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• Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar
• IFA 2011: Hands on: Sony Personal 3D Viewer HMZ-T1 review
• IFA 2011: Hands on: Samsung Multiview MV800 review
• Apple seeks iPhone Maps app 'rethink'
• Eric Schmidt: 'Steve Jobs best CEO in 50 years'
• IFA 2011: In pictures: Samsung 60D8000 LED Smart TV
• IFA 2011: Hands on: Acer Aspire S3 Series review
• IFA 2011: Hands on: Asus EeePad Slider review
• IFA 2011: Hands on: Ford SYNC review
• IFA 2011: Epson unveils iPod and 3D capable projectors
• IFA 2011: Video: Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 hands on
• Wikileaks publishes all US cables, uncensored
• IFA 2011: Hands on: Samsung Wave 3 review
• IFA 2011: Hands On: Sony Reader Wi-Fi PRS-T1 review
• Windows Phone 7 accused of tracking mobile customers
• In Depth: Top 10 best gadgets at IFA 2011
• More alleged LulzSec and Anonymous members arrested
• Updated: IFA 2011: all the latest announcements
• IFA 2011: Hands on: Lenovo IdeaPad U300 S review
• IFA 2011: Hands on: Toshiba Z830 review
• IFA 2011: Hands on: Toshiba AT200 review
• IFA 2011: Video: Toshiba at IFA 2011
• IFA 2011: Hands on: Philips 46PFL9706H review
• Pioneer serves up two new 3D Blu-ray players
• IFA 2011: Hands on: Samsung Series 7 Slate PC review

Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar Posted: 03 Sep 2011 12:00 AM PDT This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar In case you haven't noticed this week has seen the IFA gadget and tech show taking place in Berlin and as such, we've been able to get our hands on a host of new tech toys. We've been playing with tablets, TVs, phones, cameras and more. Read on to discover the kit that's impressed us this week. Hands on: Sony Tablet S review Sony has officially launched its new Tablet S at IFA 2011. The new 9.4-inch tab is powered by Nvidia's Tegra 2 processor and features the Android Honeycomb operating system. It's version 3.1 which will be upgradeable to 3.2. The Sony Tablet S UK release date is September. A Wi-Fi/3G version of the Tablet S has a UK release date of November 2011 - this will ship with Android 3.2 from the off. Hands on: Sony Tablet P review Yes, it's an odd-looking thing. Yes, it's difficult to know who would buy it. But yes, the Sony Tablet P is a rather interesting device with dual 5-inch touchscreens that fold together for transport. Launched alongside the bigger Sony Tablet S at IFA 2011, the 372g tablet is amazingly light despite its rather 'massive glasses case' appearance. Formerly known as the Sony S2, the $599 tablet ships with Android 3.1, although it will be upgradeable to Android 3.2. Wi-Fi and 3G models will ship with Android 3.2. Hands on: Samsung Galaxy Note review Samsung has shown off the Galaxy Note at IFA 2011, a huge 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED handset which comes complete with a stylus called the S Pen. We grabbed some time with it on the show floor just after Samsung's press conference took place. The Note has a 1.4GHz ARM-based dual-core processor inside, though we have to be honest and say that while some apps were snappy, there was a bit of lag when dropping into things like the web browser. That surprised us as we'd assume the units we saw on the stand were shipping models. And it's doubly surprising given the Note's speedy processor. Hands on: HTC Radar review The HTC Radar seems like an evolution of the HTC Trophy, and comes complete with Windows Phone 7 Mango to boot. Decked out in an almost all-aluminium chassis, the Radar is a slightly chunkier device compared to the HTC Titan, and has a more rounded and polished feel to it. That extra width around the 3.7-inch screen might look slightly less functional than the Titan, but still doesn't really pack the aesthetic punch of other top-end smartphones - or even those in the HTC Android line up. Hands on: HTC Titan review HTC's new Windows Phone Mango range has been unveiled, and with it some expected and some unexpected handsets. The unexpected moniker certainly stands for the HTC Titan that, although we heard rumours of it, comes with a surprising 4.5-inch screen, making it easily one of the biggest phones on the market. It's also running Mango, the latest version of Microsoft's operating system, and is designed to be one of the flagship phones carrying the Redmond OS flag. Also reviewed this week: Blu-ray players Samsung BD-D8900 review Cases Cooler Master Silencio 550 review Compact cameras Nikon Coolpix P500 review Cooling Gelid Icy Vision Rev 2 review Desktop PCs CyberPower Ultra Triton GT review Advancetec AT-FX Polaris review Digital TV recorders Technomate TM-800 HD review DSLRs/Hybrids Sony Cyber-shot HX100V review Gaming accessories MadCatz Cyborg Gaming Lights review Graphics cards EVGA GTX 580 Hydro Copper 2 review EVGA GTX560 Ti DS review Sapphire HD 6670 Ultimate review Nvidia GeForce GTS 450 review Sapphire HD 6770 Vapor-X review EVGA GTX 550 Ti SC review XFX HD 6850 review Gigabyte GTX 560 OC Edition review Laptops Asus Automobili Lamborghini VX7 review Asus Eee PC 1008P Karim Rashid review Sony VAIO VPCCA2Z0E review Motherboards Gigabyte A75-UD4H review Software Sky Go review Speakers Logitech Wireless Speaker Z515 review Tablets Packard Bell Liberty Tab review Toshiba Thrive review Acer Iconia Tab A100 review Televisions Cello C42T71DVB-3D review Hands on reviews: Compact cameras Hands on: Samsung NX200 review Hands on: Pentax Q review Laptops Hands on: Sony VAIO S review Hands on: Samsung Series 7 review Hands on: Toshiba Z830 review Hands on: Lenovo IdeaPad U300 S review Mobile Phones Hands on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S review PCs Hands on: Sony VAIO L 3D review Tablets Hands on: Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 review Hands on: Toshiba AT200 review Televisions Hands on: Toshiba 55ZL2 review Hands on: Philips 46PFL9706H review

IFA 2011: Hands on: Sony Personal 3D Viewer HMZ-T1 review Posted: 02 Sep 2011 11:00 PM PDT The Sony Personal 3D Viewer was instantly one of the most talked about products at IFA 2011 when CEO Howard Stringer unveiled the device at the company's press conference. What began as a prototype at CES 2011 in January has now become a fully fledged product for Sony and this is one we don't see any other company emulating anytime soon. It's clear that Sony is trying to make a statement with the chunky pearl white visor. The design smacks of '3D is the future and this is what the future looks like'. Trying out the Sony Personal 3D Viewer, however, we aren't convinced that this is the future for 3D. For a start you feel utterly ridiculous wearing it, even though it is the sort of device you probably dreamed of having as a kid. The bulk of the headset is a factor in this. Although it is comfortable enough, it is rather heavy. At least this time round, there is a head strap to keep it in place, as at CES 2011 the prototype had to be held to your face. Once on and the actual picture quality you get from the Viewer is decent – it also soon becomes clear just why it is as chunky as it is. This is because the two screens – 0.7-inch OLED panels – have to be positioned far enough away to get the rather impressive 3D effect. With the head set secured, the earphones nestle nicely on your ears and are well cushioned, offering effective surround sound to go with the 3D visuals. In fact, we could hear little background noise with the headset on, which is probably for the best as if you wear the visor in public there will be a lot of giggles. The demo footage we were shown did present a clear picture, with little to no crosstalk or blurring. It is meant to be as if you are watching a 750-inch cinema screen but you are constantly conscious that the panels are just centimetres away from the bridge of your nose. And that's the problem with the Personal 3D Viewer; it's just too out-there for the many to think about buying it. If you are a gamer, though, you are probably already accustomed to playing a fake guitar or holding a fake gun, so strapping a prop from Star Trek to your face may be right up your street. As there's no Sony Personal 3D Viewer UK release date or price, however, you will have to wait with bated breath before you become the third member of Daft Punk.

IFA 2011: Hands on: Samsung Multiview MV800 review Posted: 02 Sep 2011 10:30 PM PDT Samsung is well versed in offering cameras which come equipped with a quirky screen – this is the company that came up with the 2 View range of cameras, which feature both a screen on the back and on the front of the camera. So it was little surprise then, that the Samsung Multiview MV800 camera - launched at IFA 2011 - is the first compact of its kind to have a flip-up screen which will allow you to shoot images at the craziest of angles. The 3.0-inch wide screen on the MV800 can be flipped out to 180 degrees, and in our hands-on with the camera it instantly made a lot of sense. Having such a durable screen means that you can now shoot crowd shots without having to crane your neck and go on tiptoes to see if you are framing the picture right. It also makes self-shooting a lot easier, something the 2 View camera range also helped you do. Delving into the features of the MV800 and it's nice to see that Samsung hasn't relied on the gimmick of a malleable screen to sell the camera. There's a decent array of other specs as well, including a 16.2MP sensor and a 5x optical zoom lens with a 26mm wide-angle. There's also Live Panorama functionality, which will stitch a wide angle scene together for you – all you have to do is sweep the camera around the vista you are shooting. The screen is also touch-enabled as well, which makes the controlling of the camera and menu navigating that little bit easier. Within the menu options are a number of decent editing tools. You can add a picture in a picture, choose an image for a background and muck around with any faces in your images to make them distorted. One of the more bizarre features we found was a pose mode, where it will show you the best way to pose for shots. Once you have decided on a pose, an outline of your chosen pose will appear and you have to direct your model to get within the template. It's the sort of feature that those who take photography seriously will baulk at but for the amateur snapper it may well be useful. And that's one of the great things about this camera, it seems to have the balance of fun and functionality just right. The Samsung Multiview MV800 UK release date is mid-September and it is set to cost £249.

Apple seeks iPhone Maps app 'rethink' Posted: 02 Sep 2011 11:20 AM PDT Apple is looking for a new developer to 'rethink' the Maps application for iOS devices. The company is advertising a number of job positions around improving its location services, with a bespoke Maps app to replace Google Maps believed to be long in the offing. One of the three listings reads: "We want to take Maps to the next level and rethink how people use maps, location and geo information. "We want to do this in a seamless, highly interactive and enjoyable way. We've only just started!" Navigation rival? The AppleInsider website believes this could add credence to the rumours that Cupertino is planning a rival to Google's Navigation turn-by-turn satnav application. The new postings are part of a continued effort to hire the top talent to produce new navigation software for the iOS platform, which goes as far back as 2009, AppleInsider says. Back in April, Apple revealed that it was working on "exciting new features for location aware software."

Eric Schmidt: 'Steve Jobs best CEO in 50 years' Posted: 02 Sep 2011 10:50 AM PDT Steve Jobs gave the best performance by a CEO in half a century, according to longtime pal turned fierce rival, Google chairman Eric Schmidt. Schmidt also led Google as chief executive as both companies enjoyed a meteoric rise to become the world's most revered companies during the noughties. He thinks that Jobs' ability to build Apple into a force not one, but twice was was made him so special. In a conversation with Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff, Schmidt reportedly said: "Steve Jobs gave the best performance by a CEO in 50 years, maybe 100 years. He not only built Apple once, but twice." Jobs stepped down as Apple CEO last week to become chairman. Schmidt did the same in January this year. Furious row Steve and Eric were once thought to be close friends, but revelations of Google's plans to enter the smartphone market allegedly resulted in a furious row between the two. Legend has it that El Jobs had shared his iPhone plans with Schmidt and felt betrayed when he heard Google was thinking of launching the eco-system which eventually became Android. "Steve was very, very upset," Schmidt reportedly told a colleague following a phonecall from Jobs. "My God, he was so angry." Their relationship never recovered. Perhaps Schmidt's latest praise is an attempt from Schmidt to bury the hatchet as both men enter the new stage of their careers as chairman of their respective tech superpowers? Link: TechCrunch

IFA 2011: In pictures: Samsung 60D8000 LED Smart TV Posted: 02 Sep 2011 10:44 AM PDT As we said when we first saw the Samsung D8000 Series Smart TV at CES back in January, Samsung's new flagship TV line is nothing short of stunning. And now at IFA 2011 the Korean manufacturer has produced a huge 60-inch version- the 60D8000 LED Smart TV complete with an ultra-thin 1.5cm bezel. It's a truly impressive sight, so we thought we'd snap a bunch of shots for you. The new LED TV also features an updated version of Samsung's Smart Hub software, while there's even a built-in recorder for Freeview+ if you connect up some storage. Samsung is boasting it will have 1,000 TV apps available for download via Samsung Apps including YouTube 3D. And so on with the picture show - here it is up against a 46-inch D8000.

IFA 2011: Hands on: Acer Aspire S3 Series review Posted: 02 Sep 2011 10:32 AM PDT We had some hands-on action with Acer's new Aspire S3 Series Ultrabook this morning, in a packed and sweaty Berlin hall at IFA 2011. The Taiwanese giant has really impressed us with its great value laptops this year, so we were keen to check out this ultra-slim lapt top, which is just 17mm at itshickest point, and 13mm at its thinnest. This makes it slightly slimmer than the Samsung 9003X, which was already impressively slender. The metal chassis looks reassuringly solid, constructed from a lightweight aluminium/magnesium alloy. We were impressed at just how light the Aspire S3 feels when you pick it up, and the friendly Acer rep confirmed it weighs a measly 1.3kg. The body is slim across its entire length and the lid in particular is impressively thin. Despite this, the centre did not flex when pushed, although the edges bent a surprising amount when pulled on. Thankfully, despite an ominous cracking sound, this didn't seem to damage the lid or the screen. A full-size chiclet (or 'isolation style') keyboard stretches most of the width of the chassis. The keys are all firmly mounted, but as with most laptops this thin, their travel when hit is disappointingly shallow. In fact, they barely move at all, so you feel like you're hitting a solid surface. Thankfully the keys are well sized (apart from the typically dinky arrow keys) and laid out logically, with no indented CTRL key or other craziness. The Aspire S3 also boasts a bright 13.3-inch LED display with a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution. We only had enough time to check out some default photos, but these looked crisp and colourful. The glossy surface is highly reflective, which does hamper viewing when you have strong lights beaming down on you. One of Intel's Ultra Low Voltage Sandy Bridge Core i7 processors had been packed into the ultra-thin chassis, backed up by 4GB of memory, but a range of processors are likely to be available in the final UK models, ranging from Core i3 to i7. Graphics on our display model were integrated. Warm components have apparently been placed away from the palmrest and touchpad, and we didn't feel any warmth in the chassis when we tested it again after an hour of constant use. There are no vents at the bottom, so your thighs aren't scorched, with hot air being expelled from the rear instead. You have a choice of SSD or HDD storage, and the Aspire S3 Series promises up to 7 hours of battery life with the SSD option. This estimate is based on MobileMark's general usage testing, which includes activities such as web browsing and messing around with spreadsheets. As usual, expect less if you want to watch films or play games on the move. Dolby Home Theatre 4 technology is in place, and you have an HDMI port for hooking up a larger screen if you want to enjoy an HD movie at home. Acer Green Instant On, which means the S3 Series resumes from sleep in 1.5 seconds. The 'Green' part refers to the power conservation, which gives you up to 50 days in system standby before the battery dies. We tested out the system resume and it really is impressively quick, with the screen flashing into life almost immediately when we lifted the lid. The Aspire S3 also has Acer Instant Connect, which automatically scans and registers your most visited access ponts and connects to the web just 2.5 seconds after system resume, so you aren't hanging around ages to check your mails.That gives you more valuable seconds to spend doing your favourite hobbies. Campbell Kan (President of PCGO) announced the Aspire S3 as a 'convergence of experience' between performance laptops and portable devices such as tablets. It aims to provide a means of consuming and creating content in a highly portable form, and Kan promised the S Series Ultrabook was just the first of many new ultraportable machines that Acer has planned. Depending on the configuration, you can expect to pay between 799 and 1199 Euros for the Aspire S3 which has a UK release date of the end of September.

IFA 2011: Hands on: Asus EeePad Slider review Posted: 02 Sep 2011 10:02 AM PDT The much anticipated ASUS EeePad Slider emerged at IFA 2011, and we were lucky enough to grab a hands-on with this mythical portable at the Nvidia stand at the show. You can't look at this tablet without getting down to its raison d'etre, and that's the built in keyboard which is revealed by sliding back the screen. It's smaller than we'd have hoped, and more cramped than the Asus Transformer, which is its main competitor. If you have fat fingers then you'll need to find a different tablet to write your memoirs, but even chunky-digited folk will still be able to write an email comfortably. The keys were basic and plasticky, but this is a pay-off for keeping the immensely thin design. We were expecting the presence of a keyboard to make this a chunky tablet, but it's no thicker than most of its 10.1-inch competitors, and remains supremely light. Inside is an Nvidia Tegra 2 1GHz chip, with 32GB of storage. We found the system to be extremely responsive, and loved the vibrant screen. One thing we noticed is that the mechanism which slides the screen and keyboard wasn't as smooth as we hoped, and there was a slight grating which didn't leave us with the best impression. It's likely that this was a pre-production sample - and no doubt abused by enthusiastic IFA-goers - so we'll stay optimistic that the final release will sort this issue. A browse of the built-in apps revealed Polaris Office 3.0, which is also shared with the EeePadTransformer. This is great for anyone wanting to work on the move, and proves that the EeePadSlider can stand out from the rest of the competition, in what is becoming a market crowded with similar, unspectacular tablets. We were pleasantly surprised by the EeePad Slider. The added keyboard doesn't make this a bulky Android tablet, but something that gives you all the benefits of Honeycomb, with the option to get down to business when you need it. Those who really want to type will still be better served by the more spacious Transformer, but this fills a niche that we're sure will be appreciated. There's still no word on the EeePad Slider UK release date or pricing, but watch this space for more information.

IFA 2011: Hands on: Ford SYNC review Posted: 02 Sep 2011 09:31 AM PDT Yesterday Ford announced plans to bring its SYNC in-car infotainment platform to millions here at IFA 2011. But is it any good? To find out, TechRadar got its sticky fingers on a SYNC-equipped Focus. Initial impressions are good. SYNC boasts a big 8-inch touchscreen. It's much larger than those found in most competing C-segment cars, such as the VW Golf or Vauxhall Astra. Just as important, the interface looks slicker and responds more swiftly, too. Admittedly, the SYNC screen is clearly lower resolution and the graphics aren't as polished as BMW's market-leading iDrive system. But given the Focus's positioning, SYNC's visuals look best-in-class. In terms of both interface layout and core functionality, SYNC is based on a "four corners" structure, including connectivity, media playback, climate control and navigation. Let's start with the latter first. Being a car manufacturer, Ford is well aware that reinventing the wheel is a costly and futile endeavour. So, instead of building a navigation application from the ground up, it partners with specialists NAVTEQ and TeleNav. The result is a pretty solid looking navigation interface that will support full 7-digit postcodes when it arrives in the UK next year. Given the wide ability of cheap portable navigation units with full postcode support, that might not sound like much of a feature. But lack of proper postcode support still plagues factory-fit nav systems. Ford has also partnered with ViaMichelin to provide SYNC's poin-of-interest database. What SYNC's navigation system doesn't offer, however, is internet connectivity. Consequently, traffic data is limited to the rather clunky radio-based RDS-TMC system and you don't get Google searches or send-to-car functionality. In fact, that lack of connectivity is a consistent theme for the Euro version of SYNC. At launch, media playback will include USB storage, Bluetooth streaming, smartphone syncing and CD spinning. The relevant partner here is Gracenote, supplier of a full music tagging database, complete with album art. What you don't get, however, is any internet radio streaming. In the US, SYNC has the Pandora internet radio app. With Pandora not available in the UK, it's obviously not part of the mix. Instead, Ford is working on a similar app based on Spotify. However, given the long gestation of SYNC for Europe, we're rather surprised Ford hasn't got Spotify lined up for launch. That said, it's clear that the SYNC platform is ready to offer apps like Spotify as soon as Ford rolls them out. In terms of internet connectivity, SYNC itself doesn't offer any. Instead, you can either plug in a USB 3G adapter or hook up your smartphone. The advantages of this approach are twofold. Firstly, it means you don't need a separate cellular data account for your car. Secondly, it makes it easier to keep mobile internet access speeds up to date. The key point here is that punters swap their smartphones for newer, snazzier models much more often than they change cars. Anyhow, at launch in Europe and indeed the UK SYNC's internet functionality will be limited to providing a Wi-Fi hotspot. On that subject, we were interested to learn that Ford uses SYNC's Wi-Fi connectivity to install software in cars during manufacture. Intriguing but irrelevant, you say? Not so. Ford plans to extend the use of Wi-Fi to enable owners to execute updates including app installs over Wi-Fi. Imagine parking your car in the garage and wirelessly loading the latest apps and you'll get the idea. The final important part of SYNC is one that that largely doesn't appear on screen, voice command. Our relatively brief demo only scratched the surface in terms of getting a feel for SYNC's voice control functions. Only with intimate acquaintance does one learn whether a given voice input system is reliable and consistent enough to be truly useful. However, what we can say is that on paper it gives you full control of the SYNC interface and was 100% accurate during our demo time. All of which means the success of SYNC will come down to two factors: cost and the speed with which Ford adds connected features. Sadly, Ford's reps at IFA absolutely refused to be drawn on the question of pricing. So all we really have to go on is a commitment to make SYNC accessible to millions. If it's dirt cheap – say, £300 to £400 – then SYNC will be attractive even at launch without any connected features. However, the market is moving fast and Ford would do well to add apps like Spotify, along with features like Google searching, send-to-car and social networking support (SYNC in the US already offers Twitter support), as soon as possible. Lastly, for those of you who geek out to hardware specs, here's the dirt on SYNC. It sports a Freescale i.MX51 SOC with a single-core ARM Cortex A8 processor running at 600MHz. 512MB of RAM and 2GB of flash memory round out the hardware. As for background software, SYNC is built on Microsoft's Windows Automotive which in turn is based on Windows CE. So now you know. It's obviously been a struggle for Ford to prep SYNC for European markets. On this early showing, it still has some work to do.

IFA 2011: Epson unveils iPod and 3D capable projectors Posted: 02 Sep 2011 08:45 AM PDT Printer and projector manufacturer Epson has revealed three new projectors, each with its own selling point such as iPod docks, 3D capability and being cheap. The MG-850HD docks iPods, iPhones and iPads, and features Epson's 3LCD technology for 720p HD projections of up to 300 inches. The unit also includes built-in 10W stereo speakers for your tunes, and connectivity for Blu-Ray and DVD players, televisions, PCs and games consoles. It also packs a 3000:1 contrast ratio, a 2,800 lumens white and colour light output and a microphone input for rapping along to your favourite Kriss Kross tracks. The MG-850HD has a release date of November 2011, and a recommended retail price of £649. It will be available for pre-order from Apple online stores from October. Almost like it's real In addition, Epson has announced a whopping five full HD 3D projectors, ranging in price from £999 to £2,962. According to Graeme Davidson, category manager - AV at Epson UK, the projectors are "the best home cinema projectors with superior image clarity and accurate colour reproduction." The most basic 3D projector - the EH-TW5900 - includes a 20,000:1 contrast ratio, 1080p playback, a 2,000 lumens output and two colour modes in 3D. At the other end of the scale, the EH-TW9000W includes a 200,000:1 contrast ratio, four 3D colour modes, frame interpolation and two pairs of active shutter glasses for that 3D goodness. The three most basic models - the EH-TW5900, the EH-TW6000 and the EH-TW6000W - will be available from October 2011 priced at £999, £1349 and £1649 respectively. The higher end models - the EH-TW9000 and the EH-TW9000W - will be available from November and priced at £2650 and £2692. And finally... Finally, Epson's cheapest projector, the EH-TW480, includes a contrast ratio of 3,000:1 and and white and colour light output of 2,800 lumens. It also includes an HDMI input for all your media devices, automatic keystone correction, two 2W speakers and a 5,000 hour lamp life. The EH-TW480 will be available from November 2011 at a recommended retail price of £549.

IFA 2011: Video: Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 hands on Posted: 02 Sep 2011 08:36 AM PDT Samsung had a host of goodies to show off at IFA 2011, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 came lauded as the first tablet to offer a Super AMOLED Plus screen. Weighing in at almost half the weight of an iPad 2, the 7.7-inch screen sits in an insanely thin chassis which has to be seen to be believed. So we recommend that you drop everything and turn your peepers to our hands on Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 video review to see the slinky slate in action at once: brightcove : 1140769167001

Wikileaks publishes all US cables, uncensored Posted: 02 Sep 2011 08:26 AM PDT Wikileaks has released all the confidential US cables that it has accessed, making the 251,287 documents fully searchable online. Calling its move 'cablegate', Wikileaks has tweeted the documents in batches organised by country, including Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel, with multiple pleas for Wikileaks' supporters to help source more capacity, donate money and hashtag any "important cable discoveries". The documents include confidential, secret and classified correspondence within the US government, including the identities of international informants and undercover operatives. Assange alone Wikileaks' other previous media partners include the New York Times, El Pais, Der Spiegel and Le Monde. They, along with the Guardian, have released a statement condemning the publishing of the cables: "We deplore the decision of WikiLeaks to publish the unredacted state department cables, which may put sources at risk. "Our previous dealings with WikiLeaks were on the clear basis that we would only publish cables which had been subjected to a thorough joint editing and clearance process. "We will continue to defend our previous collaborative publishing endeavour. We cannot defend the needless publication of the complete data – indeed, we are united in condemning it. "The decision to publish by Julian Assange was his, and his alone."

IFA 2011: Hands on: Samsung Wave 3 review Posted: 02 Sep 2011 08:24 AM PDT Ever since the first Wave handset debuted at Mobile World Congress in 2010 with Samsung's own Bada OS, it's been somewhat of a muted alternative to Samsung's never ending army of Android phones. And at IFA 2011, Samsung has launched the Wave 3 – a new spin on the metallically cased Wave line that features the latest 2.0 version of the Bada operating system alongside a 4-inch Super AMOLED display. Before you scoff, it must be said that Bada is a fine mobile operating system. We've used it on and off since launch. It's quite Android-like in operation but its weakness is the app ecosystem that sets Android and iOS apart from the rest. While there are plenty of Bada apps available, many of them are totally rubbish. Yep, we guess you could say the same about the Android Market, but it is a lot harder to pick out standout apps that run on Bada handsets. The 2.0 platform is slick though and includes Sansung's new cross-OS group messaging service ChatON. Obviously you get TouchWiz, Samsung Apps as well as Samsung's social and music hubs. But enough of that; onto the hardware. The phone is, for the most part, an aluminium unibody that, like the original Wave, feels great in the hand. And it's slim, at just 9.9mm. As we've come to expect from Samsung, colours on the 4-inch 800 x 480 Super AMOLED display are stunning in vivacity – the screen is the same size and resolution as that in the Galaxy S. The handset is a single-core affair, but it is a 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon and everything is quick to navigate around. We have no complaints there. There's also 512MB of memory on board as well as a not-so-generous 3GB of storage. However, there's also a microSD slot so you can expand the capacity for carting around photos, music and video. The phone's main button controls light up to the touch. You also get all the usual accoutrements such as a 3.5mm headphone jack, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0 and A-GPS. There's also a 5MP camera on board with LED flash and 720p video recording. The Samsung Wave 3 release date is expected to be October 2011.

IFA 2011: Hands On: Sony Reader Wi-Fi PRS-T1 review Posted: 02 Sep 2011 08:19 AM PDT The Sony Reader has always been a capable rival of the Amazon Kindle but it has never quite had the edge on Amazon's device to warrant choosing it as your ebook reader of choice. This may be set to change, however, and it is not because of the hardware upgrade but because of the software it can link into. Sony has announced its Reader app for the UK and it is this service that will have those who don't like to be locked down with proprietary files happy. The Reader store has titles in the ePub format – it supports TXT and PDF as well – and there's 2.5 million available. Like the Kindle store, there's a good many ebooks that are available for free. And now that the Reader is Wi-Fi capable, you can do direct downloads on the go (wireless signal permitting). Couple this with Sony's great initiative with public libraries to rent titles and there's definitely enough here to make you think that Sony has a decent stab of making some Kindle users turn their heads. When it does come to the hardware side of things, Sony has created a decent device in the Reader Wi-Fi. It is now just one size, 6-inches which is a good call from the company – there was no real need for the different sizes before. It has been made lighter too, with the new model weighing in at around 170 grams, which is a lot less than the Kindle. The device we fondled at the show was in a case, so we couldn't really feel the new weight benefit, but even encased it felt like a light device. As the Sony Reader of before, the Reader Wi-Fi is touchscreen, which is still a little sluggish but the ability to tap and hold words to bring up a dictionary and not have to navigate the screen by using buttons is a big relief. There are buttons if you prefer the physical things in life, with the layout the same as the 2010 model. When it comes to connectivity, there's a microSD card slot, micro USB port, headphone jack and 2GB of memory inside. Battery life is stated for around 30 days, which is less than last year's model. This is because there is now Wi-Fi on board, which will drain the battery. The new Sony Reader Wi-Fi is definitely going to give the Kindle a run for its money when it is released in the UK this autumn. Well that is unless everyone goes for the Sony Tablet range, which also has the Reader app pre-installed!

Windows Phone 7 accused of tracking mobile customers Posted: 02 Sep 2011 08:05 AM PDT Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 devices can track users' locations when the camera application is activated, according to a proposed class action filed at a Seattle federal court. The lawsuit even reckons that the smartphones continue locating users if they've asked for the tracking software to be switched off. It could be a devastating blow for Microsoft, whose mobile platform has struggled in comparison to dominant iOS and Android devices. The lawsuit was brought about on behalf of a Windows Phone 7 user, who claims that approximate latitude and longitude are broadcast whenever the camera application is activated. Apple of my eye If this all sounds a touch familiar, Apple apparently attempted a similar trick until a pair of developers uncovered location storage files on their iPhones. However, Apple quickly denied that it was tracking anyone, and instead said that the files were there to help the iPhone quickly find cell towers and Wi-Fi hotspots. If it proves to be true, the Microsoft rumour could be a bit more disturbing. The other big concern is that your location data will be used for marketing, in a way that (according to Steve Jobs) Android already does. Microsoft has declined to comment on the issue, but when they do we'll know exactly which longitude and latitude they're commenting from.

In Depth: Top 10 best gadgets at IFA 2011 Posted: 02 Sep 2011 07:55 AM PDT Top 10 best gadgets at IFA 2011 It's been a great year for gadgets at this year's Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) in Berlin with all kinds of surprises - from internet-connected TVs to super-sized smartphones - in the exhibition halls. Here are just 10 of the best in show... 1. Sony Android tablets Sony's long-rumoured rivals to the Apple iPad 2 finally made their debut at IFA 2011 - and they confounded as much as they surprised. The Sony Tablet P (£499) and Tablet S (£399), both include Nvidia Tegra 2 mobile processors running Android Honeycomb OS, front- and rear-facing cameras, a USB 2.0 port and an SD card slot. Just like the iPad 2, both tablets are available in Wi-Fi only and 3G models, but it's the clamshell Tablet P that really piques our interest. For the Sony Tablet P sports not one, but two 13.9cm (5.5-inch) touchscreens - one in the base and one in the lid. This certainly makes it easier to stick in your pocket than most tablets and it obviously has advantages with certain applications - e.g. using the virtual keyboard or playing games where the Tablet P apes the split-screen controls of the Nintendo 3DS to a certain extent. What's harder to get around is whether Sony will have any success persuading developers to create applications that take advantage of the split-screen. And, of course, for movie viewing it's rubbish. brightcove : 1139913811001 2. Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone Apple's iPhone 5 maybe imminent, but it's going to face some stiff competition from Samsung's latest smartphone, the Galaxy Note. Sporting a massive 13.5cm (5.3-inch) display - the biggest of any smartphone so far - with a WXGA resolution of 1,200 x 800 pixels. Other crowd-pleasing goodies include a 1.5GHz dual-core processor running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, front- and rear-facing cameras, the second of which has a resolution of 8MP and can be used to record 1080p high definition video. Wow. Weirdly, it seems that styli (styluses?) are back in vogue, with the Samsung Galaxy Note sporting an S Pen, which is ideal for accurate, pressure sensitive handwritten notes and sketches. What's wrong with the good old finger, eh? brightcove : 1138414830001 3. Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet Sharing the Top 10 gadget honours with the Galaxy Note is Samsung's new Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet, complete with a 19.6cm (7.7-inch) 1,280 x 800 WXGA resolution AMOLED display, a dual-core 1.4GHz processor and a choice of 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of storage. Throw in a microSD card slot and you'll be able to increase that to a phenomenal 96GB, which is probably just as well as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 offers 1080p high definition movie playback too. The Tab 7.7 also features the Android 3.2 OS with Samsung's TouchWiz user interface laid over the top. 4. HTC Titan smartphone Continuing the trend for super-sized smartphones at IFA 2011 is the HTC Titan, a showcase for the latest version of Windows Phone 7 'Mango'. The HTC Titan comes with an 11.4cm (4.5-inch) display. Its wide, but slim form factor enables it to sit comfortably in your hand, although it may not slip as easily into your shirt pocket. Sadly, the Titan's display resolution doesn't quite match up to its big screen billing offering just 800 x 480 pixels of resolution, although it's bright with impressive colours and good black levels. Windows Phone 7 Mango also runs smoothly on the HTC Titan's 1.5GHz single-core processor. The best thing about the Titan is what HTC has managed to with it - adding dedicated applications and an improved camera, which enables you to shoot panoramas and includes a handy burst mode. 5. Lenovo IdeaPad U300 / U400 ultrabooks Undoubtedly one of the biggest surprises at IFA was the arrival of the first ultrabooks - ultra-thin PC alternatives to Apple's Macbook Air that meet or exceed specs set out by Intel. Available in luxurious U300 and U400 models, Lenovo's IdeaPads are milled from a solid block of aluminium - sound familiar? - and offer a choice of 33.8cm (13.3-inch) and 35.6cm (14-inch) displays, Intel Core i7 ultra-low voltage (ULV) processors and AMD Radeon HD5470M graphics. The Lenovo IdeaPad U300 includes 256GB of SSD storage, while the U400 offers a choice of a 256GB SSD drive or a 1TB hard disk. Battery life is pegged up to eight hours of 'productive use' and up to 30 days of standby time. The U300 and U400 are both available in a choice of Graphite Grey and eye-watering Clementine Orange colours. UK prices have yet to be confirmed. 6. Toshiba AT200 Excite tablet If HP's recent TouchPad fire sale told us anything, it's that competing with the Apple iPad 2 isn't easy - especially when you have rivals like Samsung and Sony all trying to do the same thing. That hasn't deterred Toshiba, which wowed IFA 2011 with its own take: the AT200 Excite - a 25.6cm (10.1-inch) tablet that also happens to be the world's thinnest, measuring just 0.3-inches (7.7mm) front to back. Inside the Toshiba AT200 Excite, you'll find a 1.2GHz processor running Android Honeycomb, 1GB of RAM and up to 64GB of storage, which is pretty respectable. Battery power is pegged at up to eight hours and the display has a maximum resolution of 1,200 x 800 pixels. 7. Samsung MV800 Multi-View compact camera One of the undoubted highlights of IFA 2011 has been the launch of three new compact cameras from Samsung including the 18x superzoom WB750 and the 20MP NX200. Our pick though is the MV800 - the first compact camera to include a flip-up screen. Flip-up screens have been a big deal on digital SLRs for a while because they're great for use in situations where a conventional viewfinder or display won't do - such as trying to get a clear view of the action which you're in the middle of a crowd, for example. The MV800's 7.62cm (3-inch) touchscreen can be angled at up to 180-degrees to help you get the shot - the view even flips around if you turn the camera upside-down. Other goodies include a Live Panorama, which enables you to create wide-angle shots by stitching images together. Specs include a 16.1MP sensor, 5x optical zoom and a 26mm wide-angle lens. UK price? Around £249. 8. Sony SMP-N200 Network Media Player One of the tech trends of this year's IFA 2011 has been the rise and rise of internet-connected Smart TVs, but what happens if you want to join the party and want to hang on to your existing non-Smart set? Enter Sony's SMP-N200 Network Media Player, which enables you to do exactly that. The SMP-N200 Network Media Player includes Bravia Internet Video, which enables you to watch streaming content from BBC iPlayer, movies from Lovefilm as well as high definition and even 3D content. Naturally enough, the Network Media Player is compatible with the new Tablet P and Tablet S, erm, tablets, that Sony also launched at IFA. 9. LG PenTouch TV As any parent will tell you, pens and TVs normally go together like small fingers and electrical sockets, so the launch of LG's PenTouch range of plasma TVs is both surprising and a little alarming. LG's PenTouch TVs, of course, use a special light-sensitive pen that enables you to write and sketch on screen or edit and organise photos stored on your PC. But it's surely only a matter of time before Junior mistakes the 'special pen' for a ballpoint and you end up with a more permanent version of his scribbles etched onto the display. Perhaps you can keep him or her distracted by the other things the PZ8590T can do: like enable you to watch 2D or 3D content. Or watch 2D content in 3D using a 2D to 3D conversion engine. The PenTouch TVs are available in 140cm (55-inch) and 152cm (60-inch) display sizes. There's no news yet on UK pricing. 10. Philips Cinema 21:9 TVs These super-sized, super-expensive TVs have been a staple of IFA 2011 for a few years now but, dang it, they just keep getting better and better - which is why we have no qualms about adding them to our top 10. Now available in Platinum and Gold versions, Philips new Cinema TVs boast an astonishingly cinema-like 21:9 aspect ratio (hence the name) 3D viewing with 2D to 3D conversion and Smart TV features that gives you access to a compelling portal of online content. Heck, you can even watch internet TV and regular TV at the same time using the split-screen viewer. Other goodies include LED backlighting and Philips' Ambilight technology, plus a 0.5-second refresh time and a 1,200MHz refresh rate. No UK prices as yet, but we can't wait to get on our hands on them. What are your favourite gadgets from IFA 2011? Let us know in the comments below.

More alleged LulzSec and Anonymous members arrested Posted: 02 Sep 2011 07:46 AM PDT Four men have been arrested under suspicion of involvement in the hacking activities of LulzSec and Anonymous. Hailing from Doncaster, Northampton, London and sleepy old Warminster, the four suspects, all in their twenties, were taken into custody as part of a big operation involving Scotland Yard and the FBI. Two of the suspects were arrested for conspiring to commit offences under the Computer Misuse Act of 1990. Hacktivism The four new arrestees join a growing roster of Brits that have been accused of involvement in the hacking collectives. The first arrest made was of Ryan Cleary, a 19-year-old who was arrested in Essex as a suspect involved in LulzSec's activities. Between them, LulzSec and Anonymous wreaked havoc for many major companies' websites over the summer, including carrying out DDoS attacks and hacks on PayPal, the CIA and The Sun newspaper.

Updated: IFA 2011: all the latest announcements Posted: 02 Sep 2011 07:46 AM PDT IFA 2011: all the latest news IFA, the world's largest consumer electronics and home appliance show, opened its doors for the 51st time on 1 September 2011. For five hectic days, this annual extravaganza of all things electronic will redefine the consumer electronics landscape for the next 12 months. IFA 2011 is not just another gadget show. It's a technology event on an enormous scale. Last year, the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin attracted over 230,000 visitors. And yes, it is open to the public. TechRadar is out at IFA in force - check out our IFA day one highlights video below. brightcove : 1138329410001 Here's what's been announced at IFA 2011 so far: Sony Sony has officially named its two Android tablets - what was once known as the S1 will now be called the Sony Tablet S, while the Sony S2 is now the Sony Tablet P. We will be seeing both slates hit in Wi-Fi form from the end of September 2011 and while UK prices weren't confirmed, Sony said that the Tablet S will go on sale from $479 and the Tablet P from $599. Dixons then followed up by opening Tablet S pre-orders and in the process announcing its Sony Tablet S UK price. The official Sony Tablet S UK price starts at £399.99 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only model. You can pre-order the 16GB Wi-Fi and 3G version for £499.99, or go for a bit more storage with the Wi-Fi only 32GB model for £499.99. Hands on: Sony Tablet S review Hands on: Sony Tablet P review Video: Sony Tablet S hands on Video: Sony Tablet P hands on Sony also unveiled a 6-inch eReader - the Sony Reader Wi-Fi PRS-T1 - which weighs just 168 grams and is 8.9mm thick. The PRS-T1 features a one month battery life, is available in black, white and red and will allow borrowing from local libraries. Hands On: Sony Reader Wi-Fi PRS-T1 review In the PC arena, Sony showed off its VAIO L 3D - or Vaio VPCL21S1E/B to give its full name - an all-in-one desktop with a 24-inch Full HD Vaio LED backlight display, and to its notebook collection, it's added a 15.5" model to its VAIO S Series. The 15.5-inch screen is Full HD affair, with an optional 'glasses-free 3D' panel so you can watch 3D Blu-rays simply by popping it over the screen. Hands on: Sony VAIO S review Hands on: Sony VAIO L 3D review For a more portable and ridiculous-looking 3D experience, Sony has made the Sony HMZ-T1 official. First shown at CES, this wearable personal 3D viewer streams content from your Blu-ray player or PS3, among other devices, STRAIGHT INTO YOUR EYES. Also unveiled at IFA by Sony was the SMP-N200 Network Media Player, allowing people to turn any television into a connected TV. Sony refreshed its arc line-up at IFA 2011, with the company announcing the Sony Xperia Arc S. Hands on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S review Also from Sony: Sony adds new top-flight 3D projector Sony at IFA 2011: let the tablet wars begin Sony unveils affordable BDP-S185 Blu-ray player Our video of the key Sony products from our team at IFA in Berlin is below: brightcove : 1138084158001 Samsung Samsung treated us to three new cameras at this year's IFA. The 18x superzoom WB750 compact brings a BSI (Back Side Illuminated) CMOS sensor and, for the first time in a compact, Samsung's own DSP 3 key component. Next up was the MV800 'Multiview' camera, billed as the world's first compact to feature a flip-up screen to make it easier to shoot from unusual angles. Completing the trio is the NX200 compact system camera, featuring a 20.3 megapixel APS-C size CMOS sensor, 100 millisecond advanced autofocus and HD video recording. Also from Samsung comes the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, which was outed ahead of the press launch. The tablet features a 7.7" super AMOLED screen, 5100mAh battery, and is running Android 3.2 with Samsung's TouchWiz overlay on top. The tablet will come in 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions, and features a 2MP camera on the front and a 3MP snapper on the back. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 was officially unveiled shortly after. Hands on: Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 review Video: Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 hands on Samsung also unveiled its 1.4GHz dual-core processor-packing, 5.3-inch screened Samsung Galaxy Note. That processor makes the Galaxy Note the world's most powerful smartphone - and the display specs completely blow the iPhone 4 away. More on the Galaxy Note: Hands on: Samsung Galaxy Note review Samsung Galaxy Note: what you need to know Samsung Galaxy Note vs iPhone 4: which is best? Hands on video: Samsung Galaxy Note brightcove : 1138414830001 Samsung revealed its aluminium styled Series 7 Chronos laptop range ahead of the show opening. The Chronos 700Z5A is powered by the Intel Core i7 quad core processor and comes with a 15.6-inch screen, while the slightly lower-spec Chronos 700Z4A has a 15-inch screen and an Intel Huron River Core i5 2467M processor. Hands on: Samsung Series 7 Chronos review Samsung has also announced the PC Series-7 tablet, which can be docked to use as a Windows 7-running desktop PC, complete with Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Windows 7 tablets haven't exactly set the world on fire, but we'd love to see this running Windows 8. Hands on: Samsung Series 7 Slate PC review Also from Samsung: Samsung Smart TVs to get YouTube 3D content Samsung Galaxy Wi-Fi 3.6 is a smartphone without the phone Samsung CEO: We don't want webOS Video: Samsung at IFA 2011 Hands on: Samsung Wave 3 review Philips Philips has been busy developing a host of new Full HD 3D TVs with integrated internet, LED display panels and the ability to convert 2D to 3D. So the 9000, 8000 and 7000 TV ranges have all seen an update. Hands on: Philips 46PFL9706H review IFA also saw Philips announce a new range of Cinema 21:9 TVs (dubbed Platinum and Gold) to bring smarter and smoother 3D plus the next generation of internet TV. Also from Philips: Philips launches worlds' fastest TVs Philips launches Fidelio docks for Android LG LG announced its new LW980T flagship TV range, combining 'the latest in 3D technology and SmartTV'. The new range, which will be available in 47- and 55-inch screen sizes, uses LG's Nano Full LED backlighting for a brighter, clearer picture. At the same time LG also announced its new HX906TX 3D surround sound system, featuring Dolby-certified 360 audio. Plasma TVs are on LG's IFA launch list, too, with the PenTouch range of plasma TVs which allow people to draw and sketch straight onto the screen. We thought this was so you could draw moustaches on BBC news readers, but it turns out that using a connection to a PC you can draw and sketch and organise photos using the dedicated pen. LG has also teamed up with Philips and Sharp on Smart TV apps. The three firms aim to create a standard for connected TV apps by collaborating on a common approach - and they've invited others to join. HTC HTC graced us with a couple of new Windows Phones: The HTC Titan, and our favourite name for a phone ever, the HTC Radar. HTC Titan brings 4.7-inches of Mango while the HTC Radar was given its official debut, with a release date set for October. Hands on: HTC Radar review Hands on: HTC Titan review Toshiba Toshiba has revealed that its AT200 tablet (aka the Toshiba Excite) will be just 7.7mm thick when it lands with Honeycomb 3.2. Spec-wise, it carries a 1.2GHz processor with 1GB of RAM to boot. Its high resolution display is a 10.1-incher, with resolution coming in at 1280x800 - the same as the Samsung Galaxy Note we saw earlier. Toshiba has also bolstered its 3D TV line-up with the launch of the TL Series, which it says brings "exceptional value" Full HD 3D sets. We don't know how exceptional said value is as Tosh hasn't announced a price or release date yet. You'll need to factor in the cost of the active shutter glasses, though, as these are sold separately. Or how about the UK's first glasses-free 3D TV? If you can step away from the 'exceptional value' end of the TV store, then you might be interested in the Toshiba 55ZL2. The high-end 55-inch ZL2 offers up face tracking, Resolution+, Auto-calibration, 2D to 3D conversion and smart TV features. The 3D is provided by lenticular lenslets, which can apparently offer up nine different viewing positions. Hands on: Toshiba 55ZL2 review Also from Toshiba: Toshiba announces affordable Blu-ray players BDX2250 and BDX1250 Video: Toshiba at IFA 2011 Hands on: Toshiba AT200 review Hands on: Toshiba Portege Z830 review Lenovo Lenovo has delivered one of the first Intel Ultrabook implementations. The Lenovo IdeaPad U300s runs various implementations of Intel's ULV (Ultra Low Voltage) variants of its Core i series processors and features SSD drives. A UK release date is, as yet, unknown but we don't think it'll be too long before you see it on UK streets. Hands on: Lenovo IdeaPad U300 S review Dell "Thin and powerful" notebooks are all the rage what with Intel's hope that we'll start calling them 'ultrabooks' and stop buying MacBook Airs; and the Inspiron 14z is Dell's latest solution. Netgear Netgear announced three new products designed to help you stream your entertainment around the home. The networking company revealed a smaller powerline networking set, the Powerline Nano Dual-port Set; the Universal Dual Band Wireless Internet Adapter for TV and Blu-Ray; and the Universal Push2TV Wireless PC to TV Adapter, which broadcasts content from a Windows PC screen to HDMI-compatible TV. Creative Creative unveiled its new Sound Blaster gaming headsets, including the Tactic360 Sigma, Tactic360 ION, Tactic3D Wrath and Tactic3D Omega. Our original IFA predictions piece Below is our original IFA predictions piece. Read on to see if we were correct... The IFA site is so huge it has its own transport system to help get folks around. With more attendees and exhibition space than CES, it can legitimately claim to be the world's biggest tech expo. Amazingly, the show first opened its doors way back in 1924. Since then it's seen numerous tech milestones. In 1930 Albert Einstein gave a keynote speech about the future of radio; five years later the event introduced the first magnetic recording tape. In 1967 PAL colour televisions made their debut, and then in 1981 CD players were unveiled before a curious public. It was at IFA, in 1995, that European broadcasters began to demonstrate digital TV for the first time. Naturally, the big brands are keeping product announcements and developments close to their chests, as they prepare for the big IFA reveal on 1 September. Until then rumour and speculation is the name of the game. That said, it's not too difficult to predict the direction that tech winds will be blowing. The big buzzwords bouncing around the halls of IFA 2011 will be (in no particular order) 4K2K, Smart TV, autostereocopic 3D and, of course, tablets. Feel free to combine any and all of these to produce your imaginary device of choice. Those who have been hoping that the 3D bandwagon would at least develop a slow puncture (yes, amazingly there are a few naysayers still out there) are likely to be disappointed. The big 3D TV makers will all be hawking better-than-ever third generation displays. One highlight you can expect to see in the Panasonic hall is the brand's astonishing new 152inch 3D plasma. We've already had a preview of this monster and can confirm it is quite simply the most jaw-dropping flat-panel on the planet. Panasonic has long enjoyed producing impractically large plasmas (just because it can), and this is its most ambitious screen yet. The 4K Active Shutter panel has a resolution of 8 million pixels; at a recent demo we watched in slack-jawed amazement as it upscaled Avatar from a standard Panasonic 3D Blu-ray player. 2011 has already been deemed the year of the smart TV by the likes of Samsung and LG, and this message is only likely to be reinforced at IFA 2011. While Ethernet is now de rigueur on all types of CE gear, Wi-Fi has been an awkward add-on. However, come IFA, the dongle will go the way of the Dodo, as building-in becomes the new going out. The evolution of the tablet Naturally, tablets will be everywhere at IFA 2011, with dozens of cookie-cutter slates on hand. What will be new, however, is how they'll be positioned. Many of these handhelds will be promoted as your next second TV screen. TABLET FRENZY: A new wave of tablet devices will launch, aimed at enhancing the TV viewing experience Samsung used IFA 2010 to launch its original Samsung Galaxy Tab and it looks like the company will be using this year's show to launch a follow-up device - the Samsung Galaxy Q. The rumour is that it's a "tabphone" that's half tablet, half phone. Read more about the Samsung Galaxy Q here. Samsung has also shown off a couple of tablet teaser videos, too. We'll also see a new Intel Ultrabook from Acer (basically a MacBook Air-style machine), as well as potentially Samsung - the Korean giant usually brings out a bunch of laptops at IFA and this year looks to be no exception - as usual there's a whole press conference specifically for their computing kit. We're also expecting tablets and computing devices from numerous other vendors including Lenovo and Toshiba. Sony will also be unveiling its S1 and S2 tablets too. The S1 could be known as the Sony Tablet S. It would also be nice if HTC would show us its HTC Puccini tablet, too. We know that Panasonic's first tablets will allow you to access its Viera Connect IPTV and apps store directly, as well as act as a turbo-charged remote control for a tethered screen. What about phones? IFA isn't traditionally a phone show, but Samsung has launched phones before at the show, while it looks like the show conveniently falls into place for Windows Phone Mango. Mango will be released on 1 September, and it's very likely that HTC, Samsung and others are looking to IFA 2011 to unveil their hardware. Samsung has already pre-empted the show with the Samsung Galaxy M Pro, Samsung Galaxy Y and Samsung Galaxy Y Pro. Back to the future IFA has a habit of repeating itself. So expect those uber-cool products unveiled at IFA 2010, but still conspicuous by their absence in the real world, to return refreshed. We'll bet dollars to doughnuts that you'll witness the second coming of LG's fabled Nano-LED TVs, only this time with Cinema 3D passive tech replacing the Active Shutter 3D system they were originally shown with. BACK AGAIN: First shown last year, but still not on sale, LG's Nano LED screens will get a Passive 3D makeover at IFA Of course, LG will still be shilling gear unlikely to ship anytime soon. We predict the highlight of the LG hall will be its first large screen 4K2K 3D display. This will use the brand's proprietary FPR (Film Pattern Retarder) filter and, thanks to the higher resolution of the 4K panel, will be able to produce the first ever Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080) Passive 3D picture. LG has also indicated that it a major part of its IFA 2011 thinking is around how it can push its plasma televisions in 'new and exciting directions'. "Through our on-going commitment to plasma, we've come up with technology that's raised plasma picture quality to new heights, and helped rejuvenate the overall plasma TV market," said Heui-seob Kim, vice president and head of the PDP TV business at LG Electronics. "At IFA 2011, we'll be taking the chance to show European consumers the true potential of plasma, and how we're setting the pace with innovations that deliver real improvements in how viewers can watch and interact with their TVs." Bizarrely LG has also revealed a mouse and scanner combination device which will debut at the show. LG's rival Samsung does not traditionally use IFA to launch swathes of new AV kit, reserving that privilege for January's CES event (and using the show to launch a lot of computing kit instead). However, the company does like to steal a headline or two. One way it could do this is by taking the wraps off its own radical new 3D TV technology. The brand is known to have done a deal with 3D pioneer Real D to create a new generation of displays which deliver Full HD 3D using passive polarising glasses. No specifics have been announced, but by shifting shuttering LCD tech to the panel and away from high-tech eyeware, the brand will free itself from the expensive handcuffs that are Active Shutter spectacles. Sony, Samsung and Panasonic have also shown that they are not backing down on making active shutter by announcing a new standard initiative with Xpand. Expect more details on this at the show, even though 2012 is more likely for launch. Over in Toshiba's hall, there's certain to be a massive push on autostereoscopic (no glasses needed) 3D. We predict Toshiba will show a groundbreaking 55inch Auto-3D screen. The company has already touted prototypes and seems firmly committed to making autostereocopic TV happen. Of course, you won't be able to buy one until at least 2012. Meanwhile, Hanspreee has announced it will be bringing a new generation of its apple-styled TV to the show. More Smart TVs IFA 2011 won't just be about hardware, though. Reflecting the rise of Smart devices, there will be a new emphasis on apps and content. Samsung UK's AV marketing chief Russell Owens says that IFA 2011 will be about more than just kit. "You can be certain apps and services will be a big story at this year's event," he told us. Sony spokesperson Lucie Speciale agrees, saying that for Sony IFA 2011 will be about "discovering new services and most importantly experiencing digital content in ways that haven't been seen before." She adds "key themes will be connectivity, mobility, entertainment and the next stages of 3D." We can't wait.

IFA 2011: Hands on: Lenovo IdeaPad U300 S review Posted: 02 Sep 2011 07:36 AM PDT In a couple of days that saw the announcement of a raft of Intel Ultrabooks here at IFA 2011, the Lenovo U300 S looks to set the bar high, with incredible power and a great design to boot. The slim 13.3-inch body measures just 14.9mm at its thickest point, making it one of the thinnest ultrabooks we've seen. Only yesterday, Toshiba announced its Portege Z830 which measured just 15.9mm, and the pace at which manufacturers are releasing, means it's likely we'll see thinner again. The whole package weighs 1.3kg, which in ultrabook terms is heavy. Acer has managed to get its ultrabook down to 1kg and the Toshiba Portege Z830 1.1kg, but we're hardly complaining with the power on offer here. Lenovo has saved space by shunning venting, using the keyboard to dissipate heat, and this cunning method aids to solid build of the laptop. It's incredibly strong, with very little flex in the keyboard or lid. When you pick up the U300 S, the build quality is immediately apparent, and it could easily be slipped into a sleeve or bag, and go almost unnoticed even with all day use. The keyboard was really easy to type at, and the isolation keys were well cushioned, and the trackpad was responsive, without any infuriating click problems found on many ultraportables trying to emulate the MacBook Air's usability. Under the hood is an Intel Core i7 processor, a 256GB SSD hard drive and up to 4GB of RAM. Intel Core i5 versions are also available with a smaller 128GB SSD. We booted the laptop from cold in just 10 seconds on the IFA stand, and it looks like Lenovo has backed up a great looking laptop with top performance. There's no word on clock speed of the Intel Core i7 yet, and Lenovo is tight lipped, even blocking access to the system settings, so that we couldn't get a sneaky glimpse of what's powering this super-light ultrabook. We have to say that the screen was very glossy, which could become a problem if using in direct sunlight. With this range designed to be an ultraportable, this seems like an odd choice, and we'll have to see whether Lenovo will offer a matte panel for those who spend time on the road. The Lenovo U300s will go on sale at $1199, but we were unable to get a firm idea of UK pricing, or UK release date.

IFA 2011: Hands on: Toshiba Z830 review Posted: 02 Sep 2011 07:26 AM PDT Toshiba has announced it will be throwing its hat into Intel's Ultrabook ring with the brand new Portege Z830, launched here at IFA 2011. And the Japanese manufacturer has started strongly by outing the thinnest and lightest model seen to date. TechRadar got our hands on the early model in Berlin, and while details are still very light on the ground, it looks to be a promising start. The Toshiba Portege Z830 is a 13.3-inch laptop, which measures just 15.9mm at its thickest point. It's styled with clean lines, and presented in an understated dark metallic silver, which shuns the premium styling of ultraportable giants such as the Samsung Series 9 and the MacBook Air. To be an UltraBook, Intel demands that any product bearing its moniker has to be under 18mm thick, and the Portege Z830 manages it with ease. Not only is the Portege Z830 slim, it's also light. The chassis weighs just 1.1kg, making it lighter than the Series 9 and the MacBook Air, and it makes a real difference. It felt liberatingly weightless in the hand, much like picking up a large tablet, and despite Toshiba slimming down the ultrabook to mere skin and bone, there was little flex in the lid or keyboard. While the super-thin chassis won whetted our appetite for all things ultrabook,Toshiba has been tight lipped on what's inside this landmark product. The company did confirm that it would run a second generation Intel Core processor, but gave no clarification on which model, nor whether Intel would demand that anything branded an ultrabook run a particular skew. While the Toshiba Portege is light on style, it's certainly not lacing in connectivity. At the rear of the machine is 2 USB ports, with one located on the side, an Ethernet socket, VGA connection and a full HDMI port. This will be extremely attractive to business users, who are served poorly by the lack of connections on both the Samsung and the Air. The Toshiba Portege Z830 is expected in Q4 of 2011, and pricing is TBC. While Toshiba wouldn't confirm how much it will cost, it did reveal to TechRadar that Intel will have no control over pricing.

IFA 2011: Hands on: Toshiba AT200 review Posted: 02 Sep 2011 07:14 AM PDT Toshiba has upped its tablet gambit with its announcement of the super-thin AT200 at IFA 2011. The new tablet, which is just 7.7mm thick, is even thinner than the size-zero Samsung Galaxy 10.1, and weighs just 558g. Until someone announces something fractionally slimmer, this gets the crown as the world's thinnest and lightest 10.1-inch tablet. The waif like build is immediately noticeable as soon as you lift up the Toshiba AT200, and it's ideal for slipping into a bag making it a great portable device. There's little curvature in the chassis, and the flat body is reminiscent of the iPhone 4, giving it the same compact feel. Interestingly, this does make it feel slightly chunkier than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and iPad 2, both of which are thinner at the edges where you hold the device, but are thicker in the centre. The tablet ships with Android 3.2, and is fully upgradable to Ice Cream Sandwich when it hits. There's a dual core 1.2GHz processor, with the ever popular nVidiaTegra 2 chip shunned in favour of a dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 and there's also a healthy 1GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal memory included. The AT200 performed well in our brief hands-on test, with the tablet chained to a promotional stand. However, opening multiple web pages, and scrolling quickly through information did reveal some lag in page rendering, which we hope will be ironed out by Toshiba AT200 UK release date - late 2011. The screen is a par-for-the-course 1280x800 panel, which delivers great detail, but with Samsung announcing new lines of their Galaxy Tab 7.7" with AMOLED displays, those who love to watch movies and media will have their eyes drawn elsewhere. While Toshiba offers little above and beyond the majority of the competition when it comes to watching and enjoying movies, it does have a trick up its sleeve which could make loading them onto your tablet. The AT200 boasts a myriad of connectivity optionsincluding micro-USB, micro-HDMI and micro-SD. This will be a huge plus point for anyone who's frustrated by many tablets' inability to deal with your files, and this makes it an interesting choice for home users as well as the business buyer. Those who love to watch online video will also be pleased to know that the AT200 comes pre-installed with Flash 10.3, and Toshiba is adding sound enhancement technology, to boost the internal speaker quality. It's no Dolby Surround Sound, of course, but it does help when people gather round to watch a YouTube video.

IFA 2011: Video: Toshiba at IFA 2011 Posted: 02 Sep 2011 06:37 AM PDT Launching the world's first glasses-free 3D TV for the home, the world's slimmest tablet and the world's thinnest laptop? All in a day's work for Toshiba at IFA 2011, because that's exactly what it did - merrily stocking up on the best, first and thinnest titles to try and wow onlookers who have probably seen more 3D TVs and tablets than have had bacon sandwiches. Or bratwurst, as it's Germany. Want to see the products in action, as well as a spokesperson boldly chucking his 3D glasses into the crowd? Step right up and feast your eyes on TechRadar's Toshiba news round up: brightcove : 1139964704001

IFA 2011: Hands on: Philips 46PFL9706H review Posted: 02 Sep 2011 06:01 AM PDT With every TV brand in the galaxy making deep, sustained booming noises about 3D at the moment, it's a breath of fresh air to have Philips focus in on something else. Yes, the flagship Philips 46PFL9706H is a 3D TV. Yes 3D looks spectacular and yes it's going to be expensive - €2299 (£2023) to be precise. But the most impressive thing about this telly is the contrast. It's absolutely fantastic. Philips claims the contrast ratio is 15,000,000:1 which would make it the blackest and also the brightest TV at the show. Whether that holds up in lab conditions remains to be seen, but to say the picture on this thing is striking would win the EISA award for biggest understatement at IFA 2011. The immense contrast between the whites and the blacks owes a lot to Philips' new Moth Eye anti-reflection filter which sits in front of the panel. It's essentially a transparent foil filter which absorbs all incoming light instead of reflecting it back out again. "The eye of a moth has evolved into an ingenious structure that eliminates almost all reflections," said Philips' Robert Smitts at the Philips press conference this week. "It's great for the moth, because it stays hidden from predators. It's also great for viewers of our televisions, which now include the moth eye filter which delivers the deepest black and the highest image contrast ratio in the industry." This filter was co-developed with Sharp who will also be using it on its TVs at some point. But for now it's exclusively available on this one TV, which is disappointing frankly - they could have used it on more products but chose not to. We were shown a behind-closed-doors demo of this TV next to last year's Philips 46PFL9705 as well as leading Samsung and Sony Full LED tellies. There was simply no comparing the three. The 9706 simply blew them all away - 9705 included. Other than the contrast, picture quality was superb across the board. Crosstalk was evident but less noticeable than last year's models which is partly down to the new '3D overdrive' feature. What this does is adapt the anti-crosstalk algorithm according to the temperature of the panel. The science behind this is that as the liquid crystals inside the panel get heated up by the LEDs, they become less viscous and more energised. The warmer the liquid crystals, the faster they can turn to change colour and thus form the pictures. The trick is to get the liquid crystals as uniformly warm across the panel as possible, which makes the crosstalk corrections easier to calculate and thus the picture is better. It clearly works. We were actually quoted a figure of 300% increased crosstalk correction which again we will have to test ourselves. The other major feature of note is the two-player fullscreen gaming function. Like Sony's forthcoming PlayStation TV, it allows gamers to play with each other on the screen without seeing the other player's image. Philips' new Active 3D (or 3D Max as it likes to call it) glasses actually have a dedicated button to toggle this mode so that you can make sure you're seeing the right image. It's no surprise then that EISA has named this the best 3D TV at IFA 2011. We'll be pestering Philips on a daily basis to get one of these in for a full test, so stay tuned for our full Philips 46PFL9706 review later in the year.

Pioneer serves up two new 3D Blu-ray players Posted: 02 Sep 2011 05:11 AM PDT Pioneer has announced two more Blu-ray players to join its 2011 line-up, this time toting 3D playback with a slightly more painful price tag than the BDP-140 launched earlier this week. The new BDP-440 and BDP-LX55 come boasting "universal disc playback" which means you can stick on your Super Audio CDs and DVD-Audio discs as well as your regular and 3D Blu-rays. The boxes can also be connected to the internet thanks to an Ethernet port; but you can also invest in an additional Pioneer-branded wireless LAN converter if you want to do away with the wires. BD-Live But the real boon to this is that you can use BD-Live to access extra content on your Blu-ray players, as well as accessing YouTube and Picasa. It's not as prolific a smart TV service as you get from the likes of Samsung, for example, but you've gotta start somewhere. Both come with an HDMI-out port, but the BDP-LX55 comes with two so you can hook it up to multiple display devices at once. The two new boxes also upconvert DVDs to to near HD quality and the BDP-LX55 brings extra video processing IC and control over the output to the party too. The lower spec BDP-440 will be the first to hit the shops in October 2011 with a UK price of £250, while the BDP-LX55 UK release date is set for November 2011, priced at £350.

IFA 2011: Hands on: Samsung Series 7 Slate PC review Posted: 02 Sep 2011 04:50 AM PDT Windows 7 is not an interface that lends itself to touch, so it's with a degree of surprise and a healthy dose of relief to say that the new Samsung 7 Series Slate PC is a bit tasty. Despite the name, this is very much a tablet and it couldn't be more different to the monstrous Asus Eee Slate EP121 or the lacklustre Acer Iconia Tab W500 that we looked at earlier in the year. Indeed, it looks a lot more like its Galaxy Tab stablemates than any of its - let's call them 'bulky' - Windows 7 tablet rivals. Despite packing an 11.6-inch screen and a quad-core Intel Core i5-2467M CPU, this tablet is slim and light and without doubt the best Windows tablet we've seen. How Samsung has managed to pack so much power into such a slender chassis is a mystery, but if Windows 7 ever had a chance of being a hit on tablets, the Samsung Series 7 Slate PC is the device to try it on. The screen is lovely, colours are vivid, brightness is great and it's responsive too. Of course, the old problems are still there. The fingers we used to try out the Slate are not exactly fat, but it's still a bit tricky to land a clean screen press on the smaller Windows buttons. This is a problem that will not go away until Windows 8 finally makes berth next year. But even so, in the time we spent with it, we didn't find ourselves getting frustrated with the Series 7 Slate PC which is a first for us. It's not too heavy, either, at 890g (admittedly that's a chunk heavier than the Galaxy Tab 10.1) so it's a heck of a lot more portable than the 12-inch Asus, while the chassis has a smooth, premium feel that only adds to the experience. Clearly this tablet is not going to sell in the same volume as the Galaxy Tab range (Apple patent permitting), but if a Windows tablet is a must for you, you should come back once Samsung has sent us a full review sample, because this is probably as good as Windows 7 tablets are ever going to get.

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