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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The USB 3.0 standard has been agreed upon and approved by its Promoter Group, we got the first driver for the platform, and now we're starting to see devices finally roll out that can cope with the new technology that's ten times faster than USB 2.0.

The first is a USB 3.0 thumb drive called the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 RAIDDRive, which will come in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities. ?It's being produced by a company called Super Talent, which also makes USB 2.0 flash memory devices.

It's claimed that it can deliver speeds of up to 4.8Gbps (as opposed to 480Mbps theoretically possible with USB 2.0) but in the real world you're more likely to see speeds of more like 30MBps with 2.0, and around 200MBps in USB 3.0 mode. Still, that's a significant improvement.

The device measures 95 x 37 x 13.5mm and should be arriving at some point in December. Remember, though, that you'll need a driver for your OS, and a port that supports 3.0 to plug it into, before you'll get the blistering speeds you want. Intel chipsets won't be supporting USB 3.0 until 2011, so you'll need a discrete 3.0 controller to get things going.

In other words, we're still several years off 3.0 being as ubiquitous as 2.0 currently is.

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Tags: Hardware USB drives USB 3 Intel Super Talent Flash drives

First USB 3.0 thumb drive coming soon originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:21:28 +0000

Pocket-lint has teamed up with Dell Outlet to bring you the opportunity to win one of their high end XPS Laptops. A great pre-Christmas gift, whether you are into gaming, films, photography or general PC usage this Laptop is a fantastic prize for any PC Lover. To check out what Dell Outlet has to offer visit www.dell.co.uk/outlet/plxmascomp.

The laptop itself will sport 2GB RAM and 320GB hard drive, all wrapped up in a smart design. Connections wise you'll get 2 USB ports, HDMI and VGA-out, five in one memory card reader, ExpressCard slot and eSATA port.

To enter into this competition all you have to do is answer a simple question. In addition you have the opportunity to opt-in to receiving Dell Outlet's weekly enewsletter which is packed with updates on system availability and occasional special offers. Don’t worry, you can opt-out of this at any time.

So for a chance to win simply click through on the link below, which will take you through to the competition page, where you'll also find full terms and conditions.

Related links:

• Competition - Dell Studio 16 XPS laptop

Tags: Hardware Laptops Dell Dell XPS Competitions

Win a brand new Dell Studio 16 XPS laptop originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:01:19 +0000

With laptop innovation moving faster than just about any other area of consumer technology, it seems rather unfair to do a best laptop of the year category. Anything released back in January is comparatively obsolete next to anything from the last few months. The arrival of both Windows 7 and CULV technology in the latter half of the year has distorted matters even more. That said, 2009 started with some memorable moments at CES and a definite clutch of landmark releases that have managed to stay in contention for the Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Award for Best Laptop. Here's a little reminder of some of the highlights for you, and don't forget to tell us just which would get your vote.

Multimedia & Games

The laptop industry has moved into three clear areas of machines over the last 2 years although more recently it's threatened to fragment even further. One of the sectors beginning to divide in 2009 is the multimedia notebooks which, since the rise of the netbook and the slimline PC, now consists of just about anything over 2kg in weight with a 15-inch or more screen size. The point is that whereas once they might have been considered portable, the only moving anyone would do with them now would be short distances within the home. And, as for them being lap-tops, well there's now a select few of them that would crush your thigh bones even if you thought about it.

As a consequence of being housebound, these have predominately become entertainment units fit with powerful graphics cards, Blu-ray players, quad core processors, HDMI ports and, of course, HD quality widescreens. Some of the better examples of the year include the Samsung R720, the Asus F70, the Acer Aspire 7540 & 5542, MSI GX723, HP Pavillion DV8, Packard Bell EasyNote DT85 and the Sony Vaio NW series. That's been pretty much the middle bench of this category.

However, beyond these entertainment machines are the slightly lower spec and more portable professional type traditional laptops in the same vein as the MacBook Pro range which was itself refreshed right from the beginning of the 2009. The addition of a 17-inch model and later the 15-inch and 13-inch upgrades helped to remind us that although their specs may be lower, these are still machines to be reckoned with. Toshiba very much has its own take on the market with the Satellite series as re-released throughout the year, Dell has its Studios with an impressive update to the Studio 15 seen in 2009 and the one that got most tongues wagging was the HP Envy laptops with their Core i7 processors and enormous wedges of RAM available up to a slightly insane 16GB.

At the very other extreme of this category is a growing number of monster machines for gamers. It's a tricky area given that most self-respecting VG-heads will build their own PCs, but there is an ever-growing PC gaming market once more and plenty of consumers who want to buy something tailor made. What 2009 has continued to show here is that even this end of computing is moving away from desktops, which were normally classed as the only machines to offer the necessary power and screen size.

The minimum you'd expect to pay for these mostly 17-inch beasts would be a cool ?1000 like we saw in the Packard Bell iPower GX at the beginning of the awards year and the budget but effective Advent 6555 which has arrived since. However, Dell's Alienware, the Demios X-10 and the Asus G60 were also there in case you really wanted to start splashing the cash on dual GPUs and more lights, bells, whistles and sub-woofered sound hot-rods. Hard to tell how big this niche will get in the future but it's certainly been a feature this year.

Finally, and just to be typically awkward Apple finally brought us a new version of their ?799 entry level machine - the 13-inch unibody white MacBook. 2006 was the last time the company refreshed that model and we were beginning to think they would leave it at that.

Ultra Slim

By far the biggest growth area in laptops has been the thin, slim, ultra-portable, ultra-stylish machines. Consumers have been crying out for something with the portability of a netbook but with the battery and processing capabilities nearer the multimedia muthas as well as larger screen sizes to match - typically between 13 and 15 inches. We'd already seen the beginnings of this with the MacBook Air and the Toshiba Porteges but it was at CES 2009 when the fashion really hit home as MSI released their X-Series of laptops with the X320, which has now matured through the X400 and X600 too. Dell managed to eke out the tease on the style-conscious Adamo for nearly 6 months before more recently blowing us all away with even thinner and more unique Adamo XPS and it's the launch of the Intel CULV platform that's really produced the gold rush we're seeing right now.

Asus were quick to move from the already good looking brushed aluminium UX series to the new low voltage, longer lasting system take on the same design with the near enough Asus UL series. There must have been a secret meeting in a darkened smoky room between the marketing chiefs a few months back because it seems X-series has become synonymous with this laptop form. Samsung's X-series arrived with typical gusto in October after the announcement at IFA and once Sony had decided that the trend was here to stay, they produced an Vaio X-series of the company's very own too. And, just to prove they're not all about stacking them high and selling them cheap, Dell produced a slightly less premium take on the trend with both the Inspiron and Lattitude Z-series. Presumably, there were no Xs left. Finally both Toshiba and Acer, with the Timeline range, went about more portable solutions although in a slightly more sedate and less thin-crazed way.

Interestingly, because of the focus on efficiency and form, what we haven't seen, and perhaps for the first time, is any significant increase in RAM and processor cores - typical signs of raw power. Instead 2009 has given the consumer laptops with a definite purpose. We have more battery power, a lighter load, more power-friendly LED screens, often with SSD internal storage solutions as well. Throw Windows 7 into the mix and there's never been a better time to buy a laptop.

Netbooks

If 2008 was the arrival of the netbook, then 2009 has most certainly represented its peak. According to Samsung, Q4 of 2009, now, is when we should expect to see the largest sale in netbooks worldwide. Simply everyone makes them including Orange, LG, Nokia, BlackBerry and even Hello Kitty. There is some suspicion that the wave will roll back once more with the ultra-slims taking a lot of that market share away, with a solution that most people were probably after in the first place, but it seems there will always be a place for devices like these that simply need to be carried in a smaller space.

That said, there have been one or two standout innovations in the netbook field starting at the very beginning of the year in Las Vegas with the arrival of three very important machines. The first was from the inventor of the netbook, as Asus held aloft the touch and swivel screen Eee PC tablet, the T91. The second was the HP Mini 2140 and its near full size keyboard and, perhaps most famously, was Sony's half admission that netbooks were here to stay with the release of the Vaio P not-netbook. The company has since gone the whole hog with the Vaio W.

It's almost seemed that the manufactures themselves have sensed that the traditional netbook might have been a fad. Most have ditched the early 8.9-inch models with 10-inch machines being the baseline these days, the best of the current crop are the Dell Mini 10v, the Toshiba NB200, the Medion E1312, HP Mini 5101, Asus Eee PC 1008HA, Samsung N510 and the Acer Aspire One D250, many of which now come with 2GB of RAM, near full QWERTYs and better graphics than ever before. There's been a recognition that it's hard to get much done on such small machines so we've seen the addition of the Nvidia ION platform to allow gaming and HD video playback to help bolster the trade too. The other way to go has been the blurring of the very definition of the category by creating a series of 11-inch not-netbooks, which straddle the gap in machine class, and often come with non-Atom processors like the HP Pavillion DM1 and the Packard Bell dot m/u.

Aside these small boosts and the touchscreen capabilities, perhaps the only real innovation has come from Acer who has brought out a version of the D250 that comes with both Android and Windows operating systems installed as well as, of course, the offering of a 3D laptop too. It'll be interesting to see how Google's desktop OS takes off and who'll choose to run netbooks on Windows 7. But, most of all, it'll be interesting to see what's come of the netbook in 2 year's time.

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

Tags: Hardware Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Pocket-lint Awards Features Asus Acer Samsung Laptops Netbooks Dell Dell Adamo XPS

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - laptops originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:10:45 +0000

Anyone familiar with the use of graphics pad or tablet will know the more precise and controlled advantages offered by working on photos or video, say, with the more natural “drawing” interface a tablet allows than the blunt instrument that is a mouse will be very happy indeed with this update of Wacom’s Intuos range.

Let’s get this clear at the outset; the new Intuos4 tablet is quite simply excellent (incidentally it has by the way, already been awarded TIPA’s best digital accessory in Europe award). We had the Medium sized model to play with (there are Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large variants) with an active area of 223.5 x 139.7mm and the first standout feature of note is the brilliantly simple ambidextrous design.

The new layout has all controls on one side of the tablet; the advantage here is it makes it easier to use all the features since the detachable USB cord and dual USB ports then allow you to turn the tablet 180 degrees and plug it back in for left and/or right-handed use.

Add to the mix new LED backlit labels for the programmable ExpressKeys, (though the bottom model in the range, the cheaper “Small” version, disappointingly lacks these LED labels) means the problem of forgetting what ExpressKey is programmed to do what is eliminated since the LEDs allow you to see what is programmed even automatically switching between applications, which is very neat indeed.

It is the customisability of the Intuos4 system that provides its real power as the new Touch Ring feature demonstrates. The Touch Ring allows you to use it like the ExpressKeys, but can be programmed to zoom and scroll or change brush size in a photo editing package such as Photoshop. Alternatively, it can be used as a scrubber if video editing is more your thing.

The new Grip Pen has also received significant enhancements with new Tip Sensor technology that provides for almost weightless sensitivity in terms of pressure. It has 2048-levels of pressure compared with the 1048-levels of the Intuos3 series tablets, making it much smoother and more precise for brush strokes and the like.

The weighted pen stand has been revised in that it is a storage compartment for replacement nibs and the nib removal tool too. But one of the other significant enhancements is the redesigned mouse. The mouse does not need a battery but is oh so much more precise to use than on previous versions and overall, while the Intuos4 is an evolution on the previous very good Intuos3, it provides a set of updates and new features that make it so much better.

One sticking point however must be mentioned, it may look a bit overpriced at a penny shy of ?330 but after using the Intuos4 Medium for a few days, it’s hard to argue against owning one, assuming you have the budget, of course.

Verdict:

It’s hard to improve on something that’s already brilliant, but Wacom have obviously had a good head scratching session and come up with just that. The brilliant just got, well, erm … brillianter? But at a price, because the Small is priced at ?199.99 with the price rising through the range to the Extra Large being priced at a rather startling ?699.99.

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Tags: Hardware Tablets Wacom Wacom Intuos4

Wacom Intuos4 Pen Tablet originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:38:24 +0000

Marvell and E-Ink have joined forces to create a system-on-a-chip that's designed for use in E-reader devices. It should mean that new devices are able to be rolled out increasingly quickly from any manufacturer that wants to hook it up to a screen, add a battery, design a nice casing and put their badge on it.

The chip offered includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G modem and power management, and should bring more choice to consumers dipping a toe into the fledgling, but fast-growing, E-reader market. E-readers are predicted to ship 18 million units in 2012, from 1 million in 2008.

The two companies have also formed a deal with FirstPaper LLC to supply a variety of screen sizes and resolutions, including large ones that more resemble periodicals and large-format books. "To enable great newspaper and magazine reading experiences, eReading devices need the right tools to make richer layouts and complex content come to life", said Gil Fuchsberg, FirstPaper's president.

The first E-readers to feature this chipset will likely arrive sometime in 2010, and will include the enTourage eDGe, which combines an e-Ink reader with a netbook, notepad, and AV player/recorder. We'll bring you more news of that when we hear about it. In the mean time, expect plenty of new E-readers in the pipeline next year.

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Tags: Hardware E-Book readers Marvell E-ink

Marvell and E-Ink offer e-reader chip originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:03:06 +0000

The first thing that strikes you about the agent V5 is just how good looking it is. In a world where many webcams are black plastic, the V5 is lovingly wrapped in chrome, so it jumps out as a premium looking product.

Out of the box it has that Mac look and feel about it and in a design-conscious world it certainly attracts a few passing glances. You are also well catered for in terms of accessories, as out of the box you'll find a fixed stand, notebook clip and? larger flexible to attach to LCD displays, or your AIO computer. There is also a bag, cleaning cloth and cable donut to keep things tidy.

All the accessories screen into the underside of the webcam, where a flexible swivel mount provides and attachment point. This is the same size as a standard tripod, so you can attach the V5 webcam to other accessories, for example a Gorillapod.

The design is minimalist. The chrome barrel is free from buttons and lights, with the front ring bring used for focusing the camera and a small microphone hole in the underside. It looks nice and clean but it does mean that you don't get the customary LED indicator when it is active.

It works on both Mac and PC, with software bundled on the CD to cater for both. Applications supplied for the Mac, include Webcam Monitor, CamGrabber, CamTwist, Gawker, iVideo, PhotoStickies, QuartzCube, Simple Video Slicer and VLC video player. However, the chances are that you'll stick to native applications like PhotoBooth, QuickTime and iMovie and we did encounter some problems installing and testing the bundled software. Importantly though, on the Mac you don't need to install anything if you don’t want to.

On the PC you'll need to install the driver software and you are also offered CAMagic, Ulead Video Studio 7 SE and various others. Again, after the drivers, there's a strong chance you'll be using your webcam for video chats online, so your application for example Skype will probably take care of things.

On to performance itself and the first thing you'll have to contend with is the lack of autofocus or fixed focus. So it isn't a great cam if you want to record anything that changes distance to the camera, but for normal web chatting, that isn't a problem. What it does mean though, is that once you are sat and the camera set up, you can focus and you get a really crisp image.

Thanks to the 5-layer glass lens, the images are crisp and clear and when using the camera over Skype, people commented how sharp the image was. In standalone video capture, you also get a nice crisp result. Of course the video capture results depend very much on what software you use and the PC you are using too. It will give you Full HD video capture if you have the software and a computer that will handle it.

Low light performance is reasonable, retaining colours when some webcams will start to lose them, although the image does have a stippled noise pattern over it. There was also some black speckles that looked like dust on the lens, but after cleaning they stayed, so we can only assume it was dust on the sensor.

But before you get carried away with the Full HD aspects of the aGent V5 you have to deal with the sound quality, which isn't so good. With the microphone opening hidden on the underside of the camera barrel, we had to turn the input up all the way so that we could reasonably hear anything and then it was blighted by hissing and interference.

This came across both in Skype conversations we were having and in test captures we did. Mid conversation in Skype we had to switch back to the Mac's internal mic to save the ears of a colleague who complained about the quality. If you have a separate mic, or use a headset for voice communications this might not be a problem, but it is a problem with the package as a whole.

Verdict:

We like the look of the aGent V5 webcam: it looks like good quality and in our tests the video came out good too. The dust on the sensor may just be a problem with our test sample, but did detract from the otherwise good video performance.

You do get a lot in the box, with the various mounting options, but unfortunately the sound quality really let us down. If you are one of those sorts that doesn’t need the sound for whatever reason, you might still be tempted by its glorious looks alone.

Related links:

• Buy it! - Liquid Digital Solutions

Tags: Hardware Webcams Liquid Digital Solutions Liquid Digital Solutions aGent V5

Liquid Digital Solutions aGent V5 webcam originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:14:37 +0000

Toshiba has announced the launch of a new "Trade-In" programme describing it as "an initiative designed to help consumers offset the cost of buying a new laptop whilst ensuring that their old laptop is disposed of in an environmentally sustainable way".

When purchasing a new Toshiba Windows 7 laptop, consumers are offered up to ?150 cashback in return for their old laptop - dependent on its condition and specification.

Consumers can visit Tosh's site for an idea of valuation of their current model and then if they go ahead with the trade-in, will see their laptop collected by Toshiba's partner Tier 1 Asset Management who will pay out - assuming all is good with the device - within 10 days.

The Toshiba Trade-In programme is live now over at www.toshiba.co.uk/tradein and will run until 31 January 2010.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Toshiba Eco

Toshiba offers laptop "Trade-In" scheme originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:51:38 +0000

Toshiba’s Satellite U500-178 is a highly portable laptop that’s great for either home use or a life on the move. With a 13.3-inch screen, it’s small enough to slip into most laptop bags, yet also packs in a powerful Nvidia GeForce G 210M graphics card.

The screen offers impressive colour reproduction, and the 1280 x 800 pixel resolution also provides sharp images. Unlike most of the Toshiba’s rivals, it’s not a 16:9 widescreen panel, so isn’t quite so ideally suited to movie playback, but those using spreadsheets will appreciate the extra height. The glossy finish won’t suit all users, but reflections aren’t too problematic unless you’re working in direct sunlight.

The U500 features a compact and attractive design, using textured plastics to good effect. Our review sample featured a distinctive dark brown finish, and quality throughout was very impressive. All of the plastics are tough enough for daily use and, although the weight of just over 2kg isn’t the lightest we’ve seen on a machine of this size, it’s easily light enough for the commute.

The keyboard offers excellent levels of comfort, with large and responsive keys. It’s let down by a spongy typing action, however, with the board flexing under pressure. Backlighting on our range-topping sample makes up for this slightly, making it easy to work in any lighting conditions.

Despite the compact footprint, this is a machine you’ll be able to use for any task – from video editing to playing the latest games. The powerful Nvidia GeForce graphics card can draw upon 512MB of dedicated video memory, with everyday performance further boosted by the inclusion of 4GB of system memory. Helping to offer value for money, a speedy 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 processor provides quick responses, and helps the system to run smoothly at all times.

Networking features are comprehensive, including 802.11n Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet and Bluetooth. Unfortunately, 3G/HSDPA isn’t an option, which may be an issue for those wanting to work on the move. On the left-hand side of the chassis, there are two USB ports and an ExpressCard slot.

There’s a further USB/eSATA port on the right-hand side, supporting Toshiba’s USB Sleep-and-Charge technology. Letting you charge other devices – such as your iPod or mobile phone, even when the laptop isn’t turned on, it’s a feature we’re quite fond of. Most popular memory card formats are supported, via a 5-in-1 card reader. An HDMI port rounds off the specification.

Verdict:

Although the quality of the keyboard lets it down, the Toshiba Satellite U500-178 is a great machine for those wanting to combine their desktop PC and laptop. It’s easily small enough to take to work with you each day, yet provides outstanding office and multimedia performance. A great all-rounder, and well worth a look.

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Related links:

• Photos - Toshiba Satellite U500

Tags: Hardware Laptops Toshiba Toshiba Satellite U500

Toshiba Satellite U500-178 notebook originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:41:32 +0000

Movember is upon us once more and that means plenty of talk about moustaches, moustache gadgets and of course not forgetting the main reason for the facial hair growth - helping raise awareness for?prostate Cancer.

Over the next 30 days the Pocket-lint team and others will be growing a moustache for charity. It's a tough job that from experience means we will be ridiculed, stared at, and worse still not get many kisses.

But fear not my hairless friends (that's you), it is not too late to join our hairy(ish) team.

We will be keeping a mo diary on the site so you can see our progress and expect plenty of related features exploring everything "Mo".

Men of tech! (that's you) join our brethren.

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

Gentlemen start your Mo originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:35:49 +0000

If your laptop has just given up the ghost and you're looking for a budget replacement, then Pocket-lint might have the perfect tech deal for you today.

Tesco Direct are currently selling the Acer AS5332 T3000 for ?328, the cheapest in their range of laptops now coming with Windows 7 installed. Other models in the range come from Toshiba, HP and Sony, so you can have a browse when you click through on the link below.

As for the bargain Acer, specs aren't too shabby for the money with Windows 7 Home Premium installed out of the box and a dual core processor. You'll also get 3GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive and? a decent 15.6-inch display with 16:9 aspect ratio.

The supermarket is also pushing its Click and Collect service which means that specific items bought online can then be picked up the following day from a participating store.

You can check out the full details of the service from the Tesco Direct website as well as the other Windows 7 laptops.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Windows 7 Tesco direct Acer 5332 T3000 Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Windows 7 laptops available at Tesco Direct originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:48:15 +0000

If I asked you to describe a mouse you would either tell me it's a small rodent or you would tell me it's an input device for a computer that has two click buttons and a scroll wheel.

The creation of the scroll wheel re-invented the way we interacted with computers. The wheel allows us to move quickly through long pages at the spin of a wheel. But its time in this world could be over if Apple has anything to do with it.

In steps the Magic Mouse (they lost the Mighty Mouse name in a trademark issue) professing to be the end all to your mousing issues, not that you realised you had any.

Rather than buttons or a scroll wheel to mess up the smooth lines, the Magic Mouse looks more like a pebble or one of those Philips "personal" massagers than your average mouse. A gloss white plastic moulded piece of plastic sits on a aluminium base: there are no buttons, no indents, no wires.

In reality there are two buttons - left and right click - while the scroll is done by touch.?That's right - the technology found in the trackpads for the MacBook and MacBook Pro line has found its way into the mouse so you can flick your way down pages.

The concept is simple and the execution for downward scrolling incredibly simplistic. Strangely your finger knows exactly what to do.

Not so easy is left to right scrolling. Here you have to use two fingers while somehow managing to hold the mouse underneath still. As the mouse isn't that heavy - the main weight comes from the two AA batteries - it's an awkward affair. Still if you can master it, you can scroll forward and backward through internet pages in Safari for example, which can be quite handy. ?

The mouse doesn't support rotating, or other features at the moment, but that might change with later software updates, who knows?

What do you get though, is plenty of control options within the mouse management software. Not only can you adjust the tracking, but the scrolling and double click speed, you also get to determine whether the scroll comes with momentum or not.

Back to the hardware, and rather than opt for a wired option that would take away from the "magic" Apple has opted for Bluetooth to connect the mouse to your Mac. With all Macs now shipping with the wireless technology you shouldn't have any issues to connecting to your computer. Apple say you'll get around 4 months battery life from the two AA batteries hidden inside, we aren't going to wait 4 months to test it out, but that's comparable with other mice on the market.

Verdict:

So what's it like to use? Well so far so good, although it's by no means perfect. The lower than expected profile means that it won't sit comfortably in the palm of your hand like those made by Microsoft or Logitech and that for some will either be a good thing or a bad thing. We can see why Apple has done it - sweat. Anyone that gets hot hands knows that pressing it against a bit of plastic isn't that nice. Here you don't get that sweaty palm feeling which is nice. It also means that you feel like you are controlling something rather than the mouse becoming an extension of your arm - borg style.

While the laser sensor is very accurate and fast, the black strips on the underside seemed to grate on a desk or mousepad. It's not a massive complaint, but considering the smoothness of the flicking action from the touch controls we aren't 100% happy with it - maybe only 90% happy. We also suspect that it could pick up dirt quite quickly.

Worth the $77 or ?55? In short, no.

This is a nice idea and one we were very tempted by when we heard the news. While touch certainly is the future of the mouse, the Magic Mouse isn't that future just yet, well not unless all you are interested in is scrolling up and down with your finger.

Tags: Hardware Mice And Keyboards Mice Apple Magic Mouse

Apple Magic Mouse originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:38:45 +0000

Sony has issued a product safety recall for Sony VGP-AC19V17 AC adapters for certain Vaio desktops and docking stations.

In conjunction with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the voluntary recall concerns adapters supplied with the VGC-LT series and VGC-JS2 series all-in-one Vaio desktop PCs and the? VGP-PRBX1 and VGP-PRFE1 Vaio docking stations.

"Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately", says the recall notice, that's thought to cover about 69,000 units.

The issue with the adapters is that the "insulation inside the AC adapter can fail over time, posing an electrical shock hazard to consumers" and there's been four reports of adapters short circuiting.

For more information, customers in the States can contact Sony toll-free at (877) 361-4481 anytime, or visit esupport.sony.com/ac19adapter.

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Tags: Hardware Sony Recalls Chargers Vaio

Sony recalls 69,000 Vaio AC adapters in the US originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:19:03 +0000

Apple has released a software update for its new?Magic Mouse, allowing all Mac users running Leopard and Snow Leopard to use the new mouse even though stock of the new product can't be found in retail stores.

Apple has so far only offered the new touch sensitive mouse to customers who buy its new iMac computer following its announcement over a week ago.

While the company is famous for announcing a product and having it in stores the next, if not same, day Apple stores across the US are still without stock citing that it is "expected soon".

"You can expect once the software hits, the mouse will be available soon after", a store clerk told Pocket-lint in Apple's 5th Avenue store in New York before the software became available for download.

The update, which weighs in at 63.9MB, and 101MB when installed, will allow users of the mouse to scroll vertically and horizontally with a swipe of their finger rather than having to rely on a scroll wheel.

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Read

Tags: Hardware Mice And Keyboards Mice Apple Software updates Magic Mouse

Apple Magic Mouse software released to all originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:20:59 +0000

We got invited to look into the future by Ericsson at the Taiwan Broadband show, as the company has done some studies on what the connected world will look like in 2020.

Ericsson was showing off a few concepts of what they expect to see in terms of consumer interactivity with various devices and how people would use these devices in 2020.

One of the concepts which Ericsson has created something of a working prototype of is the Spider Computer. This was initially meant as a computer for third world countries, but was changed to become something more of a portable computer during the study.

The current prototype has a built-in pico projector, a laser keyboard and a memory card reader. Ericsson is working on a clever way to integrate a long lasting battery and of course internet connectivity.

The Spider Computer mock-up looks like something out of a sci-fi movie as it stands on three legs that are meant to fold into the device itself. It’s all black and it almost looks as if it’ll come alive at any moment and start to attack you.

It’s always interesting to see a company’s vision of the future, but the biggest hurdle in this case seems to be how to power the separate devices rather than how to integrate all the technology Ericsson wants to fit into its futuristic concept.

You can read more about Ericsson’s vision of the year 2020 over at http://www.ericsson.com/ericsson/corpinfo/2020/

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Tags: Hardware Desktop PCs Concepts Ericsson

Ericsson reveals futuristic Spider Computer concept originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:46:59 +0000

Intel is to launch its Moorestown Atom platform for MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices) sometime early next year and we got a sneak peak at an upcoming device from Taiwanese OEM Wistron.

The un-named device was on display at the Ericsson booth at the Taiwan Broadband show and the reason for this is simple, Intel is co-operating with Ericsson to bring HSDPA data modules to Moorestown based MIDs.

Although the device on display was only a mock-up, it filled us with a lot more confidence in Atom-based MIDs as a whole, as so far most of them have been anything but impressive. It offers a very large widescreen display and the overall design is very similar to the recently launched BL40 Chocolate from LG.

With the beefed up hardware comparable to most smartphones, the Wistron MID should appeal to those that want a pocketable computer, as it’s slim enough to fit in most jacket pockets at least. It offers a USB port, a microSD card slot and interestingly a micro HDMI port which allows it to be connected to external displays.

It also has a 5-megapixel camera, a top mounted headset jack, Bluetooth, presumably Wi-Fi and of course HSDPA data connectivity. Judging by the design, Wistron has added phone functionality, as there’s what appears to be an earpiece at the top of the device and at the bottom are a pair of buttons for initiating and ending calls.

It’s too early to draw any conclusions, but it looks like next year might very well bring some very interesting MIDs for those that are looking for something a bit more powerful than a smartphone, but don’t want the bulk of carrying around a netbook.

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Tags: Hardware MIDs Wistron Intel Moorestown Phones Ericsson

Moorestown-based MID from Wistron shown off originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:21:45 +0000

It’s easy to imagine that Sony has been hit harder than most by the current netbook explosion, with little point in paying a premium for high-end ultraportable machines when a netbook will suffice. The Sony VAIO VPC11Z1E/X-series aims to change this, proving far more portable than any laptop or netbook we’ve seen so far.

It’s even thinner and lighter than the company’s own miniscule VAIO P-series, although a lot more conventional in design. It measures just 16mm in depth, and weighs comfortably under 800g, and genuinely is a laptop you can put in your bag, take with you everywhere you go and forget it's there.

The 11.1-inch led-backlit screen is excellent, and every bit the equal of other similarly priced ultraportable laptops. The resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels results in sharp image quality, and colours are also vivid and true. With a screen coating that sits somewhere between matt and glossy, brightness levels are good, and reflections are also well suppressed when working outdoors.

The keyboard is tiny, but is surprisingly usable, even for those with larger hands and fingers. The keys themselves are also small, but it’s not problematic due to decent spacing between each one. The main issue is the amount of travel – or lack of – caused by the thin size of the laptop itself. It means the keys only move a fraction when typing – it’s not an issue once you get used to it – but it’s unlikely to suit all users.

The square touchpad is smaller than the one found on Sony’s VAIO W-series netbook, but it’s precise and responsive. Like the keys, the touchpad buttons are large enough for comfortable use, but are also restricted in movement.

Sony has used carbon fibre to help keep the weight as low as possible, distinguishing this machine from the netbooks it will inevitably be compared to. Quality is excellent, with a perfect fit and finish to all of the panels, with an attractive glossy carbon lid. It’s not a machine you’ll be able to throw in your bag without any protection, however, with the skinny chassis flexing more than most laptops or netbooks.

Those of you expecting to find a CULV processor at the heart of this machine will be disappointed as, like the VAIO P-series, Sony has stuck to an Intel Atom Z550 chip. That said, at 2GHz, it’s quicker than the current crop of netbooks – further helped by 2GB of memory and a 256GB solid state drive. Battery life is also decent – lasting for over 6 hours with the standard four-cell battery.

Unsurprisingly, you won’t find that many ports on the chassis. The two USB ports are located annoyingly close together on the left-hand side of the machine, there’s a VGA port but no HDMI, and a couple of card readers on the front supporting both Sony’s Memory card format and the more popular SD format.?

You’ll also find a half-sized Ethernet port, with the lower half dropping down when you want to connect an Ethernet cable. Because this lowers one side of the X-series slightly, there are a couple of little legs on the bottom of the machine, helping to keep it stable. Wireless connectivity on the range topping model is top-notch, with 802.11n Wi-Fi and a 3G/HSDPA adapter both built-in.

Verdict:

There’s no doubt about the amazing portability on offer from the Sony VAIO VPC11Z1E/X, but whether it’s worth the money will depend entirely how much you value that portability. Think of it as a Sony VAIO TT replacement – a high-end ultraportable for executives – and it’s an excellent little device. It’s difficult to escape the fact that it does the same job as many netbooks however, and although none can match it for wow-factor or quality, several can better it for battery life or performance.

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Related links:

• Photos - Sony Vaio X netbook

Tags: Hardware Laptops Netbooks Sony Sony VAIO VPC-X11Z1E/X

Sony VAIO VPC-X11Z1E/X notebook originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:22:57 +0000

Earlier in the week it was the?New York Times?supposedly spilling the beans, now it's the Sydney Morning Herald.

According to the paper in Australia, Apple is uncharacteristically talking to a number of media companies in preparation for the launch of an?Apple tablet?or Slate.

While rumours have been kicking around for some time with plenty of mock-ups created by devoted fans, the paper claims that:

"Apple has sent specifications of the device to Australian media companies in an effort to sound out whether they would be interested in delivering their content to the tablet. None would speak about the device on the record".

The news comes just a day after the executive editor of the New York Times has referred to the mythical Apple tablet in a speech as the "impending Apple slate", reigniting the smouldering rumours of the device.

Bill Keller's off-the-record speech, not supposed to be recorded and leaked to the Internet, is a business-based monologue about the future of the NYT, including a look at new digital delivery platforms.

"I'm hoping we can get the newsroom more actively involved in the challenge of delivering our best journalism in the form of Times Reader, iPhone apps, WAP, or the impending Apple slate...", Keller states, as reported by eager-eared Gawker.

The quote from Keller apparently follows reports from earlier this year that a "stealth team" from the paper met with Apple executives - as well as other content publishers - on a top-secret matter.

We will keep you posted.

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Tags: Gadgets Internet tablets Apple Rumours Hardware Apple tablet

New Apple tablet rumours surface down under originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:21:53 +0000

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Pocket-lint Awards

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards date confirmed and tickets on sale originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:03:36 +0000

This Dell infomercial would make a great drinking game if you had to down a shandy every time voice-over man says "XT2 XFR", but for those of you of a more sober frame of mind, it gives you a quick overview of Dell's new rugged tablet PC.

The Dell Latitude XT2 XFR (hic!) is the industry's smallest 12.1-inch rugged convertible tablet PC and is the first with a multi-touch display.

Aimed at those that work In The Field, it's independently tested to all kinds of official standards so users know they can drop it, dunk it, freeze it, coat it in dust and just know it's still gonna work.

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Tags: Hardware Dell Tablet PCs Laptops Waterproof Video Biz

VIDEO: Dell Latitude XT2 XFR rugged tablet PC launches originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:40:37 +0000

Touchscreen displays have been given a boost by Windows 7 and its native support for such displays, but there are some drawbacks of having a touchscreen display on your computer, such as a darker picture and a slightly fuzzy image depending on the technology used. However, it seems like those days are numbered, at least if what we've seen from Albatron becomes a widespread technology.

Albatron might not be the most well known company out of Taiwan, but they've been making both televisions and computer components for many years. The company has now developed what they call an Optical Touch Monitor or OTM.

Albatron's OTM uses two CMOS cameras, one located in each of the top corners of the display and the sides, whhilst the bottom of the display is outfitted with reflectors. The OTM interfaces with a computer with a standard USB interface and no special drivers are needed in Windows 7.

The cameras and reflectors are mounted on a tempered glass sheet in front of the actual LCD display. The cameras then pinpoint where your finger is located to an accuracy of about 2mm and the tech means you don't even have to touch the display to be able to move the mouse cursor.

The OTM supports multi-touch and gestures, although how well this works depends on the software implementation. We were shown demos of various applications running in Windows 7 and had a chance to play with both Google Earth and a simple drawing application that has been designed to take advantage of multi-touch and we were very impressed by how well it worked and how sensitive it was.

The unit we got to have a play with was a 42-inch panel, and Albatron informed us that there's no real cost difference between a small or a large panel using this technology, unlike other types of touch screen display technology which gets exponentially more expensive as the screen size increases.

The 42-inch model is likely to end up in shopping centres and museum information systems but Albatron is offering a 21.5-inch consumer model available with either a standard monitor stand, or what Albatron calls a book stand, allowing for the display to be angled towards the user for easier access to the touchscreen interface. The consumer displays are expected to retail for about $450 and offer 1920 x 1080 resolution and DVI input.

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Tags: Hardware Monitors Albatron

Albatron offers 42-inch touchscreen display originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:06:31 +0000

Stuart Miles brings us his customary comment from NYC with a look at the talking points from this week in tech.

Under the spotlight in this instalment is Apple's Magic Mouse and whether this is the beginning of the end for the button and the launch of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system.

Miles also muses the rise of real-time search with the news that Google and Bing are due to integrate Twitter content into their search results as well as offering thoughts on Google's Social Search.

The fact that Nokia is suing Apple for patent infringement is the final topic under consideration - is the Finnish giant protecting its patents or looking for a quick cash injection? Hit play for more...

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

VIDEO: Tech Week in View: Magic Mouse, Social Search and Nokia sues Apple originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:05:00 +0000

Monitors are pretty boring things, but that can't be said about the W2230S from LG. Looking to appeal to those who don't want something that looks like a piece of office furniture. The W30 monitor comes in two sizes, 19- and 22-inches, and five different colours: "jelly pink", "applemint", "Hawaiian", "blueberry" and "Oreo". We tested the 22-inch variant in a delightful blue.

The first thing to note is the design. It draws heavily from the Apple Mac school of design, with a white plastic back, which curves pleasingly, giving it a nice clean look from behind, rather like the last generation of iMac. The front colour frame isn't as clean, with a line running across the bottom along the top of four control buttons and the backlit on/off button. But as a monitor it is attractive, something that can't always be said about displays, showing the consideration that LG have put into design recently.

The colours won't appeal to all, but it does give you some option to have it fit into the design of your apartment, or simply to add some colour to your room or student accommodation. We hooked up the W2230S to a Mac mini, an partnership which gives you a compact and tidy solution.

It doesn't have a conventional elevated stand, instead deploying a kickstand. This will allow you adjust the tilt of the monitor, but you don't get any sort of swivel. For those in a workplace who need to re-angle their display to share with colleagues this makes it a little impractical, but for domestic users, the likelihood is that it will be permanently sited on a desk and not moved, so this isn't a problem.

Without a stand, it does mean that the monitor is lower, so the conventional approach of making the top of the screen level with your eye-line as Mr Health and Safety would recommend might not be possible. Again, this might be a concern for business users, but for those who spend less time in front of a monitor it shouldn't be too much of a problem.?Thanks to not having a stand, it has a relatively small footprint on your desk, but doesn't have an option for wall mounting.

Connectivity is one place where the W2230S is lacking. Around the back you only have a D-SUB/VGA connection and the DC power input. You don't get HDMI, you don't get speakers, or a USB loop through which other monitors will offer.

The control buttons across the bottom give you access to the menu - offering picture, colour, tracking and setup options. The action feels a little cheap, but on the whole, you don't spend much time playing with these controls once you have it set-up, another good reason why we'd have preferred to have them out of sight on the side.

Brightness is rated at 250 nits and you also get a a direct control button to jump in and change the brightness, perhaps to turn it down at night or up during a sunny day. You also get a button to change the aspect to 4:3 from the default 16:9. An auto adjustment rounds out the controls offered.

In terms of the tech specs, the W2230S offers dynamic contrast ratio of 30,000:1 and a response time of 5ms. Hardcore gamers might be looking for something with a faster response rate on paper, but they probably aren't seeking this sort of colour option monitor anyway.

The 22-inch monitor, however, gives you plenty of space on-screen. It's a widescreen 16:9 format and packs in a Full HD 1920 x 1080 pixel native resolution. You might initially question the value of HD resolution on a monitor lacking HDMI, but 1920 x 1080 gives a nice crisp look to your PC or Mac. You'll be able to playback your high-def video content filling the screen without resizing, or work with a browser window side-by-side with a word processing document and still see both clearly.

There is plenty of colour and detail available on offer here, although the matte finish to the display means it lacks that ultra crisp look you'll get from some glossy TVs or monitors. It does mean that it is well-suited to its primary task of computing however. We found that our high-definition content played back well, taking advantage of the native resolution on offer. We found a small amount of bleed around the bottom and top edges of the display where is meets the bezel, but not that it really detracts from the overall experience. Colour levels of the box were good too.

Verdict:

The LG W2230S is a great monitor for those looking for something a little different and wanting to avoid the boring off-white or black approach. The clean lines around the back of the W2230S, means it will look good from whichever angle you approach it from. There is plenty of space available, meaning you can get on with whatever work you need to be doing. But it does lack connectivity compared to some rivals so it only really will suit those who are looking for a PC display and only that.

Considering the spec, you can get more fully featured monitors for less, but?we like the size and simplicity and the inoffensive footprint makes the LG W2230S a great partner for a netbook or nettop PC where space is limited.

Tags: Hardware Monitors LG LG W2230S

LG W2230S monitor originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:00:00 +0000

We've said it a thousand times, but we'll say it again: backing up your hard drive is boring, it is dull, and chances are you don't or can't be bothered to do it. Luckily for us there are dozens of companies that make a living out of making sure your photos, documents, videos and data aren’t lost when your computer crashes and dies a slow and painful death. One of those companies happens to be HP.

Its premise is that it believes, probably rightly so, you can't be bothered to work out how to back-up your files. Its answer is that once you plug the SimpleSave in, it will scour your hard drive for relevant data and then back that up on a drive so you don't have to do remember anything.

Click yes to the licence agreement and that's about it. Software comes on the drive so there are no accompanying CDs and the quick start manual consists of two drawings - plug it in and away you go. For the control freak in you there are options to control everything, but as the name suggests everything is kept simple.

You can select which types of files are included in your backup process and which aren't and these include music, video and photos as well as emails and web page files. Basically you can drill down to a file type or location if you want to be specific or probably more likely the case, opt for blanket backup coverage.

Once selected the drive gets to work doing its job. The ability to isolate certain file types is really handy for photographers for example as you can select or deselect as appropriate and transfer speeds are via USB2.0 meaning it should be fast enough for most of your backup requirements.

Recalling back the files is equally straightforward. The software allows you to search through the drive and find that missing file with minimal of fuss.

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Verdict:

The HP SimpleSave is, as the name suggests, a simple way to save your data away from your computer in case it kicks the bucket. The simple to use software is unlikely to give you any hassles and the restoring process is equally simple.

If you leave it plugged in, you can set it up to automatically check for when files have changed and back those up without thinking about it. Coming in ?320GB and 500GB sizes should give you plenty of storage.

Backup might be boring, but this just works.?

Tags: Hardware Storage HP HP SimpleSave HP SimpleSave 320GB

HP SimpleSave 320GB hard drive originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:00:00 +0000

While here in the UK, Dell's not-a-netbook the Inspiron 11z has gone on sale direct recently, in the States the company launched the 14z and 15z in September.

For reasons best known to Dell's execs, in the UK it's just been announced that the range is to be expanded with the 15.6-inch 15z, and instead of the 14z, the 13.3-inch 13z.

Measuring in at 26.4mm thin for the 13z and 29.2mm for the 15z, both laptops feature the new Intel CULV ultra-low-voltage processor and come with Windows 7 pre-loaded.

With an HD display as standard both offer Wi-Fi, HDMI, a 1.3-megapixel webcam, hard drive of up to 320GB, up to 6GB RAM and the boast of battery life of over 10 hours. ?

The Inspiron 13z and 15z are available in "Obisidan Black" and "Cherry Red" with the Inspiron 13z priced from ?479 and the 15z available from ?499.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Dell Dell Inspiron 13z Dell Inspiron 15z Intel Windows 7

Dell Inspiron 13z and 15z announced for UK originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:33:31 +0000

Some enterprising sleuths on the Applesana message boards have spotted that in the latest build of OS X there's a reference to a version 6 of the Macbook Pro. Current Pros are version 5.5. It's being suggested that these machines will feature the same Core i5 and Core i7 processors that are in the current generation of iMacs.

9to5Mac points out that in the past, "Apple has traditionally used the same processors in iMacs and high end MacBook/Powerbooks". The site claims that it's heard that there will be deliveries of new Macbook Pros to Apple stores that'll coincide with the deliveries of the new iMacs.

There's also a whole set of new dual core Intel chips that are due soon and support hyper-threading (making each core act like two). They'll also have the ability to power down one core while overclocking the other - if you're running a single, particularly intense, application for example. It's entirely possible that Apple may get early access to these chips. When we have something firmer and can report on the subject, we'll let you know.

Read

Tags: Hardware Macbook pro Intel Rumours Apple

Macbook Pros going quad-core? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:58:51 +0000

The executive editor of the New York Times has referred to the mythical Apple tablet in a speech as the "impending Apple slate", reigniting the smouldering rumours of the device.

Bill Keller's off-the-record speech, not supposed to be recorded and leaked to the Internet, is a business-based monologue about the future of the NYT, including a look at new digital delivery platforms.

"I'm hoping we can get the newsroom more actively involved in the challenge of delivering our best journalism in the form of Times Reader, iPhone apps, WAP, or the impending Apple slate...", Keller states, as reported by eager-eared Gawker.

The quote from Keller apparently follows reports from earlier this year that a "stealth team" from the paper met with Apple executives - as well as other content publishers - on a top-secret matter.

Only time will tell whether this is a slip of the tongue or a genuine revelation, but as recent rumours suggest a January announcement from Apple, we might not have to wait too long to find out.

Read

Tags: Hardware Apple Rumours iTablet iPad Tablet PCs New York Times Internet tablets Apple tablet

NYT boss caught on camera with "impending Apple slate" mention originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:51:06 +0000

Sandberg has announced the new USB CD Mini Reader, a budget offering available through Amazon in the UK.

Aimed at owners of netbooks that typically don't offer an optical drive for size and cost reasons, the portable CD reader connects up to your PC via USB and offers basic CD reading functionality.

With no need for additional software, the device is bus-powered and offers CD read speeds of 24x.

Measurements are slimline at 1.7 x 13.3 x by 13.7cm and the unit weighs in at 475 grams. Complete with a 5-year warranty, it's on sale now for ?29.99.

Tags: Hardware CD Sandberg Optical drives

Sandberg launches USB CD Mini Reader originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:53:49 +0000

Dell's eagerly-awaited Adamo XPS, which many are calling its rival to Apple's Macbook Air, has a rather novel opening system. There's a heat-sensitive strip across the front of the device that you swipe a (warm) finger across to unlock the mechanism and allow you access.

It's clear that this is just a novelty - has anyone ever had any issues with laptops accidentally opening in their bag? - but it's a pretty nifty novelty nonetheless, in keeping with the "luxury" design of the series that Dell's trying to convey.

The super-slim machine hasn't been issued with a release date or price yet, but we're pretty sure it's not going to be cheap.

Read

Tags: Hardware Laptops Dell Dell Adamo XPS Video

VIDEO: Dell Adamo XPS originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:49:46 +0000

The Buffalo MiniStation Metro is a 500GB portable hard drive that hopes to offer a little bit of pazzam into the usual hard drive proceedings with a glossy case and a in-built USB cable that folds out of sight. But does it perform? We plugged it in to find out.

To say there is lots to the MiniStation Metro would be an overstatement, it's of a medium size comparable to most hard drives on the market. It certainly isn't going to win any awards for being the smallest on the block. That thickness, which is actually the width of a USB socket is down to the "BumperBody Shock Protection" system not just an urge to build big.

While the plastic shell doesn't look like it could withstand a good bashing (it's not rugged or metal) the idea is that if you drop the drive it will be protected by small shock absorbers surrounding the hard disk.

The plastic shell is well-built with a plastic flexible cable that wraps around the top and slots neatly into place on the side. The move, which actually seems to have dictated the thickness of the drive does mean you will always have a USB cable to hand and if you're looking to travel with this unit means the bottom of your bag isn't going to be cluttered with cables.

Plug the drive in and the USB 2.0 connection offers fast transfer and power. There is an additional USB cable extender if the in-built one isn't long enough (it's about 15cm) and speeds are as good as other drives on the market.?We transferred a number of files to and from and were happy with the performance (it took 35 seconds to transfer a 900MB file).

Bundled on the drive, rather than an accompanying CD for Windows users are two bits of software, a Hardware Disk Encryption package and E-Z Logon that lets you lock your drive so people can't access the data. Both are basic, but do what they set out to do.

Verdict:

The new Buffalo Ministation Metro will come in three colours: black, red and white, and come in sizes up to 500GB giving consumers plenty of options when it comes to storing their data.

It's stylish, well as stylish as a hard drive can be, and gets the job done. Travellers will like the no cluttered cable approach.

Tags: Hardware Storage Buffalo Buffalo MiniStation Metro Buffalo MiniStation Metro

Buffalo MiniStation Metro hard drive originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:00:00 +0100

Video footage of the Dell Streak - a 5-inch, touchscreen, Android-based mobile internet device, or MID - has hit the net.

Tinhte has gotten hold of one of the mythical machines and it looks like a pretty nifty internet tablet-type offering, although being much larger than a phone and much smaller than a netbook means it won't appeal to everyone.

With a 800 x 480 resolution screen, it's thought to run Android 2.0 and offer Bluetooth, 3G, a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, a microSD card slot and Wi-Fi.

Hit play now to see a good 3 minutes of Streak action and we'll keep you posted with more news on this new device as we have it.

Read

Tags: Hardware Tablet PCs Dell MIDs Rumours Android Internet tablets Video

VIDEO: Dell Streak Android-based MID leaked on film originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:58:49 +0100

Whether it's a work of graphical beauty or just a quick scrawl, graffiti is made all the better when it's got a touch of the geek. Below you'll find 33 fine examples ranging from some nice clear stencilling to some fairly obscure coding references and even a little html too.

So, get a binary translator by your side open a Google search for enquiries and prepare for a grin as you have a flick through our gallery of great geek graffiti.

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Related links:

• Feature - 25 great geek tattoos

Tags: Hardware Gaming Graffiti Linux Unix Star Wars Features

33 geek graffiti masterpieces originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:15:00 +0100

Toshiba, hot on the heels of announcing a couple of consumer laptops, has added some business machines to its Satellite portfolio. There's the U500, L550 and L500. All three feature, Toshiba says, "everyday computing efficiency with impressive multimedia power".

All three also have multi-touch trackpads, Toshiba's power management software, and an application suite called "Toshiba Lifespace" that includes a heap of business productivity tools. Windows 7 Professional is included on each machine, too.

The Satellite Pro U500 is the smallest of the bunch, featuring a 13.3-inch display and integrated Intel graphics. It had a DVD rewriter, b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. There's an impact sensor that protects the hard disk, which comes in capacities up to 400GB. Up to 4GB of RAM is supplied, and the press release issued didn't specify a processor but we'd imagine it'll be one of the ULV Intel chips.

The Satellite Pro L500 is bigger, featuring a 15.6-inch display, Core 2 Duo processor, integrated graphics, and 4GB of RAM. There's hard disks up to 400GB, and b/g/n Wi-Fi as well as HDMI-out and eSATA support on one of the three USB ports.

Lastly, the Satellite Pro L550 has a whopping 17.3-inch display with LED backlighting, a Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of RAM, ATI Mobility Radeon HD discrete graphics card, b/g/n Wi-Fi, HDMI, eSATA, and again - hard drives with capacities going up to 400GB. It comes with a 4-in-1 card reader, too.

The U500 costs ?570, the L500 is ?470 and the L550 costs ?730. Those are just minimums, though - if you start to increase the specs then the price will go up alongside. All will be available in "Late October", so very shortly.

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Read

Tags: Hardware Laptops Toshiba Toshiba Satellite Pro U500 Toshiba Satellite Pro L550 Toshiba Satellite Pro L500

Toshiba Announces Satellite Pro U500, L550 and L500 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:23:23 +0100

This video is basically one big advert, but if you're a fan of Apple's Jonathan Ive then it's worth a watch to see the talented Brit's take on the design of the new iMacs and the Magic Mouse.

Ive is joined by other Apple staffers taking you through the design, innards and even eco credentials of the new products.

Hit play now to see the video and check back soon for more Apple news from Pocket-lint.

Read

Tags: Hardware iMacs Apple Video Jonathan Ive Magic Mouse

VIDEO: Apple's Jonathan Ive on the new iMacs, Magic Mouse originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:38:15 +0100

Over in the States Microsoft opened the freshly-painted doors on its first Microsoft store as its new operating system, Windows 7, hit general release.

The very first Microsoft store - designed to showcase both software and hardware from Microsoft and its partners - is in Scottsdale Arizona.

YouTube user gt2697 was on hand to grab some footage of inside the new shop - hit play to see a quick overview of the format - incidentally shot and uploaded on an iPhone.

Tags: Hardware Microsoft shopping Windows 7

VIDEO: Inside the new Microsoft store originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:07:51 +0100

When Apple update a product, it generally keeps the name that it had before. We saw quick hop with the reshuffle of the MacBook line-up to give space to the new entry-level 13-inch white model, but the last Mac mini update we saw was in March of this year. So our trend of clarifying using the year doesn't really work in this case. It also means that anyone who bought a Mac mini in recent months might be a little cheesed off.

Fortunately no one will know you are rocking the last generation of Mac mini, because externally the 2009 models all look the same. There has been a bump in the internal specs however, which now gives you the option of a 2.26GHz or 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (with a bump-up 2.66GHz option for ?120 more on the 2.53GHz version). The 2.26GHz model comes with 2GB RAM and 160GB hard drive as standard, which the 2.53GHz - the one we have on review here - gets 4GB RAM and 320GB hard drive as standard. Both Mac minis get the option of expanding the hard drive further to 500GB, and the entry model can also expand its RAM up to 4GB.

The Mac mini represents the cheapest option for entering the Mac world, with the 2.26GHz version costing you ?499, whilst our test model will set you back ?649, which now comes in at ?150 cheaper than the new MacBook. As it is, the Mac mini is simply a compact mini desktop computer. We've seen a growing trend in mini PC computers or "nettops" late, but the Mac mini shouldn't be confused with some of those budget models, as the Mac mini packs in the power to complete pretty much all of your home computing needs.

The box itself measures 15.5 x 15.5 x 52mm and is wrapped in aluminium, reflecting the trend across the Apple range. The top is glossy plastic, emblazoned with the Apple logo and the bottom is largely rubberised, so grips on whatever surface you place it on. A slot-loading DVD drive sits to the front and on the back is the connection panel.

Like many nettops, the Mac mini doesn't come with any peripherals: you need to supply the monitor, the keyboard and the mouse and anything else you might want to use with it. But you do get Wi-Fi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth packed into the box, to accompany the Ethernet connection on the outside, so you can easily drop your Mac mini into an existing Wi-Fi network without worrying about cables.

In terms of ports and connections you get the 5x USB2.0 connections, Mini DisplayPort, Mini-DVI, FireWire 800 and the Ethernet we've already mentioned. You also get a 3.5mm headphone socket/optical out and an optical/audio in. The power button, Kensington lock slot and connection point for the power supply are also here.

The USB ports are all fairly close together, so if you are using a USB device with a fat cable (or you want to connect something like a Flip pocket camcorder) then you might struggle. If it is just a case of a wireless dongle for a keyboard, a webcam, and mouse, then you'll have no problems. You could always use a USB hub to get round this problem, if you have specific USB needs.

Apple pitches the Mac mini as a computer for those trading over to the Mac brand. They can use their existing Windows PC parts - the monitor especially - without worrying about a complete new setup. Display connectivity - as is the Apple way - is limited to the Mini DisplayPort or the Mini-DVI. It might seem like overkill having both as the chances are you'll need to buy an adapter for one or the other. Bundled in the box is a Mini-DVI to DVI converter, so if you have this breed of monitor already, then you won't need anything else.

But for the majority of newcomers, the likelihood is that you'll have a monitor equipped with D-Sub/VGA or HDMI, in which case you'll need to buy the respective adapter, which will cost you ?15. This would also be the case if you want to just hook your Mac mini up to your TV and use it as an entertainment centre on the big screen, using it for internet, storing movies and using the likes of BBC iPlayer. We connected the Mac mini to an LG W2230S monitor also on test and the only change we needed to make was to switch the display resolution to 1920 x 1080.?

From opening the box, it was about 5 minutes to getting on it Pocket-lint.com, including all the set-up steps. Running Mac OS X Snow Leopard you get a simple set-up process with the offer to transfer data from an existing Mac and connecting you into your wireless network with no problems. It's a refreshing when compared to the out-of-the-box experience of a Windows PC, which takes much longer and forces the update cycles on you. In this case, however, there were a couple of updates to Snow Leopard and the installed applications, although these may well be updated on the retail unit you buy.

Despite its compact dimensions however, the Mac mini packs in plenty of power. Graphics are handled by the Nvidia GeForce 9400M GPU, as it is in many other models across the Mac range, which means you get silky smooth playback of your high-definition content and the power to play your Mac games, if that's what you want to do. With a 2.53GHz processor you have the power to do some of the more power-hungry features too, so photo and basic video editing and encoding is fine, but you don't get the power you'll find in the new quad-core iMac here.

As an everyday computer the new Mac mini performs very well. It comes pre-installed with iLife 09, but if you want to put it to work with office functions you'll need to invest in iWork (?69) or Microsoft Office for Mac (?109.95), or simply use cloud applications like Google Docs. Running and switching multiple applications doesn't phase the Mac mini like it does some cheaper nettop offerings, and playing a DVD whilst browsing the Internet and writing up some notes all on the same page is no problem at all.

The Mac mini also features a built-in speaker, so if you are only after basic system sounds and the occasional soundtrack to online videos, then you don't need to worry about hooking up external speakers. The sound quality isn't great, but adequate for occasional use. Of course, if you are after digital audio, you can always make use of the optical output, something that those using this as a home entertainment device might take advantage of.

It runs relatively quietly, without the offensive disc accessing noises that can sometimes blight computers and doesn't suffer from the sort of fan noise that even comes into the MacBook. Using the SuperDrive does up the noise levels somewhat, but it is never at a level that is distracting. However we did detect the occasional very barely perceptible high-pitched noise coming from the Mac mini although we couldn't pin in down to anything persistent and wasn't audible except when everything else was silent.?

Verdict:

The Mac mini is a fantastic entry point into the world of the Apple Mac for those switching over from a PC - with existing peripherals - or for someone looking for a compact but powerful desktop computer. Given the growth of digital content and the popularity of connecting up your digital home, the Mac mini is a solid choice. It gives you the power to handle your HD content with relative ease and connectivity to match. It is perhaps a shame that Apple haven't made the move to Blu-ray yet, as a Mac mini with Blu-ray would see it as real power house.

It's a shame that Apple haven't seen fit to include an SD card slot with this revision: it has found its way onto the MacBook Pro and iMac, but is notable in its omission here. What better way of appealing to those with digital cameras? Some may also criticise the use of Mini DisplayPort over a conventional HDMI, which would simply and easily integrate with your AV receiver or HDTV without the need for another connection. Apple have always said that Mini DisplayPort surpasses current standards, but the question is always whether the life of the product is long enough to see that promise come good.?

So there are few niggles with the Mac mini. It's the usual seamless operation we've come to expect from Apple. You take it out of the box and it just works. With the upgrades coming in at the same prices as the previous versions, they look very tempting indeed.

Tags: Hardware Apple Nettops Mac mini Apple Mac mini

Apple Mac mini 2.53GHz originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Men of this world, this is your calling, your calling to sign up to become a real man, the kind of man that can present the news (Ron Burgundy), the kind of man that can be a private dick (Magnum PI) and not laugh about it, the kind of man....

Okay you get the gist. Movember is now almost upon us, and that means you need to sign up and get your moustache thoughts in gear.

Once again Pocket-lint will be going Movember for November in aid of charity and we are asking for your help.

We aren't asking for money (although you can pledge if you want), we aren't asking you to run hundreds of miles, all we want from you is to join our TechMo team, grow a moustache in November and help rid the world of the disease that kills thousands of men each year.

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 do this - register and grow a moustache as a Mo Bro, or sign on as a Mo Sista.

To join this Movember team go to http://uk.movember.com/register/7181 and follow the steps.

Once registered you'll be sent all the information you need to get growing.

Let's "Change the Face of Men's Health".

Stuart Miles and the Pocket-lint team.

P.S PR's of this world. Pledge money and we will give you a big shout out on the site for helping us in a good cause.

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Related links:

• Link - Movember TechMo team page

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

Movember 2009: Join our TechMo team originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:45:19 +0100

O2 has announced the launch of O2 Techies, a new tech support service offering on-site set up, specialised training and helpline support to O2's small business customers across the UK.

The Techies are said to be a "dedicated fleet of specially trained technicians" available to make on-site visits to install and set up mobile devices, mobile broadband, laptops, car kits and satnav systems either on an individual basis or for a whole team of staff.

Hoping to fill the gap in the market that currently stands at 65% of small business with no pro IT or tech support, the cost to set-up one handset is ?125, which - without wanting to cast any aspersions on individual Techies who are no doubt highly trained individuals - seems a little steep.

As well as set-up services, subscriptions are also available for ongoing support that provides a dedicated helpline as well as remote problem solving as far as PCs and phones go which is charged at ?6.38 per month per employee.

Tags: Phones O2 Biz O2 Techies Hardware

O2 Techies support service announced for small businesses originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:09:47 +0100

The launch of Microsoft Windows 7 sees the first raft of touchscreen PCs come to market and the place they're coming fastest of all is in the all-in-one desktop space. It's easy to spend a lot on what are sometimes items of design and luxury rather than machines of multi-touch multimedia, so to help sort the sheep from the goats, here's five Windows 7-toting winners to look out for.

HP Touch Smart

Price

?900

Screen size

20"

CPU

AMD processor

RAM

4GB

Graphics

ATI Radeon

Storage

500GB

HP has announced two new models of its HP TouchSmart all-in-one PC but while the higher end 600 comes with a 23-inch screen, it's the more modest 300 unit where you'll find the value. Both variants run version 3.0 of HP's TouchSmart software. Its highlights include the TouchSmart Canvas, which will let you organise and edit photos by touch, and TouchSmart Live TV which gives you the sort of functions you'd expect from a PVR, with the ability to pause live TV and record from the EPG. There's no Blu-ray drive with the 300 but there's still Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a wireless keyboard and mouse. Naturally, it's HDMI port happy for all the Xboxes, PS3s and whatever other kinds of AV devices you want to add in. At ?900 it's well within the range of a normal person having a bit of a splurge.

Asus Eee Top ET2203

Price

?820

Screen size

21.6"

CPU

2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

RAM

4GB

Graphics

ATI Radeon 4570

Storage

500GB

The ET2203 is not the first time Asus has gone touchscreen with plenty of experience already in the stylish Eee Top range. This time, the company has launched a unit to go with Windows 7 and while cheaper than the HP model, it still manages to have a bigger screen and BD player to boot. It has HDMI-in ports, b/g/n wireless and an SRS sound card with two 3W speakers. There's also a webcam and wireless keyboard and mouse. What's missing here is the TV tuner functionality which might well be central to the positioning of machines like this but, if that's not a function you're after, then the Asus is a very good choice.

Dell Studio One 19

Price

?799

Screen size

19"

CPU

2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

RAM

3GB

Graphics

NVIDIA GeForce 9400

Storage

500GB

Aimed at the family's living room, or even kitchen, the Studio One 19 is made of aluminium, glass and fabric and comes in white, blue and grey. It's the cheapest of the lot, but only just, and it's actually been on the scene for a little while now. It does well in the graphics department and has a pacey CPU but there's no optional extras at that price in the shape of a Blu-ray drive and webcam. It also has the smallest screen and someone seems to have run off with a gig of memory too. It's hard to see why someone would opt for it ahead of either the HP or the Asus but expect to see a more competitive price to make you think a little longer in the weeks to come.

Sony Touch Vaio L Series PC/TV

?

Price

?1,399

Screen size

24-inch

CPU

2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Quad

RAM

4GB

Graphics

GeForce G210M 512MB

Storage

1TB

So, that's the affordable ones out of the way. If you really want to treat yourself, then the recently announced 24-inch Sony Vaio L all-in-one would certainly be a most enjoyable way to go. It has a Full HD, WUXGA 1920 x 1080 widescreen panel with a built-in TV tuner a huge bank of storage and, of course, Sony's Blu-ray support as well. The quad core processor is a very welcome step up in performance and power and, being a Vaio, it also looks damn good too. It comes with Sony's media gallery software and despite all the luxury features, is still relatively good value.

Medion Touch

Price

?2,000

Screen size

24"

CPU

Intel CoreTM2 Quad Q9000

RAM

4GB

Graphics

NVIDIA GeForce GT240M graphics card

Storage

1TB

Surprisingly, it's Medion that has taken a slight leave of its senses by coming up with the most expensive of these Windows 7 all-in-ones. The 24-inch Touch X9613 is designed as a wall mounted unit to be used as an always connected secondary screen for the family home. On the surface it has a similar spec to the Vaio but it's packed with features including twin DVB-T/DVB-S tuners, a full Dolby Surround sound bar and HDMI-in and outputs. It's a technological statement from the company normally associated with budget PCs but it'd certainly be a fun statement to be a part of. It? features voice control, has a wireless mouse and keyboard and an RF remote. It also happens to look pretty swish too.

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Related links:

• News - HP TouchSmart PC
• PHOTOS - Getting the touch on the Medion X9613 all-in-one
• News - Dell Studio One 19 launches in UK
• News - PHOTOS: Asus Eee Top ET2203

Tags: Hardware All-in-one PCs HP HP TouchSmart PC Sony Vaio Windows 7 Dell Studio One 19 Dell Sony Asus Asus Eee Top ET2203 Medion Medion Touch X9613 Features

Five touchscreen Windows 7 PCs to look out for originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:40:18 +0100

The Acer Aspire Revo is a nettop boasting advanced graphic capabilities for "full enjoyment of multimedia contents in high definition".

Acer announced the Aspire Revo back in April, of note perhaps because it was the first small form factor PC to offer the Nvidia ION platform, apparently offering 10x faster graphic performance than comparable PCs.

Ebuyer now has the Aspire Revo on sale for ?239.99 which is ?40 off from its previous price of ?280. ?

Acer claims the diminutive desktop has "graphic capability worthy of a true multimedia PC", and is angled as an entertainment centre for the family. Due to its Nvidia GeForce 9400 chipset can also be used as as a gaming console.

Specs include 802.11b/g/draft-n Wi-Fi, Ethernet, HDMI, six USB ports, DirectX 10, 2GB RAM expandable up to 4GB, Mini PCI Express slot and Windows Vista.

On the Ebuyer website, link below, you'll also find a link of how to go about upgrading to Windows 7.

Related links:

• Shop - Ebuyer.com

Tags: Hardware Nettops Acer Acer Aspire Revo Nvidia Intel Ebuyer Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Acer Aspire Revo under £240 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0100

Archos has announced the availability of its new Archos 9 PC tablet. Powered by an Intel Atom processor and running Windows 7, the tablet is said to offer the performance of a high-end netbook with a multimedia twist.

With a full touch-sensitive 9-inch resistive screen, virtual keyboard, optical trackpoint and left/right mouse buttons, the 9 is 1.7cm thick and weighs in at 800 grams.

The adjustable leg stand means the device can be positioned upright for videos and there's support for 1080p files, with a 60GB hard drive plus 25GB online storage.

As far as movie content goes, Archos says the 9 comes with ?80 worth of free movies to download from the Archos Media Club.

The Archos 9 will be offered alongside a Bluetooth keyboard and a port replicator that adds more connectivity with an Ethernet port, two additional USB ports, a VGA output and 2 audio jacks.

Shipping now, the Archos 9 retails direct from Archos, as well as from other retailers for ?449.99.

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Tags: Hardware Tablet PCs Archos Windows 7 PMPs

Archos 9 tablet PC now shipping with Windows 7 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:07:58 +0100

iFixit has followed up its teardown of the new unibody MacBook with similar treatments for both the new touch Apple Magic Mouse and the 27-inch iMac.

As far as the mouse goes, the guys report no fairy dust, just from the Apple logo and "a lot of capacitive touch sensors".

The new gargantuan iMac is revealed to have the biggest power supply ever seen in an iMac, as well as three large fans and two "huge" heatsinks.

In addition, the Wi-Fi antenna leads into the Apple logo on the rear of the iMac, the only spot on the rear of the machine that isn't solid aluminium. "It's quite a clever design, and while it's an obvious place to put it, we've never seen Apple do this before", says iFixit.

Head over to iFixit now for an in-depth look at the two new Apple products, with tech spec and photos galore...

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Tags: Hardware Mice And Keyboards Apple Magic Mouse iMacs Desktop PCs

Apple Magic Mouse stripped bare naked originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:49:50 +0100

At IFA this year, Samsung launched its X-series of laptops comprising the 11.6-inch X120, the 14-inch X420 and the 15.6-inch X520. We brought you the specs for all the machines, and grabbed some photos of the X520, but you hadn't seen the X120 and X420 until now.

In case you'd forgotten, the X-Series is Samsung's take on the "thin & light" laptops that every single major manufacturer is currently rolling out thanks to Intel making a marketing push on its ultra-low voltage processors.

Although confusing for consumers to have so many similar laptops around, it's good because they all pack reasonable specs and long battery life, and the competition should help to drive down prices quite a bit in the run-up to Christmas.

The X520 ships with an optical drive in the case, but the X120 and X420 don't - they come with an external one instead, which can be attached via USB. They come with 2GB to 4GB of RAM, integrated GPUs and 160GB to 500GB of hard disk space.

The X120 costs ?500, the X420 is ?600 and the X520 is ?650. They're all packing Windows 7 and therefore available now.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Samsung Laptops Samsung X120 Samsung X420 Samsung X520 Photos

PHOTOS: Samsung X120 and X420 Laptops originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:56:29 +0100

While there are plenty of wireless notebook mice around, that hasn't stopped manufacturers attempting to try and innovate. Microsoft's latest attempt is the Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000.

It's a wee little nipper - 61mm by 103mm - but despite its size it's relatively comfortable. Rubber grip pads on either side hold your hand in place, while your fingers rest on the smooth upper surface. In the middle of that surface is a black panel with a Microsoft logo, battery indicator and the mousewheel.

But not just any mousewheel. Imagine coating yourself in vaseline, then getting in a bath of baby oil, then slipping yourself between a set of the smoothest, most silken velvet sheets you can picture. That's what using this mousewheel feels like.

Of course, what that means is that gamers will hate it. There's no definition between clicks - it's one fluid motion. Flicking between weapons will be irritatingly imprecise. Though, to be fair, gamers aren't exactly the target audience for this product.

Along with left and right clicks, the mousewheel click, and the ability to click the wheel left and right to scroll in those directions, there's also a fourth button positioned forward on the left. Unfortunately, it's just out of comfortable thumb-reach, but that's not too big a deal.

The sensor seems accurate and responsive. It was able to track with only a couple of very minor glitches on the surface of a glass desk that we tested it with. On a mousepad, it was very quick so if you find you need a bit more precision, it might be worth dialling that down a little in the settings.

The sensor is miniscule - so small you might lose it - but luckily it slots into the base of the device for when you're travelling. The mouse also has a hard on/off switch so you can save battery if you're not going to be using the device for a little while.

Verdict:

Microsoft's latest iteration of its mobile mouse is great. It's compact, smooth, and full-featured. The only criticisms we could level - like comfort - would require a full-size mouse to rectify.

Available for just ?25 at the time of writing, the Mobile Mouse 4000 is a great investment for a regular traveller that's fed up with their cramped trackpad.

Tags: Hardware Mice And Keyboards Mice Microsoft Microsoft Mobile Mouse 4000

Microsoft Mobile Mouse 4000 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:53:51 +0100

Nvidia has announced a new graphics platform called RealityServer. Intriguingly, it's based in the cloud rather than on a big, hot, bit of silicon in your desktop case. The idea is that web apps and video games will be able to tap into a good chunk more graphics power than they normally would.

The server uses an array of graphics chips and some software developed by a company called Mental Images that Nvidia acquired in 2007. It's claimed that it can serve up quality akin to movie SFX in the browser and on mobile phones.

"This is one giant leap closer to the goal of real-time photorealistic visual computing for the masses", said Nvidia's SVP, Dan Vivoli, "mental images fully embraced the concept of GPU co-processing to enable interactive photorealism anywhere, any time – something that was science fiction just yesterday".

The platform and a development kit will be available from 30 November, but there's little in the way of applications just yet. Still - Nvidia is saying that it'll be free to deploy non-commercial applications, so we could see a boom in users when that arrives. We'll keep you posted.

Read

Tags: Hardware Nvidia Online Cloud computing RealityServer Graphics cards

Nvidia launches RealityServer platform originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:52:43 +0100

At an event in Taipei, Taiwan, ViewSonic has unveiled a range of new Intel CULV based notebooks with LED-backlit displays, with two new product families introduced - the ViewBook and the ViewBook Pro - and we'll leave you guessing as to where the inspiration for the model names came from.

The ViewBook range is divided up into three models, the 120, the 130 and the 140. The model names correlate to the screen size of the models and starting from the bottom, the 120 is as such a 12.1-inch notebook.

The ViewBook 120 is only available in one configuration with a 1.3GHz Intel Core Duo SU2300 processor and comes with Intel's GS40 chipset with integrated graphics, 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive.

There's no built in optical drive as to keep the weight down but it does get three USB ports, an ExpressCard slot, a memory card reader, Ethernet, a D-sub connector, a pair of audio jacks, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, a 1.3-megapixel webcam and a 6-cell battery. The retail price in Taiwan is expected to be a fairly affordable ?408.

The ViewBook 130 takes things to another level with a much more sophisticated design - it measures just 2.29cm at its widest part and boasts a chiclet keyboard, a multi-touch trackpad and an extra long wrist rest. The screen resolution improves on the 120's 1280 x 800 pixels with 1366 x 768 pixels.

It will be available in three different configurations with the top of the range model offering Intel's Core 2 Duo 7300 processor. All three models come with a 13.1-inch display, 2GB of DDR3 memory, a 320GB hard drive, HDMI output, an ExpressCard slot, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, a memory card reader, Ethernet, two audio jacks, three USB ports and a 1.3-megapixel webcam.

Price wise you're looking at a starting price of ?462 for the basic model, with the mid-range model coming in at ?518 and finally the high-end model will set you back ?592.

The ViewBook 140 ups the screen size to 14.1-inches, but otherwise it shares its feature set with the ViewBook 130, although with some minor changes in terms of the overall design. ViewSonic has integrated the hard drive, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LEDs into the trackpad which is an unusual design. The ViewBook 140 should retail for about ?611.

The ViewBook Pro is another 13.1-inch notebook, but just like a certain other company, the Pro model features an aluminium-alloy chassis but strangely, a low screen resolution of 1280 x 800.

Feature wise this is the most interesting model out of the four, although the base specs are the same as the high-end ViewBook 130 (minus one USB port), however, at 1.68cm thick at its thinnest point, it's no small feat that ViewSonic has managed to incorporate an optical drive into the 1.6kg ViewBook Pro.

ViewSonic is offering an optional battery which can be used instead of the optical drive. This adds 100 grams to the overall weight, but it also boosts the battery life from 8 hours to 12 hours.

The ViewBook Pro also comes with a finger print scanner that adds a range of security features. As well as secure log on, it can also be used to store your passwords and there's even an option to launch applications depending on which finger you swipe.

The ViewBook Pro will be available in silver or black with a starting price of ?611 without the optical drive, while you'll have to pay ?648 to get it with the optical drive. No pricing for the optional battery was announced.

All four models will be available as of early next month and all of them will ship with Windows 7 Home Premium. The ViewBook Pro also comes with Cyberlink's MediaShow 5 software.

?

Tags: Hardware Laptops Viewsonic ViewBooks ViewBook Pro

ViewSonic unveils ViewBook range of notebooks originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:51:48 +0100

Apple has revived the standard MacBook, giving a new entry into the Mac world. Based around a polycarbonate unibody design, the new white MacBook adopts much of the design ethos found in its MacBook Pro big brothers.

With a 13-inch LED-backlit display, featuring edge-to-edge glass, its innards are similar to previous generation unibody MacBooks, featuring an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.26GHz processor, 2GB RAM, an Nvidia GeForce 9400M GPU and 250GB hard drive.

It also features Apple's new built-in battery which purports to give 7 hours of use and of course features Apple's glass multi-touch trackpad.

The design is slightly fatter than its 13-inch aluminium friends, with curved edges giving it a nice rounded finish. The bottom also loses the feet, instead the entire bottom is a tactile mat, giving grip on whatever you put it on.

You still get the Superdrive and in terms of ports you have Gigabit Ethernet, 2x USB 2.0, Mini DisplayPort and a headphone socket, which is both in audio input and output.

Available now, it will set you back ?799.

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Tags: Hardware Apple Apple MacBook Photos

PHOTOS: Apple MacBook 2009 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:04:11 +0100

Apple has quietly updated its dedicated remote control on Tuesday to a new more metallic design to fit in with the iMac range.

The new remote, which is used for controlling your iPod or Apple's FrontRoom app on the Mac, will offer the same functionality of the previous model, just in a "nicer" more stylish design.

That means you get a menu, play, pause and d-pad to navigate around any Apple products introduced since 2005 that have a built-in infrared receiver.

The new Apple remote will cost ?15 in the UK or $19 in the US and available, according to the Apple Store, in the next couple of weeks.

Tags: Hardware Remote controls Apple Remote Apple

Apple Remote gets updated originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:27:53 +0100

Samsung has announced the launch of the Samsung S2 Portable external hard drive that hits shop shelves today.

In an attempt to make portable storage a little more exciting, Samsung is offering the S2 complete with a "worldwide box office hit".

A digital version of "Angels & Demons", as directed by Ron Howard from the Dan Brown novel, will be pre-loaded onto the storage device, apparently an industry first.

Capacity-wise, the S2 offers 500GB as well as auto back-up, "SecretZone" that encrypts and stores data on a virtual drive and "SafetyKey" password protection.

It's on sale now from Amazon.co.uk for ?75.

Tags: Hardware Storage Samsung Dan Brown Home Cinema

Samsung S2 Portable HDD gets "Angels & Demons" pre-loaded originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:54:51 +0100

Lenovo has unveiled five new "green" ThinkVision monitors, the ThinkVision L1711p, L1951p Wide, L2250p Wide, L2251p Wide and L2251x Wide.

The new line-up includes Lenovo's flagship monitor, the ThinkVision L2251x Wide, said to be the company's most "environmentally-responsible" monitor boasting recycled plastics and low power consumption.

The first TCO Certified Edge monitor, the ThinkVision L2251x uses 21 watts of power during operation, lower than the average 49 watts.

With chassis parts made of 65% recycled plastics, it also offers an ambient light and proximity sensor that turn the screen off when a user steps away. ?

The ThinkVision L2251x Wide also boasts a mercury-free panel and low halogen components and comes in packaging reduced by up to 44%.

Specs-wise the new range offers up to 1680 x 1050 screen resolution, a 1000:1 contrast ratio and a five millisecond response time while the ThinkVision 2551x Wide gets a built-in webcam and four USB ports.

The Lenovo ThinkVision L1951p Wide, L2250p Wide and L2251p Wide monitors will be available from 23 October for ?134, ?165 and ?176. ?

The Lenovo ThinkVision L1711p monitor will be available from 6 November for ?124 and the ThinkVision L2251x Wide monitor will be available in November for ?206.

Tags: Hardware Lenovo Monitors Eco

Lenovo launches five green ThinkVision monitors originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:09:19 +0100

Here's Asus' Eee Top ET2203 desktop PC. Like other Eee Tops, it's a touchscreen computer, but this is the latest in the range. It's being launched in conjunction with Windows 7, which comes with plenty of tools for touchscreen users.

The machine has a Core 2 Duo processor, running at 2.2GHz, a 21.6-inch display, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard disk, an ATI Radeon 4570 graphics card, HDMI-in, b/g/n wireless and an SRS sound card with two 3W speakers. There's also a webcam, Blu-ray drive and wireless keyboard and mouse included.

The Eee Top ET2203 will be released on 22 October ?(the same date as Windows 7 is released) and will cost ?820.

Tags: Hardware Desktop PCs Desktop PCs Asus Asus Eee Top ET2203 Touchscreen

PHOTOS: Asus Eee Top ET2203 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:57:24 +0100

If you do a lot of video calls across the Web, you'll be aware that they can be a bit of a pain sometimes. Between lossy connections and flaky webcam drivers, it can be a little tough to get things working how you want them to.

Asus is trying to simplify that process with its Eee Videophone, which also seems to go by the name of the AiGuru SV1T Skype Videophone. It has a 7-inch touchscreen interface and lets you use Skype to make unlimited free video calls to other Skype users. You can also make voice calls if you buy Skype credit.

The Videophone is available now, and costs ?240.

Tags: Hardware Asus Skype Video conferencing Videophones Asus Eee Videophone Photos

PHOTOS: Asus Eee Videophone Touch originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:41:23 +0100

Asus has rolled out a couple of kiddie's netbooks, both complete with Disney branding. They're pretty similar to Asus' "Seashell" Eee PC, coming as they do with an 1.6GHz Atom Processor, Windows XP, 8.9-inch display and 1GB of memory.

There's no SSD option, only a 160GB hard disk, but it does have n-standard Wi-Fi, as well as b and g. There are 3 USB ports, a card reader, and plenty of parental controls and Disney software onboard.

The Disney netbook comes in either princess pink or magic blue and costs ?300. It's available now.

Tags: Hardware Netbooks Disney Asus Photos

PHOTOS: Asus Disney Netbook originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:25:45 +0100

iFixit's screwdrivers and spudgers were at the ready following the launch of the new unibody Apple MacBook.

Discoveries of note include the lack of an IR port, making this model the only MacBook that doesn't support a remote, the Bluetooth antenna being moved and FireWire notably absent.

Hit play on the video above for a highlights reel of the teardown, while there's tons more detail and pics over on the site.

Read

Tags: Hardware Laptops MacBooks Apple iFixit Video

VIDEO: iFixit disassembles the new unibody MacBook originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:05:44 +0100

Creative has announced the Live! Cam Socialize HD web cam that comes complete with "enhanced" Live! Central 2 software.

It's designed for video chatting on the likes of Skype, Yahoo and MSN, and for recording video in high def to post on social media sites, such as YouTube.

The Live! Cam Socialize HD streams up to 30 frames per second, can record at up to 720p resolution and with the software, offers one-click uploads to YouTube.

Small and lightweight, it gets a new "low profile" design, which is said to bring the lens closer to eye-level, allowing for better eye-contact during video chatting.

Capable of snapping 5.7-megapixel stills and with a noise-cancelling microphone, the webcam is available in the US through Fry's and Amazon for $69.99.

Tags: Hardware Webcams Creative Live Cam Socialize HD Webcam

Creative Live! Cam Socialize HD webcam announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:42:49 +0100

Apple has placed the final piece of the "touch" puzzle today with the launch of a new mouse, called the Magic mouse, that has no buttons.

In a move that to many has gone unnoticed, Apple has over the last 6 years slowly been educating its faithful to embrace touch and ditch buttons once and for all.

The beginnings of touch

The move started some time ago of course with an iPod. While the first models had buttons, Apple was quick to ditch them in 2003. In came a touch sensitive wheel and buttons that saw you whizz around in circles scrolling through your music collection. It might have been clickable, but there was no d-pad element to it.

The big feel

2007 saw the launch of the iPhone and the?Apple iPod touch, two small touchscreen-only devices that ditched the buttons in favour of gestures on a screen. For the iPhone there had been touchscreen phones before, but virtually all of them focused on using a pen or a stylus to navigate around the screen rather than your finger. The finger was now the most important part of controlling your phone and what better way for Apple to show their intentions than naming a product with the buzz word - touch.

Smaller but equally important strokes

Now that people had grasped the idea of using their finger to control elements on their phone or MP3 player, Apple started making "touch" a focus point on its software and laptops.

The Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard) launch saw certain controls within the OS, like Time Machine, get bigger buttons that emulated the iPhone operating system. The OS also added controls for using Apple-based software like iPhoto, allowing you to rotate images, zoom in, and use multiple fingers on the company's laptops thanks to the laptop's built-in touchpad.

New hardware

With touch firmly embedded in our minds Apple then ditched the dedicated click button from the laptop all together, replacing it with a single touchpad sheet. Now every new Mac is asking its user to embrace the finger, but the desktop machines and their users were missing out.

A cute "strokable" cat

If you've upgraded to?Apple OS X Snow Leopard?it's clear to see what Apple's direction is. There is a reason clicking (or should we say touching) on an icon in the dock launches Expose for that app. Or that Expose even exists in the first place. Snow Leopard is the most touchy feely of all the OSes to date.

Magic mouse

Confident that Apple users now grasp touch controls either by using a MacBook or MacBook Pro and/or an iPhone or iPod touch, Apple releases a touch-based mouse with no buttons or scroll wheel, pushing a new operating method on those who sign-up. It's the company's biggest and boldest move in the story so far as it's a completely new way to interact with your computer.

The strokable future

Yep, we know the Apple Tablet is just a rumour, but it is the next logical step in the "touch" story. Having spent the last 6 years educating its users to embrace the finger, a shift to hardware-less computing could replace the regular PC in the home, wipe out the need for multiple laptops and create a new industry completely for Apple.

You've graduated

Congratulations, you may not have realised it, but Apple has been educating you in the way of "touch" without you even realising it. For Apple, touch devices are cheaper to make, easier to design and are overall more "lifestyle" in their approach.

Get ready to show your computer the finger even more in the future.

Tags: Hardware Audio Software Features Apple iPhone iPod iPod Touch Mac software Snow Leopard Internet tablets Magic Mouse

Apple's been showing you the finger longer than you think originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:03:13 +0100

Apple has updated its basic MacBook model with a new unibody design, but fans of classic Apple style will be happy to see, it stays available in white.

The polycarbonate unibody MacBook adds an LED-backlit display, a glass multi-touch trackpad and Apple's controversial built-in battery for up to 7-hours of battery life.

The new MacBook has a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics.

Apple marketing boss Phil Schiller chimes in with: "With the only lineup of notebooks all featuring unibody enclosures, LED-backlit displays and long-life battery technology, there’s never been a better time to switch to a Mac".

Angled as the "ideal consumer notebook for students and new Mac users", it's available now ?799.

Tags: Hardware MacBooks Apple Laptops

Apple launches new unibody white MacBook originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:44:12 +0100

Apple's Mac mini, which the company claims is the world's most energy efficient desktop, has been given a speed bump, more storage and double the memory.

With pricing from ?499, the entry level Mac mini features a faster 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a 160GB hard drive, five USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics and a SuperDrive.

The ?649 Mac mini features a 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of memory and a larger 320GB hard drive.

In addition, Apple now offers a ?799 Mac mini that is specially configured with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server and gets two 500GB hard drives for a total of 1TB of server storage in the 6.5-inch square by 2-inch tall package.

Tags: Hardware Desktop PCs Apple Mac mini

Apple updates the Mac mini range originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:33:19 +0100

Apple has launched an all new iMac line headed up by a 2560 x 1440 resolution 27-inch model with a 1920 x 1080 resolution 21.5-inch model also available.

Both offer LED-backlit widescreen displays in a new edge-to-edge glass design with a "seamless" all aluminium enclosure.

Boasting Intel 2 Core Duo processors starting at 3.06GHz, there's also Core i5 and i7 quad-core options for those with the cash.

The new iMacs ship with a wireless keyboard and the new wireless multi-touch "Magic Mouse".

"The iMac is widely praised as the best desktop computer in the world and today we are making it even better", says Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing.
?
Specs include Nvidia GeForce or ATI Radeon graphics, between 4GB and 16GB DDR3 memory, an iSight webcam, stereo speakers, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Ethernet, four USB ports, FireWire 800 and a built-in card slot.

Pricing starts from ?949 - the same as before.

Tags: Hardware Desktop PCs Apple iMacs All-in-one PCs

Apple launches new iMacs originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:25:32 +0100

Apple, as predicted, has announced a new mouse today that features the company's multi-touch technology rather than using a scroll wheel.

The new mouse, which for legal reasons has had to drop the "mighty" namesake will be called the Magic Mouse instead.

"Instead of mechanical buttons, scroll wheels or scroll balls, the entire top of the Magic Mouse is a seamless Multi-Touch surface," say Apple.

Magic Mouse comes standard with the new iMac? and will be available as a Mac accessory at just ?55 (inc. VAT).

According to Apple, the Magic Mouse features a seamless touch-sensitive enclosure that allows it to be a single or multi-button mouse with advanced gesture support.

Using intuitive gestures, users can easily scroll through long documents, pan across large images or swipe to move forward or backward through a collection of web pages or photos. Magic Mouse works for left or right handed users and multi-button or gesture commands can be easily configured from within System Preferences.

It will not, it seems, be offered in a wired version, instead with the company opting for a Bluetooth connection to its laptops or desktop models.?

It will be available at the end of October and require users to be running Mac OS X Leopard version 10.5.8 or later.

Tags: Hardware Apple Mice Mice And Keyboards Magic Mouse

Apple Magic Mouse ditches buttons in favour of touch originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:12:59 +0100

According to HP Media Test Expert, Thom Brown, the cost of printing has come down 30% in the last three years. The average user will get through 3.8 ink cartridges each year which works out as a cost of $6 per month. It's a good way of rationalising it but 30% or no 30% it still feels like bill shock every time we have to we have to play the replacement game.? The real trouble is that few of us ever thinks of the purchase of a printer as a subscription or a model with significant running costs. So, for those who can't take the pain at the checkout, Pocket-lint went over to HP's ink factory in Dublin to find out exactly where all that money goes.

The process of printing is like dropping grapes into a bucket from the top of a 30 story building at speeds of 50km/h and at intervals of 30,000 times a second. We're asking those cartridges to make single dots on a page from 32 separate super-heated vapour explosions but yet be cool enough by the time they arrive to be dried and in good condition. And all of that through a nozzle just one third the breadth of a human hair. If the droplets are not the exact right shape, the lines on the documents on the photographs will become blurred and raggedy, the contrast poor and the images far from sharp. And if the results aren't good, then the consumer will blame the printer manufacturer, so it's small wonder that they put so much into the production of the cartridges.

There's a holy trinity of printing between the machine, the paper and the ink cartridge but out of them all it's arguably the cartridge that's the hardest working of them all. The ink comes into contact with both the machine side of things as well as the paper too. The paper itself is specialised to some degree with a choice between porous and swellable technologies - you can ask us about that one another time - but the cartridge has become such a piece of work that more often than not these days, it's even the place where you'll find the actually printing head which was previously always found in the machine.

The engineering and assembly that goes into each cartridge is certainly more than you'd expect especially when standing there with your bill shock face. As well as the tiny nozzle, each one contains a sponge and a filter as well as the ink. The sponge is there to ensure that every last drop of ink is soaked up from the cartridge container but is not so greedy that it starves the nozzle. The filter is 7 microns in size and is designed to block whatever impurities that may have got in there that could clog up the nozzle and ruin the drop flow.

The cartridges are filled in a vacuum to make sure they're up to the brim and, once done, the lids are placed on top and ultra-sonically vibrated against the main body until the two heat up and fuse together. The heads themselves are made from an incredibly thin film and held down by the inert and rather pricey metal Palladium to make sure that they're perfectly in place. Each cartridge also has its own unique ID chip to make sure it's gone through all the quality control and, if there is a problem, it can be traced back to a particular batch.

But of course, it's not just the plastics where all the money goes. A huge amount of the expense is concerned with the ink itself. Each new ink takes around 3-5 years to develop. The fluid dynamics are selecting for viscosity, anti-smudge factors, quick drying and colour permanence to last years of exposure to light. The droplets are examined under electron microscopy for size, shape and speed to make sure they'll give that perfect image reproduction when required.

It's small wonder that manufacturers like HP recommend using their ink cartridges and no one else's when it's time to change them over. Sure, a significant part of their business is the ink cartridge money spinner but it's easy to see how a refill of their specially engineered hardware could produce some very patchy results. The new ink is not going to have the same viscosity which will give a dramatically different performance but, more than anything else, the cartridges simply aren't designed to last for a second life cycle. Many of the parts such as the delicate filters and nozzles might well have worn out. HP describes refills like second hand cars. There's just no guarantee that they'll run properly.

Thankfully, you can buy into a printer type and system where new cartridges cost less. You can make the choice whether you'd rather spend more on the outlay or pay higher running costs but, for now at least, shelling out for new cartridges is a part of life. From an eco point of view, companies like HP are crying out for us to send back the empties so that they can recycle them. 70% of the new ones are made from the plastic of the old. But, until they run a decent incentive schemes to help with further ink purchases, it seems unlikely that many people will bother.

So, until then, you'll just have to remember these facts the next time your printer runs dry and it's time to stump up the cash again. You won't like it and it's still not cheap but at least you'll have a better idea of where the money is going.

Related links:

• Feature - How to buy the right printer for you
• Review - Dell 1320C printer review
• News - Polaroid re-launch announced

Tags: Hardware Printers HP Photo printers How to Features Ink cartridges

Why is printing so bloody expensive? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:08:40 +0100

After a brief summer break, Megawhat is back on Pocket-lint with a brand new Tech Week in View episode for your viewing pleasure.

Pocket-lint's Stuart Miles talks tourists on Segways and tells us why he thinks the new Sonos S5 is a tidy bit of kit.

Miles also considers the Amazon Kindle's UK launch (was it a bit of a rush job?) and looks at what the? T-Mobile Sidekick data loss might mean for the cloud computing industry.

Watch the video above now to see it all play out, and stay tuned for more comment from Pocket-lint soon.

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

Tech week in view: Tourists on Segways, the Kindle in the UK and trouble in the cloud originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:42:19 +0100

The MSI X600 is the latest addition to the company’s ultra-slim X-series, following on from the affordable X300. With a larger 15.6-inch screen, the X600 isn’t as small, but it’s still impressively portable for such a large machine.

The most striking aspect is just how thin and light it is – measuring 25mm at its thickest, and weighing in at 2.1kg. The 15.6-inch screen offers impressive brightness levels, but contrast could be better, with colours appearing over-exposed. With a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, it’s a sharp panel, and it’s great for watching films on.

With a similar design to the X300, it looks like a scaled up MacBook Air, with curved edges and getting thinner at the front and sides. Despite this, it feels robust in the hand, with no sign of flex from the chassis itself. The screen doesn’t offer quite the same level of strength, bending slightly in the centre, but overall it feels like a quality piece of kit.

After the X300’s disappointingly bendy keyboard, we were sceptical about this machine’s build quality, but needn’t have worried. The keyboard is a vast leap in terms of quality, offering a solid base on which to type. The flat keys are large and responsive, and offer a comfortable typing action.

The left-hand of the chassis houses a USB/eSATA combo port, HDMI, Ethernet and VGA ports. They’re all located quite close together though – which could prevent you plugging in an HDMI cable if you’re using a bulky USB device. On the right-hand side, you’ll find a further two USB ports – which are also situated infuriatingly close together – headphone and microphone sockets, and a memory card reader.

Features-wise, you’ll find a capacious 500GB hard drive in place, and connectivity includes 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Gigabit Ethernet. A webcam in the top of the screen surround rounds off the specification.

Processing power comes from an ultra-low voltage Intel Core 2 Duo U9600 chip, running at 1.6GHz. With 4GB of memory, we found performance to be impressive, and much better than most low voltage systems. At around 4 hours, battery life is slightly more average, but at least this is a portable machine that is actually capable of multi-tasking.

Things get even better when it comes to multimedia use, as MSI has somehow crammed in a dedicated graphics card. With ATi’s Mobility Radeon HD 4330 chip in place, HD movies play back smoothly, you’ll be able to carry out video editing tasks, and even play the odd game in your spare time.

Verdict:

MSI’s X600 is an impressive laptop, packing a lot into its svelte lines. It may not offer the aluminium finish of Apple’s MacBook Pro, for instance, but it’s still robust and comfortable, and one of the most portable 16-inch machines we’ve seen. Add impressive performance to that, and it’s a difficult package to beat for the price.

Tags: Hardware Laptops MSI MSI X600 MSI X600

MSI X600 notebook originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:00:00 +0100

Texet, a UK company better known for its calculators and low cost digital gadgets, is working on a tablet PC shown off during a recent sourcing fair in Hong Kong.

We got the chance to get a few minutes hands-on time with the ARM-powered device and first impressions are quite positive - as long as the retail price ends up below ?200.

The un-named tablet features an 8.9-inch touchscreen display with 1024x600 resolution. In use the touchscreen was very responsive, better so than most touchscreen devices we've used of this type.

It's using an ARM-based processor and the operating system of choice is Linux, although the company representative we talked to said that Texet was looking into Android for a second generation device.

Interestingly he had been inundated by requests for Windows CE by potential US customers, which sounds like a step backwards to us.

In terms of ports things are a bit thin on the ground as the tablet only features a pair of USB ports, of which one is of the mini type for syncing with a PC, as well as a headphone jack and some kind of custom connector. It does come with built-in Wi-Fi support, but the battery life is only rated at about 3 hours, which is disappointing.

The device on display was a prototype and as such the pre-installed applications will change before it hits retail, which might be through Asda in the UK, as Texet sells many of its products through Asda already.

Texet was also showing off a prototype of a smaller 5-inch device that was running Windows CE, but this is unlikely to turn up in retail this year.

Tags: Hardware Tablet PCs Texet Asda

Asda could be selling Linux-powered tablet PC by Christmas originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:33:02 +0100

The world might be struggling following on from the fall out of the economic downturn that then became the worldwide recession, but that hasn't stopped Apple boasting its most "profitable quarter ever" suggesting they are charging customers too much for the latest must have gadgets.

According to the company's latest results it the company posted revenue of $9.87 billion and a net quarterly profit of $1.67 billion. Gross margin was 36.6 percent, up from 34.7 percent in the year-ago quarter.

In the three months running up to the end of the quarter Apple sold 3.05 million Macs, no doubt spurred on by the launch of Snow Leopard, which experienced more than double the sales the company was expecting and therefore representing a 17% unit increase over the year-ago quarter. As for the iPhone, Apple says that it sold over 7.4 million iPhones - a 7% unit growth over the year-ago quarter bringing the total of iPhones sold to over 21 million handsets.

"We are thrilled to have sold more Macs and iPhones than in any previous quarter," said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO before promising "some really great new products in the pipeline for 2010."

However it's not all good news. Although Apple sold 10.2 million iPods during the quarter it was an 8% decline in sales on the previous year. The results follow a a similar decline in Q3 where iPod sales were down 7% on the year previously.

Apple also used the results call to confirm that it would be launching the iPhone in China at the end of October (30th).

Read

Tags: Biz Results Apple iPhone Hardware Audio

Apple: Most profitable quarter ever originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:28:11 +0100

iRex has announced that it has formed a couple of content partnerships that'll give owners of its devices something to read. The e-reader manufacturer, which recently launched the DR800SG to generally favourable reviews, has formed deals with?NewspaperDirect and LibreDigital.

Those two companies will provide access to more than 1200 magazines and newspapers when the DR800SG arrives in retail stores in the States. iRex says, pointedly, that the figure is 1100 more titles than available on competing devices.

iRex's CEO, Kevin Hamilton, told Pocket-lint: "For eReader users the device itself becomes secondary to the reading experience and the content they can access via that device. A key part of our strategy is to provide no-hassle access to a variety of content, and adding these industry leaders is a significant step in that direction".

The iRex DR800SG has an 8.1-inch screen, e-Ink display and will be made available in the States later in the year. It'll cost $400, which includes wireless access to downloadable content - no contract is required.

Tags: Hardware E-Book readers iRex NewspaperDirect LibreDigital

iRex forms content deals originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:07:08 +0100

Lenovo and Skype have announced a new partnership agreement that will see Skype for Windows software preloaded on "millions" of computers.

From now on, every ThinkPad laptop and ThinkCentre desktop PC distributed worldwide will include Skype software.

In a blog post Skype says: "If you buy a ThinkPad or ThinkCentre, you'll be able to get up and running with Skype quickly and easily by locating the Skype icon in the Start menu".

Bloatware or a useful pre-load that will save you time downloading the software? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below...

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Tags: Hardware Lenovo Skype Software Desktop PCs Laptops VoIP Phones

Lenovo to pre-load Skype on "millions" of PCs originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:04:54 +0100

Printers aren't the sexiest of gadgets. We know this. But the fact remains that more and more people are choosing to print out their digital photos as well as using the things for letters, contracts and other documents. So, if you want to know how to avoid the pricey ink trap and make sure you're getting the most beautiful snaps for your frames then read on.

Rule 1: Work out how much you'll use it

This is both the hardest thing to figure out and also the most important at the same time. In fact, if you get this bit sussed, you're pretty much home already. The trouble is that it's hard thing to estimate because it's not worth paying attention to while you do it. In fact, you're most likely only going find out the answer after it's too late and you've already made your purchase. So, as dull as it might sound, if you can have a good estimate at this now, it'll save you a fair bit of money and trouble in the long run.

Rule 2: Cheaper printers have more expensive ink

You might have only paid ?30 for the hardware in some sale or other but chances are that a cheap printer will cost you more in ink cartridges over time whereas replacements on a more expensive piece of kit will work out better as time goes on. So, based on the calculation of how many pages you think you'll be printing each month, you'll have some idea of how often you'll get through cartridges. Lots of brands these days say on the packaging just how many sheets they'd expect you to get out of them. Combine that with your printing frequency and you'll have some idea of how much you'd expect to pay in refills over each year. Factor in the initial cost of the machine and you'll see at what point it might be worth going for a higher spec printer.

Rule 3: How long do you intend to keep your printer for?

The majority of printers these days - certainly those towards the bottom end of the market - are actually quite future proof as far as performance goes. The reason is that most of the important technology is in the cartridges which house the print heads themselves. So, each time you change the ink, you're effectively buying whatever new printing upgrade the manufacturer has been working on even if your machine is three years out of date. The exception here is that some printers have permanent or semi-permanent heads - that is to say that to some degree the print head technology is in-built, so bear in mind that these other machines might not last quite so long. On the plus side, their ink replacement is considerably cheaper, so they're an excellent option for those who can't stomach the cartridge game.

Rule 4: Lasers are not necessarily the best

Most home user probably would opt for an ink jet anyway but even if you really want to spend some cash or you're a small business trying to make the right choice, don't just presume that you'll get more for your money with a laser printer. The major advantage of them is that they're fast but if you only print a couple of sheets at a time then remember that a laser printer will have to warm-up first before it goes into action. They've got significant;y quicker at this over the years but many ink jets will beat the less high tech laser models over a page or two. On the other hand, if you're going to be calling for 20 sheets at a time, then a laser's probably the right call.

Another issue is that lasers won't necessarily offer more accurate colours over all parts of the spectrum as a high end ink jet might. So, if printing photos is the reason for your purchase then make sure to read the reviews carefully if you really are sold on the idea of these bigger, faster machines. On the cartridge side, you won't have to shell out for a new one quite so often but you will be looking at a fair old wedge when you do. Quite a good compromise if you're unsure of which type to go for are often the prosumer type ink jet machines often referred to with names like office jet and such. They're generally quicker and more economic with the ink provided you use them on a regular basis.

Rule 5: Use the right refills

One option to make you're ongoing printer use cheaper is to go for non-brand printer cartridge replacements or even have your empties filled back up again. By all means give this a crack but bear in mind that you're rolling the dice here. A printer cartridge is a very fine tuned and specific piece of kit and only those produced by your hardware manufacturer are designed to get the best results from your machine. Some non-brand replacements are reliable but many aren't. Of 2,000 people surveyed by HP who had tried alternative cartridges, 50% of them said they were unsatisfied and wouldn't try it again. Now, it might be that the other 50% chose a better label but it could also be that pot luck.

The ones to be most careful of are the refill services. Ink cartridges contain quite a few subtle parts which will very often be worn out by the end of their natural cycles. Trying to squeeze a second batch of ink out them might well cause lower quality results, leaks or a total failure. Even if your refill or non-brand cartridge does print accurately, tests have also shown that most of them have ink with 50% less permanence than the ones specifically built for your machine. That is to say that their printed colours will fade far quicker over time.

Another thing to keep your eyes out for are extra large cartridges and printer packs. It's just a question of a buying in bulk mentality. These deals will offer you a lower cost per page but just make sure that you're going to use them up within the best before dates.

Rule 6: Use the right paper

There's a holy trinity of printing between the machine, the ink and the paper and if any one of them is out, there's a chance that you won't get good results. Fortunately you don't have to be quite as specific with paper as you do with the ink and there'll be a number of brands which your printer manufacturer recommends. Photo quality paper is the one to pay most attention to. If you are going to print your snaps, then you'll be peeved if they're anything less than what you can get down the shops so, it's not really a place to scrimp. That said, they often come in grades equivalent to “good”, “better” and “best” so try a few and see which reaches the right price/quality point for you. One piece of advice for all printing is to make sure that your paper is 80gsm thick or over – if you require your documents to have an aesthetic value, that is.

Rule 7: A printer is a subscription

Most dissatisfaction over printers is caused by the bill shock of the cartridges. The problem is that people just aren't in the right mind set when they buy them. You've got to see the purchase of a printer much like a mobile phone where there's an initial outlay to consider as well as an equal, if not more significant, running cost. Pick the subscription model that suits you the best. Are you happy paying little and often or would you prefer to shell out in bursts? You might consider a cheaper printer more like a 12 month contract where as a better model you'll need to keep for a longer period of time to really reap the economic benefits.

Rule 8: Do you need a printer at all?

Of course, the ultimate PAYG model is not to buy a printer at all. There's plenty of web services and high street shops which provide very reasonable and guaranteed quality photo printing services. Then you've no need to worry about an initial outlay or storing another piece of hardware at all. If you just need the odd document off the line, then there's almost an internet cafe on every corner that'll churn them out at 10p per sheet. In the long run, it'll probably work out more expensive but if you really don't need a printer that often, then it's probably best not to buy one at all.

Related links:

• News - Kodak ESP 3250 and 5250 printers unveiled
• News - Daily Tech Deal: Canon Selphy printer with Bluetooth adapter
• Buy - Help choosing a printer

Tags: Hardware Printers HP Photo printers How to Features Ink cartridges

How to buy the right printer for you originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:53:15 +0100

Toshiba has introduced two new consumer-aimed Satellite laptops, the L450 and L555 for those "looking for affordability without compromising on style and performance".

Hoping to cash in on the sales bump that Microsoft's new operating system will create, both models will come pre-loaded with Windows 7 Home Premium.

The 15.6-inch Satellite L450 comes with either an Intel Celeron or AMD processor, Intel graphics, up to 4GB RAM, up to 500GB hard drive, DVD rewriter, three USB ports, HDMI, a four-in-one memory card slot, Wi-Fi and webcam.

The 17.3-inch Satellite L555 is offered with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and gets a 1600 x 900 widescreen, LED backlit display, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, DVD rewriter, three USB ports, HDMI, four-in-one card reader, Wi-Fi and webcam.

Both models will be available in late October after the general release of Windows 7. Pricing will start at ?329 for L450 model, while the Satellite L555 will be available from ?699.?

Tags: Hardware Laptops Toshiba Windows 7

Toshiba announces Satellite L450, L555 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:49:00 +0100

Logitech has announced that it's launching a new gaming keyboard - the Logitech G110. It's a direct successor to the G11 and includes a number of the same features as its technological father. It shares media controls, illuminated keys, and twelve macro buttons, but it adds a number of features of its own, too.

There's an integrated USB audio device in the unit, which will allow you to use a headset that has 3.5mm jacks as a USB audio device, providing clearer sound. Many gamers find that the plugs in their cases will "buzz" due to electrical interference, but this should solve that issue.

There's also an extra USB port on the rear of the keyboard, and a "gaming mode" toggle switch that will disable the windows and menu keys so that you don't accidentally press them while mid-match. Very useful.

It works with both Mac and PC (if there are any Mac gamers out there) and costs either ?70 or ?80 - there's a discrepancy that we're trying to resolve between the press release we were sent and Logitech's website. We'll update you the post when we get clarification. It'll be available in November in North America and January in Europe.

Update: The keyboard is confirmed at the lower price of ?70. We promised, didn't we?

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Tags: Hardware Gaming Keyboards Mice And Keyboards Logitech Logitech G110

Logitech launches G110 gaming keyboard originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:12:03 +0100

It's not easy for netbook manufacturers to stand out from the crowd, especially when you consider how small the actual differences in terms of hardware from one model to another is.

Tablet PC models have turned up more recently, although until now they've all used a standard finger touch display which just requires your finger to work. ?

However, we ran into a Chinese company called Shenzen Gold-East Electronics Co Ltd - oddly enough, based in Shenzhen - that figured it was a good idea to fit a digitizer pen input display instead of a touch display.

So what? You might say, well, the advantage is that you get much more precise touch input and we have a feeling that this might become popular with various organisations that are looking for a cheap pen-input type touchscreen device.

Considering that the economy has yet to kick off again and with all the spending cuts, we might soon enough see couriers running around with these asking for your signature instead of those fancy expensive tablets that they have these days.

On a more serious note, we can also see these being useful for people that like to jot down notes on it, especially as it can be used in tablet mode, although you have to manually switch the screen rotation by pressing one of the two buttons next to the screen.

A version of Windows XP for Tablet PC should work just fine on it, although it's unlikely that we'll see Microsoft give that union its blessing. We're not sure it'll be a big seller, but it's at least somewhat innovative in what is a fairly stagnant market.

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Tags: Hardware Netbooks Tablet PCs Shenzen

Shenzen offers pen-input touchscreen netbook originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:29:48 +0100

Michael Dell has slammed the netbook saying that while it's on everyone's wish list the excitement soon fades once they get it home.

"If you take a user who's used to a 14- or 15-inch notebook and you say 'Here's a 10-inch netbook,' they're gonna say 'Hey, this is so fantastic. It's so cute. It's so light. I love it'", Dell told Silicon Valley's tech-obsessed Churchill Club on Tuesday night according to El Reg. "But about 36 hours later, they're saying 'The screen's gonna have to go. Give me my 15-inch screen back'".

Dell of course offers a number of different netbook options including the popular Dell mini 10, a favourite with hackintosh fans.

The news comes as Dell and AT&T?have announced that the Dell Vostro 1520, one of the company's low-end laptops, will be available as a "connected" option through AT&T.

Coming with 3G built in, the new laptop will come with a 2-year AT&T DataConnect 5GB monthly service plan for $633.?

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Tags: Hardware Netbooks Dell Dell Mini 10 Dell Vostro 1520 Michael Dell AT and T

Michael Dell: Netbook novelty wears off fast originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:34:14 +0100

The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards are back letting you know what the best products of 2009 really are.

Now in its 6th year, the Pocket-lint Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year from around the world.

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available somewhere in the world between December 2008 and December 2009.

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Better still, because we don't have a print publication to worry about, we haven't had to call the decision early meaning the best gadgets of 2009 get a chance to win rather than those just announced in the first half of the year.

This year's categories are:?

• Best music gadget
• Best car gadget
• Best digital camera
• Best laptop
• Best software/service/app
• Best game
• Best gaming hardware
• Best home cinema device
• Best mobile phone
• Best gadget
• Product of the Year 2009

Nominations for the award categories are being taken now and the final list of nominations (five per category)?will be announced on Monday 16 November with the winners being announced at an awards party at the beginning of December.?

What do you think are the best gadgets of 2009? What should be included for nomination? Let us know in the comments below:

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Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Pocket-lint Awards

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:42:59 +0100

Acer unleashed its Android netbook on the world today, something it had already admitted it was going to do.

The addition of Android isn't the only bonus for the D250 – it also now comes with Windows 7 rather than the Windows XP of the original version.

It is bizarrely familiar to those who have Android handsets, but without the touch support does seem a little weird. Plus, there are no designated keys to support Android, so you end up using the trackpad to get around and the ESC key to go back.

We were on hand at the launch to grab some shots of the new, or rather old, hardware with the new OS shoehorned into place.

We've got a date now too - the D250 will be hitting shelves from 22 October and will come in two versions. The XP Home with Android version will be ?279 and the Windows 7 with Android will be ?299.

News -?Acer officially announces Aspire One D250 with Android

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Tags: Hardware Laptops Netbooks Android Acer Acer Aspire One D250 Photos

PHOTOS: Acer Aspire One D250 with Android originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:06:44 +0100

Logitech has bundled together a few of its peripherals into the Notebook Kit MK605. The kit comprises of a pivoting riser laptop stand and a wireless mouse, keyboard and USB receiver.

The Notebook Kit MK605 is Logitech's first all-in-one solution to feature the recently announced "Unifying" USB receiver technology, that offers an easy way to connect multiple wireless keyboards and mice.

Perhaps obvious, but it's worth noting the elements of the kit can be used separately, so for example, out and about you might choose to take just the mouse, while at home the whole set-up could make for a more comfortable laptopping experience.

The pivoting riser lets users choose from three different angles to bring the screen to the ideal, eye-level height and fits laptops up to 15.6 inches.

The Logitech Notebook Kit MK605 is due to go on sale in both the US and Europe in November for a suggested retail price of $99.99.

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Tags: Hardware Mice And Keyboards Logitech Stands

Logitech Notebook Kit MK605 announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:45:47 +0100

The arrival of products like the Archos 5 media tablet and now the dual-booting Acer Aspire One D520 are likely the beginning of more and more Android-based machines arriving on our shelves. The mobile version of the OS hasn't quite got going yet and doesn't do the whole advertising job on behalf of Google computers at this stage but, just because the jury's still out for the main body of the public, it doesn't necessarily mean that an Android-running laptop isn't the way to go. So, is it worth chancing fame, fortune and street cred as an early adopter or are Android PCs a fad worth giving a miss?

Android's Advantages

1) It's light
There's a reason Windows wasn't part of the very first netbook options and perhaps why Apple hasn't been so speedy to bring out an ultra-mobile machine running OS X. They're pretty heavyweight pieces of software and if you're looking at computing on the move then speed is of the essence rather than whether or not you can edit HD video at the same time as getting stuck into a multi-player deathmatch. Android offers boot up speed and a lighter load on your hardware that simply doesn't exist with Windows, without some of the fear and confusion that weighs on consumers considering Linux.

2) It's free
It's okay. We're all cheapskates here. Whether it's part financial or sticking two fingers up at the man or somewhere in between, it's nice not to have to buy into the corporate badge that is Microsoft. Give it a few years and we'll probably be saying the same about Google, but for the time being less money spent on software means more money free for your hardware or food and other such biological and necessity driven annoyances.

3) Mobile syncing
It all rather depends what kind of phone you have, of course, but there seems to be a little less love out there for Windows Mobile than for Android smartphones, which are expected to take second place in phone OS popularity in the next few years right behind Symbian. The beauty of most smartphones is that they will sync up with all the bits and pieces on your computer given a few twists, tweaks and the odd app, but it'll work seamlessly if the two happen to be running the same system. Just the way it is. So, if you're using Android on your mobile or are planning to, then that's a pretty large factor.

4) Less malware
It's a numbers game really. There's very little to no malware at all for Android, the same as for all Linux based systems. It's not that these OSes are necessarily more clever and secure in their own right, just that no one bothers coding the stuff in the first place. It's simply not worth the hacker's while to spend time developing software that's only got a chance of infecting a minute percentage of the world's computers. There's just no money in it. So, not only is your Android laptop lighter from an OS with a smaller footprint but you don't need to have any anti-virus software to slow it down either.

5) Head in the clouds
If you're life's in the Google ecosystem anyway, then there's a lot of sense in opting for an Android PC. If Gmail and Google Docs are the way you run your world, then you might well find that all you need for your mobile PC is a web connection and a browser to sail by. Your main home computer can still stay your hub of all media and graphics, but if you're travelling friend is just for office, e-mail and the Internet then look no further.

The way of the Windows

1) Fewer applications
Just as you don't get as many apps in the Android Marketplace as you do the iPhone App Store, there just isn't as much available software for Android based netbooks. What's more, much of the Linux software won't work on Google's OS either because of issues with running established Java standards. So, you might well have a lightening fast little PC but end up with very little non-web-based apps that you can actually run on it.

2) Familiarity
Are the benefits of Android really that, well, beneficial? Most people will be making the choice between Android and Windows and, as many issues as Microsoftware may have, it suddenly feels very different when faced with the idea of learning a new operating system. It's all fun and exciting on the face of it but when things go wrong and you're trying to dig around options menus that you don't even know where they are any more, it's another thing. So, make sure you're up for the adventure.

3) Multi-tasking issues
One criticism of Google's OS is that it's not so hot on multi-tasking. Now, that's all very well on a mobile phone but even on the move it's quite an important and basic principle of a computer. You may be largely using your browser on a laptop but there's still plenty of times you'll need two, three or more applications open to move between some images, your work, e-mail or even look at some video. And there's few things more annoying than a brand new computer chugging along at snail speeds the minute you start to push it.

4) Hardware compatibility
There's a very limited set of drivers available on Android compared to Windows for the very same reason as there's a very limited amount of malware. It's just not top of a developer's agenda. Turn over enough hardware boxes on the shelves at Dixons et al and you'll be lucky if you see support for Linux, let alone Android. Fortunately, if you do see the friendly little penguin, there's a decent chance it'll work with Google's take on the kernel as well but no promises. You could find yourself with a few headaches in this department.

5) Windows will do
The thing is that, firstly, the latest Windows software isn't wildly expensive any more - and often heavily subsidised in a new PC anyway - and, secondly, even netbooks are getting quite powerful these days - so are the issues of Windows being heavy, slow and costly quite what they were even a year ago? Taken purely on those factors, Android still has the drop on Microsoft but add in the potential problems above and the balance starts to tip.

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Related links:

• News - Acer officially announces Aspire One D250 with Android

Tags: Hardware Android Laptops Features

Five reasons to buy an Android laptop... originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:33:15 +0100

Today, Acer has launched their new 3D experience on laptops, which we first heard of back in June 2009.

Acer haven't taken a hardware tack – like the Nvidia 3D Vision GPU – and instead relies on using a software solution called Acer 3D CineReal and a special 3D coating on the screen, with polarizing glasses.

You'll also get the TriDef suite of software containing the TriDef Media Player which will play your movies back in 3D, whilst TriDef Ignition enables 2D to 3D conversion in games and applications supporting DirectX 9 and above.

You'll be able to throw yourself into the Acer 3D experience on the Aspire 5738DG, which will feature an Intel Centrino2 processor.

No word on UK pricing yet or detailed specs, but at NZ$1999, it looks like it will be around ?950.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Acer Acer Aspire 5738DG 3DTV

Acer Aspire 5738DG 3D notebook launched originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:55:21 +0100

Acer has officially launched their dual OS netbook, combining the Android operating system and Windows 7, which we first brought you news of back in June 2009.

This will mean instant-on booting (18 seconds "to be able to chat") and fast shutdown (3 seconds). You'll be able to access emails and the Internet through Android and switch over to Windows 7 when you want to be more productive.

The new Acer Aspire One D250 with Android comes with a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 LED-backlit LCD display, and is powered by an Intel Atom processor backed by up to 2GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive.?

Acer is also claiming that any internet connections made on the Android OS can remain active, even if you "reboot the netbook or suspend the session". We'll pin them down on exactly how this works and will update when we have more details.

We've got a date now too - the D250 will be hitting shelves from 22 October and will come in two versions. The XP Home with Android version will be ?279 and the Windows 7 Start will Android will be ?299.

Read

Related links:

• Feature - Five reasons to buy an Android laptop...

Tags: Hardware Laptops Acer Acer Aspire One D250 Netbooks Android

Acer officially announces Aspire One D250 with Android originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:23:10 +0100

GlideTV has debuted its first ever product, the GlideTV Navigator. The device fits in the palm of a hand and combines the functionality of a keyboard, mouse and AV remote for living rooms with a media PC set-up.

It launches with the boasts of "making it a breeze to access digital content stored on a home theater PC? that is connected to a TV".

The Navigator set-up is comprised of the remote, a charging station, and USB wireless receiver and is compatible with Windows PCs, Macs, PS3 and any set-top box that is compatible with HID devices and works with Windows Media Center, Apple iTunes, Boxee, Apple Front Row, SageTV, Firefox, and any web browser.

"Up to now, consumers who wanted to connect a computer to the TV to take advantage of digital content had to bring office equipment to their living room, making the experience bulky and cumbersome", said Chris Painter, president and founder of GlideTV.

"With the Navigator, GlideTV brings simplicity to accessing internet-based entertainment and ushers in a new era for computing in the living room".

With a clickable touchpad, the Navigator boasts cursor control, one-thumb scrolling, single and double-click selection as well as Esc, Enter, Back, and Function keys.

The GlideTV Navigator is available worldwide with US pricing set at $149, a cost of 129 euros and an RRP of ?119 here in the UK.

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Related links:

• Link - GlideTV

Tags: Home Cinema Remote controls GlideTV Hardware GlideTV Navigator

GlideTV Navigator announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:36:10 +0100

Acer showed off some of their special editions notebooks today, celebrating the company's status as a Worldwide TOP Partner of the Olympic Games.

On display were the Aspire 4810T and Aspire 1410T models, which receive Olympic branding on the deck and lid, with the Acer logo and Olympic rings. Also available will be a special edition LCD display.

Whilst these notebooks are designed for consumers to join in the celebration, Acer has informed us that the actual hardware supplied for use during the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver 2010 will include the Acer Veriton 1000 and Acer TravelMate 6592.

No word on pricing or availability yet, but we'll update when we have it.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Acer Acer Aspire 4810T Acer Aspire 1410T Olympics

Acer launches Olympic Aspire special editions originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:33:25 +0100

Nokia has suggested the reason for the new Nokia Booklet 3G only being available in Best Buy in the US this side of the Holidays is because AT&T isn't geared to sell laptops.

Talking to David Petts, who is responsible for the AT&T account at Nokia, Petts told Pocket-lint that while AT&T stores where able to sell the product, it was a "no brainer" to give it to Best Buy and its selling capabilities to do the job on launch day.

And you can see why? According to the company, Best Buy now accounts for a third of all laptop sales in the US, presumably helped by those Windows adverts throughout the year and the closure of Circuit City at the beginning.

Asked when the Nokia Booklet 3G, which is priced at $299 with contract and available from the 22 October, would be available elsewhere Petts didn't have an answer, but did suggest it would be likely to be rolled out elsewhere once the Holidays were over.

Petts did confirm, however, earlier confirmations that Nokia is likely to be making more booklets if this one was successful.

We will keep you posted.

Tags: Hardware Biz Laptops Nokia Nokia Booklet 3G Best Buy

Best Buy sells a third of all US laptops originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:31:25 +0100

Nokia has confirmed the launch of its Booklet 3G netbook in the US on Tuesday.

"We are going to sell a lot of these", Nokia's US head honcho said at the New York launch event.

The mini-laptop, which we saw at Nokia World earlier in the year, as Nokia is pushing it, will be $299 with a 2-year contract, exclusive to Best Buy for "The Holidays". Users will then be expected to pay $60 a month for AT&T's 5GB plan, however, AT&T has confirmed there will be other plans available nearer Christmas.

Those looking to get the?Nokia Booklet 3G?without any on-going costs will be able to pay $599 without the AT&T data package.

Launching on 22 October in time for the Windows 7, specs include Windows 7, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor, a 120GB hard disk, 1GB of RAM, Wi-Fi is n-compatible, a 720p screen, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and the promise of 12 hours of battery life, although Nokia failed to be able to clarify whether that 12 hours of battery was with Wi-Fi and 3G turned on.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Netbooks Nokia Nokia Booklet 3G

Nokia Booklet 3G hits the US originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:56:55 +0100

Just over two thirds of the UK enjoy being connected at all times and in fact, feel more relaxed when hooked-up than not, a new Virgin Media report suggests.

Over a third of those surveyed said they experienced anxiety when not able to use technology to stay in touch with their family, 31% got the wobbles about not being able to work online and 27% were concerned when they could not connect with friends.

"To disconnect from technology may mean missing something we cannot afford to. Always being connected actually becomes increasingly essential for peace of mind", says psychologist Nik Simpson who has coined the? term "SOSOs", those who switch on to switch off.

74% of British households always have laptops on, that stat hits 76% as far as mobile phones go, while the the television is always on in 74% of UK homes.

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Tags: Gadgets Phones Virgin Media Hardware Survey Statistics

35% Brits are less stressed when "connected" originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:51:33 +0100

Western Digital has announced the launch of the WD TV Live HD media player, a revamp of a previous product this time round with networking capabilities as well as support for Full HD 1080p resolution.

WD says the new drive makes it easy to play HD videos stored on USB and network drives, from PCs and Macs, as well as stream content from websites on big screen HDTVs.

Boasting a "more responsive" interface than the previous WD TV HD media player, the Ethernet- and Wi-Fi-enabled new player comes complete with remote control, boasts internet radio, two USB ports, one HDMI port and SPDIF digital output.

The WD TV Live Media Player is available now on the high street, online, and at www.shopwd.co.uk for ?119.99.

Tags: Hardware Storage Western Digital Networking NAS Home Cinema

WD TV Live HD media player launches originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:25:53 +0100

The blurb on the Amazon website describes the Asus Eee PC S101 as an "exquisitely designed netbook for fashion forward individuals who view style as much of a factor of success as substance".

However, if you are not one of those "fashion forward individuals" then it may interest you instead that they are selling the previously-priced ?479 netbook for a rather more palatable ?279.99.

This "ultra-portable" netbook gets a 10-inch screen with an Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and 16GB hard drive. Battery life seems decent, giving you over 5 hours of use between refills, whilst the 4-in-1 card reader will help make sure all your data is backed up.

Connectivity is catered for with Bluetooth, 802.11 a/g/n along with three USB 2.0 ports, and a headphone port while you'll be using Windows XP Home Edition as your OS.

Amazon is also offering free delivery and we'll have another tech deal for you tomorrow.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Netbooks Asus Asus EPCS101 Amazon Daily Tech Deal Eee

Daily Tech Deal: Asus Eee S101 netbook from Amazon originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0100

As part of a wider range refresh with the release of Windows 7, HP has also announced two new consumer-aimed PCs and a monitor.

HP's first non-touch consumer all-in-one desktop PC, the HP Pavilion MS200 gets a 18.5-inch, 16:9 widescreen display, an AMD dual-core processor, optional Nvidia discrete graphics and HP Media Smart software.

Features include stereo speakers, a built-in webcam and microphone and Wi-Fi. It will go on sale mid-November for ?499.

The HP Pavilion Elite HPE PC is described as an "affordable, compact desktop PC with the speed and performance needed for power-intensive gaming and multimedia content creation". ?

It boasts Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and Nvidia GTX 260 graphics in a race car red "merlot" chassis. The HPE PC will be in shops from 22 October priced from ?799.99.

A new "high-end" consumer monitor, the HP 2509m, has also been announced. The new monitor features a 25-inch, 16:9 Full HD display with BrightView tech, a 60,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 3ms response time and VGA, DVI-D and HDMI connectivity.

With HP's tilt and swivel "Helium" stand, the HP 2509m will be available from December with a street price of ?249.99.

Tags: Hardware HP Desktop PCs All-in-one PCs Monitors

HP Pavilion MS200, Elite HPE PCs announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:20:16 +0100

Vodafone has announced it has teamed up with Decho to develop a range of cloud-based services for both consumers and business customers.

Vodafone PC Backup, based on Decho's Mozy online backup service, will let customers "simply and securely" back up both work-related and personal content from their PC to a remotely hosted online location.

"Once a customer has backed-up their digital content they know it is protected and that they will always be able to access it, even if their primary device is lost, stolen or otherwise unavailable", says Vodafone.

The backed up content will be available to view and share from any connected PC, laptop or netbook.

With both business and consumer solutions available, Vodafone says the service will be introduced across a number of major European markets this year, but has not provided details of pricing or UK availability yet.

Tags: Phones Vodafone Software Cloud computing Decho Storage Hardware Biz

Vodafone PC Backup announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:29:48 +0100

HP confirmed today rumours first started at the end of last month, announcing the launch of the HP Pavilion dv8 Entertainment Notebook PC.

The 18.4-inch, full high-definition, ultra-widescreen, ultra BrightView display with built-in TV tuner, Blu-ray disk reader and subwoofer monster, which is sure to be described as the SUV of the laptop world, will be available in a scratch-proof liquid metallic surface in the chic HP Espresso Imprint pattern.

Inside the machine will offer an Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia GeForce GT 230M graphics card with 1GB DDR3 SDRAM, as well as the DDR3 memory.

Furthermore, HP is saying that the new laptop will come with a new HP Long-Life battery that offers up to a 1000 recharges and is "an improvement of three to five times over conventional lithium-ion batteries".

The HP Pavilion dv8 Entertainment Notebook PC will be available from 22 October and cost ?1299.99 inc. VAT.

In addition to the new dv8, HP also announced several technology updates to its current HP Pavilion dv6 and dv7 Entertainment Notebook PCs. Both the mid-size 15.6-inch dv6 and the larger 17.3-inch dv7 will offer users the choice of either the new Intel Core i7 processor or the latest AMD Turion II ultra Dual Core processor. Nvidia graphics and DDR3 SDRAM will be available on select dv6 and dv7 models.

The HP Pavilion dv7 Entertainment Notebook PC will cost ?599.99 inc. VAT and the dv6 ?449.99 inc. VAT. Both will launch on 22 October in time for the Windows 7 launch.

Tags: Hardware Laptops HP Intel Nvidia HP Pavilion dv8 HP Pavilion dv6 HP Pavilion dv7

HP Pavilion dv8 laptop confirmed originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:39:36 +0100

HP is continuing its stead move into the world of home servers with the launch of yet another; the HP MediaSmart Server EX490.

This time, users will get a faster, leaner, more useful device with support for Mac, iPhone and the ability to convert video for watching around the home.

Based on the Microsoft Windows Home Server platform, the updated HP MediaSmart Server promises a shiny new user interface via a web browser.

The HP MediaSmart Server EX490 also features a new media collector, which allows users to collect media by computer, media type or file location.

According to HP "The server automatically collects and organises media files across Macs and PCs and streams it across a home network and the Internet."

iPod touch and iPhone users will also be able to access content on the stored drives via a downloadable (free) app called MediaSmart Server iStream.

Available from 15 October, the HP MediaSmart Server EX490 with 1TB of hard disk storage is ?429.

Tags: Hardware Storage HP HP MediaSmart Server EX490

HP MediaSmart Server EX490 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:12:35 +0100

HP has announced two new models of its HP TouchSmart all-in-one PC. Both models – along with the HP Pavilion dv3 touch – will run version 3.0 of HP's TouchSmart software.

New highlights of the software include the TouchSmart Canvas, which will let you organise and edit photos by touch and TouchSmart Live TV which gives you the sort of functions you'd expect from a PVR, with the ability to pause live TV and record from the EPG.

The HP TouchSmart 600 will feature a 23-inch Full HD display, with Nvidia GeForce graphics, an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4GB RAM and 1TB hard drive.

As a fully featured PC the TouchSmart 600 will come with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a Blu-ray drive and a wireless keyboard and mouse.

An HDMI port gives you to option of connecting an Xbox 360 or PS3, to use the TouchSmart as you would a regular HD TV.

The smaller TouchSmart 300 has a 20-inch HD-Ready display, will come with an AMD processor and ATI Radeon graphics, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, Wi-FI and Windows 7.

The HP TouchSmart 600 will cost you ?1199.99 and the 300 will cost you ?899.99.

The updated Pavilion dv3 now comes with Windows 7, with a new HP Imprint finish - Modern Vintage - and a matching slip case. The new HP Pavilion dv3 will cost you ?799.

Tags: Hardware All-in-one PCs HP HP TouchSmart PC HP Pavilion dv3

HP updates TouchSmart PCs originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:08:17 +0100

ATI has just released a new series of graphics cards - the Radeon HD 5700s. Two cards initially make up the range, there's the Radeon HD 5750 and the meatier Radeon HD 5770. Both come with DirectX 11 capabilities and a host of other features that PC tweakers might be interested in.

The company says that this Radeon release is "all about future-proofing your graphics card". It reckons that this generation of cards can cope on high settings with every game currently out and in the near future, too. Plenty of DirectX 11 games are due out before Christmas, including DiRT2, Stalker: Call of Pripyat, and Battleforge that already has a patch that converts it to DX 11.

DirectX 11 brings tessellation, shader model 5, Directcompute 11, HDR texture compression and better multi-threading performance. The cards also support HDMI 1.3, have stream technology support, and come with three outputs so you can play with three monitors at?3 x 2560 x 1600 in what ATI is calling an "Eyefinity" setup.

The 5770 has 1.36 teraFLOPs of computing power and low-ish power consumption of 108W under load and 18W when idle. It comes with 1GB of GDDR5 memory and will cost $159. There's no UK pricing yet.

The 5750, on the other hand has 1.008 teraFLOPs of computing power and will take up 86W of power under load and 16W when idle. That'll come with the option of 1GB or 512MB of memory, with the former costing $129 and the latter costing more like $110. We'd be surprised if UK prices were lower, even at a 1 to 1 conversion rate.

Still, they're not exceptionally high either, meaning that if you're considering an upgrade then it might be worth asking for one of these in your stocking this Christmas.

Related links:

• News - AMD and ATI announce merger

Tags: Hardware Graphics cards ATI ATI Radeon HD 5770 Radeon HD 5750

ATI launches Radeon HD 5700 graphics series originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:01:00 +0100

Dell continues its sneak peek approach to its Dell Adamo XPS laptop, and yep, we keep falling for it.

This time it's two pictures of the new model showing an interesting hinge design and just how thin it really is, 9.9mm if you haven't been keeping track.

That's as good as it gets, no word on a release date or specs, however judging by the pictures the laptop will feature a USB and display port socket. It doesn't look to feature a CD player, although you never know.

More details when we have them.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Dell Dell Adamo XPS

More Dell Adamo XPS pictures surface originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:43:49 +0100

American laptop maker BFG Technologies has rolled out a new 18.4-inch laptop for those who feel a 17-inch just isn't big enough.

The Deimos X-10 SLI Gaming Notebook, as it will be known will pack enough firepower to run the latest PC games with ease according to it makers and comes with dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M 1GB (SLI) graphics cards, an Intel Core 2 Duo, Quad or Extreme processors, support for up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, and has three drive bays for up to 1.5 terabytes of storage space (SSD/HDD).?

If that wasn't enough you get a full 16:9 HD (1920 x 1080) LCD screen, Super Multi Blu-ray reader, 5 speakers with a built-in sub-woofer, support for Dolby surround, 4 USB 2.0 ports and both HDMI and DVI output ports.?

Due to the sheer size of the device you do get a Case Logic notebook backpack in the box to help you get from A to B.

Demios X-10 starts at $1859 and is available for pre-order now at www.bfgsystems.com.?

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Tags: Gaming Hardware Laptops BFG Technologies Demios X-10 Intel Nvidia

Demios X-10 gaming laptop isn't for the weak originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:54:44 +0100