O2 has confirmed it will be allowing customers to unlock their iPhones to work on different networks after they have served their full contract term.

The news was revealed by none other than Matthew Key, the chairman and chief executive officer of O2 parent company, Telefonica Europe in a Q&A article in The Times.

In answer to the question: "Is there any truth in the rumour that after Orange and Vodafone are able to sell the iPhone you will not allow people to unlock their iPhone, even if they are out of their contract period?" Key states:

"There is absolutely no truth in that rumour. Once the iPhone becomes available on other UK networks, we will allow O2 customers to unlock their iPhones, although of course they will still need to honour any outstanding contract period they have. At the end of their contract period, they are entirely free to move to another operator - though naturally we hope they won't want to!"

We have asked O2 for clarification and a how-to and will update this post as soon as we hear back.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones O2 Apple iPhone

O2 to let customers unlock iPhones originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:30:18 +0000

2009 has been something of a glass ceiling for gamers. Yes, the software has continued to come and in more inventive ways than ever, but it's been pretty much the same kinds of consoles available on the shelves. At the same time, at E3 this summer, we saw some of the most ground-breaking and exciting projects for years with motion sensitivity and augmented reality the stars of the show.

Unfortunately, there are no prizes in the Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Best Gaming Hardware category for anything still caught up in the ether. The fact is what we need is feedback from people and that's exactly what we hope you give us in the comments below. Which do you think are the worthy winners?

The Machines

With the major boxes and handhelds still in their place, 2009 was very much a year of upgrades. The bloated PS3 went slim, the Nintendo DS got itself an "i" and the PSP, controversially, ditched its UMD slot favouring digital downloads with the PSP Go. With rumours already of a PSP-4000, you wonder whether that's a move that Sony regrets. Even the new gaming conundrum that is the iPod touch/iPhone only got a minor perk in power and performance with the new iPhone 3.0 software, and 3rd generation and 3GS releases. But, with apps getting all the more sophisticated, it's no longer a platform we can ignore.

Perhaps more interesting on the hardware side was the advance in PC gaming that's once again on the rise owing to a clutch of hugely popular and painfully addictive titles. Asus came out with two turbocharged super-PCs with the W90 and G60 - both featuring over 1GB of memory on the graphics units alone as well as all the usual trimmings. 2009 was also the year that Dell decided to hand Alienware the complete set of keys to its gaming line and brought out both 17 and 15-inch laptops in the familiar sci-fi-look colour schemes, complete with Alien language and more chip ports than you could shake a stick at. Even budget specialist Medion took the time to get involved with the launch of the Erazer. Naturally, it's a lot cheaper than the others, despite impressive specs, but the catch is that she ain't much of a looker.

Game controllers

With the machine manufacturers taking a breather - relatively speaking - it's given the peripheral gang an excellent chance to both catch up and really push themselves to get inventive. Naturally, those unleashing the limitless potential of the Wii have been having a lot of fun. To add to the already brimming closet of unused plastic you can now bag yourself a Wii Bowling Ball, a slightly disturbing baby doll controller for Baby and Me, a series of machine guns - as well as one that transforms into a sawn-off - and some dumbells. Mercifully, there have been some serious technological developments with the Wii Motion Plus improvement to the original WiiMote, as well as the addition of the Jog for Wii controller for fitness fans everywhere.

Probably the most interesting developments in the field have been in the controllers for the software explosion that is still the Rock Band and Guitar Hero games. You no longer have to put up with having Fisher Price-looking toys in your arms when striking out on a solo. Logitech brought out some enviable wireless instruments plus, of course, Harmonix splashed out on making guitars and even a drum kit that ape those of the Fab Four for the release of The Beatles Rock Band. Just a shame we're still waiting on the availability of the Krator Orpheous WG-07. Beyond that, Activision broke the mould with an entirely new device for DJ Hero, however there are very few opinions on just how well that's worked out as yet.

Of course, for Logitech, there's nothing peripheral about peripherals and it wasn't just music games where the company spent some money. Naturally, there's a load of mice and keyboards with their logo stamped on, but the Logitech G27 Racing Wheel and pedals complete with VR3 racer was quite clearly a drool-fest for petrol-head gamers and the G940 Flight Simulator was equally well-received by the specialists.

Last of all was the highly entertaining Novint Falcon gun controller for the PC, riding on the back of the success of games like Left 4 Dead. Anything with a realistic sense of recoil is always guaranteed to get a smile out of gamers.

Keyboards and Mice

Of course, if it's all about PC gaming for you, then there's no more important tools than your keyboard and mouse and, as ever, 2009 has seen advances here too. Whether or not, they help you get more kills is another thing altogether but at least it might make it a little easier to keep up with the pack. Logtiech has been as busy as ever with the highly inventive G19 keypad as well as the full G110 board and the G500 mouse and headset too. Razor has honed in with the RazorNaga MMO mouse with more buttons and shortcuts than ever right where you need them - all very well if you can remember what they're for - and Sidewinder has stuck with wireless and produced the X8 mouse which the company considers to be the fastest in the world.

Audio

Audio is rarely top of most people's lists for gaming, but add the right piece of kit and it can add a profound finish to your experience. If you need to do things on the quiet Verbatim, Sennheiser and Creative have each come up with excellent value solutions at a respective price increase. Whether you're after a heavy sub, some in-ear isolation or on-ear noise cancelling, they represent something for everyone.

Of course, if you're happy to blast the premises, Creative and Logitech have sculpted and tuned several high quality and good looking options for serious desktop power and Altec Lansing have gone and invented something highly unique for the home in the shape of a stage-monitor type speaker for guitar console games. You can even put your foot on it like you're really there having underwear thrown at you. Hello Cleveland!

Displays

Last of all come the screens on which you get to enjoy your interactive entertainment, and 3D has been the new projector in 2009. Yes, the likes of Epson, Optoma and LG are still supplying some wonderful hardware to make your Street Fights 60 inches tall, but ViewSonic, Nvidia and Vuzix are working on the idea of your avatars actually leaping out and punching you in the face. Admittedly, this works with varying degrees of success, depending upon whether you're going for a goggles or traditional monitor solution but it's certainly a serious edge that can add to the fun.

What do you think?

But these are just some of the fantastic choices our readers have had in 2009. What would you like to see held aloft as the winner of Pocket-lint Best Gaming Hardware 2009? What have we missed out? Which are your unsung heroes and of those we've already mentioned, which would get your vote? Let us know in the comments below and you can help our panel decide which make the shortlist of nominees to be announced here on Pocket-lint on 16 November. We'll have all out coverage of the Vodafone Pocket-lint awards 2009 right here. Don't miss a minute of it.

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Related links:

• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - games
• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - software, services, apps
• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - laptops

Tags: Gaming Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Pocket-lint Awards Features Xbox PlayStation Nintendo PC games Mice And Keyboards Keyboards Mice Speakers PC speakers Logitech

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - gaming hardware originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:30:00 +0000

That Apple will launch an iPhone nano, a smaller possibly less-featured version of its popular iPhone is a rumour that has not gone away, but new reports from sources in the Taiwan handset supply chain have recently reignited talk of such a device.

In a nutshell, it seems Apple is busy prepping a 2.8-inch (compared to the current 3.5-inch) version of the iPhone that will boast a new Qualcomm chip that will mean it will work globally on both UMTS 3G and CDMA mobile phone networks.

Said to be due to Verizon in Q3 of 2010, despite the operator's continued iPhone bashing, the iPhone nano is said to be planned for worldwide distribution too - a single handset to all carriers, regardless of the tech of their network.

AppleInsider's source, OTR Global, says that Asustek subsidiary Pegatron will build the new hybrid phone devices for Apple rather than Hon Hai, the iPhone's current manufacturer and that "Verizon and Apple have already hammered out an agreement to sell the new iPhone model within the year".

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Tags: Phones iPhone Apple Rumours Verizon Qualcomm iPhone nano

Apple to launch worldmode 2.8-inch iPhone nano originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:13:03 +0000

UK Labour MP Tom Watson has formed a political pressure group called "Gamers' Voice", designed to "discuss how UK video gamers can find their voice in newspapers and government". The MP announced the creation of the group, which currently manifests itself on Facebook, via his Twitter account.

The group says, in its description: "Are you sick of UK newspapers and (my fellow) politicians beating up on gaming? So am I. The truth is, UK gamers need their own pressure group. I want to help you start one up. I don't know how it should work yet but please register your interest if you agree that gamers need their voice heard in the corridors of power".

An article in the Daily Mail prompted Watson to create the group after it claimed that Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 "allows players to plot terror attacks against civilians". The article has now been updated, to remove those claims, following outrage in the comments.

Tom Watson has a long history as perhaps the most geek-friendly MP. This move will no doubt further that reputation, depending on how successful it becomes.

(Thanks to Alan for the tip)

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Tags: Gaming Politics Tom Watson Facebook Twitter

MP Tom Watson forms gamers' pressure group originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:00:35 +0000

When you think of opera being performed on the stage in an opera house the last thing you think of is an interactive experience powered by software algorithms, infra-red cameras and state-of-the-art technology, yet in an attempt to lure in a younger, more tech savvy audience that's exactly what the Metropolitan Opera in New York is doing.

The Damnation of Faust by Berlioz, is your typical opera fare, a story of a man who falls in love with a women and then who signs his soul away to the devil in an attempt to save her from the gallows.

"There are five levels to the set, four on show that span 60ft wide and the whole set is 40ft tall", explains Bernard Gilbert, production manager of Ex Machina, the production company behind the performance.

The set is best described as a giant Microsoft Surface, which interacts with the singers as they move around the stage or hit certain notes in the music.

"Right from the beginning when the computer birds fly across the stage their movement is controlled by the music of the orchestra. It is not a pre-recorded video", Gilbert continues.

A mix of traditional opera and cutting edge video and animation, the process is, Gilbert hopes, bringing opera to a newer audience.

"It used to be the opposite - video restricted performance, now it is reacting to the performance".

But it's not just a dazzling array of lights and videos all controlled by a man in a lighting box somewhere in the theatre. Using 12 to 18 infra-red lights the stage is blanketed in infra-red, whereby two dedicated, infra-red cameras monitor the movement.

When a singer breaks certain areas on stage with their movement it triggers the software to interact, in a very similar way to the Microsoft Surface - the multi-touch computer coffee table from the Redmond based company that brought us Windows 7.

Designed by Boris Firquet and Holger F?rterer, the result is stunning, and at times you could be forgiven for thinking you're watching a massive HD TV screen.

"Instead of creating sets or designs that are there to decorate the music they should be designed to extend the music", says the production's director Robert Lepage.

Those four levels are split into 24 individual cubes, each one able to create a vivid element to the scene. The result means that rather than rolling in different stage scenery to create a scene, it can be a reflective sea one moment?(based on the singers movements) and the inside of a church the next and all within a matter of seconds, all reacting to the singers rather than them having to hit certain notes or locations on the stage at a certain time.

Not only can Gilbert and his team promise that no two performances are alike, but that the visual treat is much more than some "boring" painted sets that most envisage.

The show, which is more cinematic in its approach than any opera you will have likely seen prior, is half way through it's run at the MET in New York.

While there is currently no plans to take it around the world - it has already played in France and Japan - there are plans to bring the technology to other performances next year at the Met.

"We are currently working on a production of Der Ring des Nibelungen for the 2010-2011 season at the Met." Gilbert tells us.

One of the most ambitious works written for the Western stage, the Wagner written series consists of four operas totalling more than fifteen hours of music.

Rather than devil's, angels and taverns, the story follows gods competing with giants and the Nibelungen; heroes alongside humans, who in the end of the tetralogy dominate the Earth.

Powerful stuff.

"Opera is a great meeting place between music, acting, architecture and so much more. It should invite film and other art forms too," LePage said in a video interview in 2008.

Judging by the reaction of the audience on the night of the performance we went to experience the technology first hand ourselves, that merging of technologies and mediums certainly works.

The days of the painted set could to numbered.

Tags: Gadgets Features Metropolitan opera

Opera features giant 40ft "Microsoft Surface" esque stage originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

We brought you news from the launch, a hands-on gallery and a serious look at the phone's features, but can offer a glimpse of how Sony Ericsson will be marketing the new Xperia X10 with this new video.

The glossy promo - beautiful people in glamourous locales to a pop background - does get in plenty of beauty shots of the handset, so if you're taken with this new phone then hit play for some carefully choreographed action footage.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Video Advertising Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

VIDEO: Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 gets glossy promo vid originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:51:38 +0000

A company called WarMouse has seen the problem of trying to remember a million shortcuts in applications like OpenOffice, Photoshop and some videogames, and is attempting to solve it by building a slightly ridiculous 18-button mouse with analog joystick and 512k of onboard memory.

The OOMouse comes with profiles designed specifically for use with the five primary OpenOffice.org applications, as well as a few other apps and games, but the keys are programmable for any app - meaning that you can set them up to do whatever you like. The company is also building up a catalog of default profiles "for everything from major mainstream applications to obscure DOS abandonware", even offering to create profiles on request.

Warmouse is calling the OOMouse "the complete opposite of Apple's approach", adding "The Magic Mouse has one giant button that can do 10 things, we have 18 buttons that can each do two or more things. And a scroll wheel. And a joystick. And 512k of memory".

And if you're after something like this, but a bit more games-oriented, then you've got the option of the Razer Naga MMO Mouse, or a selection of mice that WarMouse promises it'll be releasing in 2010. We'll keep you posted of that.

In the meantime, the OOMouse works on Linux, Windows and Macs, and costs $75. It'll be available "soon".

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Tags: Hardware Mice And Keyboards Mice OpenOffice

WarMouse offers 18-button OOMouse originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:37:29 +0000

Nokia has issued a product recall for certain Nokia-branded chargers made by third-party manufacturer BYD, offering free replacements to consumers affected.

The charger exchange program encompasses the AC-3E and AC-3U models, manufactured between June 15 2009 and August 9 2009 and the AC-4U model, manufactured between April 13 2009 and October 25 2009.
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Nokia says it has "identified a potential product quality issue" as the "plastic covers of the affected chargers could come loose and separate, exposing the charger's internal components and potentially posing an electrical shock hazard if certain internal components are touched while the charger is plugged into a live socket".

Nokia says it is not aware of any related injuries or incidents, but consumers who have one of the models listed above should visit http://chargerexchange.nokia.com to arrange a free replacement.

UPDATE: Nokia has got in touch with the following: "Nokia today initiated a charger exchange program in some markets.? This program does NOT impact the United Kingdom.? None of the specific models of chargers within the scope of this program have been sold domestically in United Kingdom".

Related links:

• Link - Nokia charger exchange programme

Tags: Phones Nokia Chargers Recalls Gadgets BYD

Nokia issues charger recall originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:17:33 +0000

LinkedIn has announced it is testing a new "site navigation experience" that will show up for certain users.

The new design sees a "global navigation bar" at the top of the page that provides what's said to be convenient access to all LinkedIn services while overall there's said to be a cleaner, less-cluttered look.

The revamp also intros more simplified local navigation within each of the LinkedIn areas (Profile, Contacts, Groups, etc.) meaning more room available for page content.

"One of the key features of the new design is that it allows much more space for page content - information about you and your professional network", says LinkedIn.

The site is currently asking for feedback about the new design for those that can see it, as well as from those using the older format.

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Tags: Software Online Websites LinkedIn Social networking Biz

LinkedIn testing a new site design originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:04:44 +0000

Could all of Google's web applications be getting an interface refresh that would make them more like Google Wave? Screenshots published by Engadget appear to suggest that may be that case, though it's not clear how far the changes are away.

In Wave, it's possible to collapse and expand modules like the navigation bar, contacts window, inbox or individual Waves, as well as minimizing them to the top of the screen to appear as a drop-down menu. ?The screenshots appear to depict the same setup applied to Gmail, and Google News.

Apparently "the goal is to provide a consistent experience throughout all Google Apps and blur the line between the browser and the website (e.g. drag and drop, right-click, etc)". That could imply a similar interface for Chrome OS too, as well as future Google products.

We'll bring you more on this when we hear it.

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Tags: Software Online Google Gmail Google Wave Rumours

Google apps getting more Wave-y interface? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:49:14 +0000

Shazam has announced the launch of the previously promised "premium" version of its iPhone app called Shazam Encore.

A paid-for download, as opposed to the previous free offering, Shazam is promising new functionality including improved speed performance.

There's also now music recommendations that suggests songs similar to the track the user has tagged for identification, lists of what's popular, the ability to search music and a "car mode" said to "make it simple to discover what’s playing on the radio even when driving".

Shazam will continue to offer the free Shazam app on the App Store but new users will now to limited to identifying five tracks per month. ?

Those who've previously downloaded the free app "will get all of these great features they've come to expect from Shazam without any limitations", as well as new Facebook integration says the company. ?

The Shazam Encore app is available for ?2.99, 3.99 euros or $4.99 now.

Tags: Phones iPhone apps Shazam Audio Music software App Store

Shazam launches new paid-for "Encore" iPhone app originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:45:27 +0000

Sony’s VAIO CW1S1E sits smack in the middle of the company’s laptop range, offering impressive value for money without compromising on features or style. With a 14-inch screen and weighing 2.3kg, it’s slightly larger than Sony’s ultra-portable laptops, but it offers better usability as a result.

The screen has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, which is average at this price point. Images are crisp, and LED backlighting offers bright and vivid colour reproduction. That said, it was possible to see the individual LEDs at the bottom of the display on our review sample – which affected colours and also proved distracting.

The design is attractive and cohesive, with a range of bright colours on offer. The palm rest stands higher than the rest of the chassis, giving this machine an individual appearance, and is the same colour as the lid – with colours including deep red, blue, black and light pink. The area surrounding the keyboard is a slightly more subtle colour – from light pink on some models, to black.

Identical in style to most recent VAIO keyboards, the CW’s chicklet style board offers a decent and comfortable typing action. There’s plenty of space between each of the keys, and it’s a responsive and firmly attached interface. The touchpad is larger than many of those found on rival laptops, offering a precise way of navigation, and the mouse buttons are also large and comfortable. ?

The Nvidia GeForce GT 230M graphics card is a surprise inclusion in a machine of this size, giving the compact Sony serious 3D power. With the relatively low screen resolution, it means that even the latest games will run without issue, along with regular home and office applications. As a result, you’ll be able to use the VAIO CW as your sole PC.

Office performance is equally adept, with a mid-range 2.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 processor in place. It’s backed by 4096MB of DDR3 memory, and we found this an excellent machine to carry out office work or run a host of applications simultaneously. The 320GB hard drive offers more than enough space for most music and photo collections.

There are a trio of USB ports for adding peripherals, with two on the left-hand side of the chassis, and one on the right. Other ports include VGA and HDMI, offering connectivity for analogue and digital displays. As with most other VAIO models, there are two card readers on the front of the chassis, supporting Sony’s Memory Stick and SD formats. 802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet provide decent networking options, but it’s a shame to see 3G/HSDPA omitted.

Verdict:

The VAIO CW may not be Sony’s most desirable laptop, but that doesn’t stop it from being a great choice. The combination of size and power make it an ideal machine for all types of user, and that it’s just at home on the commute, in the living room or in the office is testament to just how good an all-rounder it is.

PHOTOS: Sony Vaio CW

Tags: Hardware Laptops Sony Sony Vaio CW

Sony VAIO CW1S1E notebook originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:39:08 +0000

It seems like viruses for the iPhone are on the increase, following the discovery of a security hole by a Dutch hacker. A worm has popped up that appears to be infecting jailbroken handsets in Australia.

The Ikee worm doesn't do anything terribly malicious - it changes the handset's wallpaper to an image of Rick Astley and then attempts to find more handsets to infect. However, it could easily be modified to steal contact info or log keypresses, which would be of considerably more concern.

As previously reported on Pocket-lint, the hole only affects jailbroken iPhones that are running an SSH utility and haven't had the default password - "alpine" - changed. Usefully, this virus will disable the SSH application from running, preventing the handset from being infected any further.

Apple hasn't yet commented, but as this issue only affects jailbroken handsets, it's unlikely we'll be hearing much from the big fruit on this one. In the meantime, if you're running an unlocked iPhone, go change your password. Here's how to do it.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones iPhone Viruses And Malware

iPhone gets Rick Astley virus originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:22:35 +0000

Despite a motion currently registered with the US courts that Verizon stop "misleading" US consumers about AT&T's coverage, Verizon has released another advert slamming its rival's 3G network.

Relegating the iPhone to the "island of misfit toys" thanks to the patchiness of AT&T's coverage, Verizon remains on the offensive with its Christmas advertising campaign.

Hit play in the bix above to see the full advert and we'll bring you more as we have it.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Verizon AT and T iPhone Video Advertising Apple

VIDEO: Verizon stays on the offensive with new anti-iPhone ad originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:20:06 +0000

If you’re a footy fan, then it’s fair to say you might have spent a fair amount of time this weekend shouting at a TV screen somewhere, am I right?

Let’s face it: the refs don’t know what they’re doing, the players are overpaid and pampered, so there’s a lot to shout about.

Now though, you can make your shouting count. This site is all bout voice controlled football.

No, I didn’t believe it either…?

www.speechsoccer.com

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If you have a website that you want to tell us about email us via the feedback form.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY ? Speech Soccer originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Sonos has releases an update to its iPhone and iPod touch app bringing it in line with the new?Sonos Software 3.1?update released recently for the music systems dedicated controller and computer software.?

The new update, which is now available in the Apple app store allows?Sonos owners?to tweet what they are listening to, as well as tweaking the menu system with new icons and logos for the relevant music service.

It also brings in support for the company's new?Sonos S5 ZonePlayer, which includes a built in speaker. Handy, as the iPhone and the iPod touch app is the main way the company hopes to entice new users in to the streaming music system.

The Sonos controller iPhone app is available across the globe.

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Tags: Audio Sonos Phones Mobile phone apps Apple iPhone iPod

Sonos Controller iPhone/iPod app gets twitter update originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:08:22 +0000

Boxee?has confirmed that is will be coming out of Alpha and going into Beta on 7 December before a full launch in January at CES.

Boxee, who describes themselves as the "first social media centre playing media from your computer and other devices in your home network, as well as connect you to various Internet sources, allows you to stream or download movies, tv shows, music and photos.

"The date is set for the release of the Boxee Beta. On December 7th at 7pm we are going to have an unveiling event at the Music Hall of Williamsburg," the company said in a statement on their website before confirming a public beta would be live at the start of?CES 2010?on the 7 January.

According to the company, the "Boxee Beta will look, feel and behave differently from the Alpha."

New features promised include a new user interface, improved navigation, the ability to search for TV shows and movies as well as a user controlled queue and more.

We will bring you more on the new features presumably for the?Windows?and Mac versions in December.

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Tags: Home Cinema Software Boxee CES2010

Boxee sets date for beta, promises new features originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:39:54 +0000

Canon?has released a new firmware update that fixes a know issue with its top of the range?Canon EOS 7D DSLR camera?launched back in

The new firmware update, version 1.1.0, corrects a recently discovered problem of remnants of the previous photo being visible in continuous photo mode.

Users of the new camera that was announced in September are recommended to download the new firmware update.

Canon offers both Mac and Windows software versions.

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Tags: Cameras DSLR cameras Canon Canon EOS 7D

Canon 7D firmware update rids you of the ghost in the machine originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:28:11 +0000

Adobe Photoshop.com Mobile for iPhone?app?has come to the Android platform the company has announced.

Following on from the launch of the iPhone app in the US in October, the company has rolled out the "Free" app on the Google OS.

The Android application equips consumers with same image-editing tools, colour adjustments and instant photo-sharing capabilities.

Users get photo-editing tools like crop, rotate and flip as well as "effects" like the Soft Focus filter can be used to create a blur effect, and for performing color adjustments such as exposure, saturation, tint changes and classic black-and-white.

Due to the ability to multi-task, something the iPhone can't do, Adobe says users we be able to automatically upload pictures to Photoshop.com albums in the background, even when the app isn't running.

As with the iPhone app, the application is currently available in the US and Canada only.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Android Adobe Photoshop Mobile for Android Photoshop Mobile for iPhone App Stores

Adobe Photoshop for mobile Android edition launched originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:16:40 +0000

Fancy being apart of one of the leading global gadget news and reviews sites in the world? Thought you did.?Pocket-lint is looking for positions to fill in?New York and?San Francisco.

We are looking for roving reporters to join the team based in New York and San Francisco to replace Stuart who is heading back to the UK.

Ideally you will be well connected within the gadget scene and be available to chase down briefings, meetings and attend events when needed.

You will have to be able to get into either New York city or San Francisco for meetings, come with your own computer and digital camera and of course be able to access the internet without excuses.

Work amount and schedule is based on your ability to generate original stories and we are looking for you to take the lead rather than be spoonfed ideas.

Salary etc will depends on work and experience.?

The ability to file quickly at events is also a must.

To apply email us via the feedback form with links to two examples of your work and the answer to the following two questions:

1. Why should we hire you?

2. If you were a product on a supermarket shelf what would you be and why?

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness

Pocket-lint is hiring in US originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:04:10 +0000

Sony's?BDP-S560 and BDP-S760, which we saw at IFA 2009, and BDP-S360, which we've reviewed, are available now. The Blu-ray players will be showcased on the weekend of 7/8 November in "Manpods" just off Carnaby St in London, where shoppers can take a short break.

The DP-S560 and BDP-S760 have 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity, and are also WPS-enabled for ease of connection. Firmware updates and BD-Live capabilities can then be accessed without having to deal with cables. More importantly, though, they're both DLNA certified, so you can stream content from your home network.

The BDP-S760 is the flagship model and contains an "HD Reality Enhancer". That should smooth image tones and reduce noise, creating a punchier, brighter picture. The BDP-S760 also includes multi-channel headphone surround for generating a 7.1 experience on stereo earphones.

Those two, along with the more budget-oriented BDP-S360, are available now. The BDP-S360 costs ?180, the BDP-S560 is ?300 and the BDP-S760 is ?400.

Tags: Home Cinema Blu-ray Sony Sony BDP-S560 Sony BDP-S760 Sony BDP-S360

Sony's BDP-S560 and BDP-S760 now available originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:54:03 +0000

The Prince of Persia film trailer has just hit the intertubes and with it our hearts both flutter and sink at the same time as we realise that it's going to be terrible. It may sound premature but anyone who knows anything about either games, films or ideally both, will know that out of countless console to silver screen conversions there has been a sum total of no good ones whatsoever. Yes, some have had brushes with the acceptable - Tomb Raider and Silent Hill at a push - but the fact remains that history just doesn't lie. Not here.

So, why are they so bad? What's the deal? First and foremost game plots just aren't up to it. At the best we get some lengthy cut scenes between gruff-talking men in over-sized armour between levels of dealing death to any creature that gets in the way of Player 1 and the next room/access key/elevator/bigger weapon/mushroom. They may contain over 200 hundred hours of gameplay but you could probably condense the storyline into around 20 minutes.

Even if these plots do have any staying power, then they're rarely as sophisticated as what hundreds of years experience of stage and screen writing can produce, and the results are laughable. We laugh, usually around an hour in, well after our hearts have been broken in two because our favourite title is being ridiculed in front of the world. The trouble is that video games aren't designed to be stories. They're games. They're about skill and puzzles rather than a meaningful narrative. There are narratives, more and more, and they're better than ever these days, but they're still tertiary to the structure of the game beneath both playability and graphical appeal.

Then there's characters who are largely two-dimensional. We don't really want to know about Ryu's anxiety when taking on Zangief and fortunately Capcom didn't bore us to death in case we did. Even more involved RPG or adventure pieces only ever get as far as overt emotions like fear or anger at current events and only at the most complex might we see a flashback from the character's past, and only then if it's germane to the plot. The point is that it's up to us, the players, to form the deeper reaction in response to a series of ruthless/kind/good/evil and if we're really lucky, traitorous characters. The added colour simply isn't written in for a very good reason - that of personal subjective involvement.

So, here's how the situation works given the already shaky starting materials. First, a game gets big enough and a movie producer gets bored enough to decide that they're going to make a film out of it. So, they plonk it down in front of an upcoming writer and director, most likely still learning their trade or they'd probably have an original or more worthy project on the slate. Faced with a thin plot and characters that no one's going to care about, they then do their level best to add some colour to the proceedings which is inevitably flawed, most likely because they won't be big players of the game, and what they fabricate will not be in the spirit of thing. Either that or they don't add enough and it's dull as ditch-water anyway.

They then present the project to similarly aspiring actors who take it on because, hey, it's work whereby a few months down the line and several million on special effects later we have one film destined to disappoint.? What's worse is that this film will make more money than it cost and so the cycle repeats itself. Perhaps the only good that's ever done is that the artists involved might have graduated to the higher echelons of film making by then. Good luck to them.

There are, of course, minor exceptions. Dennis Hopper was in Super Mario Bros, Angelina Jolie was Lara Croft and now Jake Gyllenhaal has taken the lead in the Prince of Persia, but these stars alone aren't going to be enough to fill all the gaps. Incidentally, if you want a real laugh, watch the DVD extras on Dungeons & Dragons for the out take where Jeremy Irons storms off the set. There's the look of an actor regretting the fact they got involved with it in the first place.

So, what of Prince of Persia then? Is it as doomed as we make out? Well, it's got a stronger plot than some. They've integrated the use of the Dagger of Time really nicely (I'm a sucker for films with time travel). They've got an excellent director in the shape of Mike Newell and a star studded cast with class acts like Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina supporting the adept and watchable Gyllenhaal, but a good game adaptation that's not necessarily going to make. What do they know about the Prince of Persia? Gyllenhaal has said himself that he's over-prepared for this movie by bulking up with five or six pounds in added muscle. Now, that doesn't sound like the right kind of training. How about a copy of the game, a dark room and bulking up with five or six pounds in added KFC?

Mercifully, the game's creator, Jordan Mechner, has been part of the team on the script, but time will only tell whether Jerry Bruckheimer listened to him or not. Still, most of you reading this will probably watch it, you'll probably hate it and you'll probably wonder why you fell for the same trick again. Thankfully, you'll probably have downloaded it for nothing too.

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Tags: Gaming PS3 Xbox 360 PC games Prince of Persia Films Movies Comment

Why are game-inspired films so terrible? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:38:52 +0000

Lawyer: Mrs. Simpson, what did you and your husband do after you were ejected from the restaurant?

Marge Simpson: We pretty much went straight home…

Lawyer: Mrs. Simpson, you are under oath!

Marge Simpson: We drove around until 3AM looking for another all-you-can-eat fish restaurant.

Lawyer: And when you couldn’t find one?

Marge Simpson: We went fishing…

Lawyer: Do these sound like the actions of a man who had all he could eat?

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What am I talking about, and why have a started with a quote from a Simpsons episode? Well, because it's the same problem that is affecting the mobile phone industry at the moment, with neither Ofcom or the Advertising Standards Agency apparently bothered that consumers are being lied to on a daily basis every time they sign up to a mobile phone contract.

The frustration, and one that was experienced by Homer Simpson in the episode, comes down to the definition of Unlimited.

In my books and strangely enough in the dictionary Unlimited means:

Main Entry: un?lim?it?ed

Pronunciation: -li-m-td

Function: adjective

Date: 15th century

1 : lacking any controls : unrestricted 2 : boundless, infinite 3 : not bounded by exceptions : undefined

— un?lim?it?ed?ly adverb

However, talk to any mobile operator and the word "unlimited" seems to come with an astrix that highlights caveats or that the term is based on our "fair usage policy".

According to Orange, that "Unlimited" bundle means 750MB of data, far from what the dictionary describes above.

But why isn't the ASA or Ofcom clamping down on these unfair and misleading claims?

When we contacted Ofcom we got the following response:

"As far as I know, this is not something that Ofcom has published anything on".

Not published anything? Really? However they are happy to spend thousands investigating why people buy pirated DVDs on the Internet - surely they just go to torrent sites?

Meanwhile the ASA doesn't believe that mobile operators lying or being quiet about the terms and conditions of a data plan that could, potentially, cost you thousands of pounds over the course of a contract is that much of an issue.

"The ASA does not have guidance on the use of the term 'unlimited' as the ASA position is derived from the Advertising Codes and previous case history (our ASA case law)", an ASA spokesperson told Pocket-lint when we asked them what was what.

"In a nutshell, the term 'unlimited' can be used to describe a service that, if containing a fair-usage policy, will only affect the a-typical user. (i.e. the majority of users will not be affected.)"

So what's the solution?

I believe that mobile phone operators shouldn't be allowed to use the unlimited moniker unless it really is that. As mobile phones increasingly become the gateway to our digital lives on the go we are likely to be consuming more images, more video, more music and therefore more data.

I don't want to sign up to a contract where there is normally a termination fee if I haven't been made aware of all the facts before signing up.?

At the moment words like "Unlimited" are nothing more than lies, even if "a typical user" won't supposedly be affected.?

Although the ASA might consider "unlimited" an acceptable term for tariffs with data caps or fair usage policies, here at Pocket-lint, we don't. And as such, we are making a stand. We will no longer continue to use the word "unlimited" when the tariff it refers to clearly is no such thing.

We will also be sure to make such caps or usage limits apparent every time we cover news that refers to an "unlimited" deal.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Tariffs Orange Vodafone T-Mobile O2 3

Limited "unlimited" claims should be banned originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:37:26 +0000

Mobile phone retailer Phones 4U is exclusively offering the Nokia N97 Mini in white to customers from 6 November 2009. ?

Phones 4U also enjoyed an 8-week exclusive on the white version of the original N97 starting back in June this year.

Said to be "one of Phones 4U's most successful handset launches to date", the retailer is hoping the white model of the mini-me handset will prove simialarly popular.

With stainless steel cues and sleek white casing, the white Nokia N97 Mini is available now free on a ?35 a month contract on Orange or Vodafone.

Those that trade in their existing Nseries handset however, can get the new phone for free on a ?25 a month contract.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia N97 Mini Phones4U

Nokia N97 Mini available in white from Phones 4U originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:24:59 +0000

Q-Acoustics has announced its Q-TV2s, a novel speaker system for televisions that improves the sound experience from your flatscreen, while not requiring an external amplifier and saving considerable space. How? Well, it mounts on the back of your display.

It connects up via RCA or headphone jack and provides 2.1 stereo sound which it reckons is considerably better than what the TV will put out by default, offering better treble, more dynamics, and a whole lot more bass. Most impressively, it manages that while still being just 38mm deep.

For the more technical amongst you, the left and right channel sound comes from four?wide-dispersion balanced-mode radiator 25W speakers, with the subwoofer (which actually comprises of four individual subs) packing 50W of juice. The L and R are swivelable (if that's a word) and there's an option that works with wall-mounted TVs too.

It'll suit 30 to 42-inch televisions, and is available right now from Amazon UK for ?300.

Tags: Audio Home Cinema Speakers Q-Acoustics Video

VIDEO: Q-Acoustics Q-ATV2 speakers announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:03:55 +0000

The date for the launch of the PSP version of LittleBigPlanet has finally been confirmed for the UK.

Sony has told gaming site CVG that the new title will be out in the UK on 20 November, a few days behind the US release on 17 November.

LBP PSP is a whole new adventure with new levels for Sackboy fans - hit play now on the video to see a teaser video of the game.

Tags: Gaming PSP Sony LittleBigPlanet Video

VIDEO: LittleBigPlanet PSP UK launch confirmed for 20 November originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:43:06 +0000

eBay's Skype has reached a settlement with Joltid over a breach of license that will now see the sale of the VoIP firm go through without litigation hassles.

Joltid Ltd, a Swedish firm owned by Skype founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, had claimed peer-to-peer technology owned by Joltid, and not eBay, was being used in a breach of license with every download of the Skype software.

It's now been announced that the investor group led by Silver Lake, which is to acquire a majority stake in Skype, has reached a settlement agreement with Joltid and Joost that gives Skype ownership over all software previously licensed from Joltid.

As part of the settlement, Zennstrom and Friis will join the investor group and the Skype board with a 14% share in exchange for providing Joltid software and a significant capital investment.

This now ends all litigation currently pending against the investor group and eBay.

"We'll be free to concentrate all of our efforts on building the world’s greatest communications software", says Skype in a blog post.

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Tags: Software Biz Skype Lawsuits eBay Joltid

Skype and Joltid settle originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:11:46 +0000

First off congratulations to Paul Story who won last month's comments comp for his comment on the story "Amazon Kindle UK import orders begin". For those who didn't win, don't fret, because the kind folk at TomTom have sent a TomTom XL Live IQ Routes Europe unit for us to dish out for our November comments competition.

The rules of the competition are simple, you can enter as many times as you like by simply commenting on any story. It doesn't have to be in depth, detailed or technical, but it does have to be useful, helpful or funny.

You don't have to sign up to comment on the stories, we just ask for your name, location and email address - that does not show up online and is not passed on.

The TomTom device measures 123 x 80 x 18mm and features 4.3-inch touch display, the screen being bright and a convenient size enabling ease of use whilst driving.

Along with Live HD Traffic, now with added support for Europe, the TomTom XL Live has excellent route guidance and with the added MapShare feature, it allows for easy updating of maps within the TomTom community.

To be in with a chance of winning this top-notch effort just comment on any story during the month of November. At the end of November the Pocket-lint team will take a look and choose what we believe is the best one.

Make sure you take a look at Pocket-lint's full review where it received a 9/10 score.

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Tags: Audio accessories Biz Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness TomTom GPS Competitions

Win a TomTom XL Live IQ Routes Europe originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:42:25 +0000

While here at Pocket-lint we had our very own 3D week a little way back, Channel 4's 3D week is fast approaching on 16 November and the broadcaster's promotional partner Sainsbury's is now in full swing distributing the required glasses.

The supermarket chain is going to be giving away 10 million pairs of 3D glasses for free to UK consumers so they can enjoy the full effects of Channel 4's ColorCode 3-D programming, thanks to the glasses' special amber and blue filters.?

The highlight of the week's coverage - for patriotic Brits anyway - will be previously unseen 3D footage of the Queen during her coronation year. In addition "Derren Brown's 3D Magic Spectacular" and - typical for Channel 4 - "The Greatest Ever 3D Moments" will also be shown.

The week will also include "several" 3D movies, details of which will be revealed soon - we will keep you posted.

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Tags: Home Cinema 3D 3DTV Sainsburys Channel 4

Sainsbury's now offering free glasses for Channel 4's 3D week originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:25:24 +0000

The Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal has called for the annual 2-minute silence to extend online this year.

The organisation has asked Twitter users to observe the 2-minutes' silence on Remembrance Day by sending no tweets during this period via its Twitter account.

The tweet "2 minute silence on Twitter 11:00am GMT on 11 November #2minutesilence RT plz" has been retweeted widely, suggesting the Twitterverse is happy to get behind the idea.

The 2009 Poppy Appeal - that helps fund the Royal British Legion's charity work with servicemen and their families - currently stands at ?1,266,920.

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Tags: Software Websites Online Twitter Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal

Poppy Appeal calls for Twitter silence on Remembrance Day originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:54:07 +0000

The Best Game nominees for the Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadgets Awards 2009 are likely to be much more of a fight than last year's cut and dry selection. Without quite such monumental hits as Little Big Planet, GTA IV and Wii Fit, the field is wide open and there are one or two more platforms of maturity to compete with the big three consoles. Who would you choose?

The Blockbusters

Somehow sequels are infinitely more respectable in video games than they are at the movies, which is fortunate for the industry seeing as pretty much all the big hits this year have been just that. The annual releases of FIFA 2010 and PES 2010 probably take the award for the longest running of the lot but with Resident Evil 5 and its slightly awry publicity stunt zombie hunt coming in close behind. Back from the dead came Street Fighter IV with all your favourite faces plus a few new ones just waiting to be pummeled by a few well placed Shoryuken and a cheap 100 hand slap.

COD looks like it might just squeeze in its sixth episode in time for the deadline with Modern Warefare 2 but it looks as if both Left 4 Dead 2 and the hugely anticipated Tony Hawk Ride have left it too late this time. Probably just so they can be hot favourites for our pick of 2010.

The Halo series has managed two releases on its own with its first person shooter and strategy lines - Halo ODST and Halo Wars respectively - and if it's shooters you're after, then there's the recent launch of both Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and the highly regarded Borderlands to consider - the latter of which comes with strong RPG elements and a gaggle of console players currently at its mercy.

The trouble with most big games is we hear about them 12 months before they arrive. By the time they get here, they're almost old news. There was a seemingly endless wait for a certain DC title in the dark shape of Batman: Arkham Asylum, but it didn't disappoint when it turned up at the end of the summer. Definitely another big title worth a shout for the award.

Rock Band & Guitar Hero

We were going to use Rhythm Games as a title but frankly these two warring factions pretty much eclipsed every other party in 2009, so between Harmonix and Acitvision it is. Both companies have world domination on their minds releasing multiple titles for multiple platforms. Probably biggest of all was the moment the Fab Four finally went digital with the release of The Beatles: Rock Band but the EA backed franchise has also remembered to think small with the launch of Rock Band for the iPhone as well.

The big release for Activision was a little harder to spot. You'd have to pick between Guitar Hero 5 and and DJ Hero for the largest splash, but with Band Hero out today, there's room for a third party in the debate. GH too went portable with Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits for the DS and brought another band their own version of the game with Guitar Hero Metallica too. The list for both dynasties is set to continue despite Rock Band's latest confession. We're told there's a version for The Who in the pipeline and we're sure there's plenty of acts to get through before they start scraping the barrel with Guitar Hero Color Me Badd.

Portable

Just when you think portable gaming has exploded, it explodes some more. According to one Steve Jobs, Sony and Nintendo have a new kid to worry about now that the app store is in full swing. Whether you believe it has the same potential as a platform or not is one thing, but what we have seen for sure this year is that there are a lot of big titles focusing on an iPhone release.

Rock Band we already know about but some of the other stand out serious titles for Apple have been the wildly addictive Championship Manager, Command and Conquer Red Alert, for those who just can't put the mouse down, and the return of a classic in digitised form with the Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone Fighting Fantasy role play series getting an app of its own.

As for the PSP and DSi, there have been hundreds of titles but the two standouts for our money are GTA Chinatown Wars, which brought the first 18 certificate to Nintendo's handheld, and the enormous cult success that is Monster Hunter Freedom Unite.

PC

Some games are still just too hardcore for a simple console interface and this year has seen Will Wright come back one more time with the latest chapter of his god game classic, the Sims 3 - even if it did arrive a little earlier than anticipated. But it wasn't just the one classic for 2009. Another season brings us another Championship Manager, but it was the people's champion who made the biggest splash in this field bringing the beautiful game to the Internet with Football Manager Live, and they weren't the only ones to do so. The seminal first person shooter, Quake also hit the Web and ruined worker efficiency everywhere with Quake Live as well.

Thankfully, we also had a few fresh starts in PC gaming or perhaps more accurately computer gaming in this case. Playfish brought out another of their social networking phenomenon games with Quiztastic - to challenge and annoy your friends with and there was also proof that Flash gaming is as strong as ever with the appearance of the Super Mario 63 web game for all to enjoy. Last of all though was another of the big hitters for 2009 in the small and cute form that is Plants vs Zombies. The game is set to take over the world on just about every level as soon as it hits the iPhone but for now you can enjoy it from the comfort of your own computer.

Wii

At the other end of the scale there's a certain brand of games that are only going to work on the Nintendo Wii. The fitness wave rolls on with Wii Sports Resort and more recently Wii Fit Plus but there's also been the resurrection of Punch Out, this time without Mike Tyson. Finally, though, one of the biggest storms in a d-pad was caused by the release of the dark MadWorld beat'em up from Sega, which received plenty of complaints given its launch on such a family minded console. It's unlikely to cause issues when it comes to other machines soon but it's the gameplay that counts and word is that it's one that certainly delivers.

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What do you think?

But these are just some of the fantastic choices our readers have had in 2009. What would you like to see held aloft as the winner of Pocket-lint Best Game 2009? Who have we missed out? Which are your unsung heroes and of those we've already mentioned, which would get your vote? Let us know in the comments below and you can help our panel decide which make the shortlist of nominees to be announced here on Pocket-lint on 16 November. We'll have all out coverage of the Vodafone Pocket-lint awards 2009 right here. Don't miss a minute of it.

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Related links:

• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - software, services, apps
• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - laptops
• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - digital cameras

Tags: Gaming Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Pocket-lint Awards Features Xbox PlayStation Nintendo PC games

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - games originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:30:19 +0000

A 23-year-old Minnesota woman has declared that she'll be streaming a live video of the birth of her first child on the Web, allowing anyone to watch.

Lynsee, who's refusing to share her second name, had just moved to the Twin Cities of Minneaspolis-St. Paul when she found out she was pregnant. She signed up to a social network - MomsLikeMe - and created a group called Watch Lynsee Grow after she answered an email from the site administrator looking for contributors.

The birth will be shot from two cameras - one in the hospital room with a cameraman, and one mounted in the corner. Lynsee will also have access to a computer answering questions from anyone registered on her group on MomsLikeMe.

"We wanted to share this experience, said Lynsee, adding: "If I were in a classroom, I'd be teaching about development. It was a way for me to teach... A way for me to use myself as a textbook".

Opinions on the Web range as to whether this is a publicity stunt for MomsLikeMe, a sign of a technologically enlightened younger generation comfortable with an erosion of privacy, or an "overshare" from the family. How do you feel about it? Let us know in the comments.

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Tags: Software Online MomsLikeMe

Woman broadcasts birth on the Web originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:26:42 +0000

You can't just grow hair on your top tip and think that's all there is to it, grooming your moustache, or mustache for our American readers, takes time and consideration.

We sat down with Dr. Aaron Perlut, the chairman of the American Mustache Institute to find out more.

"The best tip I can give is to grow a moustache that is appropriate for your face", says Perlut, stern and to the point. "A moustache can enhance the image you want to portray. A Fu Manchu or Horseshoe is good for looking tough. A Pencil or Handlebar is good for adding an appearance of being intelligent. Just don't forget the monocle".

Once you've started growing your mo - you've got to care for it, look after it. Here Perlut recommends a moustache wax over gel or hairspray.

"Moustache wax really can't be beaten, here at the AMI [American Mustache Institute] we recommend Oregon Wildhair Moustache Wax", says Perlut.

Oregon Wildhair Moustache Wax is an artisan wax made using beeswax, petroleum jelly, lanolin, and natural musk oil without perfume, so as not to destroy flavours like tea or coffee.

Mark Coyl, the creator of Wildhair, offers a rather elaborate set of tips for grooming his mo: "I usually?groom my moustache after my morning shower. First, I vigorously brush my moustache with a natural bristle brush to help shape it; then I apply my wax. Sometimes, when I find that my moustache doesn't want to cooperate, I use a hair dyer to warm the wax after it is on my moustache. I heat one?side of my moustache for 10 seconds or so and then I hold?the end?of my moustache to the shape I want until the wax cools, which takes another 10 seconds.?Then I do the same to the other side. I apply more wax if I feel more is needed".

Still on the subject of cleaning, Dr. Perlut believes that a moustache left to its own devices can get rough and uncomfortable. He recommends using a conditioner every other day to ensure its full bodied and fluffy.

So what about foods? Easy claims Perlut:

"Creamy substances like soups are outstanding as they can be caught in the moustache and savoured later, while drinking beer helps keep it moist".

If the girlfriend or wife complains? Perlut has an answer for that too:

"If a girlfriend ever requests you remove your moustache find yourself a new girlfriend".

Brave words, but perhaps Perlut's second piece of advice on the subject might help to sway them to reconsider:

"Every time a moustache is shaved an angel dies."

And finally one to leave you even more confused than you were before:

"Midgets with Moustaches are awesome".

You heard it here first.

Movember is about having fun, growing a moustache and raising much needed funds and awareness for men's health - specifically prostate cancer. What many people don't appreciate is that one man dies every hour of prostate cancer in the UK, more than 35,000 men will be diagnosed this year and that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. ?

The more that join us, the more we can 'change the face of men's health' through raising awareness and the money that will be raised.

Let's 'Change the Face of Mens Health'.

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Related links:

• Link - Movember
• Feature - Top grooming gadgets for Movember
• Feature - Moustache styles and what to grow

Tags: Gadgets Movember Interviews Features

Grooming tips for your moustache originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:07:34 +0000

As The Flickr Collection by Getty Images has hit over 60,000 images, the site has announced a "formal Call for Artists".

This means that any of the 40 million-plus Flickr members can submit their work to be considered for the collection through the Call for Artists group on Flickr, rather than wait to have their image spotted by the Flickr team.
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There's detailed guidelines over on the group page, but basically all Flickr users can now submit 10 images "that represent what you consider to be the best of your work".

The Getty Images creative team will then evaluate submissions based on style, subject matter and technical skill and let sucessful members know if their images will get into the group for possible licensing.

Tags: Software Online Websites Flickr Getty Cameras

"Call for Artists" from The Flickr Collection by Getty Images originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:31:16 +0000

Something for the weekend? Any iPhone or iPod touch owners may well be interested in today's tech deal, as LogMeIn is putting its award-winning Ignition for iPhone application on sale.

LogMeIn Ignition for iPhone and iPod touch normally retails at ?17.99, but this weekend the app will be available at the discounted price of 11.99 via the Apple App Store. This offer is available today, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November.

Ignition for iPhone enables users to control their computers from their Apple iPhone and iPod touch when out and about, the upshot of which means that you'll never have to be away from your computer and possibly work. Although clearly of use to some, paying for the privilege of spending any more time in front of your PC might seem a little perverse.

Still, the offer is a good one and as mentioned lasts all weekend.

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Tags: Phones iPhone apps LogMeIn Ignition LogMeln App Store Apple Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: LogMeIn Ignition iPhone app gets discounted originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:13:12 +0000

Designer Lulu Guinness has teamed up with Comet to create a limited edition toaster "to add a touch of glamour to one of the most quintessentially British gadgets".

Featuring Lulu's iconic "lip" designs, with red and cream lips on a black background, the toaster is said to be inspired by 1950's glamour and the classic shade of red lipstick seen in old Hollywood movies.

The limited edition Lulu Guinness for Comet toaster will be available to buy at www.comet.co.uk/luluguinnesstoaster from 5 November and in selected Comet stores from 13 November, priced at ?34.99.

Tags: Home And Kitchen Toasters Kitchen gadgets Lulu Guinness Comet

Lulu Guinness for Comet toaster launches originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:59:20 +0000

The deal that will see Orange and T-Mobile merged in the UK to form the biggest mobile phone operator has been finalised.

Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom have now signed the final agreement to combine their respective UK operations into a 50:50 joint venture company.

The companies say that completion is conditional on relevant authorities approval and is expected in the first half of 2010.

Timotheus Hottges, the CFO of Deutsche Telekom says the joint venture "will set new standards as the number one in the UK mobile market".

Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry Orange T-Mobile Mergers Acquisitions Deutsche Telekom France Telecom

T-Mobile and Orange 50:50 joint venture finalised originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:28:24 +0000

We knew it was coming, and now it's here. The awesome Tauntaun sleeping bag, which began its life as an April Fools Joke, is available for pre-order on ThinkGeek's website.

The site says: "after exhaustive movie viewing research and analysis?ThinkGeek Labs?has isolated the exact synthetic compounds needed to re-create Tauntaun fur". "This high-quality sleeping bag looks just like a Tauntaun, complete with saddle,?printed internal intestines, and a plush lightsaber zipper pull".

If you want to get one for yourself, it'll cost you $100 (about ?60) plus postage. Be quick, though - there's very limited numbers available and customers are only able to buy a maximum of two each. ThinkGeek promises that if you order now, it'll ship before 25 November - whether that'll be in time for Christmas post to the UK is unclear.

Tags: Gadgets Tauntaun sleeping bag ThinkGeek Star Wars Video

VIDEO: Tauntaun sleeping bag up for pre-order originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:20:52 +0000

It's being reported that a street has been named after a Twitter username in the Palestinian West Bank. In the Askar refugee camp, close to the city of Nablus, a road has been named "@ arjanelfassed tweetstreet", after the user @arjanelfassed.

A Dutch charity, Jouw Eigen Straatnam, charges 100 euros for each of the street names in the camp, and all the proceeds go to the Palestinian Child Care Society, which funds "cultural and expressive after-school activities", according to El Fassad.

El Fassad says: "Since a refugee camp by definition should not remain permanent, selling street names of the camp is a creative way to connect people and support these children after school. Naming the street to?my Twitter account?is a symbolic way to connect both online and offline with the children of Askar".

Perhaps we need an @stephenfry street in the UK?

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Tags: Software Online Twitter

Palestinian street named after Twitter account originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:04:02 +0000

Of all the bands that have a difficult relationship with digital music, The Beatles stand above AC/DC, Metallica and Pink Floyd as the most troublesome. Apple Corps has a long-standing dispute with EMI that prevents the Fab Four's music from being available on services like iTunes, Spotify and Last.fm.

But after George Harrison's son Dhani met MTV's president, Van Toffler, in 2006, and suggested a Rock Band game based around The Beatles' catalogue, both parties worked to overcome logistical difficulties and the cult of protectionism that surrounds any use of The Beatles' image.

Harrison worked to win over Apple Corps, talking to McCartney, Starr and Ono about the idea. Toffler went off to convince Harmonix. In the end, following the production of a five-song demo, and an agreement that songs from the entire career of the band would be showcased, a deal was signed.

During development of the game, McCartney, Starr, Ono and Harrison all provided feedback on various aspects of the title, even down to demanding that The Beatles' hair blew about in the wind more when they perform on the roof of the Apple Corps' HQ, as it did on the day in 1969.

That sense of careful control of the image of the band is everywhere in the game. At no point is it possible to make The Beatles look bad, or affect the songs in any way other than to quieten a single instrument temporarily if you miss a note.

The ability to play drum beats before the start and after the end of a track are gone. So too is the ability to do wildcat drum solos in the middle of tracks to active "Overdrive" for extra points (which happens to be renamed "Beatlemania" in B:RB). The control is over every tiny detail, even down to the fact that attaining an extra star doesn't make the little "ding" sound it does in Rock Band 2.

But in its place is boatloads of extra content for Beatles fans. Attaining three and five stars on an individual track will unlock a photo and anecdote about the recording of that track. Each song is bookended by real studio chatter from the original recordings, all the way down to Ringo shouting "I've got blisters on me fingers!" at the end of Helter Skelter.

One benefit over previous versions of the game is that all 45 songs are unlocked from the start. You don't have to play through "Story" mode to get access to every track. If you do, however, you'll find an artfully crafted chronological journey through the band's history, starting at the Cavern Club, and ending on the aforementioned rooftop.

Between each chapter of the band's career, you get a lovely little animation depicting record sleeves, and covering famous episodes that occurred in that timeframe. The game is visually stunning, especially on a big HD display, and very in-keeping with the legacy of the band - particularly when it comes to the "Dreamscapes" that accompany several tracks from The Beatles' studio years.

In terms of features, though, there's very little difference between this game and last year's Rock Band 2. The only major addition is that of harmonies, which you'll need multiple USB mics for, along with a mic stand for singing and playing at the same time. Headset mics won't work, unlike in previous games.

The harmonies aren't easy. In fact they're doggone tough, unless you're a practiced vocalist in real life. Luckily, a trio of vocalists can sing any of the harmony parts without having to worry about who's singing what. As long as you're in tune with at least one of the melodies, you'll score well.

The enhanced plastic instruments are pretty awesome too. Well, the guitars are. The Rickenbacker 325, Gretsch Duo Jet, and Hefner bass are all fantastic representations of the original instruments, and will look great even if you're playing another game in the Rock Band range.

The Ludwig drum kit isn't quite as good, though. It's the same kit as from Rock Band 2, but has a big Beatles logo that stretches across the back of the set, mimicking the bass drum skin, and new pearl-edged drum pads. It looks flimsy and fake compared to the quality of the other Premium instruments.

Difficulty is reasonable throughout - it's easy to see how tricky a particular song is and adjust accordingly. One criticism that could be levelled, however, is that the game is relatively short. The 45 songs can be played through in a couple of hours, making this more suited to perfectionists who'll want to 100% every single song.

More content is on the way, including songs left over from Abbey Road, Sgt Pepper and Rubber Soul that didn't make it into the game. The slow approach is due to the difficulty of splitting apart the content from the old 2-track and 4-track master tapes at Abbey Road. Music from The Beatles' various solo projects will not be included.

Verdict:

The Beatles Rock Band is a fantastic reminiscipackage of musical and visual content that should be firmly in the collection of any Beatles fan. But a question mark hangs over the value of this title for people who aren't so passionate about the band's catalogue.

Little niggles, like not being able to put in your own drum fills, grate considerably when compared to the relative freedom of Rock Band 2. The controlled, and relatively brief, experience puts a slightly bitter aftertaste on a game that is - in every other regard - fantastic fun.

The Beatles Rock Band is an absolute must for Beatles completists and Rock Band completists, but a music fan who hasn't yet dipped a toe into the world of music videogames like Rock Band and Guitar Hero would be better off starting with the excellent Rock Band 2 instead.

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Music games Beatles The Beatles Rock Band Rock Band Harmonix EA

The Beatles Rock Band - Xbox 360 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

It’s Friday (thank goodness) and the end of another hard week.

Here’s a little musical treat for those of you who really appreciate that middle of the day feeling, which, on a Friday, always seems that little bit better.

We love lunch too. Dinner’s not too bad either….

If you've seen a video online that you want to tell us about email us via the feedback form.

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY ? I Love Lunch originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Lighting for conspiracy theorists has arrived at Firebox with the launch of the Alien Abduction Lamp.

Offering a "high quality perspex beam", along with a "removable bovine abductee" the lamp also boasts "real fake grass".

It's on the pricey side of things at ?80, but we calculate the sheer novelty factor is worth ?57.62 alone.

Related links:

• Shop - Firebox

Tags: Home And Kitchen Lighting Firebox Dad

Firebox offers Alien Abduction Lamp originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:58:08 +0000

Today sees the sales kick off for the Droid by Motorola on the Verizon network in the States.?

Those that signed up for more info have received the above mailer with the somewhat quirky message as follows:

"The phone that makes you feel like a four star general with natural charisma, twelve arms and the power of mind control is here and ready to serve".

We'll keep you posted with any sales stats that are revealed and, as ever, we're on the case with news of a UK launch.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Verizon Motorola Droid

Droid by Motorola goes on sale in the States originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:40:31 +0000

Apple is rumoured to be testing some prototypes of a next-generation iPhone that includes an RFID reader built in. According to Einar Rosenberg, who runs LinkedIn's Near Field Communications group, "the reaction was very positive that we can expect this in the next gen iPhone".

We're a little skeptical. Not that Apple is testing RFID in iPhones, after all - it's patented the idea, but that it'll be showing up in the next iPhone in June 2010. On the one hand, near-field communications is a growing industry, but on the other hand there's relatively few places you can use it right now (outside of the Oyster Card system on the London tube network).

Rosenberg posits that it could be used to link iPhones to Macs for syncing purposes, which is possible. We think it's more likely, though, that this is an extension of Apple's new iPod-touch based purchasing systems for Apple store staffers, and could make its way into a more enterprise-targeted product.

What do you reckon? Tell us in the comments.

Note: The embedded video above is from the Touch Project's iPhone RFID Demonstration - it's not an Apple video.

Read

Tags: Phones iPhone Apple Mobile phones RFID Concepts Rumours Video

VIDEO: Apple prototyping RFID iPhones? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:01:36 +0000

Apple's first retail store in France - and its 277th across ten countries - will open in the centre of Paris at the Carrousel du Louvre on Saturday 7 November.

The two-story shop features an entire floor "dedicated to services that have become the hallmark of Apple retail stores around the world", including the Genius Bar, and boasts 150 employees overall.

The new store offers an entire floor of Macs, iPods and iPhones for customers to experience hands-on. There's also an entire room devoted to the iPhone.

"We are thrilled to bring the unique Apple retail experience to France", said Ron Johnson, Apple's senior vice president of retail.

"This stunning new store sits just below the world famous Pyramid du Louvre in the Carrousel du Louvre and offers our customers in Paris a wonderful place to shop, learn and be inspired".

Tags: Hardware Audio Apple shopping Biz

Apple's first store in France opens this weekend originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:58:05 +0000

Retail sales of Windows 7 were well over 200% higher than Vista's in the two operating system's first days of being on sale in the States, the NPD Group has revealed.

But although Windows 7 software unit sales were 234% higher than Vista's, it seems revenue growth wasn't as strong, said to be due primarily to discounts.

"Microsoft's program of early low-cost pre-sales, high visibility marketing, and aggressive deals helped make the Windows 7 software launch successful", said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD.

"In a slow environment for packaged software Windows 7 brought a large number of customers into the software aisles".

Perhaps a result of the different economic climate as Microsoft has launched this latest OS, compared to when Vista was launched, it seems PC hardware sales were down.

Windows PC sales were down 6% compared to PC sales during the Vista launch week.

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Tags: Software Windows 7 Microsoft Vista Statistics NPD Biz

Windows 7 retail sales up 234% on Vista originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:29:50 +0000

Spotify has announced on its blog that the previously-promised Spotify Phone is now available from 3 UK, in both its retail stores and online.

The deal comprises of an HTC Hero preloaded with the Spotify Android app, a 24-month subscription to Spotify Premium, 750 minutes and unlimited texts and data for ?35 per month over 24 months. The phone itself will require a ?100 initial outlay.

If you like the idea of the deal, but aren't keen on the phone, then there's a good chance that if this does well, more handsets will become available with similar offers, potentially from other operators. If and when that happens, we'll bring you the announcement.

It'll also be interesting to see what effect this has on services like Nokia's limited Comes with Music. In the meantime, is this a deal you like the look of? Or is the monthly fee and upfront payment a smidge too much over a 2-year contract? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Audio HTC Hero 3 Spotify Music

3's HTC Hero with Spotify now available originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:27:42 +0000

In the States two new Samsung mobile phones have been announced as due within days to AT&T customers.

The Mythic offers a 3.3-inch full touchscreen and features Samsung's TouchWiz user interface. Boasting one-touch access to the likes of AT&T Mobile TV and social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, the Mythic is angled as a "portable entertainment powerhouse". ?
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Available in red and silver, the Flight is described as a next generation messaging device and boasts a vertical sliding form factor that opens to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard underneath with a touchscreen on top.

The Samsung Mythic goes on sale for $199.99 after a mail-in rebate while the Samsung Flight is available for $99.99 after mail-in rebate.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Samsung AT and T

Samsung Mythic and Flight launch in the US originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:55:58 +0000

Twitter has announced on its blog that it's beginning the rollout of its promised retweets feature. The company said: "We've just activated a feature called retweet on a very small percentage of accounts in order to see how it works in the wild".

Retweets originally developed inside the Twitter community, rather than with the company. They indicate when a person wants to quote another person verbatim - usually sharing news or a link. ?The syntax is: "RT @username message". It has led to people often shortening their tweets even more to allow for space for a retweet.

The new feature would integrate the functionality in the API and web interface. While many third party Twitter clients already support retweets, there's still a substantial percentage of users who don't understand the functionality. We'll let you know when that "small percentage" begins to increase.

Read

Tags: Software Online Twitter

Twitter rolls out retweet feature, slowly originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:48:52 +0000

Yamaha has unveiled a more "wallet friendly" addition to the Tenori-On family - the Tenori-On "Orange".

The follow up to the original Tenori-On, launched back in 2007, it seems this version loses the expensive magnesium casing of the original, being replaced with a heavy duty and durable plastic casing.

Yamaha's Peter Peck explains: "We know everyone loves the concept and fresh approach of Tenori-On, however, as you'd expect, we have received thousands of requests for a more affordable version. We therefore looked at many ways of reducing the price without compromising the all-important product concept or creative operating system. By removing the battery option and the back panel LED's and changing the chassis construction from the magnesium found on the original to a more affordable material, we have achieved our goal of creating the more affordable Tenori-On 'Orange', bringing the full creative capability of Tenori-On to a much wider audience".

The Tenori-On "Orange" will be shipping from December 2009 with pricing to be revealed nearer the time.

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Tags: Audio Musical instruments Yamaha Tenori-On

Yamaha Tenori-On Orange announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:40:30 +0000

Memorex, yes, the people who made those see-through audio cassettes back in the day, have unleashed their latest iPod dock on the world in the form of the Memorex Sound System. But should this grab your attention?

The Memorex Sound System is conservatively designed and constructed from solid-feeling plastics, but lacks the premium looks that some docks give you. It stands approx 15cm high, is 35cm wide and 12cm deep, so is larger than some others too.

It does have an output of 30 Watts RMS, however, from stereo drivers and tweeter domes, which sit behind the front grill. The front also features a reasonably large display and a slot-loading CD drive.

The remainder of the controls can be found on the top of the Sound System and there are plenty of them. In the centre you have the iPod dock that also supports the iPhone, and your main power, mode and volume controls. To the left are five more controls that allow you to set the time, change the EQ and switch the the auxiliary input. Then there are a further four controls to select sleep, dim the display and set repeat and shuffle.

Across to the right you have 5 radio preset buttons, and then play/pause, stop and track forward and back controls. If you like buttons, you are well covered. This covers all the controls that you'll find on the remote, except those that you'd use to navigate the menus on your iPod.

With the controls clearly labelled, the Memorex Sound System is easy to use and we like the big iPod, CD and Radio buttons so you can just punch the button and listen to what you want. Several inserts are provided for the iPod dock at the top so that your iPhone will sit securely.

Navigating and controlling your iPod presents no problems at all, with an additional "B" button the remote to briefly but the iPod backlight on so you can see the menus. The remote is a little on the cheap side, with small buttons, particularly the volume controls which could have been more prominent.

In use and the sound quality is pretty good, with plenty of volume on offer and it remains relatively distortion even up at top higher volumes. The sound isn't perhaps as clear as some more expensive rivals, lacking the premium definition to your music that some docks offer. Bass is well represented with easy adjustment through the EQ settings so your tunes have a good meaty quality to them.

The FM tuner also performed well picking up local stations as expected. There is no auto scan feature, so you'll have to program in your 5 presents from the off and we would have preferred a DAB option to be included. The CD player takes a little time to get going after inserting a CD, but it isn't a major drawback.

Around the back of the Sound System you get an aux in, so you can hook up any other devices using a standard 3.5mm cable.

Verdict:

Unfortunately, despite the presence of a clock and a sleep timer, there is no alarm function, so as a single box solution for a bedroom or dorm room, you'll be missing this feature. However, you could always use the alarm on your iPod or iPhone. There is no headphone jack either which may deter those who on occasion want to keep their music to themselves.

Overall we were impressed with how easy to use the Memorex Sound System was. The audio performance was impressive without being exemplary, perfect for casual use.

There are a great number of iPod docks available and the Memorex is an inoffensive middle-of-the-road offering. You'll be able to get units that are cheaper or have a more interesting design, but there is little go wrong with here.

Tags: Audio iPod docks iPod speakers iPod iPhone Memorex Memorex Sound System

Memorex Sound System iPod dock originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

There is, apparently, a whole bunch of people out there who've never heard of eBay.

At least that’s what eBay themselves think, so they’ve set up this fashion trend spotting site in an attempt to attract style-conscious shoppers with money to burn.

Admittedly not the best timing, credit crunch and all that, but it’s a good place to pick up tips on what’s hot for the season, if nothing else.

www.theinsidesource.com

If you have a website that you want to tell us about email us via the feedback form.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY ? Inside Source originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

You can get iPhone cases that protect your phone, you can get them that offer you extra power, you can even get them with a Bluetooth headset in them, and now, thanks to a community back project, one with a built-in torch that can double up as a camera flash.

Beamer is, supposedly, "the case that shines!"

In reality it is a hard plastic, slim fitting case with a friction-fit, 2 piece design. All you have to do is simply press the silicone button once and the light will remain on for 10 seconds - leaving you with enough time to snap your picture.?

Pressing the button twice in a row will leave the light on indefinitely until you are ready to turn it off - to do so, just press the button a third time says the company.

The Beamer comes equipped with a replaceable coin-cell battery that provides 10 hours of super bright illumination.
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It is now available for sale at quirky's online store for $32.00

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Tags: Phones iPhone accessories Beamer iPhone cases

Beamer case adds flash to iPhone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:19:48 +0000

Ever since games consoles came into our front rooms, both the hardware and software developers have looked for new ways to make their titles stand out from the crowd. One sure fire method is to reinvent the interface or design one with just your game in mind. With game controllers getting wackier by the minute (there is everything from skateboards,?baby dolls, to exercise bikes, to yourself and even replica guns), do the latest plethora of gaming?controllers have what it takes to make it to the ranks of these five great game-changers below?

1) Atari 2600 Joystick (1977)

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Boil all joysticks down to their most basic and this is what you get. The Atari 2600 broke a hell of a lot of ground, in fact, by the time it was through, it was pretty much surrounded by dust. One hugely important area was the game controllers. The paddles used in Pong and such are obviously legendary in their own right but it was the classic, stubby, heavy rubber knob and single red fire button that was the face that launched a thousand sticks. It wasn't the first such device. They'd existed for many years in more complex forms in aircraft and other serious applications, but it was Atari that came up with the electrical standard for gaming that took the design on through 16-bit computing and as far as the Atari ST and Amiga.

2) Nintendo Famicom Gamepad (1983)

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The seeds of downfall had long been sowed before the decline of the joystick in the mid 90s. The gamepads, joypads, thumbpads or however you wish to refer them were all inspired by the controllers of Nintendo's first gaming console, and original take on the NES, the Famicom. The classic d-pad and fire buttons combo was brought from the hugely popular Game & Watch series and ported onto separate paddles, the like of which we still use today.

3) Shooting Gallery (1968/1973)

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Invented as a prototype in 1968 by Ralph Baer, Shooting Gallery was the first laser gun controller for, in fact, the first ever home video games console - the Magnavox Odyssey. Somewhat less friendly looking than later incarnations, like Nintendo's orange NES Zapper, the Shooting Gallery was a scarily real, sober styled rifle that you had to cock between shots. The gun worked only by detecting light from the TV screen, rather than specific targets, which meant you could cheat by pointing the thing at a light bulb to register a hit. But, seeing as the Odyssey didn't show an on-screen score anyway, cheating was a little irrelevant.

4) Guitar Hero Gibson SG (2005)

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Harmonix was by no means the first to come up with the idea of a guitar controller, but it was the company that brought it to the games console when Guitar Hero was released on the PS2 in 2005. Games like Konami's Dance Dance Revolution and, more specifically, GuitarFreaks had paved the way at the arcade in Japan and it was Red Octane - who developed the controllers for the latter of the two - that approached Guitar Hero's creators with the idea of a console game that used a completely different type of device. The original game went on to sell 1.5 million copies and the rest, as they say, is history - well, until Harmonix went off and started Rock Band, but that's another story.

5) Nintendo Wiimote (2006)

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Whether or not you like the console, you have to admit that the latest game-changer is probably the biggest in video gaming history. Yes, there was a lot of work done by the likes of the Eye Toy but it was Nintendo who got it right. On the one hand, it's still very much based on the original Famicon gamepads, but it's taken the scope of what you can do to a whole different level and has been the first to help capture the minds of an entirely new section of the public. It works via Bluetooth connection with the console itself, rather than on light gun principles, meaning that it works equally well regardless of what kind of TV you have. It has a trigger, it rumbles, but what gives it its essence is that it has an accelerometer that can accurately sense movement on three different axes. It has since spawned tens of gun, racing wheel and music instrument controllers in its own right and has become the new standard by which the opposition are attempting to measure.

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Tags: Gaming Nintendo Tony Hawk Atari Famicom Guitar Hero Features Magnavox Odyssey Shooting Gallery

Five game-changing console controllers originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:55:10 +0000

In the States Thrustmaster has unveiled the T-Freestyle NW, describing it as the ultimate controller for snowboarding and skateboarding Wii dudes.

"Experience the extreme action of boarding this winter from the comfort of your living room", says Thrustmaster who is flogging the board at the arguably affordable price tag of $29.99 - but you'll need a Wii Balance Board to use it.

The claims for the new board is that it allows gamers to execute freestyle tricks and to control their boarding runs with the same "spirit of freedom" and the "sensation of no limit" as in real life.

Crafted from gen-you-ine maple the board gets a bad-ass skull design and attaches to the Balance Board for "endless hours of fun". We'll keep you posted on a UK launch.

Tags: Gaming Nintendo Thrustmaster Nintendo Wii Controllers Wiimote Sports Fitness Sports games

Thrustmaster announces the T-Freestyle NW originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:46:54 +0000

It's been a bumper year in 2009 for software, services and apps as the overarching trend of tech creeps glacially away from its hardware focus and more towards what the Internet and its friends can do for us. So, before you shout out in the comments who you think should be nominated for the Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Best Software/Service/App - and we hope you do - here's a little reminder of how the year panned out.

The Big Players

It was something of a solar eclipse moment in 2009 with both Apple and Microsoft releasing completely new versions of their desktop operating systems. Although Snow Leopard only claimed to be a relatively small upgrade there was still plenty to get excited about with the arrival of 64-bit computing and addition of Grand Central Station, as well as all the other speed, efficiency and power boosts under the hood of the new caged cat. Microsoft, on the other hand, was a lot more overt about the scale of Windows 7 - partially because of the disappointment over Vista and also, with good reason, because of the success with which the product has launched. Like Snow Leopard, it boasts speed and efficiency but, more importantly, the coming of age of the new AERO look and feel which its predecessor introduced.

Naturally, a new version of iTunes came with the OS for Apple with more playlists and more album art as well as offering a block to the Palm Pre's compatibility feature. Aside that, it was really just the next release in the hugely popular video editing Final Cut series with the launch of Final Cut Studio. It seems the Cupertino company was keeping itself busy on mobile matters but more on that in a minute.

The 'Soft, though, hasn't been so content to leave things as thin. 2009 has seen Gates, Ballmer & Sons embrace the cloud with their re-offensive on Google. First there was the highly successful revamp of the MSN Live search into the colourful Bing, and later the launch of Office 2010 web apps to try to take something back from Google Docs. Beyond that, the company has had another go at both the MSN music download store and the free offering of Microsoft Security Essentials, plus there's been some mobile movements with Microsoft too but, again, more of that later.

The real powerhouse this year though has undoubtedly been Google. The company has spread its arms even wider round the globe with its fingers now in the telephone industry with Google Voice, social location software with Google Latitude, the encyclopeadia business with Sidewiki, the energy saving push with Power Meter and, of course, the what-the-hell-is-it business with Google Wave. More recently the company has announced the smack down on TomTom and friends with the arrival of Google Maps for Navigation for Android 2.0, which may or may not make it out in time for a nomination.

Of course, Android itself has been a very big deal but leaving its mobile impact alone for now, let's not forget the OS's arrival as desktop software on products like the Archo 9 and more recently the dual booting Acer Aspire One D250. It hasn't had the traction to make any significant in-roads this year but it's certainly a space to watch for 2010.

Desktop Software

As the cloud rolls in there's a storm slowly gathering for desktop software. By no means will it ever disappear, but what we're certainly seeing is a lot less diversity in this sector. 2009 has largely been left to improvements from the old guard. Avid has put a smile on the faces of both video and music editing enthusiasts with the launch just last month of the Pinnacle and ProTools suites, Adobe has done the same for the imaging community with the more basic Photoshop Elements 8 and the photographer's friend in the free beta of Lightroom 3.0, and Roxio has thrown in a bit of everything with the company's annual release. This season's colour is Roxio Creator 10.

Antivirus has been as strong an area as ever with malware, phishing and scareware on the rise and a tonne of Christmas shopping round the corner. Symantec's new Norton 2010 product managed to block 100% of threats in independent testing - making it the first time ever for any such software but, of course, if you'd still rather not pay, then at least AVG are still helping out on that front.

Last, and more certainly not least, a certain Swedish company also happened to a make a certain popular social music streaming application that rather set the world on fire. Technically, Spotify was released in private beta in November last year, just before our 2009 awards cut off limit, but it has since gone public within the required time frame. Just to confuse matters it's in private beta once more, so I'll leave it to the judges to sort that one out.

Web Services

During the current aftermath of the eighth renaissance of the bursting of the dot com bubble, new sites have been thin on the ground - certainly ones worth mentioning anyway. The majority of developers and start ups have moved to mobile apps in search of the gold, but there have still been one or two notables over the year - all heavily on the quirky side. Wolfram Alpha provided an alternative, well-meaning but rather leftfield form of internet search; Hunch added a layer of advice to the conundrum and Invisible Hand has begun in its quest to help us find cheaper prices on the Web automatically. As with most of these things, it'll take a while for them to catch on. Twitter wasn't built in a day.

Finally here, the latest craze could be on its way with FourSquare. Like Twitter it was released at the general and social media liquorice allsort that is SXSW and it's been going great guns in the States. Now on UK shores, has it left it too late to win our coveted award or have we assessed its potential already?

Mobile Sofware

From apps to OSes it's all about mobile phones these days. We know this. Smartphones have become our windows on the world. If there's a great service on the Internet, then we want it as an app, and most of all, we want it to run like clockwork.

We've seen four significant mobile operating systems launched this year with the rebranded, reskinned and user-friendlified Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 now known as Windows Phone. We've also seen the coming of age of Android - or at least its growth into adolescence - and the launch of the superb iPhone 3.0 software with its 100 or so features. Finally, we saw a rather specific piece of software from Palm with webOS at January's Las Vegas annual tech binge, but that didn't stop it making an enormous splash and perhaps inspiring a few ideas in other mobile software developers.

On the next tier down are those that have deemed their handsets too special to run the common-or-garden versions of Android and Windows Phone and have come up with their own Custom UIs. Probably the two of most note, and certainly the ones who qualify for this year's awards would be HTC Sense as seen on the Hero with its social contacts integration and Motoblur on the Dext.

Any phone can of course have its OS customised by the addition of an alternative browser. Opera has been going strong for years and supplying those on the Symbian platform with a very strong option. 2009 has brought Opera Mini 10 and for the first time, Firefox has gone to the small screen too with the currently underused Mozilla Fennec. Still both certainly well worth a shout though.

At the bottom of it all, though, and yet king of the mountain for many consumers are apps. We saw the little devils explode in 2008 with the launch of the iTunes App Store and this year has taken the trend to a sickening extreme. The world and its wife now has some kind of platform where they can pedal often highly novelty and often profitable software along with a good chunk that are seriously useful too.

It's the latter group which we'd rather you considered for this year's award but if the Mr T Soundboard ends up being the most popular, then so be it. The apps of major note in 2009 have been largely for the iPhone with the arrival of Tweetdeck, Google Lattitude and TomTom. Spotify has offered its premium service for music streaming on the move to both the Apple phone and Android and finally Facebook has got round to supporting Google's mobile OS too. But the big question is which is your favourite? Which is the app you simply can't do without? Let us know at the bottom.

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What do you think?

But these are just some of the fantastic choices our readers have had in 2009. What would you like to see held aloft as the winner of Pocket-lint Best Software/Service/App 2009? Who have we missed out? Which are your unsung heroes and of those we've already mentioned, which would get your vote? Let us know in the comments below and you can help our panel decide which make the shortlist of nominees to be announced here on Pocket-lint on 16 November. We'll have all out coverage of the Vodafone Pocket-lint awards 2009 right here. Don't miss a minute of it.

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Related links:

• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - laptops
• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - digital cameras
• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - car gadgets

Tags: Software Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Pocket-lint Awards Features Apple Microsoft Google Android Mobile phone applications Operating Systems Windows 7 Spotify Symantec iPhone 3GS

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - software, services, apps originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:23:29 +0000

We've been doing a little bit of digging to find out who, in the UK, will be offering Motorola's forthcoming Droid handset. The Android 2.0-sporting QWERTY slider scored a whopping 9/10 in its Pocket-lint review, but given that it's supposed to be due on Friday in the States, we're not seeing any sign of the handset in Britain.

We gave all the UK operators a call to find out exactly whether any of them were planning on stocking the device. O2 told us that it wasn't going to be selling the handset, despite its German wing selling it as the "Milestone". 3 said the same thing - there are no current plans to offer the handset at this time.

T3 spoke to Nicola Shenton, head of handset and device marketing at T-Mobile UK, who told the magazine that the company had tested the phone, but passed it up. We also talked to Orange and Vodafone. Orange told us that it had nothing to announce other than the fact it's selling the Motorola DEXT, and Vodafone promised to call us back and haven't.

From that, we can rule out three of the major five operators. Orange is looking likely, especially given the non-denial when other networks were happy to confirm "no". ?We'll update you as and when we hear more from Orange or Vodafone.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Motorola Droid Android Verizon O2 Orange 3 Vodafone T-Mobile

Who'll be selling the Motorola Droid in the UK? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:17:37 +0000

Viacom has admitted that its Rock Band series is still not making any cash - on the contrary, it's losing the company money. Viacom's chief financial officer, Tom Dooley, admitted in a quarterly earnings report that "Rock Band was a negative contributor to margins in the third quarter".

He added: "We expect it to break even or be slightly profitable in the fourth quarter from a margin point of view. It really depends on how many units we sell in the holiday season".

The big problem is that making the plastic guitars, drums and microphones is expensive. The company's plan, it seems, revolves around getting those controllers into as many into people's homes as possible, then selling them future games in the franchise that cost both the company and the consumer less.

To that end, both Rock Band 2 and Beatles: Rock Band are compatible with older controllers on the same platform, but it seems to be a pretty long-term strategy. Having said that, Beatles Rock Band is apparently doing reasonably well - "the economics of our Rock Band franchise are improving, though not as quickly as we'd like", said Viacom's CEO, Philippe Daumann.

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Tags: Gaming Rock Band Viacom MTV Biz

Rock Band is still not profitable, says Viacom originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:05:51 +0000

Hank Risen, the owner of BlueBeat.com, which was found last week to be selling MP3s of the Beatles' catalogue for as little as 15p per track, has defiantly stated that he owns the copyrights in the songs that he's selling.

EMI filed a lawsuit against the company, and Hank Risen - the owner - has issued a bizarre defense filing that claims that he - not Apple Corps or EMI - owns the sound recordings. He says that because he's re-recorded them using "psycho-acoustic simulation" which "express the way [he] believe[s] a particular melody should be heard as a live performance", he owns the recording.

Risan told EMI in an email that he's got a successfully registered copyright on those recordings with the US Copyright Office, but a judge will now have to decide whether those recordings are sufficiently different to the originals to justify a new copyright. Legal precedent, particularly with regard to sampling, suggests he might be facing an uphill battle.

For now, though, BlueBeat.com still continues to offer free streams of the Beatles' catalogue, and 25-cent 160kbps MP3s. It'll be interesting to see how the judge in the case interprets the law. We'll keep you posted.

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Tags: Audio Music BlueBeat EMI Beatles Copyright Music downloads Lawsuits

BlueBeat claims it owns copyright in Beatles tracks originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:03:24 +0000

Deezer, a French music startup that rivals Spotify and We7 in providing ad-supported music streaming, has announced a couple of premium subscription options and a desktop client, so you can listen to the service without having a browser window open.

The Deezer site itself will remain free, but ad-supported and low quality. Users that want better audio bitrate and the removal of ads can pay 5 euros per month for a service called Deezer HQ. Alternatively, paying 10 euros per month will give access to a desktop app (built in Adobe Air) and a set of mobile clients that work on iPhone, Android and BlackBerry platforms.

The company says that 80% of its users wanted mobile access, and 40% wanted better sound quality - those users will presumably be buoyed by this announcement, and the company should get a bit more revenue as a result. Interestingly, the top end package has a 7-day free trial - something not offered by its competitors, but which will likely increase conversion rates.

But what the platform's success will rest on is its catalogue and ease-of-use. It remains to be seen whether it can conquer Spotify's current dominance in the space, and stay afloat when several other big names are launching similar offerings.

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Tags: Audio Music Deezer Spotify We7

Deezer launches premium desktop client originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:35:47 +0000

Play.com has announced that, despite the threatened Royal Mail strikes on Friday 6th and Monday 9 November, it will be delivering CoD:MW2 to its customers by an alternative partner on the official release date, 10 November.

The online retailer says that any customer ordering the game from Play.com before midnight on Sunday 8 November will see the game dispatched on time to get it delivered on the Tuesday release date.

Set to be the biggest selling entertainment product ever, pre-orders for Modern Warfare 2 at Play.com have been in excess of 150 a minute at peak times.
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"The strike coinciding as it does with the biggest selling entertainment product release ever has presented us with a challenge which we believe our new delivery plan will overcome", says Play.com COO Stuart Rowe.

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Tags: Gaming Play Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare 2 Royal Mail

Play.com guarantees Modern Warfare 2 deliveries originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:30:06 +0000

After weeks of teaser campaigns, leaked photos and specs, Dell has gone official with its slimline laptop offering that it hopes will offer an alternative to the Sony X Series, Apple MacBook Air, and Samsung's X series as well.

The new model, which averages at 9.9mm thick will feature a new innovative hinge design that sees the keyboard fit into the screen area so save space.

Specs include a 13.4-inch HD WLED screen, Intel Core 2 Duo ULV 1.4GHz processor, 4GB memory, 128GB SSD, wireless n and Bluetooth connectivity and DisplayPort, 2 USB ports and a headphone jack. The laptop will not feature an Ethernet port, or optical disk drive.

The new model will cost $1799 and should be here in time for Christmas.

Check out our first look review of the Dell Adamo XPS laptop.?

Related links:

• Photos - Hands on gallery
• Reviewed - Dell Adamo XPS First look review

Tags: Hardware Laptops Dell Dell Adamo XPS Intel

Dell Adamo XPS is thin, CD case thin originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Thinner than a regular CD case (9.9mm)?Dell?has just announced the Dell Adamo XPS?after much tooing and throwing in a teaser campaign and Pocket-lint was hands on to snap some photos.?

Yes it is thin, yes the keyboard tucks into the casing and yes you really do have to slide your finger to open it up.

Of course the tech specs are equally impressive, if you don't mind dumping the need for an Ethernet socket, CD drive or small powerpack (we are told it might get smaller before launch).?

Specs include a 13.4-inch HD WLED screen, Intel Core 2 Duo ULV 1.4GHz processor, 4GB memory, 128GB SSD, wireless n and Bluetooth connectivity and DisplayPort, 2 USB ports and a headphone jack.

The payoff for that size? The battery will only last you 2 hours 36 minutes according to Dell.

As for the random "nine" on the back next to the name. It won't be there when it launches. We shot a production sample and Dell says it was testing something out, but watch as the rumour mill goes into overdrive suggesting a "nine" inch model is inbound.

The new model will cost $1799 and should be here in time for Christmas.

Check out our first look review of the Dell Adamo XPS laptop.?

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Tags: Hardware Laptops Dell Intel Photos Dell Adamo XPS

PHOTOS: Dell Adamo XPS hands on originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +0000

How thin is thin? That's the question Dell has asked itself with the launch of the Dell Adamo XPS. The answer it seems is 9.9mm, but has the journey to make a laptop thinner than a CD jewel case meant corners have been cut? We grabbed a gander at the new model ahead of the official announcement.

The first thing you'll be thinking is "where did it all go?" the Adamo XPS is thin, very thin. To get an idea of how thin it really is you need to stop reading for a second. Yep you heard that right. Now go find a CD jewel case you've probably got floating around the office or your house and awe that a computer can be thinner. At its thinnest point it's 9.7mm at its thickest its 10.3.

To give you the full dimensions they are 340 x 273.9 x 9.9mm with a weight of 1.44kg.?To achieve that thinness, Dell has done something drastic, it's taken the keyboard and made it fit into a recess the size of the 13.4-inch screen.

In real terms it means that the hinge isn't at the base of the screen, as it is in normal laptops, but slightly further up - say by about 100mm (see pictures). The payoff in placing the hinge higher up in the design is that the metal chicklet keyboard doesn't actually sit flat on your desk - a rather strange experience - but at a 30 degree angle. In use it's surprisingly comfortable and reminiscent of how keyboards used to be before they became super flat.

Back to that design and you'll find that when folded, the keyboard slots into a recessed screen area, allowing it to claim the overall thinness and enabling you to gloat at your friends. It's very clever.

To keep things to a minimum the Adamo XPS isn't loaded with ports, sockets, buttons or other paraphernalia. You get a DisplayPort socket, power socket, headphone, line out jack and two USB ports that are neatly placed down either side. Like the MacBook Air, it loses the Ethernet socket as well as an optical drive, both of which (Blu-ray included) are offered as external devices.

Aside from the ports, the laptop is fairly void of detail. The aluminium casing oozes MacBook Pro chic. Big brash logos are left to be etched into the underside of the device rather than blazoned on the back of the screen. There is branding of course, but it's small and discrete, just like the button to open it.

We say button, though that's not strictly the case as there isn't actually one. Instead you'll be expected to stroke your finger in a certain place to release a latch. What happens when the power runs out? You can't open the laptop, but then Dell's response is logical - why would you want it open, the battery is dead.

Back to the underside and you get a couple of fan holes, a webcam and a removable battery that Dell says will give you a rather disappointing 2 hours 36 minutes. Those looking to hit the road should go elsewhere.

So we've got past the design, but is that it? Luckily not. The specs read quite nicely too.

The glossy screen is a 13.4-inch HD WLED 720p (1366 x 768) offering, while Dell has turned to Intel bringing its Intel Core 2 Duo ULV (1.4GHz) processor to power this size-zero machine. Memory comes in the guise of 4GB DDR3-800MHz and the hard drive is a Solid State 128GB model as standard.

XPS might have been Dell's gaming line once, but no more. With an Intel GS45 integrated graphics card, this isn't going to be a gaming machine, but then gamers are not the target here. Dell has confirmed to Pocket-lint that XPS now means power over gaming and with the Alienware brand going strong they've got that market sector covered.

Connectivity is offered via Wi-Fi a/g/n standard and there is Bluetooth 2.1 in there too.?Power the machine up and you'll get Windows 7 Ultimate edition as standard. Windows 7 is leap years ahead of Windows Vista or XP and therefore by no means a negative.

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Verdict:

Our play was brief, which is why this First Look focuses on the hardware and design implementation rather than speed and performance of the laptop in a real-life situation.

As we move away from CDs and DVDs the need to have an optical drive isn't as vital as it once was. We can't actually remember the last time, apart from installing the OS, we actually used our laptop's optical drive anyway.

There is a concern that the battery life will be the Achilles heel here, but at least you can replace or swap it out if you are attempting a road warrior moment. Yes it should last longer, but that is clearly a payoff to the size and weight. There is a larger 40WHr battery that promises 5 hours 17 minutes.

So what's the bottom line? If you want to impress, this is clearly going to be the device to do it with. The decision to give it a powerful processor over the Intel Atom offering and the ability to swap out the battery, for us, makes this one to watch if you are after style and want substance.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Dell Dell Adamo XPS Intel First look

Dell Adamo XPS laptop - First Look originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Vodafone has announced new SIM-only 30-day and 12-month price plans for those who aren't interested in getting a handset bundled in to their tariff.

The new ?20 and ?25 price plans for 30 days and 12 months give customers "unlimited" data for as much mobile internet browsing and Facebook searching as required - up to a fair usage policy of 500MB.

The 30 day SIM-only plans give customers 600 minutes anytime, unlimited texts and unlimited data for ?20 or 900 minutes anytime, unlimited texts and unlimited data for ?25.

The 12-month SIM-only plans offer 900 anytime minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data for ?20 and 1200 minutes anytime, unlimited texts, unlimited data and unlimited calls to landlines for just ?25.

Tags: Phones Vodafone Tariffs SIMs PAYG

Vodafone's new SIM-only price plans revealed originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:52:54 +0000

So you've got your eyes on the HTC HD2, you've read our review of the flagship Windows Mobile 6.5 device and you just want to know more. Here are some of our favourite funky features for you to explore.

1. Shortcuts make Sense

The front page of Sense is more than just a pretty clock and animated weather graphics. Three programmable slots sit waiting to be filled with shortcuts. Swipe these up and you get access to nine shortcut slots. Simply press one and then select the program, bookmark or contact you want to fill it with and hey presto! You are rocking from the first page.

2. Face plant your Mum

You're sitting at work, chatting to a colleague when your phone rings. After a quick glance at the screen, you decide now isn't the time to talk to your mother, so flip the HD2 face down to reject the call. It has a great sense of finality. We love it. Our mothers don't.

3. Close proximity

The HD2 comes rocking with a proximity sensor so it knows when it is next to your face. This does a couple of things. Firstly, it shuts off the screen whilst you are talking, saving battery. Secondly, when you pull the phone away from your face you are presented with in-call options – engage speaker phone, popup the keypad for those pesky automated services and so on.

4. Poke to focus

Touch focusing on the camera is all well and good, but usually results in one of two things. Firstly it often means you take a shot of something you didn't mean to through a quick press and secondly, it means you get camera shake because you move that focus to press the shutter button. Not so on the HD2. Touch to select the focal point and keep your finger in place to take the shot. It's a deliberate action, rather than a fleeting press.

5. Cover art made easy

Windows Mobile is only really for boring business types right? Well it isn't when you add a dash of HTC Sense sauce. Enter HTC's media player in Sense and you'll find an icon in the top left that will find and fill in your missing album art. iTunes eat your heart out.

6. More keyboards than you can shake a finger at

The HD2 has a massive screen, so the chances are that you'll never have to use anything other than the full QWERTY keyboard in either landscape or portrait modes. But if you do want something else, a long press next to keyboard icon at the bottom will spring up the options for compact QWERTY or a 12-key keypad.

7. Kill them!

From Sense you can swipe all the way to the right to access the settings, or simply swipe to the left from the front page. Here in settings under Other, you'll find the Task Manager. Multi-tasking is great, but it's so easy to leave all those applications running that you don't need. Here you can quickly and easily kill them.

8. Expand your horizons

With a 5-megapixel camera on the back, the HD2 gives you the option to snap a panoramic picture. It does this in three stages and all you have to do is take your first picture and a neat overlay helps you align the next picture and then the third. Ta da! An ultra-wide photo of your office.?

Check out all our HTC HD2 coverage on the tag home page.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC HTC HD2 Windows Phone

HTC HD2 funky features fun originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:43:26 +0000

Casio has gone tough in the US with Verizon, launching a new Push to Talk ?(PTT) handset geared towards those who like to beat their handset while they work.

Coming with "Military standard" ruggedness - a real term - the handset made by Casio will be called the Casio G'zOne Brigade and offer users a flip out QWERTY keyboard in a clamshell design, a 3.2-megapixel cameras and 3G connectivity.

That military standard (MIL-STD-810F) means you get water, shock, dust, vibration, humidity, salt fog, altitude, high temperature, low temperature and solar radiation resistance.

More appealing to small businesses will be Verizon's contacts feature that allows you to manage contacts on up to 50 handsets at the touch of the button, meaning your army of workers never have the excuse of not having the right number.

Keeping on the business front you will also be able to view Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint presentations as well as PDFs

Yet to be priced the handset is expected out in the US shortly.

Verizon also launched the Samsung Convoy, a more traditional clamshell?rugged Push to Talk (PTT) device with military specifications. The Convoy will be available on 15 November.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Casio Verizon Push to talk Casio Brigade

Casio G'zOne Brigade gets tough with Push To Talk originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:14:50 +0000

The CoPilot Live navigation application for the iPhone has received yet another update.

This third update, in as many months, claims to bring a number of improvements, including enhanced GPS performance. The update also allows for iPod controls within the CoPilot Live application.?

Incidentally, the CoPilot app holds the number one position in the iTunes Top Grossing Apps chart, meaning that it has generated more revenue than any other app sold via the Apple App Store here in the UK.

The updated CoPilot Live app is available to buy now from the App Store for a one-off fee of ?25.99, while existing customers can download the update for free.

There's more info over at www.copilotlive.com/iphone.

Tags: Phones iPhone apps CoPilot Live Car And GPS GPS software Software updates

CoPilot Live for iPhone gets third update in as many months originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:05:23 +0000

At the Vision 2009 conference, in Stuttgart, Sony has shown off a multitouch surface display called the Atractable that's rather like the Microsoft Surface controller,which offers coffee table computing.

The system has been developed between Sony ISS and Atracsys, a Swiss optical tracking company. The interface can analyse body movements and act on any gesture or change in position, including your body, arm, hand or finger. More intriguingly, Sony reckons that it's sensitive enough to work out a user's age, sex and "emotion" - recognising?happiness, anger, surprise, sadness and neutrality.

The device comprises two Sony ISS XCD-V60 cameras that build a 3D image. Those cameras can then be used to control a cursor, avatar or robot. Atracsys' CEO, Gaetan Marti, says that the unit "can be used in virtually any scenario, be it gaming, industrial, medical or retail".

Sony ISS' marketing manager, Arnaud Destruels, told Pocket-lint: "Such interfaces were conceived many decades ago, with science fiction films using them to convey a futuristic feeling. The large time gap between conception and implementation highlights just how complex the task has been as well as the coding expertise at Atracsys".

And if the video above isn't enough for you, then there's another one, too. When we hear more about the Atractable's retail availability, we'll let you know.

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Tags: Hardware Sony Microsoft Surface Video Atracsys

VIDEO: Sony demonstrates Atractable surface controller originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:58:09 +0000

LG announced a new "Chocolate" handset on Thursday on the Verizon network in the US forgetting its stylish heritage for a brief moment.

The rather gaudy looking handset will be offered for $79.99 and slip into the mid-tier range of handsets for those looking for a phone without a $30 data plan.

Tech specs include a touchscreen, random buttons, 1GB of internal memory, microSD card and 3.2-megapixel camera.

While Verizon has moved away from cluttering its handsets with software and applications, the Chocolate Touch doesn't benefit with the operator going for a more "traditional" approach.

That means V Cast Music and the company's navigator software as standard.

Of course, aimed at "the kids" means it's social network savvy with interchangeable backs. Luckily, we've been told, you can switch out that purple backplate.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones LG LG Chocolate Touch Verizon

LG Chocolate touch launches, forgets stylish heritage originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:53:13 +0000

IWOOT has launched a new ebook reader into the UK market with the online introduction of the Foxit eSlick.

The 180 gram device is slim and lightweight and offers a 6-inch, E-Ink, 600 x 800 pixel resolution display.

The eSlick gets a 512MB internal memory but comes bundled with a 2GB card for expansion and there's support for MP3 files so you can listen while you read with headphones included.

File support comes in with just PDF and TXT. The bundled software can convert most ebook formats into a PDF for viewing on the device.

The Foxit eSlick is available now in black or white from IWOOT for ?189.

Related links:

• Shop - IWOOT

Tags: Gadgets ebooks eBook readers IWOOT Foxit

IWOOT launches Foxit eSlick ebook reader originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:43:24 +0000

A new Sony Ericsson mobile phone has been revealed in rumoured online news and leaked photographs.

Said to be called the Kurara, the device is reported to be Symbian S60 5th generation smartphone.

Specs are unkown, aside from a 3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen and an 8.1-megapixel camera.

It's thought the Kurara could sit in Sony Ericsson's range alongside the Satio, that mixes the Walkman and Cyber-shot brands together.

A February launch at the Mobile World Congress event is rumoured, but no doubt there will be more leaks between now and then, so we'll keep you posted.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ercisson Rumours Sony Ericsson Kurara

Sony Ericsson Kurara revealed in rumours and spy-shots originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:04:20 +0000

Rihanna will show off songs from her forthcoming album "Rated R" exclusively to a Nokia audience via a globally streamed live performance on 16 November.

Due to be performed live from "a secret London location", fans can sign up to watch the live stream now while those that are really excited about it can download a web widget counting down to the live performance.
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Nokia is also touting "an exclusive Rihanna mobile application" available from its Ovi Store while it will also offer of an exclusive version of the new Rated R album via the Nokia Music Store.
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Rihanna is quoted as saying: "I am so excited to partner up with Nokia. They are doing some really revolutionary things with this album, enabling me to reach more fans than ever before".
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The Rihanna event and content is as a result of "groundbreaking new global music partnership", "Nokia Play 2010" with the Island Def Jam Music Group and Universal Music Group International.

Those interested in the live stream can register at www.nokia.com/rihanna.

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Tags: Phones Nokia Audio Rihanna Media streaming Music downloads

Nokia announces Rihanna live stream event originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:35:14 +0000

HTC?and?Verizon?have confirmed the rumours that the second "Droid" handset alongside the?Motorola Droid will be called the Droid Eris and be created by HTC.?

The new handset will offer a virtually identical feature set to the?Sprint HTC Hero?and feature a 3.2-inch multi-touch touchscreen display, 512MB ROM, 288MB RAM and a Qualcomm MSM 7600, 528MHz chip.?

Running Android 1.5 rather than the newly announced 2.0 OS, users will get the Sense UI to guide them through the phones features.?

Differences to the HTC Hero on Sprint will be a smaller battery (1300mAh over 1500mAh) a slightly more rounded design and a matte black rather than silver finish. It will also come with a proximity sensor which turns the touchscreen off when next to your head - something the European and Sprint version doesn't have.?It's also thinner (only just).

In the hand it was quick to respond to our requests, and the multi-touch certainly helps it win out over the Droid by Motorola's 2.0 OS, however it's worth mentioning that with no GSM support this will only work in America.

Priced at $99 (the same as the iPhone) Verizon is being very aggressive on this one it seems. The new handset will be available from 6 November in the US.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC Verizon Droid Eris Android Motorola Droid HTC Hero Photos

PHOTOS: Verizon Droid Eris by HTC hands on originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:01 +0000

Another carrier, another handset, that is pretty much the story with the?Droid Eris, now on its third iteration from the?HTC Hero?launched in Europe back in May. So what has?Verizon?brought to the table and for American's, should you opt for this one over the?Sprint HTC Hero?

We haven't seen the official press release, but no doubt when it does arrive on our desk it will say the new design oozes a black finish never before seen, and one that is tactile to touch over the silver shimmers of the Sprint offering.

In reality there is very little between the two in terms of design. The Verizon Droid Eris sports a black shell with a slightly more rounded bottom curve. The Home, menu, back and search buttons are now in a single line. Touch-sensitive, they've been built into the same casing as the screen. The only physical buttons underneath the multi-touch screen are a call and hang-up buttons an a trackball as found on the MyTouch 3G and G1 handsets.

That trackball is very responsive, not that you'll find yourself using it that much.?Why? The touchscreen above.

The screen remains at 3.2-inches, the same as the Sprint model. Compared to other smartphones on the market it is slightly larger than the Palm Pre's 3.1-inch screen and slightly smaller than the iPhone's 3.5-inch screen. Either way the smaller hyptic-enabled screen means a more compact phone that won't take up as much real estate in your pocket, but one that is still very usable.?

Like the Sprint handset the phone offers a 3.5mm jack, volume buttons and a 5-megapixel camera on the back. There is no flash. Slip the case off and you'll find a microSD slot.?

Keeping on the technology front, you'll get Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity as well as GPS so you can find your way home. This being Verizon the handset runs on the CDMA network. However with no GSM support you won't be able to travel to Europe with it. This is not a world phone.

Of course this isn't just an identical phone in a different colour for a different operator. HTC doesn't do that. So the offering is slightly thinner, which in turn means that the battery is slightly smaller. While HTC wouldn't, in our play, be drawn on what this would mean to the overall performance, it confirmed that users would notice very little difference (it's 1300mAh compared to 1500mAh for those wanting the numbers).

On the upside the company has fixed one of the underlining bug bears from the original version and added a proximity sensor so when you put it up to your head the screen turns off. Handy.?

Running Google's Android 1.5 OS, the Droid Eris is Verizon's second handset, the Droid by Motorola is the other. Like the Sprint HTC Hero, HTC has once again taken the Android OS as a starting point, and put their own special sheen on the operating system. Called the Sense UI it basically gives you a graphical skin over the Android OS giving it a more grown-up experience.?

In reality you'll mostly experience this through a series of customised screens giving you quick access to a number of the key features. Whether it's work, play, social networking or all of the above, the screens are incredibly easy to use, stylish and the key to the phone's simplicity.?

In our brief play the Droid Eris was quick and nimble, most likely benefiting from the HTC Hero update recently rolled out to the Sprint variant. It's fast enough that you won't find yourself struggling with whether or not you've pressed the button or flipped a screen. And as flipping through screens is something that you'll find yourself doing a lot, it only fair to expect good performance. We weren't disappointed. ?

Software-wise you'll get all the usual apps, with Verizon only choosing to install its Visual Voicemail service on the phone. Like the Motorola Droid, this is a clean handset.

Verdict:

Software wise there is very little different between the HTC Hero released in Europe, the HTC Hero on Sprint and the Verizon version. Where the difference appears is in the hardware and cosmetic design of the handset.

Whether you choose the Sprint HTC Hero or the Verizon HTC Droid Eris is going to be down to networks and what you are happier with. Both carriers have left the handset pretty unfettered, both haven't done anything crazy with the hardware to make them stand out from each other either.?

One deciding factor however is likely to be the price. The Droid Eris is at the time of writing $80 cheaper.?

For the non Apple or Palm believers, this is one to strongly consider.?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC Verizon HTC Hero Droid Eris First look

Droid Eris by HTC mobile phone - First Look originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Verizon and HTC just dropped a bombshell on Sprint and its HTC Hero offering, marketing a virtually identical handset for $80 cheaper in the US, in what is sure to create a price war in the run up to the holidays.

The new handset, The Droid Eris?by HTC, has been announced as part of the new DROID range on Verizon and will cost just $99 compared to Sprint's $179 HTC Hero.

The new model will come with the same 3.2-inch multi-touch touchscreen display, the same Qualcomm MSM 7600, 528MHz chipset and same ROM and RAM specifications (512MB and 288MB respectively), however, a proximity sensor has been added to turn the touchscreen off when next to your head. It will sport a slightly smaller battery (1300mAh vs 1500mAh) though.

Aiming to the be entry level handset to Verizon's new Droid range and taking on the Apple iPhone 3G, the HTC Droid Eris, as it will be known, will come with Android 1.5 OS rather than the newer 2.0 offering from Google and feature HTC's Sense UI as found on the HTC Hero.

In keeping with the Droid by Motorola handset launch, Verizon has left the handset operating system untouched only adding in its Visual Voicemail service.

The handset will be in stores from 6 November.

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Related links:

• Photos - Hands on gallery

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC Verizon HTC Hero Droid Eris

HTC Hero becomes Verizon Droid Eris by HTC originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

The Nokia Foundation has announced that it has granted its 10,000 euro 2009 award to Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia.

Nokia says Wales was awarded "for his contributions to the evolution of the World Wide Web as a participatory and truly democratic platform".
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"It's a great honor to present this award on behalf of the Board of the Nokia Foundation to an individual who we believe has made a unique contribution to accelerating online collaboration and interaction for millions of people around the world, and effectively democratizing information sharing", said Henry Tirri, head of Nokia Research Center and chairman of the Nokia Foundation.
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Wikipedia was created in 2001, gets more than 330 million monthly visitors and boasts 14,000,000 articles in more than 260 languages.

Tags: Software Wikipedia Nokia Phones Biz Jimmy Wales The Nokia Foundation

The Nokia Foundation award goes to Jimmy Wales originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:48:26 +0000

No Doubt, Gwen Stefani's band who had a hit with the song "Don't Speak", have sued the publishers of Band Hero, Activision Blizzard, over their likeness in the game. The band complained that they were breaching their contract by allowing them to be turned into a virtual karaoke act.

In the game, it's possible to unlock Gwen Stefani as a playable character and get her to sing the Rolling Stones' Honky Tonk Woman. The lawsuit says that this: "results in an unauthorized performance by the Gwen Stefani avatar in a male voice boasting about having sex with prostitutes".

The band are protesting "fraudulent inducement" and breach of contract, seeking unspecified damages and an injunction that would stop Activision from distributing the title. Back in September, Courtney Love declared that she was going to "sue the s**t out of" the company for similar reasons - allowing Kurt Cobain to sing Bon Jovi songs.

Meanwhile, rival franchise Rock Band has avoided similar problems by not featuring real rockers as avatars with the exception of the tightly controlled Beatles: Rock Band title.

Read

Tags: Gaming Audio Music Music games Band Hero Activision No Doubt

No Doubt sues Activision over Band Hero originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:12:59 +0000

Vodafone has an offer on a range of PAYG mobiles offering ?100 worth of calls or texts with the purchase of selected phones. As well as the Genio Touch in pink and white, the offer also extends to the LG Viewty Lite, the Samsung Tocco Lite and the Vodafone 541.

Basic specs for the Genio include 2-megapixel camera, FM radio and MP3 player along with that touchscreen. You also get access to social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo and the ability to swap the back of the phone in order to indulge any desire you might have for different colours.

The Tocco Lite has slightly improved specs with a 3.2-megapixel camera, whilst the LG Viewty gets 5-megapixels and HSDPA connectivity. To take advantage of the offer orders need to be in by 22 December, with further details of the deal as well as full specs of the phones on the Vodafone website.

Prices are ?80 each for the Genios, ?100 for the Viewty, ?90 for the Tocco and just ?40 for Voda's own touchscreen 541.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Vodafone Samsung Genio Samsung Tocco Lite LG Viewty Lite Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Vodafone offers £100 credit with £80 Genio mobile originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

The furore over the Orange terms and conditions for the iPhone may be dying down now that the mobile operator has said it'll happily turn a blind eye to customers using streaming services like Spotify and YouTube, but there still remains the issue over this 750MB per month data limit. This is what Orange has described as "unlimited" mobile internet access and we've got no particular issue with the company stretching the definitions of the word, any more than we have with all the others that do it. The real question is though, just what will 750MB get you?

Fortunately, Orange has a mobile broadband data calculator on its own site, so we had a play to find out how far our notional budget will stretch. As it turns out, not very far.

Attempt 1 - The Power User

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Emails

20/day

Attachments

5/day

IM

1 hour/day

Browsing

2 hours/day

Music

1 song/day

Video streaming

30 minutes/day

Total

5.01GB

Verdict

Bust

First of all, we tried a few stats of the kind we would expect most gadget fiends and Pocket-lint regulars would stick to. A couple of hours of browsing a day while on the way to work or using up a little dead time, plus just one song download and lets say a half hour episode of your favourite TV show and, unfortunately, we're already well off the scale. Time to calm it down a bit.

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Attempt 2 - The Heavy User

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Emails

20/day

Attachments

5/day

IM

30 minutes/day

Browsing

1 hour/day

Music

1 song/day

Video streaming

10 minutes/day

Total

2GB

Verdict

Bust

This time just a few emails with attachments, only 30 minutes on IM, half the browsing we were doing before, the same one song a day and just a couple of 5 minute YouTube clips every 24 hours and we're already three times over the limit. Back to the drawing board.

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Attempt 3 - Medium Use

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Emails

15/day

Attachments

3/day

IM

15 minutes/day

Browsing

30 minutes/day

Music

1 song/week

Video streaming

4 minutes/day

Total

817MB

Verdict

Bust

This time we only just went over. Let's cut the IM down to a minimum. We can use phone calls, email and text for that kind of thing. Again, just half an hour of browsing now, just the one YouTube clip and only one download per week seems to be about what Orange is telling us we should be using. It's not a lot and maybe that video streaming could be substituted for a little more music streaming but you're still living on the data edge somewhat.

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Attempt 4 - Light User

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Emails

10/day

Attachments

1/day

IM

5 minutes/day

Browsing

10 minutes/day

Music

1 song/week

Video streaming

4 minutes/day

Total

632MB

Verdict

Inside

To take it down to its bare essentials with only 10 minutes of browsing per day and we find ourselves comfortably inside, but that doesn't exactly look like the kind of freedom we'd expected on an unlimited package no matter how "unlimited" it is.

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Attempt 5 - The Streamer

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Emails

0

Attachments

0

IM

0

Browsing

0

Music

0

Video streaming

5 minutes/day

Total

686MB

Verdict

Inside

Finally, let's say, instead, that we forgo all other pleasures apart from streaming video. Emails are for wimps, IM for losers, browsing should be done on a computer and downloading is so 2002. With that in mind we can bathe in the luxury of 5 whole minutes of video streaming each day without going over the 750MB per month barrier, and that's it.

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Attempt 6 - The no media option

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Emails

50/day

Attachments

10/day

IM

1 hour/day

Browsing

1 hour/day

Music

0

Video streaming

0

Total

745MB

Verdict

Inside

Of course, if you really want to, you can save all your credits and ditch streaming and downloads altogether which is essentially what the original terms and conditions might have you do, and for good reason it seems. Suddenly, you get up to an hour's IM and browsing per day with as many emails and attachments as you can shake a stick at. Now that is what you might call unlimited.

So, there's a few fairly obvious conclusions we can take from this:

1) 750MB per month doesn't really get you that far
2) Video streaming will get you into trouble on this package
3) Although O2 simply presents users with the company's rather nebulous fair usage policy, it could well work out at more. Fortunately, both operators apply a warning system if you go over the limits rather than charging you the excess but it's probably not worth being a persistent offender.

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Related links:

• Feature - 12 Apps worth jailbreaking your iPhone for
• Feature - Best iPhone tariffs: O2 vs Orange

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Orange iPhone O2 Features

How much does the Orange unlimited iPhone package give you? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:48:31 +0000

Navigon has launched new navigation software designed specifically for drivers of lorries, motor homes and caravans to help them reach their destinations without getting stuck under a low bridge.

With personal profile building including info such as size, height and length, maximum axle load, vehicle and trailer weight and whether you are carrying any hazardous goods, the Navigon Truck Navigation software avoids small villages, narrow roads or low bridges.

There's also 24,000 points of interest including 24 hour petrol stations offering HGV diesel, refreshment stops, details of clearance height at service stations and lorry washing facilities.

The Navigon Truck Navigation software is available to download onto the Navigon 6310 and 8410 from www.navigon.com for ?79.99.

Tags: Car And GPS GPS GPS software Navigon

Navigon Truck Navigation software announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:16:08 +0000

Yesterday we showed you the epic new ad from Guinness, but they're not the only people who know how to shoot spectacular ads.

We love this.

The Lying, the Witch and the Wardrobe maybe...?

If you've seen a video online that you want to tell us about email us via the feed back form.

Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - Wardrobe originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

The Moblin Linux project, which aims to create a user-friendly, lightweight and media-rich interface for mobile devices, has announced the release of version 2.1 for Intel Atom-based devices. A video overview of version 2.0 is on Youtube, and there's a pile of screenshots of 2.1 available too.

The team behind the release states that this includes the "broadest feature additions, customer requested improvements, and overall polish to date". It includes a better browser, 3G support, Bluetooth support, an integrated app installer, localization improvements, a nicer UI and several bug fixes and performance upgrades over 2.0.

The release is 754MB, and can be installed using either a CD or a 1GB (or greater) USB stick. You'll need a netbook or nettop with an Intel Atom or Intel Core 2 CPU, but it's not compatible with the GMA-500, Nvidia or ATI graphics chipsets at the moment. A full list of compatible devices can be found on the team's website.

If you've got a netbook lying around that you don't use much, then give Moblin a try, and let us know what you reckon in the comments.

Tags: Software Operating Systems Netbooks Nettops Moblin Linux Software updates

Moblin 2.1 released for netbooks originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:57:15 +0000

T-Mobile has announced it will be offering the BlackBerry Bold 9700 online and via telesales from 6 November and in T-Mobile stores across the UK from 10 November.

The Bold follow-up is a slimline QWERTY handset with HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity, BlackBerry's push email service, a 3.2-megapixel camera, on-board GPS, media player, 3.5mm headset jack, plus 32GB of memory storage via an interchangeable microSD card.

T-Mobile is offering the BlackBerry Bold 9700 from free on ?35 per month contracts with BlackBerry email charged at an extra ?5 and unlimited internet yet another ?5 per month, bringing the total to ?45.

Vodafone is also offering the new Bold 9700, from free on ?35 per month 2-year contracts or for ?40 a month on 18-month contracts.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry T-Mobile RIM Tariffs BlackBerry Bold 9700

T-Mobile to offer BlackBerry Bold 9700 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:45:03 +0000

LG's newest touchscreen handset, the LG GD510 Pop, announced back in September, is now available at the Carphone Warehouse for ?99.95 on pay as you go basis.

Said to be easy to use, the Pop offers a 3-inch WQVGA touchscreen with a thin bezel of brushed aluminium casing.

Described as the smallest full 3-inch touchscreen phone yet, it features a 3-megapixel camera, a web browser and multimedia player. Boasting 8GB of external memory the Pop measures in at 97.8 x 49.5 x 11.2mm.

The LG Pop is also available for free on ?15 per month 24-month contracts, or ?20 per month 18-monthers.

Related links:

• VIDEO - LG GD510 Pop gets promo

Tags: Phones Mobile phones LG LG Pop Carphone Warehouse

LG GD510 Pop gets £99.99 price tag at Carphone Warehouse originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:11:35 +0000

AVG has been one of the most popular free antivirus tools for many a year, and updates its software for 2010 with the new AVG 9. We’ll kick off by summarising the different versions of the software, which still includes a free version for those who already have a firewall or other security on their system. This includes all the basic tools you need but omits a web shield, anti-rootkit protection, a game mode and technical support, which is all found on the ?27.99 standard edition. This version is also available with a firewall for ?35.99, though stepping up to the most comprehensive "Internet Security" option would be sensible at this stage, as for ?39.99 you get system tune-up tools, anti-spam and identity protection thrown in.

The first thing users of previous versions will notice is that there aren’t a lot of obvious changes here, and though the interface is slightly cleaner, it retains the multi-component layout and stripped down menus that has become synonymous with the software. Most improvements have come in the form of tweaks and enhancements, improving the firewall, phishing protection, anti-spam and in speeding up scans.

This area has seen a distinct improvement in recent times, but it’s worth highlighting that AVG has never been the quickest so it still lags quite seriously behind some of the competition. During our tests it achieved a standard scan time of around 4 minutes, and this doesn’t speed up much during subsequent repeats. By contrast, the excellent Norton AntiVirus 2010 initially took 1 minute to scan the same test system, with subsequent scans dropping to just 10 seconds.

AVG is fairly light on resources and a straightforward approach does make it easy to get to grips with, which should appeal to less experienced users. The firewall has also been improved to allow the software to better make decisions automatically, so you’re not often bugged for confirmation of actions during operation.

AVG has also done pretty well in terms of independent certification recently and though the results aren’t in yet on version 9, we’re confident it is capable of maintaining this standard.

Official Windows 7 compatibility just about rounds off the improvements here, so it seem as though AVG is happy to offer some fairly standard tweaks and enhancements to placate existing users and upgraders rather than attempt to drag in any new business. The free version still has obvious appeal and it’s still one of the best around in this light, but none of "pay" packages are cheap or revolutionary enough to compete against faster, sleeker and more comprehensive software from rivals such as Norton and BitDefender.

Verdict:

AVG has tweaked its software to bring it in line with new threats and improve efficiency, but it still lags behind many rivals in terms of scan times and doesn’t really bring enough to the table to encourage new users to ditch their existing internet security in its favour.?

Tags: Software Security software Viruses And Malware AVG AVG9

AVG 9.0 security software originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:21:03 +0000

Sony Creative Software has announced the launch of "1000 Ringtones", a DVD containing ringtones designed for the Apple iPhone.

As well as music, the ringtones include sound effects and spoken words and users can select tones for incoming calls, emails and text messages.

In a move that will see iPhone owners bypassing Apple iTunes Store's charges for ringtones, the files are in MP3 and M4R format and can be used straight away by syncing the selected files with iTunes.

The DVD includes a tutorial video that demonstrates how to get the tones loaded on the iPhone in "simple steps".

"iPhone devices are one of the most popular cell phones on the market. We invite users to add a personal touch to their device with 1000 Ringtones", said Dave Chaimson, Sony Creative Software vice president of global marketing.

"1000 Ringtones" is now available for $19.95 in the States and for ?12.95 here in the UK.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Sony Music software Ringtones Audio Sony Creative Software iPhone Apple iTunes

Sony offers 1000 Ringtones for the iPhone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:19:24 +0000

Google, perhaps reacting to criticism that it's keeping a whole load of your data in disparate places, has launched a "dashboard" that displays all the info that the search giant is keeping on you, and allowing you to modify that data.

The service, which can be found at google.com/dashboard, covers your account, alerts, Blogger, calendar, contacts, custom search engines, docs, finance, friend connect, Gmail, iGoogle, health, Latitude, mobile sync, Orkut, Picasa, your public profile, reader, shopping list, talk, tasks, voice, web history, and YouTube. There's also a few other products that aren't available yet on the dashboard.

Google says, at the bottom of the page, "This page represents the data associated with this Google account. All data is private unless indicated with (an) icon?as visible to others". Next to every entry in the list is an option to manage that information and modify it.

There's a video that explains the system in more detail, which we're currently trying to track down (Google's removed it from YouTube) but probably a better way to understand it is to go visit Google Dashboard yourself, and see exactly what the big G knows about you. You might find it scary.

UPDATE: We found the video. It's embedded at the top, there.

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Read

Tags: Software Online Google YouTube Blogger Video

Google launches data Dashboard originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:17:29 +0000

Pocket-lint has teamed up with SanDisk to bring you the chance of winning one of five SanDisk 4GB MP3 players, this is the? successor to the SanDisk Sansa Clip with that "+" coming in the form of a microSD memory card slot.

As the name might suggest, the player gets a clip on the back for trouble free listening whilst out and about, a 1-inch OLED display, an FM tuner with 40 presets, voice recorder, equaliser, and up to 15 hours of rechargeable battery life.

The player is certified to work with Windows 7 while file support comes in MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis and Audible files with support for Rhapsody, Napster, eMusic and others.

To be in with a chance of winning one of five 4GB Clip+, courtesy of SanDisk, just click through on the link below, where you'll be whisked away to the competition page and asked to answer one simple question.

Related links:

• Competition - SanDisk Sansa Clip+

Tags: Audio MP3 players SanDisk SanDisk Sansa Clip+ Competitions

Win a SanDisk Sansa Clip+ MP3 player originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:05:29 +0000

A new digital photo service has been launched which scans in consumer's photos and sticks 'em on a digi-frame to save the consumer the trouble.

Perfect for the lazy, or technically inept, the Digipix Memories service will scan in up to 100 hard copy photographs to be displayed on a 7-inch digital photo frame.

From Digipix: "Customers simply choose their best-loved printed pictures and post them in a pre-paid envelope provided with the gift pack. Digipix Memories will then transfer these onto an SD memory card and return this - and the photos - back within 10 working days".

The frame offers a remote control and slide show functionality. The entire gift pack costs ?49 - plus P&P - and is available now over at http://www.digipixmemories.com.

Tags: Cameras Digital photo frames Digipix Memories

Digipix Memories offers photo scanning and digi-frame gift pack originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:00:46 +0000

Google has put up another "Doodle" on its homepage above the iconic search box, depicting both Cookie Monster and Big Bird - depending on where in the world you're located.

Clicking the image links through to a search for Sesame Street, marking the 40th anniversary of the popular kids TV show. It follows another doodle recently celebrating Wallace and Gromit's 20th birthday.

Sesame Street debuted in November 1969 and still continues to this day, now in its 41st season. Celebrities regularly appear on the show, and Michelle Obama, the first lady of the United States, will be appearing at some point in the next year.

Tags: Software Websites Online Search engines Google Sesame Street

Google honours Sesame Street with doodle originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:41:06 +0000

Toshiba has announced the launch of the highest capacity 1.8-inch hard disk drive to date, offering the 320GB dual platter MK3233GSG.

The upshot of the announcement means you'll soon see the "latest generation of high-end portable and extremely mobile personal computers, notebooks and external hard disk drives" offering such a hard disk drive capacity.

To put the size into content, Toshiba says 320GB is good for 160,000 MP3 files or 282 hours of DVD-quality video.

"The recent growth in mobile computer sales even in these trying times is testament to what the consumer really wants; maximum storage in a small and portable device", said Martin Larsson, VP, Toshiba Europe's storage device division.

"To support this demand, Toshiba is continuing to innovate storage technology so that the latest generations of hard disk drives, such as the MK3233GSG, are light and fast enough for even the most up to date notebooks".

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Tags: Hardware Toshiba Storage HDDs

Toshiba launches 320GB 1.8-inch HDD originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:38:32 +0000

Microsoft has revealed it is cutting an additional 800 jobs across its global operations, further to the previous cuts announced in January.

Reuters quotes a spokesperson for Microsoft stating these latest job cuts are spread out across the company's global operations, but with around 200 positions to go from its headquarters in Redmond, Washington.

Back in January Microsoft said it would be slashing 5000 staff from its workforce as it revealed a sharp drop in profits.

At the time the layoffs were reported as a first for Microsoft since it was founded in 1975, apart from staff cuts made from reorganisation after company acquisitions.

Read

Tags: Software Microsoft Biz

Microsoft cuts another 800 jobs originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:19:18 +0000

Twitter has dropped a message onto its status blog to say that it's testing a new set of notifications for those who use Twitter.com to interact with the service. If you see a yellow bar at the top of your Twitter stream on the site, then don't be alarmed.

It'll say something like "3 new tweets", and clicking the bar will expand the page to show those tweets. Similar functionality has appeared in Twitter's search results for some time. The idea behind the move is to keep people staring at the Twitter site, "maximising engagement" as some marketer would probably put it.

The feature is being rolled out slowly, initially to a "limited" set of users. Twitter says that it "hopes to roll it out to everyone as soon as we can". For many hardcore Twitter users the feature won't be that useful - it'll rise too fast - but for more casual fans, who follow fewer people, this could prove a handy tool.

Read

Tags: Software Online Twitter Social networking

Twitter testing new tweet notifictions originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:17:03 +0000

Twitterpeek, the dedicated Twitter device announced earlier in the week?in the US could be making its way to the UK in the early part of next year according to the company behind it.

"Someday TwitterPeek will cross the pond to the UK. someday could be early next year I would guess", said Amol Sarva, the founder and CEO of Peek on Twitter.?

The TwitterPeek as it is called, has a dedicated colour screen, and is a QWERTY keyboard sporting device that allows users to dump their smartphones, email and phone calls and just check their Twitter stream regardless of what they are doing.

The new device, available at Amazon.com, will cost $99 and include unlimited nationwide service for the first 6 months, which jumps to $7.95 per month for service thereafter.

The company is also offering a $199 package, which includes unlimited Twitter service for the lifetime of device without the need for a contract.?

Read

Related links:

• Link - peek

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Twitter Twitterpeek peek Social networking

TwitterPeek UK bound? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:48:38 +0000

Olympus has followed up the June launch of its retro-chic Pen E-P1 with the new E-P2 Micro Four Thirds digital camera.

Adding a port for an electronic viewfinder or external microphones, the E-P2 gets two additional "Art Filters" as well as the new i-Enhance function, said to be "for even more creativity and image enhancement", AF tracking, remote slideshow control (via HDMI) and perhaps the biggest improvement of all - the ability to record 7 minutes of AVI format movies in 30fps at 1280 x 720p HD resolution.

Specs include a 12.3-megapixel Live MOS sensor with dust reduction and image stabilisation, up to ISO 6400, 3-inch HyperCrystal LCD, 20 shooting modes, face detection and the camera takes SD or SDHC memory cards.

Available in classic black from January 2010, Olympus are hoping these improvements over the original will see consumers shelling out around ?850 for the new snapper - a ?100 more than the dearest E-P1 bundle.

Tags: Cameras Olympus Micro Four Thirds DSLR cameras Olympus Pen E-P1 Olympus Pen E-P2

Olympus Pen E-P2 announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:52:46 +0000

The HTC Droid Eris has been steadily leaked over recent times, but just-revealed unboxing shots from US blog Boy Genius Report propel this effort from the realm of rumours into the big time.

We know Verizon is planning an entire family of Droid-branded Android phones, and it seems hot on the heels of the high-end Droid by Motorola, we can expect an announcement about this more mid-range effort soon.

What looks to be a variant of the Hero, the Droid is rumoured to launch at the $99 price point in the States - we will keep you posted.

UPDATE: The Droid Eris by HTC has now been confirmed, you can read our First Look review?or check out the?hands on?photos

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC Verizon Android Droid Eris

HTC Droid Eris revealed in unboxing pics originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:50:20 +0000

Who needs official apps (all 100,000 of them)?when there are a handful of apps that aren't approved and available to anyone wishing to "Jailbreak" their iPhone.

With?BlackRa1n?now unlocking the latest 3.1.2 firmware and Apple's app process going potty at times, here are 12 Jailbreak apps to get you started*:

BlackRa1n

It comes as part of the blackra1n unlock and jailbreak and basically lets you install the three main unofficial app stores - Cydia, Rock and Icy. From here you then install apps, change themes and basically run amok.

Price: Free

3G Unrestrictor

This 99 cent app does what its name suggests and unrestricts apps like Skype that don't currently allow you to use them over a 3G connection. Load it up, select the applications you want unrestricted and then you can use them on the network without the need to find a wireless network. Good apps to try it with are the iTunes' and App store's (10MB limits disappear), Skype for using SkypeOut over the 3G network and SlingMedia's SlingPlayer for iPhone.

Price: 99 cents

GV Mobile

Apple may have pulled the Google Voice for mobile app in the official App Store, but that doesn't mean you can't get it in the unofficial one - Cydia. As long as you've got a Google Voice account (US only at the moment) you can then make calls, access your contacts list and generally use the service to its fullest without having to mess around with a web widget.

Price: Free

qTweeter

There are plenty of free and paid for legitimate Twitter apps for the iPhone. qTweeter is different in that it is just an app for firing out those thought provoking 140 character sentences you know you are good at. Swipe your finger down from the top of the screen at any point, whether you are in an app or not, and qTweeter will allow you to post a tweet or Facebook status update in seconds. You can attach pictures, video and the URL from whatever page you are on in Safari.

Price: $4.99

Backgrounder

The iPhone doesn't allow multi-tasking of apps, but this app lets you do just that. Of course running applications in the background will have a serious drain on your iPhone battery performance if left running, but for people who like to Skype or run multiple apps, this allows you to jump to and from them without having to boot up the app every time.

Price: Free

Kirikae

Ignore the name - it has nothing to do with what this app actually does. Instead it will allow you, on a double tap of your home key, to see what apps are running on the iPhone as well as letting you access a list of favourite apps to load quickly. Working in harmony with Backgrounder, it basically lets you see what you've got running and better still allows you to close them if you've forgotten.

Price: Free

WinterBoard

Apple spent a long time designing the iPhone interface to be simple and effective in its design, but if that design just doesn't cut it you can install WinterBoard, which allows you to install themes and other functions, thereby altering how the iPhone user interface looks. Want a colourful picture instead of the black on your background? No problem. What about an Android or Palm webOS theme? You can do that as well. The app even lets you determine how many apps appear on each page.

Price: Free

Cycorder

Apple added video recording functionality to the iPhone 3GS, but for 3G owners that means you got zip. Not with this app. Cycorder basically allows your iPhone 3G to record video, even though Apple don't think you should. The app will capture video at 15 frames per second at a resolution 384 x 288 saving the end result as a QuickTime Movie.

Price: Free

PDAnet

AT&T still isn't offering tethering in the US, while in the UK O2 and Orange will charge you extra. Luckily for those who need to use their iPhone as a modem for their computer there is PDAnet, an app that, you guessed it, allows you to bypass the tethering blocks on the phone, allowing your computer to connect to the Internet. The application lets you connect a laptop via a Wi-Fi connection to the phone or via USB cable to Windows PCs. A warning though, if your operator finds out you could be disconnected.

Price: Free

TV-Out

Apple lets you connect your iPhone to your TV, with an approved cable, enabling you to watch YouTube videos or videos you've got stored in iTunes. However anything else is out of bounds. TV-Out lets you basically watch anything on the TV, be it a game, your email, Safari, Google maps, or anything else you can think of.

Price: Free

StatusNotifier

Turn on your iPhone and you're presented with a picture of the world and a "slide to unlock" command. Not very helpful is it? But what if you could fill that opening screen with a note telling you whether you've SMS, email, or IM messages you've got unread.

Price:?Free

BossPrefs

This is a management app that allows you to quickly turn off certain features of your iPhone without having to go through the setting pane. You get control over all the key elements like location, Bluetooth, brightness, EDGE, WiFi, as well as the ability to hide icons. You can even force a reboot or power off without having to press a physical button.

Price: Free

More

There are of course plenty more applications available. Which ones do you use? Share them in the comments below.

*Jailbreaking your Apple iPhone will void the warranty leaving you without official support if the handset goes wrong for any reason. Basically doing so means you are on your own.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps iPhone Apple App Store Features

12 Apps worth jailbreaking your iPhone for originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:20:25 +0000

By now, you should be seeing some growth to look after and it's probably about time you shaved away that scruffy unwanted stubbly beard. So, to help you in your grooming endeavour, find below five splendid moustache growing tools to take you from a 5 o'clock shadow to Ron Burgundy in no time. And, if you're not with us already then why not grow a mo yourself and help in the fight against prostate cancer? You can follow the Pocket-lint team's diary and even donate a little too.

GoateeSaver

The GoteeSaver will set you back $19.99, but promises to "revolutionize the way you shave and trim your goatee". According to the makers, the GoateeSaver can be customized to your face in seconds, with three easy adjustments. All you have to do is slide it over your mouth and shave to get the perfect look that "women will admire and men will respect". Now, of course, we're not growing goatees. It's a tache we're after but 90% of all moustaches grown will be left untouched and unprotected by what appears to be Darth Vadar's mouthpiece here. So, whether you're cultivating a Sanchez or a Dictator, save yourself a lot of time by starting your regime with the GoateeSaver and then spending a few minutes after just refining the job. The fact that you'll look like a gimp in the bathroom is probably just one of those things you'll have to live with.

USB Electric Razor

Nobody likes to be caught on the hop with an untidy mo. So, given you're bound to have a laptop with you on your travels, you may as well invest in a razor that charges by USB. For one it means fewer plugs to worry about and secondly it offers you the option of shaving while you type. That said, doing so will probably ruin your computer keyboard in one go. It's only $22 and might just come in handy as a part of your grooming arsenal one day.

Freedom Dynamo Electric Razor

A more sensible way to go might be with the eco-friendly wind up electric razor from Freedom. $49.99 may seem like quite a lot of money when you're having to put in all the work to get that dynamo charging, but it includes new blades, a mirror, travel case and even a 12V adaptor if you happen to be on the road with your car. Essentially you're looking at one of the best travel razors money can buy and a real winner if you happen to be camping. Perfect for making that mo stand out at 100 paces.

Moustache Comb Neckless

Yes, you too can own a fabulous piece of jewellery while keeping your tache in trim at the same time. You can also look like a total sleaze by casually teasing it through the hair on your upper lip as you chat to a lovely lady with one eyebrow raised while she takes note of your manly hair and takes deep, suffocating whiffs of your Sex Panther aftershave. 60% of the time it works every time. This kind of top end style doesn't come cheap though. Each one is hand crafted in solid silver. They measure 2 x 2 inches and hangs on a 35-inch chain, it can be yours for $168. That's mo kudos worth every penny.

Wilkinson Sword Quattro Titanium Precision

For some men, there's a oneness with nature about having a wet shave and if that's how you choose to carve out your mo, then the this razor from Wilkinson Sword seems to be the gadget of choice. It's won just about every men's grooming award in the last year and it also promises to be the first of its type to offer shaving, trimming and edging at the same time. If you want to know the difference - the shaving is about removing your hair at root with the four blades, the trimming is about settings you can click to life for a more stubbly look and the edging is about a fifth blade on the top, all on its own, to help sculpt your mo and sideburns. Best of all though, Wilkinson Sword is a staunch supporter of Movember and is offering anyone taking part a free shave over at Mo's Emporium in Kensington throughout the month.

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Related links:

• Link - Moustache Comb
• Link - Freedom Dynamo Electric Razor
• Features - Moustache styles and what to grow
• News - Gentlemen start your mos

Tags: Gadgets Movember Bathroom gadgets Shavers Features

Top grooming gadgets for Movember originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:53:34 +0000

Back in August, we told you about InvisibleHand, a Firefox add-on which spends most of its time hidden but pops up if it discovers that you're looking at a product you can get cheaper somewhere else.

Commenters on our post loved it, and now you can try out the latest version of the add-on before anyone else. The company behind InvisibleHand has offered 200 Pocket-lint readers access to the new version, which adds Google search integration, a "more refined" notifications experience and support for German retailers.

?You can grab it right now by being one of the first 200 readers to head over to? ?http://preview.getinvisiblehand.com/ and use the code: "invisiblePL" without quote marks. When you've downloaded it, head on back here and let us know what you think in the comments section.

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Tags: Software Firefox Beta InvisibleHand Software updates

Invisible Hand 1.8 beta invites available originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:42:44 +0000