The Week’s Headlines
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Saturday, 11 February 2012
Ten... Valentine's Day gifts for her
Product round-up All present and correct
It's that time of year again, when chocolate manufacturers rub their hands with joy and florists dream of blooming profits. Yes, Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Of course, those of you with girlfriends who appreciate originality, will know the traditional catalogue of Valentine's gestures just doesn't cut it. Women …
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Friday, 10 February 2012
Sinofsky shows off Windows 8 on ARM and Office15
Microsoft aims for separate but equal
Windows boss Stephen Sinofsky has ended months of speculation with the first (fairly) detailed drilldown into Windows 8 on ARM (WOA) platform, and says it should be ready for a simultaneous launch with its x86/64 counterpart. Devices running WOA will come with both a Metro touch-based interface and the more traditional desktop …
LG DM2350D 23in passive 3D monitor and TV combo
Review Gaming desktop telly, anyone?
The DM2350D is the first 3D combination monitor/TV released by LG. Sharing the same passive FPR 3D panel technology as its Cinema 3D TV siblings, it’s presumably aimed at wannabe 3D PC gamers and those looking for a jack of all trades screen that’s easy to accommodate in student digs or wherever. Best of both worlds? LG's …
Tech! Tech! Teeeeech! Women want gadgets for Valentine's
Girls more gizmo hungry than ever
Forget roses and Roses: buy your other half - if female - some tech for Valentine's Day, now just four days away. According to the US Consumer Electronics Association, woman want gadgets, with 80 per cent of them, based on a survey conducted by the CEA, expressing an interest in electronic kit. And just over half of that …
HTC Ice Cream Sandwich updates slip to late March
And an even longer wait for some handsets
HTC smartphone owners: you should be getting Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich updates at the end of next month - if you have an unlocked Sensation or Sensation XE. That's a little later than anticipated. Back in November 2011, HTC eagerly promised ICS updates would appear "early 2012". Now, the aforementioned smartphones will …
Roku rocks media streamers into UK
BBC iPlayer on board
Roku has released its compact media streaming set-top boxes in the UK. With it comes BBC iPlayer support. The Roku LT and Roku 2 XS players - priced at £50 and £100, respectively - also come with Netflix support and all the usual free picture and video content sites, from Flikr to YouTube. Both boxes can connect across a 2. …
Phones 4U intros Jump plan to speed smartphone upgrades
Separates phone cost from airtime package
Phones 4U has come up with a new phone package it claims makes it easier to change handsets. Called Jump, the plan separates airtime from handset. So, a £37.99-a-month, two-year Jump contract actually comprises £15, which goes off to your network operator, and Phones 4U's phone-specific fee, the Jump Service Charge (JSC). A …
Tesla X e-SUV to sport monster touchscreen on the dash
Gull-wing doors? 85kWh battery? Pah!
Car writers are focusing on the Tesla X's gull-wing doors, but it's the electric SUV's touchscreen-tastic dashboard that does it for us. Like the Model S that the e-car company showed off at the Detroit Motor Show in January, the X will sport a 17in touchscreen as the basis of its control system. Satnav, in-car entertaiment, …
Pentax Q compact system camera
Review The cutest camera in the world?
When it come to compact system cameras, Pentax has form, if your memory goes back far enough. Like the Auto110 SLR film camera of old, the Pentax Q is laughably small, but in a good way. It’s a happy laugh – like a friendly chuckle at the burblings of a new-born. Its design is achingly cute – especially the white version I …
Google guns for Apple TV
Real-world device testing begins
Google is working on an in-home entertainment gadget able to stream content from the internet - or, at least, it's testing such a device in employees' homes. The online advertising company asked the US Federal Commmunications Commission in December 2011 if it could test "an entertainment device" with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on …
March release for Samsung Galaxy S II Android 4.0 update
Ice Cream Sarnie inbound
Samsung said in November 2011 that Android 4.0 - aka Ice Cream Sandwich - will be coming to its Galaxy S II smartphone some time in 2012. It has yet to narrow that window, but industry leak merchant Eldar Murtazin has now said ICS will hit the S II in March. Unsurprisingly, operator-tied handsets may have to wait a little …
Analyst: no 7in tablet at iPad 3 launch
Coming later in the year
Apple is going to release a 7in iPad - but not next month when it unwraps the iPad 3. So says analyst Ezra Gottheil of Technology Business Research, a market watcher. Speaking to Computerworld, he said he believes that Apple has always had the 7in tablet form-factor in mind, despite what Steve Jobs once said. Jobs, when asked …
Space: 1999 returning to TV?
Eagles and staple guns reloaded
They've been rebooted, re-imagined and uncut, but now Space 1999 is getting its own on-screen revival next to sci-fi classics Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek and Star Wars. ITV Studios America and HDFilms are reported to be developing Space: 2099, a "contemporary re-imagination" of the Saturday morning staple from the Gerry …
New patent will give iPhone screen interactive 3D
Apple's three-dimensional UI will make
cashobjects sink into the abyssiPhones of the future could have virtual 3D interfaces that will detect and respond to the movements of your eyes, revealed an Apple patent granted today. The newly patented technology would also allow for a world-behind-the-screen experience with the user's fingers appearing to reach into a space behind the glass. Mashing up …
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Thursday, 9 February 2012
Asus UX21E Zenbook 11.6in Ultrabook
Review Thin! Small! Mad! Gorgeous!
Having already reviewed the slightly larger Asus UX31E Zenbook for El Reg, and quite liking it, I whinged that sending me the UX21E model would be a waste of time. It wasn’t, obviously, because you’re reading this. I loved it. In fact, I preferred it. For such a small device, the Asus UX21E has a big feel – in use, nothing …
British Red Cross First Aid
iOS App of the Week In case of emergency, break out app...
The Red Cross was in the news recently when it issued new guidelines for performing CPR - Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - and it has followed this up with a free First Aid app that's worth downloading in case of emergencies. The app is divided into four sections. The Emergency area provides instant advice for dealing with …
Lenovo slates Ice Cream Sandwich for ThinkPad tablet
Unlock your fondleslab with your face
Lenovo will update its ThinkPad Android-based tablet to Ice Cream Sandwich in May, the PC giant said last night. The business-centric fondleslab currently ships with Android 3.1 Honeycomb. The new version of the operating system will be delivered over the net, across Wi-Fi or 3G, since the ThinkPad has both. Lenovo touted …
HP hands in-house Android code to TouchPad tablet hackers
Developed as a WebOS fall-back plan?
Top marks to HP for handing over an Android kernel it once coded for its TouchPad tablet to fondleslab hackers. The catch: there's no Wi-Fi support. Still, for the likes of the CyanogenMod team, that shouldn't pose too much of a hindrance. Indeed, early investigation of the wireless code in WebOS and regular Android shows the …
Life-size Portal gun to shoot onto shelves soon
Hole in the wall
Despite the fact they generally sit on the mantlepiece as a decorative reminder of where one's interest lies, replica weapons are a big business and gaming enthusiasts are an eager audience to target. Fans of Valve's Portal franchise are the latest group in sight. They're being pitched with this 1:1 scale model from the series …
Asus posts patch for Prime random reboot bug
Tablet's auto-restart glitch fixed
Asus UK has posted a firmware update for its Android tablet, the Eee Pad Transformer Prime. The new code fixes the fondleslab's "random reboot problem", the company claimed. This glitch has tried the patience of a fair few Prime owners, and we wonder if it was one of the factors that persuaded UK retailer Clove to cease …
iPad 3 shell shots spied on web
Snaps point to bigger battery. Possibly
Snaps are circulating Apple and iPad fansites revealing that the upcoming iPad 3 will hold a larger battery than its predecessor… probably. One shot, from repair site Fix-iPhones, shows the inside of what's claimed to be the back of the iPad 3's casing. The site infers that the re-sited screw holes and such mean the new tablet …
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Review Hit and myth
Like a mage's potion, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is based on a tried and tested formula: the essence of Fable II, a dash of Oblivion, the gizzards of God of War. And let's not forget the vital binding agent, of course: a liberal dose of Tolkien's legendarium. Circle of strife That's not to say Big Huge Games' debut title …
Pentax pushes super sturdy snapper
GPS-equipped Optio WG-2 pumps iron
Pentax pushed rugged photography into new terrains this week, launching a pair of 16Mp compact cameras that promise to perform under the most demanding of outdoor conditions. The Pentax Optio WG-2 and WG-2 GPS may look like Optimus Prime's caboose, but they're built to pull through even the harshest of Decepticon onslaughts …
Kodak to kill off digital cameras
End in sight for snappers, camcorders
Kodak is knocking its line of budget digital cameras on the head, part of its plan to revive the fortunes of the troubled firm. Out go its YouTube-oriented handheld video cameras and digital photo frames too. Production will have ceased by the middle of the year. Kodak will continue to support these products, and honour …
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Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Ten... Freesat TV receivers
Product round-up Orbital options for the digital switchover
Whether you’ve cut the cord and churned away from Sky, or need to survive the digital switch-over without recourse to Pay-TV or aerial, it’s worth considering Freesat. The gratis satellite TV service matches Freeview for SD channels, and offers a smattering of high-def plus the BBC iPlayer, hardware permitting. It’s a good bet …
Logitech rolls out touch-sensitive mouse
Buttons, wheels out; taps, swipes in
Logitech will next week release its answer to Apple's Magic Mouse: an input doohickey with a touch-sensitive skin. The Touch Mouse M600 uses said surface to read taps, swipes and scroll gestures. The M600 is wireless - it uses Logitech's proprietary 2.4GHz tech - and optical. Out this month, the Logitech Touch Mouse M600 …
Huawei's Ascend P1 headed to China in March
Update: Home market gets first dibs on P1 S's chunkier sister
Chinese electronics giant Huawei could be set to launch its P1 as early as next month, according to reports. Huawei senior vice president Yu Chengdong took to Twitter-like service Sina Weibo to reveal that the first devices could be on sale in China by the end of March, according to Tech Sina (Chinese) – although the exec …
T-Mobile's Full Monty speed 'capped at 1Mb/s'
Cellco denies, confirms cap
T-Mobile's unlimited tariff, The Full Monty, has come under scrutiny after reports surfaced that the cellco may have placed a speed limit of just 1Mb/s on the package. The price plan, launched this month, aims to compete with Three's The One Plan by offering T-Mobile customers a fully unlimited package for £41 per month. …
Samsung reveals Tocco Lite 2 release details
Budget blower inbound
Samsung revealed it will launch the successor to its popular Tocco Lite handset this March, with the budget blower targeting the social network generation. No surprise there, then. The Samsung Tocco Lite 2 packs a 3in, 320 x 240 touchscreen. Features include a built-in music player, a 3.2Mp camera, Bluetooth 3.0 and micro SD …
Toshiba 14in USB LCD Mobile Monitor
Review Panel beater?
It sounds like a great idea: a 14in LCD monitor that connects using USB. Perfect for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones, right? Well no, because it doesn’t work with them. That’s not to say Toshiba’s Monitor is entirely without merit. It’s a neat looking device, similar in size to a slim laptop and weighing the same as a …
Nokia: No Belle download for Apple users
Even if they have its own Mac OS X updater app
Nokia has told Mac-using owners of handsets capable of being upgraded to its Belle operating system they need to switch to a PC to apply the update themselves. The Finnish phone giant posted the latest incarnation of the OS formerly known as Symbian yesterday for a series of older Nokia handsets. Alas, the new code is only …
Olympus goes retro with µFT snapper
Mirrorless magic
Olympus extended its array of Micro Four Thirds cameras today, launching the E-M5, a retro-style snapper based on the classic design of the company's OM range of 35mm SLRs. The E-M5 is the first model in the firm's new OM-D collection and adds a number of features as yet unseen in the company's other Micro Four Thirds cameras …
New driver-snooping satnav could push down UK insurance premiums
TomTom signs up with Motaquote to stuff spy in GPS box
The idea has been hovering in the ether for some time, but TomTom is the first satnav firm to sign on the dotted line and bring insurance to drivers through their GPS. The Dutch company has joined up with Motaquote insurers to offer UK drivers "Fair Pay" insurance, where customers pay lower premiums because their satnav …
Sony posts PlayStation firmware patch
Bye-bye, PSN; hello, SEN
Sony's latest PlayStation firmware - version 4.10 - is now available for download, with the Sony Entertainment Network ready for PS3s from here on. As announced earlier this week, Sony has renamed the PlayStation Network in an effort to streamline all of the company's online services into one sensibly-named bracket. Aside …
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Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Colorfly Pocket Hi-Fi C4
Review The audiophiles' PMP
The true audiophile is likely to have many questions concerning the Colorfly Pocket Hi-Fi, but chief among them is likely to be ‘How f*%&ing much??!?’ At £549 this Chinese-made high fidelity portable music player is nobody’s idea of a bargain, but if you’re one of those brave souls who still cares about sound quality, who …
Mac demand helps Apple business bloom in Blighty
Rival PC players slump
Apple was the only major computer maker to increase its shipments into the UK PC market during the final three months of 2011. Figures posted today by Gartner, a market watcher, noted shipment declines for the four remaining players in the UK top five. Apple's shipments rose 17.2 per cent from 228,000 units in Q4 2010 to 267, …
Avast! Mobile Security
Android App of the Week Prepare to repel boarders
The security or lack thereof of the Android platform - real or imagined - is a common topic of conversation at the moment so it seems like a good time to take a look for a comprehensive security app. My preferred choice is Avast!. Avast! for Android is free and carries no advertising, making it perfect for anyone who is just a …
Parliament ponders £400,000 iPads-for-MPs plan
Representatives to get slated
Members of Parliament may soon be issued with an iPad each in a scheme that could cost the tax payer over £400,000. House members have been testing the Apple tablet throughout the past 12 months in a bid to modernise the Mother of Parliaments and save print costs. Now the cross-party Administration Committee has recommended a …
Toshiba releases 'world's thinnest' Android tablet
Sales limited to a single retailer
Toshiba's 'world's thinnest, lightest' tablet, the AT200 - aka the Excite in the US - goes on sale over here next week. The 7.7mm-thick, 10.1in 1280 x 800 tablet, announced in September 2011, runs Android 3.2 Honeycomb, on a 1.2GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 processor. It has 1GB of DDR 2 memory and either 16GB or 32GB of …
ViewSonic V350 dual Sim Android smartphone
Review For business and pleasure
Every now and again, a brand new product comes along that seems to hark back to days of yore, to a time when things were different. One of those things would be the steam-powered PC, another is the ViewSonic V350 – a smartphone that can work on two networks simultaneously. Dual of the dial: ViewSonic's V350 There was a time …
Nikon unveils mammoth megapixel DSLR
D800 does 36Mp
Nikon unveiled its much-anticipated FX-format D800 digital SLR camera this morning. The Nikon D800 - successor to the company's D700 - has been upgraded to sport a 36.3Mp CMOS sensor feeding the Nikon's latest image processor, the Expeed 3. The D800 features 1080p video recording with options for 24, 25 and 30fps frame rates …
Nokia posts 'major' Sym... er... smartphone OS update
Belle, end of Symbian?
Nokia may be obsessed with Microsoft's Windows Phone OS, but that hasn't stopped it rolling out the latest version of its other OS, Belle, to a seven handsets. Step forward owners of Nokia N8, E7, E6, X7, C6-01, C7 and Oro phones, you can now download Symbian - no, don't mention the 'S' word... - Nokia Belle for your gadget. …
YouView will launch this Spring, says TalkTalk
Consumer trials coming
ISP TalkTalk has reiterated its expectation that YouView, the would-be UK standard IPTV platform, will launch this coming Spring. The company's CEO, Dido Harding, told investors today that initial work getting customers to understand what YouView is all about has begun, laying the groundwork for consumer trials of the service …
Google goggles with Terminator HUD 'coming soon'
8GB of flash, front-facing cam, voice recog and head-tilting nav
Google is actually working on twitch-responsive sci-fi-style head-up display glasses, according to a report by 9TO5Google. And the new tech apparently includes a cursor that responds to head movements. The article includes great eye-candy, including a clip from CES 2012 on Motorola's headset computer and a Terminator clip. …
Raspberry Pi ship date slips
Crystal trips
Raspberry Pi won't make it into buyers' hands before 20 February and perhaps not until the end of the month, the organisation behind the $25 microcomputer has admitted. The compact yet fully laden motherboard went into mass production early in January. The hope was the gadget would be available to buyers by now. Alas not. …
Canon focuses on low-end with PowerShot snappers
Compact definition
Canon snapped into focus today with the launch of six 16Mp A-series PowerShots to slot into its lower-end range of compact cameras. First up is the PowerShot A810 and A1300, classic models that still run on AA batteries. The A1300 rocks up with an optical viewfinder too, an unusual rarity in this day and age. Both feature 28mm …
O2 quietly cans gratis Cloud Wi-Fi connectivity
Own-brand hotspots offered instead
O2 has quietly dropped The Cloud from the list of Wi-Fi hotspot aggregators it grants its mobile customers free access to. Until the start of the month, O2 customers could access the internet through The Cloud's many WLANs. Now, however, only BT Openzone and O2's own O2 WiFi hotspots are included for free. Punters tell us …
Apple eyes ISPs to sell 'iTV'
Analysis Canny marketing as World+Dog goes IPTV
What are we to make of the claims from moles within Canada's two key telcos that both companies have Apple HD TVs in their labs? That Apple is indeed working on an own-brand television now seems certain. Equally sure seems the notion that the so-called 'iTV' won't be remotely revolutionary, though it will be spun that way by …
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