TechRadar: World of tech

News in Brief: One more thing: The 'best' of the Valentine's Day tech

Kate Solomon — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:29:00 GMT

You may think we're a heartless bunch here at TechRadar but we're really not. And what better day to prove it than this, 14 February, St Valentine's Day?

We've rounded up the cream of the romantic tech crop for today's One More Thing, so prepare to be dazzled, amazed and ready for some business time by the end of it… Enjoy.

Music to watch girls by – Facebook and Spotify's deep and meaningful love for each other reaches heady new heights today as they reveal two playlists based on the songs people are listening to when they hit 'in a relationship', and what they listen to as they hit 'single' again the next day. Jason Derulo for the former, Mumford and Sons for the latter. Ick. [LOVE | HATE]

Modern mixtape – You'll have to have left things pretty late to find this useful, but We7 and Match.com have come up with a highly impersonal Valentine's messaging services that sends a relevant pre-built musical mix to someone you fancy, your cheating ex or the one that got away with one of six pre-written messages. Ick. [We7]

But will it? - Today might not be the best day to actually try this out, but Love Will Conquer is a nifty new web app that collects geo-tagged tweets mentioning 'love' and 'hate' so you can see just how sappy/bitter each country is. The name's a bit of a spoiler though, eh? [TNW]

One for next year – There's no time to set this up for 2012, but V-Day 2013 could be a corker if you start plagiarising this slightly rapey Rube Goldberg machine now. Mindless giggling, creepy backward walking and rohypnol not required. [The Sun]

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPWs3cvBwnk

Sex-E-book – The Joy of Sex is now an ebook so you can – and this is a direct quote from the press release folks - "read it on the train without raising any eyebrows". And you wonder why you're spending Valentine's Day alone. Taster ebook is free, while the full Joy can be yours for £4.99 from the Kindle, iBookstore, Kobo, Waterstone's and Google ebookstores. [PR]

Wud I lie 2u? – Depressing statistic of the day: 18 per cent of 18 to 25 year olds have ended a relationship by text message. Meanwhile, 31 per cent of Acision's 2,000 survey respondents admitted they like to flirt by SMS. The other 69 per cent are liars. [PR]

If you seek Amy's Valentine's gift - The most searched for colour of Valentine's lingerie online is black, followed by red, pink and white according to Hitwise. And how long did your lover spend online choosing those really thoughtful flowers and or gifts? 7 minutes 25 seconds. Don't you feel better knowing that? [Hitwise]

DON'T LET YOUR HOT DATE GO UP IN SMOKE THIS VALENTINES DAY – So suggests our favourite Valentine's Day press release of the year, which implies that the best Valentine's Day gift is the gift of life, also known as a smoke alarm. Jewellery is also good. [LFB]

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKsPie_vRO4

Literal phone sex – Spending Valentine's Night apart from your lover? This could be the app for you (but please please don't tell us about it). An ex-Microsoft employee hacked an Xbox controller to vibrate to music (Barry White, presumably). Microsoft wasn't too keen on the X-rated potential of such a hack so he went rogue and created an app along the same principles. Download it for iOS and Android and let your long-distance Valentine control the vibrations of your phone. [Mashable]

Hard to please – Google has got in on the V-Day action through the medium of the Google Doodle. If you haven't already schmalzed your way through the lovely little animation today, we've embedded it for you below. Anecdotal evidence we just made up suggests that the sale of skipping ropes went up 6,900% after it hit the web. [Google]

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTGUjRJiqik

Mattel announces replica Back to the Future Hover Board

Chris Smith — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:35:00 GMT

The celebrated Back to the Future Hover Board can finally be yours this year after toy manufacturer Mattel revealed it will create an official replica.

Mattel says that the 'movie accurate' device will glide over most surfaces, although it doesn't actually hover.

The company says, probably ironically, to expect that feature in 2015, the year in which the gadget appeared within the movie universe.

The company will begin taking pre-orders for the beloved futuristic skateboard, used by Marty McFly to escape those notorious Tannen butt-heads, in March, and will ship in November or December.

Because the Hover Board will cost Mattel so much to make, it will require a minimum number of pre-orders to go into production. The price will be revealed before the end of February.

Does not work on water!

Mattel's official press release says: "Finally! This totally awesome 1:1 replica of the hover board from the BTTF 2 and BTTF 3 films includes multiple whooshing sounds and will glide over most surfaces (does not actually "hover" – check back in 2015 for that feature).

"We'll be taking orders for it March 1 – March 20, 2012, and the final product will be shipped around November/December 2012.

"Because this is such a high-cost item, there will be a minimum number of orders required to go into production. If we don't receive the minimum orders, won't go into production and customers will not be charged. The price will be announced later this month. (Note: Hover board does not work on water.)"

Dreams becoming reality

The arrival of the Hover Board marks the second celebrated BTTF II prop to go into production lately.

Last year we saw the arrival of replica Nike Air Mag self-tying sneakers worn by McFly in the second installment of the beloved franchise.

Those limited edition shoes were sold off on eBay for a Parkinson's Disease charity and raised a small fortune in the process.

Pre-orders for the Hover Board will be taken at MattyCollector.com next month.

News in Brief: One more thing: An Apple share now costs more than an iPad

Kate Solomon — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:04:00 GMT

Today we ask and answer many questions, including: how will Samsung make the Note less attractive? How do Sony Music's execs sleep at night? How much does Macca hate music streaming? How happy is a Happy Meal? How much is an Apple share?

And just how much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?

And I will always rip you ooooff – There's nothing like exploiting the death of a celebrity for giving us the warm fuzzies, so we take our hats off to Sony Music. The label hiked up the price of Whitney Houston's greatest hits album on iTunes by over 60% after the singer's untimely death over the weekend. Classy. [Guardian]

YouTube on the tube – Google has added a snazzy new YouTube app to its Google TV platform. It's faster, easier to navigate and looks a darn sight nicer than the traditional web version. [Google TV Blog]

Pink is for panthers – The Samsung Galaxy Note is about to get pretty awful in pink. Samsung seems to have given the mega-phone a 'berry pink' makeover, to be released at some point in March. Yeah, that looks better. [Recombu]

Image credit: GSMArena

Happy meal – Die-hard Nintendo 3DS fans will want to get themselves over to Japan where McDonalds will be giving away free games for the 3D handheld. It's the only place you'll be able to get your hands on McDonald's Slime Ship Battle DX and finishing the mini-game nets you a voucher for yet more junk food. How times have changed. [Kotaku]

No kisses on the bottom – Sir Paul McCartney has decided that no one but no one can stream his music, telling Rhapsody and all other music streaming services to pull his tracks. You want them digitally? You can jolly well buy 'em. The only surprise here is that his music was ever on the streaming sites in the first place, really. [CBS]

Riddle me this - How many riggers does it take to replace the world's largest IMAX screen? Er, actually that's not a riddle, it's 31. You'll also need one year, £160,000 and 350kg of highly reflective silver paint. [ZDNet]

Simpsons sat-nav story of the day – Apparently there's a world record for the most downloaded character voice for GPS personal navigation devices in history and Homer Simpson has won it. Guinness'll give those things to anyone these days. [PR]

I'll take five – As of today, a single share of Apple stock will set you back $499 – slightly more than an iPad. The least Apple could do is lend us a fiver. Jeez. More ideas for Apple's cash mountain here. [BGR]

Educating Vita – Sony has revealed the download-only game line-up for the imminent PS Vita launch and, more importantly to some, their prices. Motorstorm RC is yours for £4.79 while Top Darts, Hustle Kings, Super Stardust: Deltra will se you back £6.49. Or, if you fancy splashing out, Escape Plan will be £9.99. [Pocket-Lint]

Foyled again – Traditional book seller Foyles has finally decided to join the ebook race by teaming up with txtr, the leading ereading solutions provider you've never heard of. No hardware to speak of, but the scheme comes with ereader apps for Android and iOS, and over 200,000 ebook titles to choose from. [Foyles]

Okay, we lied about the wood chuck. Coming up tomorrow: One more thing's Valentine's Day special. Mark your calendars.

In Depth: Beyond Kinect: 5 next-gen gesture systems

John Brandon — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:05:00 GMT

Next-gen gesture systems

Someday, we will all control computers with our brain waves. You will think of a command, such as turning on the headlights in your car or closing a dialog box, and a computer will react instantly.

Until then, there is an incredibly precise way to control computer interfaces.

Using nothing more than your own hands and fingers, gesture control systems seek to remove the one impediment to more immediate, ubiquitous computing: the stylus, keyboard, and mouse.

You wave your hand, and the computer starts playing a DVD. Or, you pick up a virtual object, turn it around, and throw it across the room.

Of course, Microsoft Kinect was the first raging success in this space. Recent games like Disneyland Adventures put the gamer into a virtual world.

By raising an arm or pointing at an object, you control the interface without a controller and immerse yourself into a realistic environment. Yet, Kinect is not the only gesture system around.

Several companies are developing gesture systems that take the basic kinetic model of hand gestures and finger movements to the next level.

1. Omek Interactive Beckon

One of the most interesting gesture control systems is the Omek Interactive Beckon. Essentially a development suite for making games and interactive content, the Beckon is unique in that it works with just about any off-the-shelf 3D camera and sensor system.

Many of the gesture control interfaces around today work only with a proprietary camera system. By supporting any 3D camera, Omek is more flexible in terms of the applications you can use at home or in an office setting.

The system works by making a skeleton representation of your entire body. These mapped points of movement are precise enough that the Omek system can read multiple gestures in a row and interpret them as a series of commands, and can automatically recognize a second person. (The Kinect can also recognize a new participant, but they usually have to stand still for a second.) The development kit for Omek Interactive is also unique in that the gesture commands do not require extensive programming.

2. Primesense Reach UX

The company responsible for the tech behind the Microsoft Kinect has their own product that consists of a camera and gesture control interface. Called Reach UX, the camera and UI is intended for controlling entertainment media like TV shows and movies.

For example, a CES concept showed how you can swipe through movie titles and pick the one you want by making a pick gesture. There are two cameras, one that uses an infrared sensor for detecting light and another CMOS sensor that detects movement. The two sensors are combined to form one map of movements. The main advantage of this media gesture control, other than not having to use a remote or a controller, is that you can search through a large collection and "pick" content faster.

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmpec1RkV5g

3. SoftKinetic

If there is any company that is poised to challenge Microsoft for gesture control interfaces, it is SoftKinetic. The reason: the system is designed for developers to create their own gesture interfaces.

The DepthSense camera works by sending out an infrared beam of light and measuring the time it takes for the beam to return. That helps determine the shape and size of the person in front of the camera and their movements.

The IISU middleware component then maps those readings into the software development kit, which programmers can use for creating applications. The middleware scans an entire body, so the end-user application can consist of a full-body avatar.

4. Oblong Industries G-Speak

No overview of gesture control systems is complete without touching on Oblong Industries, the system that most experts say started the industry. Originally developed as a prototype for the movie Minority Report, the Oblong system eventually became a real product that is now used by major corporations like Boeing to visualize their own product development.

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ghMobtpRpc

Oblong uses sensors installed all along a ceiling and on walls in a control room. You wear a glove the read precise movements. One example: you can "reach" inside a map and zoom in and out, swipe to the side, and pan up and down.

5. Opening up Kinect itself

Of course, one of the ways to go beyond Kinect is to open it up and see what people develop for it. Microsoft recently released the Kinect for Windows development platform, a way to use the Kinect controller to make custom games for PC, interactive sales demos, and entire applications for industries like health and transportation.

The system uses the same Kinect camera that works with the Xbox 360 but the dev kit now supports near-mode sensing from as close as 40cm away, skeletal tracking which can sense the body of two people, and now works with yup to four connected cameras.

Google testing own personal communication device

Jools Whitehorn — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:22:00 GMT

Google has a "next generation personal communication device" in testing, according to a document held by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Google is asking for permission from government regulators to break with convention and test its new device outside its labs.

Instead it wants to put the prototypes through their paces on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi networks in the homes of 102 Google employees.

The testing, which is for the purpose of assessing the "throughput and stability of the home WiFi networks that will support the device" will be done by employees in Mountain View, Los Angeles, New York and Cambridge (Massachusetts).

Google's own

The document submitted to the FCC says that Google itself is the manufacturer of the device which is "in the prototyping phase."

It may be something that never makes it into our own homes, but Google has been steadily diversifying its efforts in a way that could see it in every corner of our lives.

For instance, it has been increasingly making steps into the world of physical rather than virtual product offerings, firstly with its takeover of Morotola, but also with its futuristic AR Glasses project.

It's also expanding into the world of the ISP, laying its own fibre-optic network in Kansas City.

In Depth: Is 3D technology here to stay?

Jeremy Laird — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

How 3D works

The third dimension is taking over your local cinema. It's assimilating your HDTV. It might even be popping out of your next smartphone.

And yes, it's creeping into PC gaming, too. It's the next big thing and it's 3D.

Of course, if we're talking PC gaming, then the term 3D is a little confusing. On PC Format, we've been soaking up the 3D gaming groove for nearly two decades, but that's 3D graphics painted onto a 2D screen.

When manufacturers hit the hype button regarding 3D today, what they are really referring to is stereoscopic 3D imaging. What this means is pictures popping out of the screen and poking you in the peepers, not the relentless quest for ever more photorealistic computer graphics courtesy of a games console or highend gaming rigs.

However, whatever you think about 3D (from now on, let's assume 3D means stereopscopic 3D), one thing it definitely isn't is new. 3D images have been knocking around for nearly 200 years and the technology involved in 3D movies dates back over 100 years. That's right – like so many things – the Victorians got there first.

It all started – probably - with a device known as the stereoscope, invented in 1838. It was the first gadget that keyed into the mechanics of human stereoscopic vision.

Humans, of course, have two eyes. The consequence is that each eye views the world from a slightly different angle and receives a slightly different image. The brain takes these offset images and composites them into a single mental picture with depth and perspective. You, therefore, see the world in glorious 3D.

So, that's exactly what the stereoscope does – show each eye a still image from a slightly different angle and allow the brain to work its magic. Cue endless fairground fun and a roaring trade in early 3D pornography.

Like many technologies, good old porn helped with the early cash flow. Of course, the stereoscope had some very serious applications, too. It was used by the military to view aerial photographs, for instance.

Ongoing 3D

Fast forward to the 1890s and British inventor, William Friese-Greene patented a system for capturing and displaying motion stereoscopic pictures and 3D movies were born. Friese-Greene's technology turned out to be too unwieldy for commercial use, but the seeds were sown.

Several variations on the stereoscopic 3D movie riff were tried with the first known paying audience recorded in 1922. Further dabbling followed in the next few decades. Even the Nazis made a few propaganda flicks in 3D, but the golden age of 3D cinema was probably the 1950s.

A number of revivals have since rebooted the 3D revolution only to fade into obscurity. All of which brings us to the present day.

Indeed, after that potted history you might be tempted to disregard the latest 3D resurgence as another blip on the graph before an inevitable return to the historical flatline. This time, however, things are different.

This time, 3D is about much more than cheap cinema thrills. It's spreading into a wide range of platforms courtesy of many different technologies. That includes the promise of less unwieldy, more comfortable 3D viewing. Combine that with the interactivity of games and the result might just be the most immersive leisure experience yet. This time, 3D might be for real.

So, what are the different 3D technologies available today, how do they compare and where's it all heading?

In one sense, they're all the same. Generally, it's all about exposing each eye to a different image. Exactly how that is achieved, however, is where things get interesting.

The heyday of 3D cinema was based on so-called red-green analglyph technology. This involves a single picture containing a pair of merged, colour-shifted and spatially offset images. The viewer is required to wear colour-filtered lenses which effectively allow each eye to view a different offset image. This works pretty well in terms of creating the illusion of depth perception. It's a little more problematic when it comes to colours, however.

Inevitably, each eye is viewing the scene with radically different colours. While the brain is capable of compositing the image to generate the correct colours, it's a lot of work and perhaps contributes to the eye strain many viewers of 3D movies experience.

If coloured filters tend to be less than ideal, the most obvious alternative is polarised light. Again, the viewer is presented with a single picture frame within which two images are interleaved. The most common method is to use a pair of projectors, each with an orthogonally opposed light polarising filter. The viewer then wears glasses with similarly opposed polarising filters and Bob's your spear-poking, eye-popping uncle.

3D gaming

Smoke and spectacles

Originally, polarised 3D technology relied on linear polarisation and thus required level-headed viewing. More recently, circular polarisation has been used, allowing a degree of head-tilt without losing the 3D illusion.

However, if it's perfect colours and freedom to thrash your head about like a lunatic you desire, one solution is active shutter technology. Active-shutter 3D involves a pair of glasses, the lenses of which contain liquid crystals that can be alternated between transparent and black. At the same time, the display flips between the offset images for each eye. With a sufficiently high frame rate, the result is motion 3D.

Like polarised 3D, active-shutter 3D results in a dimmer image and along with the need for a shuttered glasses, it means active shutter requires specialised display technology supporting a higher frame rate (typically at least 100 frames per second).

However, a monitor with a higher refresh rate is cheaper and simpler than running a pair of polarised projectors. So, it's active-shutter technology that is currently the weapon of choice for PC gaming, with Nvidia's 3D Vision platform perhaps the most successful to date.

That said, what Nvidia 3D Vision long with all analgyph, polarised and active-shutter 3D tech share is the need to wear glasses. This, along with a feeling of eye strain, is probably what has so far prevented 3D from becoming a properly big deal. What we really want is 3D viewing without glasses. What we want is autostereoscopic 3D.

The trick here is to create a single display surface that can somehow send a different image to each eye. There are several different types, but they ultimately split into two groups – those that use head tracking technology to make sure each eye is seeing the correct image and those that simply kick out a different image based on the viewing angle.

Glasses-free 3D

As if chucking out silly glasses wasn't enough, autostereoscopic 3D also makes possible movement parallax. For the uninitiated, that means getting a different view of a scene or object depending on your vantage point. In other words, move your head around and you'll get a different look at things, just like in real life.

However, there is one final problem that even autostereoscopic technology can't avoid. In the real world, objects at different distances have different focal points. But a simulated 3D image is generated from a uniform distance. And that confuses the hell out of your eye muscles, eye lenses and ultimately your poor brain.

It's more problematical on a big desktop display than, say, a handheld device with a puny screen. But it's something that's not going to be going away short of using true holographic 3D technology.

This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar

James Rivington — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:00:00 GMT

We published our PS Vita review this week.

The Vita has generated as much buzz over the years as any of the top smartphones, and it's easy to see why.

It's specs are top of the line, and offer a mobile gaming experience far beyond anything that's been possible up to now.

But it's not all been about the Vita this week. We've also been playing with the Nokia Lumia 710, a budget Windows Phone aiming to do battle with the likes of the HTC Radar. And the budget theme is continued with the Kogan TV we reviewed yesterday.

A 55-inch LED, Freeview HD TV for under £1000. You've got to be kidding, right?

PlayStation Vita review

We still don't know if anyone's going to buy one, but there is no doubt that the PS Vita is an absolutely fantastic piece of hardware. Combining a brilliant 5-inch touchscreen OLED display, a quad core CPU, a quad core GPU, dual analogue sticks and a touch-sensitive rear, it's the most advanced handheld gaming device the world has ever seen. We even think the price is reasonable – considering the power, quality and polish the Vita brings with it, it's still much cheaper than many mobile phones that offer inferior components. But has the world moved on from £200+ handheld gaming consoles? With smartphones offering excellent games for less than a quid, convincing the public they should buy one and then drop 40 bob on a game is a big ask.

Nokia Lumia 710 review

The Lumia 710 is a budget Windows Phone. Although we would buy it over the HTC Radar, it's overshadowed by the Nokia Lumia 800, which impressed us a lot more and makes the 710 feel more like its cheaper relative than we would have liked. We know that the phone costs less, but the cost savings feel too apparent. For the small drop in price and the expectation that both phones are to drop in price, we're left feeling that you're better off buying the 800 instead. However, based on the recent announcements from Nokia, it's likely this will remain the budget option for the foreseeable future - a little bit more of a price drop and we'll be a lot more impressed with this otherwise decent handset.

Kogan LED55 review

In a world ravaged by recession, it goes without saying that the word 'bargain' has become the marketing industry's favourite word. We know you haven't got much money, but this is awesome and cheap and you should buy it! This Kogan TV measures a hefty 55-inches, sports a Freeview HD tuner, 100Hz processing and Edge LED backlighting. And it costs just £999. That's an astonishing price for such a large TV, but would you be better off spending less on a smaller TV from a more reliable brand? Read the review to find out!

HP Envy 14 Spectre review

We're deep into the second round of Ultrabook releases by now, and we feel the HP Envy 14 Spectre sits alongside the Dell XPS 13 at the top of the heap. But these are two different machines with different focuses. The HP Envy 14 Spectre is the most media-centred Ultrabook, with a larger 14-inch screen, 1600 x 900 pixel resolution and Beats audio technology. But it won't win over fans looking for performance and portability, due to the lower spec processor and bulky Gorilla Glass chassis. If you can overcome the steep asking price then the HP Envy 14 Spectre is a well-built and stylish way to transport and enjoy your music, movies and do a spot of image editing.

This week's other reviews:

Cameras

Hands on: Nikon D800 review

Hands on: Olympus OM-D E-M5 review

Desktop PCs

Hands on: Alienware X51 review

OCUK Ultima 9450i Mosasaur MKII review

Laptops

Toshiba Qosmio F750 review

Compaq Presario CQ57-366SA review

Monitors

Philips Brilliance 241P4QPYES review

Network adaptors

GigaRunner USB remote access drive review

Storage

Plextor M3 256GB SSD review

Plextor M3 256GB SSD review review

Intel SSD 520 Series 120GB review review

Intel SSD 520 Series 240GB review review

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."

Interview: Windows 8 on ARM: Steven Sinofsky speaks

Mary Branscombe — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:02:00 GMT

Windows 8 on ARM: the full details

Windows 8 for ARM tablets will come out at the same time as Windows 8 for x86 PCs, if everything goes according to plan.

Microsoft has released full details on Windows on ARM today. It will have the Windows desktop, with familiar apps like Explorer, Internet Explorer and the Windows Live apps, plus Office – but everything else will be Metro.

And no, you won't be able to install it on an Android tablet.

What's WOA?

Microsoft is revealing the technical details of Windows on ARM – which it calls WOA for short – today.

TechRadar talked to Windows chief Steven Sinofsky about what WOA can do, when and how you can get it and which apps it will and won't run.

"Windows on Arm, WOA, is a new member of the Windows family that is built on the foundation of Windows," Sinofsky told us. "It has a high degree of commonality, a very significant amount of shared code with Windows 8. It's going to be developed for, sold and supported as part of our overall Windows ecosystem."

But he didn't want us to think about WOA systems as just PC with a different chip. "We created WOA so that it would enable a new class of PCs with unique capabilities and form factors. It's a new level of device." Think of it as a new weapon for Microsoft in the tablet battle. "It's up-levelling our ability to meet the consumer demand for a device that is reliable and performant over time. The canonical example is the reset and refresh feature and the difference between that and a clean install."

THE BOSS: We spoke to the head of Windows, Steven Sinofsky, ahead of the Windows 8 on ARM announcement

By that, he's talking about the end of 'Windows rot'; a WOA PC won't gradually fill up with cruft and get bloated and sluggish the way older versions of Windows are prone to. A WOA PC will stay snappy and responsive thanks to apps not being able to run in the background. If it gets cluttered with too many apps you don't want, you can reset it to get rid of them without losing your pictures and files.

There's no more hunting for the specific version of a driver that your PC needs on badly organised support sites. "All the updates, whether for firmware, drivers or apps, will only come through the Windows Update or Microsoft update infrastructure and the Store.

And, of course, it will have long battery life in a thin and light design with strong security and powerful applications. It's Windows, reimagined the way Microsoft thinks you always wanted it to be.

Metro, desktop and Office

WOA is very much still Windows. Microsoft is finally confirming something that we've suspected but that has been unclear since Microsoft's BUILD conference last year. Yes, Windows on ARM still has the Windows desktop. And yes, Office 15 will run on it, in the desktop rather than Metro. But there will be no third-party desktop apps for ARM

"All Metro-style apps will run on WOA just like you would expect," Sinofsky confirmed; "it's the same experience". Those are apps written in HTML5, VB, C# and XAML – and in C++ if developers prefer. That's the language most x86 Windows programs are written in, though you can't just turn an existing x86 Windows app into a Metro app (which would be a bad idea for a lot of different reasons).

"You can reuse all your code from existing apps if you want, so long as you only call WinRT APIs. If your app is going through the store and uses the WinRT APIs then it too can work on WOA and we'll provide the tools to cross compile that."

WOA will come with what Microsoft has previously been calling the next wave of Windows Live apps for Metro, hardware accelerated for speed (the way IE9 and IE10 are), already installed.

"We'll have apps from Microsoft for things like mail and calendaring and contacts and photos and storage, hardware accelerated HTML5 and a whole bunch of media formats and document formats - that all support hardware acceleration, that support offloading of computation to integrated chipsets for H264 and things like that. And all of those are included as part of WOA."

Plus you get touch-centric versions of Office (with the notable exception of Outlook), and the desktop you need to run it on, on every WOA PC.

"The other kind of app that's included for WOA are the Office 15 apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. These are all desktop apps. They're new versions that are completely compatible. They're not subset applications, they have the same file format - all of that stuff. With that of course, you also get the Windows desktop itself; for working with files, for control panel for working with devices and peripherals, Explorer, desktop Internet Explorer - all of that is part of the WOA product."

OFFICE: Office will be part of the native suite running on the Windows 8 desktop

Given that the Microsoft Metro apps include document viewers, getting desktop Office apps is a good thing; you'll use them when you need to work with a document in detail, not just glance through it.

He didn't give us any details about the user interface for Office on WOA but Microsoft has put a lot of effort into making them work well on a tablet, Sinofsky said. The Office apps "have been retuned very significantly to support touch and to support the low power requirements of running on the WOA hardware."

That's a good reason why there won't be desktop apps on WOA from any other software vendors, just Microsoft.

The machine learning Microsoft has used to make the desktop and apps like Explorer work well with touch in the Developer Preview, even when you're dealing with a tiny button, is beyond the scope of many developers - so user interfaces in existing Windows programs would be a bad fit for WOA. Just recompiling an app would give you a program that would probably run slowly, use a lot of battery life, be hard to use and wouldn't use new WinRT features like unified search and share.

Expert users or developers can't get around the restrictions. "There's not a side-loading of x86-compatible code or anything like that. There's no other way to get compiled code on the product other than through the Store."

Not allowing third-party desktop apps makes sense but it certainly has implications. Microsoft wouldn't confirm it, but we believe this means no browser plugins for desktop IE on WOA. There's no official word on Media Center for WOA either.

So to sum up the app situation. "You have Metro style apps that can come from third parties and from Microsoft, you have the desktop and you have all the features that are intrinsic to Windows, and you have Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote apps."

WOA tablets: who and when?

Several traditional PC makers – who also make Android tablets – have confirmed that they will make ARM tablets running Windows, but there are also persistent rumours that Nokia and other phone makers will also create Windows tablets.

Sinofsky didn't confirm any manufacturers but he did tell us WOA will "be supported by a new set of partners that expand the overall ecosystem". That could just be QUALCOMM, NVidia and Ti of course; the companies that are making the different ARM platforms.

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is only for x86 PCs. That's not because WOA is behind the x86 version; it's because there isn't any WOA hardware. "These WOA PCs are all still under development, they're still being made. But our collective goal is that PC makers will ship them the same time as PCs that are shipped for Windows 8 on x86 and 64."

Developers and peripheral makers will get to see WOA first, on prototype hardware. "Over the next weeks and months following the Consumer Preview, a limited number of test PCs are going to be made available to developer and hardware partners in a closed, invitation-only program." Don't get excited: "They're already spoken for," Sinofsky warned us. And don't feel left out.

WINDOWS 8 ON ARM: From the original demos - the desktop

"There are no actual PCs yet. These are the PCs much like the ones we've been showing in demos. They are hardware prototypes. They're running all the same guts, just as debug boards. They're not the form factors that consumers will see, they don't have the industrial design. They're not thin and light. They have no battery sometimes!"

WOA PCs: only for WOA

"All the PC manufacturers are obviously super-hard at work on building these brand new devices that from the ground up are designed to be great - and exclusively for WOA," Sinofsky emphasized.

That means you can't take a WOA tablet and install Linux on it, and you can't put WOA on an existing ARM tablet. "It is not this level playing field across ARM devices," he pointed out to TechRadar; "Each one is unique. It's why you don't install Android on your iPhone."

Microsoft has done a lot of work to rebuild Windows for ARM and that's specifically for the hardware WOA PC makers are choosing.

"All of this is going to lead to a new generation of integrated end-to-end products. Hardware, firmware, the WOA software; it's all built from the ground up to work together, with a new level of collaboration between Microsoft, the ARM licensees, PC makers and developers of components and peripherals.

The work was across a really broad array of subsystems in Windows; some of them have been re-architected for low power and new kinds of devices, others are brand new support for things that haven't been there before."

But the way Microsoft is supporting ARM is also going to make life a lot easier for tablet manufacturers who've had to do a great deal of integration work putting Android onto their ARM tablets. Despite the range of hardware, there's only one version of WOA, because the Windows Hardware Abstraction Layer takes care of differences, and that could conceivably put tablet prices down.

"These PCs that we're building together are built on the hardware platforms from NVidia, QUALCOMM and Ti but they all share a common WOA OS foundation. The neat thing is all of them are running the same Windows binary," Sinofsky told us enthusiastically.

"It's a different approach that we've taken where we're working across different ARM hardware but the same Windows binaries are on each of them. We actually added more features to the HAL to work across different ARM buses, as we call them. What we're doing working across multiple ARM platforms is unprecedented."

Best of Windows, best of ARM

This is the 'best of both worlds' approach that we've predicted Microsoft would take with ARM and Windows 8. It's a tablet with tablet apps (although we expect to see slider and ultraportable form factors too and Sinofsky repeatedly said 'PC' rather than 'tablet'). But it's also a PC with the power of Windows and Office – just without many of the disadvantages.

If you want the whole of both worlds (good and bad), cross your fingers for the work Intel is doing to create low power SoC PCs. "We're doing a lot of work with Intel on this release too," Sinofsky reminded us.

"Especially when we talk about a lot of the power saving features, remember that Intel is making their System on a Chip stuff as well and everything we're talking about applies to those Intel chips." That would give you an ultra-low power system that gets the always-on Connected Standby feature and could run all your old Windows apps too, although those apps could weigh the system down and don't get all the advantages of WinRT.

The question is how many people want that 'belt and braces' approach and that's more Intel's problem than Microsoft's. With Windows on ARM, Microsoft is betting that the tablet market is going to be big, especially for tablets with long battery life and the advantages of a PC – like running Office.

Microsoft releases full details of Windows 8 on ARM

Dan Grabham — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:01:00 GMT

Microsoft has finally lifted the lid on Windows 8 on ARM, saying that it doesn't want ARM-based devices to be simply referred to as standard Windows systems with a different processor.

Instead, Windows 8 on ARM (known at Microsoft as WOA) will give rise to a whole new type of PC according to the software giant.

There are also some startling revelations about the Windows 8 ARM desktop, which you can read more about here.

In a Mary Branscombe interview for TechRadar, Windows head Steven Sinofsky about the announcement. "Windows on ARM, WOA, is a new member of the Windows family that is built on the foundation of Windows," Sinofsky told us.

"It has a high degree of commonality, a very significant amount of shared code with Windows 8. It's going to be developed for, sold and supported as part of our overall Windows ecosystem."

"We created WOA so that it would enable a new class of PCs with unique capabilities and form factors. It's a new level of device."

"It's up-levelling our ability to meet the consumer demand for a device that is reliable and performant over time. The canonical example is the reset and refresh feature and the difference between that and a clean install."

Read the full TechRadar interview with Steven Sinofsky.

News in Brief: One more thing: Amazon trolls Apple

Kate Solomon — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:22:00 GMT

We're going from the cultured to the ridiculous today – and that's just in David Shrigley's new app.

Meanwhile, Google's efforts to make Google+ a thing are becoming increasingly desperate, while Amazon takes a leaf out of the Samsung marketing manual in its latest iPad-bashing advert. Sigh. Why can't we all just get along?

Ama-Zing! - Amazon's gone all Samsung on us with its latest advert that criticises the iPad for being more expensive than a cheapo Kindle and two Kindle Fires put together. If you buy an iPad, the ad implies, you're a tragic 40-something divorcee scamming on Kindle-toting yummy mummies. We polled iPad owners about what they think of this: 1% wept, while 99% said whatevs. [YouTube]

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sulfQHdvyEs

You sunk my franchise tie-in – Activision has snapped up the rights to the official Battleship videogame. That's right, it's the game of the movie of the game. META. [Gamezone]

Cup of tea for sale – Funny picture scribbler David Shrigley has only gone and done himself an app. Flick the light switch off and on and off and on and off and on and against all evidence to the contrary something could happen. There goes the rest of our afternoon. [iTunes]

App happy – 60 million people are now using apps to mess about on Facebook, on average using the apps around five times a month – which seems pretty low to us in these days of push notifications but hey, we're not going to argue with the 'book. [TNW]

Bossy boots – Ever desperate to make Google+ happen, El Goog now nags you to hop on over to the social network if you reach Gmail inbox zero. May we humbly suggest that you go outside and get some fresh air instead? [Google Operating System]

Image credit: Google Operating System

Konichiwa, Siri – Rumour has it that Siri's been hard at work learning Japanese, Mandarin and Russian and should be ready to showcase its new linguistic skills in March. [Do News]

ET Chrome home – There's a new version of Chrome in town and it's faster and more secure than ever before. It's got pre-rendering of pages and a handy whitelist to check your executable files against too. Tidy. [Mashable]

iPaul – Ole Sir Paul McCartney is playing a live show on iTunes/Apple TV at 3AM tomorrow morning (UK time). It's all to celebrate the release of his questionably titled new album, Kisses on the Bottom – we're surprised prudish Apple's on board with that, to be honest. [MacWorld]

Rotten Apple – Demonstrations are planned for Apple stores around the world as tech fans protest the working conditions of its manufacturers and components suppliers. Power to the people. [SlashGear]

He Disney like it – Disney chief Bob Iger has hinted that the company will hold back DVD and Blu-ray releases from services like Netflix and Lovefilm for 28 days after release. Yep, that's the way to combat piracy, make it harder for people to get their hands on your films. Genius. [LA Times]

Opinion: Comparing 3D to arrival of colour is ridiculous

Patrick Goss — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:35:00 GMT

"Watching a movie in 3D is simply a better way to watch a movie. It's like black and white versus colour," said legendary director and producer George Lucas this week, becoming the latest person that I respect to prostrate themselves before the altar of 3D spouting nonsense.

I consider myself relatively neutral in the great 3D debate. I like it in the right circumstances - a blockbuster movie or a carefully shot documentary for instance - but if it was the World Cup final and I had to choose a format to watch it in it would be 2D (HD) all the way.

But what I absolutely will not accept is that 3D is to 2D what colour is to black and white.

Although I wasn't around at the time, I cannot for the life of me imagine that those lucky few who witnessed the birth of colour wandering out of the cinema and grumbling.

"All this colour gives me a headache!" I imagine them not saying loudly. "I preferred it when you couldn't tell that Dorothy was ginger."

The fact is that colour was clearly taking things on a step; not a gimmick, not a trick – merely the next stage in film.

3D, however, cannot lay such a claim. It's certainly increasingly impressive and directors are beginning to use it intelligently rather than merely to thrust object at us out of the screen every five minutes, but that doesn't mean that the general public are clamouring to see Coronation Street or the Superbowl in 3D even when (in the latter's case) they are given the option.

In fact, for me, claiming that 3D is the new colour is actually damaging to the process. People's expectations are built up to the point that what they experience inevitably falls well short of what the likes of Lucas bill as "a truly immersive and overpowering experience".

As I say, I enjoy 3D – but accept that it is limited and, if I'm being honest, will probably remain limited in its true scope throughout its technological life time.

That's not necessarily a terrible thing, if the success of smash hit black and white modern film The Artist has shown, there is room for multiple formats. Nobody is saying that The Artist proves black and white films are the new colour, just as nobody should expect that the brilliant and impressive Avatar sounded the death knell for 2D.

Cinemas have clearly benefited from 3D - giving it a much needed boost because it works better on bigger screens and as an event - and directors need to keep movie theatres buoyant.

Indeed, someone like Lucas will be aware that 3D also helps protect content from piracy because of bigger file sizes and cutting out the surreptitious film tapers, but neither of these reasons make the movie better to watch.

We all know that Lucas has a film to sell – JarJar, poodo and all – and that he's a man known for pushing the technological boundaries, but comparing a technology that is only just peeking outside of the realm of gimmick to the arrival of colour isn't doing anybody any favours.

3D is here to stay, and I, for one, welcome that; I just wish people who should know better would be frank about its impact rather than trying to persuade us that this is the second coming of the golden age of cinema.

That'll clearly be when holographic feelies arrive…

News in Brief: One more thing: pirates make the best film critics

Marc Chacksfield — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:47:00 GMT

Sometimes something comes along in life that's so unexpected you can barely understand just what is going on. This happened to TechRadar today when we were sent a link of the new giffgaff promo.

Let's just say, it has to be seen to be believed… so check out the video below and nine other diamonds in the tech rough below.

Ducking hell - giffgaff has released a new promotional video for its 'Unlock a chicken' campaign, whereby for everyone that unlocks their phone and joins giffgaff, a battery chicken is re-homed. To promote this, it has enlisted Keith and Orville the Duck to give their own hip-hop infused take on the matter. That sound you can hear is our jaw hitting the floor.

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN2rlIi3Elg

Film findings - a new infographic shows that the most-pirated movies on the web pretty much match up with the box-office charts. Which means that pirates have the same taste in movies as normal cinemagoers. Crazy. [Meoble.com]

Yahoo bored of the board - Yahoo tells staff to shoo: another one bites the dust at Yahoo headquarters, with news that chairman Roy Bostock has left the board. We suggest he changes his name to Boy Rostock and tries to get on the board again – the way things are going, Yahoo may not notice the difference. [BBC]

LittleBig LittleBigPlanet news - An image has turned up on the web of a new LittleBigPlanet game – LittleBigPlanet Karting. Think Mario Kart but with courses you can create yourself. A bit like ModNation Racers, but a bit more awesome. [Eurogamer]

Gaming nirvana - AMD is hosting its AMD Heaven 25 February and The Brewery in Central London. Beer and games, what's not to like? [AMDHeaven.com]

Sky acting like a twit - BSkyB has reportedly asked all Sky News staff to stop tweeting breaking news until it has been verified by its own newsdesk – which kind of defeats the object of Twitter as an echo chamber for the news. There was nothing in the memo about not using MySpace to pimp out their music side projects.

We all live in a Cameron submarine - James Cameron is creating a brand-new submarine for him and his fellow bandmates to live in while being chased by Blue Meanies. Well, kind of – he's using it to film the underwater bits for Avatar 2. [SlashFilm]

Netflix being lily-livered? - Movie streaming service Netflix has said that it won't tell anyone where the one person that watched its online series Lillyhammer lives – not even if you twist its arm and ask nicely. [Deadline]

Bang, and the bugs are gone - Turns out plasma technology isn't just good for TVs, it is good at getting rid of bacteria too. Researchers at Drexel University in Philadelphia have created a plasma torch to zap away any bacteria on food. It will kill a Yakult in seconds. Maybe. [Ubergizmo]

You've got the touch… - Anything Apple can do, Logitech can try and match it and get inferior sales. That's right, Logitech has released a Magic Mouse lookalike in the form of the Logitech Touch Mouse M600. We can't wait to get touch feely with it. [Logitech]

In Depth: 10 ways Windows 8 tablets can take on the iPad

Gary Marshall — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

10 ways Windows 8 tablets can take on the iPad

Are you excited about Windows 8 tablets? We are.

Microsoft's latest Windows is a really attractive OS, and the tablets and hybrids we've seen so far are pretty impressive.

In a market where too many firms' strategy is simply "copy Apple", Microsoft is prepared to - yes! - Think Different.

Here are ten ways Windows 8 tablets could compete with the iPad 3.

1. Corporate customers

While many people do use their iPads for work, Apple hasn't explicitly targeted the big corporate market - and that's a huge business that Microsoft knows very well. Tablets that securely connect to corporate systems could be a big win for Microsoft here.

2. New Office

Microsoft Office remains Windows' killer app, especially in the business market - one reason Microsoft's own Tablet PC didn't succeed was because Office compatibility was "sabotaged" - so you can be sure that Office will be on both Intel and ARM-powered tablets. It'll be interesting to see whether Microsoft takes the opportunity to completely transform the Office UI for the ARM version: Office Metro-style, anyone?

3. Dual-mode machines

The iPad is very, very good at what it does, and what it does doesn't include being a desktop device. Microsoft thinks there's an opportunity there. Fancy a tablet that's finger-flipping good until you dock it, at which point it becomes a "proper" Windows PC with am OS designed for your keyboard and mouse or trackpad? We do, and we really hope Microsoft can make it work elegantly. Windows tablets with split personalities could be a lot of fun, not to mention seriously useful - as would...

4. Hybrid tablets

The combination of a dual-mode OS with dual-mode hardware - think Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime or Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga could be very interesting indeed. Tablets that effortlessly switch between work and play modes could turn out to be the electronic equivalent of daytime to evening workwear.

TWICE AS NICE: Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga is a tablet that transforms into a notebook, "like the Tablet PC but good"

5. Mega Metro

Metro is Microsoft's newest, whooshiest interface, and we like it a lot. We're not alone: pretty much everybody who uses Metro likes Metro, and we reckon that if everything else - hardware, app selection, price and so on - were equal, some people would choose a Windows tablet over an Apple one because they prefer Metro to iOS.

6. SkyDrive

Microsoft's vision for cloud-based sharing is very ambitious: your Windows ID will bring your stuff and your settings to whatever device you happen to be on, whether that's a tablet, a PC, an Xbox or something else. That's not just music: the goal is what Microsoft describes as "all your content. Anywhere."

CLOUD ATLAS: Microsoft's SkyDrive puts cloud storage, synching and sharing at the heart of Windows

7. Beaming between devices

Microsoft is reportedly working on "beaming" between Windows devices for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, so for example you'll be able to beam content from your Windows 8 tablet to your PC or phone over whatever wireless connection happens to be present - Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct or NFC - without any fuss. That's the kind of thing that makes people say "wow" and reach for their credit cards.

8. Side-by-side apps

The iPad's single-minded focus on the app you're using is usually a great thing, but sometimes you want to do two things at once - such as read what's in one application while you write in another. Provided the screen's big enough, Windows 8 will let you see two apps simultaneously.

9. Nokia tablets

No disrespect to Microsoft's many hardware partners, but Nokia's the one we're really interested in when it comes to designing exciting tablets: the Finnish firm is famed for its hardware, and we're getting some tantalising hints of interesting new models, possibly coming as early as this summer.

10. A wider choice

It's probably safe to say that nobody can make iPad-spec tablets that match Apple's quality, price tag and enormous profit margins, but then not everybody wants an iPad. As we've seen with devices from the likes of Asus and Amazon, there's plenty of room in the market for devices that don't just ape Apple.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

News in Brief: One more thing: Can you copyright porn?

Kate Solomon — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:13:00 GMT

We've gone all Hollywood today with our indepth look at Edward Norton's career highs and, well, mainly lows, and a really relevant look at the new trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man.

Never fear, we've managed to shoe-horn in some actual tech snippets too, including a philosophical debate on the copyrightability of porn and whether the UK's government should splash out £250,000 on iPads for all its MPs. Short answer: no, it shouldn't.

Can't copyright this – Can you copyright porn? As philosophical questions go, it's not exactly up there with does a tree falling in the woods make the sound of one hand clapping, but it's the defence being used by one woman being sued by adult movie maker Hard Drive for allegedly torrenting a blue movie named Amateur Allure Jen. [TorrentFreak]

Sleb endorsement of the day – Edward Norton's back and he's brought an LG Prada 3.0 phone with him. Apparently he and Daria Werbowy who's, like, a model or something, embody the core values of the handset - namely stylish looks and smart functionality. Yes, we've often thought that Edward Norton's ability to run apps and wirelessly connect to the internet have been a real boon to his Hollywood Career. Gratuitous photo below. [PR]

Zing!-a – what do allegedly spying on players and allegedly skewing game play for the sake of profit have in common? They're both allegedly things that Zynga allegedly partakes in, as alleged by a disgruntled ex-employee answering questions about the Farmville-maker anonymously on Reddit. [Reddit]

United Kingdom of Apple – Slow clap for the Conservatives, whose Sir Alan Haslelhurst has actually gone on record saying that all MPs should be given an iPad to save the country money. He says it's because of "all the work MPs have to do" and will also "reduce the use of paper", while he added baselessly, "There is a pretty sure case to say the supply of these will lead to an overall saving for the public purse." Sure it will. [Metro]

MIND CONTROL – File this under terrifying: neuroscientists are positing that brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) could be used to allow soldiers to control weapon systems by thought alone. Knowing how our minds wander, we're quite concerned for the future of the planet. [Guardian]

Mythical city remains mythical – a Google Ocean mapping error that got wispy myth lovers of a certain ilk all excited about the prospect of Atlantis actually existing has been corrected. As you were. [MSNBC]

Image credit: MSNBC

New news we thought was old – Amazon has overtaken HMV and is now the UK's top entertainment retailer according to Kantar's research. Huh. Who knew HMV had been hanging on in there for so long. Depressingly, Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's come in third, fourth and fifth respectively, followed by Play.com and iTunes. [Retail Gazette]

Ambidextrous headphones – You know what we hate about headphones? Having to spend one second checking we've got the buds in the correct ears. Luckily there's needless tech for that, in the form of these proximity-sensing earphone prototypes that adjust the audio depending on which ear it detects that the earphone is in. Thank god. We're not sure how much longer we could have gone on without these. [BBC]

Forgotten but not gone – Facebook photos you thought had been deleted from the site are still accessible up to three years later. Tsk tsk Facebook. Why's that then? It's because these pictures are stored on an old system but soon all photos will be stored on a new system that will delete pics in a month and a half. But then, that's only speedy when compared to the three-year alternative. [Ars Technica]

My spidey senses are tingling – The trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man is giving us butterflies in our tummies. Okay, this isn't technically tech but there is, y'know, science in it (see 0.58) and it's being shot entirely in 3D so… Oh leave us alone and just watch it. [Total Film]

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MLQFbEz9kqc#%21

Opinion: Do we put too much trust in tech?

Kate Solomon — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:42:00 GMT

The story of Trendnet and its home security cameras that were being used by random internet dwellers to spy on their owners can't fail to send a shiver down your spine.

There you are thinking you've got a pretty nifty safety mechanism in your home - the sanctuary you go to escape all the horrors of the world, the only place you can really and truly relax and be yourself - but the next thing you know you and your family are being ogled on message boards across the internet.

It doesn't sound real: it sounds like a film, possibly one starring Mark Wahlberg or latter-day Jodie Foster, and it highlighted two things:

1. People are, essentially, awful.

Posting instructions on how to hack into these cameras online was the internet equivalent of finding a wallet on the street and nicking the cash before handing it in to the police.

So busy was Console Cowboys giving itself a pat on the back for out-witting some shoddy lines of code that it didn't stop to think about the consequences for anyone who owned one of these cameras.

But then again, taking this information and running with it (relentlessly searching for boobs, because the internet is nothing if not a pubescent boy) is pretty grim too.

It's non-consensual Chat Roulette. It's installing a two-way mirror in a toilet cubicle. It's being a peeping Tom. It's seedy and it's horrible.

2. You can't take for granted that tech is on your side.

Generally speaking, tech is pretty brilliant. But, like the people who make it, it is not infallible.

Did those people whose videos ended up being discussed on message boards with links to their live feeds alongside, in some cases, map locations put too much trust in the Trendnet cameras and the people who made them?

If the last 12 months with its never-ending Anonymous attacks and PSN outages have shown nothing else, they've proven that no company is 100 per cent secure. In this situation, you have to question whether people should really be leaving these digital windows into their physical lives wide open.

I'm not saying we should call it a day, shut down the internet and go back to carrier pigeons and cassette tapes. But maybe we do all need to take a look at what the technology we've surrounded ourselves with is capable of and ask if the physical hardware is as secure as we're trusting it to be.

People get into the tiny cracks and loopholes left by our gadgets one way or another, and more often than not it's via the internet. That's why we need initiatives like Safer Internet Day that help to educate and, hopefully, stem things like cyber bullying, ID theft and other malicious threats that manifest themselves online where people don't feel like they have to answer to anyone.

Sci-fi would have it that one day our technology will become sentient and turn against us in revenge for the years of being treated like the inanimate objects we all thought they were. If we can't even be decent to one another now while the tech is behaving itself, what hope do we have against the gadgets?

Gary Marshall: Should Microsoft save the Start button?

Gary Marshall — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:07:00 GMT

According to The Verge, Windows is about to lose something precious: the Start Orb, better known as the Start button.

We're already familiar with the new, touch-optimised, orb-free Windows 8 Metro interface, but it looks like the Orb's getting booted from the traditional desktop too.

There's no doubt that many people would like to see the back of it - we've had comments of the "OMG LOL YOU HAVE TO PRESS START TO SHUT DOWN YOUR PC BUY APPLE BUY APPLE BUY APPLE" variety since it was introduced in 1733, and there's no doubt that Metro looks much more modern and friendly than the ageing Windows UI.

But in the whoosh of Microsoft throwing out the bathwater, some people think they can hear the waaah of a baby.

Stopping Starting something

The rumours, I'm sure, are right: Microsoft has been making Windows 8's interface more Metro-y for some time, and killing off the Start button makes sense from that perspective.

The thing is, though, Microsoft isn't killing it: it's hiding it. When you move the mouse to the bottom corner the Orb magically appears again. You'll still be able to access the Orb from the Start key on your keyboard, too.

If we were living in a time of great pixel shortages, where gangs of graphics card manufacturers fought in the streets over packets of stolen pixels, hiding the Start Orb might be a great advantage.

However, we aren't, and as a result all that's really going on is that Microsoft appears to be making the classic Windows desktop a little bit more confusing, choosing to hide a key part of the user interface. Maybe once we get our hands on the Consumer Preview we'll think the new way is fantastic, but right now it looks like a step backwards in user-friendliness for no real benefit.

Windows 8 beta: new features to expect

According to Windows boss Steven Sinofsky, "people 'in the know' who valued efficiency were moving away from the Start menu, and pinning their frequently used programs to the taskbar so that they could access them instantly in one click."

Program pinning is handy, but you can't pin everything to the taskbar or things start getting silly - and if you're in legacy mode rather than Metro mode, surely you want Windows to work like Windows always has?

Sinofsky says that the old Start menu is bad because it provides access to lots of programs and features people don't use very often, but for some of us that's exactly the point: we *like* having something that provides access to the things we don't use very often.

I'm imagining Sinofsky as a crazed vivisectionist here, cutting up cats and gluing their heads onto horses to make the cats better at showjumping.

Maybe, like cats and horses, Metro and classic Windows are best kept separate. Anyone fancy FrankenWindows?

Forget Google Goggles, Google AR glasses are incoming

Marc Chacksfield — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:01:00 GMT

Google is working on a pair of AR-infused glasses which will bring information from the likes of Google Maps straight to a users' eyeline.

According to 9to5Google, the glasses are already in prototype form and one of its tipsters has seen them in action, revealing that they look a little like some other AR-styled glasses on the market, Oakley Thumps.

Goggle eyed

The AR-infused glasses are said to house a heads up display (HUD) over one eye that's non-transparent - so essentially you will be looking into the depths of a tiny camera.

When it comes to navigation, the glasses understand when you move your head and this is how you control the on-board display.

The glasses are also said to have voice input and output and are powered with similar specs to now-gen smartphones.

There's no word when, or indeed if, these über Google Goggles will be released for the mass market but it is thought they will get a similarly low-key release as the Cr-48 Chromebook.

TechRadar managed to get its hands on a concept glasses prototype with a HUD over in Japan last year, so we know this technology is already out there, albeit in an alpha stage.

From our own use with the demo unit, which was created by the boffins at DoCoMo and is called the AR Walker, we were shown how walking down the street would look with Google Maps overlaid over a real street.

Explained: WHDI: what it is and why you should care

Gary Marshall — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:43:00 GMT

WHDI: what you need to know

The Lenovo IdeaPad S2 tablet, shown off at CES 2012, has an interesting trick up its sleeve: wireless HD streaming courtesy of integrated WHDI.

WHDI, which is short for Wireless Home Digital Interface, promises to deliver wire-free HD streaming without lag, hassle or unnecessary expense - so does it work? Will you want it?

And how does it compare to the other four hundred wireless HD standards currently competing for the hearts, minds and living rooms of the world? Let's find out.

WIRELESS WONDER? WHDI promises to cut the cables from your home entertainment kit

WHDI is designed to make your life easy

The idea behind WHDI is simple enough: HD home entertainment without the hassle of home entertainment cabling or drilling through walls when you want to stream content to other rooms.

With WHDI, you'll be able to connect your Blu-Ray player, tablet or any other device in the same way you'd add Wi-Fi kit to your home network.

The current WHDI standard is the second generation of the technology; the first generation got lots of press coverage in 2009 and 2010 but didn't really amount to much.

WHDI does HD and 3D TV

Operating in the 5GHz frequency band, WHDI can stream uncompressed HD at up to 1080p resolution, with support for 3D TV and 5.1 surround sound too.

WHDI isn't Wireless HDMI

That's a different standard altogether, from the Wireless Gigabit Alliance. Inevitably, the two technologies don't talk to one another.

WHDI isn't WIHD

Guess what? That's yet another standard!

WHDI isn't WiDi

You can probably guess where this one is going. Yep, that's different too: WiDi is Intel's short-range wireless telly tech.

WHDI range is reasonably short

WHDI isn't designed to chuck HD video over huge distances: it's a short-range technology that runs out of puff at around 100 feet (30m). It doesn't require line of sight connections, though, so you can hide any adapters behind the TV.

WHDI tablets are pretty nifty

Lenovo's WHDI tablet isn't noticeably different from other seven-inch Android devices, so adding WHDI clearly doesn't add any bulk. It's not a huge battery hog either, and the demo shown off at CES 2012 appeared to work well without any noticeable lag. Lenovo's WHDI tablet mirrored its display, so anything you did on the tablet - not just video, but games and apps too - appeared on the TV.

WHDI TVs aren't out yet

If you're waiting for us to mention dongles, wait no more: as yet there aren't any commercially available TVs with integrated second-generation WHDI - they're coming, but you can't buy them yet - so for now you'll need an adapter such as HP's Wireless TV Connect with WHDI. This $199 device uses WHDI to stream HD content from your PC to your TV.

WHDI says DEATH TO ALL CABLES

We're quite taken with Belkin's Screencast AV4 Wireless, which uses WHDI to connect four audiovisual devices to your TV without any of the usual spaghetti junction stuff.

WHDI prices are reasonably low, but they'll get lower

We've already mentioned the $199 HP kit, while the Belkin Screencast is $249.99. That's not bad for a brand new technology, and of course like all other tech you'll see prices fall the more popular and established WHDI becomes.

WHDI has lots of pals

It looks like WHDI is gathering momentum: WHDI members now include not just creator AMIMON but also LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, HP and Hitachi, and products have been announced by the likes of Belkin and Asus too.

However, it's worth pointing out that many of the same names are also supporters of Wireless HD too. With multiple technologies promising much the same thing, it might be an idea to sit back and wait for a victor - or at least, interoperability between rival standards - to emerge before committing any of your cash.

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Major security camera flaw broadcasts footage online

Kate Solomon — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:38:00 GMT

Thousands of Trendnet security camera owners have found themselves the unwitting stars of a Big Brother style life-streaming nightmare as it emerges that anyone could access live footage from inside their homes without so much as a password.

After the vulnerability was highlighted by a blog called Console Cowboys, various forum users began sharing links to live cameras as well as screen grabs and, in some cases, Google Map locations.

Trendnet, which uses the tagline "networks people trust", says it has been aware of the problem since 12 January but has been pushing security updates to close the loop.

Trendnet's director of global marketing, Zak Wood, told the BBC that he thinks fewer than 50,000 people's SecurView cameras are affected worldwide, with 26 models of internet security cameras identified as vulnerable.

"The firmware has been tested and released [on] seven of the models," Wood explained.

"We anticipate to have all of the revised firmware available this week. We are scrambling to discover how the code was introduced and at this point it seems like a coding oversight."

When it discovered the "coding oversight", Console Cowboys was surprised to see that after just a little bit of tinkering with the firmware code "the camera is more than happy to let me view its video stream.

"There does not appear to be a way to disable access to the video stream, I can't really believe this is something that is intended by the manufacturer."

Firmware updates are incoming and, in some cases, already available – check out Trendnet's information page here for more details.

TechRadar kicks off its redesign Beta

Paul Douglas — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:20:00 GMT

Over the next few weeks as you browse TechRadar you'll occasionally see a green bar at the top of the page inviting you to try the new Beta version of the site.

That's because we're busy redesigning the UK's most popular technology news and reviews site to make it easier to use and faster to load.

Click the bar and you'll be able to view the page you're on in its new Beta version.

If you choose to use the Beta site, please bear in mind that we're still ironing out bugs, so some things might not work quite as expected while we're in this testing phase.

We'd love to hear what you think once you've had a look. Please leave any comments – positive or negative – below.

One issue you'll notice immediately is that images have a vertical grey bar on each side. This is because we are changing our image format and so images from the existing TechRadar site are the wrong aspect ratio. Once the new site is rolled out we'll be cropping our images in the new aspect ratio and the grey bars will disappear.

We'll be keeping this article updated as the Beta progresses.

Apple iTV on test in Canada?

Jools Whitehorn — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:08:00 GMT

Two Canadian telecommunications companies, Rogers and Bell, are rumoured to be testing out Apple iTV in their labs.

After the rather speculative Apple iTV specs offered up in a market research questionnaire by US retailer Best Buy, it's now supposedly popped up in Canada, too.

One anonymous source of Canadian paper The Globe and Mail says of Apple: "They're looking for a partner. They're looking for someone with wireless and broadband capabilities."

Another claims that Rogers and Bell already have Apple iTV in their labs. We would have put it in our living room, but that's just us.

But you chose last time, Siri!

Some more, hazy feature lists have come out as well, with the paper claiming that iTV will have SIri voice-recognition onboard to "help viewers make programming choices".

Apparently, viewers will also be able to use hand gestures, while an on-screen keyboard will let you get busy on the 'net. Giant hands and a very close sofa are presumably required, too.

Testing by telecoms companies suggests that the Apple iTV may be tied into a broadband provider when it finally materialises, but we'll just have to wait and see.

News in Brief: One more thing: Samsung brings darkness to Super Bowl

Marc Chacksfield — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:59:00 GMT

With the world and his wife watching the Super Bowl last night, you'd think that Samsung would be on to a winner snapping up one of the coveted half-time advertising slots. But did the Apple-baiting Galaxy Note promo work?

Well, we reveal all below and also offer up a bounty of other links for you to saviour and devour in equal measure.

Bum Note – "I believe in a thing called love," sang the Darkness in Samsung's Super Bowl advert which went on to mock Apple lovers by waving the oversized Galaxy Note in their faces and pointing out the device used a pen. A pen!

Judging by the reaction on Twitter, this may be one Apple mocking too far with the micro-blog not showing much love for the ad – instead of Samsung trending, the Palm Pilot was. Snigger. [Twitter]

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgfknZidYq0

False start – Microsoft may be about to get rid of the start button for Windows 8. This is according to those who have tried out the Consumer Preview of the new OS. Rumours that it is to replace it with Mr Clippy are so far unsubstantiated. [The Verge]

Virgin on the ridiculous – Virgin has announced that it is now offering its 100Mbps broadband service to 10 million people. Which is great and detracts nicely from the fact that it is to up its broadband prices in April. [Pocket-Lint]

Limewire under fire – Poor old Limewire – not content with pretty much killing the site off, the MPAA wants to bleed it dry by announcing it is suing it for hosting 53 infringed works. Don't they know that all the cool companies are suing Megaupload? [TorrentFreak]

Lilyhammer don't hurt 'em – The BBC has announced that it has signed up the Netflix-funded series Lilyhammer. It may not sound that significant but this is a bit like Anna Nicole Smith marrying that old man and kissing him. With the old man being the BBC and Netflix being Anna Nicole Smith. Seriously, think about it, it is… [Guardian]

Jaw-dropping – an 83-year-old woman has had her jaw replaced by one which was created by a 3D printer. We told you the Pirate Bay's Physible section was good for something. [Wired]

White lightning – The Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Nokia Lumia 800 are now both available in white. Which is great if you like white things. Personally, we hate white things as it reminds us of snow and that is what made us late for work this morning. [Press release]

Big in China – Android is massive in China, with the ZTE Blade announced as the second-best selling phone in the country last summer. Incidentally, our great grandmother was big into china cups. True fact. [Forbes]

Supreme Tweets – The UK Supreme Court has gone and sorted itself out with a Twitter account. Let's hope it doesn't joke about bombing things or it may see itself in the, er, Supreme Court. [TNW]

Google turns into Sherlock – A new mysterious site from Google has arrived which is apparently the place that the "curious can go to hear and discuss radical technology ideas for solving global problems". Which is a bit like Twitter if you exchange the words 'radical technology ideas for solving global problems' with 'rubbish'. [Wesolveforx.com]

In Depth: The 10 most talented people in tech

Gary Marshall — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:31:00 GMT

10 most talented people in tech

Hot industries tend to attract the world's best and brightest, and these days there are few industries hotter than tech.

From silicon valley to silicon roundabout, some of the world's smartest, most talented people are building the future - and if we had the cash, we'd hire the very best of them and take over the entire universe.

So which tech titans would make the most amazing tech firm of all time?

These are our nominations for the tech industry's smartest operators and biggest brains: let us know yours in the comments.

1. Tim Cook, Apple

As Apple's chief operating officer, Tim Cook turned what Fortune called "the atrocious state of Apple's manufacturing, distribution and supply apparatus" into the extraordinary and extraordinarily profitable machine it is today. He may not have Steve Jobs' vision thing, but that's okay, because our next two nominations have that in spades.

2. Jeff Bezos, Amazon

[Image credit: James Duncan Davidson, CC Attribution 2.0 Generic]

Many pundits see the Amazon founder and CEO as the spiritual heir to the late Steve Jobs, and while he may lack Jobs' showmanship he has a Jobs-esque ability to see into the future - and he uses that ability to dominate markets before most people even know they exist. Amazon dominated bookselling, then online retail; the Kindle did for ebooks what the iPod did to music; the Kindle Fire is outselling Android tablets by an enormous margin, and Amazon Prime is almost a religion in the US.

3. Jonathan Ive, Apple

One of the most influential and imitated designers the world has ever seen - his original iMac even influenced toasters and sex toys - Jonathan Ive is responsible for an incredible range of stunning hardware. To have just one of his creations on a CV would be pretty impressive, but Ive's been in charge of the design for every Apple product since the late 1990s: the iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air... The Daily Mail called him a "design genius", and like everything else in the Daily Mail, that is absolutely true.

4. Marissa Mayer, Google

Google's 20th employee is one of the sharpest executives in Silicon Valley, the youngest member of Google's executive operating committee and the youngest woman ever featured in Fortune magazine's annual Most Powerful Women list. Mayer is famed for her ability to spot, implement and improve bright ideas, and after years in charge of management and design for Google's many products she's now Google's vice-president in charge of local, mobile and contextual services.

5. Joichi Ito, MIT

Joichi "Joi" Ito's many hats include chairman of Creative Commons, director of the MIT Media Lab, Mozilla board member, venture capitalist, human rights activist, World of Warcraft guild master and being one of Foreign Policy magazine's top 100 global thinkers. Ito's many interests and fierce intelligence means he's particularly good at the big picture stuff: not just technology, but technology's place in the wider world.

6. Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo

[Image credit: Sklathill, CC Attribution-ShareAlike]

Has anybody in the technology industry spread more joy than Shigeru Miyamoto? The gaming legend's CV includes Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, Pikmin and Nintendogs, and he's variously been called the guru of gaming, the father of modern videogames and the god of the videogames industry.

7. Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook

[Credit: Drew Altizer/Financial Times, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic]

Forget Mark Zuckerberg: Sandberg is the brains behind Facebook, where she "oversees the company's business operations including sales, marketing, business development, human resources, public policy and communications." In other words, she runs the place. Mark Zuckerberg may have built the site, but Sheryl Sandberg made it into a billion dollar business that's well on its way to having a billion members.

8. Gabe Newell, Valve

[Image credit: Jontintinjordan, CC Attribution]

The plain-speaking former Microsoft man co-founded Valve, the publisher responsible for triple-A games including the Half-Life series, Team Fortress and Portal. Its incredibly profitable Steam service means that Valve is tremendously rich, but Valve's really impressive achievement is to make all that money while being almost universally adored among gamers.

9. Sundar Pichai, Google

[Image credit: Sundar Pichai]

According to TechCrunch's Michael Arrington, Google paid Sundar Pichai "tens of millions of dollars" to stay with Google instead of jumping ship to Twitter. That was probably a bargain: under his watch, Chrome has gone from zero to hero, overtaking Firefox in market share in late 2011. That's a tremendous achievement, and it took just three years.

10. Marc Benioff, Salesforce

[Image credit: Robert Scoble CC Attribution]

The multi-award winning chairman and CEO of Salesforce.com calls himself "a student of Steve Jobs", but he's come a long way from his days writing assembly language for Apple: quick to spot the potential of cloud computing, Benioff declared war on traditional software and built a $16 billion business. His eye's on social media now, with tools to help firms communicate internally, spot potential customers and mollify angry existing ones, and he also pioneered a model of philanthropy called the 1/1/1 rule: employees contribute 1% of profits, 1% of equity and 1% of working hours to the local community. Other firms, such as Google, have followed Benioff's example.

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Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar

James Rivington — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:00:00 GMT

It's a good week for anyone who's been thinking of upgrading the graphics in their PCs.

AMD has unleashed its new Radeon HD 7950 chip on the world, and what Sapphire has created with it is nothing short of stunning. In fact, we reckon it's possibly the only high-end graphics card worth buying.

Also through the TechRadar labs have been several laptops and TVs and an interesting new designer camera from Pentax.

Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 review

As good as the reference version of the AMD Radeon HD 7950 is, the Sapphire HD 7950 OverClock edition is just better. In fact, we think it's the best graphics card on the planet right now, offering as it does a potent mix of performance and a pleasant price. The raw performance of the HD 7950 is a known quantity now, as is its overclocking potential, and with the Sapphire backing it's an even better GPU. There's also the power-saving goodness of the AMD ZeroCore Power technology which turns off most of the GPU when it's not needed. Quite simply this is the only card we'd consider spending cash on if we were looking for a serious GPU upgrade.

Toshiba 32RL858B review

The Toshiba 32RL858 is one of those TVs where you find yourself forever double checking that its price is really as low as you thought it was. After all, it offers online smart TV functionality, a Freeview HD tuner, a Full HD resolution, DLNA and USB file playback, Edge LED lighting and even 100HZ processing, despite costing under £400. Toshiba has been quietly but surely making the budget end of the TV world its own in recent years, and the 32RL858 is a perfect example of just how much Toshiba has learned, and why the brand is now hard to beat for anyone on the hunt for a good TV for not much cash.

HP DM4 Beats Edition review

The HP dm4-3000sa is a capable portable laptop for those who want style while they're on the move. Admittedly, it's not packed with power - HP has bundled a 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5-2450M processor, a 500GB SATA hard drive and 4GB of memory with space for two more sticks if you fancy an upgrade - and there are lighter machines for the money, but the Beats credentials give it the street cred to attract students and younger users. Anyone who does invest will be rewarded with a solid performer capable of work and play on the move, but those with demanding needs will want to look at portables backed up by a bit more grunt.

Hands on: Pentax K-01 review

The Pentax K-01 is clearly an attempt by Pentax to stand out from the wide variety of options that are now available in the ever expanding compact system camera market. It seems unlikely that the company would ever be able to take on the marketing might of existing giants such as Panasonic, Sony, Nikon and Olympus, so it needs to do something to create waves. That's exactly what the K-01 achieves. Whether or not those waves are for the right reason, is difficult to tell.

Packard Bell EasyNote TS11 review

There's no doubt that the EasyNote TS11 is a friendly machine. From its decorative pattern, to the social networking hotkey, this seems like a safe choice for a mid-level laptop. Beyond that, though, there's some serious performance underneath. For this price point we reckon the Packard Bell EasyNote TS11 stands as a secure and reliable purchase.

Cameras

Hands on: Panasonic TZ30 review

Hands on: Panasonic TZ25 review

Graphics cards

AMD Radeon HD 7950 review

Laptops

Asus G74SX review

HP Pavilion dv7-6b51ea review

Toshiba Qosmio F750 review

Mice

Gigabyte Aivia M8600 review

Tablets

Disgo Tablet 7000 review

Televisions

Toshiba 40RL858B review

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