's offering. Belkin promises a 200Mbps connection, but in our tests we were only able to achieve 100Mbps. Add extra devices and the speed drops further. It's still faster than your average Wi-Fi connection, but it's disappointing.

We can't help but question the price too. You could buy an ordinary powerline network kit for less than £40, then bung a £15 network switch on one end and achieve the same result, albeit a bit less tidily.

If you're after a neat way to connect a multitude of appliances to the net, look no further. Just don't expect lightning-fast connection speeds.

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Review: MAGIX Website Maker 5 Deluxe

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 02:30 AM PDT

Xara, the company behind Web Designer 7 Premium, was acquired by the German software firm MAGIX AG in 2007. While MAGIX continued creating its own brand of website creation software, Xara was able to remain autonomous. This means that while two competing products have come from the same parent company, there's little crossover between them.

Essentially, Xara Web Designer 7 Premium is a desktop application aimed more towards people with web design experience, while MAGIX Website Maker 5 Deluxe is more suited to casual users and beginners.

Unlike Mr Site Storefront, Website Maker 5 is better for personal websites than online shops. This is evidenced by template themes like 'Football', 'Party' and 'Summer', which you can choose when you begin using it though you can also start with a blank page.

The templates look pretty good, and if you're looking for an easy way to make and publish an attractive personal site, then MAGIX Website Maker 5 Deluxe is a very good choice. Adding videos, photos and animations is incredibly simple, and out of all the tools we tested – apart from Yola – it proved to be the quickest for putting together good-looking website with its own domain name and hosting space.

Various features can be dragged and dropped onto the site (the media playback and photo gallery widgets look particularly good and work well), but there are no dedicated ecommerce tools. Instead we had to drag a HTML box onto the page, then copy and paste code from our Google Checkout account.

This left us with an attractive website, with only limited ecommerce abilities – not something we had hoped for.

If you think that MAGIX Website Maker 5 Deluxe sounds too limiting or even patronising for your needs, then its stablemate Xara Web Designer 7 Premium will be a much better match for your needs.

However, if you simply want to make a quick and great looking personal website to share media, then this is one of the best tools for the job.

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