| PS Vita sales falter in Japan Posted: 30 Dec 2011 05:41 PM PST  Sony's brand new PS Vita sold only 72,479 units in the week leading up to Christmas, according to unofficial figures. The Media Create Co. in Japan reckon that uptake has dropped from promising estimated opening week sales of 324,859. Sony has declined to comment on the reports, but if the figures prove to be accurate it would surely represent a disastrous return for the company. Too costly?The feeling in Sony's native Japan appears to be that the retail price of the handheld console and the accompanying launch titles are just too high. It wasn't until a drastic early price cut that sales of the Nintendo 3DS sparked into life and Sony may have to follow suit if the PS Vita is to enjoy a similar fate. The console launches in the UK and United States on 22 February and will cost £229.99, while top titles like Uncharted will be a whopping £44.99.    |
| Nokia Ace picture leaked Posted: 30 Dec 2011 02:28 PM PST  The heavily-rumoured AT&T branded Nokia Ace handset has been revealed in a Christmas card sent out by one of Microsoft's partners. The device should be the first Nokia Windows Phone device to boast 4G LTE internet speeds if the leaked image proves to be accurate. The picture, uncovered by PocketNow, shows an on-screen 4G icon, as well as the AT&T branding and also a front facing camera. The presence of the front-on camera would suggest this device is more than just a LTE-enabled version of the Lumia 800, which is thought to be in testing. More to follow?So far the only Nokia Windows Phone device to have been officially announced is the mid-range Lumia 710, which will launch on the T-Mobile network in early 2012. New Stateside devices have been strongly linked with an appearance at CES, which kicks off on January 9th.    |
| LG Intel Android phone to arrive at CES? Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:59 AM PST  Rumours on Friday suggest that Intel's first venture into the smartphone business will take place at CES with the launch of an LG Android phone. The Korean Times has it on good authority from sources at both companies that the eagerly-awaited phones boasting the new Medfield SoC will arrive at the Las Vegas tech show. "LG Electronics will produce Intel's first Android smartphones that use Intel's own mobile platform. The device will be shown at the CES," according to an unnamed 'top-ranking' executive at LG. Otellini on handIntel's top man in Korea Lee Hee-sung told the publication that company CEO Paul Otellini will take to the stage to reveal the device, which could go on sale as soon as March. He said: "Intel's chief executive Paul Otellini will release Intel's first Android smartphone using our own platform at the CES." An Intel/LG partnership would represent a second attempt from the company's to forge a partnership based around Google's Android smartphone platform. The pair announced an Android device as CES last year which was later canned due to a perceived lack of marketability. CES gets underway on January 9th at the Las Vegas Convention Centre.    |
| Siri swears at 10 year-old boy in Tesco Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:01 AM PST  Apple's Siri voice assistant app is in hot water after reportedly verbally abusing a child who was playing with a demonstration iPhone 4S handset. Ten year-old Charlie Le Quesne was testing the device at a Tesco store in Coventry when his mother claims he asked Siri how many people there were in the world. The normally perfectly-mannered app said in response: "I'm not sure what you said there, Shut The F**k Up, You Ugly T***" Going rogue?However, it's unlikely that Siri has suddenly decide to go rogue on inquisitive children. It appears that some smart Alec simply changed the username associated with the phone to the offending seven words, so believes it's addressing a person. However, Charlie's mum is still fuming and expressed her anger to the Coventry Evening Telegraph. "It's verbal abuse," said Kim Le Quesne. "Charlie was with his dad looking at the phones. We can't believe the filth it came out with. "He showed my husband what the phone had said to him and my husband found the store manager and said 'it shouldn't be saying that'." Still on displayKim's anger was only enhanced when she returned to the store the next day only to see that the same iPhone 4S handset was still on display. Tesco has said A statement said: "We have arranged for the handset in question to be sent for diagnostic testing and we will investigate this issue as a matter of priority with Apple." Via: Coventry Evening Telegraph    |
| Verizon to charge customers $2 to pay bill Posted: 30 Dec 2011 10:14 AM PST  Verizon Wireless has delivered a New Year jab to its customers by announcing a $2 charge on some one-off bill payments. The fee, which will apply to payments made from January 15th, will affect customers who pay for their cellphone service online or over the phone. The company released a statement on Thursday announcing the change, which can be avoided by paying through alternate means. "[A] new $2 payment convenience fee will be instituted for customers who make single bill payments online or by telephone," said the official note. BacklashNaturally customers have taken their displeasure to the various social media forums in the hope of forcing the company to backtrack. Customers can, however, avoid the charge by paying in-person at a Verizon store, sending in paper cheques via snail mail or setting up an automated payment plan. Verizon has defended its stance, saying the fee would only affect those making "last-minute payments." Update: Verizon has issued a statement to say it now abandoned plans to charge customers the $2 convenience fee. "At Verizon, we take great care to listen to our customers. Based on their input, we believe the best path forward is to encourage customers to take advantage of the best and most efficient options, eliminating the need to institute the fee at this time," said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless.    |
| In Depth: Year in tech: the highs and lows of 2011 Posted: 30 Dec 2011 05:00 AM PST  Year in tech: the highs and lows of 2011It was clear back in January that 2011 was going to be the year of the tablet. Indeed, if 2011 had a shape it was definitely rectangular with rounded corners, but of course there was much more to 2011's tech than that. In 2011 we saw some extraordinary things, said hello to some extraordinary kit and waved goodbye to an extraordinary man. Where's Windows?Microsoft didn't unveil Windows 8 as rumoured in January, but it spent most of the year bigging up its forthcoming operating system. A developer preview was made available in September, and by the end of the year we knew pretty much everything about Windows 8 on tablets and Windows 8 in general. When it wasn't banging on about Windows 8, Microsoft spent most of 2011 jumping out from behind things and shouting "boo!". The first shock was a multi-billion dollar deal with Nokia to make Windows Phone the new OS for Nokia's high-end kit, and the second was when Microsoft plonked down a staggering $8.5 billion for Skype for no other reason than to annoy Google. It was an odd and arguably overpriced move: as we said at the time, Microsoft "started with an opening bid of 'all the money in the world'." 
Rise of the robotsThe big news in 2011 was the rise of the robots: Android smartphones. By November, Android accounted for a massive 52% of the smartphone market. However, while the newly unveiled Ice Cream Sandwich - which unifies the Android codebase so there aren't separate versions for smartphones and apps - is really rather lovely, Android tablet sales have been relatively titchy. ICS promises to change all that, but it'll be a while before it's widespread. Android also powered success of another kind: Amazon's Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble's Nook Tablet both have Android underpinnings, albeit heavily customised ones that don't include the standard Google Apps or the main Android Market. Launched amid much hype towards the end of the year, the two non-techy tablets are expected to become big sellers. 
More tablets than MosesWhen Apple unveiled the iPad in 2010, rivals hooted with derision - but by 2011 they were desperately churning out tablets to try and get a bite of the enormous tablet money pie. Many of them failed, and failed spectacularly: by the Autumn, Apple's rivals were hiding behind shipment numbers to disguise the fact that once their devices had reached shop shelves, they stayed there. As the year progressed and the mountains of unsold tablets reached terrifyingly large proportions, some firms cracked. HP was first, canning its TouchPad and promising to quit the PC business before changing its mind, selling TouchPads for a packet of sweets and a few shiny beads and promising to stay in the PC business forever and ever and ever. 
A question mark now hangs over WebOS, the rather excellent mobile OS HP was/wasn't/was/wasn't going to can. The latest: it's going to be open sourced. Meanwhile over at RIM, top execs did their best impressions of the Titanic's captain. "The PlayBook is a huge success!" they yelled over the sound of dump trucks unloading thousands of unsold tablets. "We're cutting its price by nearly half because it's so awesome!" they added as RIM shareholders hurled themselves from high buildings. Even when RIM got lots of free publicity it was the wrong sort: RIM's BlackBerry messaging service, BBM, was widely blamed for being the tool of choice of UK rioters. In September, we predicted that the combination of the iPad 2 and Kindle Fire meant that "as far as the oh-so-lucrative Christmas shopping period in America is concerned Motorola, RIM, HP and the rest might as well pack up and go home." We didn't expect any of them to take our advice so quickly. 
Apple ascendantMarch's iPad 2 launch illustrated three of the key trends of 2011: Apple making really nice kit, Apple kit flying off the shelves, and people being disappointed that Apple didn't make products to meet the specifications invented by a bored man on the internet. On the eve of the launch we predicted that "all over the internet, people will write about how much of a disappointment it is, how Steve Jobs has lost his touch and how the Motorola Xoom / BlackBerry PlayBook / a piece of wood with a face drawn on it in biro is the new tablet king." We were right, and the reaction was even more pronounced when the rumoured iPhone 5 turned out to be the iPhone 4S. The only difference between the rumoured device and the real one was the name, so of course half the internet piled on. "Rather than unveil an iPhone 5, Apple merely made the world's most popular smartphone much better," we said. There's no pleasing some people. It was a busy year for Apple. In addition to a new iPad and new iPhone there was a new version of iOS, iOS 5; a new version of MobileMe, iCloud; a new MacBook Air, and a new OS X, Lion. The last few years have seen Apple do extraordinary things: in 2011 it was the most valuable technology company on the face of the planet, worth almost as much as Google and Microsoft combined. 
The four way fight-festIn many ways 2011 resembled a tag-team wrestling match, with Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon taking it in turns to put their tanks on one another's lawns. We've already mentioned Amazon versus Android, but the bookseller also launched a cloud-based music service - as did Google, Apple and (via Spotify integration) Facebook. Google has a social network and now owns a phone and tablet manufacturer, Motorola Mobility; Facebook's encouraging us to forget about Google and live inside its walled garden; Google's making YouTube more like a broadcaster while Apple and Amazon stream TV shows... if there's a market and there's money in it, the big four are fighting it out. What we've seen this year is a distinct change of emphasis among the world's most valuable tech firms: they're no longer content to stay in one sector, such as making nice bits of kit or running a social network. If there's a pie, they want a finger in it, whether the filling's music, movies, social networking, books, newspapers, magazines or anything else that can possibly turn a profit. 
Freedom fightsWe like tradition here in Britain, and we appear to have a new tradition of idiotic attempts to regulate the internet. In the aftermath of the London riots the Prime Minister seriously considered shutting down social networks in any future unrest, because clearly "the trouble wasn't spreading because of the close-ups of burning buildings shown continuously on the news channels. No. It was spreading because of tech." Sadly such idiocy was rather common. A great deal of time, effort and money was wasted drawing up plans for widespread web censorship that were subsequently abandoned on the grounds that they were completely sinister. As we explained at the time, "The process, it seems, goes something like this: BIG COMPANY: Oi! Judge! This website's made of villains and evil! JUDGE: Blimey, what a well-researched and argued case, with lots of supporting evidence! Let's block it forever!" While the government changed its mind, organisations such as the BPI are now using the courts to make ISPs block individual sites. The first successful such action ordered BT to block Newzbin2, and it took, oooh, about ten seconds for the site's users to find a way around the block. 
There was some good news - in November the EU Court of Justice ruled that ISPs couldn't be forced to install expensive, indiscriminate monitoring and/or filtering systems on the grounds that such systems broke more laws than a London rioter looting JD Sports - but calls for censorship do have worryingly widespread public support. We aren't saying goodbye to this issue as we say goodbye to 2011. Bye, SteveWe lost a giant in 2011: Steve Jobs, who died in October. As we wrote following Jobs' resignation from Apple in August, "If you were to pitch his story as a script, it'd be rejected for being too far-fetched: a man starts a firm in his garage, changes the world, gets kicked out of his own company, gets into the film business, becomes a billionaire, comes back, changes the world a few more times and ends up in charge of the most valuable company on the face of the planet." Bill Gates was one of the first world figures to mourn Jobs' passing: "The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come. "For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely." So will we. 
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| Buying Guide: Best wide-angle lenses: 8 tested Posted: 30 Dec 2011 03:00 AM PST  Best wide-angle DSLR lenses explainedA jaw-dropping vista will often lose more than a little something with the blinkered view of a standard zoom lens. Their shortest focal length is typically 18mm, equivalent to about 28mm on a full-frame camera, giving a field of view far narrower than you see with your eyes. Fit your DSLR with an excellent wide-angle lens and you will literally broaden your camera's horizons. Most of us use APS-C cameras, so for this group test, we've picked eight wide-angle zoom lenses tailor-made for cameras with these small sensors. It's an important consideration - while there's no problem using telephoto zooms designed for full-frame cameras on DSLRs with APS-C sensors, it just doesn't work at the wide-angle end. A full-frame 70-300mm lens gives you the bonus of extra reach, equivalent to about 450mm at the long end. But put a wide-angle 16-35mm full-frame lens on an APS-C camera and it will have an effective focal length of around 24-52mm, losing its wide capability. 
Playing the angles, a typical 18-55mm kit zoom lens gives you a maximum field of view of about 65 degrees in the horizontal plane, or 75 degrees from corner to corner of the frame (lens manufacturers often use the diagonal plane to describe an optic's maximum field of view). Switch to a wide-angle lens that zooms out to 10mm, and those angles increase to around 98 degrees horizontally and 108 degrees diagonally. Put your eye to the viewfinder and the difference is immediately apparent. Smaller focal lengths naturally give wider angles of view - even a couple of millimetres makes a noticeable difference. But it's not all about the minimum focal length of the lens. The focal length multiplier, or 'crop factor', of the camera also has an impact. 
Nikon, Pentax and Sony DSLRs with APS-C-sized sensors have a 1.5x crop factor, giving a 10mm lens a focal length equivalent to 15mm. Canon DSLRs typically have a 1.6x crop factor, so the effective focal length of the same lens would be 16mm, not quite as wide-angled. Olympus DSLRs' Four Thirds sensors are physically smaller, with a crop factor of 2.0x, so the effect is far more dramatic, stretching a 10mm lens to 20mm, resulting in a much narrower field of view. 
Zoom ranges for wide-angle lenses tend to be around the 2x mark, as with Sigma's 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM lens. Some are smaller, such as Sony's DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 optic, while others such as the Nikon AF-S DX 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED and Tamron SP AF 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II have a larger zoom range of 2.4x. In practice, however, we've found that we nearly always shoot at or near the widest-angle focal length when using a wide-angle lens, so extra zoom range isn't a massive bonus. 
That said, it's useful if it reaches as far as the widest focal length of your standard zoom lens, because distortion tends to be noticeably less pronounced when using a wide-angle lens at 18mm, compared with the same zoom setting on most inexpensive kit zoom lenses. As well as seeing a wider view, another advantage of wide-angle lenses is that you'll get a large depth of field. This is exaggerated further when using small apertures. It's great for simultaneously keeping close objects of primary interest and far-off horizons sharp in landscape images. 
All but the Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 in the group feature a focus distance scale, handy for setting the hyperfocal distance in landscape shots. This is the optimum focus distance for keeping as much in focus as possible from the foreground to the background of a scene. For example, shooting with a Nikon camera at a focal length of 10mm and an aperture of f/11, the hyperfocal distance would be 45cm with everything from 22.5cm to infinity sharp. At f/8, the hyperfocal distance would be 64cm, with everything from 32cm to infinity sharp. 
At each focal length and aperture combination, the sharpness extends from half the hyperfocal distance to infinity. For a handy depth of field and hyperfocal distance reference, try the DoF Master online calculator. Wide-angle lenses really come into their own if you want to exaggerate perspective. You can increase the apparent size of foreground objects against dramatically receding backdrops, or make towering skyscrapers appear to lean in towards each other. The flipside is that the convergence of parallel lines makes wide-angle lenses a poor choice for accurate architectural photography. 
Despite their extremely wide angles of view, all but the Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM lens in the group can be used throughout the entire zoom range with screw-in filters, or square filters with a screw-in adaptor. These include landscape favourites such as ND filters, ND grads and circular polarisers. But due to the very wide field of view captured by these lenses, the amount of polarisation is likely to vary considerably across the frame. Wide-angle DSLR lens key features
When choosing a wide-angle lens for your DSLR, look out for the following key features. Front element The extreme convex curvature of the front element makes it vulnerable to knocks, especially as objects can appear further away through the viewfinder than they are. A petal-shaped lens hood adds protection. Materials Unlike some kit zooms, all the lenses in this group have metal mounting plates, which are more durable than plastic. Plastics are still used in the lens barrels to reduce weight and manufacturing costs. Zoom range Bigger zoom ranges are convenient, and make lenses more versatile. With wide-angle optics, however, you'll probably use their shortest focal lengths most of the time, so a large zoom range is less useful. Filter attachment A low-profile UV filter protects the front element and lessens the risk of vignetting. The filter thread of most wide-angle lenses is 77mm, but the Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM takes 82mm filters and the Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 takes 72mm. Distance scale Apart from the Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6, all the lenses tested feature a focus distance scale - really useful on wide-angle lenses in landscape photography because it enables you to set hyperfocal distance accurately. Autofocus The Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, Nikon AF-S DX 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED, Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM and Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM lenses use advanced, ring-type ultrasonic autofocus. This is fast and barely audible in operation, and gives full-time manual override. The Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 also enables this in AF mode. Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM 
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM - £660Canon's 10-22mm lens has a lot going for it. It's reasonably compact and lightweight, yet build quality feels solid and robust. The overall lens length stays fixed throughout the entire zoom range - a trick matched only by the Tokina 12-24mm f/4 AT-X 124 AF PRO DX II in this group. Zoom range is generous, equivalent to 16-35mm on Canon's APS-C bodies. Luxuries include top-spec, ring-type ultrasonic autofocus, which comes with full-time manual override. Canon's Super Spectre coatings are used to reduce ghosting and flare, but uniquely in the group, the lens is supplied without a lens hood. The petal-shaped EW-83E hood has to be bought separately, and will set you back a further £30.
The USM autofocus proved practically silent, extremely fast and highly accurate in our tests, with nice smoothness in the focus and zoom rings. Sharpness was pretty good around the centre of the zoom range, but disappointing at each end. We needed to stop down to f/8 to get good results, but even then, sharpness at the widest 10mm focal length was poorest in the group. At f/16 it's still the lowest in the group, but it is more consistent across the focal range. At the widest aperture, vignetting was also noticeable throughout the zoom range. At least peripheral illumination correction is available in-camera with most of Canon's current DSLRs. On the plus side, distortions are well-contained and chromatic aberrations are minimal. Resolution sharpness test 
See full res image Sharpness is consistent through the focal range, but lower overall than on other lenses. Peak performance is at the mid-focal length of 17mm. Fringing test 
See full res image At the centre point at all focal lengths fringing is minimal, but at 17mm and 22mm there are signs of blue fringing towards the edge. Distortion test 
See full res image The Canon lens has the least barrel distortion on test at the widest focal length. At 17mm and 22mm this changes to mild pinch distortion. Image test verdict While not an outstanding performer, the Canon lens does well. It produces good, consistent results across all our tests. Score: 4/5 Read our full Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM review Nikon AF-S DX 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED
Nikon AF-S DX 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED - £670There are many similarities between the Nikon and Canon lens tested, despite the Nikon's slightly bigger zoom range. Nikon's ring-type Silent Wave autofocus is fast, quiet and accurate, just like the Canon 10-22mm optic's USM system, and the layout of the focus distance scale, slim focus ring and big zoom ring is almost identical. Weight-wise the Nikon lens falls in the middle of the group, but build quality is high. The zoom ring moves smoothly, with enough friction to feel positive without being stiff. The major difference is that the zoom rings work in opposite directions. With the Nikon, you twist the ring clockwise (viewed from the rear of the lens) to increase focal length. This is more common, being used by all the lenses tested apart from the Canon and Olympus.
There was only minor vignetting in our tests, even at the widest available apertures, which rise from f/3.5 to f/4.5 as you go through the zoom range. More remarkably, at f/3.5, f/8 and f/16, sharpness is the best in the group at the shortest focal length, although it's poor at longer focal lengths. Distortions are more noticeable than with some lenses throughout the zoom range, but there's little colour fringing. All Nikon's current APS-C cameras feature automatic distortion and chromatic aberration correction. All in all, the Nikon is a star performer, especially at the extreme wide-angle end of the zoom range. Resolution sharpness test 
See full res image At f/16 centre sharpness is good throughout the focal range. Towards the edges, at all focal lengths, sharpness drops. Fringing test 
See full res image Signs of fringing at all focal lengths are minimal across the focal range. At 24mm there is a slight visible sign of red fringing towards the edge. Distortion test 
See full res image The Nikon produces the worst barrel distortion in the test, visible at 10mm. At other focal lengths there is mild pinch distortion. Image test verdict At the crucial widest focal length the Nikon centre sharpness is excellent, but the lens does suffer from heavy barrel distortion. Score: 4/5 Read our full Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED review Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 - £490Very compact and lightweight, the Olympus 9-18mm lens is only half the weight of the Sigma 8-16mm lens and is a whole inch shorter. The main reason for this is that it's scaled down for the Four Thirds system, which has a rather smaller sensor than APS-C cameras. Although it saves on size and weight, the 2.0x crop factor works against you for wide-angle shooting. This 9-18mm lens only has an effective zoom range of 18-36mm on Olympus DSLRs, so the field of view is narrower than with, for example, a Nikon DSLR and a 10-24mm lens.
Autofocus is fairly quiet if not particularly fast, and it tended to hunt a bit in some of our tests. The manual focus ring has an electronic rather than mechanical coupling, with manual override available through camera menu options. The only real drawback of the focusing system is that a focus distance scale isn't available. Unlike previous review samples of this lens we've seen, sharpness impressed throughout the zoom range, at least at f/8 and narrower apertures. In fact, it rules the roost at f/16, but is more consistent across its focal length range at f/8, where it comes second for sharpness. But it was a different story shooting at the widest apertures, with a distinct lack of detail, especially at the widest end of the zoom range. Performance was good in terms of distortion, chromatic aberration and vignetting. Based on this sample, the 9-18mm optic is a good buy. Resolution sharpness test 
See full res image At all focal lengths centre sharpness is excellent. Although it drops off towards the edges at all focal lengths, the lens resolves detail well. Fringing test 
See full res image At 9mm there are slight signs of green and red fringing towards the edge. At 14mm and 18mm the fringing increases. Distortion test 
See full res image At 9mm and 14mm there are signs of barrel distortion, but both values are low. At 18mm distortion is almost zero. Image test verdict Sharpness and fringing at all focal lengths and across the frame is good, although there is some drop off in quality towards the edges. Score: 3/5 Read our full Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 review Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM
Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM - £550The newest lens tested, Sigma's 8-16mm lens is the widest zoom lens on the market for APS-C cameras. The zoom range is equivalent to 12-24mm in Nikon, Pentax and Sony fit, and 13-26mm in Canon fit. Like Sigma's 4.5mm circular fisheye lens (also for APS-C cameras), the new 8-16mm has a slip-over tube onto which the lens cap fits, or on which you can attach filters with a 72mm thread. The tube causes extreme vignetting at anything other than the longest 16mm zoom setting, so it needs to be removed in nearly all shooting scenarios. A petal-shaped hood is built into the lens, which helps to protect the front element from knocks and scrapes.
A trade-off of the extremely wide angle of view is that the lens isn't the sharpest tool in the box. However, sharpness is respectable right into the edges and corners of the frame, and this is retained very well even when shooting at the largest available apertures. The HSM (HyperSonic Motor) autofocus is quick, quiet and accurate, and comes with full-time manual override, though the focus ring is a little stiff. Vignetting is noticeable when combining the shortest focal length of 8mm with the widest aperture of f/4.5, but drops considerably at f/5.6 and isn't an issue at f/8 or narrower. Again, considering its extreme wide-angle potential, distortion and colour fringing were moderate, and the Sigma performed well in our field tests. Resolution sharpness test 
See full res image Sharpness at all focal lengths is average compared with the other Canon fit lenses. Best performance is gained at the 12mm centre point. Fringing test 
See full res image At 8mm and 12mm mild green fringing occurs at the mid frames, and blue at the edge. Centre fringing is minimal at all focal lengths. Distortion test 
See full res image Pronounced barrel distortion reflects the 8mm focal length, yet it is still less than on the Nikon. Pinch distortion is just visible at 16mm. Image test verdict As expected from the 8mm focal length barrel distortion is heavy, but sharpness and fringing is comparable to other Canon fit lenses. Score: 4/5 Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM - £500The newest version of Sigma's 10-20mm lens boasts a constant aperture, so a relatively fast f/3.5 is available throughout the zoom range. Other headline features include ring-type HSM autofocus with fast, near-silent performance and full-time manual focus override. Build quality feels rugged, and the lens is available in a wide variety of mount options. Indeed, in our last group test of wide-angle lenses we picked this lens as the top choice for Pentax users, especially as the Pentax 12-24mm lens (not featured this time around) costs nearly double. The Sigma lens is stylishly finished and comes complete with a hood and soft pouch.
Lab results weren't fabulous for the Sigma, but coupled with a Canon EOS 550D in real-world shooting tests, it was sharp even shooting at the widest aperture. Only at the 20mm end of the zoom range did we have to reduce the aperture to f/8 to get sharp images, but the quality drops again at f/16. Sigma's Super Multi-Layer Coatings do a good job of combating ghosting and flare, while maintaining image contrast. The Sigma 10-20mm optic also resisted vignetting throughout the zoom range, making its large, constant f/3.5 maximum aperture all the more useful. Colour fringing at the 10mm end of the zoom range was also impressively low. Overall, this Sigma lens is an attractive option, especially as it's about £160 cheaper than equivalent Canon and Nikon lenses. Resolution sharpness test 
See full res image Centre sharpness is good at 10mm and 20mm, but drops towards the edges. At 16mm sharpness is lower than all the other lenses on test. Fringing test 
See full res image Fringing at all focal lengths is minimal at the centre, but towards the edges there are signs of mild blue fringing. Distortion test 
See full res image Distortion, while visible at 10mm, is acceptable and can be easily corrected. At 16mm and 20mm distortion is minimal Image test verdict Centre sharpness at 10mm and 20mm is good, and fringing and distortion levels are average compared with other lenses on test. Score: 4/5 Read our full Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM review Sony DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6
Sony DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 - £530Compared with most other lenses in the group, the Sony looks a low-frills affair. Its fairly meagre zoom range is 11-18mm, the shortest focal length equating to 16.5mm on Sony's APS-C bodies. The autofocus system is quite slow, noisy and lacks full-time manual override, and the distance scale is merely printed around the outside edge of the focus ring. On most other lenses, the scale is neatly positioned behind a viewing window. The maximum aperture of f/4.5 at the shortest focal length is also a little disappointing, making the Sony joint slowest in the group along with the Sigma 8-16mm lens.
At f/8, the Sony is one of the sharper lenses in the group at its shortest 11mm focal length, but drops off progressively through the zoom range. A mid-table performer at f/16, sharpness drops more alarmingly at wider apertures. Distortion is higher than average around the middle of the zoom range, with cyan/magenta colour fringing noticeable around high-contrast edges in scenes. But it's not all bad news - vignetting was minimal even when shooting at the largest available apertures. Given this is a camera manufacturer's own-brand lens, rather than independent competition, the price is reasonable, but we'd still expect better features and performance for the money. It looks a little outclassed and outdated by the cheaper Sigma 10-20mm lens, and the Sony-fit Tamron lens offers greater zoom range for £170 less. Resolution sharpness test 
See full res image Centre sharpness at all focal lengths is average for this test. While sharp at the centre it drops off dramatically at the edges. Fringing test 
See full res image Fringing is visibly apparent towards the edges at all focal lengths, with green at 11mm and 15mm and red/blue at 18mm. Distortion test 
See full res image The Sony shows signs of barrel distortion at all focal lengths. At the widest focal length distortion is acceptable and easily corrected. Image test verdict In tests the Sony optic shows good centre sharpness. However, fringing towards the edge of the frame is visible at all focal lengths. Score: 2/5 Read our full Sony DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 review Tamron SP AF 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II
Tamron SP AF 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II - £360When launched, the Tamron 10-24mm lens had the biggest zoom range of any wide-angle lens on the market, though this has since been matched by Nikon. Available in a wide range of mounts, it's one of Tamron's SP or 'Super Performance' class of lenses, claimed to have high optical and mechanical quality. Even so, the build feels a bit cheap and plasticky compared with some of the competition - but it's little more than half the price of equivalent Canon and Nikon lenses. There's no hypersonic autofocus motor, as is fitted to Tamron's newer 70-300mm USD and 18-270mm PZD lenses. Autofocus is still pretty quiet though, with its only real letdown being slowness on tricky targets or in dull lighting.
Combining the shortest 10mm focal length with the widest aperture, centre sharpness is decent, though corners lack detail. Reducing the aperture to f/5.6 offers a marked improvement, but sharpness is good rather than excellent, and at f/16 it ranks about fifth in this group. It's just a little sharper than the Canon 10-22mm though. At least the Tamron delivers very consistent levels of sharpness and reasonably low distortion throughout its entire zoom range. Vignetting is minimal and colour fringing only slightly apparent at the shortest focal length. Both drop off almost completely around 15-18mm, and fringing only returns slightly towards 24mm. The cheapest lens in the group, the Tamron performs well at a budget price. Resolution sharpness test 
See full res image Centre sharpness is consistent at all focal lengths, with top performance at 18mm. Sharpness drops towards the edges at all focal lengths. Fringing test 
See full res image Signs of red fringing are apparent at 10mm towards the edge, but at the mid and centre frame at all focal lengths fringing is minimal. Distortion test 
See full res image At all focal lengths there are visible signs of barrel distortion, which is still apparent at the lens's narrowest focal length. Image test verdict Sharpness results are consistent at all focal lengths with a drop towards the edges. Distortion and fringing are minimal on the Tamron. Score: 4/5 Tokina 12-24mm f/4 AT-X 124 AF PRO DX II
Tokina 12-24mm f/4 AT-X 124 AF PRO DX II - £500Tokina's 12-24mm Mark II lens is almost identical to the original, at least for Canon users. The only optical change is the new multi-coatings, reducing ghosting and flare. In the Nikon-fit version, the lens now has a built-in autofocus motor. It's quicker and slightly quieter than the old one, and means the lens will autofocus on Nikon bodies without built-in AF drives, such as the D3100 and D5100. The shortest focal length of 12mm lags slightly behind most of the competition, but build quality is up to Tokina's typically high standards. Like the Sigma 10-20mm lens, the Tokina features a constant aperture throughout the zoom range, this time f/4 rather than f/3.5.
There's no full-time manual focus override, but the lens features a push-pull focus ring that slides forwards or backwards to engage auto or manual focus respectively. Our review sample proved very sharp at f/8 throughout the zoom range, though images were soft in the corners at f/4. At f/16 it's below average at 12mm, but very good at the middle and longest focal lengths. Colour fringing proved less problematic with the Mark II lens than with the original model tested previously. Fringing was still clearly noticeable at the shortest focal length, but less so at longer focal lengths. Distortion is a little high at 12mm, but it diminishes towards the longer end of the zoom range, becoming negligible at 24mm. Resolution sharpness test 
See full res image Centre sharpness is consistently high at all focal lengths, especially the longest. As with other lenses sharpness drops towards the edge. Fringing test 
See full res image The Tokina lens consistently shows little sign of visible fringing at any focal length or at any point across the frame. Distortion test 
See full res image Barrel distortion is visible at 12mm. At 18mm there's slight barrelling and at 24mm slight pinch distortion, but these aren't visible. Image test verdict At all focal lengths the Tokina shows consistently negligible signs of fringing. The optic's centre sharpness was also strong and consistent. Score: 3/5 Read our full Tokina 12-24mm f/4 AT-X 124 AF PRO DX II review Best wide-angle DSLR lenses: benchmarks
The lab tests reveal varied image quality characteristics in these wide-angle lenses. Lenses tested on the Canon EOS 7D (the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, Tamron SP AF 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II, Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM and Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM) resolved less sharp detail from JPEG images. Those tested on the Nikon, Olympus or Sony cameras (the Nikon AF-S DX 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED, Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6, Sony DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 and Tokina 12-24mm f/4 AT-X 124 AF PRO DX II) resolved more. Also, the results are more uniform across the focal range than the other makes. 
The Tamron and Canon lenses also delivered consistent results. At their widest focal lengths all lenses had typical wide-angled characteristics, with sharpness falling towards the edges of the frame. The Nikon optic showed most barrel distortion at its widest focal length, followed by the Sigma 8-16mm. Most lenses showed pinch distortion at the narrowest focal length, but the Sony and Tamron optics retained mild barrel distortion throughout. 
Fringing for all lenses at the centre of the frame was minimal, but the Sony lens displayed visible signs towards the edge. Overall, the Nikon lens just takes the lead for consistency. Verdict: Best wide-angle DSLR lenses
Canon's EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM lens is relatively disappointing in terms of sharpness, and given that using a lens hood is often essential for outdoor shooting with a wide-angle lens, it's a source of frustration that Canon doesn't supply one. Choice of wide-angle lenses for Four Thirds cameras remains limited. With its 2.0x crop factor, the shortest effective focal length of the Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 lens clocks in at a disappointing 18mm. But this lens is still decent value, especially considering Olympus's wider 7-14mm lens will set you back a colossal £1,500. The Tamron SP AF 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II is a very attractive budget lens for Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony users, but both the Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM and Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM lenses are noticeably more refined, with HSM autofocus. The 8-16mm lens is unbeatable for wide-angle coverage, while the 10-20mm has the advantage that you can fit filters to it at any focal length, as well as having a fast f/3.5 maximum aperture that remains constant throughout the zoom range. The Sony DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 lens has a relatively limited zoom range, and while image quality is pretty good, it doesn't quite offer enough to justify its price tag, especially when compared with the Sigma and Tamron lenses. The Tokina 12-24mm f/4 AT-X 124 AF PRO DX II lens also lacks width at the all-important wide end of the zoom range, but it's a good performer with impressively solid build quality. The Nikon AF-S DX 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED lens ticks all the right boxes for build quality and advanced features, such as its Silent Wave autofocus. Best of all, it's sharp right where you want it to be - at the shortest focal length - even at its widest aperture. This makes it our favourite wide-angle DSLR lens. Best for Canon APS-C format users: Sigma 8-16MM f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM
What's good: High-quality build and optics.
What's bad: inability to mount filters apart from when shooting at 16mm. Our verdict: Seriously wide, even with Canon's higher 1.6x crop factor. Best for Pentax users: Sigma 10-20MM f/3.5 EX DC HSM
What's good: advanced features and all-round quality at a sensible price.
What's bad: Sharpness at mid-zoom. Our verdict: gives a wider-angle view than the Pentax lens and is a lot less expensive. Best for Nikon DX users: Nikon AF-S DX 10-24MM f/3.5-4.5G ED
What's good: Sharp at wide-angle settings.
What's bad: Sharpness drops considerably in the middle of the zoom range. Our verdict: expensive, but well worth the money for Nikon landscape shooters. Best for Olympus Four Thirds users: Olympus 9-18mm f/4-5.6
What's good: all-round optical performance.
What's bad: widest angle of view is a bit limiting, due to the 2.0x crop factor. Our verdict: despite some shortcomings, it's the obvious choice for four thirds cameras. Best for Sony APS-C format users: Tamron SP AF 10-24MM f/3.5-4.5 Di ii
What's good: optical performance is impressive considering the price.
What's bad: plasticky, with sluggish autofocus. Our verdict: wider angle of view than Sony's own lens, and much cheaper. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------    |
| Facebook Messenger for WIndows takes a bow Posted: 30 Dec 2011 02:41 AM PST  Facebook Messenger for Windows has appeared in the wild, with the client allowing people to communicate to their Facebook buddies without going through a browser. Facebook's Messenger offering has proven to be a hit on the massive social network, and the inevitable Windows program has now finally made its appearance. The offering at the moment is currently being tested on a 'small group of people' but you can go and download it from Facebook itself if you wish to give it a go. "Messenger is a Windows is a new, trial application that lets you use Facebook without being on www.facebook.com," explains Facebook. Notifications"While you surf the web or use other applications on your computer, you can chat and message with your friends on Facebook, see the latest updates from your friends in ticker and get quick notifications about what's going on," the explanation continues. "We're testing out a first version of the app with a small group of people. During this trial period, we plan on rolling out changes to the app and expect outages and periods of instability as we make improvements." Of course, Facebook's success has largely been web and app based to date, so it will be interesting to see if a client is popular. Especially as it is going head to head with the likes of Microsoft's well-established instant messenging client.    |
| Acer Iconia Tab A700 to make bow at CES 2012? Posted: 30 Dec 2011 02:29 AM PST  Acer will reportedly show off its Tegra 3 toting Iconia Tab A700 at CES 2012, with suggestions that the tablet could finally make a more public appearance early next year. According to Russian site NoMobile.ru the next generation tablet from Acer is all set to make a splash at CES 2012 in January, with the suggestion that the Iconia Tab A700 release date could be as early as march. The Iconia Tab A700 is picking up attention because it is a slimmer, lighter and more powerful version of the Iconia Tab A200. Tegra-fulThe A200 sports a now familiar 1GHz Tegra 2 processor, but its altogether sexier brother will bring a brand spanking new Tegra 3 processor from Nvidia. Other specs include an impressive 650 gram weight, 1920 x 1200 resolution and a 5MP camera, along with SIM and micro-USB slots. Of course, TechRadar will be heading over to Acer's CES 2012 stand to check out the tablet and give it a thorough test, so check back for our early impressions from Vegas next month.    |
| Review: D-Link ShareCenter Posted: 30 Dec 2011 01:30 AM PST  D-Link has designed the ShareCenter NAS device to be at the centre of your home network, sharing your files and media throughout your home and over the internet – an admirable aim. The installation process is fairly straightforward, though there are a few options that you need to set yourself, and these can be confusing if you're not used to setting up network attached storage devices. For example, at one point you're asked if you want to enable NTP server, without any explanation of what this is. There's also a step that asks you to enter your email address, along with port number and SMTP server – a pain if you don't have that information readily to hand. The network drive wasn't mapped during installation – instead we had to run the D-Link Easy Search Utility, which found the D-Link ShareCenter on our network and then let us map it. As with other aspects of the ShareCenter, the execution was rather cumbersome and inelegant, but it worked. The D-Link ShareCenter isn't the most user friendly of the NAS drives we've tested, but the comparative complexity of the D-Link ShareCenter is the price you pay for some of the better features of this NAS that are absent in some of its competitors. For example, the D-Link ShareCenter is able to email you with updates about its status, including whether it has reached a temperature that might cause it to become unstable. File transfer speeds were around 11.6MB/s, which was around average for the NAS devices we tested. Not fantastic, but good enough to copy movies and other media to the device for streaming. Backing up entire hard drives to the device will prove time consuming with those speeds though. In the end the D-Link ShareCenter does what it says it will, but it seems to be an awkward mix of complicated concepts and features aimed at home users without adequate explanation. A missed opportunity.    |
| Buying Guide: 10 best iPhone apps for making you laugh Posted: 30 Dec 2011 01:00 AM PST  10 best iPhone apps for making you laughThere's comedy genius to be found in the App Store, and we've spent a pretty enjoyable week rounding up the very best of it for you. We've tried to cover all the bases, ranging from comedy classics to cult hits. We've included silly crowd pleasers through to thoroughly adult fare such as Viz Profanisaurus Das Krapital. It's not all one-liners, though - some of these apps aren't funny in themselves, but allow you to create hilarious things to share, such as brilliant photography app OldBooth. Some apps lend themselves well to stimulating post-work drinks conversation, while others will have you desperately trying to suppress giggles on the train home. Some apps feature memorable TV characters and comedy actors, so you can look forward to the excitable, manic wit of Harry Hill and the foul-mouthed, caustic opprobrium of Malcolm Tucker, both of them brilliantly in-character in their fantastically imagined apps. In rounding up these apps, we've not worried too much about the price, but with all of these apps landing at well under the £10 mark for the lot, and each one guaranteed to produce at least one solid belly laugh each, there's little reason not to donk them all on your iPhone or iPad immediately. You and your funny bone can thank us later. Have fun! 01. Malcolm Tucker Price: £3.99
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch 
Comedy creations like Malcolm Tucker, played by Peter Capaldi, make us proud to be British. The foul-mouthed political puppet master is a highlight of Armando Iannucci's The Thick Of It, and Malcolm Tucker: The Missing Phone centres on the contents of Tucker's misplaced phone. The result is a treasure trove of foul-mouthed email, audio memos and voicemails, all written around the time of the closing of the last series, as Tucker wrestles with gradually losing his grip on power, and eventually his job. His email inbox is our favourite, featuring missives and conversations between Tucker and his staff as he attempts to save them with political strategy, professional spin-mastery and threats of physical violence. There's Tucker's magnificent manifesto for dealing with the press (Point one: "Don't point. It's rude and it will lead to a photograph in which it looks like you are giving a Nazi salute."), plus the political high-flyer's SMS archive, including sadistic texts to answer service AQA ("What is the sharpest knife in the world and where can I get a really big one?" Answer: "Your number has been blocked."). All of the skullduggery, backstabbing and inept attempts at horse-trading that the TV show plays for laughs are here. People email each other attack memos, which are either deliberately or accidentally forwarded to the attackee, and all the tools of the trade - PDF and .DOC attachments, plus incriminating images - are included for your enjoyment. Another highlight is the assortment of voicemails - left by Tucker himself, asking for his phone back, dense cabinet minister Nicola Murray (played by Rebecca Front) and freshfaced upstart Ollie Reeder, voiced by Chris Addison. There are also no small number of voice memos to enjoy - the app might be the most expensive here, but there's a vast amount to savour, much of it perfect for dipping in and out of when you have a spare moment. As befits a phone belonging to a political head honcho, the app is a very busy place, pushing a stream of new voicemails and emails to your Home screen within the first few hours of you downloading the app. There's even a story arc, which unfolds as Tucker attempts to trace his phone by wheedling, cajoling and threatening his terrified crew, as new emails, voicemail and texts arrive on the phone. One of the funniest plot twists is spin-doctor Tucker's attempts to find himself a career beyond politics. The first chapter of his book is rejected for libelling Michael Crick and Angus Deayton, and he delivers a potty-mouthed rejection of an approach from the BBC trying to interest him in hosting a chat show. Much - if not all - of the humour requires a working knowledge of the show's cast, so this will be a frustrating place to start if you've never seen The Thick of It or In the Loop, the film of the TV show. If you're already a fan, though, this offers a huge amount of fresh laughs - it's the way a companion app should be done, and the perfect thing to tide you over until the new series next year. A no-brainer for those already familiar with the show, and the perfect sofa companion for those embarking on the first season. 02. Viz Profanisaurus Price: £1.49
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch 
Simultaneously the least appropriate, rudest and arguably the funniest app in this group. Viz Profanisaurus has been offering appallingly rude double entendres for years, and this cheap app - Viz Profanisaurus Das Krapital - rounds up 12,000 of them for your viewing displeasure, allowing you to describe bodily functions, anatomical features and intimate acts with more accuracy than ever before. Just how rude is it? We tried at length to find a definition suitable for reproduction in Tap! and failed miserably. This is not for the easily offended. For everyone else, though, the Profanisaurus is a gloriously profane guide to swearing, allowing you to skip randomly through definitions, or, if you've got something specific in mind, there's a text search box, plus an exhaustive A - Z list. You can mark entries as favourites, and there's the World Top 10. For the socially minded, the Profanisaurus also includes the ability to post entries to your Twitter and Facebook feeds, although those who are friends with their gran or boss should probably think twice about using this feature. All in all, this is worth every penny of its £1.49 asking price, is laugh-out-loud funny, and is totally unworthy of a place in a family magazine like Tap! Download it at your own risk, and come up with a plausible explanation to offer to your colleagues when they ask what you're laughing so hard at. 03. The Onion Price: Free
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad 
The Onion, the US's finest satirical news source, has been keeping the Tap! team amused and distracted for years. So it's a shame that the excellent website is now buried behind a paywall that blocks non-subscribers after five visits in the same month. Luckily for iOS users, though, this excellent official app allows you to skirt around it. It's essentially an iPad magazine, although it's available on the iPhone and iPod touch as well (the iPad version is called The Onion Tablet, while the iPhone/iPod touch app is simply named The Onion). The grid-style layout on the front page will be familiar to users of apps such as The Guardian or The Daily - a main story with a big image, then a host of smaller stories, infographics and videos. Navigation is reasonably quick, if a touch jerky at times. Once The Onion app has downloaded the week's content from the site - of which there's a decent amount - you can read it whether you're online or not, which makes it useful for comedy fans without a mobile data connection. But certain features, such as video, take a while to download. At its heart it's still The Onion, which means it's satirical US genius at its best, and the app rolls in almost the same amount of content as the physical US-only newspaper. The text stories in it are cuttingly sharp, and the infographics are high-resolution and hilarious. The star of the piece, though, is the spoof video reports, aping the 24-hour news networks with a constant churn of ridiculous stories. Production values in these videos are first-rate, but this isn't a case of form over content - virtually every joke lands perfectly, giving you plenty of scope for thoroughly embarrassing yourself on the train by spluttering coffee over the tray table. This is perfect for anyone running out of patience with proper newspapers, and all for the utterly compelling price of absolutely free. 04. OldBooth Price: £1.49
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch 
There must be real money to be made in enabling your iPhone to edit pictures to make people look younger, but for comedy value, OldBooth is a superb image editor. Snap a front-on picture of a friend, place their face into one of OldBooth's old-timey image masks, and hey presto: a picture rendered as though they had been photographed in the '60s. Silly hair and weird clothes are the order of the day, but with around 30 different image masks included, there's plenty of fun to be had. You can take photos in the app, and to help line things up perfectly, OldBooth overlays your chosen mask on top of the viewfinder. If you're working with an existing pic, pinching to zoom your image to the right size and rotating it is perfectly smooth, while the ability to alter the brightness and contrast of your original image makes it easy to produce surprisingly convincing results. If the supplied masks simply won't do for you, a pair of In-App Purchases (69p each) allow you to add a handful of extra effects from the '20s or '80s. Good, clean fun. 05. Alan Partridge Price: 69p
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch 
Aha! Following a fall from grace, hapless egomaniac Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan) is working at a Norfolk radio station, and the result is comedy gold. Alan Partridge Mid Morning Matters supplies a soundboard from the series of internet shorts, plus a dose of home-made jingles (our favourite being 'What is Alan firing his friend's air rifle into?'). There's also a random shake feature, in which a soundbite is picked out at random. The videos are the stars of the app - ten-minute clips set in a recording studio, each one a perfect study of a man whose ego threatens to collapse in on itself. Content is magnificent; it's just a shame that the videos have to be streamed online. Unlike in Mitchell's Soapbox or Harry Hill's Little Internet Show, there's no option to download videos to watch later. 06. David Mitchell's SoapboxPrice: Free
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad 
This is the first of two appearances by Peep Show's David Mitchell in this roundup - an indicator of the man's ability to tickle us. Each Soapbox is a three to four minute diatribe on a random subject - Mitchell sounds off on the futility of marathon running, his annoyance at people ordering coffee in busy pubs and the unnecessary expense of foreign stag dos. It's a little like listening to a good friend in a pub, assuming your good friends are award-winning comedy writers. The videos are magnificently produced, and can be streamed directly or downloaded in higher quality, although on anything smaller than an iPad you're unlikely to notice a difference. Best of all, these genuinely funny weekly rants are all free, with a season's worth of short sound clips thrown in as a bonus, plus another season's worth available as an In-App Purchase. A must-have for fans of Mitchell and good jokes. 07. Peep Show (The Quotatron) Price: 69p
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch 
Is Peep Show the funniest thing on British TV? We're inclined to think it is. So although Peep Show (The Quotatron) isn't exactly a multimedia tour-de-force, containing as it does around 50 audio quotes from two of the most twisted, tortured and funny characters committed to TV, it more than compensates by being extremely funny. Well, most of the time, anyway. Given the rich treasure trove of quotes at the app creators' disposal, a few of them are a little too short of context for our liking. But there's certainly enough to amuse, and while the bundled memory game doesn't make a huge amount of sense, it's a decent time-passer. A smattering of video wouldn't go amiss, but for those who don't get their fill of Peep Show from the app (possibly the idea), each quote comes with a link to the relevant episode in the iTunes store. 08. Harry Hill Little Internet Show Price: Free
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch 
Channel Flip made Harry Hill's Little Internet Show as well as David Mitchell's Soapbox. The app layout and production values of the two-to-three-minute sketches are all roughly the same, but the humour varies wildly as the big-collared comic finds himself in manic scrapes, whether it's helping out his mate Adam (a tree), or attempting to hide Susan Boyle in a cupboard. As with Soapbox, clips can be streamed if you've got a network connection, or downloaded if you're a stickler for quality, and the app alerts you when a new episode is released - although season one has just finished. Videos are nicely produced, and although it's sponsored by AOL, pre-roll advertising is kept to an unobtrusive minimum. Our only complaint is the lack of sharing options - given that the videos can be streamed over the internet, the ability to post them to your Facebook wall would be a great addition. Other than that, this is a superb freebie for fans of Harry Hill. 09. Atomic Fart Free Price: Free
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad 
We feel bad about this one: Tap! lasted precisely 10 issues before covering a fart app. But when it comes to making people laugh, the passing of gas has been funny for millennia, so it's nice to see technologists embracing the lowest form of humour. And embrace it they have, with Atomic Fart capable of serving up a bevvy of disgusting but funny wind sounds, from The Aftershock to the Duck Stepper in the fart list. And there's even a fart drum set. You can set your iOS device up to become a space-age whoopie cushion as well, either by setting up a countdown or opting to have it detect nearby movement before letting rip. There's even Bluetooth capability within the app, allowing you to serve up naughty noises on the iOS devices of (consenting) nearby users. 10. Fawlty Towers Soundboard Price: 69p
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch 
Fawlty Towers Soundboard mines such a rich seam of source material, it's shooting into an open goal. Still, the presentation of this keenly priced collection of sound clips is pleasingly on-message, and there's a strong selection of clips. Including, of course, Basil not mentioning the war. Choose the clips you want to listen to by selecting a favourite character (Basil, Sybil, Polly, the Major and Manuel all get their own categories). Giving your iPhone a shake from the app's main screen will play a random one. You can also opt to play all the clips in a random order, giving the screen a tap to move on to the next one. That's about it - no sharing options and no video reduce the app's appeal somewhat, although as with The Quotatron there are links to Fawlty Towers on iTunes. Still, listening to Basil breaking down, cracking up and abusing his staff is timeless.    |
| Buying Guide: Best travel lenses: 8 tested Posted: 29 Dec 2011 07:00 AM PST  Best travel superzoom lenses explainedWhen travelling, some photographers choose to leave the DSLR at home and make do with a compact camera. But taking your DSLR doesn't mean getting bogged down with loads of kit. Whether you're on the beach, hiking in the hills or getting acquainted with local culture, your trusty DSLR and a single lens is often all you need for top-quality creative shots. Especially if the lens happens to be a superzoom. As well as cutting out the extra weight, excess baggage and general inconvenience of carrying around multiple lenses, a superzoom lens has another key advantage for holiday shooting. Picture yourself standing on a sandy beach with a fresh sea breeze blowing in off the ocean. You want to switch to a telephoto lens to capture some surfing action, only to suffer the instant panic of wondering how much of the sand blowing around will end up dumped on your camera's sensor. With a superzoom, all you need is a quick flick of the wrist and you're ready to start shooting.
Even in the cleanest, most dust-free environments, superzoom lenses still have the edge when it comes to reacting to surprising situations. With the capability to switch instantly from a wide angle to a telephoto focal length, and anything in between, you're ready for any photo opportunity that presents itself suddenly. You can be shooting a wide-angle landscape one second, then zooming in for a close-up of passing wildlife the next. 
But if superzooms are so great, what's the point of limiting yourself to a prime lens, or a lens with a more modest zoom range? Inevitably, a massive zoom range comes with compromise. First off, prime lenses tend to be faster, with a bigger maximum aperture. This is great for blurring the background with a small depth of field, as well as for avoiding camera shake at fast shutter speeds. 
That said, superzoom lenses enable a fairly shallow depth of field at their smaller maximum apertures if you shoot at the longer end of the zoom range. Many superzoom lenses also have built-in optical stabilisation, which typically gives a four-stop advantage in fending off camera shake. Olympus, Pentax and Sony superzooms lack optical stabilisation, but current camera bodies from these manufacturers generally have effective sensor-shift stabilisation instead. Sure, any amount of stabilisation can't counteract movement on the part of the subject being photographed, but then again, the latest DSLRs maintain very good image quality at fairly high ISO settings, so you can still get fast shutter speeds when you need them. 
Compared with a basic prime lens, a superzoom will often have around three times as many elements built into a complex array of groups that move back and forth to enable an extremely large zoom range. Ultimately, the trade-off for the extra convenience is a loss in image quality. Most zoom lenses suffer from noticeable barrel distortion at the wide-angle end and pincushion distortion at the telephoto end. 
With superzoom lenses, these distortions can be more pronounced, but some camera bodies have options for making automatic corrections at the shooting stage. Otherwise, you can apply distortion correction in Photoshop when editing your images. Chromatic aberration, also called colour fringing, tends to be more prominent in superzoom lenses. These fringes are usually most noticeable around high-contrast lines, such as tree branches shot against the sky, and towards the edges and corners of the frame. 
Again, though, current Nikon and Pentax cameras can apply corrections automatically while shooting. Otherwise, it's another job for Photoshop. Raw-processing programs are usually effective at correcting chromatic aberrations, but given the often large data sizes of raw files, many of us prefer to shoot in JPEG mode for holiday snaps. Autofocus tends to be acceptable in superzoom lenses, although it's usually based on comparatively humble standard motors rather than upmarket ultrasonic ones. The exceptions in this group are the Nikon AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II, Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM and Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD lenses. 
Of these, the Sigma and Tamron optics have small ultrasonic motors which, while fairly quiet, aren't any quicker than conventional alternatives. It's only the Nikon 18-200mm that boasts the more advanced ring-type variant of ultrasonic autofocus, which is fast and features full-time manual focus override. So, let's take a closer look at eight superzoom lenses and what they have to offer. Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS - £415Like Canon's budget kit lenses, this 18-200mm optic lacks the finery of USM (ultrasonic motor) autofocus or even a focus-distance scale on the barrel. Unlike the cheap 18-55mm IS kit lens, however, the 18-200mm features a metal rather than plastic mounting plate. More good news is that the four-stop image stabiliser features auto detection for both panning and tripod use. The Canon is quite bulky, the biggest lens in the group, just ahead of the Sigma 18-250mm. It's about 35g lighter than the Sigma, but it lacks a lens hood, which will set you back another £50 for the EW-78D petal-shaped model, although third-party versions are available online for much less.
The zoom ring is large and has a very smooth, easy-twisting action. The downside is that zoom creep was appalling in our review sample – the zooming mechanism went into free-fall if the lens was pointed upwards or downwards. This is disastrous for tripod-mounted shooting, but at least there's a zoom lock switch for carrying the lens around safely. Sharpness is adequate rather than particularly impressive, but it remains fairly consistent throughout the zoom range. The Canon is pretty average in terms of colour fringing and distortion, but if you're shooting in raw mode corrections are fairly easy to apply in the Digital Photo Professional program that Canon supplies with all of its DSLRs. Sharpness test 
See full res image Sharpness across the focal range is consistently good at the centre, but as the focal length is increased the edge sharpness drops. Fringing test 
See full res image At the mid-point of the focal range, there are mild signs of fringing at the centre. Throughout the rest of the focal range, fringing is minimal. Distortion test 
See full res image At 18mm, the Canon suffers from one of the heaviest barrel distortion results. At the middle and longest focal lengths, distortion is average. Image test verdict Sharpness is generally good and fringing is minimal throughout the focal range.
At 18mm, barrel distortion is very much apparent. Score: 3/5 Nikon AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II
Nikon AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR I I- £590You can't help but feel that many superzoom lenses are built down to a price, but the Nikon 18-200mm seems a real quality item. Stand-out features compared with all the other lenses on test include ring-type Silent Wave ultrasonic autofocus, which is rapid and accurate, as well as full-time manual override. It's also the only lens to include a distance scale that's neatly positioned below a viewing window, and overall build quality feels well above average. Nikon's latest-generation vibration reduction lives up to its four-stop promise, edging ahead of the system fitted to the original version of this lens. The dual-mode stabiliser includes both normal and active modes, toggled by a switch on the lens barrel. The lens also suffers slightly less zoom creep, although it's still a bit of an issue in the 24-135mm focal range. At least the new edition includes a zoom lock.
The focus ring is towards the rear of the lens barrel, but because it doesn't rotate during autofocus, this doesn't impair the excellent handling. The focus and zoom rings are smooth and precise and the optical quality is extremely good, with excellent sharpness through most of the range. Distortions are pronounced at the wide-angle and telephoto ends of the zoom range and colour fringing can be noticeable at the edges of the frame. However, in-camera corrections for distortion and chromatic aberration work well in Nikon's current bodies. Sharpness test 
See full res image Sharpness at the widest and middle focal lengths is excellent, but it drops at 200mm. It falls towards the edges at all focal lengths. Fringing test 
See full res image Fringing is consistently low, showing little to no signs across the frame. At 200mm, there's a mild green fringe towards the edges. Distortion test 
See full res image Distortion at 18mm is heavy and only a fraction less than the Sony. At the middle and longest focal lengths, pinch distortion is average. Image test verdict Sharpness at all focal lengths is good and beaten only by the Sony. Fringing across the frame is minimal, but barrel distortion at 18mm is high. Score: 5/5 Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 18-180mm 1:3.5-6.3
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 18-180mm 1:3.5-6.3 - £430The focal range of Olympus's superzoom looks pretty standard fare at 18-180mm, but that's before you take the Four Thirds factor into account. With a 2x focal length multiplier, the lens has an effective zoom range of 36-360mm, which will leave many photographers wanting at the wide-angle end. On the plus side, the Olympus optic is compact and lightweight, which is ideal for a travel lens. It also feels well built, and there's practically no zoom creep. Autofocus is a little loud and shrill, but the focus ring doesn't rotate when doing so. Better still, the focus ring's electronic coupling enables very precise manual focus, which is also available as a full-time override in autofocus mode.
Coupling an effective 360mm telephoto range with a f/6.3 aperture, the lens pushes the boundaries of sensor-shift stabilisation in Olympus bodies. Camera shake was more of a problem than with the latest optical stabilisers fitted to Canon, Nikon, Sigma and Tamron lenses, and we got an advantage of between two and three stops. Sharpness is excellent in the centre of the frame and well above average towards the edges and corners, although there's an alarming drop-off in clarity at the long end of the zoom range. Distortions are fairly well controlled, although colour fringing is very noticeable outside the central area of the frame. Sharpness test 
See full res image At the widest and middle focal lengths, the Olympus produces good results, which drop at 180mm. Sharpness falls towards the edges. Fringing test 
See full res image Centre fringing at the middle focal length is the best in test. At 18mm, a red fringe (and at 180mm, a green fringe) shows towards the edges. Distortion test 
See full res image Barrel distortion at 18mm is worse than expected, especially because the Four Thirds sensor increases the effective focal length to 36mm. Image test verdict Sharpness is generally good throughout the focal range, with a drop at 180mm. Fringing and distortion are average compared to others on test. Score: 3/5 Pentax smc DA 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] DC WR
Pentax smc DA 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] DC WR - £530relative newcomer to the superzoom market, the Pentax 18-135mm is the smallest and lightest in the group. Naturally, downsizing is helped by the fact that it has a modest zoom range. Even so, the effective focal range of 27-202mm gives plenty of versatility when shooting. In our tests, the Pentax optic was a joy to use with its oversized, silky-smooth zoom ring.
It suffered no zoom creep, which is just as well because the lens doesn't feature a zoom lock. The built-in autofocus motor is extremely quiet, and comes complete with full-time manual override – Pentax calls it a 'Quick-Shift' focus system. Our only reservation is that a larger focus ring would be easier to use.
Considering the lens's relatively modest zoom range, we'd expect less compromise in terms of the optical quality. Sure enough, centre sharpness is exemplary throughout the entire zoom range, but sharpness drops off disappointingly at the edges of the frame, especially at longer focal lengths. Colour fringing towards the corners of the frame is among the worst of any lens on test, and distortion is also poor, especially at the longer end of the zoom range. On the plus side, all current Pentax DSLR bodies have built-in automatic correction for colour fringing and distortion. Even so, we'd expect better optical quality considering the relatively short zoom range and the high price. Sharpness test 
See full res image Centre sharpness at all focal lengths is excellent. However, as with other lenses in the test, the sharpness drops towards the edges. Fringing test 
See full res image Fringing at the centre is low at all focal lengths, but at the widest end of the range there are signs of blue fringing, and at the longest, green. Distortion test 
See full res image Distortion at the widest focal length is average, and easily correctable at the middle and longest. Pinch distortion is higher than average. Image test verdict The Pentax resolves good centre sharpness across the focal range. Fringing at the extremes of the focal range is noticeable at the edges. Score: 3/5 Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS
Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS - £290Sigma's 18-200mm lens is bigger and heavier than some lenses with a mightier zoom range, including the Sony 18-250mm and Tamron 18-270mm. Indeed, it has almost exactly the same dimensions as the Sigma 18-250mm. When you're looking for a lens that's compact and lightweight for travel, yet delivers a generous zoom range, the Sigma 18-200mm is disadvantaged immediately. The maximum aperture of f/6.3 is also a bit disappointing, being half a stop slower than the Canon and Nikon 18-200mm lenses. At least lenses that offer focal lengths up to 250mm or 270mm have a more compelling reason for the extra half stop. It also lacks the quiet HSM autofocus system found in Sigma's newer 18-250mm option. The standard micro motor in this lens is quite shrill and noisy.
Optical stabilisation is below par compared with other stabilised lenses in the group, because as one of Sigma's first stabilised lenses to hit the market, the 18-200mm features an old-generation system. In our tests, it gave an advantage of only between two and three stops. The build quality feels pretty high, but the zoom ring goes through a nasty stiff patch in the middle of its travel. However, there's practically no zoom creep, and the lens also features a zoom lock. Optical quality for sharpness, lack of colour fringing and distortion proved average across the board. Sharpness test 
See full res image Centre sharpness across the range is good, just beating the Sigma 18-250mm, but there's a steep fall-off towards the edges. Fringing test 
See full res image There's a slight red fringe towards the edges at 18mm, and green at 200mm. However, the effect of fringing overall is minimal. Distortion test 
See full res image The influence of barrel and pinch distortion are more pronounced than on the 18-250mm, but results show an average score. Image test verdict Centre sharpness is not far behind the 18-250mm. It copes well with distortion and fringing, but edge sharpness suffers at all focal lengths. Score: 3/5 Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM
Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM - £400Not quite identical twins, the Sigma 18-250mm has almost exactly the same dimensions and the same 72mm filter thread, zoom lock and general finish as the Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS. There are some important differences, however, apart from the extra 50mm length at the telephoto end. For starters, the 18-200mm is available only in Canon, Nikon and Sigma mount options, whereas the 18-250mm adds Pentax and Sony options to the list. The 18-250mm also has a quieter HSM autofocus system, although it's only the basic version, which isn't particularly fast and doesn't have manual focus override. This also means that the focus ring rotates during autofocus, but it's smaller and further away, at the front end of the lens barrel, so there's less chance of your fingers fouling its action. 
The 18-250mm lens features Sigma's latest-generation optical stabiliser, which gave between three and four stops of anti-shake benefit in our tests. It was almost as good as the Canon, Nikon and Tamron lenses, which all gave a slightly more consistent four-stop advantage. Distortion is quite well controlled, which is impressive considering the extra-large zoom range. Sharpness is less so, being mediocre at 18mm and going downhill all the way to 250mm. Colour fringing is quite pronounced towards the edges of the frame, particularly at the shortest and longest focal lengths. Sharpness test 
See full res image Centre sharpness across the focal range is good compared with the other Canon-fit lenses, but it drops off steeply towards the edges. Fringing test 
See full res image Fringing across the frame at all focal lengths is minimal, but at 18mm there's some mild blue fringing towards the edges. Distortion test 
See full res image The Sigma lens has less barrel distortion at 18mm than all the other lenses on test and is very easy to correct. Image test verdict The Sigma 18-250mm has the least barrel distortion in the test and only minimal fringing. Sharpness is good, but it does suffer towards the edges. Score: 3/5 Sony DT 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3
Sony DT 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 - £470Noticeably smaller and nearly 200g lighter than the Sigma equivalent, the Sony 18-250mm lens makes a compact travelling companion. Part of the weight saving is due to the absence of an optical stabiliser, because it relies on sensor-shift stabilisation in Sony bodies. Like the Olympus 18-180mm lens, the anti-shake performance didn't quite match optical stabilisation, giving between two and three stops of benefit. Considering the maximum aperture is f/6.3 at the longest equivalent focal length of 375mm, you'll find yourself frequently reaching for the camera's ISO button for faster shutter speeds.
There's little in the way of advanced features, although you at least get a basic distance-scale printed on the focus ring, and there's a zoom lock. The latter is hardly necessary because the lens is remarkably free of zoom creep. Optical quality is a mixed bag. The Sony lens is sharp at the centre of the frame throughout its whole zoom range, but edge sharpness is disappointing. Colour fringing at the edges of the frame is very well controlled for an 18-250mm lens, at least from the wide end of the focal range up to 200mm. Fringing only becomes really noticeable beyond this point. Distortion was more of a problem, with extreme barrel distortion at the wide-angle end. Considering the price, and the lack of an optical stabiliser or ultrasonic autofocus, we'd expect the Sony to deliver a bit more. Sharpness test 
See full res image Centre sharpness at all focal lengths is excellent, but it falls sharply towards the edge at the middle and longest focal lengths. Fringing test 
See full res image At the centre of the frame, fringing is minimal, but there's blue fringing at the frame edges at the extreme ends of the focal range. Distortion test 
See full res image Barrel distortion at 18mm is the highest in the test. At other focal lengths, it drops and changes to pinch distortion at the long end. Image test verdict The Sony produces the best results for centre sharpness. However, it drops dramatically towards the edges. Distortion at 18mm is also very high. Score: 3/5 Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD
Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD - £495This isn't Tamron's old 18-270mm with a PZD (Piezo Drive) autofocus motor fitted – this is a whole new lens. Optically, it's based on 16 rather than 18 elements, although they're still arranged in 13 groups. The vibration correction system has been revised, and while it proved good for a four-stop advantage, it's much smaller and lighter than the older system. This is one of the factors that makes the 18-270mm much more compact than its predecessor, and little more than two thirds of the weight. The filter thread has also been reduced, from 72mm to 62mm. The PZD autofocus is a lot quieter than the standard micro motor fitted to Tamron's older 18-270mm lens. But because it isn't a ring-type ultrasonic system, it's still not particularly fast and it lacks full-time manual focus override.
Build quality is a step up from the older Tamron, and the jerky zoom ring has been updated with a low-friction replacement. However, zoom creep is a real problem.
It shouldn't be an issue for handheld shooting, but it's a nightmare on a tripod. At least there's a zoom lock for safe carriage. Sharpness is good and consistent throughout the zoom range, although the maximum aperture of f/3.5 is best avoided at the wide-angle end. Colour fringing is negligible at the centre of the frame, but poor around the edges, especially at each end of the range. Pincushion distortion is above average at medium focal lengths. Sharpness test 
See full res image Centre sharpness at all focal lengths is good. The quality drops at the edges, but not as dramatically as on the Sigma lenses. Fringing test 
See full res image Green fringing at 18mm and 270mm is apparent. There's little sign of any colour fringing at the mid-point of the focal range. Distortion test 
See full res image Distortion at all lengths is average. At 18mm, barrel distortion is apparent, and pinch distortion is quite high at the mid-point. Image test verdict The Tamron has good centre sharpness at all focal lengths, and although there's a drop towards the edges, it's lower than most of the other lenses. Score: 4/5 Benchmarks
The Sony lens acheived a high score for centre sharpness, followed by the Pentax optic. The Nikon and Olympus lenses did well at their widest and middle focal lengths, but drop at 200mm and 180mm respectively. The Olympus lens has good edge sharpness at the mid-point of the focal range, but results for the widest and longest focal lengths were more average. The tests reveal interesting relationships between lenses and manufacturers. The Canon EOS 7D produces softer details in its JPEG images compared with the Nikon, Olympus, Sony and Pentax camera bodies. 
At 18mm, all lenses show barrel distortion, changing to pinch distortion at the mid-point of the focal range. All lenses showed increased pinch distortion at the mid-point. 
All but the Canon, Nikon and Sigma 18-200mm lens showed heavy fringing at the edges at the longest focal length. The Nikon comes out on top for its consistency. Verdict: Best travel superzoom
Pick up a Nikon 18-200mm lens and everything just feels right. It's a brilliant blend of compact, lightweight-yet-sturdy build, natural handling, and high-tech extras, most notable of which are the distance scale, neatly mounted beneath a viewing window, and a fast, ring-type ultrasonic autofocus complete with full-time manual override. Most importantly, the image quality is simply excellent for a superzoom lens.
For our money, it comes closer than anything else on the market to genuinely replacing a good quality standard zoom and telephoto zoom in a single, convenient lens. In comparison to the Nikon lens, Canon's 18-200mm option is a bit poor, although it's much cheaper. The Olympus 18-180mm offers reasonable value, but the 2x focal length multiplier of the Four Thirds system means it loses out in wide-angle coverage. At the other end of the scale, Pentax's new 18-135mm lacks telephoto reach. The Sony 18-250mm fares much better in terms of zoom range, but feels a little basic considering its high price. Of the two Sigma lenses, the 18-250mm is more refined, with its later-generation, better performing optical stabiliser and hypersonic autofocus. However, even the upmarket Sigma has been outclassed by Tamron's 18-270mm PZD lens. This is available in Canon, Nikon and Sony mount options, although the Sony edition lacks Tamron's excellent vibration correction system. At 450g the Tamron is far lighter than both Sigma lenses, with the 18-200mm weighing in at 610g and the 18-250mm at 630g. In fact, only the Sony and Pentax are lighter, making the Tamron lens an attractive choice to take on holiday. However, overall we think the Nikon AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II is the best travel superzoom lens. Best for Canon APS-C format users: Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 DI II VC PZD
What's good: Compact, with quiet autofocus.
What's bad: Could be a little sharper at the telephoto end, and colour fringing is noticeable.
Our verdict: good build and handling in a surprisingly small and lightweight package. Best for Pentax users: Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] DC WR What's good: Brilliantly small and lightweight.
What's bad: modest focal range. Our verdict: Considering the automatic correction of distortion and fringing in Pentax SLRs, it's a good buy. Best for Nikon DX users:NIkon AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II
What's good: Advanced silent Wave autofocus, great build quality and optics.
What's bad: Zoom range is a little modest. Our verdict: for nikon owners, this is by far the best choice of superzoom. Best for Olympus users:Olympus 18-180mm 1:3.5-6.3
What's good: excellent edge-to-edge sharpness throughout most of the zoom range.
What's bad: Lack of wide-angle coverage. Our verdict: overall optical quality lags behind most of the ZuIko dIgital range. Best for Sony users: Sony DT 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3
What's good: mighty zoom range and excellent sharpness at the centre of the frame.
What's bad: expensive, sharpness drops off. Our verdict: the sony's not great value, but it's compact and image quality is impressive ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------    |
| Explained: How cross-site scripting attacks work Posted: 29 Dec 2011 05:00 AM PST  How cross-site scripting attacks workHackers love cross site scripting (XSS). The range of mischief they can cause and the information they can harvest using XSS is amazing at first sight. XSS allows everything, from automated attacks that are initiated by the victim opening a seemingly innocent web page to code injections and session hijacking. What's more, despite having been around since the 1990s, XSS now forms the basis of a growing number of high profile attacks. What frustrates online security experts is that XSS attacks are also completely avoidable using simple creative measures that are designed to make them impossible. Cross site anatomy Your web browser is a wonderful piece of software. It can be expanded as needed in so many directions at once that it has become the dominant method of interaction with the internet. Now, in an age of on-demand web apps, your browser is more important than ever. However, this ubiquity and extensibility makes XSS attacks easy. This situation arose because whenever a web browser meets the <SCRIPT> directive in a piece of HTML, it simply executes the resultant script. While this facility can make websites bristle with useful functionality, it can also have a nasty side effect. To demonstrate, imagine a website that requires you to register an account. You enter your email address, think up a username and create a password. So far, so good. Now suppose that this same website has a personal page for each member. You surf to a specific member's page and their username is displayed at the top, along with a list of their interests and posting statistics. How can this page possibly be a threat to your online security? Sanitised input The answer lies in the username. A potential XSS vulnerability occurs if the member's username is not 'sanitised'. This means that it doesn't have any non-alphanumeric characters stripped out before use. This lack of checking means that at the end of his user name, a hacker can add a reference to a script that's hosted on another site, thereby giving the cross site scripting attack its name. Instead of displaying the suspicious script at the end of the username, the average browser simply displays the username up to the script directive, and runs the script. Simply surfing to the hacker's infected profile page can induce your browser to silently load and run a malicious script. The script could do anything, and because you're logged into the site, it will run in your browser and access resources on the site as if it's you. It's possible that the malicious script could steal your session cookies, your username and password, your real name and other important identifying information. If the website in question is a pay site, the script might be able to access your stored credit card details. It may even be able to get into your personal messages and send messages pretending to be you. Your account may then begin recommending that other users click on a link that installs a botnet on their PCs or worse. Persistent XSS 
MANY AVENUES OF ATTACK: The chart above breaks down the top attack methods used by hackers The attack described above is an example of a 'persistent' XSS. It is so-called because, as part of a stored username, it embeds itself in a target website and is triggered every time a browser accesses the infected page. Such attack vectors can persist for years without anyone knowing. Even searching the site for a username will trigger the attack because many hand-crafted site searches don't sanitise the results they display. The other type of XSS attack is called 'non-persistent', and is by far the most prevalent form used today. Rather than being tagged at the end of a website member's username or other piece of innocent looking text, the script is delivered as part of a URL – usually as part of an apparently genuine link in an email. We all know not to click on links in unsolicited emails, and to turn off HTML rendering in email clients to show up fake domains, but what if the domain is genuine? This is where non-persistent XSS attacks get their power to deceive. Complex URLs that can take many parameters make great places to hide a call to an injected script. When the clued-up recipient of such an XSS URL examines it, they might only inspect the domain name: <A HREF=http://www.mybank.com/login.cgi?clientprofile=<SCRIPT>script in here</SCRIPT>>Log in securely here</A> The domain in this case is www.mybank.com. Look further along and you'll see that the URL actually points to the bank's login script (login.cgi). This may be as far as you try to understand the URL. If you're a user of My Bank then you might have no reason not to use the link to log in securely. The URL helpfully supplies a value for a variable called 'clientprofile'. Such variables are very common in URLs and autofill input boxes for you, but they are also potentially vulnerable to XSS attacks. In this example, rather than the value of clientprofile being a string containing your username, it's a call to a script on another site, surrounded by <SCRIPT> markers. Clicking the link runs the script to fetch a value to submit for clientprofile. If you were to remove everything from the question mark onwards, you could safely visit the website to log in. If you leave the URL as it is though, the hacker's malicious script will run on your machine, although you may not be aware of it happening. The only clue might be an incorrect username autofilling an input box. Behind the scenes, however, you may have just installed a botnet client. This process is called 'reflecting' the attack to the hacker's site, which is why non-persistent XSS attacks are said to reflect. So, despite the domain in the URL being legitimate and apparently OK to click, the script that gets called might never return a value to login.cgi. Instead it may send you to a fake website that appears to be the real thing to steal usernames and passwords, to infect you with malware, or commit a wide range of other profitable mischief. The confused deputy An exploit very closely related to XSS exploits is the cross site request forgery (XSRF), also known as the 'confused deputy'. It gets this name from a plot device in cowboy movies, where the sheriff is out of town and the baddie convinces the deputy to follow orders that appear to come from the sheriff himself. A confused deputy attack is technically the inverse of an XSS attack. This means that rather than have the browser execute a malicious script, the hacker convinces a legitimate script on a legitimate site to do things as if the user had requested them. Suppose you don't log out of your online bank after you finish paying your bills. You reason that the session will time out after a few minutes, so what's the point? You then surf to another site that an attacker knows you frequent. The attacker can craft an HTML element that lets remote content load, and which contains a call to a script on the bank's server. By passing commands to the bank's script, and while your session at the bank is still live, the attacker can pose as you. An example of a suitable HTML element would be a remote image. Instead of containing the URL for the image to load, it would contain a call to the bank's script. The content of the image tags might look something like this: <img src="http://www.mybank.com/transfer?acc=jon&amount=1000&for=attacker"> As with the reflected XSS attack, the browser blindly tries to fulfil what's requested of it by calling the script to see whether it returns the address of the image it thinks it is supposed to load. If your session at the bank is still valid, the transfer script runs transfers and £1,000 from the account 'jon' to 'attacker'. This is a very simplified example, but the confused deputy attack highlights the importance of secondary verification methods before carrying out important functions like transferring money. UK banks are very good at minimising the possibility of such attacks by insisting on the use of hardware devices like card readers to verify your identity, for example. Always remembering to log out of important accounts and never using a website's 'remember me' login facility will also cut down the possibility of falling victim to such attacks. Avoiding XSS exploitsWe mentioned at the start that XSS vulnerabilities are simple to fix. Input sensitisation is the process of making whatever the user types safe for further processing and display. The process involves stripping out all characters that are not in the ranges a-z, A-Z and 0-9 before any other processing occurs. This removes any special characters that the browser might interpret as the start of a script directive. Here's an example of using input sanitising to prevent an SQL injection attack that logs an attacker in without a password. For example, suppose we have a PHP login script that takes a username and password and checks them against the 'id' and 'password' fields in MySQL database of existing users: $user = $_POST['username']; $pass = md5($_POST['password']; $query = 'SELECT id FROM users WHERE username="'.$user'" AND password="'.$pass'"; $return = mysql_query($sql); If the value of $return is greater than zero, the username and password are valid. However, if you enter the following as a username (including the quotes): " OR password LIKE "%" – then the '%' is a wildcard, and tells MySQL to simply match any password. The '-' is a comment, which tells MySQL to ignore everything else after it including the value of $pass. Doing so means that $return is always > 0, so the attacker is logged in without a password. If you replace the first line of the PHP with: $user = mysql_real_escape_ string($_POST['username']); the function mysql_real_escape_ string will place a backslash before errant characters so they won't be passed to MySQL in their original form. The query fails and the attacker remains locked out. There are several other functions in PHP that will sanitise input to forms, and we've listed some in the Resources box below. One such function is filter_input: $user = filter_input(INPUT_POST, 'username', FILTER_SANITIZE_ STRING); This takes the input field 'username' and filters it to just contain alphanumeric characters. It strips out all tags that could allow an attacker to slip a script directive into his input. The fact that so many major websites are being subjected to scripting attacks means they still have power to subvert the web despite preventative measures being simple to implement. In the past year, Twitter, Facebook, The Daily Telegraph, McDonalds and scores of other high profile sites have fallen prey to XSS attacks, thereby highlighting the need to mistrust all input before it has been checked and sanitised. ResourcesAvoiding XSS vulnerabilities depends on the language in which you're writing web applications. We've assembled a detailed list of resources that will help keep your code safe from malicious input. For a general XSS FAQ, go to cgisecurity.com. You'll find examples of XSS attacks here. For information on HTML tag sanitising in Java, visit ibm.com. You can read an older, but valid, research paper on XSS (in PDF format) here. Details of filtering input in PHP can be found here.    This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Windows Phone Apollo update set for late 2012 release Posted: 29 Dec 2011 04:31 AM PST  Microsoft has made no secret that Apollo will be its next Windows Phone update after Tango but it seems we might be getting the release a little later than expected. Back in October it was reported that the Windows Phone Apollo update will be coming mid-2012, but a leaked roadmap now suggests that Apollo will be coming in Q4 and will be aimed at the business/superphone market. Superphone OSIt is likely that Apollo will turn out to be Windows Phone 8, with Microsoft hoping the new OS will offer a whole host of high-end features. As it talks of superphones in the roadmap, this seems to be pointing to the eventual rise of quad core smartphones. In an interview with TechRadar back in October, Niklas Savander, executive VP of Markets for Nokia, promised big things when it comes to Apollo's eventual release and hinted that this is when we really see the power of Nokia and Windows Phone. "We made the decision to go to Windows Phone when Mango was pretty much done, so we were able to impact some elements of it but you'll really see the fruits of what we can do with Microsoft when the Apollo version of Windows Phone comes out," he explained. We are hoping that Microsoft reveals some more details of Windows Phone Apollo at Mobile World Congress 2012.    |
| Apple iTV to bring customised channel options? Posted: 29 Dec 2011 03:57 AM PST  Apple is looking to bring customisable channel and show options to Apple iTV in a bid to differentiate the service from other web TV offerings. This is according to Apple Insider which is reporting that Apple is looking into the idea of allowing its users to pick and choose what channels and even what shows they want and then stream this content through the web. Sky and Virgin currently offer a number of package options to its users and if the rumours are true then Apple will compete with these services but offer an even more granular approach to subscriptions, allowing its users to even pick and choose the shows they want to pay for. If successful, this 'wheat from the chaff' approach to television programming could change the TV game, said one analyst – although there does seem to be some question over just how Apple would be granted the various licenses to achieve its TV utopia. TV game changer "This is obviously much more complicated [than current offerings] from a licensing standpoint [but] in our view, would change the game for television and give AAPL a big leg-up against the competition," said analyst Shaw Wu from Sterne Agee. "Today, iTunes has a rich library of movies and TV shows but it is mostly for downloads and only movies are available for rentals," he wrote. "What's missing is live broadcast television." If Apple does indeed offer iTV through its own Apple Television, then it wouldn't just shake up the broadcast market but the physical television market as well. If we were the likes of LG, Samsung and Sony then we would be trying our best to make our smart TVs that little bit smarter.    |
| LG to unveil 4K TV at CES 2012 Posted: 29 Dec 2011 03:30 AM PST  LG has already announced it will be showing off a 55-inch OLED display at CES 2012, but it seems that it will be showing off a 4K television as well. 2012 is set to be a big year for 4K. Toshiba showed off its 4K TV at IFA 2011 - the Regza 55X3 - and said it will be coming to market in 2012 and Sony revealed its debut 4K home cinema projector, the Sony VPL-VW1000ES. 4K qualityLG's 4K television is much bigger than Toshiba's – it has an 84-inch panel and is a lot like the 4K prototype it showed off at last year's CES. LG is to keep to its passive 3D word and will be offering the technology on the panel and the TV is also set to come with voice recognition functionality, which the company unveiled earlier in the month. As with most nascent technology, there's hardly any 4K content around, so the television will come equipped with a rather nifty upscaler. We have already seen Sony's upscaling technology in action on its projector and it is really impressive – with the quality of Blu-ray upped by a factor of four. Saying that, the likelihood of LG's 4K television coming to UK shores is highly unlikely, but at least we can look on with awe when we report from CES 2012 in January.    |
| Samsung Galaxy SIII image leaked Posted: 29 Dec 2011 02:44 AM PST  An image purportedly taken on the Samsung Galaxy SIII (or Galaxy S3 if you are not a fan of Roman numerals) has leaked on to the web, showing just how decent the camera on the smartphone will be. Pocketnow reckons it has found an image taken from the GT-I9500 – the rather boring codename for the Galaxy S3 – on photo-upload site Picasa. Now, we would love to tell you that the image is a thing of beauty, but it really isn't. If this is indeed the first image taken on the S3, then it is of three plain-old pot plants. But, the pot plants are in an office and that office looks like it is Samsung's headqaurters in South Korea. Picture perfectThe EXIF data of the image doesn't really offer up much information, other than it was taken on Boxing Day, on a GT-I9500 handset and Flash was used. The Samsung Galaxy S2 came with an 8MP camera, so we are expecting this to be upped significantly – possible even to 12MP. The Samsung Galaxy SIII looks likely to be announced at Mobile World Congress 2012 in February and is said to be powered by the dual-core Exynos 5250 chip, which was recently revealed by Samsung.    |
| In Depth: Bristol's community-built wireless network Posted: 29 Dec 2011 02:00 AM PST  Bristol's community-built wireless networkIn the unlikely surroundings of Bristol's Windmill Hill City Farm - a community project half a mile south of the city centre - we found ourselves drinking coffee in a unique computer lab. More than a lab, it felt a bit like a second-hand computer shop, with walls lined with shelving stacked with refurbished beige boxes waiting to be sold. The workbenches, which formed the core of the lab, were lined with old thin clients donated from the NHS, while a repurposed P4 desktop to power them all sat in the corner. Far from being symbols of an outdated project, though, this was just how those who built the lab envisioned it. 
RECLAIM AND REPAIR: A healthy stock of second-hand computers waiting to go to those who need them most We were guests at Bristol Wireless, the "social enterprise working to bring connectivity, computers and IT skills to all sectors of society". It's a project that's enjoyed great success over the past 10 years, and it's all been built on the back of Linux and free and open source software. And it's not just a successful project, it's cool too: much of the equipment is homemade, it encourages learning and hacking, and it embodies the spirit of Freedom 2 of the Free Software definition - the freedom to share so you can help your neighbour. When we first discovered it, through a comment on TuxRadar, we immediately wanted to find out more. The project was founded in 2002 as an off-shoot of the Easton Community Centre (ECC). For those unfamiliar with Bristol's geography, Easton is a vibrant and diverse inner-city area with community centres, cafes and pubs; it's also listed by the Government's Indices of Deprivation as one of the most deprived areas in the country. One result of the deprivation is that the area was late to join the digital revolution. In a bid to help rectify this, in 2002 the ECC received a grant of £170,000 to build an IT centre to provide local residents with internet access. As part of this, a 2.2Mbps ADSL line was installed at the centre. "It was a lot of money," explained Rich Higgs, one of Bristol Wireless's longest serving volunteers, "but they didn't really know what they were doing with it." It was 2002, and the dot-com bubble had just burst, so there were quite a few under-employed IT people in the area, including Rich and his friends who rallied around to help. Their main focus was the new internet connection. It was a significant amount of bandwidth - few people had internet access, and nobody had anything faster than 512kbps - and they immediately recognised the impact such a connection could have. Their first website, captured by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, on 24 November 2002, said: "By now we all know the benefits of computers, so far as education and research go. It would be a crime not to reach out and grasp these benefits, making them available to all." Shared vision 
BUDGET BUILD: Some of the equipment used to build the first wireless network, including a cantenna So that's exactly what they set out to do - share the connection with as many people as possible. They began talking about the best way to go about it, and settled on the idea of a wireless network as the easiest way to share the connection throughout Easton. They had no money to begin with, so all of the equipment was home-made - as the website explained: "A policy of lowest-cost solutions was rather rudely forced upon them." Although, as the website also notes: "This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the project has become a study in conservation and the re-use of materials." Their first piece of equipment was a series of 'cantennas'. These ingenious devices, otherwise known as 'tin can waveguide antennas', can significantly extend the range of a Wi-Fi connection for virtually no cost. As well as being made of a tin can - the project found that a J&B whisky tin was the best solution - the only other components they require is a tiny and cheap connector and a bit of wire. Of course, as clever as the cantennas were, they were useless without the wireless cards to generate the signal, and the routers and servers to connect them to the ADSL line. By this point, however, the project had begun to garner some attention from the wider Bristol community - as Rich recalls, it "had grown into something". The first wireless routers were made out of old PCs donated by the University of Bristol. The team stuck some wireless cards in these, installed Linux and put them to work as the routers on their new network. Other donations, in the form of time and equipment, came from Psand, a local hosting and web development company. With all the pieces in place, the team turned on the network and, considering that all the equipment was home-made - some of it salvaged from bins in the city centre, it was an incredible success. It stretched from the ECC, up the entire length of Chelsea Road, and could even be used in Whitehall - more than half a mile from the ECC. Given that most Wi-Fi networks have a range of just 300ft outside, that represents a nine-fold increase. 
WI-FI TOILET: This toilet has the best Wi-Fi reception in the country Andy Sabel, another volunteer, was working at the ECC at the time. He remembers a great deal of energy and enthusiasm surrounding the team: "These guys were around, ranting about Linux and doing interesting stuff." It was more than enough to excite local residents and non-technical ECC members. After the network was turned on and working, the project started to take things further. They began setting up other key community buildings with the equipment to connect to the network, and with the computers they'd need to use it. In 2004, the project's website announced that: "After some initial problems… the installation at Greenhaven elderly residents' support accommodation is now up and running." They managed to provide Greenhaven with two computers running Red Hat Linux, which were placed in a communal area and connected to the nascent network. This was just one of nine such installations that the project would carry out in short succession. As these installations came online, and demand for access to the network spread to other parts of the city, the original infrastructure needed to be developed further. In particular, there was demand for the network to reach across Stapleton Road. This meant that the project needed to get an antenna on top of Twinnel House, a council-owned tower that would give them a direct line of sight to much more of Bristol. Expanding the Bristol Wireless networkUsually at this point, plans are scuppered by British bureaucracy, health and safety laws or Nimby (Not In My Back Yard) attitudes. But you'll be pleased to learn that the council supported the project, gave access to the tower's roof, and the network continued to spread: from this point, the furthest it could reach was Long Ashton, a distance of almost five miles. 
DAYS GONE PAST: An early router, including CRT monitor! This all took place in Bristol Wireless's first few years and now the project is rapidly approaching its 10th birthday, so what's happened in between? A significant development came out of the project's natural growth. As it served more and more people with internet, it outgrew ECC's 2.2Mbps connection, and now uses its wireless network to provide access to the Broadband Media Exchange's (BMEX) highspeed network. Bristol Wireless now provides many community projects with a symmetric connection burstable up to 10Mbps. This might not sound fast compared to advertised domestic connection speeds today, but the BMEX network achieves these speeds far more consistently and provides uploads at the same speed as downloads. This has also led to a change in the way the project is run. The BMEX connection has to be paid for, as does the continuous maintenance and upgrading of the antennas and routers across the city, so Bristol Wireless's services are now paid for. It's still staffed by volunteers and it doesn't turn a profit but it provides third-sector organisations with the cheapest IT solutions possible. IT solutions is the correct phrase, too, since the team has, over the years, expanded its services in response to shifting demands. Starting from the deployment of those two Red Hat boxes, the team has gradually developed its knowledge of LTSP, the Linux Terminal Server Project. This means lots of people can use the same computer at the same time. All the applications run on a server, which is then accessed through a thin client - a very low-powered computer that links the server with individual input and output devices. As Andy points out: "Originally it was a great way of disseminating bandwidth at our public access locations." They might not be powerful, but in locations where all that's needed is some internet, document editing or image viewing, they're the ideal solution: they're cheap, and can use as little as 11W while operating. One of the team's more original endeavours was the creation of a mobile LTSP suite. It's not much more than half a dozen old laptops, a few extension leads and plenty of network cable all tucked into a box, but it's proved to be a very popular solution for events across the country. 
MOBILE WI-FI: An LTSP suite - great for protests in fields At the Climate Camps, for instance, the team was contracted to provide network access. They took along their mobile LTSP suite, powered it with some small solar panels and wind turbines, and connected it to the internet through a satellite link. This enabled protestors to communicate with the outside world, providing an alternative to the mainstream media. The team has also started venturing into VoIP, using the Bath-based Gradwell trunk network to connect clients to the outside world. As you'd imagine, its solution continues to be entirely built around free and open source software and uses the FreePBX distribution as the switch. 
THE BRISTOL NETWORK: The current extent of Bristol Wireless's network Today, customers include the Cube Cinema, Fareshare SW, the ECC, St Werburghs City Farm and the Princess Royal Gardens sheltered accommodation, amongst many others. In effect, the team is now operating as a small, community telecoms provider, and since it's now supplying paying customers, quality of service is a matter of increasing concern. In the interests of maintaining a quality network connection for as many groups as possible, Bristol Wireless does engage in active traffic management. The team uses Nagios to monitor the condition of the network and, if it sees a prolonged spike in network traffic, is happy to temporarily disconnect the source and ask what's going on. Without this, its VoIP service wouldn't be reliable, and there would be constant hassle from copyright holders. Bristol Wireless's experience as a small ISP sheds some interesting light on the realities for larger internet companies too. The team sees great value in people being able to do whatever they like on the net, but when it comes to the day-to-day reality of ensuring that the network is always available, it's had to compromise on these ideals. It's no wonder then that larger businesses, who may or may not consider net neutrality important, need to implement traffic management policies, too. As the project faced new challenges and sought to meet new community needs, the volunteers found themselves having to learn new skills. Indeed, many of the current crop started out with no formal training or qualifications, but relied on man pages and knowledgeable friends. The sad death of a key engineer, Lloyd Cohen, and the departure of a number of other members, left the team feeling a bit vulnerable. With such a depleted pool of knowledge would the volunteers be able to properly maintain and support the network? It was a serious predicament, but one that was resolved thanks to the loyalty and goodwill of former staff. A number of those who'd gone on to new jobs created a top-down, systematic course on networking to bring the remaining members up to speed. It started out with simple home networking and progressed all the way through to Class-C, B and A networks and how DNS works - all before lunch. After lunch, they then dived into their own network to see how it all worked in practice. Not only did this, as Rich puts it, "good ethos of shared learning experiences" prove vital to the continued success of the project, it also acted as a springboard for other members to gain experience and go on to find professional employment. Matt Leonard, who arrived to join us during his lunchbreak, was the project's wireless guru before getting a job as a network engineer. Now that he's back in the area, he's getting involved again. "It was an awesome playground," he said, reflecting on his experiences. "At least in the early days before it was so relied upon - you could really get stuck in to networking and play with it in the real world." Now, approaching its 10th anniversary, Bristol Wireless finds itself at a bit of a crossroads. There are a number of new customers it's waiting to bring online and there are also some new projects it wants to pursue. In particular, it's interested in building an install-and-go LTSP solution. Its great worry, though, is that there aren't enough volunteers with either the time or the expertise to make this a reality. In the past, the team looked to Pete Ferne, its charismatic chair and leader, but he passed away last year. Now it hopes to find someone new, with fresh ideas, energy and enthusiasm. 
WIDE REACH: Antennas used as the network spread - a touch more sophisticated than the cantenna Whatever happens, the project has certainly made an impact over the past ten years and hopefully it will continue to provide an invaluable service to many of Bristol's best third-sector organisations for the decade to come as well.    |
| New iPads with better battery life incoming? Posted: 29 Dec 2011 01:28 AM PST  Two versions of the Apple iPad 3 are set to be released in the early part of 2012, with Apple looking to create a line-up of tablets which caters for all budgets and has double the battery power of its predecessor. This is according to Digitimes, which reckons its got a source in one of Apple's supply chains who has it on good authority that two new models will be made available – one aimed at the mid, the other the high range – and that the new iPad release date will be 26 January, the date of the iWorld/Macworld conference. Brighter screen, better batteryThere's been much rumour and speculation about new screen sizes for the iPad but the latest hint is that the screen size will stay the same but the resolution will be upped. brightcove : 1065669898001 If rumours are correct, then we will get a 9.7-inch screen but it will come with QXGA resolution, which is a mighty 1,536 x 2,048 pixels. To make the screen brighter, there's every chance that Apple will be using dual LED bar technology in the iPad. Although Digitimes rumours have to be taken with a slight pinch of salt, this is the second time that the dual LED bar tech has been talked about, so this may well have legs. Other features for the new iPads include A6 processors, two cameras (a 5 and 8 pixel variant) and that supercharged battery, which will be as high as 14,000mAh. At the moment the iPad manages a mere 6,500mAH, so this would significantly up gaming and movie watching times on the device. Given that Apple pulled out of the Macworld conference a few years back, we don't think that there is much chance that we will see two or even one iPad released at the show. It is likely, however, that the iPad will be released in the early part of 2012. As for two new versions of the iPad – this does make sense, but only if Apple is looking to take Amazon on at its own game and offer a budget-friendly tablet and then make its money back from apps and other media. It's worked for the Kindle Fire so far, so why not the iPad? 
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| Buying Guide: Best macro lens: 8 tested Posted: 28 Dec 2011 07:00 AM PST  Macro lenses explainedWith practically all compact cameras offering close-focusing capabilities, and an abundance of lenses to suit all budgets, getting into macro photography today is as easy as it is enjoyable. Thanks in part to the availability of cheap filter-like lenses, extension tubes, and other accessories, photographers are able to dabble with close-up shooting with minimal outlay, before they decide whether to take things more seriously with a dedicated macro optic. The eight macro lenses on test here are all respectable candidates for that next step up, and each combines a useful medium telephoto focal length with a wide maximum aperture, making them suitable for more than just close-up flower and insect shots. Before we pit them against each other to see which is the best macro lens, though, let's take a closer look at the technical aspects of macro lenses. A true macro lens is one that can capture frame-filling images of subjects that are the same size as the sensor itself. Manufacturers often show this by stating that a lens has a reproduction ratio of 1:1. Today, the term 'macro' is more widely used to describe equipment with some sort of close-focusing capability, and lenses with up to 1:4 magnification ratios (quarter life size) are often billed as having macro functionality. Whether a macro lens is used on a DSLR with a full-frame or a cropped sensor, its magnification ratio remains the same. The subject is still, after all, being captured on the sensor at the same size; it's just that the smaller sensor has the effect of cropping the image. Therefore, to fit it into the frame you have to compose your shot further away from the subject. Unlike macro zoom lenses, which attempt to offer close-focusing together with an expansive focal range, fixed focal-length macro lenses are optimised for only one focal length, and specifically for close-up shooting, which makes them a more desirable option. These typically fall into one of three focal-length ranges, the shortest being around 40-60mm and the longest comfortably in telephoto territory at around 150-180mm. The macro lenses on test
All but one of the eight macro lenses on test are in the mid-telephoto, category, which is around 90-105mm, and the only lens that isn't – the Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50mm 1:2.0 Macro – is designed for bodies on which its effective focal length becomes 100mm. The pricing of these lenses is consistent with their focal length, being higher than shorter macro optics and lower then longer ones, but the cost still varies. The image stabilisation systems in both the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM and the Nikon AF-S VR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED partly explains why these are the second and third most expensive options here. Other variables include autofocus technology and whether the lens is capable of focusing internally. The latter point is important for macro shooting because it means that a lens can focus without its inner barrel extending outwards. This prevents the lens inadvertently touching the subject, and reduces the likelihood of shadows from the lens being cast over the subject. It's also worth bearing in mind that a longer lens will typically have a longer minimum focusing distance than a shorter lens. The shallow depth of field obtainable with longer lenses also means that it's easier to separate your subject from its background, although considering just how shallow this can be, shooting at the wider apertures may be unfeasible for much macro work. It's advisable, therefore, to set a smaller aperture when shooting very close up, to ensure the entire subject is in focus. 
The lenses on test focus from very close up to infinity (much of their focusing range isn't used when shooting close up), and it can take a while for a lens to work through this entire range when it seeks to focus on a subject. Fortunately, many macro lenses feature focus limiter switches, which can be used to close off a part of the range that isn't required, allowing focus to be acquired sooner. Although the lenses on test are designed primarily for macro photography, they can be used successfully for other genres. The eight on test are high-quality medium telephoto lenses, each claiming to be corrected for distortion and chromatic aberration, and designed to record a high level of detail. On bodies with full-frame sensors their focal lengths are particularly suited to portraiture. On bodies with APS-C or smaller sensors they can be used for many types of nature photography, because their relatively wide maximum apertures help to isolate subjects from their backgrounds and maintain fast shutter speeds. Their low distortion also means that they can be useful in product photography too, while food photographers are also likely to appreciate their maximum aperture and focal length. Macro lens construction and featuresMacro lens construction
By definition, macro optics are designed for close-up shooting. If you look at their optical construction, you tend to find symmetry in the arrangement of the elements. The design towards the front of the lens is typically repeated in reverse towards the rear. This's so that the rear elements cancel out some of the aberrations caused by the front elements. Greater correction is required as the magnification factor increases. Another common feature is the 'double-helicoid' design of the focusing mount. This gives the large focus range required by a macro optic. Floating elements and lens groups, which move independently within a lens, are also commonly employed to correct spherical aberration, the extent of which varies with distance. Using floating elements requires a more complex design, which is often reflected in the price of the lens. Macro lens features
Maximum aperture Shallow depth of field aside, a wide maximum aperture on a lens, such as f2.8, means it's capable of admitting plenty of light to help keep shutter speeds high. Distance scale This shows the distance at which a lens focuses in feet and metres. On macro lenses it often also includes the reproduction ratio, which decreases with distance. Focus limiter switch This effectively closes off part of the lens's focusing range, which is useful if you're only shooting close-up and you don't need to focus on distant subjects, or vice versa. Internal focusing A lens with an internal focusing system will ensure that it remains at the same physical length while focusing, which is particularly handy if your subject is close to the front element of the lens. Focal length Minimum focusing distances tend to rise as the focal length is increased, so longer lenses can be useful when you need to keep a safe distance from a living subject, such as a small insect. Optical stabilisation This can be useful if the body you're using lacks a sensor-based image stabilisation system, although if you're using the lens on a tripod for macro work, it's best to turn stabilisation off. Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM - £440 Sharpness test 
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See full-res crop Despite a little edge softness at f/2.8, the Canon lens does a sterling job to produce sharp images with good consistency across the frame. Fringing test 
Central performance is very good, with only minimal levels of fringing at all apertures, but things start to fall apart towards the edges. Distortion test 
Distortion is low, but it's not quite as low as on some of the others. Overall, its performance is consistent with its price tag. Images test verdict 
Sharpness is sometimes excellent, and consistent. With reasonable control over both distortion and fringing, the Canon's a good performer. Read the full Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM review Nikon AF-S VR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED
Nikon AF-S VR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED - £620Sharpness test 
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See full-res crop Sharpness is superb at both its widest and mid-range apertures, but it isn't maintained throughout the frame. Fringing test 
A poor performance, with fringing evident throughout the frame. The fringing at the centre doesn't get too much worse as you travel further out. Distortion test 
Distortion isn't too problematic in real-world images, but overall performance is still less than impressive. Image test verdict 
For sharpness the Nikon is excellent, particularly if you use its widest apertures the most, but distortion and fringing is worse than expected. Read the full Nikon AF-S VR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED review Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50mm 1:2.0 Macro
Olympus Zuiko Digital 50mm 1:2.0 Macro - £580Sharpness test 
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See full-res crop Sharpness isn't that great wide open, with some of the weakest results out of the eight lenses, but at small apertures sharpness is excellent. Fringing test 
The centre of the frame shows low fringing, and although this rises slightly towards the edges, it's kept under control. Distortion test 
The Olympus produces the most distortion in the test, and significantly more than the next worst lens, the Nikon 105mm. Image test verdict 
Control over chromatic aberration and sharpness is excellent overall, and even when you get to the narrowest apertures, results are still good. Read the full Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50mm 1:2.0 Macro review Pentax smc D-FA 100mm f/2.8 Macro WR
Pentax smc D-FA 100mm f/2.8 Macro WR - £480Sharpness test 
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See full-res crop Wide-open performance isn't too good, and the improvements between f/8 to f/16 are confined to the centre of the lens. Fringing test 
There's fringing at the centre, and it gets considerably worse towards the edges, but recent Pentax SLRs can correct lateral chromatic aberration. Distortion test 
Distortion control is excellent, with just minimal warping. Were it not for the superior Sigma lens, the Pentax would just edge its way to the top. Image test verdict 
It's a shame that wide-open sharpness and control over chromatic aberration are poor, because otherwise this is a fine, solid lens. Read the full Pentax smc D-FA 100mm f/2.8 Macro WR review Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM - £700Sharpness test 
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See full-res crop Wide-open results are great, and it just gets better from there. That it can come so close to matching the results from the Zeiss is amazing. Fringing test 
Again, second only to Zeiss. There's little central fringing at all apertures, and at the edges it's still better than some lenses at the centre. Distortion test 
A stellar performance, with the best control over distortion out of all the lenses on test, and practically no distortion in real-world images. Image test verdict 
The Sigma lens is consistently sharp, and there are no issues with distortion or chromatic aberration. Its only failings are weaker wide-open results. Read the full Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM review Sony 100mm f/2.8 Macro
Sony 100mm f/2.8 Macro - £580Sharpness test 
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See full-res crop The Sony lens gets off to an unimpressive start at its widest apertures, before sharpening up and doing well at the middle. Fringing test 
Results aren't too bad at the centre of the frame, but as you venture further towards the edges, performance drops off. Distortion test 
Visible distortion in images is low, but measured distortion puts the Sony lens somewhere in the middle of the group. Image test verdict 
There's a lot to like about this lens, but considering its price, it's disappointing that it doesn't provide a consistent performance. Read the full Sony 100mm f/2.8 Macro review Tamron SP AF 90mm F/2.8 Di Macro 1:1
Tamron SP AF 90mm F/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 - £355Sharpness test 
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See full-res crop At f/2.8 the Tamron lens produces some of the most impressive results, although this is confined to the centre of the frame. Fringing test 
Considering the chromatic aberration it produces in the centre, it's surprising that it doesn't escalate much further at the edges. Distortion test 
Distortion could be improved, with only the Nikon and Olympus lenses faring worse, but it isn't much worse than the next couple ahead of it. Image test verdict 
Despite distortion and fringing problems, the Tamron lens is impressive for its price. Even at its widest aperture, it records excellent central sharpness. Read the full Tamron SP AF 90mm F/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 review Zeiss Makro-Planar T* F2 100mm ZE
Zeiss Makro-Planar T* F2 100mm ZE - £1,550Sharpness test 
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See full-res crop Despite a slight dip in the corners at f/2.2, the Zeiss records razor-sharp images that are consistently sharp throughout the frame. Fringing test 
As well as being the sharpest lens on test, it's also the most adept at keeping fringing down to a minimum, with only minor traces. Distortion test 
Lab tests show slight distortion, but certainly not enough to require any kind of software-based correction. Image test verdict 
This is a cracking lens, sharp and consistent throughout its range. There's also very little distortion and chromatic aberration. Read the full Zeiss Makro-Planar T* F2 100mm ZE review Macro lens performance benchmarksThe macro lenses in our test ranged in focal length between 50mm and 105mm, with all but the Zeiss Makro-Planar T* F2 100mm ZE specifically designed for macro use. All the lenses have a maximum aperture of f/2.8 – except the Zeiss and the Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50mm 1:2.0 Macro at f/2 – and a minimum aperture value of between f/22 and f/32. 
The lab test results show that all of the lenses perform well for centre sharpness at f/8 and f/16, but at the maximum aperture of f/2.8, the Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50mm 1:2.0 Macro, Sony 100mm f/2.8 Macro and Pentax smc D-FA 100mm f/2.8 Macro WR lenses all produced visibly softer images, with results considerably lower than those of the other lenses. The Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM, Nikon AF-S VR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED, Tamron SP AF 90mm F/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 and Zeiss Makro-Planar T* F2 100mm ZE all produce good centre sharpness across the aperture range, with the Sigma and Zeiss really leading the group with sharp results across the entire frame. As expected from fixed focal-length lenses, the amount of fringing is minimal, with only the Pentax, Nikon and Sony lenses showing mild signs towards the edges of the frame. Verdict: Best macro lens 
The Zeiss Makro-Planar T* F2 100mm ZE is by far the best macro lens performer, with stunningly low aberration and superb, consistent sharpness. But even if it were cheaper, its maximum magnification and lack of autofocus may still be enough to put many off. At almost £1,000 less, the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM optic does a remarkable job to offer similar performance, recording high detail throughout its aperture range and keeping aberrations at bay, as well as providing the benefits of optical stabilisation and a near-silent autofocus system. Hopefully, Sigma will provide the lens in a wider range of mounts. In the meantime, Canon and Nikon DSLR users should start saving up for it, because it really is an impressive macro lens. The Tamron SP AF 90mm F/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 lens can safely maintain the brand's reputation as a good alternative to the big four names. Even so, a bargain lens is often a bargain for a reason, and the noisy, slow focusing motor and lack of internal focusing are its biggest shortfalls. Its 90mm focal length gives it a shorter working distance than most of the others here. Along with its extending inner barrel, this makes it less than ideal for shooting living subjects. The Pentax smc D-FA 100mm f/2.8 Macro WR and Sony 100mm f/2.8 Macro lenses occupy similar mid-range performance territory, each providing weak wide-open but respectable mid-range results, and neither having the luxury of an internal focusing system, nor a quiet AF motor. Despite this, the Pentax has a number of advantages that are particularly welcome at its sub-£500 price point, such as its sturdy metal body and compact form, as well as its weather seals and Super Protect coating. The Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50mm 1:2.0 Macro does little to excite with its poor wide-open results, distortion, and 1:2 reproduction ratio, but its good mid-range sharpness, as well as its control over chromatic aberration, go some way to justifying its £580 price tag. VerdictThe Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM takes top honours, despite a strong performance from the Zeiss Makro-Planar T* F2 100mm ZE. With excellent sharpness and superb control over aberration, the Sigma macro lens isn't cheap, but you get what you pay for. Best for Canon APS-C format usersSigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM
What's good: excellent sharpness and superb control over aberration.
What's bad: inconsistent when wide-open. Our verdict: it's not cheap, but you get what you pay for. Best for Nikon DX format usersSigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM
What's good: excellent sharpness and superb control over aberration.
What's bad: inconsistent when wide-open.
Our verdict: it's not cheap, but you get what you pay for. Best for Olympus Four Thirds usersOlympus Zuiko digitAl ED 50mm 1:2.0 Macro
What's good: small and capable of excellent image quality at narrower apertures.
What's bad: Weak wide-open performance. Our verdict: it's not cheap, but it's a good four thirds option. Best for Pentax usersPentax SMC D-FA 100mm f/2.8 Macro WR
What's good: good overall sharpness and excellent control over distortion.
What's bad: no internal focusing. Our verdict: A small, solid optic with good mid-aperture results. Best for Sony APS-C format usersTamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 DI Macro 1:1
What's good: lightweight and sharp, and a bargain price.
What's bad: inconsistent performance. Our verdict: A good budget option that exceeds expectations. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------    |
| Anonymous threatens publication of 2.7 million private emails Posted: 28 Dec 2011 06:06 AM PST  Hacker group Anonymous has revealed its latest gambit - the publication of 2.7 million confidential emails stolen from US analyst company Stratfor. According to the company, the attack happened on Christmas Eve. Stratfor has announced it has brought in independent security consultants to strengthen its systems against attack. The collective clearly hopes to embarrass the company, who produce analysis for subscribers, including banks and oil companies. Anonymous has published some of the emails already and is threatening to post the rest. "Just a small preview of the mayhem to come," said a message with the posted sample. The group also claims to have donated $500,000 to charity using information found in the emails, which include more than 10,000 current credit card numbers and many thousands of encrypted passwords The campaign appears to be part of 'antisec', a sideshoot of Anonymous designed to wage a campaign against the private security industry. Another name used was 'Operation Robin Hood'.    |
| Tutorial: How to manage your files with your iPhone Posted: 28 Dec 2011 05:00 AM PST  How to manage your files with your iPhoneYour smartphone is your true mobile companion. It has more computing power than it took to put a man on the moon. It's an always-connected PC, sitting in your pocket; yesterday's dreams made real. And, as such, your smartphone is the perfect device for dealing with your precious documents and files. No other hardware has the power of internet connectivity, push notifications, compatibility with our PC operating systems, and most importantly, is omnipresent in everyone's lives, ready to be called on at a moment's notice. Despite the smartphone's power to put files and documents at our fingertips, it can be surprisingly difficult to access them. One particular offender is iOS, which, despite being the operating system behinds the world's most popular handset, the iPhone, is totally inept when dealing with files. We should point out that we're concentrating on iOS in this article, merely because it's the most restricted of the smartphone operating systems. Many of our tips will also apply to Android and BlackBerry handsets too. Grab the Dropbox app for Android and you'll be able to do many of the things we describe here. Back to iOS, then. It hides its file system, it's unable to read files placed onto its memory using a USB connection, there's no microSD port for moving files physically, and Safari will plainly refuse to use web versions of online file systems such as Dropbox. It's like the anti-computer. Even if you're able to access them - perhaps by connecting a camera connection kit to an iPad and inserting an SD card - iOS has little provision for reading files natively, so that essential Word document will be about as much use to you as an animated GIF of a gurning Jeremy Clarkson. Luckily, what can't be done natively on the iPhone can mostly be achieved though the use of apps. You can extend your phone's functionality to add features, and when it comes to going mobile with your files, there are plenty of methods to choose from. Dropbox
One of the first names that come to mind when dealing with file storage and distribution is Dropbox. And rightly so. This online cloud storage service has rocketed in popularity over the last couple of years due to its excellent connectivity options, fast speeds and intuitive interface. One of the best things about Dropbox is that it's multi-platform - you might already use it on PC or Mac through a desktop app or through the browser portal, which lets you to access the files you're storing from anywhere. However, fewer people are aware of the rather excellent iOS version of the Dropbox app, which really puts you in control of your stored documents. If you're ever away from your PC, on the move or simply need to access an important file quickly, your smartphone can come to the rescue. You can download the Dropbox app for iOS from the App Store free of charge. Once it's installed, tap it to open and you'll be asked if you're a Dropbox user. If you've used the service before, just add your details to access your files. If this is your first time using it, click 'I'm new to Dropbox'. There's a short signup process, which is kept to a minimum, then you're taken to your storage area. Once you're logged into the app you can view any file that's been uploaded to your Dropbox and stored in the cloud from any system; this means your files can cross between Android handsets, PCs, email accounts, the lot. There's also the option to view files, which is one of the few ways you can actually read documents that have been sent to your iPhone, given its usual stoic refusal to view anything other than PDFs and images. Dropbox is able to natively display a host of image types, a variety of text documents and a string of other common file types besides. Unfortunately you can't make changes or amendments to the documents, and they will only open in a read-only mode. Share and share alike 
You can, however, redistribute files, which can be a godsend when you're on the move. If a colleague or family member has ever called you to ask for a file while you're enjoying a day off, it can often mean an irritating journey to your PC to send it. Retrieving the file on Dropbox makes the process much easier. Open any file, even if it's in an unreadable format, and press the icon at the bottom left that looks like two linked chains. Choose 'Email link' and a new message containing a hyperlink will open using the iPhone's default mail programme. Send that to the recipient and they can download the file without any hassle, leaving you to get on with your day. One weakness of using Dropbox on your iPhone is that there's little scope for uploading to the app. You can add files, but with iOS's limited file support you can only deal with your photos. Thankfully, there's another way. Other apps that let you interact with your files can connect with Dropbox, letting you save your files in a central location. A great example of this is the email app provided with iOS. Scroll to the bottom of an email containing an attachment and tap it. When it loads, press the forward arrow in the top right corner. Choose 'Open in' and select 'Dropbox' from the list. The app prompts you to pick a location for it to be saved in before it's uploaded to the cloud. Dropbox presents one of the simplest ways to control your files using your iPhone, and there's not a lot that it can't do. However, mobile workers who use a host of FTP connections may find there's a lack of options on offer, and could be put off by the need to use the desktop application. Locked down corporate systems won't let you install the app either, which means it's a case of using the clunky web interface, which is never a good thing. However, an iOS app called Air Sharing does offer a neat alternative. Air Sharing and DiskAidAir Sharing
While Dropbox is a fantastic way to access files when you're away from your PC, it doesn't put you in full control. If you're looking to really work remotely, try the Air Sharing app, which is available for £1.49 from the App Store. This features a host of functions that give you the power to turn your iPhone from a basic file reader into a powerful server. In short, Air Sharing lets you use your iOS device as a portable hard drive, with your files stored wherever you go. You can access them via your phone, PC, Mac or via a web portal which offers 10GB of storage. You can even mount your iOS device onto your desktop as if it were a portable hard drive, which is particularly useful if you have a large capacity device; it may not matter to you if the phone itself can read the files if you're always carrying the equivalent of a large USB drive in your pocket. The key benefit of Air Sharing over other types of mobile storage is that instead of storing your data in the cloud, it uses the physical memory on your iPhone. This means you can use up to 10GB of storage, rather than the measly 2GB provided with the free version of Dropbox. It also means that you have a backup if you need a file when you're offline, and you may even get better speed running over Wi-Fi than you would over USB. 
To get started, download the Air Sharing app from the App Store. There's a Pro version that costs £3.99 and has many more features, and you can upgrade at any time. Mounting your iPhone as a physical drive on your PC is easy. First you need to connect your iPhone to your home network, then open the Air Share app and press the wireless icon at the bottom of the home screen. This will open a small menu that contains important information about your account. Put your iPhone to one side and turn to your PC. In Windows 7, click the Start menu and right-click 'Computer'. Choose 'Map network drive' from the list, then enter the IP address listed in your Air Sharing app into the 'Folder' field. Click 'OK' and a Windows Explorer window will open showing all of the files contained in your Air Sharing inbox. You can also do the same on a Mac, if you're using one. Begin by right-clicking on the Finder icon in your dock, then choose Connect to Server. Use the same IP address as you would on PC in order to have the storage location mounted for seamless connection between Mac and iPhone. The support provided by Air Sharing is also fantastic, and includes some difficult formats. There's iWork, Microsoft Office, HTML, RTF, PDF, movies, audio, and even source code, including C++. That could prove invaluable if you're a programmer. If you're a mobile worker, Air Sharing has a few more tricks up its sleeve. Unlike Dropbox, it supports a wealth of FTP file sharing protocols, Home Pipe, MobileMe, and Dropbox itself, which gives you plenty of options. You don't have to settle for FTP links to get more from Air Sharing; if you have Bonjour installed on your PC or Mac, you can connect using your web browser. This address doesn't change from session to session; just find it in Air Sharing's connections menu once and you'll always know exactly how to connect to your phone. View your files on your PC 
Air Sharing is a powerful tool, but it's possible to supplement or even replace it with a different, more hardcore application. DiskAid is a PC app that lets you explore the contents of your iPhone like any other drive. You can download a 14-day trial, after which you can pay $9.95 to upgrade to the full program. Once the trial is installed, it will prompt you to connect your iOS device, which must be unlocked the first time so DiskAid can recognise it. You will then get a basic file tree view, which lists all your installed apps as well as general storage. This is the bit of iOS that Apple tries its best to hide from public view - the file system itself. We're of the mind that Apple isn't trying to be deliberately awkward, though; Steve Jobs' philosophy, even back when he and Steve Wozniak were designing the original Apple home computers, was that they should be simple enough for anyone to use. There was even an argument in those early days; Woz had to fight hard for the Apple II's expansion slots. Reminiscing aside, you can use the DiskAid app to transfer files to and from your iPhone's memory. Unfortunately it's not a straightforward case of dragging and dropping - the tools are located at the top of the DiskAid window. Click one of these to locate the file and the destination, and DiskAid will take care of transferring it to your memory. This does introduce one large issue: you'll need a machine with DiskAid installed to move files around on an iOS device, so it's not a universal solution. If you're using Air Sharing, you can also find these files by choosing the app from the list located near the bottom. Click on the name to display a new folder containing all of your remote files. You can transfer these to your PC by clicking them and choosing 'Transfer to PC'. Just set the destination and your file will be copied across. There are a few other file management solutions worth mentioning here. If you're looking to grab files straight from the internet and store them on your device, you could do worse than trying Downloads, a £1.50 app that especially suits MP3s, given that it has its own built in player. Or, if you're looking to improve iOS compatibility with media files, try something like VLC Streamer, which plays back videos of all types, streaming them over your network. Or why not try Screens, which lets you see and control your PC's desktop directly from your phone? It's pricey at £14, but worth the investment. If you're really looking to take control of your files then iOS is far from perfect, but the huge range of apps on offer means you don't have to rely on USB sticks and clunky cloud web interfaces. We heartily recommend anyone to try Dropbox, and the app is a great extension of a superb web service. Alternatively, Air Sharing is a fantastic service, especially if you go for the pro version.    |
| In Depth: 13 weird and wonderful niche Linux distros Posted: 28 Dec 2011 03:00 AM PST  13 niche Linux distrosHere are 13 of the best, oddest and most useful distributions that Linux has to offer, and why on Earth you'd want to use them. Red Star OS One distro that's never going to trouble the top of the Distrowatch rankings chart is Red Star OS. This is the Linux distribution that was developed/is being developed as the officially sanctioned operating system of North Korea, apparently at the behest of Kim Jong-Il, the country's leader. It's based on the familiar KDE 3.x, but with added touches including the Woodpecker antivirus software and the Pyongyang Fortress firewall. Familiar apps have been renamed too: there's a notebook app called My Comrade, and Firefox is called My Country (perhaps fittingly, as North Korea has its own internet). We searched for 'Democracy' in the default search engine, but nothing came up… MuLinux The classically educated might be able to guess that this is a small distro, possibly in the same vein as Puppy or Damn Small Linux. You'd have difficulty, however, comprehending just how small it is. MuLinux requires 20MB hard disk space and 4MB RAM, and will run on an Intel 80386 processor or later. That's the same Intel 80386 processor that was released in 1985, meaning Mu will breathe life into even ancient hardware. Mu is no match for a modern system in terms of productivity, having been finished in 1998-99, but if you have a 25-year-old machine that you want to rescue from the scrapheap, it's the distro for you. Ubuntu Satanic Edition 
Ubuntu spin-offs are ten-a-penny, but we have to recognise that the makers of Ubuntu SE have gone beyond the ordinary in their quest to please The Dark One. The dark theme and collection of background images is the most obvious modification, and the sound effects and startup jingle have also been customised. Ubuntu's fondness for alliteration is still there (the last three releases have been Lucifer's Legion, Microsoft Massacre and Necrophilic Necromancer), but the version numbers have been modified to 666.8, 666.9 and 666.10 respectively. Oh, and it doesn't have live CDs; they're "undead". Endearingly bonkers. GoboLinux One for the techies, this: the thing that marks GoboLinux out from the rest is its filesystem layout. Most Linux distributions use an archaic non-arrangement wherein an application's files are scattered around your hard drive in several different folders. GoboLinux adopts an OS X-like approach (which Apple took from RISC OS), and stores all files associated with an application in a single folder in /Programs. GNewSense If you like software freedom, you'll love GNewSense. It's based on Ubuntu, but has had all non-free software removed, including those tricky non-free driver files that are loaded into the Linux kernel (known as binary blobs). Unfortunately, many of these blobs are drivers for wireless networking cards, so GNewSense may not be the best distro for laptops. On the plus side, it has removed or renamed software that doesn't fit the Free Software Foundation's definition of freedom (Firefox, for example, is renamed as Burning Dog), and it doesn't provide any links to non-free repositories, making it even more free than Debian. Until we get the Hurd to replace the Linux kernel and create Gnu/Hurd, GNewSense (and Trisquel, a similar project based on Debian with a much cooler logo) is the closest we'll get to completely free. Sabily/Ubuntu Christian Edition Formerly known as Ubuntu Islamic Remix, Sabily is Ubuntu with extra Islam. The theme is Islamic green, the Applications menu has been expanded to include a selection of Quran study/prayer-time software, and the DansGuardian web filtering tool has been given an easy-to-use front end in the shape of Webstrict. Ubuntu Christian Edition is, perhaps not surprisingly, the equivalent for Christians, and features religious study tools as well as improved web filtering (Ubuntu CE's DansGuardian UI is what inspired the developers of Sabily to include their own). We also have to tip our hat to Jewbuntu, simply for having such an inspired name. Yellow Dog Originally released in the late 90s for Apple computers using the PowerPC chip architecture, Yellow Dog found its niche among people who wanted an even more different way to think differently. All was good, but then Apple abandoned PowerPC in favour of Intel chips, which it's still using today. This left Yellow Dog out in the cold, but after a change of ownership it re-invented itself as an OS for high-performance multicore computing - most notably as the OS used on PlayStations hooked up to form cheap supercomputing grids. Mikebuntu We blow our own trumpet so rarely round here that we'd almost forgotten where we put it, but it's worth shouting about the work that disc monkey Mike Saunders puts into the DVD for TechRadar's sister title, Linux Format, every month. Mike packs the distro on the free DVD with extra PDFs, extra software, extra desktop environments and heaps more extra options. We love you, Mike. Gentoo We love the freedom that we have to modify and recompile source code according to our needs, but very few of us actually do this, because it's easier to just download a Deb or RPM file. The lazy majority would not like Gentoo - or Linux For Masochists, as it's sometimes known - for the simple fact that you have to compile it yourself. That's not just the apps - it's the whole thing, including the kernel and all the other bits of your current distro that most people take for granted. The point of this is that if your Linux distro is compiled for your exact hardware, it should be possible to wring every last drop of performance from your kit. You just need to make sure that you have a large supply of coffee to hand before you attempt to install it. And yes, we know that there are versions of Gentoo in existence that are easier to use, but they're not really Gentoo now, are they? Scientific Linux There still exists among our Windows-using cousins the risible idea that Linux isn't good enough to take over on the desktop; that the continued dominance of Microsoft on the desktop is inevitable, because Linux is not up to the job technically. This can easily be refuted: the cleverest people on the planet - the scientists searching for clues about the beginning of the universe - use Scientific Linux at the CERN laboratories. It's based on Red Hat, and anyone can download and install it on their machine. You don't even need a PhD in theoretical physics. Parted Magic We're sure that nobody runs this as their full-time operating system (if you do, get in touch and tell us why), so although it's technically a distro, it's best thought of as a specialist tool. Parted Magic is a live distro that comes with all the tools you need to fix broken partitions. If something won't boot, this is what you use to fix it, and that goes for both Linux and Windows machines. As a troubleshooting aid, it's indispensable. Bodhi Linux Before Unity, Gnome 3 and KDE 4 came along and showed the world what it was missing, the Linux desktop was a staid place, enlivened only by the ongoing flame wars between KDE and Gnome users. This is odd, because as long ago as 1997 we had a far glitzier alternative: Enlightenment. Enlightenment is a window manager, and is beautiful without distracting you from the task in hand or forcing you to adopt your way of working to it. And the best way to get it is to install Bodhi Linux, which is why it's on this list. Umpteen Ubuntu remixes It's often said that there's too much choice in Linuxland, but the truth is actually that there's too much duplication. Each of the distros featured in this list fulfils a need, and brings something new to the party. But there are many, many more that don't. If you're thinking of remixing your favourite distro to give it an Xfce or LXD E desktop, don't: because someone will already have done it; and we don't need any more dead wood clogging up the internet.    |
| Company sues former employee over right to Twitter followers Posted: 28 Dec 2011 02:20 AM PST  How much are Twitter followers worth? That's the question that will be asked by a Californian court after a former employee of news and reviews site PhoneDog took his followers with him when he changed jobs. MadDog didn't take too kindly to this, especially as he changed the name of his account from @Phonedog_Noah to BBC was criticised for letting nearly 60,000Twitter followers go when political correspondentLaura Kuenssberg joined ITV. Laywers have warned that such issues need to be written into employment contracts.    |
| Review: Adobe Carousel Posted: 28 Dec 2011 01:30 AM PST  Adobe claims Carousel is the only tool that enables you to access your whole photo library from your Mac, iPhone or iPad, without storage issues or manual synchronisation. The first thought on any Mac owner's mind, though, is going to be what Carousel does that iPhoto/iTunes/iCloud doesn't. And the second is why they should pay for photo synchronisation when they already get it for nothing. Carousel is pretty similar to Apple's Photo Stream, which is part of the free iCloud service, but with a bit more control. Like Photo Stream, instead of copying photos across to your devices it stores them online. It then delivers files to your devices on demand, via your network connection. There are no storage limits, and any changes you make, from creating Carousels to importing and editing photos, are automatically uploaded to the Carousel server. You'll need an Adobe ID, which is free, but you pay a monthly subscription for Carousel, though there is a free 30-day trial. You download and install the Carousel client on your Mac and iOS devices, and you're ready to go. Strips of film Carousels are horizontally scrolling filmstrips of photos, and you can create a Carousel for a single set of photos or for shots taken over a longer period of time; in which case they're automatically split by date, so a single Carousel may consist of a series of these filmstrips that are arranged vertically. It's quick, simple and intuitive, and the consistency in appearance across the Mac and iOS versions is one of Carousel's strong points. It's quite something to see photos you add on your Mac appear in moments on your iPad, but this does rely on the quality of your network connection. Carousel communicates with Adobe servers constantly, so you can't work offline. Storage solutions 
Adobe solves the problem of limited storage space on iOS devices by downloading only thumbnails and low-resolution proxies. It's only when you tap on a thumbnail to view the picture properly that it downloads a higher-res version. So yes, Carousel does indeed make your whole photo library 'available', or at least all the photos you've imported into Carousel, even on a device with limited memory. It also reacts to changes made on any device straight away. The downside is that it's heavily dependent on the quality of your network connection. Wi-Fi speeds are okay, but Carousel can be painfully slow over 3G which can go a long way to eating up your monthly allowance. There are other limitations that gradually become apparent. This version will only import JPEGs, not TIFF, PSD or RAW files. You can carry out basic cropping, straightening and enhancement tasks and apply a range of nice but basic image effects. And it's all non-destructive, too, so you can rewind your changes if you make a mistake. But for cataloguing and editing tasks in general, Carousel is too lightweight even to compete with iPhoto. Things begin to get redundant when you consider that you may end up running two photo collections, with your 'proper' one still on your Mac in iPhoto or Aperture. Carousel shows promise in its current form. But its reliance on good network speeds, its monthly subscription charge and its very basic cataloguing and editing tools blunt its appeal considerably. We recommend you try before you buy.    |
