TechRadar: Mobile computing news

HTC to take on Spotify with music streaming service?

Kate Solomon — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:22:00 GMT

HTC could be about to enter the music streaming fray at MWC 2012 with a branded Spotify-competitor created as part of its partnership with Beats Audio.

Rumour has it that HTC is working closely with music industry mogul and Beats' head honcho Jimmy Iovine to create the streaming service after talks with existing companies, including Spotify, failed to go anywhere.

The as-yet unconfirmed music service would come as the default player on HTC phones and tablets. GigaOm's source couldn't provide any pricing details so we don't yet know if the service would be bundled with devices or if you'll have to cough up a monthly fee to use it.

HTCify

But why would HTC, a handset manufacturer, bother sticking its oar into the previously unrelated music streaming market? Same reason it gave movie rental a whirl in the not-massively-successful-thus-far HTC Watch: differentiation.

All the phone manufacturers work within the parameters of the OSes their products run, so any move they can make to differentiate their products from the milieu and create some kind of user loyalty is going to be worth a punt.

Particularly as the bloom seems to have come off the HTC rose in recent months, with the company's meteoric rise to top Android maker tempered by falling sales and dipping profits.

Tim Cook hits back at Apple factory conditions

Jools Whitehorn — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:47:00 GMT

Apple CEO Tim Cook took to the stage at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference last night to deliver the keynote speech.

During the speech he covered topics from Apple factory working conditions, to how he intends to run the company in the absence of late CEO Steve Jobs.

Company direction

When asked what he was determined to maintain now that Steve Jobs is no longer around, Cook said: "Steve grilled in all of us over many years that the company should revolve around great product, and that we should stay extremely focused on just a few things rather than try to do so many that we do nothing well. We should only go into markets where we can make a significant contribution to society, not just sell a lot of products.

"And so, these things, along with keeping excellence as an expectation of everything at Apple, these are the things that I focus on because I think those are the things that make Apple this magical place. We're always focused on the future. We don't sit and think about how great things were yesterday. I love that trait. I think it's the thing that drive us all forward."

Price competition

Responding to a question about tablets, Cook went into why Apple isn't in a hurry to start a price war with competitors, saying: "Price is rarely the most important thing. A cheap product might sell some units. Somebody gets it home and they feel great when they pay the money, but then they get it home and use it, and the joy is gone.

"The joy is gone every day that they use it until they aren't using it anymore. You don't keep remembering 'I got a good deal!' because you hate it!"

Factory working conditions

Working conditions at factories manufacturing Apple products has been a hot news topic recently, and Cook gave a statement about the company line during his speech.

Addressing a question on the issue, he said: "Apple takes working conditions very, very seriously, and we have for a very long time… Our commitment is simple: Every worker has the right to a fair and safe work environment, free of discrimination, where they can earn competitive wages and they can voice their concerns freely.

"Apple suppliers must live up to this to do business with Apple. If we find a supplier that intentionally hires underage labour, it's a firing offense."

This tallies with Tim Cook's recent email to Apple staff assuring them that he was taking the matter in hand and his invitation to the Fair Labor Association to inspect working conditions for itself.

Buying Guide: Which laptop should I buy?

Matt Bolton — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:36:00 GMT

Which laptop should I buy?: Laptop types

Choosing a laptop can seem like a complicated task, as there are so many models on offer, and a huge range of prices.

Can you get away with something cheap, you might wonder? Or will you have to spend more? Should you focus on the CPU first? The screen, the laptop graphics card, battery life, portability - something else?

Top laptops: the 20 best laptops in the world

When buying a laptop, though, you should start by focusing on your own needs. How will you want to use the new system? Understand your own requirements and that will automatically give you a much clearer idea of exactly what you're after.

Consider the applications you'll want to run, for instance.

If you really only want to browse the web, send emails, write a simple letter or two, play music and watch DVDs, then just about any laptop (as long as it has a DVD drive) will do the job, and spending £300-£400 or so will give you an acceptable system.

FIRST TIME: The Acer Aspire 5749 is a solidly built, quality laptop, a good system for first-time buyers

Read our Acer Aspire 5749 review

If you'd like to edit video, though, or run other resource-hungry apps, then you'll need a laptop with a faster CPU, more RAM and storage space. Expect to pay considerably more, perhaps £600 and upwards.

And if you're after a laptop than can handle the latest games, then your system will need even more power and storage, and a dedicated graphics card, the faster the better. Prices may start at £600 or so, but if you're after decent performance then you might have to spend three times that amount, perhaps more.

BANG FOR YOUR BUCK: The Lenovo Z570 offers impressive performance for the money, thanks to its dedicated graphics card.

Read our Lenovo Z570 review

Think also about how these requirements will affect the portability of your laptop.

If you're planning to edit video or play games on the system, then you'd probably also like a large screen, maybe 17 or 18-inch.

But that makes for a large, heavy laptop, and will shorten your battery life considerably - as will the fast CPU, large amount of RAM, and so on.

Check out our guide to the best Core i3 laptops

And, unfortunately, powerful laptops tend to be larger and have a shorter battery life, just as a general rule. There are exceptions, if you're willing to pay a lot of money, but otherwise you shouldn't expect a gaming laptop to be something you can carry around and use anywhere, for hours on end - because it's not going to work like that.

CHUNKY POWER: The Asus G74SX has a huge 17.3-inch screen - but weighs a chunky 4.6kg

Read our Asus G74SX review

Put this all together, then, and the best laptop to buy for you should fall into one of three possible categories.

"Home" systems start with the basic browsing, email and media setup. You can extend them to handle image, audio and video editing tasks if you like, even game playing at a push, but performance won't be great: these laptops are more about value for money.

And while you can take them from room to room, or to school or work if you like, they're not designed to be hugely mobile. Expect to pay £300 to £800.

Ultrabook laptops start with more compact systems, without a DVD drive to save on weight and size, so they're very easy to carry around. Battery life will be good, allowing you to work just about anywhere. And at the high end you'll also have a powerful CPU, lots of RAM and storage space, although this can be very expensive. Expect to pay anywhere from £300 to £2000 and more.

Check our guide to the best Ultrabook laptops

"Power" laptops meanwhile concentrate on features above all else. You'll have a dedicated graphics card, a 17 or 18-inch display, a Blu-ray drive, and a similar level of CPU, RAM and hard drive power that you'd find in a desktop PC.

So game playing won't be a problem, but these systems will also be heavy, and have a poor battery life. Prices in this category start from around £800, but if performance is vital then you can expect to part with £1,500 - £2,000, perhaps more.

If you want ultra-portability and a very low price then you could look at netbooks as an alternative. They're low-powered, have tiny screens and don't come with DVD drives, but they're also very easy to carry around and can have a battery life of five hours or more. We're more interested in laptops in this article, but if a netbook would better suit your needs then take a look at our reviews.

Best netbook revealed: the top 15 in the world today

If you're still not quite sure which laptop will suit you, don't worry - it should all become more clear on the next page, when we look at the options available within each category.

Which laptop should I buy?: Power or portable

You should now have a general idea of the sort of laptop you want: either a Home, Ultrabook or Power system. But what does that mean in practice? Focusing on each category in turn will give you a better idea of which laptop to buy.

Power laptops

If you need a system that will do just about everything you can do on a desktop PC (play games, edit video or run other demanding applications), and you don't mind having a heavy laptop with a short battery life as a result, then opt for something in the Power category.

You'll want something with at least an Intel Core i5 processor, maybe a Core i7.

4GB of RAM is a must; a 500GB hard drive is probably a sensible minimum, 1TB better if you can afford it; and opt for a Blu-ray, rather than a DVD drive. Remember, you'll be looking to keep this system for 2 or 3 years, so it's wise to buy more than you think you'll need right now.

A 17 or 18-inch screen will give you plenty of room to work. And if you're looking to play games then you should ignore slow integrated graphics - that's anything with a name that starts "Intel GMA", "VIA" or "SiS"), and opt for a speedy dedicated graphics card instead.

Which means picking a laptop with a Mobility Radeon HD product perhaps, or one of the better GeForce chips. Nvidia's product range is more confusing, but you'll find more details on its site.

Great examples of Power laptops include the Toshiba Qosmio X770, which features an i7 CPU, 17.3-inch 1920x1080-resolution screen, a 1TB hard drive, 8GB of RAM and Nvidia's phenomenal GTX 560M graphics card with 3D support, all for around £1700.

GRAPHICS POWER: The Nvidia GTX 560M gives the X770 enough power for serious mobile gaming

Read our Toshiba Qosmio X770-107 review

And the fabulous Alienware M18x uses a powerful i7 CPU and AMD's Radeon 6900M graphics card, giving it incredible gaming performance. It weighs a hefty 5.7kg and has an 18.2-inch screen, so you're unlikely to want to carry it around with you too much, but you'll get an incredible gaming experience for your £1850.

AMAZING GAMING: AMD's Radeon 6900M graphics card produces astonishing results

Read our Alienware M18x review

Ultrabook laptops

If you'll mostly be using your laptop on the move - in the car, on the train, nowhere near any recharging points - then it'll need to be light, something under a couple of kilograms, and with as long a battery life as you can manage.

There are some great Ultrabooks around that offer speedy performance with light frames and small size. Look for something with a screen size of 11 to 13 inches, and you'll see plenty of Ultraportables running new low-power Intel Core i5 and i7 chips. They also use flash memory instead of hard drives. This also helps to save battery, but it actually helps to improve performance too, though it means you get less storage for the same price.

The Asus Zenbook comes in 11- and 13-inch models, with a choice of i7 and i5 processors and 125GB or 256GB of storage.

ART OF ZEN: The stunning Asus Zenbook is slim and fast

Read our Asus Zenbook UX31 review

These Ultraportable machines are great for working on documents, or for generally basic computing tasks. They can handle some powerful applications thanks to their multi-core processors, but they only offer basic graphics performance, so no hardcore gaming on them.

Check our guide to the best Ultrabook laptops

If you're not wedded to Windows, than you should absolutely look at the Apple MacBook Air line. They offer excellent battery life, extremely fast performance and are some of the best-made portable laptops around. The 11-inch version starts from £849.

MAC CHOICE: MacBook Airs offer a huge battery life in an extremely light and slim chassis

Read our Apple MacBook Air 13-inch review

If you want portability without sacrificing features, then check out the Sony VAIO VPC-Z21V9E. It's a thin, light laptop that offers a higher-resolution screen than its contemporaries, as well as a docking stations that adds an optical drive, more ports and even a better graphics card. Of course, you'll pay for these features, to the tune of as much as £2,699.

AT A COST: Sony proves you can have both performance and portability - if you're willing to pay for it

Read our Sony Vaio VPC-Z21V9E review

Home laptops

You probably don't need a tiny laptop, of course. Or one with the power of a desktop. You just want something basic, which offers good value for money, and that means you're better off with a system from the Home category.

If you need to do little more than run Windows, visit your favourite websites and send emails, then you can get by with something very basic . An Intel Core i3 will offer all the performance you need when paired with 4GB of RAM and a big enough hard drive for you documents – 250GB or so.

So, for instance, the Sony VAIO VPCEH2F1E won't break any performance records, but it has a bright and clear screen, along with welcome extras such as 802.11n Wi-Fi. The battery life is average at around 3 hours, and it's a really good deal at around £450.

GREAT VALUE: The Sony VAIO VPCEH2F1 offers great features for the price

Read our Sony VAIO VPCEH2F1E review

For around the same price, you can find some other really well-specced machines. Samsung's RV520 offers good performance from an Intel Core i3 processor, but packs in 6GB of RAM, so will be great for those who like to edit their HD movies on their laptop. The screen isn't quite as nice as some out there, but for around £450, you get no small amount of muscle.

PLENTY OF RAM: The Samung RV520 can multitask with the best of them

Read our Samsing RV520 review

If you want something that won't take up the whole sofa when you're using it, the 14-inch Dell Insprion 14z is a great-looking, speedy laptop that offers really superb battery life, and though it's a little more at £579.99, it's absolutely worth every penny.

RUBY RED:The Dell Insprion 14z offers excellent battery life and good looks

Dell Inspiron 14z

There's no need to feel you're somehow being short-changed by opting for a basic Home laptop, then. This is a highly competitive market, and there are plenty of powerful systems to be had at absolute bargain prices.

General tips

You should now have a better idea about which laptop to buy, then, but there are just a few more general tips you can follow to ensure the purchase goes smoothly.

Think about how you'll need to use your laptop over the next two or three years, for instance, then decide how much you can afford to spend to achieve all that. You won't then get tempted to pay out "just" another £50 or £100 more, and if you have a set budget then it'll be easier to go shopping later: you can just ignore everything that's too expensive.

Then keep an eye on our laptop reviews and ratings, where you'll find the best laptop reviews which will quickly point you at the models you must take seriously, and the ones you really shouldn't.

When you find a likely candidate machine, try to locate one - or a similar model from the same range, at least - in a local PC store before you buy. This will let you try out the screen, test the keyboard, the track pad, maybe hear the sound quality of the speakers, all the vitally important elements that you really can't understand from a spec sheet alone.

And when it's time to buy, always use a credit card, if at all possible. Hopefully the laptop will arrive, on time and in fully working order, but if there are any issues then the Consumer Credit Act may mean the credit card company is equally liable, so giving you another way to recoup costs in the event of any problems.

Apple testing 8-in iPad Mini, claim suppliers

Kate Solomon — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:14:00 GMT

Rumours that Apple may launch a smaller-screened iPad Mini simply refuse to die, with the latest sources claiming that an 8-inch model is in the works.

It comes by way of the Wall Street Journal, on something of a roll after claiming earlier that the iPad 3 will rock 4G/LTE connectivity.

The paper reports that one of Apple's component suppliers has been testing a smaller-screen iPad for Apple, with designs relating to an iPad Mini of around 8 inches.

This iPad nano will bring similar resolution as the iPad 2, which could make sense as it's basically a given that the iPad 3 will up the resolution ante.

Padder of tiny tablets

According to the source, Apple is working with LG Display to test the smaller displays, as well as the Taiwanese AU Optronics company.

By the sounds of the rumour, if we give it any credence in the first place, it's early days for the mythical 8-inch iPad, so we're unlikely to see it land alongside the iPad 3 (reports surfaced earlier today that the iPad 3 launch date could be 7 March).

Steve Jobs famously slated 7-inch tablets, describing the size as not "sufficient to create great tablet apps". The question is, has Apple decided that an extra inch makes all the difference?

Updated: iPad 3 rumours: what you need to know

Dan Grabham — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:12:00 GMT

iPad 3 release date, processor and more

The Apple iPad 2 has been out for almost a year now, so it's nearly time to say hello to iPad 3.

The web is teeming with rumours about the new iPad 3 processor, cameras and display, so we've gathered together as many details as we can on its possible specifications.

Of course, some of these can be taken with a pinch of salt, but there's definite patterns occuring and we'd say the final iPad 3 release won't be that far removed from many of these rumours

So what's the word on the street about the next iPad?

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Apple iPad 3 release date

The iPad 3 release date looks set for March or April 2012, with an iPad 3 announcement in March to coincide with the release of iOS 5.1.

Website YourDailyMac has unearthed iOS 5.1 carrier profiles which carry the possible iPad 3 release date of 9 March 2012 in their names.

However, we'd expect the iPad 3 announcement to be in February, with the iPad 3 US release date in early March and the iPad 3 UK release date in late March.

Apple news site iMore says the announcement will be 7 March, citing sources "which have proved reliable in the past" have confirmed the date ahead of any official announcement from Cupertino.

Digitimes reported in late November 2011 that panel makers had already started shipping panels for the new iPad 3 - a million in October and two million in November.

Foxconn, Apple's major manufacturing partner, is said to have started production of the iPad 3 in January. 2012. A source at one of Apple's partners also told Bloomberg also stated that the company began production of the iPad 3 in January, with a view to reaching full volumes in February.

Digitimes says the new model is expected to meet the heady heights of 9.5 to 9.8 million units over the course of Q1 2012.

The Apple iPad 3 will have a quad-core processor

It's probable that the iPad 3 will have a brand spanking new processor, Apple's A6 - which will surely be a quad-core ARM-based processor. Quad-core designs are coming from various ARM partners and the Tegra 3 has already been launched by Nvidia, as well as the Snapdragon S4 from Qualcomm.

According to the Korea Times in November 2011, the A6 processors are to be manufactured by Samsung, despite the companies' ongoing patent battles.

Apple iPad 3 display

A retina display was widely predicted for the iPad 2, but of course the current iPad doesn't have a double-resolution display: for now, that's something you'll only get in the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Could an iPad 3 Retina Display be on the way? It's the very first thing on our iPad 3 wish list.

The exciting news is that it looks as though it is happening, with Apple reportedly testing suppliers' current shipments of 2048 x 1536 resolution 9.7-inch displays. Now that iBooks 2 has been launched (as of 19 January 2012), we've also seen further references to 2x iPad screen images - these will, most likely, be for iPad 3.

However, it's not always been plain sailing for the display - rumours continued over the summer and autumn of 2011 that the retina display in the iPad 3 was continuing to be a challenge.

Back in May 2011, we reported that the iPad 3 could launch with a Samsung-made AMOLED screen, following rumours that Apple was in talks on the matter with Samsung execs. There have also been more LG and Samsung rumours, too.

However, according to the Wall Street Journal in late November 2011, Sharp will manufacture panels for the device. Apparently Apple is investing in infrastructure at Sharp's LCD plant. Further rumours said that Apple is looking to implement some nifty dual LED lightbar technology into the iPad 3, apparently in a bid to counter-balance the brightness issue that the Apple tablet may have, due to its super-high pixel density.

A part leak in early December again pointed to a Sharp-manufactured 2048x1536 retina display and dual lightbar.

iPAD 2: We wanted a retina screen, but didn't get it - what about for iPad 3?

Will the iPad 3 actually be called iPad 2S?

An iPad case maker in China, Chinee, has started to sell a cover for a device it's calling 'iPad 2S'.

Case manufactures have a good history of being on the money when it comes to pre-empting Apple's hardware plans, with last year's iPhone 5-gate being an exception to the rule.

There is no confusion of where the iPad 2S name derives from – following the way of the iPhone as we saw Apple announce the iPhone 4S last year.

According to several rumours the iPad 2S will sport the same look as the 2, with a boost in internal gubbins but slightly more portly in depth.

There may be an iPad 3 LTE version

Persistent rumours suggest LTE support will be provided for the US. Great for the US, though it will leave the UK behind as there's no 4G connectivity as yet. Cnet.com believes that the new iPad may feature a Qualcomm 4G LTE Gobi 4000 chip.

On 14 February 2012, the Wall Street Journal reported that: "Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. will sell a version of the coming iPad that runs on their newest fourth-generation wireless networks, according to people familiar with the matter."

The iPad 3 will usher in iOS 5.1

Alongside the much anticipated iPad 3, Macotakara sources seem convinced we'll see iOS 5.1 come out of beta in March too.

The iPad 3 will have a bigger battery

A casing supposedly for the iPad 3 was posted online in February, with its size suggesting we're in for an increase in battery and graphics power in the new Apple tablet. Some say the new casing appears to accommodate a larger battery.

Will the iPad 3 have a smaller dock connector?

Parts previewed on some websites indicate that, although the iPad 3 will still have a 30 pin dock connector, the packaging is streamlined. Well, if this is true, we knew it would happen sooner or later.

The iPad 3 hardware could include an NFC chip

Apple's very interested in Near Field Communications, and one particularly tasty rumour at Cult of Mac suggests that the iPhone 5 will use NFC to take over nearby Macs, enabling you to use your data and settings with a flick of the wrist.

The iPad 3 specifications will include more storage

The iPad 2 has the familiar 16/32/64GB storage options. A 128GB option for the iPad 3 isn't impossible - although that might depend on the situation in Asia, where natural disasters caused chaos in parts of the electronics industry last year.

The iPad 3 features could include a Thunderbolt port

Two generations of USB-free iPads suggest that Apple just isn't interested in adding one, but the new Thunderbolt port found in the 2011 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air could be another story: it's a combined accessory/display connector with astonishingly fast performance.

There could be more than one iPad 3

TUAW says the iOS 5 code features new code files for USB devices in the iOS 5 firmware, Through this, TUAW found references to an iPad 3,1 and an iPad 3,2. Is this latter variant the LTE version?

The iPad 3 could be thicker

The iPad 3 might be bulking out, reportedly so it can house a higher-resolution display than the iPad 2, and the extra girth is all down to pixel density.

THICKER?: Could iPad 3 be thicker than iPad 2?

The iPad 3 specs might include an SD card slot

This was widely predicted for the iPad 2 and, like the Retina Display, didn't materialise. One for version 3, perhaps? Using a separate adapter to read camera cards is rather inelegant and clunky.

The iPad 3 specification should include a better camera

The rear-facing camera on the iPad 2 isn't brilliant: an iPhone 4S-style camera and flash would do nicely.

The iPad 3 might use gesture controls

Could the iPad 3 have Kinect-style gesture controls? We're not so sure, but rumours suggested so in late October 2011.

The iPad 3 could feature a carbon fibre case

Apple has hired a carbon fibre expert, senior composites engineer Kevin Kenney, fuelling speculation that the next iPad could be encased in the lightweight material.

In Depth: Amazon Kindle Fire 2 rumours: what you need to know

Dan Grabham and Gary Marshall — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:30:00 GMT

Amazon Kindle Fire 2 rumours rounded up

The Kindle Fire has been a big success stateside, though it sadly hasn't yet made it to the UK.

However, there is plenty of speculation and rumour about what the Kindle Fire 2 could bring to the party - and whether it will be available in the UK.

So we've rounded up all the suggested Kindle Fire 2 specs, release date and more and put together this little piece to share them all with you.

Kindle Fire 2 release date

The Kindle Fire 2 is set to land in spring 2012, according to DigiTimes, which reported that Quanta Computer has already been given the order to start producing the new device.

The Kindle Fire 2 screen will be bigger

The Telegraph - and many others - predicts a Kindle Fire 2 / iPad 3 summertime tablet fight-fest based entirely on a single post by the not-always-that-accurate DigiTimes, which says that the Kindle Fire 2 will have an 8.9-inch touch screen and will begin manufacturing in the first quarter of 2012.

That may well be true, but Digitimes also reports that the Kindle Fire 2 screen will be 9.7 inches, or maybe 10.1 inches. Perhaps the Kindle Fire 2 is made from potatoes and powered by clockwork elves.

An analyst writing in February 2012 predicted a 9-inch Amazon Kindle Fire tablet, as well as a refreshed 7-inch model by the middle of 2012.

Chad Bartley of Pacific Crest has increased his Kindle Fire 2012 sales estimate from 12 million units to 14.9 miilion units, partly due to the expected new models.

"We are raising our 2012 sales forecasts to 14.9 million from 12.7 million," he wrote in a note to investors.

"But we believe there is an upward bias, particularly from the new 7 and 9-inch models, which we expect to launch in mid-2012."

The Kindle Fire 2 processor is a quad-core Tegra

That's what Boy Genius Report predicted back in May, anyway: Amazon was "planning on releasing at least two before the end of the year... the big boy? That's codenamed 'Hollywood' and will be based on the Nvidia Tegra 3 which will bring a screaming quad-core processor with a 500% performance increase".

That would come in handy, as some reviews have pointed out that the current Fire is a bit slow, but if it's coming there's no way you're getting it for $200. Amazon may be losing money on every Kindle Fire, but there's losing money and there's losing enormous amounts of money.

The Kindle Fire 2 is the real Kindle Fire

Speaking to Gdgt, a "source" claimed that the Kindle Fire 2 is the tablet Amazon really wanted to make, but couldn't get out in time for the pre-Christmas shopping period.

The Kindle Fire 2 operating system is Android, sort of

As with the first Fire, the Kindle Fire 2 should run Amazon's own fork of Android, which adds a nifty interface to Google's OS. Expect integration with the Amazon app store and services rather than Android market and Google books.

The Kindle Fire 2 display won't be a hybrid

A hybrid e-ink/LCD screen is one for our Kindle Fire 2 wish list, although we don't expect to see it on the next Kindle Fire.

The Kindle Fire 2 specifications might include some missing features

There are some obvious omissions from the current Kindle Fire - GPS, a microphone, cameras - but we're not sure the Kindle Fire 2 needs them: if it wants to be an iPad rival then yes, such things are important, but they're not necessarily deal-breakers for sofa surfing.

The Kindle Fire 2 name probably won't be Kindle Fire 2

If a launch is imminent, Amazon won't want to annoy existing Kindle Fire customers by suggesting their shiny new tablet is already obsolete. It'll be called something different, such as Kindle Burny. OK, probably not Burny.

Google-Moto deal now approved in US

John McCann — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:22:00 GMT

The United States Department of Justice (USDoJ) has approved Google's takeover of Motorola Mobility but made it clear that patent abuse would not be tolerated.

The news comes just hours after the European Union approved the buyout, also stating that it would be closely monitoring patent activities to ensure fairness in the market.

Google still need approval from Taiwan and Israel before the takeover can happen, but with the EU and US now on board the end is very much in sight.

Let's talk patents

As with the EU, the USDoJ has clearly stated that it will be keeping an eye on companies in the wireless device industry regarding patent acquisition and use.

Companies have been warned that the USDoJ "will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action to stop any anticompetitive use of SEP (standard essential patents) rights".

What this means in short is companies will not be allowed to force others out of business with anticompetitive patent usage.

The USDoJ went on to say that Apple and Microsoft have made "clear commitments… to license SEPs on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, as well as their commitments not to seek injunctions in disputes involving SEPs".

Google has not been quite so black and white with accepting the terms, so expect a beady eye to stay focussed on it for the time being.

iPad 3 to have 4G LTE?

Jools Whitehorn — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:18:00 GMT

The Apple iPad 3 will be available in a 4G LTE version for high-speed mobile data, according to reports.

US networks Verizon and AT&T will be getting the 4G-equipped iPad 3, being the only two that offer the next-gen LTE coverage, while it is uncertain if other networks will be selling it.

Wall Street Journal reports that: "Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. will sell a version of the coming iPad that runs on their newest fourth-generation wireless networks, according to people familiar with the matter."

This comes straight after the assertion by Apple news site iMore that the iPad 3 will be launched on 7 March.

As the flurry of iPad 3 chatter increases and launch day approaches, a wishlist of likely features has emerged that includes a high resolution Retina Display, 4G and quad-core Apple A6 processor, among others.

UK not ready for iPad 3 4G

However, 4G won't do UK users much good as communications regulator Ofcom is still yet to auction off the spectrum that will support 4G devices.

What this means that the UK is seriously lagging behind the US, and may not see 4G until 2015.

To wrap your head around all the of latest iPad 3 info, get reading our iPad 3 rumours: What you need to know feature.

iPad 3 set for March 7 announcement?

Chris Smith — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:06:00 GMT

Those Apple fans desperately seeking the launch of the iPad 3 tablet now have a date to pin their hopes on amid reports that the tablet will be unveiled on March 7.

The prediction comes from Apple news site iMore, which says sources 'which have proved reliable in the past' have confirmed the date ahead of any official announcement from Cupertino.

The report follows AllThingsD's assertion that the launch will take place some time during the first week of March before going on sale around a week later.

iMore also backs up rumours of expected enhancements to the device, including a Retina Display, a quad-core A6 processor and possible 4G LTE connectivity for markets where those speeds are available.

Traditional launch schedules

The Wednesday March 7th timeline doesn't sound like too much of a reach from our perspective and would certainly fit in with launch schedules for previous versions of the device.

Even if Apple doesn't take the stage in San Francisco on that particular date, we can't imagine that iMore's estimate will be out by much.

To catch up on all of the latest, check our iPad 3 rumours: What you need to know feature.

Opinion: Is Sony ditching Android for its own OS?

Gareth Beavis — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:12:00 GMT

The news this morning that Sony is considering its own OS for phones and tablets, based on the Vita system it's developed for its new handheld console, will be worrying a fair few people up at Google HQ.

Not because it will be better (let's face it: Sony isn't suddenly going to come up with an ecosystem that betters the app opportunities found with Android) but the notion that Sony could move wholesale to this new platform and drop Google's OS altogether isn't as crazy as it sounds.

The main point is Android is no longer the safe bet it used to be, thanks to the reams and reams of patent violations being lodged by Apple. The most recent attack on Samsung's Galaxy Nexus is a thinly veiled assault on Google's Ice Cream Sandwich and, should Apple prevail, every company using Android 4.0 will have to skin it to within an inch of its life or stop selling the device altogether to avoid legal action.

Cost on top of cost

That's before other royalties are brought into the picture: Sony is one of the few Android making companies that hasn't yet been targeted by Microsoft as it looks to nab royalties for each Android smartphone sold. But unless Sony has some special Android IP ninja powers, you have to assume that these conversations are already happening, even if it's at an informal level.

Other manufacturers have hinted at Android exit strategies too: Samsung has partnered with Intel on the Tizen OS and HTC has long been rumoured to be looking at its own smartphone ecosystem. HTC has even been linked with buying RIM out with a view to leveraging a forthcoming operating system - drastic measures.

Sony is keen to send a holistic message about its products: that's why it bought Ericsson out, so it could wholly own the smartphone division. Therefore, an OS that runs on everything form tablets to phones to TVs may well have been part of the design brief for the new Vita platform.

Plan C

Of course, the quote stating a Vita OS on smartphones "is possible" could mean that Sony wants to simply overlay a consistent user interface on its gaming products and they'll still run Android as happily as ever. The huge bank of apps is something that's keeping manufacturers happy for now and would be a hard thing to give up.

But should the patent war swing heavily in Apple's favour, it may make it impossible to create smartphones cost-effectively on Google's platform - then we could see a swift return to the days when each manufacturer had its own OS and consumers were forced to consider how each one works before making a smartphone decision.

Working conditions to be inspected at Apple factories

Kate Solomon — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:55:00 GMT

Apple's making a bit of a song and dance about the fact that it has invited the Fair Labor Association to inspect its supplier factories after rows over worker welfare.

Last week, demonstrations took place at a number of Apple stores as people protested poor working conditions at factories like Foxconn where some Apple products, including the iPad and iPhone, are assembled.

Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, explained, "We've asked the FLA to independently assess the performance of our largest suppliers.

"The inspections now underway are unprecedented in the electronics industry, both in scale and scope, and we appreciate the FLA agreeing to take the unusual step of identifying the factories in their reports."

They've all got it infamy

A team of labour rights specialists are carrying out the inspections which began this morning at Foxconn City in Shenzhen, China.

Foxconn has achieved infamy in the tech industry over the past two years after a number of its employees committed suicide at its Shenzen factory seemingly due to working conditions.

While we all love a good gadget, it's important to remember that someone somewhere is responsible for designing, assembling and testing them and it shouldn't be a case of out of sight, out of mind - as Tim Cook says, "Workers everywhere have the right to a safe and fair work environment."

In Depth: Hands on: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 review

Marc Chacksfield — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:37:00 GMT

Samsung chose its European Forum in Prague to announce its first-ever Ice Cream Sandwich powered tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.

With so many iterations of the Galaxy Tab, it is easy to forget just which Tab this is the sequel to. It is in fact the successor to the first-ever tablet Samsung released, the original 7-inch Galaxy Tab.

While its specs may not have changed that much in 18 months, the chassis certainly has. While Samsung opted for a thick slab of tablet with a white back first time around, the new Galaxy Tab as a more rounded silver back. Its style is much more in keeping with the original Samsung Galaxy S smartphone.

Powering the tablet up and we impressed by the speed of the thing. Given that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 has a 1Ghz dual-core processor, it didn't blow our mind speed wise but flicking through varying menus didn't muster up any lag and flicking from different apps – we went from the Social Hub to camera and the action didn't expose any weaknesses in the Galaxy Tab 2's power.

In the hand, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 certainly feels a lot lighter than its predecessor – in the specs list Samsung has it badged at 344g. The lack of jagged edges makes it fit the hand a lot better. And while we have never been truly enamoured with the 7-inch size for a tablet, it was a decent enough device for browsing the web and flicking through Twitter and the like.

When it comes to cameras, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 has a 3MP snapper on the rear and a VGA camera on the front.

Although a conference room isn't the best place to take an image, the camera worked well with the mix of bright white and blue, the two colours which dominate Samsung's stand.

When it comes to connectivity, Samsung has significantly juiced up its AllShare service and actually made it work anywhere. Before, where it was for those in the same house – a bit like Bluetooth – this has been expanded to work anywhere, as long as you have your device linked to the service.

Depending on your tastes for Samsung software, you will be pleased to hear that there is a new hub. Called the Video hub, this is where you can get your movie content and works in the same way as the Music and the Game hub.

There's also an app recommendation engine on the tablet as well.

Other than that, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is a decent update for those who like the 7-inch tablet size but it does lack wow factor when it comes to specs. This is purely Samsung's fault, having already released the more powerful Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus (1.2Ghz) and the Galaxy Tab 7.7 (1.4Ghz).

But, and this is depending on price which is still TBA, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is a great sign of things to come for ICS on tablets.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 UK release date is March and will come in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB flavours and the option to upgrade memory through a microSD slot.

In pictures: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2

Marc Chacksfield — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:59:00 GMT

Samsung surprised all this week with the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 at its European Forum in Prague.

TechRadar was in attendance and has managed to be one of the first in the world to get its hands on the device.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is a 7-inch tablet from Samsung which is set to come to the UK first and will be packing Ice Cream Sandwich, albeit with a TouchWiz makeover.

The tablet is a reboot of the company's first Samsung Galaxy Tab with improved specs but nothing here will knock your socks off.

Inside is a 1GHz dual core processor, plus a 3MP camera on the rear of the tablet – and a VGA one on the front for face calling – and when it comes to internal storage there 32GB on board, with the option to add more via the microSD card slot.

TechRadar has only had a quick look at the tablet – stay tuned for our Hands on: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 review – but we were impressed by how zippy the thing was. Looking at the specs, this probably has more to do with Google's more refined 4.0 OS than from the tablet's own power.

The screen was bright too – specs-wise it's a decent 1280x600. But don't go expecting an AMOLED display, as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 has been given an LCD instead.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 UK release date is March with pricing to be confirmed.

While we are a little shocked that the Tab 2 was announced before MWC 2012, we have a sneaky suspicion that there will be more size variants coming soon.

This was constantly being referred to as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0), so an (8.9) and (10.1) could well be coming soon.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 launched

Gareth Beavis — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:56:00 GMT

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 has been announced ahead of MWC 2012, with the Korean firm rebooting the chassis of its first tablet.

The new tablet features a 7-inch screen to cater for the smaller tablet lover, but more importantly is running on Ice Cream Sandwich (or Android 4.0) and may well be the first from the company to bring the next generation platform.

The rest of the technical specs are less exciting: we're looking at a 1GHz dual core processor running under the hood, with a 3MP camera on the rear.

Samsung has overlaid the Ice Cream Sandwich platform with its own TouchWiz UI too, and video calling will be supported through a VGA front-facing sensor.

Fuzzless front

The screen might not be too shabby it seems, as while it's 'only' LCD (rather than the fancy-pants Super AMOLED offerings from the Korean firm) the resolution of 1024x600 should be enough to keep users complaining of fuzzy displays.

Other key specs that don't seem to have moved things on much in a year and a half include: 1GB of RAM and the choice of up to 32GB internal memory.

Intriguingly, Samsung is referring to the device as the Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) in its press materials, so it seems likely we'll be getting larger variants of the same device in the same way as the Motorola Xoom 2 has been offered.

Thomas Richter, Samsung's director of portfolio management, told TechRadar: "Since 2010 we have been bringing the Galaxy Tab range. In 2012, we believe that people want to experience more on the go."

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 UK release date has been set for March, so expect to see our full review up any time soon.

Apple patents 3D eye-tracking interface

Patrick Goss — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:25:00 GMT

Apple has patented a 3D interface that detects and responds to the movements of your eyes to trick them into perceiving depth.

The patent – spotted by The Register – has been granted to the Cupertino outfit and deals with the use of sensors to create a false 3D effect on your device.

False 3D can be generated if the device can work out exactly what angle you are looking from, rendering an image that looks like it has depth.

It's a similar concept to the brilliant head tracking using a Wii remote that was a YouTube hit a few years ago:

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw

Apple's patent talks about determining a 3D frame for the device "based on the received positional data" and it is the way in which this data is received that is the key difference it seems.

Tracking the eyes, dotting the 3Ds

"The techniques disclosed herein use a compass, MEMS accelerometer, GPS module, and MEMS gyrometer to infer a frame of reference for a hand-held device," says the patent.

"This can provide a true Frenet frame, i.e., X- and Y-vectors for the display, and also a Z-vector that points perpendicularly to the display. In fact, with various inertial clues from accelerometer, gyrometer, and other instruments that report their states in real time, it is possible to track the Frenet frame of the device in real time to provide a continuous 3D frame-of-reference.

"Once this continuous frame of reference is known, the position of a user's eyes may either be inferred or calculated directly by using a device's front-facing camera.

"With the position of the user's eyes and a continuous 3D frame-of-reference for the display, more realistic virtual 3D depictions of the objects on the device's display may be created and interacted with by the user."

It's certainly a fascinating idea – and one that definitely has some interesting potential in the way in which we use our devices.

Just don't expect it to feature in the iPhone 5 or iPad 3.

Microsoft defends the Windows desktop

Patrick Goss — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:01:00 GMT

Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky has defended the Windows desktop, as the company looks ahead to a vital year for the grand old Operating System.

Speaking to TechRadar last week, Sinofsky outlined one of the key new Windows changes: the transition to work on ARM chips.

Windows on ARM (WOA) is a huge departure for Microsoft – it has previously focused on Intel's x86 platform – but the transition to new chips will not see a move away from the now familiar Windows desktop.

Touchtop?

In a blog post, Sinofsky outlined just why the Windows desktop would not be sacrificed any time soon, insisting that it was a compromise too far as touchscreen devices become widespread.

"Some have suggested we might remove the desktop from WOA in an effort to be pure, to break from the past, or to be more simplistic or expeditious in our approach," he blogged.

"To us, giving up something useful that has little cost to customers was a compromise that we didn't want to see in the evolution of PCs.

"The presence of different models is part of every platform. Whether it is to support a transition to a future programming model, to support different programming models on one platform, or to support different ways of working, the presence of multiple models represents a flexible solution that provides a true no-compromise experience on any platform."

brightcove : 1199351091001

Considering the considerable interest in Windows tablets there is clearly still a desire for a desktop, and Microsoft is aware that familiar user interfaces are as much about serving up what a consumer expects as clinging on to the past.

TechRadar's hands on: Windows 8 review discusses the difficulties in balancing a traditional desktop and the touch-friendly modern Metro UI that runs over the top of it.

And even if that transition is still a little clumsy, it seems that ditching the desktop would be a step too far for many - including the team at Microsoft.

Sony planning Vita OS for mobiles and tablets

John McCann — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:37:00 GMT

Sony is looking into ways of porting its Vita OS software onto its mobile devices according to a Japanese website.

According to the Japan based site AV Watch, soon-to-be Sony President and CEO Kazuo Hirai has hinted in a Q&A session with reporters that Sony is exploring how its Vita OS could make its way onto devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Sony's Senior Vice President Yoshio Matsumoto went on to say: "if you're asking if we've made it [the Vita OS] in a way that's expandable, so that it's possible to apply to smartphones and tablets on top of achieving the high responsiveness we need for gaming devices — it is possible"

Gaming with a side of phone calls

Sony has already brought PlayStation gaming to a mobile device with the Xperia Play allowing us to get to grips with original PS One titles.

If Sony did bring Vita gaming to mobiles and tablets we could see the premature death of the PS Vita console if the devices offered the same display quality and gaming experience. Controls may not be as ergonomic, but users may sacrifice this for mobile phone features.

Sony is looking to get its mobile division back on track in 2012 after poor results last year saw it make a loss and lose ground in the market to the likes of Apple, Samsung and RIM.

Find our more on Sony's latest handheld in our PS Vita review.

In Depth: How touch will transform games on Windows

Neil Mohr — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Touch in Windows 8

Ubiquitous access to touch-enabled devices is going to mean every Windows game developer on planet earth will be looking to integrate touch features into their latest release.

So we can take a look at how touch-enabled systems will run Windows 8, enhance your gaming experience and generally make the world a better place.

There's simply no arguing that Microsoft – publisher of the single most important OS on the planet – has been utterly routed by the more nimble Apple and Google.

It may have released touch-enabled systems years ago with Windows Mobile and Windows Tablet Edition, but in its usual blinkered this-is- to-sell-more-Windows way managed to kill the market dead for these and many other innovative products. Anyone remember Microsoft Smart Display? Or project Courier?

This time around touch will be different. Microsoft doesn't have to innovate, phew, as Apple and Android has done all of that for it. We can just sit back, relax and wait for the touch-enabled, app-store-integrated, widget-brandishing, button-sliding progeny of Windows to make its appearance.

The odd thing is, it's really rather exciting. For the first time we're going to have the chance at a genuine ecosystem of Windows devices to choose from: moving from Windows phones, to Windows tablets up to netbooks and laptops and then desktop systems. All touch-enabled, all interconnected via Windows Live and all offering the same touch games and applications.

Next generation hardware is already appearing so let's take a look at how touch-devices work with Windows 8, existing and future games.

The gloss-black MSI all-in-one flares into life. The remnants of an ancient BIOS briefly shows itself – still infecting even this most modern of machines – before a Metro-style pale-blue OS boot menu presents itself. Its uber-modern fine sans-serif type couldn't be more removed from the chunky fixed-type on BIOS screens of old.

Tap the extra options and you see a selection of recovery and boot features, before going back and tapping the frame-less Windows 8 button to start it. Within seconds a widescreen HD mountain vista is displayed, the date and time boldly displayed in that stylish new Segoe typeface.

A swipe up reveals the Windows user accounts, ideally tied to Windows Live accounts they will take your preferences, avatar images, email, documents and apps with you to any device you use. Tapping one brings up the visual lock-screen – a personalised picture that requires you to motion over areas you've previously selected to gain full user access.

Security passed, the new Windows 8 Start Menu springs forth; this living breathing menu emanates life, as individual app cards update and refresh themselves. Feeds show real-time posts and games show online players stats.

The expansive, horizon-style Start Menu can be effortlessly scrolled through, with a tap here you can check your tweets, a tap there you can scroll through your latest news streams.

Media Center makes it a simple job to flick through menus of media and choose the music, photos and films you want to view. Tap the latest Windows Store, grab a game and enjoy gaming in a new way.

Hands on with Windows 8

The release of Windows 8 will simply solidify this touch journey but for now models, such as the MSI Wind Top AE2210 or the Dell Inspiron 2320 – both all-in-one models – elegantly show the touch-enabled future that awaits as they can have the Windows 8 Developer Preview installed on them.

We know the Developer Preview was really a beta version but even so, the semantics of a number of gestures were a little unnecessarily obscured. Using it you get a better idea that the demo at last year's Microsoft Build conference while live had been well practised and orchestrated.

We regularly ran into issues trying to switch between apps and the dock system seemed limited and frustrating to use. But it's hard to complain about something that hasn't even been released in an official form. Even guessing, there's no chance of a Windows 8 release until summer 2012. Microsoft has a lot to sort out before then beyond just getting a swanky touch-interface working correctly.

The Windows Store is probably the easiest, cross-device migration of settings and is another easy thing to sort via Windows Live accounts.

But it's the often overlooked elements of life where pleasure can really be taken, like reading on the toilet or removing an annoying bogey from your nose. Our old-friend Windows Media Centre is an excellent touch-enabled bit of software.

Whether that's through luck or flaw we can't say, but flicking through films, music and photos is a lovely experience. One we're sure could be made even better if a little style and thought was put into it.

The Media Center photo screensaver is still one of the worst experiences we've had besides hiding under our bed covers as children listening to our parents fight.

Windows playtime

Where our real interest lies is with gaming. Touch on mobile devices has ushered in a new way to game. While we're not expecting the same paradigm shift on the desktop, access to casual mobile games will always be a good thing, but we do expect touch elements to start drip feeding into triple-A titles.

The splendid thing is we can already try some of these features out on existing titles, that have been either knowingly or unwittingly enabled for touch gaming. The richest area of gaming for touch-aware titles is the hated casual game, you can stop making hissing noises. Some people – we imagine a few of those that have racked up over half a billion downloads of Angry Birds – actually do like what we deridingly call 'casual' games.

With many Flash-based browser games designed for easy mouse input, or more likely for touch-aware input, these are all able to work flawlessly with a touch PC. We've already mentioned the most obvious casual game: Angry Birds. This has a free PC version online at chrome.angrybirds.com that works on any HTML5-aware browser and plays beautifully on touch-screen equipped PCs and on a much larger scale than any tablet or phone could hope to manage on its own.

We did run into a few odd instances with Internet Explorer, it has its own touch-controls built in and a wrongly-placed finger can have you browsing off to other locations. Equally well-equipped are the flash-based games to be found over at www.popcap.com the likes of Bejeweled and Plants Vs Zombies, these Flash games again work perfectly on a touch-enabled PC.

It's also worth pointing out the browser add-in Swiffout.com that enables you to run embedded Flash games full screen. It's a bit hit and miss, as in it'll sometimes seem like the game isn't doing anything.

If you think there's a big selection of casual games available online now, just you wait until Windows 8 hits the streets. We'd expect most Windows Phones games to be quickly ported, that's if they're not natively supported from day one, while dedicated Windows 8 Tablet games are going to quickly appear.

If casual gaming is your thing, if nothing else children gobble them up like space-dusted cake, then expect a flood to come in from Android and iOS devices.

Touch in mainstream games

Fortunately, touch is coming to mainstream gaming too. Well, it's actually already here but it's either surreptitious or else it's accidental, but we're still claiming it's real.

The formats that are going to gain the most outside of the casual arena are adventures and strategy games. You may have spotted that both of these have the advantage that they're not necessarily the fastest paced of games.

The big issue, particularly for RTS games but can even affect adventures too, is that a quick-tap is equivalent to a left-click and a long-tap performs a right-click. This effectively eliminates the ability to do quick right-click actions.

Most dedicated touch devices have developed alternatives, such as the two-finger tap or hold one finger down and tap second. Unless a game is developed with touch in mind, you're stuck with what Windows 7 has to offer, and that's limited.

Even with these limitations many adventure games and less hectic strategy games play wonderfully on a touchscreen. If anything we love the switch you can make between active moments using the mouse and more contemplative sections using the touchscreen interface.

The same type of system goes for some RPGs as well, though many tend to lean heavily on mouse and keyboard. Non-combat areas such as inventory management, spell casting or crafting can all take advantage of touchscreen input.

One genre of gaming that we're not expecting touch to have an impact on is first person shooters. This a PC genre that is very much going to stay a realm of the mouse and keyboard. That's not to say touch systems aren't able to run them, and in a similar way to RPGs we can see room within FPS titles to add extra interactivity into the game world by using touch within environment.

Take Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which has a world littered with supposedly interactive elements from touch newspapers to hackable door locks. To make these mouse accessible the game almost has to cut away from the world so you can click on the right parts with the mouse, with a touchscreen they'd be no need and you could directly interact with the game world.

The same goes for any games with in-world elements, while touch could be used for physical game-world interaction. So picking up and manipulating items via touch to complete physics puzzles or just completing a weapon loadout.

None of this in itself is going to change the world, but it's certainly going to change how you play in your gaming worlds.

Touchy me, touchy you

Like us, many of you will be thinking 'I'm never going to lean forward and touch my screen'. You're probably right, it's a lot of effort and not entirely natural thing to do, especially when sitting down.

We're sure touchscreens will appear but direct touch could well be limited to tablets and all-in-one systems. However, Kinect and the Acer Aspire Z5xxx range, with their front-facing cameras, show a way of interacting that cuts out that bacteria filled touching business with seemingly reasonable precision.

We used the Windows 8 Developer Preview and those two up-to-date all-in-one touch panel PCs mentioned previously: the MSI Wind Top AE2210 is a lovely Intel Core i3 2100 Sandy Bridge graphics, 20-inch unit, which sells for a little over £650.

The Dell Inspiron 2310 is more up-market with an improved Intel Core i5 and Nvidia GT 525M graphics chipset. This has a little more muscle but is also a little more pricey, selling at around £799.

Interestingly both use what we suspect is the same two-point touch sensor. We suspect this is an IR-based system as they both detect finger movement before contact is made and there was vague issues with accuracy at the extreme edges of the screen.

That aside both worked flawlessly with the Windows 8 Developer Preview OS indeed they were both as fast as when used under Windows 7. Tablets and phones are going to continue to be the main focus for touch, but we're waiting to see what trickles down to the PC.

7 days in Mobile: Google sees Android in your eyes

Gareth Beavis — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:39:00 GMT

You remember that story by that Scandinavian dude? The one where the world is made of crepes and silver monkeys would ride unicorns across the globe in an allegory about something or other?

No, neither do we. It's possibly made up, the flashbacks from a weekend in Thailand, or a dream. Either way, there are more important things to be talking about, like the fact Google is looking to bust Android out of its mobile phone prison (oh, and tablets. And home entertainment systems. And fridges. And… oh, FINE. It's not confined at all).

But we are excited about anything that a) is from the future and b) can make us more like a Terminator, and a project Google's working on with Oakley to put a heads up display in one lens of its sunglasses.

The word is these little wonders would essentially have a single core processor and around 8GB of storage, plus allow you to take pictures with a front facing camera which, let's be honest, would make you the coolest spy kid in TechSchool and would in no way get you punched in the face and have your ultra-expensive specs stolen.

Or you can wear them snowboarding or something. Whatever, we're not your Mum. Do what you want.

More worrying is the notion you can navigate through the menu by wobbling your head – a particularly vibrant session with Girls Aloud's Sexy No! No! No! could have us accidentally wandering onto a lewd website or two. Well, that's our story and we're sticking to it.

Let's face it – anything that stops us looking like this will be a boon.

I just called to say hello…

You've got to give it to Nokia – the company has realised that its user base is dwindling so rapidly that nobody will be using a Finnish phone to call at all in the future, and has come up with a clever solution.

Screw talking or texting – soon you'll be able to share a greeting by tapping phones together and walking on quietly… conjuring up some frankly terrifying images of a bald, fat man coming up to us, tapping our phone then walking away, only for us to read 'I live in your phone now, and we are married. Oh, and buy milk.'.

There's a strong chance this is all a made up prank, given that Nokia is saying it's fed up with noise pollution and it will speed up its engineer's days by 175% or some other odd stat – but then again, this is the same Nokia that thought this was a good idea. We don't know how to react any more.

iPad? BB10? MMMMMMmmmm…. Nice

Ever wanted to spend a minute or so being whisked around the sights and sites of London while being simultaneously blasted with info on forthcoming operating systems and gadgets?

OK, but have you ever wanted to do it with some funky techno-jazz in the background and a frankly laughable attempt by a presenter to pretend he's in a house? WELL! Have we got (two) treats for you:

YouTube : www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl4fkbbNq4UYouTube : www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOyXNH6SblE

And finally…

Comments on this oddity are welcomed on our twitter feeds: @TR_Phones and @TR_tablets

Opinion: Windows 8 on ARM? Intel must be laughing

Dan Grabham — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:50:00 GMT

Our columnist Gary Marshall points out that Microsoft's decision to prevent third-party apps on ARM-based Windows 8 desktops will only serve to confuse.

He's right. And, what's more, it horribly hobbles ARM-based Windows 8 hardware to the extent that Intel will be rubbing its hands together with glee.

Last September I suggested that ARM-based Windows 8's lack of legacy app support was the elephant in the room for the OS. It still is.

People won't understand they can't just download and install legacy apps on something that looks like a standard Windows 8 desktop. That's not what Windows means to people.

OK, so there will be Office 15 apps and other bits and pieces pre-installed, while we will have plenty of lovely third-party apps using the Metro interface. But the ARM Windows 8 desktop won't be a flexible experience.

And that can only mean customers will turn away – indeed, I feel that this news means that manufacturers will play it safe and we'll only see a few ARM-based Windows 8 tablets at the launch of Windows 8, rather than the plethora of multipurpose devices I'd hoped for.

You see, people will expect Windows 8 devices to give them options. New possibilities. They won't want an iPad 3 alternative that has a bit of old Windows tacked on.

It's up to Intel

We knew that x86-based devices would still dominate the Windows 8 landscape. But we had hoped that ARM-based Windows devices would take the OS beyond the traditional PC and give us some really exciting tablet-laptop hybrids that could be used for work or play. The single device to suit every occasion.

I was looking forward to having an ARM-based Windows 8 convertible running a chip like the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4, where I could use Metro in tablet mode but also get the full laptop experience with a keyboard and the Windows desktop when needed.

Now it seems that many of these more complex and interesting devices will end up being Intel-based, rather like the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga we loved so much at CES 2012.

IDEAPAD YOGA: We'll be seeing a lot more Intel-based convertible Windows 8 devices

And that'll be because manufacturers know what will sell. To be frank, people are so used to looking for something with Intel inside.

Intel made it clear at CES that touch-based Ultrabooks will be with us for Windows 8, and many of these could be convertible devices using the Core series of processors.

Intel is keen to make inroads into the tablet market and recently announced the Atom chip it hopes can compete with ARM in many phones and tablets.

Despite the Atom's relative lack of power and battery life compared to the best ARM silicon, it will be rather happy at the possibilities that Windows 8 can bring.

Gary Marshall: Windows 8 on ARM: a confusing mess

Gary Marshall — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:55:00 GMT

Great news! Microsoft has cleared up the confusion over whether ARM-based Windows 8 machines will run legacy apps!

Terrible news! It's still going to confuse people!

For those of us who spend an inordinate amount of time troubleshooting friends' and relatives' PCs and offering buying advice, Microsoft's policy regarding old Windows apps on ARM - WOA, as Microsoft calls it - has just guaranteed us weeks of confused faces and the odd tear as we lose our rag and bellow "YOU CAN'T, OKAY? YOU JUST CAN'T, DAMMIT!" at our grans.

Here's the policy: Windows 8 on ARM - WOA - won't have any old-fashioned Windows stuff on it, apart from some old-fashioned Windows stuff, and it won't let you run old Windows apps, apart from some new Windows apps that look like old Windows apps.

Phew. For a minute there I thought it was going to be confusing.

There's no business like WOA business

As Steven Sinofsky explains, WOA is all about Metro and Metro apps.

However, for technical reasons that some people may interpret as "we can't be arsed making a Metro version of Office right now", WOA will also include the traditional Windows Desktop so you can run Office 15, and only Office 15.

WOA might look like Windows and run Office like Windows, but it won't run old Windows apps.

I understand why Microsoft's done this - as Intel and ARM are different architectures, running legacy apps would require virtualisation, which won't help performance or battery life, but from a marketing point of view I think it's going to cause unnecessary confusion.

Microsoft says WOA is a separate thing like Windows Server or Windows Embedded. That's true, but people don't see machines running those OSes next to the normal PCs in John Lewis or PC World.

I'm imagining the conversations with my relatives now.

"No, I don't think you should buy that one. Yes, I know it runs Office. Yes, I know that's the Windows Desktop. No, you can't put your old programs on it. No. No, that's a new Office, there's - no, that's because there's a LOOK YOU CAN'T, OKAY? YOU JUST CAN'T, DAMMIT!"

iPad 3 apps being readied by Apple

John McCann — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:43:00 GMT

Apple is reportedly selecting apps to showcase on its new iPad 3 at the tablet's launch event in March according.

The Next Web has been informed of the details thanks to various sources and it reports that Apple is in "crunch mode" – lining up apps to demonstrate on the iPad 3 at launch and in its new advertisements.

We can expect the selected apps to feature stand-out qualities which will showcase the new features on the iPad 3 - instantly turning the fanatical crowd into a pool of uncontrollable ecstasy-ridden Apple ultras.

i-Spy-Pad-3

It is looking more and more likely that we will see the iPad 3 in early March and this is sure to excite the Apple faithful beyond belief.

The tablet market is set to hot up in 2012 with a range of new slates expected to get an outing at MWC in Barcelona and it will be interesting to see how they match-up to the iPad 2, let alone the iPad 3.

Varying rumours on possible specs for the iPad 3 have been doing the rounds for some time, so we have made it easy and rolled them into one comprehensive video for your viewing pleasure.

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Week in Tech: RIM reboots PlayBook as Windows 8 gets closer

TechRadar — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Remember the BlackBerry PlayBook, the tablet that tried and failed to take on the iPad and which can currently be bought for about twenty pence and the fluff from your belly button?

Well, it's back. Back! BACK!

It's been a big week for mobile news, and first up was the BlackBerry DevCon in Amsterdam where betas of the PlayBook 2.0 OS were handed out.

Mary Branscombe was reasonably impressed, noting that the update offers "email, calendar, contacts and remote control – but not BBM, which RIM says isn't ready yet (expect to see that later this year)" as well as "the new Cascades-based user interface [and] new messaging apps."

The update makes those £169 PlayBooks sitting in your local electronics emporium look much more attractive than before, so when can you get it?

Branscombe says the release is imminent - "We also expect PlayBook OS 2.0 to come out before Mobile World Congress 2012 so the announcement doesn't get lost in the crowd of other phone news."

Did somebody say Mobile World Congress? This year's mobile technology showcase promises a bumper bunch of cutting-edge kit.

Samsung disappoints

Surely you'd have thought that would include the Samsung Galaxy S3 to be there? As Gareth Beavis says, "Well, we're pretty sure we know what's going to happen here: the Samsung Galaxy S3 is widely expected, to the point where if it DOESN'T launch Samsung is going to look pretty boring."

But - o noes! - it looks like Samsung is going for the boring option: it has cancelled its MWC press conference (mind you, it's unclear if it ever scheduled one), and says that "it will still have a presence in Barcelona and will be holding new product introductions, but away from the bright lights of the big stage."

We'll be there, of course, but Samsung says the Galaxy S3 definitely won't be.

Samsung might not be coming, but LG promises us it'll show off a Miracle at MWC. Sadly that's Miracle in the "we've called our phone the Miracle" sense, not the "we're going to turn the boss of Samsung into a small frog for a laugh" sense.

So is the Miracle miraculous? Erm, no. It's a mid-range Windows Phone handset. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but as Kate Solomon says, "we'd maybe save a codename like Miracle for something a bit more, you know, belief-beggaring, but who are we to tell LG what to do?"

Windows 8 gears up

The most interesting bit of MWC, we reckon, will be on 29 February - specifically, between 3pm and 5pm on the 29th. That's when Microsoft is going to take the wraps off the official Window 8 Consumer Preview, which is the next big step towards Windows 8's release.

We're excited about this one: Windows 8 is already looking very interesting with a range of pre-installed apps for essential tasks such as mail and contacts.

Micrsoft has released full details of Windows 8 on ARM including the revelation that there will be no third-party apps for the desktop in the ARM version. We spoke to the Windows boss Steven Sinofsky to get the full skinny.

As Gary Marshall explains, while Windows 8 is coming late to the tablet party, Windows 8 tablets could still be a very big deal.

We know what you're thinking: all this tech news is very interesting, but when oh when will we feature Keith Harris and Orville the duck pretending to be Eminem? We thought you'd never ask.

As Marc Chacksfield puts it: "Sometimes something comes along in life that's so unexpected you can barely understand just what is going on... that sound you can hear is our jaw hitting the floor."

Competition: WIN! An iPad 2 and bundle worth up to £600

Dan Grabham — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Thanks to TechRadar Deals, we've got an iPad and magazine subscription bundle worth up to £600 to give away.

TechRadar Deals, is a brilliant new service for TechRadar readers. It's designed to bring you massive discounts on all sorts of products, services and events that are highly relevant to tech and gadget fans.

To enter the iPad 2 competition, click the link and click Like on the TechRadar Deals Facebook page.

You could win not only the iPad 2, but also a year's subscription to T3, PlayStation Official Magazine, Official Nintendo Magazine, Official Xbox 360 Magazine and Edge delivered direct to your door!

Plus, with the T3 magazine subscription you can now download and experience the T3 iPad Edition, too.

9-inch Amazon Kindle Fire expected mid-2012

Chris Smith — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:45:00 GMT

Amazon will launch a 9-inch Amazon Kindle Fire tablet, as well as a refreshed 7-inch model by the middle of this year, according to one analyst's forecast.

Chad Bartley of Pacific Crest has increased his Kindle Fire 2012 sales estimate from 12 million units to 14.9 miilion units, partly due to the expected new models.

"We are raising our 2012 sales forecasts to 14.9 million from 12.7 million," he wrote in a note to investors.

"But we believe there is an upward bias, particularly from the new 7 and 9-inch models, which we expect to launch in mid-2012."

Let the real rivalry commence

A 9-inch Kindle Fire model would perhaps allow Amazon to take on larger tablets like the iPad, having already cornered the mid-sized market with its exceptionally-good-value, $199, 7-inch Android offering.

Despite selling an estimated six million Kindle Fire tablets during the holiday season alone, it is not seen as cutting into Apple's slice of the action as the company announced record iPad sales for the three months leading up to Christmas.

A 9-inch model, probably priced around $250, would give perhaps tablet buyers a little more food for thought before splurging on an iPad 3, which is expected to launch in about a month's time.

A new-and-improved 7-inch version of the Android tablet is likely to include many of the features Amazon left out first time around in order to get the first device out for Christmas.

Check out our Amazon Kindle Fire 2 rumour round-up for some indication of what we could see in any new models.