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- Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar
- Review: Zotac A75-ITX WiFi
- Denon announces Airplay-enabled network audio player
- Exclusive: Nikon: Possibility of 'pro' Nikon 1 not ruled out
- In Depth: Are patent wars defining Android's future?
- Early View: Nikon V1 vs Olympus PEN E-P3 vs Sony NEX-7
- iPhone 4S rumours: what you need to know
- Apple iPhone 4S rumours: what you need to know
- Hands on: Spotify on Facebook review
- Galaxy S2 dominates most desired current phone poll
- Week in Tech: Facebook thinks big to see off Google+
- Gary Marshall: Why Facebook is building a second internet
- Apple to continue tablet dominance for years
- Updated: 40 best free iPhone games on the planet
- Review: Microsoft Wireless Optical Dekstop 700
| Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar Posted: 24 Sep 2011 12:00 AM PDT  This week's hottest reviews on TechRadarThe world of tech might be on tenterhooks awaiting the launch of a new iPhone, but we're not treading water. We've a heap of reviews of the latest kit for you this week, including Sony Ericsson's new Xperia Ray. We've also got hands on with the new Nikon J1 and V1. We've also got a whole batch of motherboard and peripheral reviews, too. Read on for all this week's TechRadar reviews. Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray review The Xperia Arc was the flagship of 2011's Sony Ericsson mobile range.Arriving in the spring, it became the skinny poster girl for the Swedish-Japanese hybrid, showing off its amazing screen presence with the help of the Sony Reality Display (the bit that reproduces colour on the screen and makes it look great) but in the Xperia Ray, Sony Ericsson has gone for a smaller model. Think smaller and thinner than you expect, then shave a bit more off your dimensions. That's what you get. High up in Sony's "Cinematic" HX Series and just 27mm deep, this Edge LED-backlit LCD TV is a high-end choice indeed. Despite the likes of LG, Toshiba and Philips moving towards the cheaper passive 3D system that requires £1 3D specs, Sony has decided to stick with the trusted – although pricier and somewhat inconvenient – active shutter 3D system on the KDL-55HX823, which arrives with one pair of 3D glasses.But could this be one of Sony's last efforts at active shutter 3D before it follows the others into the passive 3D TV arena? ASRock Fatal1ty 990FX Professional review You can understand when Fatal1ty endorses a 1337 gaming mouse, but when a motherboard is emblazoned with the fatal one's name and face, it sends a slightly more confusing message.Is it a no-compromise AMD 990FX-based board capable of outperforming any other with raw performance and features? Or is it a stripped down racing car of a board, equipped with only the features you need? A quick glance over the ASRock Fatal1ty 990FX Professional's spec sheet reveals it's definitely the former. The U2412M from Dell might look like a P2411H Professional series, but there's one important difference: it's an IPS screen, not a TN. That means better colour representation, better viewing angle and a higher price. The depth of blacks and brightness of whites onscreen were instantly noticeable, but even though we put the U2412M through its paces using some high-colour HD video, it didn't disappoint, rendering 16.7 million colours. Nikon's new compact system cameras, or, to use its parlance, ACIL cameras, were finally unveiled after months of speculation and internet rumours. Releasing not one, but two cameras onto the market, the J1 is the V1's smaller brother featuring a smaller body design. It loses the electronic viewfinder but does gain a built-in flash. Other than the aesthetics of the camera, the J1's interior specifications are almost identical to the V1. They both use the new CX format sensor, EXPEED 3 processor and Nikon 1 mount. We spent some time with a pre-production J1 to see how it works, how it feels and what you can expect from the camera when the final version is available to buy.
This week's other reviewsCameras Cases Cooling Corsair H100 Liquid CPU Cooler review BeQuiet Dark Rock Pro C1 review Desktop PCs PC Specialist Vortex M59 OC review Keyboards Microsoft Wireless Optical Dekstop 700 review Monitors
Motherboards Sapphire Pure Platinum A75 review ASRock Fatal1ty 990FX Pro review ECS A75F-A Black Series review Software Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 review
TVs Hands on reviewsCameras Hands on: Canon PowerShot S100 review Gaming
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| Posted: 23 Sep 2011 08:53 AM PDT  Zotac A75-ITX WiFi - OverviewZotac is really making a mark for itself as a motherboard manufacturer, especially in the small form factor arena, and this Zotac A75-ITX WiFi certainly looks to continue that trend. We checked out the Z68-ITX WiFi a little while back and its combination of packed PCB and impressive performance made it an incredibly interesting prospect for a wee Intel Sandy Bridge machine. More suited to the smaller PC though is AMD's Llano APU. In a form factor where space is at a premium having decent graphics power on-chip makes for a well-rounded machine in a very tight space. Intel's Sandy Bridge may also have integrated graphics but that hardly gives you much power beyond a little light media play and standard web-crawling. The Llano APUs though have discrete-class graphics prowess, maybe not of the high-end calibre, but certainly far better than anything we've seen before. So what compromises have been made to the A75 platform to squeeze it down into this small form factor? Zotac A75-ITX WiFi - BenchmarksYou can see from the results below the CPU component of the Llano APU is being hobbled by the motherboard itself. In both the Asus ATX and MSI mATX boards the chips perform far better at straight, traditional CPU tasks. On the gaming side though there is no such compromise in performance; good news for the mini PC gamer. CPU rendering performance
CPU gaming performance
DX11 gaming performance
Zotac A75-ITX WiFi - Verdict
Inevitably there's less space on the motherboard itself to allow more than two DIMM slots and a single x16 PCIe connector, but in such a small form factor neither represent a massive compromise. Indeed given the restraints having a discrete GPU in the PCIe slot places on the CPU component of the Llano APUs you could argue that maybe you don't need one at all. That said dropping in a small discrete card, like a half-height AMD Radeon HD 6670, gives you a hell of a boost in graphical performance with Llano's Dual Graphics functionality. We notched up over 25fps in DiRT 3 at 1920x1080 on the Ultra settings, and for a tiny PC sat beneath your HD tele that wouldn't be bad at all. You'd need a rather chunkier GPU to be able to do that on an Intel platform. But still performance does suffer. The straight line CPU scores are a way down compared with the sort of numbers we've been getting out of either ATX or micro-ATX desktop Llano boards. Looking at either Cinebench or the CPU score from Shogun 2 and the performance of the Zotac A75-ITX is noticeably off the pace. Thankfully that's only on the CPU side – if you look at the gaming performance of the Llano APU in the little Zotac board it stands toe-to-toe with the larger boards out there. And as you're unlikely to be doing any seriously processor intensive tasks on such a small box, at least you shouldn't be expecting to, that's not a major problem either. As such you wouldn't be expecting it to be much of an overclocking board either, despite the huge amount of processor head-room the A-series, desktop Llano chips have in them. This seems to be where one of the main areas of compromise lies; there is no way to boost the performance of the APU. In the BIOS there is an option which looks like it ought to up the multiplier, but as the A-series multipliers are locked down, a la Sandy Bridge, there's nothing happening in the performance stakes. It's a bit of a shame given what we've managed to squeeze out of the A-series chips before, but for an inexpensive little board serious CPU performance isn't a necessary requirement. But being an inexpensive little board is. Unfortunately you're paying quite a premium for the size of the Zotac A75-ITX WiFi, even our favourite A75, the Asus F1A75-V Pro is well over a tenner cheaper and that does have the performance chops. We liked:The fact there is so much squeezed into the Zotac A75-ITX WiFi is impressive. With such serious connectivity options too that's no mean feat; there's dual Gigabit ethernet ports on the back with twin WiFi antennae sticking out too. The lack of compromise on the gaming performance too is a very welcome surprise, especially given how hobbled the CPU component seems in this board. We disliked:Sadly that CPU performance is a shame. It's not a huge issue in small form factor boards, but knowing you're missing out on performance you have actually paid for is disappointing. As is the lack of any overclocking possibilities that we could see with the long legs of the AMD A-series APUs. There's also the fact it is rather more expensive than better performing, though larger motherboards. Even the mATX boards keep the CPU parts ticking over nicely. Final word:So if form factor is an issue for you, then you're going to have to pay for it. But still, Zotac has crammed a huge amount onto this tiny slab of PCB and as the basis for a fully-functional Fusion mini PC it's hard to beat. 
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| Denon announces Airplay-enabled network audio player Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:33 AM PDT  Japanese audio specialist Denon has today unveiled a new network audio player that aims to mix 21st-century music habits with old-skool hi-fi values. The slimline DNP-720AE uses your Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to stream tunes from your networked PC or NAS drive, and access online services including Napster and Last.FM. Claimed file support includes WMA (and WMA Lossless), MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC and FLAC 96/24. AirPlay-enabledDenon's background in high-end audio then comes into play, with the DNP-720AE's 24bit/192Khz DACs and 'simple and straight' circuit design working to optimise the sound performance. Of course, you'll need to partner the DNP-720AE with a stereo amplifier, via the rear-mounted phono outputs, to actually hear it. Like much of the competition, Denon's new player is also AirPlay-enabled, meaning it can stream music straight from an Apple iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, or your PC's iTunes library. The DNP9720AE is also Windows 7 certified for 'Play To' on Windows Media Player 12 and above. Other features include control via Denon's remote app (iPad, iPod and iPhone – but not Android, yet), playback from portable storage devices thanks to the front USB input, and a somewhat redundant built-in AM/FM tuner. The DNP-720AE, which Denon reckons will 'bring your beloved, but possibly somewhat forgotten, hi-fi system flashing back into use,' is available in black and silver finishes, and will go on sale later this month for around £430. 
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| Exclusive: Nikon: Possibility of 'pro' Nikon 1 not ruled out Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:01 AM PDT  Nikon's new 1 series of cameras, introduced on Wednesday, are the company's first foray into the world of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. Keen to avoid being seen as jumping on the bandwagon, Nikon calls the V1 and the J1 an "advanced interchangeable lens camera" or "ACIL". Unlike other compact system cameras (CSCs) on the market, the V1 and J1 both use small a small sensor as compared to the APS-C sized DSLR like sensors of Sony's NEX and Samsung's NX range, or Olympus and Panasonic's micro four thirds size. While there was a lot of excitement surrounding the launch of the new cameras, some DSLR users have expressed disappointment at the size of the sensor, which offers a 2.7x crop. In an exclusive interview with TechRadar, Simon Iddon, Product Manager at Nikon UK, explained how the company has been listening to feedback since Wednesday. "We understand there are people, DSLR enthusiasts, that have an opinion and we're completely aware of it," he said. "Wherever we can we'll listen to every piece of feedback and it will get fed back in terms of future developments." Overall however, Simon seems to be pleased with the reception the V1 and J1 have received, "The feedback's been very positive, and the target audience for this has given us really strong feedback in terms of what it'll deliver for them, we're very excited about the launch," he explained. Target user
If DSLR users feel a little short changed by the new 1 system, Nikon is keen to point out that they are not the main audience for the cameras. "Nikon 1 is a different area, it's for someone who wants better image quality, for someone who wants to invest in a system that will grow," Iddon said. "We've spent a long time understanding what the customer wants, at the development stage there were a huge huge amount of customer surveys carried out across many m any countries, because we wanted to know exactly what the customer was looking for." F-mount adapterAlthough existing Nikon DSLR system users have the option to attach any lenses they might own to the V1 or J1 via an optional F-mount adapter, Iddon says that second shooters are not the primary focus. "Although there's no way we'd want to alienate our loyal customers, these cameras are primarily designed for a new market that's not fulfilled." "This is very much a customer that wouldn't necessarily buy into a DSLR because of the size and the fact that it's an intimidating system on some levels. This [the Nikon 1] is very user friendly, very portable, but still keeps great image quality." Lens roadmapAt the moment, only four specifically designed Nikon 1 mount lenses are available, but more are to come. Notable by its absence is a wide-aperture portrait lens, the fastest lens currently available is the 10mm f/2.8 wide angle lens. Several mocked up lenses were shown on display at the Nikon 1 launch, including a telephoto lens, macro and portrait lens. "We're going to be launching those lenses all within the next three years, and you can be assured that will take customer feedback on board with all future lenses," Iddon explained. "We're keen to develop the system with a much wider range and breadth of all different types of lenses for different situations. Customers can have confidence that the range of lenses will increase over the next few years." Pro Nikon 1Many observers have made comments on the fact that advanced exposure options, such as aperture priority, are not directly accessible from the mode dial on the rear of the Nikon 1 cameras. Iddon says that this has been designed to reduce the amount of intimidating features, buttons and mode dials, but he is not ruling out the possibility of a "pro" version of the Nikon 1. "If that's something that people would like, then Nikon will always that on board and consider what the next option is," he said, "but, if it was going to be the same as a DSLR then we couldn't have launched a product because we already have great DSLRs and are investing heavily in these." Read our Nikon V1 hands on review and our Nikon 1 J1 review to get our first impressions of the new system, and look out for a full review of both cameras soon. 
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| In Depth: Are patent wars defining Android's future? Posted: 23 Sep 2011 06:50 AM PDT  Are patent wars defining Android's future?INQ has enjoyed modest success in the mobile phone market, firstly as the manufacturer of the early 'Skype phones' and more recently the Android-powered INQ Cloud Touch. The latter smartphone featured an innovative UI on top of the normal Android OS, and was considered the main selling point of the device - but last month INQ took the curious step of releasing its interface to the Android market for free. The interface basically takes the normal Facebook app for Android, splits it into separate parts (such as People, Events and Notifications) and also comes with a full screen widget to show you pictures and statuses together in a constantly updating scrolling window. We spoke to recently departed CEO Frank Meehan to see why the move was made and how the company intended to market its phones with the coolest function now available for free to whoever wanted to download it and whether the recent patent wars over the legality of Android have had an effect. "The decision was made in November to release our software to the market, so we'll start to see the fruits of that in the second half of the year. But remember, there are billions of phones out there, so we're not going to [cannibalise sales of the INQ Cloud Touch]. "With a base of software a company can do a lot, it can help to go out and help get a good base of users to get to know the INQ brand." Software firstMeehan suggests that INQ's approach - to bring software that offers more visually arresting information rather than the current sea of icons - will help differentiate the brand in a way the handsets never could: "We do take our time with our handsets - probably a little too much time. While we're continuing to look at releasing devices, we're also looking at using those handsets to test things to get a totally integrated experience for customers, so we've got a lot of people working on software.
"The INQ Cloud Touch was our first Android and we developed a lot of cool software on it. We don't want to constrain ourselves to handsets - over the next couple of years our guys are going to be working hard on software too, as we think this can bring more recognition." It's an alternative notion to try and become a company that jumps from being a small-scale handset manufacturer to a provider of software - especially one that currently offers its platform for free and without adverts. Nothing comes for freeSoftware that comes for free and increases functionality either is the work of solo developers that just create things for fun, or big brands looking to supplement hardware - so why would a smaller firm, one that's spent many man hours to create the software overlay as well as a firm, look to release it with no return on the investment? "At this stage too few people are buying anything on Android - so at this point we're looking at working with software, although we are looking at monetising it in the future," admits Meehan. "To be honest, we're just trying to get it out there as there are a lot of opportunities [in the software space], and we've got big plans to bring a more visual experience to apps above and beyond Facebook. "We've got a lot to do around brand recognition at the moment, which is why we want to get the software out there. "The market will evolve quickly, but hardware is accelerating out of sight - in the future there will be no mobile market, just a screen; and what design can you really do when the device is essentially just a screen? "What we're seeing in mobile at the moment is a lot of text-based stuff, and we want to enable devices with more visual based information. We want it not to be hard work for users to use the homes screen - we want to get content to it, and the best way, we think, is to visualise personalised content. "Contact lists are still largely text based and we want to develop that further - in the future address books will change and become less text-heavy and far more visual so we really want to be a part of that." It seems possible that INQ may give up on hardware creation altogether - Meehan points out that the patent wars circling around Android have changed the way the company is thinking about developing handsets on Google's platform. The US market is also a challenge for any prospective hardware manufacturer to make any kind of impression in an area already saturated with Android phones - so Meehan thinks offering branded software that can be used to enhance a phone will give the company a much better chance of recognition: "It's fascinating to see which devices people are downloading our software on - it's most popular on Samsung phones, then the Nexus range and then HTC handsets." "Our next step is to make sure people actually like the software - and our next release is coming soon and will include a lot more stuff. "We're looking at making more rapid releases in software, just to get as much stuff as possible out there." Given the choppy patent waters many Android phone manufacturers are now finding themselves attempting to navigate, INQ might not be the last brand to think about evolving to offer a different kind of service to smartphone users. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
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| Early View: Nikon V1 vs Olympus PEN E-P3 vs Sony NEX-7 Posted: 23 Sep 2011 06:07 AM PDT  Nikon V1 vs Olympus PEN E-P3 vs Sony NEX-7With the recent introduction of the Nikon V1, almost every camera manufacturer now has something to offer in the way of a mirrorless compact system camera. Although Nikon says that the Nikon 1 is an entirely new system altogether, there's no denying that the V1 and the Nikon J1 will be compared to cameras such as the Olympus PEN range, Sony NEX range, Samsung NX range and Panasonic G series. We've taken a look at how the new V1 stacks up against two of its biggest potential competitors, the Sony NEX-7, which was announced back in August, and the Olympus PEN E-P3 which made its debut in July and is already available to buy. Nikon V1 vs Olympus PEN E-P3 vs Sony NEX-7: sensor size
In terms of physical size, the Sony NEX-7 is king with its APS-C size sensor, the same size as those you'll find in crop factor DSLR cameras. The Nikon V1 has the smallest sensor, featuring a 13.2 x 8.8mm CMOS sensor, while the PEN falls between the two with its micro-four thirds offering. In terms of megapixel count, once again the Sony has the biggest number with a whopping 24 million. The Olympus PEN has 12 megapixels, while the Nikon comes in last with 10 million. Nikon, however, does of course claim that the choice of a small sensor, both in terms of physical size and pixel count, was a deliberate choice that allows the camera to use advanced features such as the Smart Photo Selector as well as keeping the overall size of the camera down. Nikon V1 vs Olympus PEN E-P3 vs Sony NEX-7: body size
Nikon says that the V1, along with its stablemate the J1, has been designed for "true" portability, with the small sensor and new Nikon 1 mount helping it to achieve that. None of the compact system cameras on the market are jeans pocket friendly, but if you fitted each of these cameras with a slim pancake lens, the Nikon would definitely be the sleekest. Nikon V1 vs Olympus PEN E-P3 vs Sony NEX-7: viewfinder
Not having a viewfinder is a bug bear of many "serious" photographers, who prefer to use it compose images. Electronic viewfinders have suffered a bad reputation in the past as being difficult to use and offering poor image quality. However, Sony has worked hard to create an impressive viewfinder for the NEX series. Since Nikon uses Sony viewfinders, the V1 also has the same impressive technology. The E-P3, meanwhile, has no standard viewfinder as standard, and if you want to purchase one you'll need to cough up an extra £180, a hefty price to pay considering that it comes as standard on both the NEX and V1. Nikon V1 vs Olympus PEN E-P3 vs Sony NEX-7: screen
All three of the cameras offer something slightly different from their respective rear screens. The NEX-7's 3-inch LCD screen tilts, which is handy for shooting in awkward positions. The Olympus PEN E-P3 3 inch OLED is a touchscreen, a useful addition for quickly changing focusing points and other functions. The Nikon V1's 3 inch TFT LCD screen is neither tilting nor touchscreen, which is a little disappointing given the price point of the camera and that Nikon frequently uses touchscreens for its Coolpix range. Nikon V1 vs Olympus PEN E-P3 vs Sony NEX-7: lens mount and compatibility
Nikon has invented a new lens mount for its 1 range and introduced four new lenses, the standard 10-30mm kit lens, a 10mm pancake lens, a 30-110mm telephoto lens and a 10-100mm lens which is specifically designed for shooting video. At the moment, the Nikon has the fewest choices of lenses, but, if you include all Nikon F-mount lenses that can be attached via the optional adapter, the choice becomes much wider. None of the new Nikon lenses feature a wider aperture than f/2.8, which portrait photographers and those looking to shoot in low light situations may be disappointed by. Nikon has revealed that more lenses are on the way in the next three years, and it's likely we'll see a wide aperture portrait lens to appeal to the family photographers the camera is aimed at. By contrast, the Olympus PEN range has 8 compatible micro four thirds lenses, including a 45mm f/1.8 portrait lens and a 12mm f/2.0 wide angle lens. Sony's E-mount range is also pretty flexible, featuring a 50mm f/1.8 portrait lens and a 30mm f/3.5 macro lens. Both the Sony and Olympus compact system camera lens range can also be expanded with an optional adapter for A-mount and four thirds mount lenses, respectively. It's also worth noting that the Olympus PEN is also compatible with Panasonic's range of lenses for the G series, as both systems use the micro four thirds mount. This includes the newly released 14-42 compact 'power zoom' lens and a 3D lens. Nikon V1 vs Olympus PEN E-P3 vs Sony NEX-7: Speed
At the time of launch, both Nikon and Olympus claimed to have the fastest autofocus in the world for any interchangeable lens camera. It's certainly true that both cameras delivered quick autofocus speeds in both our full E-P3 review and our hands-on Nikon V1 review. We're looking forward to directly comparing the speeds once we get full review units available, although we suspect that there may only be milliseconds in it. The Nikon V1 also features a brand new EXPEED 3 processor, which Nikon claims is faster than the D3X DSLR. With it, the camera can shoot up to 60 frames per second, even when shooting in raw, blowing the NEX-7's 10fps and PEN E-P3 3fps well and truly out of the water. Nikon V1 vs Olympus PEN E-P3 vs Sony NEX-7: Image quality
It's tricky to give a definitive answer on which of these cameras gives the best image quality at this point, as we only have labs data for the E-P3. However, early indications are that both the NEX-7 and V1 will have very promising results. Sample images supplied by Nikon can be found in the Hands on: Nikon V1 review, while the Olympus PEN E-P3 review can give you detailed information based on our lab tests and real world testing. We'll be very keen to more closely compare the V1 and NEX-7 image quality once we are able to access final review samples. Nikon V1 vs Olympus PEN E-P3 vs Sony NEX-7: price
Finally, the all-important question of pricing. The Sony NEX-7 is the most expensive offering of the three cameras, with a launch price of £1130 with kit lens, while the Nikon V1's launch price is £829 with kit lens. The Olympus PEN E-P3 had a launch price of £799 including kit lens, but we are already starting to see some price reductions now that it is on the street, so we can expect the same from both the NEX-7 and the V1. Nikon V1 vs Olympus PEN E-P3 vs Sony NEX-7: VerdictIt will be interesting to see how each camera company offering a compact system camera will change its marketing strategy in light of Nikon's announcement. Each camera now has something unique it can offer consumers, whether that is the biggest sensor (NEX-7), the most advanced features (V1) or a great compromise of both (E-P3). Nikon is clearly aiming its 1 range at beginners, as design is kept simplistic and manual control features are hidden away in sub menus, while the NEX-7 with the high price point is gunning for someone who understands the benefits of a large sensor and is willing to pay the price. The Olympus PEN E-P3, at the moment, seems to offer the best compromise. It has neither the biggest or smallest sensor, offers a decent range of lenses, has nifty features such as the touchscreen and comes in at the best price. Once the final reviews of all three cameras are in, we will be able to further assess the results, so look out for a full review of the Sony NEX-7 and Nikon V1 soon. 
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| iPhone 4S rumours: what you need to know Posted: 23 Sep 2011 04:48 AM PDT  Apple iPhone 4S rumours: what you need to knowThe rumours are growing every day that Apple is about to launch not one, but two new phones in October: the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5. Here's all you need to know about the feasibly forthcoming iPhone 4S. It seems unlikely that Apple will launch two new phones at once, as the previous phone (in this case, the iPhone 4) is always made available at a lower price with a smaller storage capacity. brightcove : 1027846751001But with more information emerging about a phone with 'minor updates' from the iPhone 4 emerging all the time, here's what we know about the rumoured iPhone 4S: The iPhone 4S will be a minor update to the iPhone 4In a similar move from the iPhone 3G to the 3GS(which saw only a slight processor improvement, video camera and compass added) the iPhone 4S will only feature slight spec upgrades, according to Jefferies and Co. analyst Peter Misek: "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," he wrote. These claims of 'better cameras' have been corroborated by leaked images of the new cameras from Apple.pro to be used in the next version of the phone - the iPhone 4S will reportedly have a separate flash from the main sensor. The iPhone 4 has the flash built directly into the camera unit, so the new design could herald an even thinner iPhone 4S too. iPhone 4S constructionPhotos of what is supposedly the iPhone 4S were published in July showing a familiar-looking handset with a plastic casing in place of the iPhone 4's glass finish.
It's almost impossible to tell if these photos are the real deal; they could easily be of a regular iPhone 4 onto which an enterprising fraudster has transplanted into a plastic casing - or simply a pasted a matte cover - but it would go a long way to removing the possiblity of Antennagate again, plus would bring down the cost of building the device to help make it a truly budget iPhone. iPhone 4S screenConflicting reports in August suggested the next Retina Display in the new iPhone will remain at 3.5-inches. A leaked prototype LCD display component uncovered by the MacPost website fits exactly the same form factor as the iPhone 4. That discovery could be interpreted in two ways. The first is that the iPhone 5 design will remain unchanged. Secondly, it could add credence to rumours that Apple will launch a second tier 'iPhone 4S' that sticks to the iPhone 4 design. The iPhone 4S is just a developer's version of the iPhone 5The nickname iPhone 4S could just represent a devloper's version of the forthcoming iPhone 5, in order to stop the final hardware being leaked. A select few games devs reportedly received a new iPhone in April, to help them prepare the best titles possible for the iPhone 5 launch. 9to5Mac reports that the new handsets feature Apple's super-nippy A5 chip, allowing developers to create the fastest and best-looking mobile phone games yet possible. 9to5Mac's source claims that the "iPhone 4S" is almost identical to the current iPhone 4, apart from the inclusion of the newer, faster processor. The iPhone 4S replaces the faulty iPhone 5Rumours of delays have dogged the upcoming iPhone 5 for months now, and rumours persist the device may be held back until early 2012. The reason behind the hold-up, sources say, is the dual-core A5 processor that Apple is intending to use has been overheating - presumably this is a space issue in the thinner device, given the iPhone 4S is supposed to run with the same chip. Many have speculated that this will see Apple waiting until the A6 chip is available, which won't be until the beginning of next year. If true, this could mean we will see a slightly updated iPhone 4S launch in autumn (another recurring rumour), with a more major upgrade made public after Christmas. ...or the iPhone 4S will launch with the iPhone 5This one seems a lot more credible, with the iPhone 4S coming as an upgraded iPhone 4 to sit alongside the iPhone 5 on shop shelves. Images have emerged of what is said to be components of the iPhone 5 as well as the insides of a re-tooled version of the iPhone 4, likely the iPhone 4S. The images show a re-jigged A5 chip inside what is believed to be the iPhone 5, as well as a bigger battery capacity. Alongside that are purported images of components inside something that looks like an iPhone 4 - showing off a plastic white casing and a dual core A5 chip. |
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Apple iPhone 4S rumours: what you need to know
Posted: 23 Sep 2011 04:48 AM PDT
Apple iPhone 4S rumours: what you need to know
The rumours are growing every day that Apple is about to launch not one, but two new phones in October: the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5. Here's all you need to know about the feasibly forthcoming iPhone 4S.
It seems unlikely that Apple will launch two new phones at once, as the previous phone (in this case, the iPhone 4) is always made available at a lower price with a smaller storage capacity.
brightcove : 1027846751001But with more information emerging about a phone with 'minor updates' from the iPhone 4 emerging all the time, here's what we know about the rumoured iPhone 4S:
The iPhone 4S will be a minor update to the iPhone 4
In a similar move from the iPhone 3G to the 3GS(which saw only a slight processor improvement, video camera and compass added) the iPhone 4S will only feature slight spec upgrades, according to Jefferies and Co. analyst Peter Misek:
"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," he wrote.
These claims of 'better cameras' have been corroborated by leaked images of the new cameras from Apple.pro to be used in the next version of the phone - the iPhone 4S will reportedly have a separate flash from the main sensor.
The iPhone 4 has the flash built directly into the camera unit, so the new design could herald an even thinner iPhone 4S too.
The iPhone 4S could be made of plastic
Photos of what is supposedly the iPhone 4S were published in July showing a familiar-looking handset with a plastic casing in place of the iPhone 4's glass finish.
It's almost impossible to tell if these photos are the real deal; they could easily be of a regular iPhone 4 onto which an enterprising fraudster has transplanted into a plastic casing - or simply a pasted a matte cover - but it would go a long way to removing the possiblity of Antennagate again, plus would bring down the cost of building the device to help make it a truly budget iPhone.
The iPhone 4S will have a 3.5-inch screen
Conflicting reports in August suggested the next Retina Display in the new iPhone will remain at 3.5-inches.
A leaked prototype LCD display component uncovered by the MacPost website fits exactly the same form factor as the iPhone 4.
That discovery could be interpreted in two ways. The first is that the iPhone 5 design will remain unchanged.
Secondly, it could add credence to rumours that Apple will launch a second tier 'iPhone 4S' that sticks to the iPhone 4 design.
The iPhone 4S is just a developer's version of the iPhone 5
The nickname iPhone 4S could just represent a devloper's version of the forthcoming iPhone 5, in order to stop the final hardware being leaked.
A select few games devs reportedly received a new iPhone in April, to help them prepare the best titles possible for the iPhone 5 launch.
9to5Mac reports that the new handsets feature Apple's super-nippy A5 chip, allowing developers to create the fastest and best-looking mobile phone games yet possible.
9to5Mac's source claims that the "iPhone 4S" is almost identical to the current iPhone 4, apart from the inclusion of the newer, faster processor.
The iPhone 4S will cover for the faulty iPhone 5
Rumours of delays have dogged the upcoming iPhone 5 for months now, and rumours persist the device may be held back until early 2012.
The reason behind the hold-up, sources say, is the dual-core A5 processor that Apple is intending to use has been overheating - presumably this is a space issue in the thinner device, given the iPhone 4S is supposed to run with the same chip.
Many have speculated that this will see Apple waiting until the A6 chip is available, which won't be until the beginning of next year.
If true, this could mean we will see a slightly updated iPhone 4S launch in autumn (another recurring rumour), with a more major upgrade made public after Christmas.
...or the iPhone 4S will launch alongside the iPhone 5
This one seems a lot more credible, with the iPhone 4S coming as an upgraded iPhone 4 to sit alongside the iPhone 5 on shop shelves.
Images have emerged of what is said to be components of the iPhone 5 as well as the insides of a re-tooled version of the iPhone 4, likely the iPhone 4S.
The images show a re-jigged A5 chip inside what is believed to be the iPhone 5, as well as a bigger battery capacity.
Alongside that are purported images of components inside something that looks like an iPhone 4 - showing off a plastic white casing and a dual core A5 chip.
Credit: MacPost
And more innocuously, Al Gore - a member of the Apple board - recently outed 'new iPhones' in a speech, which led to speculation of more than one model emerging.
Gore apparently told a leadership conference in South Africa: "Not to mention the new iPhones coming out next month. That was a plug."
It remains unclear whether Gore meant that there would be multiple models or many of the same new model. The source, Stuff Magazine South Africa's Editor Toby Shapshak, says Gore did not clarify.
Later on Twitter, Shapshak followed up by saying "I clearly heard "iPhones". I recorded it. Double checked. Clearly plural but could be millions of one model."
iPhone 4S release date
If an upgraded iPhone 4 does launch with the iPhone 5, then it's highly likley the two devices, running iOS 5, will be launched at the same time, with reports of a release between the 10 and 20 October seeming the most likely at this stage.
It will be interesting to see whether Apple does indeed bring out a dual-core model of the iPhone 4 - if so, then surely the company has big plans in store for the more powerful devices, so we should probably all get pretty excited at the possibility of all new applications being able to take advantage in the huge ramp up in power.
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Hands on: Spotify on Facebook review
Posted: 23 Sep 2011 04:29 AM PDT
Spotify on Facebook
Facebook has finally announced a link up with Spotify, offering up most of its functionality within the social network.
The idea is that it will make listening to music more social and improves on the Connect features that were released before.
This is done in three ways within Facebook: the first is the real-time ticker on the right-hand side of your homepage. This will give you a constant update of what people are listening to.
The second part is within your main feed. Here you will get highly relevant stories about the music people like. Music will only appear here if you have some friends that are also listening to the same tune - this means that Facebook is essentially curating a best-of music feed for you.
The final element of this is the music dashboard. Here you can see what everyone is listening to and has listened to on your network.
This is a massive list of music in one place; albums that are trending in your network and finally a long feed of what your friends have been listening to.
The first thing you need to know about the service is that for Spotify on Facebook to work, you need to have a Spotify account already. This isn't a major problem, however, as the two companies have made it easier than ever to sign up to the service.
If you are a user who doesn't have Spotify, you will still get bits of news feed telling you what your friends are listening to. Once you click one of these messages you will be asked whether you want to download the Spotify client or not. Click okay and this will then download Spotify on to your computer and instantly create an account for you using your Facebook account credentials.
A prompt also appears if you don't have Spotify open, this just asks you if you want to open the Spotify client. Click okay and you are away.
As this integration is all about being social, the more you put into the service the more you will get out of it. If you allow Facebook to aggregate what you listen to on Spotify, then this should cause a domino effect within your friend group.
When you click on a track one of your friends are listening to, what comes up is an image of the album the track is from and a big play button, all you have to do is click on this and it will start playing the song.
While you are doing this through Facebook, what is actually happening is Spotify is running in the background – you can even flick between Facebook and Spotify to see this happening. So it is not streaming through the Facebook page, rather Spotify is 'talking' to its Facebook client.
The reason it has been done this way is actually quite sound. Essentially, if you move away from Facebook, then the music will still play – this means that you get the same experience that you do at the moment with Spotify.
With this in mind, the integration with Spotify is pretty seamless. You can even pause and play the track you are listening to with your keyboard.
And it doesn't just work on single tracks, either – if you click on someone's playlist, then this will be saved onto your Spotify account.
At the moment, there's one feature yet to launch that will make the service even more social. This is called Listen Along and will be launched in the UK and US first, but quite when we do not know.
This will allow you to listen in 'live' to what any of your friends are listening to, even if the track is playing halfway through. It works in much the same way as clicking on a friend's music link at the moment, except when you hover over it you will be asked if you want to listen in live.
This could be a massive thing for Facebook, as you can become a DJ for your friends, with any number of them listening into what you are playing – there could definitely be some commercial interest in this from DJs around the world as well.
When this becomes integrated it will also come with its own chat service, so a chat pop up will appear and you can talk among your friends.
Spotify has had to be clever with its algorithms to make sure its service is seen as global on Facebook. This does mean that there will be some song matching going on.
This will happen if you are trying to listen to a friend's music who is living oversees and there's no rights for this track in your country. Spotify will try and best match it but if it can't, and we are told this is rare, then a pop-up will appear saying you can't listen to the track.
At the moment, the discovery of new music can only be done through your friends. If you do want to listen to your favourite band's music through Facebook, however, you can do so by searching for their fan page and you will find a list of their most played tunes on Spotify.
We would like to see a more pro-active search approach for the service but at the moment, Spotify on Facebook works and it works well – as long as you are in sync with your friend's music collection that is.
Spotify on Facebook is set to roll out globally over the next few days.
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Galaxy S2 dominates most desired current phone poll
Posted: 23 Sep 2011 04:04 AM PDT
The Samsung Galaxy S2 appears to have overtaken the iPhone 4 as the most desirable phone on the market, with TechRadar readers voting overwhelmingly for the Android handset.
Responding to a question about what phone readers would replace their current mobile with, the S2 and iPhone 4 were clear leaders - picking up 70 per cent of 5,391 votes between them.
But it was the Galaxy S2 that topped the poll with a massive 47 per cent of the vote, miles ahead of Apple's handset on 23 per cent.
iPhone 5
Of course, when the iPhone 5 is formally unveiled in the next couple of weeks, we'd expect the phone weather vane to spin quickly back towards the Apple camp.
Third place on 11 per cent was the HTC Sensation, with Sony Ericsson's recent mini-renaissance illustrated by equal fourth place and four per cent for its Xperia Arc.
That's level with BlackBerry's Bold 9900, and ahead of both the Google Nexus S and the HTC Desire S.
Poll results:
Samsung Galaxy S2 47%
Apple iPhone 4 23%
HTC Sensation 11%
SE Xperia Arc 4%
BlackBerry Bold 9900 4%
HTC Desire S 2%
Google Nexus S 2%
BlackBerry Torch 9810 1%
LG Optimus 7 1%
Motorola Atrix 1%
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Week in Tech: Facebook thinks big to see off Google+
Posted: 23 Sep 2011 03:12 AM PDT
Poor Google. It gives its Google+ social networking service some welcome tweaks, opens it up to the public, and nobody pays the slightest bit of attention.
This week, all eyes were on Facebook - and not just because founder Mark Zuckerberg is now worth more money than Google's founders. Facebook is thinking big, and this week we discovered just how big its plans are.
Facebook's annual conference tends to involve some tweaks to the globe-gobbling social network, but this year is much more dramatic: Facebook has effectively been rebooted, with some features that will warm the hearts of oversharers everywhere. When the redesign reaches you in a few weeks' time, Facebook won't just be about what you're doing now; it'll be about everything you've ever done.
The heart of the new Facebook is the Timeline, a new, more visual kind of profile that will appear on desktop and mobile versions of the site. It's better seen than described, so we've put together an extensive photo gallery for your excitement and delightment.
The Timeline isn't just a pretty face. It's a new focus for Facebook activity. As Marc Chacksfield explains: "Instead of being a realtime feed of events, Zuckerberg and co have created a past-time feed of your entire (Facebook) life, with the feature replacing everyone's profile page... To make the Timeline work, a new class of apps have been created. These 'personal' apps allow for you to express yourself in new ways, according to Facebook."
Personal apps go much further than anything you've seen on Facebook before. For example, Spotify integration means that Facebook now has a music app. As Dan Grabham points out, Spotify isn't the only big name making Facebook apps: "other names on board with these new apps include The Guardian, The Independent, Netflix (not UK) and Nike Plus."
The key to Spotify, and to the other apps, is sharing. "You'll now start seeing new music posts and play buttons in your newsfeed," Grabham explains, "while your friends will be able to see what you're listening to - providing you give Facebook permission of course."
So how will the other apps work? According to Mark Zuckerberg, "you can fill out your Timeline with your favourite activities using apps and websites, and create a live connection to them so they're updated as you go.
For example photographers can fill their Timeline with photo apps that will update with each new photo taken; cooks can add recipe apps that will update with each new dish made; and music fans can connect to apps that show their top playlists." Depending on the apps you install, your Timeline will update when you buy a concert ticket, read a news article, listen to a song, watch a film or make dinner.
Not everyone is impressed. Resident grouch Gary Marshall for one is faintly frightened by it all. "Remember when we used to worry about Google storing search data? That's a drop in the ocean compared to what Facebook's trying to do," he says. "The new Facebook doesn't just want you to post your life on Facebook, but to actually live your life within Facebook's comforting embrace."
As Marshall points out, there are practical concerns - "what are you going to do about your Timeline if you get divorced? What happens if Facebook cocks up and deletes your account?" - but for him, the real worry is that Facebook is essentially creating a second internet, a service that brings you nice things but that "monitors everything you do, and which is owned by a faraway, unaccountable private company with a long track record of messing with its users' privacy."
Marshall, it's safe to say, isn't on Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook friends list.
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Gary Marshall: Why Facebook is building a second internet
Posted: 23 Sep 2011 03:04 AM PDT
The rumour mill predicted that Facebook would launch something big this week, and for once it underestimated things: Facebook wants to own the entire internet - and it wants to own your entire life too.
I'm not exaggerating. From the cradle to the grave, Facebook would like you to share every thought, every song you listen to, every photograph you shoot and everything you read with some or all of your Facebook friends and subscribers.
Remember the adage: if you can't see what product a site is selling, the product is you. That's definitely the case with Facebook, whose entire business depends on mining the details of your life to better target ads for pointless crap you don't need.
In that context, Facebook urging you to share everything - everything - is chilling. Remember when we used to worry about Google storing search data? That's a drop in the ocean compared to what Facebook's trying to do.
It's all very reminiscent of the Police song Every Breath You Take: like the song's protagonist, Facebook will be watching every move you make, vow you break, smile you fake and claim you stake.
Every Breath You Take is a popular wedding song because stacks of people miss its sinister subtext.
Those people are going to love the new Facebook.
Anti social
When Facebook describes something as more social, it means less social: the new Facebook doesn't just want you to post your life on Facebook, but to actually live your life within Facebook's comforting embrace.
Visiting The Guardian means leaving Facebook and seeing non-Facebook ads. Better, surely, for The Guardian to appear inside Facebook, surrounded by Facebook ads, generating data for Facebook's ads to better target you in future. Better, surely, to have Facebook deliver your Spotify music, your Netflix movies, your everything else.
What's really going on here is that Facebook's bringing Beacon back. In 2007, we were appalled at the prospect of external sites telling Facebook what we'd been up to so that it could better target its ads.
Now, it seems, we're delighted by exactly the same thing - but it's OK this time because the external sites are inside Facebook now! Yes, this time around you have to give the apps consent, but that's a one-time job: will users really understand the implications of that, understand that a per-item Like has been replaced by a pre-emptive Like Everything?
There are practical concerns too. How do you get your stuff back out again if you decide you don't want to keep it on Facebook? Where will you take your stuff if Facebook's cornered the market for photo sharing, video sharing and whatever-else sharing, driving rivals out of business? What are you going to do about your Timeline if you get divorced? What happens if Facebook cocks up and deletes your account?
Facebook is essentially building a second internet here, a service that offers many of the things you'll find on the real internet but that closely monitors everything you do - and which is owned by a faraway, unaccountable private company with a long track record of messing with its users' privacy.
Does that worry you? Because it scares the hell out of me.
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Apple to continue tablet dominance for years
Posted: 23 Sep 2011 02:50 AM PDT
New research for Gartner suggests that Apple is going to see off the growing threat of Android tablets for years to come.
The iPad is the dominant tablet at the moment, nabbing 14.6 million sales in 2010 and is likely to up that to a whopping 46 million in 2011 - and will stand at a staggering 148 million by 2015.
In the same period, Android tablets sold just over 2.5 million in 2010, will hit 11 million in 2011 and will only begin encroaching on Apple's dominance by 2014, with an estimated 116 million Android-based tablets sold in 2015.
The other interesting area to note from the research is Microsoft's tablet share will put it squarely in third place in three years, despite having almost no presence in the market now, with an estimated 34 million sales.
Cheaper is better
The main drivers for the rise in Android, according to Gartner, will be the possible launch of a cheaper tablet from Amazon and the proliferation of the low cost market in Asia - with high cost the principle reason the platform has barely made a mark in the tablet space so far.
"Most of Apple's competitors are struggling to meet Apple's prices without considerably sacrificing margins. Screen quality and processing power are the two hardware features that vendors cannot afford to compromise on," said Roberta Cozza, principal analyst at Gartner.
"They should consider everything else 'nice to have,' rather than essential, in order to keep bills-of-materials costs competitive with those of the iPad."
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Updated: 40 best free iPhone games on the planet
Posted: 23 Sep 2011 02:28 AM PDT
Best free iPhone and iPod touch games: 1-20
It's safe to say that Apple's given the gaming industry a square kick in the tender regions.
Despite their bluster, dismissing Apple in every way possible, Sony and Nintendo are both clearly concerned by the meteoric rise of iPod touch and iPhone as handheld gaming devices.
Although great games are the driving force behind the success of Apple gaming, low prices have also helped. Most 'premium' titles cost six quid or less, and many developers end up in a race to 59p, thereby providing games that'd cost 20 quid on a rival platform for the price of a Kit-Kat.
But what if you've spent your last penny on your shiny Apple object of desire? Can you get great games for nothing at all, or is the 'free' section of the App Store full of the kind of games that would make a ZX81 blush?
The answer is, of course, both, and the trick is finding the gems amongst the dross. What follows is our pick of the bunch - our top 40 free iPod touch and iPhone games.
You can also check out the run down in video form:
brightcove : 9684411630011. Dropship
This wonderful ngmoco title used to cost a few quid, but Dropship is now free and is one of the App Store's biggest bargains. The game is a modern take on Gravitar or Thrust, with your ship battling gravity and shooting gun emplacements while searching complex vector-based cave formations for marooned allies.
The 'touch anywhere' dual-thumb controls take some getting used to, but the game feels fluid and exciting once they're mastered.
2. Dr. Awesome Plus
Another ngmoco game, Dr. Awesome uses a hateful forced Plus+ account sign-up, but get past that and you find a compulsive title that smashes together ancient arcade classic Qix and surgery game Trauma Centre. Dr. Awesome's gameplay centres around removing viruses by tilting your device to 'cut out' infections.
Gameplay is fast and furious and, oddly, your Address Book contacts are used for patient names, so you can always choose to sacrifice your high score and off your boss in the virtual world.
3. Flood-It! 2
Flood-It! 2 meets the rules of great puzzlers: keep things simple, but make the game so challenging that your brains start to dribble out of your ears. In Flood-It!, you tap colours to 'flood' the board from the top-left, aiming to make the entire board one colour using a limited number of taps.
This release offers additional modes over the original Flood-It! (timers, obstacles, finishing with a defined colour), and offers schemes for colour-blind players.
4. Sol Free Solitaire
Although it's essentially a chunk of Solebon Solitaire (£1.19), Sol Free Solitaire is nonetheless a stunning example of a standalone solitaire game.
From the moment you first launch the game, the level of polish and attention to detail is obvious. In all of the six included games, the graphics are clean and clear, the controls are intuitive and responsive, and the built-in help is informative.
5. Cube Runner
The accelerometers in Apple handhelds have driven development of myriad tilt-based racing games, but tilt controls can be finicky. Cube Runner, however, feels just right as you pilot your craft left and right through cube-littered landscapes, aiming to survive for as long as possible.
The game doesn't look like much, but it plays well, and longevity is extended by Cube Runner enabling you to create and download new levels.
6. Spider: Hornet Smash
Tiger Style's Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor is an App Store classic, combining arcade adventuring and platforming action, with you playing the role of a roaming arachnid.
Hornet Smash includes a level from that game, but its main draw is the frenetic arcade minigame. Still controlling our eight-legged hero, the aim is to fend off attacks by swarms of angry hornets, while weaving webs and munching tasty lacewings for health boosts. Three environments are included in this compelling and innovative title.
7. Real Racing GTi
Firemint's Real Racing is one of the best racing games for Apple handhelds, but it's also demanding, requiring a lot of time investment. Real Racing GTi dispenses with much of the depth, but retains its parent's fun gameplay, user-friendly controls and great graphics.
Three modes are on offer - time trial, quick race, and a cup championship over three tracks—ensuring this game is the best free arcade racer on the App Store.
8. MazeFinger Plus
Again, the forced Plus+ account sign-up is hateful, but it's worth persevering to get to this addictive game, where you "unleash the awesome power of your finger," according to the App Store blurb.
The aim is to drag your finger from the start to the finish of each simple maze. The problem is you're against the clock and obstacles litter your path. Great graphics and 200 levels of compelling gameplay ensure you'll be glued to your screen.
9. Dactyl
Almost entirely lacking in depth, Dactyl is nonetheless one of the most furiously addictive games on the App Store. A gloriously demented Whack-A-Mole-style effort, Dactyl merely tasks you with tapping red bombs to stop them exploding.
Almost immediately, though, red bombs arrive thick and fast, forcing you to keep track and tap them in order, to avoid the inevitable 'game over'.
10. Trace
Trace is a sweet, inventive platform game which has you navigating hand-drawn obstacles to reach the star-shaped exit. The twist is that you can draw and erase your own platforms, to assist your progress.
With an emphasis on time-based scores rather than lives and the ability to skip levels, Trace is very much a 'casual' platform game, but it's none the worse because of it.
11. 3D Checkers
This game's title tells you most of what you need to know: it's checkers—in 3D! What it doesn't say is that 3D Checkers is a really great recreation of the popular board game, with two board types (traditional and metal), three levels of AI, and multiplayer (single-device or Bluetooth).
12. Buganoids
Buganoids resembles a NES game where the author decided to mash together random bits from various arcade classics. You patrol tiny planets, blasting 'across' them to kill nasty bugs. The gameplay's reminiscent of Gyruss and Tempest, and although the controls sometimes feel a little off, the game's always fun for a quick blast.
13. You Cruise by Mazda MX-5
This game has no right to be any good. You Cruise is essentially an advert for Mazda, and ad-oriented games are usually rubbish and play it safe. But here you get to hurtle round eight courses in a sports car, with the gameplay resembling a mini Sega Rally. It also helps that the controls—auto-acceleration, steering at each edge, and a brake pedal at each corner - are some of the best of any iOS racer.
14. Bankshot
One for pool sharks, Bankshot tasks you with sending your orb to a goal by bouncing it off of at least one wall. A few different modes are on offer in this attractive neon-style game, but the best is Blitz, a high-octane time-attack affair.
15. 10 Pin Shuffle (Bowling) Lite
A curious mix of ten-pin bowling, shuffleboard and poker, 10 Pin Shuffle proves surprisingly addictive. You get two cards for each strike and one for each spare, and whoever has the best hand at the end of the tenth frame wins.
16. Lux Touch
Quickfire Risk clone Lux Touch isn't exactly a champion in the smarts department - the AI's pretty easy to outfox - but it's perfect ten-minute fodder for Risk fanatics. The graphics are clear, the board is responsive, and the game's also universal, for if you want to install it on your iPad.
17. iCopter Classic
There are loads of one-thumb copter games on the App Store, and while this isn't the best (Super Turbo Action Pig and Pudge fight for that honour), iCopter Classic is without doubt the finest free variant. It's also fast and responsive as you go about helping your helicopter (or—in the unlockable themes—bee, submarine, spaceship or football) survive for as long as possible without smashing into something.
18. Cell Splat
So you think you're observant? Cell Splat will test that claim to the limit. The game distills 'match' games to their purest form. You get a target shape or colour, and, against the clock, must tap all matching items in the well. Quite why this frantic, great-looking, fun, addictive game is free, we don't know; we just suggest you download it immediately.
19. InvaderR
Like Cell Splat, InvaderR streamlines and hones a popular game, but this time it's Space Invaders. Like Taito's original, aliens are out to get you, but in InvaderR you have it tough. While the invaders are content to stay out of reach, it's 'game over' the second you're hit by a projectile. This turns InvaderR into a compelling and exciting score-attack game.
20. Whacksy Taxi
Although it looks like a 1980s racer, Whacksy Taxi also has much in common with platform games. You belt along absurdly straight highways, avoiding traffic by dodging or leaping it. Variety's added by power-ups, new background graphics when you reach a stage's end, and several bonus zones that also provide extra challenge.
Best free iPhone and iPod touch games: 21-40
21. Volkswagen Think Blue Challenge
Most racing games are about tearing round corners at high speed, your only concern being to not smash into things. Think Blue turns the genre on its head, providing you with limited fuel. The game becomes a unique and intriguing survival-based challenge as you try to eke out an extra few metres each go.
22. Hoggy
Hoggy resembles VVVVVV smashed into Nintendo's Kirby, combining platforming and puzzles. The game tasks you with grabbing fruit within jars that are peppered around a maze. Complete a jar and you get a key; with a certain number of keys, new maze areas open up. Although occasionally a mite frustrating, Hoggy's a great-looking, fun and innovative freebie.
23. Bam Bam Dash
Imagine Monster Dash with the cast of The Flintstones and you've got Bam Bam Dash. Your auto-running caveman has to avoid plummeting to his death and being eaten by things with sharp teeth. Nice graphics and helpful dinosaurs you can ride add extra flavour to the game.
24. Poker Race
To say Poker Race is somewhat lacking would be an understatement - it's bereft of sound, options, polish and online scores. It is, however, oddly addictive. You and 'the computer' take turns choosing a hand from cards that randomly appear; the better the hand, the further your car moves. The first to the finish line wins.
25. Minimalist Shooter
Tilt to Live took the twin-stick format pioneered by Robotron: 2084 and subverted it, removing your weapon and having you rely on colliding with contact-based explosives to destroy lethal foes. Minimalist Shooter is along the same lines, but it's free and resembles a pyrotechnic abstract art display.
26. PicoPicoGames
It's clear you'll never see Nintendo games on iOS, but PicoPicoGames is the next best thing: a collection of tiny, addictive NES-like minigames. Frankly, we'd happily pay for scrolling shooter GunDiver and the Denki Blocks-like Puzzle; that they're free and joined by several other great games is astonishing.
27. Escape from NOM
Another entry in the physics game genre, Escape from NOM differentiates itself by lacking a price-tag but nonetheless rolling in nice graphics and gameplay. The aim is to drop 'Alan' and use obstacles and bumpers to get him safely into coloured goo at the bottom of the screen. However, he must be the same colour as said goo when he reaches it and avoid hungry NOMs.
28. Need For Cheese
This tilt-based avoid 'em up has you steering clear of cats (especially red ones that home in on you), munching cheese and grabbing power-ups to smash evil cats off the screen. Need For Cheese is simple, but a first-rate quickfire highscore game that rivals Bit Pilot for best-in-class.
29. Froggy Jump
At first, Froggy Jump seems like Doodle Jump, starring a frog. That's probably because Froggy Jump pretty much is Doodle Jump, starring a frog. However, its character, unique items, themes and lack of price-tag makes it worth a download, especially if you're a fan of vertically scrolling platform games.
30. StarDunk
Another game showing that simplicity often works wonders on mobile titles, SlamDunk is a straightforward side-on basketball game. The time-attack nature of the title gives it oomph, though, and there's also the option for online competition against players worldwide.
31. Trainyard Express
Developer Matt Rix is bonkers. That's the only explanation for Trainyard Express, which isn't so much a demo version of the wonderful Trainyard as an entirely separate edition.
The mechanics are great: draw tracks to lead trains to like-coloured stations, combining or crossing them on the way, as necessary. It starts out easy, but soon hurts your brain, and the 60 puzzles aren't repeated in the paid-for version. Bargain.
32. Putt Golf
Anyone can whack a ball with a stick - real skill comes from putting. (Cue: enraged golfers attacking TechRadar Towers with pimped-out golf carts.) In Putt Golf, you get an oscillating targeting system, prod to putt, and then use tilting to amend the ball's path with digital Jedi-mind skills as it trundles towards the hole. Three game modes; hugely addictive.
33. Top Trumps Collection
If you spent a good part of your childhood wondering if the length of a Triceratops was enough to defeat your opponent's hidden dinosaur card, Top Trumps Collection will inject nostalgia directly into your brain. The AI can be a tad suspect, but this is nonetheless a decent reworking of the classic card game, with multiple modes of play and additional packs available via IAP.
34. Drop7
What do you get if you cross Drop7 with Zynga? A free version of Drop7! Luckily, the game's far more entertaining than that attempt at a joke: drop numbered discs into a grid and watch them explode when the number of discs in a column or row matches numbers on the discs. Drive yourself mad trying to boost your score by chaining! Forget to eat! (Also: ignore the bugs!)
35. Galaga 30th Collection
In the old days, invaders from space were strange, remaining in a holding pattern and slowly descending, enabling you to shoot them. By the time of Galaxian, the aliens realised they could swoop down and get you, and Galaga 30th Collection is the game you get here, with minor updates that improve its graphics and pace, albeit for a weighty 135 MB footprint on your device. Galaga fanatics can unlock other remakes in the series via IAP.
36. Candy Train
The cute little train is out of Control! Eek! Rotate pieces of track in Candy Train to help the chuffing hero collide with gigantic sweets, which results in points rather than a candy-based derailing disaster on the 6 o' clock news.
37. X-Baseball
It's a little-known fact that baseball mostly involves trying to hit colourful birds flying overhead and bananas lobbed in your direction by a mischievous fan. But X-Baseball provides a perfect, accurate one-thumb iOS recreation of America's favourite banana-thwacking pastime. (What?)
38. Rogue Runner
Rogue Runner is another one of those endless games, where you leap over gaps and shoot things until you fall down a chasm and ponder why your in-game avatar doesn't learn to stop once in a while. Rogue Runner stands out by offering a ton of skins and a smart overhead dodge-and-shoot variation, which is a bit like Spy Hunter if someone knocked the original arcade cabinet on its side - the vandal.
39. Road Hog
It's another one of those endless games, but this one has you… moving into the screen. Actually, Road Hog's a bit more than that, because you can move left and right, jump, use power-ups and grab stars to boost your score. Therefore, the game's a bit closer to a 3D Mario, if he was in a car that he drove recklessly along an endless road. Which we're pretty sure is what he does on his day off.
40. Vector Tanks (Classic Version)
In 1980, Ed Rotberg and some chums at Atari created Battlezone, the earliest 3D viewpoint shoot 'em up. Vector Tanks nicely recreates its glowing neon tank battles and tread controls, along with chucking some power-ups into the mix for extra destruction.
If you want to go Extreme! (voiceovers, more power-ups, an extra - totally mental - game mode), there's a 69p commercial version too.
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Review: Microsoft Wireless Optical Dekstop 700
Posted: 23 Sep 2011 01:30 AM PDT
Obscure Washington outfit Microsoft present us with this, the Wireless Optical Desktop 700.
It's been fairly inconsistent in the design and quality of its peripherals lately, swinging from the sleek Arc Touch to the almost unusable Windows 7 Touch mouse.
Recommended at £30 but available for a shade over £20, the Wireless Optical Desktop 700 features a well-built keyboard running on AAA batteries and a slightly flimsy mouse running on AAs, each communicating with your PC or laptop via a wireless receiver.
Key feature
As far as this reviewer's weary fingers are concerned, the best thing about this package is the weighting of the keys.
The mouse, however, is less satisfying underhand. It's extremely light, which makes it a bit of a nightmare in a gaming scenario. Despite this and some flimsy buttons, the real problem is that it goes to sleep too soon if you haven't moved it in a while.
We can forgive the Wireless 700's unsuitability for gaming because that's not what it's designed for, but this has an impact on everyday desktop use. It's an issue that plagues many wireless mice, particularly at the budget end.
The big problem here is the absence of any lights for caps, num and scroll locks. Okay, it's £30, but no lights? It affects the most fundamental keyboard tasks, and is something that £10 keyboards get right.
It's easy to get up and running wirelessly and while the mouse doesn't feel great, we doubt either peripheral will fall apart any time soon.
However, you should only consider this keyboard and mouse if your needs necessitate a wireless setup, and your budget's locked down to this price point. There are better wired bundles for the same price, and better wireless ones for a bit more.
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