Gadget Reviews

Sabeer Bhatia's JaxtrSMS to allow free SMSes

2011-11-23T00:46:00.001-08:00

MUMBAI: Jaxtr Inc, founded by Sabeer Bhatia and Yogesh Patel, on Wednesday launched JaxtrSMS, a cross-platform open texting application to send SMSes to anyone in the world for free.

"We have developed this application that runs on all mobile applications in the world, including iPhones, Androids, Blackberrys, J2MEs, where one can send unlimited free text messages from his phone to any mobile phone in the world," Jaxtr Inc CEO and co-founder and co-founder of Hotmail Sabeer Bhatia told reporters here.

At present it is very expensive for sending international SMSes costing Rs 5 per message, he said.

JaxtrSMS, which was developed in the country, is expecting at least 100 million subscriber base globally, he added.

"We witnessed tremendous response to this application during the soft launch where users across 197 countries downloaded it in a few weeks and expect 100 million subscribers by end of next year," Bhatia said.

The company will generate revenue through advertisements and premium services like archiving texts, multimedia, video etc, which will be available by mid next year, he said.

The premium services will be available for the subscribers at a very nominal cost, Bhatt said.

"We are talking with advertisers," he said. The US-based company is looking at USD 10-15 million investment in JaxtrSMS in another couple of months. "We are in talks with a few investors and are looking at investing USD 10-15 million in a couple of months time," he added.

Bhatia said this application would be in accordance with the regulatory provisions of the country. Globally, there are 4.2 billion texters worldwide and it is expected to reach 12 trillion by 2015.

Nokia to launch Windows tablet by mid-2012

2011-11-21T23:56:00.001-08:00

Paris: Cellphone maker Nokia plans to launch a tablet that runs on Microsoft’s Windows operating system in the summer of 2012, the head of Nokia France told Les Echos newspaper in an interview published on Wednesday.

AFP

Nokia has said using Microsoft Windows 8 for tablets could be an interesting opportunity for the company but it has not yet unveiled any launch plans.
The tablet would compete with Apple’s iPad. “In June 2012, we will have a tablet that runs on Windows 8,” Paul Amsellem told the newspaper.
When asked to comment on the report a Nokia spokesman said: “We have not announced any specific plans as it relates to tablets.”
Nokia last month unveiled two sleek new Microsoft Windows phones on Wednesday in time for Christmas, a first step in the ailing cellphone maker’s fightback against Apple and Google.

Samsung gets ready to roll out its Google TVs

2011-11-21T23:53:00.001-08:00

Seoul, South Korea: Samsung Electronics, the world’s top TV maker, is in last-stage talks with Google to roll out its Google TVs, the head of Samsung’s TV division told reporters on Tuesday.
Google TV — which currently comes built-in on certain Sony Corp television models and on Logitech International set-top boxes — allows consumers to access online videos and websites on their TVs, as well as specialised apps such as video games.
Samsung in January displayed a new Google TV-enabled Blu-ray player and companion box at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), but did not commercialise the offerings.
Yoon Boo-keun, president of Samsung’s TV division, said the company planned to unveil its Google TV at an event next year without elaborating on the schedule, saying only the firm was working with Google on the rollout.

Google in October unveiled a revamped version of Google TV service, hoping to making inroads into the living room despite consumers' lukewarm reaction to its initial offering.Reuters.

Samsung’s Google TV service would differ from those of competitors, he said on the sidelines of a local forum.
Google in October unveiled a revamped version of Google TV service, hoping to making inroads into the living room despite consumers’ lukewarm reaction to its initial offering.
Yoon also said Samsung plans to unveil TVs featuring next-generation OLED displays at the upcoming CES to be held in January in Las Vegas.
OLED displays produce crisp images and do not need backlighting, making them slimmer and more energy-efficient than LCDs, the most popular type of flat TVs.
Yoon expected the global flat-panel TV market to grow by about 10 percent next year despite economic uncertainty, helped by sales growth in internet-connected TVs and replacement demand. He also said Samsung was looking to outperform the market next year.
TV makers are grappling with slowing demand and cutthroat competition that has squeezed margins.

Aircel iPhone 4S Plan in India

2011-11-21T23:52:00.001-08:00

The announcement of the iPhone 4S in India has become a matter of great brouhaha, with majority of the Indian community branding it as highly overpriced.

Though there was anticipation of some much needed relief on the pricing front with the reverse subsidy plans that carriers like Aircel provides. While Airtel is holding its cards to the chest, Aircel has already put their cards on the table and revealed their reverse subsidy plans for people buying iPhone 4S with Aircel.

The cheapest monthly rental plan for the iPhone 4S 16 GB starts from Rs.950 which goes from Rs. 1150 to Rs. 1350 for the iPhone 4S 32GB and the 64GB respectively. Though the plans offer good benefits, the pricing of the plans are very similar to that of the handsets i.e. OVERPRICED. The 1GB WiFi surfing is via a partnership that allows Aircel’s subscribers to surf WiFi at selected places in some cities, we doubt if that is effective for most, unless of course there is something as widespread as Tikona.

In case you find yourself frowning looking at the pricing of the reverse subsidy plans, you are not the only. We too expected the plans to cost the consumers a lot lesser, somewhere along the lines of the plans that were offered for the iPhone 4.

As an afterthought it seems as though Aircel’s thinking that, If one is fool enough to buy the iPhone 4S at that price he should be a fool enough to pay for such highly priced reverse subsidy plans as well!

Motorola Razr now runs on Android

2011-11-21T23:40:00.001-08:00

About three years before the iPhone, the must-have gadget was the Motorola Razr. It was a thing of beauty with its brushed aluminum metal casing. And it was, oh, so thin.It was also oh, so expensive, with a price tag of over Rs 20,000. But it was unlike any cellphone that had come before

it. And, for the people who could afford it, the sleek, stylishly hip Razr was everywhere. Today Motorola launched another razor sharp Razr (known as Droid Razr in other parts of the world) running on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and priced at Rs 33,990.The Droid Razr is another smartphone that on the surface bears remarkable similarities with others that have come before it, namely the most recent Droid Bionic. Its biggest selling point is its ultrathin profile, large 4.3-inch screen, 1GB RAM, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and 8MP rear camera.

Motorola RAZR comes preloaded with the Motorola MotoCast app, giving you the power to stream or download content from your PC straight to your device so your personal content is always within reach. Watch movies on a screen that sports a wider range of colors than most LCD HDTVs. And when you're tired of watching (as if), use the cinematic-quality front-facing 720p HD video camera and 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with even sharper 1080p HD video capture to create your own movies- all with image-stabilization technology to turn your life into art without breaking a sweat.
Not only does the Razr boast of being the thinnest 4G phone around at 7.1 millimeters, it also features a scratch-resistant display made by Corning, and is supposed to have a water-repellent coating. Whether this will keep it in working condition after it's accidentally left in your pants pocket on a trip through the washing machine is something I did not test. It also has a Kevlar back. But I wouldn't expect it to stop a bullet any more than I'd expect it to make a phone call after a tumble through a spin cycle.
The display of the Razr is similar to the Bionic. I still find the screen a little busy and overly complicated. A new feature on the Razr that lists favorite contacts as picture icons at the top of the screen does help to add a little simplicity to an otherwise jumbled setup. Just a tap on a picture, and you're calling or texting almost immediately. Unfortunately, the simple features seem to end there. It's social media overload. The multiple screens are capable of throwing so much information at you at any given time that it's hard to keep up with what's going on.
For example, one screen can be set so that all it does is constantly scroll pictures that your friends have posted on Facebook. Extraneous and unnecessary. About 90 percent of the time I couldn't care less what cutesy saying or adorable cat picture friends are posting when I'm looking at Facebook. Why do I need to see it flash across my phone's screen when all I want to do is check my email or text a friend who has actually seen me in person?
On the plus side, the Razr is absolutely one of the lightest phones I have ever tested. So much so, that I originally considered it inferior just by weight alone. But it seems to have the performance heft to give about any smartphone a run for its money. It certainly has style, and whether or not it's the smartphone for you depends on how deeply involved you want to be in social media.
The simplicity of earlier Droid models and, yes, the iPhone seem to follow the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) method of communication. The Razr seems to be a contradiction with its simple, sturdy exterior, but with a cacophony of software and apps to keep you tapping, flipping and pinching to the point of media madness.
The Razr series was released in 2004 and was a huge success worldwide. Reportedly, Motorola sold more than 130 million units of the device, one of the best-selling clamshell phones globally. Motorola RAZR 2, marketed as more sleeker and stabler than the previous Razr, was launched in 2007. The new handset is expected to be the key bets for the company in the smartphone segment, which is witnessing strong competition from Apple and Samsung.
The smartphone market globally grew 42.6 per cent during the quarter-ended September to reach 118.1 million units, with Samsung, Apple and Nokia in the lead, according to research company IDC

Samsung Focus S Review (AT&T)

2011-11-17T20:36:00.001-08:00

Last year the AT&T Samsung Focus ended up being the best new Windows Phone around as it shot to the top of the charts in satisfaction surveys. This year, Samsung has released two Focus successors and the Focus S is meant to be the high-end model. It improves on last year's Focus significantly in almost all areas, though the other Windows Phone manufacturers have stepped things up a bit as well. If you've already got an original Samsung Focus, you're probably already very happy with it (especially if you've got the Mango update), but what's changed in this new flagship Windows Phone from Samsung? Read on to find out.

BOX CONTENTS

The device has a usually orange AT&T branding on it and not too many special details about the phone on the back. Inside you get a quick-start guide right on top, a manual underneath the phone, a charger with USB port, a microUSB cable, and some headphones that look pretty nice. There are also different size earbuds for the headphones so you can find one that fits. The headphones sound pretty good and include a microphone with a volume toggle switch and an answer button. If you press and hold the answer button for 1 second it will play/pause music. If you press and hold it for 2 seconds or so, it will activate the speech interface. Pressing it once when the phone is ringing will answer the call. It can be a little difficult to get the functions just right. Interestingly, there's a big sticker on the phone's screen that warns against texting while driving, but this phone with Windows Phone 7.5 probably has the best hands-free text messaging speech interface around.

HARDWARE

The AT&T Samsung Focus S is quite an upgrade over last year's Windows Phones in the specs department. Its dimensions are 66.8 x 126 x 8.38mm, and weighs only 110g. That's very thin and light! Its 32-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255T processor runs at 1400MHz. It's got around 15GB ROM storage as well and an amazing 4.3" 480x800 Super AMOLED Plus display. For GSM and 3G band support, it has GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS850, UMTS1900, and UMTS2100. It's also got a new eight-megapixel camera with flash and focus illuminator, as well as a secondary front-facing camera.

For more specs, see PDADB.net

The build quality feels a little better than usual for Samsung devices. The back battery cover is still very bendy and feels fragile, but it seems like it would actually be difficult to break (since it is so flexible). If you've held or used a Samsung Galaxy S 2 devices, the Focus S is extremely similar. It's like the design team wanted to save money by releasing the same phone with a different operating system... not that there's anything wrong with that.

On the left side of the device we have the volume controls. The rocker switch is a bit small, but it's very solid and easy to use.

On the right side is the camera button and power button. The camera button is much improved over older Windows Phones. It has a distinct tactile feel to it so that you can easily recognize it by touch without having to look at the device. It's also got more play so that you can feel for the half-press to focus and then the full press to capture the image.

On the top edge we have a 3.5mm headset jack and a little Qualcomm HSPA+ sticker.

On the bottom we have the microUSB port. There's no sliding cover, but the indentation is nicely molded to fit the shape of the port.

The back has a very nice feel to it and this is where you'll see the new Windows Phone logo, a rear speaker grill, and the 8MP camera with LED flash. The speaker is nice and loud, but turning the volume up too high will introduce some distortion.

The back battery cover kind of peels off with little plastic snaps all around the edges. It's a very flexible piece of plastic. Underneath, you'll find the 1650mAh battery, and SIM card slot. Unlike last year's original Focus, there is no microSD card slot for expanding the 16GB of storage, however.

SOFTWARE

Of course, Samsung has done some customizations and AT&T has bundled a few branded apps as well, so that's what we're going to look at in the below video. You'll also see what kind of customizations Samsung has done to the camera. I like the "wide dynamic range" option, but it doesn't have anything comparable to what HTC has done with the panoramic and burst shot photo options. We'll also take a look at what kind of speed increase you might see in some of the games. For the most part the Focus S might seem just as quick as last year's Windows Phones, and it is, but you'll see there's definitely a speed increase when loading processor intensive apps and games.

For more about the operating system in general, check out our full Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 7.5 Reviews.

CAMERA

The camera on the Samsung Focus S is a decent upgrade from last year's Focus which at five megapixels was comparable to the iPhone 4. The Focus S now has an eight-megapixel camera which we should expect to be comparable to the iPhone 4S, and as you'll see in the following images, it does pretty well.

In the above right image, the photo was taken in almost complete darkness with the flash turned on. The Focus S does use its flash temporarily with a half-press of the shutter in order to focus on the subject. Then the flash goes off again when you do a full press in order to take a photo. The flash doesn't have much range, so expect your subjects to be pretty close.

The photo on the left was obviously taken outdoors on a sunny day. The color reproduction, detail, saturation and exposure look great.

In the above two photos, we show you the difference between the Focus S's normal exposure mode and its wide dynamic range option. The photo on the right (with wide dynamic range turned on) gives you a lot more detail in the shadows and highlight areas.

Above is a series of 100% crop selections from a variety of smartphone cameras. The 100% crops will give you a pixel for pixel comparison. You'll notice differences in color balance, sharpening levels, as well as lens viewing angles. Focus S looks like it has the least amount of noise in the bunch and is pretty close to accurate color. The Radar 4G still has a better white balance, though there's too much noise in the color channels and obvious over-sharpening. If you look at the full resolution versions of these photos, the Nokia N8 photo, while it has the most detail and best sharpness seems to be tuned a bit on the under-exposure side. This is probably done to keep more detail in the highlights. Compare that to the iPhone 4S photo, which has a good overall exposure, but certainly blown-out highlights. The Focus S photo seems to be very close to the iPhone 4S, but the Focus S, N8, and Radar 4G all have a wider angle lens which is good for getting a larger view in the photo without having to step back.

Above is a 720p video recording sample from the Samsung Focus S. The exposure seems to be quite good, though obviously macro focusing doesn't happen too easily during video recording and we do tend to lose some highlights. Overall, the HD video recording is quite acceptable.

BATTERY LIFE

It seems like these 2nd generation Windows Phones have made some significant improvements in battery life. In last week's review of the HTC Radar 4G, I was kind of surprised at how great the battery life was, and Brandon gave the HTC Titan high marks for battery life as well. The Samsung Focus S has a hefty 1650mAh battery which blows away the battery life on the HTC Radar 4G (which had blown away the iPhone 4S's battery life). I could be using the Focus S all day and the battery level might only go down to 75% or so. The Battery Saver settings still shows "1 day and 10 hours remaining" given the similar usage scenarios where other smartphones would be popping up low battery dialogs. On a full charge it might say something like "2 days, 10 hours remaining", where you're lucky to see 18 hours remaining for other fully charged Windows Phones. Obviously your mileage will vary depending on reception levels, phone call durations, 3D Xbox gaming, and video watching, but I think it's safe to say that the Samsung Focus S has great battery life.

PURCHASING AND AVAILABILITY

The AT&T Samsung Focus S is available from AT&T retail stores as well as the AT&T website for $199 with a new 2 year contract.

PROS

+ Very thin and light
+ 1.4 Ghz CPU is very fast
+ Great battery life lasts for days
+ Gorgeous Super AMOLED+ 4.3" screen
+ Front-facing camera

CONS

- Replacing the battery cover can be tough to get all the snaps back in. It's hard to tell when it's completely closed.
- Build quality feels cheap
- Headphone button controls can take some getting used to

CONCLUSION

Last year's Samsung Focus was arguably the best Windows Phone available so I was certainly expecting Samsung to step it up with their second generation Windows Phones. The Focus S is actually the high-end model among two new Samsung Focus phones with the Focus Flash being a more budget-friendly device. At $199 you'd expect the Focus S to be quite good and it certainly is.

The thin and light form factor makes the Focus S feel like you could throw it at a window and it would just glide across the room, hit the window and fall to the floor unscathed. On the other hand the HTC Titan feels like it would fly right through that window and land outside unscathed. Then there's the iPhone 4S which feels like it would shatter both the window and itself.

Anyway, the big thing that I didn't like about the Focus S is the battery cover. The little snaps all along the edge are difficult to tell if they're all attached to the device properly. It's not uncommon for many of them to remain detached and thus easier to pop off.

Besides that, there are a lot of things to like about the Focus S. The 4.3-inch screen is absolutely gorgeous, the speed increase is extremely welcome in the processor intensive games, and the camera works very nicely. The excellent battery life is sure to make your Android and iPhone friends jealous as well.

Nokia Announces Lumia 710, 800 Windows Phones for India

2011-11-17T20:30:00.001-08:00

On the 26th of last month Stephen Elop went on stage at Nokia World to announce the company's first Windows Phones, the Nokia Lumia 710 and the Lumia 800. Nokia India's Managing Director and Vice President for Sales for Mobile Phones, D. Shivakumar, recently went on stage in India to announce the two devices.

There were no changes made, both phones were announced as we already know them: the Lumia 710 in black and white with black, white, cyan, fuchsia and yellow back covers and the Lumia 800 in black, cyan and pink. They both come packed with Nokia Drive, Nokia Maps and Nokia Music with MixRadio.

India is one of the strongest Nokia markets and now, with the addition of the two Lumias, Espoo expects a real boost. Exact availability and pricing should come soon but expect the devices to be around the same price range Stephen Elop announced: 270 EUR ($375) for the Lumia 710 and 420 EUR (around $584) for the Lumia 800.

Two lakh Facebook accounts from Bangalore hacked, profile pics put on porn sites

2011-11-15T23:41:00.001-08:00

Bangalore: Over two lakh city Facebook users woke up to a social media embarrassment yesterday morning as their accounts had been hacked and weblinks to their morphed pornographic pictures sent as feeds to friends and family.

According to global media reports, more than 60 lakh Facebook accounts were hacked since Sunday night. Social networking analysts have claimed that officially more than 2 lakh Bangalore Facebook accounts were hacked.

The cybercrime department has received many calls and complaints regarding the mass hacking. They have started preliminary investigations in a few cases too.

All Porn and gore

A resident of Koramangala logged on to her Facebook account yesterday morning from a cyber cafe, only to get the shock of her life. "My mother, brother and 19 friends of mine had rebuked me after reading my status message.

It had a link to a website, and on clicking I saw my face morphed and pasted onto the body of a porn star. My name and details were also available on the website. I called the police, but they directed me to the cybercrime police station," said Kamini Varma (name changed).

Kamini's last post said that she was quitting the popular social networking site after being embarrassed amongst their friends. There were around 50 other posts on Facebook that stated the users are quitting the social networking site forever after being embarrassed before friends and family.

"The website is no longer safe. My friend had posted a link to a news report claiming to have been published in a popular newspaper on my page on Sunday. Since the title said 'Party till the wee hours' I got excited and clicked on it but nothing appeared. The next day I logged on to find that everything had changed.

My female friends alleged that I had stolen photos from their account and sold it to porn sites. Others had called me a 'porn addict' and many others left abusive messages. I immediately deactivated my account," said Shivam Shah, student (name changed).

Following this huge incident, many social media experts huddled up and debated if this would lead to the eventual downfall of Facebook now.

"Orkut fell in the same fashion. As much as Orkut officials claimed that Facebook had beaten it in popularity, many reports nail the fact that consistent hacking on the social networking site for over six months (before Facebook became popular) had led to its immediate downfall and eventual social death.

Facebook seems to be headed in the same direction, unless there is some sort of immediate and strict measures taken by Facebook," said Suhas Giri, a city-based popular social media expert.

Meanwhile, Facebook put up a set of guidelines for users who had either been hacked, or heard of such incidents. The official Facebook Security blog post said, "Security and safety are at the core of Facebook.

We have entire teams dedicated to building tools that give people even more control over their account, and specifically the way they access their information. In fact, many of our most talented engineers are working exclusively on creating a secure environment on Facebook."

Analysts further asserted that in spite of such incidents, users seldom bother taking the security measures seriously, until being personally victimised.

Thousands of users like Kamini and Shivam have decided to shun the habit of talking wall-to- wall and return to the good-old practice of talking to people face-to-face.

Top 3 spam links that helped hack accounts

'Bangalore police: Party till the wee hours, 11.30 PM ban lifted'. Clicking on this link leads you to a page with a photo of a popular pub in town, with a caption questioning the user 'You really think this could happen?' After clicking on the link, the user's account is hacked and sends out a series of unstoppable torrents of XXX porn to all of the user's friends. Over 12,000 Bangaloreans reportedly fell for this spam.

'Date a stripper in Bangalore'. Clicking on this link automatically transfers all the photos from the user's account and posts them on a porn website. The link to this porn website is then set as the user's FB status message and posted on newsfeeds of all the user's friends. Over 500 Bangaloreans fell for this spam.

Popular Sandalwood actress raped and murdered Social media analysts suspect that this was a prank link created by a small group of users, following the fad of series of spam links posted through the course of the day. The link leads a user to various soft porn videos from South Indian movies, posted on www.youtube.com. Over 2,500 Bangaloreans fell for this spam.

Google to unveil online music download store

2011-11-15T23:35:00.001-08:00

Google Inc is expected to unveil on Wednesday an online music download store featuring songs from three major music companies, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Sony Corp's Sony Music Entertainment, Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group and EMI Music are expected to have deals with Google in place in time for a Wednesday afternoon announcement in Los Angeles, the Journal reported.

The Google Music store will compete with Apple Inc's dominant iTunes and other digital music services.

Google's store will sell songs for around $1 apiece, the Journal reported. The store also is expected to allow users who buy songs to share one or two free listens with contacts on the Google+ social networking service, the newspaper reported.

A Wednesday evening event tied to the announcement will feature pop group Maroon 5 and R&B singer Drake, among others.

Representatives for Google, Sony and Universal Music Group did not immediately respond to requests for comment. An EMI spokesman declined to comment.

Adobe kills Flash on mobile devices

2011-11-11T05:38:00.001-08:00

New York: Imaging software maker Adobe will not launch any new version of Flash for mobile browsers and will gradually move to replace it with new version of computer language HTML5, which is widely being used for designing contents.

"We will no longer continue to develop Flash Player in the browser to work with new mobile device configurations (chipset, browser, OS version, etc.) following the upcoming release of Flash Player 11.1 for Android and BlackBerry PlayBook," Adobe's Vice President and General Manager for Interactive Development Danny Winokur wrote in his blog today.He said that Adobe will continue to provide critical bug fixes and security updates for existing device configurations.

"We are already working on Flash Player 12 and a new round of exciting features which we expect to again advance what is possible for delivering high definition entertainment experiences.

"We will continue to leverage our experience with Flash to accelerate our work with the W3C and WebKit to bring similar capabilities to HTML5 as quickly as possible," Winokur said.

He said that Adobe will simultaneously design new features in Flash for a smooth transition to HTML5.Winokur said that he is excited to see adoption of HTML5 on major mobile devices which is making HTML5 best solution for creating and deploying content in the browser across mobile platforms.

"We are excited about this, and will continue our work with key players in the HTML community, including Google, Apple, Microsoft and RIM, to drive HTML5 innovation they can use to advance their mobile browsers," he said.

Apple releases iPhone battery drain software fix

2011-11-11T05:33:00.001-08:00

San Francisco: Apple Inc on Thursday released a software update for its iOS 5 operating system to fix complaints on the performance of the new iPhone 4S battery.

Apple, after facing a rash of complaints on the new phone's short battery life, had promised earlier to release an update to address the issue.

The software update also addresses some security issues, including a flaw in the operating system that may allow hackers to build apps that secretly install programs to steal data.

Google drops Gmail support for BlackBerry users

2011-11-11T05:30:00.001-08:00

New York: Google, maker of Android software for mobile phones, will stop supporting the application for Gmail for rival Research in Motion's (RIM) BlackBerry smartphones.

"Beginning November 22, 2011, we will end support for the Gmail App for BlackBerry (installed native app). Over this past year, we've focused efforts on building a great Gmail experience in the mobile browser and will continue investing in this area," Google said.

This means that from November 22, Google will stop supporting Gmail application for BlackBerry devices and the Gmail applications currently running on the BlackBerry will no longer be maintained and enhanced by Google.

However, users who have already downloaded the app may continue to use it, the company added.

Google buys 2 startups: Apture, Katango

2011-11-11T05:25:00.001-08:00

New York: Internet titan Google Inc has acquired two startup firms -- Apture and Katango -- for an undisclosed amount that would help it enhance the user experience of its browser and social networking services.
The 4-year old Apture focuses on providing instant access to information with in-page search technology.Katango, on the other hand, was founded a little over a year ago and builds algorithms for automatically sorting friends that improves online social interaction.
However, financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.Google buyout of Apture is expected to bolster the firm's Chrome browser.
"We have been acquired by Google and will be joining the Chrome team to continue driving innovation and creating a better user experience on the web," Apture said on its site.
The acquisition of Katango will help over 40 million users of internet search giant's social networking platform Google Plus to organise their circles. Katango's technology is similar to the circles feature on Google Plus, which helps users to group their contacts easily.
"We are excited to join the Google Plus team and carry on fulfilling that mission. Google Plus is seeing tremendous momentum, so it's a perfect time to join and make Circles smarter for millions of people," Katango said.
In the first nine month this year, Google had completed the acquisition of 57 companies for total of USD 502 million.This exceeds Google's previous annual record of 44 purchases completed last year. The company had spent cash worth USD 669 million for its all acquisitions in 2010.
Google is estimated to have acquired over 100 firms in the last decade, translating into purchase of 10 companies a year on average.

Facebook to seek consent for privacy changes, report

2011-11-11T04:12:00.001-08:00

Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has defended its privacy policies

Privacy campaigners have welcomed a report that Facebook is to ask users to opt into any changes in the way it uses their personal information.

The social network previously announced alterations to its members' settings without asking for fresh consent.
The website is changing its policy after an investigation by the US Federal Trade Commission, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
Facebook is not commenting on the story at this time.
The report suggests the site has also agreed to privacy audits by an independent organisation over the next 20 years.
However, it says the FTC does not prescribe how consent should be obtained.
Suspicion "Facebook has historically been extremely resistant to transparency in its own operations, so we welcome measures that would force the company to obtain express consent of its users," said the London based advocacy group Privacy International.
"However, it seems likely that the FTC's demands will only present a temporary obstacle in the path of Facebook's ambitions to collect its users' information.
"Faced with reams of small print, most users are likely to automatically agree to policy changes, with each change bringing us one step closer to Zuckerberg's vision of a privacy-free future."
The website's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, was questioned about the firm's privacy policies on the US television network PBS' Charlie Rose show earlier this week.
"You have control over every single thing you've shared on Facebook," he said, "You can take it down."
He also said other search engines and advertising networks gather "huge amount of information" about internet users through cookies, which he claimed was "less transparent than what is happening at Facebook".

Honda's Small Sports EV concept proves electric can be svelte, comes to Tokyo Motor Show next month

2011-11-11T04:09:00.001-08:00

Honda fans, hope you're down for some last-minute tickets to Japan, as the automaker plans to release not one, but seven (!) stunning concepts at the upcoming Tokyo Motor show. Ranging from plug-in hybrids to electric motorcycles, we're most stoked about the Small Sports EV -- a dashing two-seat roadster that reminds us stylistically of BMW's i8. Details are light, but Honda promises that it'll be fun to drive, yet also achieve "excellent environmental performance." Alongside it is the plug-in hybrid AC-X, which looks like an LED-ridden redux of the lease-only FCX. And finally, there's the Micro Commuter concept, which despite looking the least production-ready of the three, gets kudos for having a dedicated spot to load the accompanying Motor Compo EV motorcycle. Not much else to report on all seven this far out, but that doesn't mean you can't ogle at photos of these three and their motorcycle brethren at the links below.

CRP Racing debuts Energica electric streetbike prototype at EICMA 2011

2011-11-11T04:05:00.001-08:00

You might not need an electric streetbike in the near future, but it's still cool to know that the prototype is complete. CRP Racing has just introduced the Energica at the EICMA motorcyle show in Italy. The Energica slides an all-electric powertrain with 100kW of power into a classic Italian-style two wheeler the is capable of speeds up to 220 km/h, 16kgm of torque, and 150km of range on a single charge, features OZ forged aluminum braking discs and a power train efficiency around 95 percent. The niftiness is only compounded by front double caliper radial mounts, a single rear fixed caliper, digital multifunction LCD dashboard and LED headlights. Pricing begins with a deposit of €1,500 ($2042 US) and doesn't include VAT. Of course, the Energica is still in the development phase, so final pricing and specifications might change. Still, if an electric streetbike isn't at least as cool as a penguin in a freezer, then something's wrong with your freezer.

Samsung signs up PowerVR SGX MP GPUs for future devices, keeps its options open

2011-11-11T04:00:00.001-08:00

Even though it's already listed on the dance card for ARM's upcoming MALI-T658 mobile GPU, Samsung is also licensing tech from Imagination Technologies. The new agreement will allow it to include Imagination's PowerVR SGX multiprocessor GPU (a.k.a Series 5XT a form of which already resides in the A5 chip used by Apple's iPad 2 and iPhone 4S as well as the PlayStation Vita) in its upcoming devices, but doesn't specify how many cores or what configuration may be used. MobileTechWorld also speculates this could be in preparation for SoCs built to run Windows 8, but until we actually get a peek inside whatever devices are up Samsung's sleeve it's impossible to know for sure.

Wireless Headphones Sennheiser RS 220 will cost $ 600

2011-11-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

For those customers who like high-quality sound, Sennheiser has produced a "dessert." Wireless RS 220 model uses a wideband spread-spectrum modulation with Direct Sequence (DSSS).

Closed headphones have soft ear cushions and adjustable headband. Claimed frequency response is extended from 16 to 22,000 Hz. RS 220 headphones can provide up to eight hours of uninterrupted sound pleasure on one charge.

The transmitter, which range is up to 30 meters indoors and 90 meters in open space, is built-in docking station. In addition to analog inputs RS220 also features optical and coaxial connectors S / PDIF.

The recommended price of the RS 220 is $ 600, which is pretty high. Honestly it is really high for a piece of headphones.

NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor presented

2011-11-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

Today NVIDIA «opened an era of mobile quad-core computing", presenting the processor NVIDIA Tegra 3. According to the company, new product brings high performance to tablets and smartphones. Performance that is comparable to the performance of your PC and improved autonomy. The first tablet based on Tegra 3 will be ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime.

The superiority of the processor, formerly known as Project Kal-El, over his predecessor, Tegra 2, is up to three times in graphics performance, and reduced energy consumption reaches 61%. According to NVIDIA, this would bring device’s battery life of up to 12 hours viewing videos.

As you already know, Tegra 3 uses a new technology, called Variable Symmetric Multiprocessing (vSMP). VSMP means that processor has a fifth core. The four main cores (ARM Cortex A9, 1,3 GHz) are designed for applications requiring high performance, while the "companion core," as developers call it, is working on the less demanding tasks and reduces power consumption. When you need high performance - in games, when you are web browsing, working with images, video and audio, 3D-graphics – four main cores work, while companion core is idle. If it is necessary to carry out simple tasks like playing sound recordings or video recordings or background applications – main cores stop working and companion core takes over.

Tegra 3 includes NVIDIA GeForce GPU with 12 shader cores. Here are some screenshots of Shadowgun and Riptide GP games, enabling us to judge about the graphics capabilities of Tegra 3.

A graphics processor Tegra 3 supports NVIDIA 3D Vision. Integrated memory controller supports up to 2 GB DDR3-L 1500 or LPDDR2-1066.

According to NVIDIA, Tegra 3 production has already begun. Interested developers can order a set of Tegra 3 Developer Kit.

Toshiba dynabook R631 is 15.9 mm thick

2011-11-09T19:45:00.000-08:00

Toshiba has introduced mobile dynabook R631 in domestic market, which belongs to the category of ultrabooks. The model is equipped with 13-inch display, weighs only 1.12 kg. The screen resolution is 1366 x 768 pixels.

Toshiba dynabook R631 equipped with processor Core i5-2467M 1.6 GHz with integrated graphics core, 4 GB DDR3-1333 memory and SSD of 128 GB. The model is endowed with dual Gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi/WiMAX, audio Waves subsistem, USB 3.0 port and HDMI output.

Dimensions of the model are equal to 316 x 227 x 8,3-15,9 mm. Comes with new 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium. On a single charge dynabook R631 can work up to nine hours, consuming only 11 watts of power. New ultrathin notebook supports Intel Wireless Display technology.

The price of dynabook R631 in Japan is 139,800 yen (about $ 1800). The manufacturer gives the product a one year warranty.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX55

2011-11-09T06:33:00.000-08:00

Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 was unleashed in the Indian market. It has a slim form factor with a thickness of about 12mm.

This camera uses the Exmor R CMOS sensor with 16.2MP resolution, BIONZ image processor and 26mm wide-angle lens by Carl Zeiss with 5X optical zoom.

The camera's back panel has a 3.3-inch Xtra Fine OLED widescreen, touch operated display.

Notable image capture enhancements or helpers with the camera includes Intelligent Sweep Panorama that automatically combines a burst of images to create extra-wide panoramic pictures of up to 42.9MP resolution, and Sweep Multi Angle that shoot a burst of images to capture the subject from different angles.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 is available in gold, black and silver colors and is priced at Rs 19,990.

Handset Review: LG Optimus Pro C660

2011-11-02T23:59:00.000-07:00

LG's first Android device - the Optimus One, was quite a seller. Now the company has several Android devices in its kitty, starting from the Optimus Me to Optimus 3D.
In this list, Optimus Pro C660 comes as a budget phone with a difference, and the difference lies in the fact that the phone sports a physical Qwerty keypad below the 2.8 inch capacitive touchscreen.
Normally Android phones with Qwerty keypad come in slider form factor or with smaller 2.6 inch screen. In terms of appearance, it resembles Motorola Fire which has almost identical form factor. So similar are these two that we decided to carry a comparison which will be up shortly.
Getting back to the device, it is based more or less on the very popular Galaxy One, which is still one of the best budget Android phones in the market despite being more than a year old.
Form factor
LG Optimus Pro c660 has a bar design with a 2.8 inch screen and a Qwerty keypad below. The design is not exciting with black plastic all around, but it is practical with well laid out keypad with useful shortcuts for mail and calendar. The power button at the top is accompanied by a 3.5 mm jack, volume rocker on the left and a USB port on the right side.
At the back lies a 3.0 megapixel camera sans the flash and speaker grill that breaks the monotony of the black plastic cover. The edges of the phone are rounded making the phone easy to hold. Though typing with one hand is possible its better to use both the hands.
Specs and performance
LG Optimus Pro c660 boasts the latest Android 2.3 version and an 800 MHz processor. The screen is of 2.8 inch with VGA">QVGA, 240 x 320 pixels resolution which is not particularly high but for a budget phone works well. The capacitive touch responds well to commands and is aided by a physical keypad interaction.
The 3.0 megapixel fixed focus camera don't have flash support, hence it is good only for bright condition shooting. There is no front camera either. One of the omissions that you won't find in basic phones is the proximity sensor which switches off the touchscreen when you put the phone to your ear. However, intelligent tweaking ensures that the phone manages without this sensor — it switches off the screen seconds after you take a call and can be brought back to life by touching any key, not the best thing to do but works well.
On pure performance front, the device feels less well when compared to the Optimus One, which despite being old is better and smoother. However, the difference is minor and not a deal breaker.
All the other normal features of the Android phone like 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS are all present and works well on all those front. The smaller 2.6 inch screen, compared to the average screen size of 3.2 plus, is nothing to worry as the keypad is separate and does not occupy screen space while typing, this means the screen feels larger than it is compered to touch only phones.
The battery of the phone is of 1540mAH unit which gives it better than average backup and talktime compared to other Android phones - more than one and half day with medium usage.
The supplied earphone is of decent quality and music listening is pleasurable. The speaker of the phone is also good for such a budget phone.
Google's suit with email exchange, maps, push mail etc means that it serves well for a business phone for those looking for a budget option.
Verdict
The phone is not a replacement for a BlackBerry which has certain snob value attached to it. However, apart from that there is plenty in the phone that will challenge the budget BlackBerry phones in their own territory.
The few things that goes against this phone is the fact that it doesn't have the design flair that executives look for in their phone and also it could have done well with slightly more powerful processor but then the budget at which it is available won't have been possible. We will reserve our verdict till we review the Motorola Fire, but it sure is a good buy whatever the case may be the result of the comparison.

Handset Review: LG Optimus Pro C660 Specifications
Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G
Operating System	Android
Dimensions	119.5 x 59.7 x 12.9 mm, Weight 129g
Display	2.8 Inch
Input Method	Touch and QWERTY
Processor	800 MHz processor, Qualcomm MSM7227T chipset, 256 MB RAM
Memory	32 GB expandable, 150MB in-built
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G
Multimedia	Multi format audio MP4 video player
Camera	3.0 MP fixed focus
GPS	Yes
Additional features	QWERTY keypad
Battery	1540Mah
Warranty	1 Yr
Price	Rs 9,500

Samsung launches Galaxy Note in India for Rs 34,990

2011-11-02T23:13:00.000-07:00

Samsung in India has announced the launch of its latest innovation - the Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone, which comes with a plethora of features that spill over to tablet type functionality as well. Targeted at people who need to do more with their smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Note offers the muscle of a smartphone in a form factor that is almost similar to that of a tablet.
The Galaxy Note is the first device to sport a 5.3 inch HD Super Amoled display. The display sports a native resolution of 800 x 1280 pixels and supports multi-touch and also comes with the S (Smart) Pen stylus that allows the users to go creative with all their might. The Galaxy Note runs the Android 2.3 Gingerbread along with a fully worked upon Samsung's TouchWiz user interface.
For powering this massive device, Samsung has chosen a dual-core 1.4 GHz Exynos microprocessor with Mali-400 MP dedicated graphics processor. The Galaxy Note also features a 1 GB RAM along with 16 GB memory onboard as storage memory. Its 8 megapixel camera comes with LED flash capable of recording 1080p full HD videos at 30 fps. There is a front facing 2 megapixel camera as well that can provide self-portrait shots and video calling.
The device was originally scheduled for a launch in the month of September itself but due to many reasons the launch of the device got delayed. But as the Samsung spokesperson has told sometime back about the launch of the Galaxy Note, the device is launched exactly on time as communicated back then.
The device is quite powerful as far as the specifications go but in terms of the price, it might be a downer for many buyers. The Samsung Galaxy Note has been priced at Rs 34,990 and this is the best price at which the device will be selling in the Indian market through Samsung stores and Samsung franchisee network for upcoming few weeks.
At present there are no network service providers tie ups given for this device but Samsung is in talks with a couple of service providers for a special tariff for the same and is expected to be announcing a few in the coming days.

Samsung Galaxy Note First Impressions

2011-11-02T22:59:00.000-07:00

The Galaxy Note is priced at almost Rs 35,000 which will be a big hindrance for many buyers. But ultimately, the device is sure enough to entice most complex of users with its look, feel and hardware specification which are fast becoming benchmark to be measured before purchase of a device. The Galaxy Note is surely good on all fronts and how well it performs in the real life scenario we will surely get to know but only after doing a full fledged review of the device

Big Processor, Big Display

The display is big – 5.3inches big – with a thin bezel of about half a cm. This might be a bit tricky for people with small hands, but it fits nicely in my hands. One handed operation wasn’t complicated, though it will require some getting used to. The 1.4GHz dual-core Exynos, made everything smooth and buttery. Still, it’s almost as smooth as the SGS2, but do remember – the Note runs on a significantly higher display resolution.
The Galaxy Note boasts a 1280×800 resolution display; called the Super AMOLED HD. Everything looks breathtaking – even better than the Samsung Galaxy S2. Once Ice Cream Sandwich with hardware acceleration arrives on the Note, it will become just as smooth, if not better than iOS.
The Note has an 8MP camera with LED flash, and a 2MP front camera. Both does a great job, and it is rumored to be the same cameras from the SGS2. And like the Samsung Galaxy S2, The Galaxy Note takes crisp and clear photographs with ease. Full HD videos (1080p) plays easily on the Note, and to say it is more captivating than the Galaxy S2′s Super AMOLED Plus display, is an understatement. The speaker is loud and makes a perfect conference calling companion.

Less Touchy Buttons

The phone comes with minimum hardware buttons. There are only 3 – the home button, power button and volume rocker. This minimalist approach makes the Note not only a fantastic device to hold, but also a thing of beauty to the eyes. If you think the front is good enough to mesmerize you, you’ll salivate peeking at its back. The battery cover is etched just like the Samsung Galaxy S2, and this provides a good grip for all you butterfingers out there.

Home, Sweet Homescreen.

Once booted up, you’ll immediately find many TouchWiz similarities to the Samsung Galaxy S2. It’s almost a clone of the S2, except that this version of TouchWiz is improved in a good way. At the homescreen, you’ll see an icon for S Memo – an application developed specifically for the Galaxy Note – which allows you to scribble notes just like you’re working on a notepad. Samsung incorporated infinite looping into their homescreen, and you’ll find yourself reaching the screen that you want, fast – regardless of you swiping to the left of to the right. Pinch to overview is still there, so you could quickly zip between homescreens too. Your homescreen is a 5 by 5 icon display area, and this has been improved from the 4 by 4 icon homescreen on the SGS2.
An App Drawer Full Of Love

When you open the app drawer, you are lovingly greeted with the same 5 by 5 grid from the homescreen. The same smooth scrolling animations meet your slightest touch, while the display’s vivid Super AMOLED HD shouts for your attention. If you prefer to see your apps in an alphabetical order, you can switch to list mode, which will also allow you to zip immediately to the app you are looking for from the alphabetical scrollbar on the right. As a person who carries about 200 apps in my phone, this addition is always welcome.

Gingerbread, Waiting For An Icy Treat

The device runs the Gingerbread 2.3.5 and is confirmed to receive Ice Cream Sandwich soon. Initially, I was surprised. I was expecting a Honeycomb interface, but Gingerbread already gets the job done. There is stylus support in Ice Cream Sandwich, and it would be interesting to see how that would boost the functionality of the S Pen.

Write With Style

The S Pen is a joy to use. It’s easy, simple and intuitive. Samsung kept the S Pen gestures to a minimum, which is good thing. With just a few taps and swipes of the S Pen, you can capture screenshots, open apps, exit apps, and even toggle the menu button. The accuracy of the pen is commendable, and Samsung has done a fantastic job in making sure this works. I tried using the S Pen on the SGS2, but it doesn’t function (obviously), and I can only conclude that there must be some awesome S Pen API under the Note’s hood. Apart from just taking doodles, the S Memo and S Pen also makes an impressive feat – converting handwriting to text. I tested this app 3 times, and I must say that the accuracy of the converter is very high – accurately capturing every word that I am attempting to express. While using the S Pen in the S Memo app, the device is intelligent enough to distinguish between an accidental stroke (when touched with your hand) and the actual pen stroke.

3G Browsing Powerhouse

Having become accustomed to browsing on the SGS2, I did find the stock browser on the Galaxy Note required some getting used to. The Note’s browser is similar to the original Galaxy Tab browser, but with speed improvements. It’s faster and smoother than the original Tab, but a little behind the SGS2 browser. Considering Ice Cream Sandwich will pack hardware acceleration, the browser will cut through the World Wide Web like a hot katana through butter.

More Than Enough Power To Last The Day

First impressions last forever. I’m a moderate to high 3G user, and I’m already accustomed to good battery management habits. Testing the device on the first day (after a full charge), the battery lasted me more than 16 hours – with about 10% left in the tank. This is an impressive feat considering that I’m always checking emails, messaging and browsing on the go non-stop.

Lightning Fast GPS Lock With The Barometer

The Galaxy Nexus comes with a barometer, and so does the Galaxy Note. If you think Google was kidding about increased GPS lock speeds, you’ll be in for a surprise. With data and GPS on, I ran GPS Status, one of the trusted apps to test a device’s GPS capability. The first lock downloads AGPS data and took about 5 seconds. Subsequent locks without additional AGPS data download consistently lock at about 1-2 seconds. The phone locks on to the satellite as fast as the GPS Status app launches. Slow GPS locks will definitely be a thing in the past. Even the “future-proof” SGS2 clocks 6 seconds with AGPS data downloaded.

First Impression Conclusion

Would I recommend this device? Hell yeah! I think Samsung is tapping into the enterprise category and this device with be a strong contender in this category. The device is a godsend for users who work a lot with market research, Powerpoints, Word Documents and Photoshop. For the average Jane and Joe, this phone will give them a full-fledged entertainment device that will not disappoint. I find that the phone will fit perfectly in the hands of business professionals and creative masterminds alike.

Video

Specifications
Network
HSPA+ up to 21Mbps 850/900/1900/2100
EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900
Processor
1.4GHz Dual Core Processor
Display
5.3” WXGA (1280 x 800, 285 PPI) screen*
HD Super AMOLED
Platform
Android™ 2.3(Gingerbread)
Camera
Main(Rear) : 8 MP with LED Flash / Front : 2 MP
Action Shot, Beauty, Panorama Shot, Smile Shot
Video
1080p Full HD video recording & playback
Recording: 1080p@24~30fps/ Playback: 1080p@30fps
Codec: MPEG4/ H.263/ H.264/ DivX, Xvid, WMV, VC-1
Audio
Codec : MP3, AAC, AMR, WMA, WAV, FLAC, OGG
Music Player with SoundAlive
3.5mm Ear Jack, Stereo FM Radio with RDS
Multi Input
Full touch
+ S Pen (Advanced smart pen)
Connectivity
Bluetooth® technology v 3.0 + HS
USB 2.0 HOST
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct
Sensor
Accelerometer, Digital compass, Proximity,
Barometer,Light
Memory
16GB Internal memory
+ microSD (up to 32GB)
Size
146.85 x 82.95 x 9.65 mm, 178g
Battery
Standard battery, Li-on 2,500 mAh
Value-added Features
Samsung Touchwiz/ Samsung Live Panel UX
S Memo/ S Planner/ S Choice (Apps for GALAXY Note)
Samsung Apps
Samsung kies 2.0/ Samsung kies air
Social Hub, Readers Hub, Music Hub
Google™ Mobile Services : Gmail™, Google Talk™,
Google Search™, YouTube™, Android™ Market,
Google Maps™ with Google Places™ and Google- Latitude™
A-GPS, Glonass

GameStop's Android gaming tablets get official at 200 stores in soft launch

2011-11-02T06:24:00.000-07:00

Android slates gussied up with pre-installed video games? We must be talking Sony here, right? Wrong. Turns out, this is what GameStop's prexy had in mind when he spilled the beans about the company's plans for a certified gaming tab. Making good on that word, but falling short of actually producing a new device, 200 of the retailer's brick-and-mortar shops are now home to an array of tablets from the likes of Acer, ASUS, Samsung and Motorola -- all members of Google's tablet OS brigade. These familiar Honeycomb faces carry their same retail prices, but come customized with seven free games and, in the case of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Iconia Tab A100, the company's proprietary Bluetooth controller. You can always snag that last bit separately, although if you're already committed to shelling out this much cash, what's another $39? While the verdict's still out on whether this move is a hit or miss, it sure is no wonder why PlayStation Suite's eyeing greener hardware pastures.

Sounfreaq's Sound Stack Bluetooth speaker sports dual subwoofers, $400 pricetag

2011-11-02T06:19:00.000-07:00

Sounfreaq doesn't release speaker systems often, but it's safe to expect something spectacularly sexy when it does. Such is exactly the case with its latest audiophile-aimed creation, the Sound Stack wireless speaker. The company is toting this $400 Bluetooth-enabled HiFi rig as a "2.2" speaker system, thanks to its DubSub design -- a duo of active subwoofers pump out lowend in an effort to complement its two other "full-range" drivers. Soundfreaq's also packed this puppy with its UQ3 processing to keep the soundstage wide despite the unit's size. Better yet, downloading a free Remote App (available on Android and iOS) unlocks the system's FM radio -- perfect for when you're feeling nostalgic. If that wasn't enough, the Sound Stack's also loaded with an iThing dock and a USB input, both of which can be used to re-juice your devices while streaming. If your Gadget Acquisition Syndrome is already kicking in, fret not, the Sound Stack is available for purchase now. You'll find more details past the break.

Google rolls out new look for Gmail: streamlined conversation view, high-res themes, better search

2011-11-02T06:10:00.000-07:00

Google gave us a hint of Gmail's new look with a preview earlier this year, and it's now finally begun to roll out the real thing. Sometime over the next few days you should see a "switch to the new look" link in the bottom right corner of Gmail which, if clicked, will open up a range of new features and design changes. Those include a streamlined conversation view (complete with profile pictures), three different density settings (plus "elastic density" based on your display), a new batch of high resolution themes, improved search, and a refined navigation panel. Head on past the break for a quick video detailing the changes.

Motorola Droid Razr

2011-10-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

The Razr is back, and it's better than ever. Motorola has done the smartest thing it's done in years with the Droid Razr, which combines sheer Droid brawn with the legacy of Razr design.
We had the opportunity to get hands-on with the phone, and we can't deny that the Droid Razr's ultralight design has an immediate wow factor. We picked it up and were stunned at how skinny it was--it's 7.1mm (0.28 inch) thin, to be exact, which makes it the thinnest smartphone so far, according to Motorola. It's also correspondingly lightweight, at only 127 grams (4.5 ounces).
But that doesn't mean the phone is a fragile thing to be coddled. The Droid Razr feels surprisingly solid, and Motorola says that's because of the sculpted glass, the Kevlar backing, and the stainless steel chassis that holds it all together. There's even a nanotechnology coating that makes the phone splash-resistant. It stops short of being waterproof, though, so we wouldn't go swimming with it. The Kevlar backing is soft to the touch, which is a departure from the usual rough texture associated with Kevlar. The thin display is made out of sculpted Corning Gorilla Glass, which is claimed to be scratch-resistant as well.

Motorola Droid Razr hands-on (photos)

And what a display it is. The 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Advanced display is really gorgeous in person. With its qHD resolution, images and graphics are both colorful and crisp. Motorola says the Droid Razr is the first smartphone to be able to stream HD content from Netflix.
Powering all of this, the phone has a dual-core 1.2GHz TI processor and 1GB of RAM. The result is a seamless navigational experience. We flipped through screens with speed, with no transition lag at all. We didn't notice any sluggishness when launching and multitasking between several apps, either. The Droid Razr ships with Android 2.3.5 with a Motoblur skin. It's not the prettiest skin we've ever seen, but it's not nearly as intrusive as it used to be.

The Motorola Droid Razr has a stunningly slim design.

(Credit:Bonnie Cha/CNET)

The Droid Razr has 32GB of memory that consists of 16GB on board and a preinstalled 16GB microSD card, and it can accommodate up to 32GB microSD cards. Nested in the Kevlar backing is an 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p HD video capture and image-stabilization features, while sitting above the display is a front-facing HD camera for video conferencing. Thanks to Verizon, it also has support for 4G LTE along with a mobile hot-spot feature.
Motorola is definitely going after RIM with new enterprise and government-grade features in the Droid Razr. It has remote wipe, PIN lock, and what it claims is government-grade data encryption.
Other features include HDMI out, the low-power Bluetooth 4.0 that opens up a world of devices, Quickoffice for document editing, and a couple of Motorola-designed apps that promise greater interactivity with the cloud. Motocast is an app that will stream and download media to the phone from a corresponding desktop PC app, while the Smart Actions app helps to automate tasks and optimize battery efficiency. We had a little demo of Smart Actions, and it certainly has potential. For example, when it detects your home Wi-Fi network, you can set it so that it'll automatically turn your data connection off for better battery consumption.

Lapdock 500 and Lapdock 100

(Credit:Nicole Lee/CNET)

Last but not least, the Droid Razr has a Webtop application similar to the one we saw on the Motorola Droid Bionic and the Motorola Atrix. As a reminder, Webtop essentially turns the phone into a portable PC. When docked into a Webtop accessory, the Droid Razr activates a Linux-based interface that provides a laptop or Netbook experience. The Droid Razr is compatible with Motorola's new Lapdock 100 and Lapdock 500. The Lapdock 100 is a refresh of the original Motorola laptop dock, but it's slightly smaller and has a pull-out dock connector cable instead. The Lapdock 500 is a larger 14-inch version of that. There's also an optional HD station or Webtop dock that you can connect to a larger screen. Motorola has told us that both these Lapdocks should be compatible with a range of Motorola handsets, including the Atrix 2 and the Photon 4G.
A major downside is that in order to get the phone to be so thin, it was made so the battery is not removable. It's also not a world phone, and is only compatible with CDMA networks.
The Motorola Droid Razr will be available for $299.99 in early November after a new two-year service agreement with Verizon Wireless. You can start to preorder the phone on October 27.

Pioneer's new music players give dancers some Steez

2011-10-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

A walk in the park may never be the same again now that Pioneer has announced its new Steez range of dance-troupe friendly portable music players. In what appears to be a tango using its DJ and audio player skills, Pioneer's Steez relieves dancers -- solo or otherwise -- of the tyranny that is static music sources. Forget about getting your groove on in the privacy of your own condo, instead get busy on the subway, the drive-in car park, or with your favorite monkey. You have a choice of three models to express yourself in front of: the STZ-D10S-L "Solo"($299), STZ-D10T-G "Duo" ($349) and STZ-D10Z-R "Crew" ($499). Each model comes with the company's own special software which keeps your beats in time, lets you set cue points, change tempo along with many more booty shaking functions. Best of all is the special Battle Mode which plays your chosen sequence of tracks and lets you know when the next dancer, or robot, is up. These ghetto-blasters for the Tecktonik generation won't hit the shelves until next month, but feel free to tap your toes and read the PR below while you wait

Andy Rubin: Ice Cream Sandwich's Face Unlock is developed by PittPatt

2011-10-19T06:46:00.001-07:00

Liking that Face Unlock on Ice Cream Sandwich we saw this morning? You can thank PittPatt for that. Here at AsiaD's opening session, Android head honcho Andy Rubin just confirmed that said Pittsburgh-based company -- acquired by Google earlier this year -- was responsible for this nifty security feature. While the demo didn't go as planned for Matias Duarte at the launch event, Andy was able to show us how Face Unlock's meant to work on the stage just now. In fact, Andy said his team even had to "slow down the process" as PittPatt's software was too fast to make folks believe that any security at all was involved -- for what it's worth, Walt Mossberg's beard couldn't get past the unlock screen on Andy's Galaxy Nexus. Head on over to our hands-on video to see us getting up close and personal with Face Unlock.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus with Ice Cream Sandwich hands-on (video)

2011-10-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

Remember the Droid RAZR? That's so yesterday. Or, earlier today. Whatever. The point is, Samsung's just busted out the planet's first Ice Cream Sandwich-based smartphone here in Hong Kong, a few days late but hardly worse for the wear. The Galaxy Nexus (formerly referred to as the Nexus Prime) carries on the Nexus torch in spectacular fashion, and we've just spent a few quality moments with one here at the launch event. Design-wise, it's clear that the Nexus S DNA is here, though the rear reminds us most of the Galaxy S II. Those who abhor physical buttons will also be delighted, and while we'd gotten used to the whole Power + Home for a screenshot on the GSII, Power + Volume Down works just fine on this fellow.
The 1.2GHz dual-core processor was startlingly fast. It actually felt a wee bit quicker than our Galaxy S II, and given that Ice Cream Sandwich and the Galaxy Nexus were apparently built for one another, we're assuming there's some deeply ingrained optimizations to thank. Swiping from pane to pane was faster than its ever been on Android, and the new Roboto font actually is super eye-pleasing. The touch response of the capacitive buttons -- much like those on the original Nexus One -- take a bit of getting used to, and we had to mash 'em just a touch harder than we anticipated to elicit a response. [Update: turns out our demo phone was a bit of an early build; we touched another model later in the day, and our response gripes were gone. Perfectly responsive. Hopefully that's the one that'll ship out.] Not necessarily a bad thing, just a thing worth noting. We've built our impressions after the break, replete with a video. Enjoy!
The overall phone feels adequately thin, and while the 4.65-inch display sounds gargantuan, the handset itself doesn't feel so massive to hold. Until, of course, you grab the comparatively minuscule Nexus One. Still, we've been clamoring for a 1,280 x 720 display on a smartphone for what feels like forever, and now that it's here on the Galaxy Nexus, we aren't about to kvetch. Indeed, the panel looks downright gorgeous, with unbeatable viewing angles, remarkably crisp text and graphics and a beautiful feel as one swipes across it. The fingerprint magnet that is a glossy overcoat is still here, but it's the only feel niggle we've found on the screen as a whole.

Having the 3.5mm headphone jack on the rear seems like a necessary design choice given the tapering at the top, and unlike that other phone, there's no mute switch here -- you'll just have to hold the Volume Down button for a few seconds. The rear cover pops off in similar fashion to the Galaxy S II, but the ridged plastic cover has a far softer touch than the aforesaid contemporary. The camera is also situated right in the center, with branding kept to a minimum. Oddly enough, we're being told by Samsung that two models will be available in terms of capacity -- a 16 gigger and a 32GB sibling -- but neither will have a microSD slot for adding your own expansion.

The lack of a physical Home button may be disorienting for Galaxy S II loyalists, but the Galaxy Nexus is truly the first smartphone that expresses Google's desire to make "one Android for all" -- a mantra we heard about at Google I/O, but haven't seen birthed into anything until today. Digging into the particulars of Ice Cream Sandwich a bit, it's clear that folks who aren't elevated to Android 4.0 (we're still waiting on word of what phones will and won't make the leap) will be missing out on a fair bit. Face Unlock isn't particularly special in our estimation -- typical laptops have been using this forever, and we've never found 'em to be entirely intuitive. However, the bump-to-share functionality that was lost when webOS croaked will undoubtedly be cause for celebration. Also, just so it's known, the Galaxy Nexus we played with here was running Android 4.0.1.

The data usage manager is a total godsend in this nasty, depressing world of tiers, and while apps have done similar things for quite some time, tight integration like this is hugely appreciated. We found in our play time that ICS was amazingly responsive in every aspect. Swiping was a breeze. Gestures worked beautifully. The entire experience just felt polished. In a way, it's as if Android's growing a bit and maturing before our eyes, and it's obvious that Goog's focused on making its mobile OS as "enchanting" (Google's word, not ours) as iOS seems to be.

Samsung announces India’s first Mango phone

2011-10-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

Samsung reiterated its commitment to the multi-platform strategy in the mobile phone market by announcing three phones powered by Android, Windows Phone and Bada operating software.

"We are very proud and delighted to announce Omnia W - India's first smartphone based on the Windows 7.5 platform. The launch of Wave III that uses Bada 2.0 platform along with Galaxy Y, our Android based entry-level smartphone, only adds to the excitement," said Ranjit Yadav, country head (mobile & IT) at Samsung India.

"Mobile consumers today are looking for high-performance devices that are easy and intuitive to use, look great, and enable them to create and share rich multimedia content with ease. Our smartphones deliver on all these counts and by launching three smartphones across three different platforms and price points, we are giving consumers more choice," added Yadav.

Powered by Mango

Omnia W, sporting a contemporary design with a metallic finish, comes with a 3.7-inch SuperAMOLED display. It has a 5MP camera and a 1.4GHz processor. Omnia W is priced at Rs 19,990. The phone is expected to be available in the first week of November.

Microsoft claims the latest version of Windows Phone 7 - Mango - has been developed to provide an easy and socially-connected smartphone experience. It sports a new browser based on Internet Explorer and has tight Twitter, Facebook and Bing integration.

Samsung claims it has enhanced Windows Phone experience by including inclusion of a set of Samsung-exclusive productivity apps like AllShare, which provides seamless content transfer between the smartphone and other DLNA-enabled devices such as HDTVs and digital cameras.

The Bada phone

Wave III is Samsung's flagship smartphone utilizing the Korean company's Bada operating software. It has a 4-inch SuperAMOLED display, a 1.4GHz processor, a 5MP camera and a 9.9mm brushed-metal case.

Samsung claims Bada 2.0 platform brings together a wide variety of new capabilities including multi-tasking, Wi-Fi Direct, and voice recognition. It enables smartphone users to experience advanced services such as photo and file sharing without Internet networking. The phone comes with ChatON, Samsung's proprietary mobile communication service that works across all major mobile devices. Wave III is priced at Rs 19,600. Samsung said that the phone will reach market before the end of this month.

Entry-level Android phone

Powered by the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating systems, the compact Galaxy Y is aimed at younger consumers. The phone has an 832MHz processor, a three-inch TFT touchscreen, a two mega-pixel camera and a user interface customized with Samsung's TouchWiz. Galaxy Y is priced at Rs 7,830 and it will be available in shops this week.

AndyPad Pro review

2011-10-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

Picture the scene: you're checking your emails on a shiny new device (worth two months pay) and from nowhere, a greasy-fingered infant is screaming at you to play. Reluctantly, you pass it over, watching your own hands cup the air beneath any potential drop zone, wondering how best to explain the jam-smeared calamity to your insurance company. Then you wonder if there isn't a useful, hard-wearing and cheap device you could let them play on without fear of bankruptcy. That's what prompted Norwich-based bedding magnate Andrew Kerry to conceive the AndyPad, an inexpensive, 7-inch Android tablet he could fling at kids. It wasn't long before jealous adults were demanding their own version, so a tooled-up edition of the device called the AndyPad Pro was born.

The tablet is currently UK-only and it retails for a lot less than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 (£280; $345 on Amazon) and Acer Iconia Tab A100 (£273 for the 8GB version; $328 on Amazon), and HTC Flyer (£330; $499 on Amazon). What's more, Verticool, an outfit founded by a man more famous for his Mattressman chain than any interest in technology, believes it can match the competition in a fair fight. Do the electronics giants have something to fear from the bargain-basement tablet or does it promise much and deliver little? Read on to find out.

AndyPad Pro review

Hardware

In the box, you'll find the tablet, a micro-USB cable, wall adapter and a pair of earbuds so large that inserting dinner plates into your ear canals would seem to be an easier proposition. The 5 x 8-inch device weighs in at 0.8 pounds (370 grams), measures 0.5-inches thick and is pleasingly chunky without feeling heavy. It also happens to be thinner than most of the other devices in its class. The only significant drawback is a creaking in the thin plastic rear shell that reduces one's confidence in its durability. The white device hides fingerprints well, though it is a veritable dust magnet. Even so, a quick wipe on the back of the sleeve will prevent people from thinking you live in a cotton mill.

In portrait mode, the power button, reset pin and speakers are on the top edge of the device, the right side houses a volume rocker and the bottom contains mini-HDMI and micro-USB ports, a headphone jack and a microSD slot. Up front is a 0.3 megapixel VGA camera and round the back, a 2 megapixel camera (in the pictures you'll see what appears to be an LED-flash beneath it; it's actually a light-sensor.) Beneath the display are three touch buttons: home, back and menu. Button placement presents a challenge when using the device in landscape -- hold it on the right and the heel of your hand will invariably catch enough of the button sensor to take you out of your app or media. Hold it on the left and you will utterly obscure the speakers housed on the other side.

Steve Jobs may think that the 7-inch form factor is "DOA" but once we learned the best way to hold the device, it was very comfortable to hold for long periods of time. The screen is large enough to comfortably enjoy full-screen apps with movies and can even fit into a pants pocket, although we wouldn't recommend you use it that way. It's sufficiently compact enough that you can even comfortably use it one-handed, as long as your fingers are agile enough.

Display and sound

The tablet's 1024 x 600 capacitive display has weak backlighting, which means it won't win a fight against direct sunlight. Still, it has a wide viewing angle and the matte covering won't attract fingerprints as easily as its high-gloss cousins. It handles video pretty well, with a detailed picture, good black levels and only minor colour bleaching -- well enough, in fact, that it's a worthy replacement for a similarly endowed PMP. The display supports multitouch gestures, and in most apps they feel surprisingly fast and responsive. In the home screen, specifically, the tablet became sluggish and unresponsive, giving the impression of being far slower than it actually is.

Taking the device on a train journey with a pair of high-end Radiopaq earbuds, video refused to play stereo sound correctly even after several restarts. Afterward, testing with a pair of JVC Marshmallow earbuds and a variety of cheaper pairs, the problem seems isolated, but it's worth noting that it can throw a fit with the wrong accessories. Build quality rears its ugly head when you plug in headphones -- any pressure, like a finger tap on the rear shell causes any sound you hear to be replaced by an electrical buzzing.

Camera

On the back is a 2 megapixel camera, which provides reasonable shots and a 0.3 megapixel VGA lens for video chatting on the front. Sadly, none of the bundled apps, nor Skype can take advantage of the camera and only Fring was able to do anything useful with the snapper. Again, this is a software issue that should have been addressed before the device went on sale. At least you can get away with not putting any makeup for a video chat, it's highly unlikely anyone will notice.

AndyPad Pro sample shots

Performance and battery life

The company rates battery life at six hours, and in our test (WiFi on, Bluetooth off, video looping) it actually went over that benchmark by a few minutes, which was a pleasant surprise. Six hours of battery life puts it in the same ballpark as the Galaxy Tab 7 and you feel as if this could go a full day, maybe two, without a recharge if it's only being used casually.

Benchmark	AndyPad Pro	Iconia Tab A100
Quadrant	1,281	Would not run
Linpack	14.933 MFLOPS (single thread) / 13.7 MFLOPS (multi-thread)	28.38 MFLOPS (single thread) / 55.36 MFLOPS (multi-thread)
Nenamark 1	43.8 fps	57 fps
Nenamark 2	24.6 fps	24.5 fps
Vellamo	418	1,057
Neocore	36.0 fps	Not tested

We can't be as effusive about the general performance of the device. Running the show is a Rockchip RK2918 Cortex A8 1.2GHz with 512MB RAM, and while it's a budget chip, it's no slouch. In general, apps run smoothly and video playback is fluid. Punctuating it all, though, is that lingering annoyance with the home screen, where performance slows to a crawl. Button pushes and swipes take far too long to register, and the icons have a habit of disappearing momentarily. It's worth repeating that the home screen's lagging performance makes a poor impression, even though it's otherwise an adequate performer.

Software

The AndyPad Pro runs a barely-modified version of Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), Swiftkey X replaces the standard Android keyboard as default, although the split layout in landscape mode takes some getting used to. Aside from Dropbox, Evernote and Facebook, the majority of the apps are free or demo versions of popular Android market games (Chess, Drag Racing, Checkers, Four in a line, Glow Hockey, Mouse Trap, Move it!, Reversi, Jewels, et cetera), which at times makes the device feel cluttered and bloated. You also get Android Market access to download most anything you want.

Aside from UI tweaks, Verticool has bundled the Andy App, its own software designed to hold the hand of novice users. It can handle OS updates, install apps and includes a series of short video tutorials that explain how to use the device -- something we wish came with all devices to teach impatient relatives.

The browser contains no surprises -- nearly everything renders quickly over WiFi, apart from element-intensive sites like, erm, this one. Trying to load the desktop versions of many sites means waiting for everything to load before you can commence browsing. We expected the device to collapse at the idea of a full-Flash page like GetTheGlass.com and yet it actually ran it, nearly keeping up with the constant stream of animation that the California Milk board threw at it.

Wrap-up

When reviewing an Android Tablet, the question to ask is "Why this device over another?" In this case, it's because for the price of an iPad 2, you can have two £180 ($280) AndyPad Pros with enough change left over for a meal out. It's wise to mention that UK gadget prices are substantially higher than in the US. In sterling, the 16GB AndyPad Pro is very aggressively priced: £90 cheaper than the 8GB Iconia A100 (£273; $328 on Amazon), £100 cheaper than the 16GB Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 (£280; $345 on Amazon) and nearly half the price of the 16GB HTC Flyer (£330; $499 on Amazon).

This is a device that high-end users will struggle to appreciate. Suspect build quality, fussy with accessories and the operating system all detract from the tablet's strengths. There are performance issues with the AndyPad Pro, nearly all of which can be laid at the feet of Gingerbread. The company is currently investigating porting Honeycomb onto the device. If it can achieve that and improve the build quality without inflating the price, it would be hard to justify the higher prices of tablets in the same class. Until then, this is a budget tablet that will appeal to price-watching novices only.

HP Envy 14 review

2011-10-01T06:46:00.000-07:00

The last time we reviewed the Envy 14, we concluded, by and large, that HP got it right. The company succeeded in delivering good performance and graphics punch, all while correcting a teensy overheating problem and adding an optical drive and backlit keyboard. Then there was that rock-solid, engraved metal chassis that made it one of the most attractive notebooks on the market -- a distinction it still holds to this day. So as you can imagine, when HP refreshed the Envy 14 this summer, there wasn't exactly a lot to improve. What we have here is a nearly identical machine, with the same stunning design -- not to mention, $1,000 starting price. Now, though, HP is selling it with Sandy Bridge processors and USB 3.0 -- the kind of tweaks laptop makers have been rolling out for the better part of this year.

Normally, that kind of speed bump wouldn't warrant us re-reviewing a laptop. In fact, we probably wouldn't be revisiting the Envy 14 if it weren't for two things. For starters, we've received an unusual number of emails, tweets and comments from readers, imploring us to weigh in on the Sandy Bridge version before they pull the trigger. Secondly, in addition to that processor swap, HP has fine-tuned the touchpad drivers, and assures us the trackpad isn't the flaky mess it was the last two times around. So how much better is the Envy 14 in the year two thousand and eleven? Let's find out.

HP Envy 14 review (2011)

Look and feel

With the exception of screen size, the 14's design has barely changed since the first generation of Envy laptops arrived on the scene two years ago. As always, its tough metal body, black chiclet keyboard and giant clickable trackpad make it near-impossible to avoid comparisons with the MacBook Pro -- a machine HP is surely going after here anyway. Still, the Envy retains its own personality, thanks to a copper-colored body covered in divets arranged in a sort of paisley pattern. Like any MacBook Pro, it has a glowing logo on the lid and a sparse keyboard deck with almost no buttons, though the Envy does have a band of silver-colored metal encircling the chassis -- a touch that keeps it from looking too much like Apple's unibody wares.

A year after the Envy 14 went on sale, we're still seriously impressed by its build quality. Everything -- the lid, the palm rest -- feels rigid, and you've got the added benefit of metal surfaces that both repel fingerprints and aren't likely to get scratched. Over the past year, though, we've seen more 15-inchers like the Dell XPS 15z, 15-inch VAIO S and Acer Aspire TimelineX AS5830 that measure less than an inch thin, making the Envy 14's 1.16-inch-thick body seem a tad plump by comparison. Still, at 5.69 pounds, it's on par with the 5.6-pound MacBook Pro and the 5.54-pound 15z.

HP's kept pace when it comes to port selection, though. This go 'round, a USB 3.0 port takes the place of a UBS / eSATA combo port. In addition, you'll still find two USB 2.0 sockets, Ethernet, HDMI, DisplayPort, a Kensington lock slot and dual headphone jacks, one of which doubles as a mic port. As you can imagine, with each year that passes HP is that much less likely to add a VGA port to its Envys, so it shouldn't surprise you that this generation lacks one, too. That's a bummer for the PowerPoint crowd, though if you're dead-set on an Envy, that's a problem you can easily remedy with an HDMI to VGA adapter (we're seeing some for less than ten bucks on Amazon).

Keyboard and trackpad

There's really a lot to like about HP's keyboard, but since we have to start somewhere, let's talk about the sound. Yes, the sound. The panel feels as sturdy as the chassis itself, and typing produces a deep, quiet noise that inspires confidence in the machine's build quality -- an improvement over the bendy keyboards and high-pitched clacks you'll find on lots of cheaper systems. But more than that, the keys' soft finish and balanced spacing make them a joy to type on. And while you wouldn't necessarily look at this keyboard and deem the keys cushier than what you'd find on a Sony VAIO, they do, indeed, have more travel -- a kind of tactility that allowed our hands to fly across the keyboard as we typed. In the end, we chose to write large swaths of our review on this machine, not so much because we felt obligated to, but because we felt comfortable where we were.

The trackpad is, to our delight, much improved, though it's still imperfect. For the most part, it did what we wanted it to, though at times we noticed a little more friction than we would have liked. The buttons, too, generally felt tactile -- ever-so slightly stiff, perhaps, but on the whole, easy to press. Multi-touch gestures -- everything from two-fingered scrolling to pinching and zooming -- work smoothly... most of the time. Our main gripe is that to pull off the scrolling bit, we often found ourselves applying extra pressure with our fingers. We also wish we had a little more vertical room to stretch our fingers, particularly when pinching and zooming.

Like the Envy 14 we reviewed last year, the refreshed model has a sensor tucked in the upper left corner of the trackpad that allows you to disable it entirely. That works as promised, responding promptly even to light taps. That's not to say it's too sensitive, though -- we never once activated it by accident.

Display and sound

Regardless of how much money you sink into it, the Envy 14 has a 1366 x 786 display -- a clear let-down from the 1600 x 900 screen we were treated to last year (those sold out and weren't replaced, tragically). If this were a $700 system we wouldn't be complaining, but on a system that costs northward of a thousand bucks, we'd expect more. 1366 x 768 is the mark of a budget machine, not a premium one.

Given the glossy finish, we were pleasantly surprised by the viewing angles. Which is to say, they weren't terrible. We had the best luck watching head-on, either with the display sitting at a right angle, or dipped forward. When we watched from oblique side angles, though, the contrast became too severe, and a lot of color and detail dropped out.

The Envy 14, like its predecessor and pretty much every other PC that HP makes, it comes loaded with Beats Audio, promising lower lows and deeper bass notes. That's the promise, but the reality is that the sound likely only provides a marginal boost over what you're used to. Even when listening to "Rapper's Delight" we could hear some tinniness creeping through. And when we sampled tracks with a higher-pitched quality ("Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," for example), instrumental music took on a faintly metallic quality. The sound is loud, but somehow not enveloping. No worse than what you'll find on most laptops, mind you; just not worlds better.

Performance and graphics

Our Envy 14 ($1,080 as configured) came loaded with a 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-2410M CPU, 6GB of RAM, a 750GB 7,200RPM hard drive and dual graphics cards, including Intel's integrated HD option and AMD's Radeon HD 6630M with 1GB of video memory on the discrete side. Starting with benchmarks, it delivered a score of 6,735 in PCMark Vantage, which is on par with the score we got from HP's Pavilion dv6t with the same processor and 6GB of RAM. And while its 3DMark06 score of 7,214 falls about a hundred points short of the Dell XPS 15z (admittedly, a $1,534 machine with a Core i7 CPU), it's still a healthy improvement over the pricier Sony VAIO S we recently tested (see the chart below).

Even more than raw numbers, though, we continue to be impressed with how HP's managed to keep the heat under control. Even after extended active use, the machine -- meaning, the chassis, the keyboard, the bottom side -- all felt cool to the touch. If you bothered to put your finger on the vent on the right side, you'd notice it gets warm, but even then, it's hardly pants-scorching.

As for anecdotal usage, we were quickly able to settle into a typical routine of juggling YouTube and Grooveshark streaming, and bouncing among myriad open tabs in Chrome, including ones for email and GChat, various news outlets and the service we Engadget editors use to compose stories. The machine also boots in 40 seconds -- a fast time for any Windows machine with an HDD, but especially this one, which comes with a decent amount of software pre-installed.

	PCMarkVantage	3DMark06	Battery Life
2011 HP Envy 14 (2.3GHz Core i5-2410M, Intel HD Graphics 3000 / AMD Radeon HD 6630M)	6,735	7,214	3:55
15-inch Sony VAIO S series (2.40GHz Core i5-2430M, AMD Radeon HD 6630M)	5,632	6,898	3:59 (stamina mode) / 8:58 (stamina mode, slice battery)
Acer TimelineX AS5830TG-6402 (2.3GHz Core i5-2410M, NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M)	6,475	5,330	6:25
Dell XPS M15z (2.7GHz Core i7-2620M, NVIDIA GeForce GT525M)	8,023	7,317	3:41 (Optimus disabled) / 4:26 (Optimus enabled)
HP Pavilion dv6t (2.3GHz Core i5-2410M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	6,563	6,563	2:42
Notes: the higher the score the better. For 3DMark06, the first number reflects score with GPU off, the second with it on.

Battery life

Quite average, really. In our standard battery test, which involves playing a movie on repeat with WiFi on and the brightness fixed at 65 percent, the Envy 14's eight-cell lasted three hours and 55 minutes. That's squarely mediocre when you consider the 15-inch VAIO S series lasted a near-identical three hours and 59 minutes with its integrated graphics card enabled, while the Dell XPS 15z made it three hours and 41 minutes with Optimus turned off. The one major exception we've seen lately in this category is the Acer Aspire TimelineX AS5830T, a 15-inch laptop that squeezed out almost six and a half hours of juice. The point is, the Envy 14 should be fine for working on your couch for a few hours, but remember the charger if you're planning on staying out of the house all day.

Software

Now, as with the last generation of Envys, you're going to stumble across more pre-installed software than perhaps you're used to seeing on consumer laptops (and that's saying a lot). The list includes: Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Elements 9, Bing Bar, CyberLink PowerDVD 10, Microsoft Office 2010, Power2Go and RoxioNow Player. There's also a spate of motley HP-branded programs -- everything from Quick Launch to MovieStore to Power Manager. To be fair, though, HP's utilities interrupted us less than they have on past systems we've tested, though we still had to postpone a reboot of the computer (and shoo away a pop-up dialog box in the system tray) more than once.

Configuration options

The Envy 14 starts at $999.99 with that Core i5-2410M CPU, along with 6GB of RAM, a 500GB 7,200RPM drive, an eight-cell battery and the same switchable graphics we tested. If you're so inclined, you can step up to a 2.0GHz Core i7-2630QM or 2.3GHZ Core i7-2828QM processor ($100 / $500), up to 16GB of RAM ($560). When it comes to storage, you could opt for larger 640GB or 750GB 7,200RPM HDDs ($40 and $80, respectively), but HP's also offering a 128GB SSD ($350) as well as drives combining solid-state storage with an HDD. These have combined capacities ranging from 580GB to 878GB and add between $175 and $330 to the total cost.

Some things, such as the eight-cell battery and backlit keyboard come standard. However, US customers, at least, are locked into the glossy 1366 x 768 display and Radeon HD 6630 graphics card we told you about. Blu-ray still isn't an option either (you'll have to step up to the 7.3-pound Envy 17 for that amenity). And yeah, we know, Apple has made it crystal clear it won't be adding Blu-ray drives, but we still have hope for Windows machines. After all, when we see systems like Sony's 15-inch VAIO S, it's easy to cling to this expectation that if you're paying enough money for a Windows machine (one with a not-that-small 15-inch screen, at that), you can opt for Blu-ray if you darn well please.

The competition

To keep things simple, if you're considering the Envy 14, we're going to assume you're in the market for something in the 14- to 15-inch range -- preferably something with a built-in optical drive. If you're willing to forfeit that, you could easily find something thinner and lighter. Not just the MacBook Air (an obvious choice in that category), but any of the emerging Ultrabooks about to hit the market.

So let's say you do want that optical drive. You're probably also considering the MacBook Pro -- a machine that looks like this, sure, but is also trying to lure the same performance-minded user. The real problem is that price. The 15-inch MBP starts at $1,799, and even the smaller 13-incher costs northward of $1,199. For the money (we're talking about the 15-inch version here), you get a 2.0GHz quad-core Core i7 CPU, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB 5,400RPM hard drive (c'mon, Apple!) and dual Intel HD / AMD Radeon HD 6490M graphics, along with two USB 2.0 ports, a Thunderbolt socket and an SDXC slot. The difference in price should give you pause, and we suggest you think hard about how much you need that quad-core CPU for whatever it is you'll be doing. (We'd also suggest considering the MBP's rated seven-hour battery life, and how much that kind of performance-longevity combo floats your boat.) We're just saying, depending on your routine, the Envy 14's base specs could be enough, and for all we know, the battery life will be acceptable, too. And you know what? Even for those of you dead-set on Macs, we'll say yet again: think twice whether you need that built-in optical drive. After all, the Air excels at the everyday stuff at a more palatable starting price of $1,299 (for the 13-inch model, that is).

Stepping back into the world of Windows, there are more premium 14- and 15-inchers to choose from than you can shake a stick at. Starting with Dell, there's that XPS 15z we told you about, which also starts at $999.99. At that base price, it matches what the $1,000 Envy 14 has to offer with a 2.3GHz Core i5-2410M CPU, 6GB of RAM, eight-cell battery and a 500GB 7,200RPM hard drive. At that price, the graphics option isn't switchable cards but rather, NVIDIA's GeForce GT 525M with a gigabyte of video memory. All things considered, you'll get comparable battery life, too, though we can't speak for the difference in performance since the machines we tested weren't well matched in price or specs. And, finally, both look like Macs in their way, except the Envy 14 reminds us of he current model, while the 15z takes after a years-old MacBook Pro or even PowerBook.

We'd also throw Toshiba's Satellite P750-BT4G22 ($899 and up) in the ring, even though some of you are bound to dismiss its design as safe, and its 1.4-inch-thick chassis as chunky. Even at that starting price, you get a quad-core 2.0GHz Core i7-2630QM processor, 6GB of RAM, a 640GB hard drive (albeit, a 5,400RPM one), NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M graphics with 1GB of video memory, a USB 3.0 port and a USB 2.0 socket with Toshiba's sleep-and-charge technology. From there, you can upgrade to a 500GB 7,200RPM HDD, Blu-ray player or burner, a 12-cell battery or a 5,600mAH six-cell (the default battery is 4,400mAh). A promising option for people who couldn't care less about forfeiting the Envy 14's engraved aluminum.

Finally, there's the Acer TimelineX AS5830TG-6402, which undercuts 'em all at $800. For the money, it offers the same processor and 6GB of RAM as our HP Envy 14, though its 640GB has a slower speed of 5,400RPM. In our tests, we found it kept pace with the Envy 14 in the benchmark PCMark Vantage, though its NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M lagged by almost 2,000 points in 3DMark06. The big draw here, as we said, is the battery life. Although its six-cell would appear to pale against the Envy 14's eight-cell, it lasted two and a half hours longer in the same rundown test, and steamrolled pretty much every other 14- and 15-incher we've handled recently. In short, we'd recommend this for the battery life or that aggressive price. For design panache and overall performance, the Envy 14 still wins.

If you wait until next month, you'll also have Sony's 15-inch S series to think about. Suffice to say, when we tested a $1,230 system we dug its performance, which comes courtesy of a 2.4GHz Core i5-2430M processor, 6GB of RAM and a 640GB 5,400RPM hard drive. We can also get behind its bright 1080p display, though depending on whether you opt for the $150 battery slice, you might find its longevity to be disappointing -- to say nothing of its ho-hum design. It's not without merits, but its price might be a tough pill to swallow when the Envy 14 and XPS 15z offer similar specs for hundreds of dollars less and -- in the case of the Envy, at least -- are arguably better-looking.

Wrap-up

It's been thirteen months since we first reviewed the Envy 14 and while that's dog years in the gadget world, we're still pretty pleased with the thing, though we'd be exaggerating at this point if we said we were smitten. On the one hand, its well built, beautiful design hasn't changed and frankly, most competitors haven't delivered anything as memorable in this size / price class. The performance remains more than adequate for everyday use and while the battery life isn't anything to write home about, it at least keeps pace with the competition. This time around, too, the trackpad is actually usable, even though it's not without its quirks.

And yet, one of the things we loved most the first time around -- that stunning display -- just ain't what it used to be. Its resolution is lower, for one, and the entire screen simply isn't as eye-popping now that HP has discontinued its 14.5-inch Radiance panels. Also, it's worth repeating that 2011 has turned out to be the year of the skinny, surprisingly capable laptop, so if you can do without that built-in optical drive, you might find the Envy 14 a bit clunky -- not to mention, lackluster in the battery life department. But who are we to tell you what you need or don't need in a laptop? If what you want is a well designed, strong performer with all the screen real estate of a 15-incher, it's still tough to argue against the Envy 14.

Sharp's Aquos 104SH monster phone hits Softbank next spring, colors it blue like an orange

2011-10-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

Softbank's on a roll -- doling out the updated mobile kit to lucky denizens of Japan. After treating us to news of Dell's dual-core beastie and Sharp's comparatively lower end Aquos 102SH, comes word of this true wireless brute -- the Aquos 104SH. Rocking a dual-core 1.5GHz TI OMAP4460 processor beneath a 4.5-inch 1280 x 720 HD LCD display, this handset's certainly no forward-looking specced slouch. Prospective owners can mark their calendars for a spring 2012 debut, at which point you'll get to enjoy speeds of up to 21Mbps down, useful for recording and uploading HD video on its 12.1 megapixel rear camera. Oh, and did we mention the device's loaded with tri-band GSM / WCDMA radios for that global roaming trip around the continents you've been putting off? We haven't yet seen pricing for Sharp's orange and blue (a Syracuse fan, we presume) wonder, so sit tight and wait for a future announcement.

Red Nikon D3100 now available exclusively at Best Buy

2011-10-01T06:36:00.001-07:00

Nikon may be generous with the paint colors for its more compact cameras, but it's been a decidedly different story for its DSLRs (unlike some other camera makers). There is one new non-DIY option available courtesy of Best Buy, however, which is now offering an exclusive red version of the Nikon D3100. Unfortunately, while it has the same $650 list price as the regular D3100 (including an 18-55mm VR kit lens), it doesn't have the same $100 discount that Best Buy's currently offering on the standard black model.

Philips GoGear 3 Android PMP hands-on

2011-09-04T11:31:00.000-07:00

One of the fun things about attending a show that's open to the public like IFA is that you tend to get the same pitch from companies as folks walking in off the street. And the pitch with the latest Philips GoGear is quite simple: this is the company's shot at the iPod touch. We swung by the Philips booth to give the thing another spin. The 3.2-inch portable media player has a touchscreen and runs Android 2.3 -- really, it's got most of the basic functionality of a handset, save for the whole calling people thing.

The build on the device is a bit plasticy and certainly can't compare with the touch on that front, though it is quite light and should slip into your pocket easily for a trip to the gym, if you're so inclined. The player also doesn't make the most of potential screen real estate, due to the three large buttons and Philips logo taking up roughly a quarter of the its face -- an odd choice, given the GoGear's touchscreen. The PMP also has three large brass buttons in its side.

The GoGear 3 runs Android apps with ease, flipping through the selection of Google programs without a problem. It's also got Android Market built-in, accessible through its built-in WiFi. That functionality also comes in handy with the company's SimplyShare software, which lets you stream music and video content to other devices.

No word yet on final pricing or availability, though the Philips rep we spoke with said it will likely run around €150 for the 8GB version and €180 for the 16GB.

Samsung W200 waterproof / rugged 1080p camcorder review

2011-08-31T13:30:00.000-07:00

Samsung slid its 'multi-proof' W200 pocket cam out a couple of months back, and we've spent the past few weeks testing it out in a place that's no stranger to water (read: the Big Island of Hawaii). Hailed as a waterproof and shockproof 1080p pocket camcorder, it most resembles a ruggedized version of Cisco's now-deceased Flip HD, and it's definitely a heck of a lot more petite than Canon's PowerShot D10 -- a waterproof P&S that we reviewed back in June of '09. Aside from putting high-def recording capabilities in the palm of your pruney hand, the W200's other key selling point is the trifecta of digits to the left of the decimal. At just $150 on the street, it's certainly classifiable as a bargain in the category, but does it deliver results worthy of laud? Read on for our take!

Samsung W200 1080p camcorder hands-on and unboxing

Design

With a 0.28 pounds chassis measuring 2.36- (W) x 4.45- (H) x 0.78-inches (D), the W200 is definitely diminutive for what it is. It's also a familiar form factor, one that slips easily into any pocket and one that doesn't look rugged despite being rugged. Strangely enough, the entire outer ring is constructed of a hard plastic rather than a rubberized bumper. Not only would the latter have played a vital role in making it easier to grip with wet hands, but it would've added a pinch of shock protection that's sorely missing (more on that later).

The front is graced with a shielded F2.2 lens, which -- much to our chagrin -- has no optical zoom to speak of. The right side is equipped with a microSDHC slot and HDMI port, and the bottom touts a standard tripod socket alongside a flip-out USB socket. That's convenient on a number of levels; for one, that's one less charger you'll need in your carry-on bag (read: it charges over USB), and secondly, it allows you to transfer your captures onto your computer without fiddling around to find a microSD-to-SD adapter.

Around back, you'll find a 2.3-inch LCD, a D-pad control dial, a smattering of buttons and a microphone port. The LCD is shockingly vibrant even in direct sunlight, and the two-stage shutter / "OK" button is quite the useful beast when you're looking to lock a focus point before firing a shot. Regretfully, the microphone port is placed right where the thumb falls for folks handling this with their left hand. We routinely had to think about where our hand was positioned, and most times, we were left holding it awkwardly in order to not muffle whatever audio was being projected its way. We're struggling to figure out why the mic port couldn't have been installed a little further north -- as it sits, it's right in the line of one's digit, and it's something users will undoubtedly have to remain conscious of.

Then, there's the carry strap. An altogether forgettable lanyard is tossed into the box, and compared to the locking carabiner setup on the aforementioned D10, this approach was just woeful. For a device that's destined to end up tethered to your wrist in underwater situations, we would've preferred a far more secure offering than what's here. One wrong twist of the wrist, and this thing's headed for whatever shore it pleases. Frankly, we've seen nicer straps on non-waterproof cameras.

Features and performance

Let's start with the user interface. Sammy's done an exemplary job here; it's dead simple to navigate through menus, and we'd guess that most users will have their settings in place and ready to roll within five minutes. Of course, the simplistic nature of the device aids in this. There's no optical zoom, no manual controls at all and just two movie mode options: 1080p and 720p. So, while it's a lesson in simplicity to peruse the menu tree, we can't help but lament the fact that there's no way to specify an ISO ceiling, an aperture setting or a minimum shutter speed. We know, those kinds of things are just now creeping into lower-end cameras, but still -- we would've loved even a buried section that allowed for some tweaking.

Startup and shutdown were stunningly quick; it took but two seconds to go from off to firing in our testing. Switching back and forth from still to video mode requires but a press of a dedicated button (kudos on that, Samsung), and the amount of remaining stills / minutes of video are clearly displayed along the top of the panel. Speaking of stills, there's a five megapixel image sensor that's capable of grabbing ho hum frames for moments when video just isn't ideal. You'll find practically no settings outside of "shoot," but snaps taken with plenty of daylight tended to turn out decently in our testing. Low-light shots were predictably unusable, generally littered with noise and blur.

Samsung W200 indoor sample shots

There's also something to be said for the unit's anti-fog lens coating -- that "something" is this: it works. And it works well. We took the device on a snorkel trip to Captain Cook's Monument in South Kona, Hawaii, and not once did fog become an issue. 'Course, the water's about as clear as it gets here, but it's still comforting to know that you won't have to worry over wiping the lens off every so often to ensure a cloud-free capture.

Image and video quality

We'll start with stills. By all accounts, the W200 is a camcorder first, and a still shooter third -- perhaps fourth, even. There's no optical zoom, no manual controls for ISO / aperture / shutter speed and no flash to speak of. To no one's surprise, the sensor performed dreadfully on indoor shots with low lighting, and even dimly lit outdoor scenes had a decent amount of blur introduced. When plenty of outdoor light was available, most of our test shots were clear and sharp, but the colors were on the muted side and results felt generally lifeless.

Samsung W200 outdoor sample shots

However, we couldn't have been more pleased with how the still functionality operated under the sea. Yesteryear's D10 was fairly poor whilst underwater, but the W200 managed to pull out quite a few sharp shots during our time with the fishes. It's worth pointing out that those were shot at high noon with a clear Hawaiian sky, but still, the results are downright impressive for a $150 device. Toss in a bit of Lightroom magic in order to inject a little vibrance into the yellows, and you'd have a gallery of results worth showing your mum.

Samsung W200 underwater sample shots [Captain Cook, Hawaii]

As for video? We stuck exclusively to the 1080p mode given that we had plenty of room on our 4GB microSDHC card. For those curious, around 35 minutes of Full HD footage can be socked away on a card of that size. Starting and stopping videos couldn't have been easier, but as we mentioned above, we recorded a number of clips that ended up with muffled audio due to the poor positioning of the microphone. By and large, video results in broad daylight were more than acceptable for a unit in this price range, but there's one major gripe that we simply can't gloss over: the jelly effect.

If you're unfamiliar with the term, just peek the video above. While outside of the water, the W200 exhibited this wretched phenomenon in practically every video we shot, regardless of how fast (or slow) we moved our hand during shooting. This warped, wobbly effect started cropping up in some of the early video-enabled DSLRs (we're looking at you, D90), and it's tragic to find it here. Weirdly enough, the effect seemed to vanish (or at least, diminish significantly) when shooting underwater. From what we can gather, the jelly creeps in as the camera jostles north and south (as with the movement of a human walking); when this is removed underwater, so is the jelly.

Our underwater captures couldn't have been more stunning given the price point. Colors were relatively vibrant, noise was kept to a minimum, and it generally did a terrific job of reproducing the magic we witnessed with our own eyes down in Kealakekua Bay. Don't take our word for it, though -- have a look at a few (unedited) samples below, but be sure to enable 'HD.'

Toughness and battery life

Here's the rub. Samsung never specifically says just how rugged the W200 is, and we're here to tell you the truth: not very. Our review unit suffered a single two-foot tumble onto linoleum, and it left a visible scuff and indentation in the top corner. Worse, however, is what said tumble evidently did to the LCD. After around 20 minutes underwater (at around one to two feet deep; far less than the three meters it can stand), we began to see air bubbles emerging from the top right corner of the panel. Within minutes, condensation had begun to build up around every edge of the display, and it got progressively worse as we continued to swim. Now, it's just a matter of time before future treks to the sea render the whole thing useless, or at least the monitor 'round back.

Sure, you could say that our unit is a one-off problem, but it's simply not as rugged as it needs to be. There's a strange and uncomfortable paradox in having a fragile camera that's suitable for underwater shooting. For what it's worth, all of the "doors" (locking water away from ports and slots) functioned as advertised during our testing, and salt water abuse seemed to have no negative consequences beyond the fading of a few logos on rear buttons.

As for battery life? Let's say this: we managed to fill up a 4GB microSDHC card with 1080p footage before the thing croaked, and we had snapped 40 to 50 shots prior to that. Obviously, camera battery life will vary wildly depending on how long you let the LCD remain on in standby, how many shutter presses you have, and how cold your environment is. We'd recommend recharging it after loading up a 4GB card (we had around 35 percent life left), but at least you can get through an average vacation day on a full tank.

Wrap-up

So, is Samsung's "multi-proof" W200 worth its weight in underwater memories? It's tough to say, but we're leaning "yes." $150 is dirt cheap in this category, particularly for a device this small. The 1080p underwater video mode is leaps and bounds better than the VGA mode we saw on the D10 just two years ago, and underwater stills also turned out remarkably well. We've kvetched enough about the lack of manual controls and the awful jelly effect seen in outdoor videos, but none of those nitpicks are apt to bother the target market here. For a buck-fifty, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything as versatile and compact in this segment, but you'll need to keep a couple of things in mind.

For one, it's most certainly not as tough as it looks, and one bad tumble could loosen its frame enough to ruin it once taken to the pool. And secondly, you'll have to be mindful of where your thumb ends up while recording. All in all, it's a respectable underwater offering for the price, but true argonauts are probably better off spending more for something that's constructed to handle real abuse.

Samsung's Series 7 Slate PC hands-on

2011-08-31T13:23:00.000-07:00

And you thought Samsung was finished showing off its Series 7 line of PCs. Joining the gaming rig and its smaller laptop brethren is a brand new Series 7 Slate running Windows 7. It sports a 400 nit, 1366 x 768 11.6-inch capacitive panel, Intel's 1.6GHz Core i5 2467M CPU with integrated graphics and 4GB of RAM. On the front there's a 2 megapixel camera and a light sensor, and around the back sits a 3 megapixel shooter. Connectivity comes courtesy of 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, plus there's a USB 2.0 port, micro HDMI, and a SIM slot for surfing waves of 3G (no word on which carrier will send those swells of data, though). Each slate also comes with a capacitive stylus, but will also have Swype on board plus a custom software layer to make Windows a bit more finger-friendly.

It comes in four versions that differ in storage size and flavor of Windows, but all are .5 inches thin, weigh 2.03 pounds, and are swathed in brushed aluminum. There are 64GB SSD variants packing Home Premium for $1,099 or Pro for $1,199, while the 128GB models come with Home Premium, a dock and keyboard for $1349 or Pro sans the peripherals at the same price. They're all scheduled for a late September release, so it won't be long before you can pick one up. Looking to take the tablet plunge into Windows waters? Read on past the break for our impressions of Sammy's new slate.

Samsung Series 7 Slate PC

We got to spend some time with Samsung's newest slate, and we found it to be an intriguing device. We were impressed by both the display's brightness and its responsiveness to finger swipes and taps. The stylus also worked quite well, as the screen picked up its movements once the tip was half an inch from the surface. Plus, there was a little diamond indicator that popped up and tracked the pen's movements to aid the accuracy of our taps. We didn't get to delve too deeply into the custom software layer Samsung installed, but we can say that the larger icons and swipe-able screens made for an experience familiar to any iOS or Android user.

We also got to see the optional dock and keyboard, and thought both of them to be worthy additions to the tablet experience. The dock, which has HDMI, Ethernet and USB ports, has a solid heft to it, and is coated in the same brushed aluminum as the slate itself. The Bluetooth keyboard is razor thin, and the keys were satisfyingly clicky. Overall, we can see the appeal here -- tablet portability with full Windows functionality. However, at such steep prices, we'll have to wait and see if folks just buy a netbook and a Galaxy Tab 10.1 or an iPad instead.

Sony VAIO S Series review (15-inch)

2011-08-31T12:50:00.000-07:00

It's sad to say, but most of you who are going back to school have probably already returned by now -- though if you're in class right this moment you should probably be paying attention. If you managed to get back to campus without bringing a new laptop along, you might just want to keep reading -- Sony's just released a 15.5-inch addition to its VAIO S Series that not only adds a crucial bit of extra display acreage, but also bumps things up to a full 1080p.

Yes, this is a laptop that can not only be configured with a Blu-ray drive but has enough pixels to do the resulting footage justice, meaning it could make a passable player for movie night. But, does it have the chops to do your workload justice? Is it worth the $1,000 minimum asking price, at least a $100 premium over Sony's 13-inch models? Join us as we find out.

Sony VAIO S-Series (15-inch)

Look and feel

The new 15-inch S Series definitely carries a lot of design DNA from its smaller SA and SB siblings. If it were closed and you were standing far away, or perhaps aren't so very good at judging the size of things, you'd have a hard time telling them apart. It shares the same thickness as the 13.3-inch SB we recently reviewed and shares the same angularish design, same magnesium alloy case, and same gigantic, swoopy VAIO logo in chrome on the back of the lid. Proud of your brand choice? You best be.

Open things up and you start to see some differences, most notably in the keyboard area. The extra footprint meant Sony had room to stuff a full number pad in here. This of course will be a boon for future and current CPAs, but the result is an offset QWERTY portion that some may find is not quite worth the compromise. Indeed, sitting slightly off-center from your laptop's display can leave everything feeling slightly askew.

Build quality in general left us with some misgivings, as with the SB. Sony touts the durability of its magnesium alloy case, but it makes an even bigger deal of its lightness. Indeed the 4.4-pound weight is more than acceptable for a laptop this size, but with this comes a feel that, to us, doesn't inspire a great deal of confidence.

Press on the keyboard and it flexes inward, and when you lift the screen open it bows precariously. Sony indicated this was by design, arguing that flexibility ultimately offers more strength than rigidity when it comes to protecting the hinge, but it's still not a perception that leads to a high-end feeling device. We'd rather Sony just built a better hinge.

The company did see fit to offer a satisfying array of connectivity options that includes a full three USB ports on the right side, one of them offering the unmistakable blue hue that can only mean USB 3.0. You'll also find a full-sized HDMI port for some digital video, a VGA port for those who like to keep it analog, Ethernet, and a pair of card readers: SD and the separate MagicGate. On the left you'll find the optical drive, a BD-ROM in our case, but purchasers will be bale to choose between a selection of readers and writers.

Keyboard and trackpad

As mentioned above, moving up to the 15.5-inch model nabs you a numberpad to the right of a full-sized, backlit Chiclet keyboard. The island-style design is basically unchanged from the SB in terms of key layout and feel, which means matte keys that match the overall design of the device stylistically. They also have the weight and springy feel that we felt on the SB, meaning they do require a bit more force to hit, but not enough to be a bother. The typing experience is simply a bit more alive than on, say, a MacBook Pro.

The trackpad is quite different-feeling than the usual Apple offerings as well, most notably by eschewing the clickpad trend. Indeed the touchpad does not depress, that functionality handled by a pair of buttons below. The buttons have good weight and feel, but we can't find anything positive to say about the trackpad. For normal dragging and moving of the cursor it does just fine, but two-finger scrolling and other gestures were more often ignored than obeyed, no matter how we tweaked settings.

Display and sound

When it comes to displays, more pixels is almost always better than fewer pixels, and if we're all in agreement there we can start by saying the 15.5-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 display here is better than the 1,366 x 768 unit on the 13.3-incher. That's 1080p, or Full HD as Sony likes to call it, and it'll give you plenty of room whether you're multi-tasking with a few spreadsheets or mono-tasking with Akira on Blu-ray.

Regardless of duty we found the contrast ratio and viewing angles to be very good, only dipping slightly when we went off axis vertically, but delivering good viewing angles from the sides. It's a matte display, for which we're thankful, and this is the single, standard offering on the 15.5-inch S Series models. You won't need to pay extra to step up to 1080p. You can also stream video wirelessly courtesy of the integrated Wireless Display 2.1 tech from Intel, which manages 1080p sans cabling -- though you'll probably need to buy an adapter for your TV.

We do wish you could pay extra to get better sound, though. For a laptop this size we'd have expected a decent audio experience, but like the SB we're left feeling really disappointed. The speakers are loud enough to fill a modest size room, but even though you can hear it you won't necessarily like what's making its way through your ears. Sound is tinny and it simply sounds like the speakers built in here are struggling -- which they are.

Performance and graphics

Our machine came with a standard configuration of an Intel Core i5-2430M processor running at 2.4GHz. That's paired with 6GB of memory and dedicated AMD Radeon HD 6630M graphics with 1GB of memory sitting along side the integrated Intel stuff.

For general tasking and work we found this combination to be well more than adequate, multi-tasking with aplomb. Blu-ray plays full-screen without a hitch, as you'd expect, and full-screen HD content from elsewhere is no issue. Bootup times are reasonably fast (50 seconds) and overall it's a machine that won't leave you wanting, though it didn't exactly shine on the general-purpose Vantage test. It earns solid marks in its class on the more gaming-friendly 3DMark06, however.

	PCMarkVantage	3DMark06	Battery Life
15-inch Sony VAIO S series (2.40GHz Core i5-2430M, AMD Radeon HD 6630M)	5,632	6,898	3:59 (stamina mode) / 8:58 (stamina mode, slice battery)
Acer TimelineX AS5830TG-6402 (2.3GHz Core i5-2410M, NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M)	6,475	5,330	6:25
Dell XPS M15z (2.7GHz Core i7-2620M, NVIDIA GeForce GT525M)	8,023	7,317	3:41 (Optimus disabled) / 4:26 (Optimus enabled)
HP Pavilion dv6t (2.3GHz Core i5-2410M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	6,563	5,818	2:42
2011 HP Envy 14 (2.3GHz Core i5-2410M, Intel HD Graphics 3000 / AMD Radeon HD 6630M)	6,735	7,214	3:55
Notes: the higher the score the better. For 3DMark06, the first number reflects score with GPU off, the second with it on.

Battery life

As usual, Sony thoughtfully includes a little switch right above the keyboard that lets you toggle instantly between "Stamina" and "Speed" modes, automatically re-configuring Windows to different settings and, as you'd expect, disabling the dedicated graphics card. We did our testing in Stamina mode, as this is probably the state you'll be in when roaming far away from power ports.

In this mode, and during our video rundown test with WiFi on and the display brightness set to 65 percent, the laptop managed one minute short of four hours. Not bad, but not great. With the $150 optional sheet battery slapped on the bottom we more than doubled that. The slice adds a considerable amount of thickness to the device but, it must be said, not a great amount of extra weight, making it a solid accessory choice for anybody whose flights are the type that usually entail more than one connection -- and whose carry-on or personal item is big enough to accomodate this thing.

Handily, that slice can be charged on its own, even when not attached to the laptop, but you'll need to pack a matchbox-sized adapter to do so.

Configuration options

We don't have final pricing on all configuration options yet, but the 15-inch S Series will start at "around $1,000" according to Sony. On the processor front you have an array of Intel Core i3, i5, and i7 silicon available to you, but choices from the latter two groups of dual-core offerings will be most common. Your selection there can be paired with dedicated AMD Radeon HD 6630 graphics with 1GB of VRAM, which again is disabled when flipping that power switch from Speed to Stamina.

Multiple storage options will be available, with up to 1TB of storage and some solid state offerings too. Our machine has 6GB of memory onboard and a Blu-ray reader, but we're told writers will be on offer as well.

Software

The 15.5-inch S Series comes with largely the same configuration as on the earlier SB. The most immediately notable thing is the VAIO Gate software, a swoopy, wave-like application launcher that hides beneath the upper bezel of your display and flows down when you mouse over it. You can put application shortcuts up there and watch them go.

There's a suite of other VAIO-branded apps, including support apps launched via the dedicated "VAIO" button on the keyboard. You'll also find Norton Internet Security, which will be throwing yellow-bannered warnings in your face from the first time you boot into the machine, but it's BYO productivity suite, as the Office 2010 install here prompts you to buy a license the first time you click on it.

Wrap-up

The 15-inch VAIO S Series from Sony is a solid step forward compared to the 13-inch models in many regards, but not enough so that we can say it's the conclusively better buy. Yes, having a bright, clear 1080p screen is a huge advantage, but the increase in footprint is of course not for everybody, nor will the hour you lose in plug-free running.

In terms of cost it's just $100 more to step up to this bigger model, but more of a premium compared to options like the $800 Acer TimelineX AS5830TG-6402, and for that money you're getting decidedly worse battery life (without the slice, at least). Is it worth the extra cost for that plus a better screen and shinier design? Well, how long do you need to go between recharges, exactly?

Facebook to launch music service on September 22

2011-08-31T12:45:00.001-07:00

The headline's about all we know at the moment, but CNBC is now confidently reporting that Facebook is set to launch a music service of some sort on September 22nd, which conveniently lines up with the company's F8 developer conference. Could that service also include a dash of Spotify? Maybe some Vibes? We'll be there to find out.

Cowon C2 portable media player review

2011-07-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

And here you were assuming the tried-and-true PMP was dead. Au contraire. Cowon's not giving up on its dream quite yet, but after the D2 hung around at the company's low-end for the better part of four years, it's an alphabetic step backwards that's taking over as the successor. The diminutive C2 is about as simple as a PMP gets -- design wise, anyway -- but it's actually capable of supporting both music and video on its 2.6-inch resistive touchpanel. And then there's the purported 55 hours of battery life, included microSD card for expansion and the company's world-class audio quality. Still, $135 goes a long (long!) way in the portable music industry these days -- does the C2 pack enough punch to make your short list? Head on past the break to find out.

Cowon C2 hands-on and unboxing

Design

Cowon's still grasping for mind share in the North American market, but if it keeps pumping out pieces crafted like the C2, it'll be well on its way to achieving just that in no time. We've generally found ourselves quite pleased with the overall construction of Cowon devices, and this bantam player is no different. The 16GB C2 is built like devices demanding twice its MSRP, with a rock-solid chrome rear and a plastic front casing that's as rigid as they come. It's also absurdly small and light; if the Veer 4G were a PMP, it'd be this guy.

Walking around the edges, there's a power / sleep button, inbuilt mic, Menu (read: Home) button and volume up / down switches on the top. There's nary an indention on the bottom lip, while the right is home to a covered USB / AV port and a microSD slot. The left side is where the 3.5mm headphone jack resides. There's a far more visual description in the video below.

The 2.6-inch resistive touchscreen is about as responsive as they come... for a resistive touchscreen. We'll confess to being downright spoiled by the glut of capacitive panels that we've been whisking our digits across, but to be fair, we only had to "redo" swipes every so often, and if you're a playlist kind of guy / gal, you'll probably set-it-and-forget-it. Overall, the screen is decidedly average, but it's important to note that we never reached the point of annoyance while using it. Visually, it's not exactly the crispest thing we've seen, but we wouldn't expect much more from a 320 x 240 screen resolution. Viewing angles made it abundantly clear that this thing was meant to be viewed by one soul at a time, but we have to say -- video playback was both smooth and enjoyable. Not bad at all for a unit of this stature.

Software and performance

The homebrewed software on the C2 is eerily similar to that found on the V5, X7 and D3 Plenue that came before it. It's dashing, refreshing and -- for the most part -- simple to navigate. The actual design is almost whimsical, and while the familiar "grid of icons" is most certainly present and accounted for, the pastel hues just make it altogether easier to cuddle up with. We also love that Cowon threw a Menu button along the top; it's the equivalent to the Home button on the iPad and iPhone, and regardless of where you've ended up in the menu system, a single press will boot you back out to the front and rescue you from imminent frustration. Kudos on that one.

Strangely enough, the inclusion of that button makes us yearn for an easier way to jump into our music. It's not that difficult, but given that the primary function here is to operate as a music player that'll spin jams for over two straight days... well, we'd just love a double-push of that Menu button to hop into Music (or better still, be user-customizable). The graphical elements of the music function are gorgeous; it displays the track title, time, artist, volume and a spinning record of the album art whilst playing. A beautiful touch for a $135 device.

We've complained in the past that Cowon just makes it too difficult to get back to your overall list of artists and / or playlists, and while things are somewhat easier on the C2, it's still not exactly intuitive. While a song is playing, you have to press anywhere on the screen, hit the 'Open' button (looks like Eject), tap a speech bubble (?) in the top-right corner, then press a strange upward arrow along the newfound bottom row of icons. A pretty wild ride to run through every single time, if you catch our drift.

Outside of that nitpick, we found complaining to be hard work here. The UI elements truly are eye-pleasing, and with a few exceptions due to to touchscreen wonkiness, we found performance to be well above par. Of course, we'd highly recommend a Class 6 or Class 10 microSD card if you're planning on adding an extra 32GB to the 16GB of internal storage, but even then, those with patience should have no issues once the folders load up. Below, you'll find a full-on UI walkthrough video.

Audio quality

We'd typically make some kind of joke about "things never changing," but we're far too relieved to do that. The absolutely unmatched aural quality found on the higher-end X7 and D3 Plenue is right at home here, even on a $135 PMP that's obviously marketed at folks who may not have $350+ earbuds to truly appreciate it. There's just no beating around the bush -- if audio quality is your primary concern, you should own a Cowon. The C2 carries on that legendary trait, with all manners of genres sounding their best. It's subtle improvements -- bass that's a bit punchier, highs that are a tad more defined, and mids that cut through instead of getting lost in the mix -- but it's improvements that self-proclaimed audiophiles will undoubtedly appreciate.

We tested the C2 with a variety of files, file formats and headphones, and this guy continued to sound better than our in-house Nexus One, iPod touch and iPhone 4. It's not like any of those alternatives sound "bad," but it's vital to remember that Cowon's product line specifically aims at those who are absolutely obsessed with sound quality. Frankly, it's hard to appreciate what the C2 offers unless you also appreciate that level of expectation.

Wrap-up

At $135, Cowon's C2 is tough to beat. It's easily capable of besting anything else in this price range when it comes to audio quality, and the fact that it ships with 16GB of internal storage and a microSD expansion slot inches it closer to a world of its own. With a 32GB microSD card, you can have a pebble-sized PMP with 48GB of space and a battery that'll easily last 50+ hours. (We hit 48 hours on an audio loop, but we toyed with it off and on throughout those two days, leaving the screen lit for fairly large chunks of time.) Toss in a nearly-endless list of supported music and video formats, a 2.6-inch display that actually can handle full-motion when asked, and a laudatory build quality, and you've got a specialized device that's hard to ignore.

Make no mistake -- the C2 isn't for everyone. You need to want a dead-simple multimedia player with top-notch battery life and unbeatable aural virtues. Those looking for Angry Birds and built-in Bluetooth aren't even in Cowon's target market, and frankly, you'll be paying more for those luxuries if you head elsewhere. A 16GB iPod nano demands $179, offers a far less enticing display (for video playback, anyway) and will peter out in just 24 hours -- meanwhile, the C2 could keep going for at least another day beyond that. The biggest problem with this fella? It'll do a darn good job of making you want a set of

HP TouchSmart 610

2011-07-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

Is it just us or do all-in-ones seem to be having a moment? Over the past two months, we've seen Toshiba make a belated jump into the market, while Lenovo went and added one to its family of Think-branded laptops and desktops. And that's not even counting models by old-timers like Apple, Dell, and MSI. And then there's HP, which has been making touchscreen all-in-ones for three years -- long before they were a thing. The company's had plenty of time to fine-tune its finger-friendly TouchSmart software, and now, its newest model, the TouchSmart 610 ($899 and up), ushers in a fresh design, highlighted by a hinge that allows the display to slide down and lie nearly flat. Although it's been shipping since this spring, it's only been available with Sandy Bridge for about a month now. We took one of these tricked-out beasts into our living room and got reacquainted with the comforts of not-so-mobile computing. At the risk of spoiling everything, we think this should be on your shortlist if you're considering an all-in-one, especially one with a big 'ol touchscreen. Read on to find out why.

HP TouchSmart 610

Look and feel

The slimmest all-in-one this is not. Compared to the 2.5-inch-thin Lenovo ThinkCentre 91z, which actually makes that claim, it's 4.1-inch thick shell is chunky, though no more so than a small television. It's also thicker than the 27-inch iMac, which also measures 2.5 inches thick at its widest point. But the 610 redeems itself with a profile that's more shell-shaped than boxy, and a fine speaker grille discreetly lining the bottom of the bezel. Like a TV, it'll blend in well in your living room, which -- let's face it -- is where you're likely to stick this thing anyway. All told, it's not-too-modern design could be a good thing: the 610's design might be safe, but it will also call less attention to itself than the 91z, whose anorexic panel borders on avant-garde. And for what it's worth, the 610 hardly took over our modest urban apartment, which has a combined eating-living room area. Those of you lucky enough not to live in a studio should have no trouble finding room for it.

Fortunately, HP didn't take too much inspiration from the other consumer electronics populating your den. The company's design team blessedly kept the bezel and front surfaces matte and fingerprint-free. The sides are lined in plastic, but this bothered us a lot less than we would have guessed -- partly because of the subdued gunmetal color, and partly because the paneling isn't even that reflective. Alas, the pedestal and hinge 'round the back have a glossy piano black finish that will demand dusting. Although HP comes dangerously close to using too much shiny stuff, it keeps these materials low-key enough that the overall design looks handsome, even if it's not exactly premium.

And, to be fair, part of why the 610 takes up so much more space is that it needs a formidable hinge to allow it to tilt the way it does. The 610 has a mechanism that allows you to slide it down so that the display is lying almost face-up and at an almost-flat 60-degree angle, a position HP is dubbing Recline Mode. When you think that this is as likely to be a central media hub as a primary computer, it's convenient to be able to walk by it and tap the screen without having to sit down in front of it. And, as an HP rep noted, children might find it easier to interact with the screen this way, though admittedly, we don't have any little ones around who could have tested this claim.

As for build quality, the hinge is durable enough to withstand all that maneuvering. The PC doesn't make any noise as you slide it up and and down, and the rig is rigid enough that you can push the display down using one hand. Lifting it back up, of course, requires two.

HP stuffed a lot of ports into the 610's 23.0 x 17.7 x 4.1-inch body and clearly had to set some priorities in terms of which ones would be easy to reach. On one side, you'll find a large volume rocker, mute button, 6-in-1 memory card slot, two USB 2.0 ports, and headphone and mic jacks. On the opposite side, there's a Blu-ray drive (also with a large button), and a power button that glows blue.

We're not done yet. The 610's also home to two more USB 2.0 ports, dual USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI-in socket, an Ethernet jack, a PCIe slot, and two MiniCard sockets. But these are all tucked in the back of the machine, and are covered by a drop-down latch door. Happily, even if you've got a cable plugged in, you can snap the flap shut, so that it won't hang open awkwardly. As a final flourish, on the back of the chassis, right behind the megapixel webcam, you'll find a wheel that you can use to adjust the angle of the camera.

Keyboard and mouse

In conversations with HP, the company said it envisions the 610 as a repository for digital content, particularly in mature markets like the US where people tend to enter and leave the home with mobile devices in tow. In other words, your main computer might not be an all-in-one, but a laptop. If the perfunctory keyboard is any indication, HP is assuming that's the case.

Everything about the keyboard is flat: the panel, save for a slight wedge, and even the tops of the keys themselves. We were able to type comfortably enough in short bursts, but we can see where this wouldn't be ergonomically sound enough for us to pound out news posts for eight hours straight. In that respect, we really admire what Lenovo's done with the 91z. Granted, we've only got a few minutes' hands-on time, but we were struck by how similar the sculpted chiclet keys felt to the ones you'd find on an Edge laptop or the ThinkPad X1. (And if you've ever typed on a ThinkPad, you know that's a wonderful thing.) With the 610, the keyboard feels like more of an afterthought.

On the flip side, the bundled mouse is a delight -- amply sized with a clickable scroll wheel and contoured shape that's easy to grip. And we were able to use it every surface around us, including a glass tabletop, wooden desk, granite counters, a rug, and our fabric couch. It would seem to be a big improvement over the mouse Lenovo is throwing in with the 91z -- a travel-sized number that felt too small for even our hands. In short, if we could combine the 610's mouse with the 91z's keyboard, we'd be happy campers.

Oh, and remember how we said this all-in-one reminded us of a small TV? Well, lest you needed more evidence, the system comes with a full-sized remote control, replete with dedicated buttons for photos, music, videos, radio, and even visualization. It also has a full number pad, and various guide keys, all of which makes it virtually indistinguishable from the remote that came with your cable box. We found that navigating through TouchSmart menus using the arrow buttons was a no-brainer, though we were disappointed to find that when we pressed "Pictures" and other launch keys, the computer opened Windows Media Center instead of HP's TouchSmart software.

Display

It's gorgeous, friends. The 23-inch (1920 x 1080) panel offers a bright, vibrant smorgasboard of colors. Despite its glossy finish, the viewing angles from the side are pretty good -- when the display is sitting upright, anyway. After sliding the screen down, we had a harder time watching from the side (see the gallery above to see what we're talking about). If you look at the screen head-on with the panel pushed down, you'll notice the colors will look a touch washed-out, but you won't actually have a problem keeping up with what's happening onscreen.

Sound

As you'd expect, the TouchSmart also comes equipped with Beats Audio, which HP and Dr. Dre have been promoting up and down the company's line of netbooks, laptops, and desktops. As promised, the sound is rich, with deep low notes. Really, though, we need to tell you about the volume. We actually cringed when we cranked it to the max -- the speakers are just that loud. And while we're usually content to leave a computer's volume at about the median setting, in this case we pushed it down lower, to about a third of its capacity.

Performance and graphics

Our $1,459.99 test unit came stocked with a desktop-grade, quad-core 3.4GHz Core i7-2600 CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 1.5TB 5400RPM hard drive, Blu-ray drive, TV tuner, and NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M graphics with 2GB of video memory. All of that juice was enough to help us juggle our usual array of tasks with aplomb. We were able to jump among various tabs in Chrome, perform triage on our Gmail inbox, stream music through Grooveshark, download the very benchmarks you see listed below, and work on stories in Engadget's content management system. The system booted in one minute and seven seconds, which isn't exactly stellar for a Windows machine, especially one as generously spec'd as this. Still, it's far from pitiful. We also attempted to slow the system down by batch editing two dozen photos, sending them through three filters while running a first-time full system scan in Norton Internet Security, but to no avail: the 610 spat out the touched-up photos in seconds.

Whether or not you'll be sated with gaming on the 610 depends on how low of a resolution you're willing to settle for. NVIDIA will be the first to admit that the 425M is a mid-range card for multimedia machines, and not hard-core gamers. Playing Call of Duty 4 at the default 1024 x 768 resolution, we saw frame rates range from 59 to 146 frames per second (as measured by Fraps), with the numbers skyrocketing when we pointed our character's gun toward an empty sky and fired away. Crank the resolution to 1080p, though, and you'll find that the frame rates hover around 39 fps, occasionally sinking as low as 19 fps. Just to see how high we could get those numbers, we once again pointed our gun at the sky and opened fire. Even then, we maxed out at 67 fps.

As for benchmarks, we'll be the first to admit that our database of scores for desktops isn't nearly as fleshed-out as the one we keep for laptops. Still, if Geekbench can give you at least the basic gist, you'll see that this $1,460 TouchSmart 610 bested the $2,000 21.5-inch iMac's score by about 500 points, even though they pack similar processors. Also remember that though this high-end 610 configuration costs more than $500 less, it still crams in twice the RAM, which likely made a difference in this test. That particular iMac had AMD Radeon 6970M graphics with 1GB of video memory, not two, and a faster 7200RPM hard drive.

	PCMark Vantage	Geekbench	3DMark06	3DMark11
HP TouchSmart 610 (3.4GHz Core-7-2600)	9,977	8,982	7,168	X264
iMac (spring 2011) (3.4GHz Core i7-2600K)	N/A	8,465	N/A	N/A
MSI Wind Top AE2420 3D all-in-one (2.53GHz Core i7-860S)	7,318	N/A	7,714	X347
Notes: the higher the score the better.

Software

TouchSmart 4.0

And now, the moment you've been waiting for. The part where we talk about just what you can do with that expansive touchscreen. This is the fourth generation of HP's TouchSmart software, and it's been shipping on other products since last fall. By now, HP's beefed up its offering so that it includes Facebook and Twitter apps, Netflix, a browser, a recipe manager and note -taking / shopping list app, Hulu, live television (via Windows Media Center), eBay, weather, and, of course, dedicated apps for photos, music, and videos, among others. There's also the Apps Center, where you can download a handful of additional ones, including an app by Marvel Comics. Conveniently, you'll find all of these apps dumped in an intuitive carousel lining the bottom of the screen, leaving plenty of empty space above for post-it notes and open windows for the browser and those apps.

These so-called apps are, for all intents and purposes, widgets. Note that to use TouchSmart, you have to open it as you would any other program, and when you do, it runs in a full-screen window that you can't resize. Having more space for touch apps is nice, though it also means you can't drift between these apps and keyboard-and-mouse ones as spontaneously as you might like. Still, if you are, indeed, planning on leaving this parked in the kitchen, you might end up using the touch apps most of the time anyway, since it won't be in a location where people can conveniently use it as their primary computer.

This is a good time to confirm that the touchscreen is responsive, reacting speedily and precisely to taps, swipes, and other gestures. And though we particularly appreciated some of the apps, such as the Tweetdeck-esque Twitter one, a few of the others felt half-baked. Take the recipe manager -- it's not nearly obvious enough how you can go about adding your own to the handful that come pre-loaded. The calendar app also has lots of promise, but we wish it could pull in appointments from our Google Cal. Additionally, the touch-enabled browser lacks a scroll bar, meaning the only way to move through webpages is to swipe the screen with your fingers. We know, we know -- the software is called TouchSmart for a reason. But you can already use your physical keyboard to type URLs, sticky notes, and other text, so it feels unintuitive that you can't still reach for a mouse to scroll in the browser.

All told, HP has come a long way with its TouchSmart software, though there is undoubtedly still room for it to beef up the selection -- not to mention, make the quality and usefulness of the apps uniformly good. It just so happens, though , that the TouchSmart 610 is an excellent Windows computer, so even if you don't plan on using this feature 24 / 7, you might still think of it as a pleasant add-on separating it from the pack.

On the multimedia front, HP also included its own LinkUp software, which allows you to wirelessly share media with other PCs running on the same WiFi network. Since these computers all have to have LinkUp installed, you'd better be prepared for a one-time chore. Other than that, as far as bloatware goes, you won't find much extra software other than the (admittedly large) array of HP-branded utilities. These additional apps include Bing Bar, LabelPrint, Power2Go, Microsoft 2010, and Norton Internet Security.

Configuration Options

The 610z starts at $900 with 2.5-GHz quad-core AMD Athlon X4 615e processor, while the Intel-based 610t starts at $950 for a dual-core 3.06Hz Core i3-540 CPU. Either way, they come with 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive, though as of this writing, at least, HP was offering promotional upgrades to 6GB of RAM. Both models also get promotional hard drive upgrades, though the AMD-based one gets a boost to a 1TB 7200RPM drive, while the Intel-based model gets a 750GB 7200RPM number.

But wait, there's more. If you want a quad-core processor and a two-year warranty, you can choose from either the 610xt ($1,050 and up) or the 610 Quad Edition (starting at $1,370). Starting with the base-model 610xt, you'll get a Core i5-2300 CPU, integrated Intel HD graphics, a promotional 6GB of RAM (up from 4GB), and a 1.5TB 5,400RPM drive (another "free upgrade" over 750GB). The Quad Edition, meanwhile, starts with a Core i7-2600 CPU, AMD Radeon HD 6450A graphics with 1GB of video memory, a TV tuner, and promotional upgrades to 8GB of RAM and a 1.5TB 5,400RPM drive, up from 6GB of RAM and 750GB of storage space.

Whichever model you choose, you can add a TV tuner and a 7200RPM hard drive topping out at 2TB of storage, or opt for graphics cards that include an AMD Radeon HD 5570 or 6550A (1GB or 2GB of video memory) and NVIDIA's GeForce 425M (1GB or 2GB).

The competition

We don't have to tell you you'll pay more for either a 21.5- or 27-inch iMac, which start at $1,199 and $1,699, respectively. We can see where the iMac's sexier aluminum design would help boost the price, but it's harder to forgive the gap in specs you get for the money, particularly since the TouchSmart 610 is, too, a solidly built machine. Even if you opted for the entry-level 21.5-inch iMac, you'd get a 500GB (7200RPM) hard drive, 4GB of RAM, 512MB graphics memory, just four USB 2.0 ports, and -- surprise, surprise -- no USB 3.0 or HDMI output. (You would get a Thunderbolt part -- two if you chose the 27-incher.)

The 610 also holds its own at the low end. It's true, this is hardly the only Windows-based all-in-one that starts at a reasonable price. Gateway's 23-inch ZX series starts at $1,000 with either a Core i3-550 or Core i5-650 CPU, while a 21-inch version starts at $599 -- with a Pentium E5800 processor inside, mind you. Toshiba's 21.5-inch DX1215 starts at $930 with Core i5. Some -- including the DX1215, to name one example -- match the 610 in the storage and ports department. Others, such as Gateway's HDMI- and USB 3.0-less ZX series, do not.

We could go on, but you get the idea. The TouchSmart 610's starting price is fair, but not extraordinary. But even if you opted for a lower-end configuration, you'd still be getting something most others can't offer: a slick package of touch apps -- albeit, one that still leaves plenty of room for growth. And while some of you might prefer the slimmer stylings of, say, Lenovo's 91z, we think the 610's design is innovative, practical, and mostly well-executed.

Wrap-up

There's a lot to like about the HP TouchSmart 610: it's fast, has a fresh, useful design, a gorgeous 1080p panel, and it offers more bang-for-your-buck than many of its competitors -- even the skinnier, sexier ones. And we stand by that even if you don't end up making much use of all those touch apps. It just so happens that we set it up in our living room / home office, where we're inclined to get real work done. But some of you might default to the touch UI -- if you place this thing in, say, the kitchen, where it would be less convenient to use as a primary computer.

All in all, if you're inclined to stick to a budget, think you'd actually use the touchscreen, or are just a Windows kind of person, you'd be hard-pressed to find something with a better value proposition -- unless it's a slimmer, more modern profile you're after. And yes, we suspect you can get an excellent user experience even if you don't spring for the tricked-out configuration we tested. That said, we also still highly recommend the iMac, which has a more striking aesthetic. But as we said in our review, we particularly suggest it for power users, creative professionals, and people who just prefer Macs. If that's not you, we'd more than empathize if you went with the less expensive, comparably powerful, extra port-packing 610.

iRiver's MX100 Android tablet spotted in China (video)

2011-06-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

iRiver has spent the past couple of years testing the e-reader waters, but the company may now be ready to plunge into the deeper end of the pool, with its first Android tablet. A blogger in Korea recently spotted the slate, believed to be the seven-inch MX100, during an iRiver event in China. According to the source, it's powered by a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird core, runs on Android 2.2 Froyo and is equipped with 802.11b/g/n WiFi -- not exactly cutting-edge stuff, but at least it's not Bubble Yum-flavored. There's been no official confirmation from iRiver yet, nor do we have any details on pricing or availability, but you can head past the break to see a semi-recent commercial from LG U+, in which the MX100 makes a brief cameo around the 0:15 mark.

Microsoft unveils Windows 8 (video)

2011-06-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

We're live from Microsoft Windows president Steven Sinofsky's keynote at D9, and there's something rather exciting on stage -- a pair of experimental Windows 8 dev boards running an OS that looks very much like Windows Phone 7's Metro UI. All Things D actually sat down with the man earlier today and got a sneak peek at what to expect starting with the live tiled screen you see above -- and yes, like Windows Phone 7, this OS is designed for touch.

There'll be two kinds of applications for Windows 8, one that runs in a traditional desktop, and the other pseudo-mobile apps based on HTML5 and Javascript, but both environments -- rather, the entire OS -- have been designed from the ground up for touchscreen use. Keyboard and mouse will still be options for both sets of programs, but there are multiple virtual sets of keys for different form factors, including a split keyboard for vertical slate use. Multitasking is simply a matter of swiping running apps into the center of the screen, and you can pull windows partway to "snap" them in place alongside other windows -- even mixing and matching traditional desktop programs with web apps simultaneously (like Twitter alongside your spreadsheet). There's a new version of Internet Explorer 10 (which runs Silverlight) and an app store built into the touchscreen interface, along with integrated services like Office 365. Microsoft says the new OS will run on laptops, tablets and desktops when it appears -- whenever that might be.

All Things D didn't have any details on when we'll get pricing or availability, but we're looking at some Intel Atom-based demo units on stage right now, and Microsoft says it will have ARM designs (the OS will support NVIDIA, TI and Qualcomm) viewable on the Computex show floor, and more will be revealed at the Build Windows developer conference in September. We should note that "Windows 8" is just a codename for what we're seeing here -- "we'll figure out the real name in due time," Sinofsky told the crowd -- but we don't see much harm in calling it Windows 8 for now.

Update: Video after the break!

Windows 8 D9 demo

LG Revolution

2011-06-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

The army of high-speed broadband phones is actively seeking new recruits to join its rapidly-growing force, and the LG Revolution is the latest to graduate from boot camp. We've witnessed the emergence of three Verizon LTE handsets in as many months, beginning with the HTC Thunderbolt and the Samsung Droid Charge a few weeks later. As if this wasn't enough choice to tempt your tastebuds already, the LG Revolution -- the entertaining climax to the classic 4G trilogy -- was born one full moon after that. With three options, all so close to each other in dimension and features, it's natural to compare all of 'em and make the call on which one is the best of the bunch. Is LG's first crack at Verizon's LTE network truly a game-changer, as its name suggests? Or does this Revolution fail to even get its feet off the ground? Read on after the break to find out.

LG Revolution Overview

Hardware

When first looking at the Revolution's box, we experienced a serious bout of déjà vu because it's almost completely identical to that of the Thunderbolt. Exerting the same amount of elegance as its predecessor, the box comes in a minimalistic black sleeve, the logos and words etched very carefully on top. Only the back of the sleeve has anything written on it, which is the normal regulatory certification information. When we didn't look close enough it appeared as if nothing was even there; put in the right light, though, the names and imagery seemed to pop out at us.

Taking the box out of its sleeve, we noticed the same dark theme going on, but when lifting the lid and peering inside, a bright red that matches Verizon's standard livery offered a stark contrast. When we dug deep past the square bed in which the phone laid, we found the usual wall plug-in with USB port and separate micro-USB cord, obligatory user guides and warranty information... and that's it. No headphones or micro-HDMI cables can be found anywhere. We believe that Verizon, much like with the Thunderbolt, assumes that since you're purchasing a phone for $250 on contract, you'll either have the money to spend on a decent set of cables and headgear, or you already have some sitting around in a storage bin somewhere.

At first sight, the Revolution doesn't appear to be a very attractive phone. Don't get us wrong -- it's not ugly, it's just plain and colorless. It's a beast, every bit as large (if not larger in some dimensions) as its LTE brethren, and more boxy on the sides. If variety is what you're looking for, you're not going to find it here. The phone seems to emulate its packaging perfectly, blanketed in a soft black tone that's only interrupted by a chrome strip on the left and right sides and a long piece of glass on the back. That's just not enough for the phone to keep from blending in with dark surfaces. While we don't want to be on the other side of the spectrum and getting distracted with every color of the rainbow, the Revolution is just not as aesthetically pleasing as the Thunderbolt and Droid Charge.

It's not all rainstorms and pouty faces when it comes to the Revolution's design, however. There's a minimalistic theme with this device that we've grown to appreciate; it's not a busy-looking phone at all. Its back and curved corners are the most visually appealing features; the corners are curved with just the right touch of softness, and the back looks like a bulging bubble with steeply tapered edges on the left and right sides.

With a 4.3-inch screen and absolutely massive frame, we were amazed by its heft. Large as the device is, though, it can't even be considered the ultimate champion in the genre. It's taller and wider than the Thunderbolt, but shorter and skinnier than the Droid Charge; it matches the former's thickness at .52-inches (13.2mm) across the board, with no protrusions (such as cameras) popping out of the back. It still sits quite heavy and bulky in our palms -- our average-sized hands can hold it well enough, but smaller mitts may have more of a struggle with its depth and breadth. Fortunately, the phone isn't slippery, thanks to a soft-touch plastic surrounding the entire back. It's not the most portly LTE handset on the market, but it comes awfully close as the 6.08oz (172g) Revolution is only .15oz (4g) lighter than its HTC cohort. With that said, the device's mass and build leaves no doubt in our mind that it's a solid chassis that should easily withstand normal wear and tear, and certainly gives more of a feeling of durability than the Droid Charge before it.

We were delighted to find a micro-HDMI port for video out proudly displayed on the right side of the Revolution. This port inspires either love or apathy, depending on how you feel about it. We enjoy the additional functionality the micro-HDMI brings -- besides, if we're shelling out the big bucks for a phone and it doesn't screw with the design, it should be thrown in. Immediately neighboring this port is a volume rocker, in the same spot as the T-bolt, while the headphone jack sits on the top left and the power / unlock button on the far right. This is a great location because it lies right where our index finger likes to rest naturally, but we became frustrated that this particular button was flush with the rest of the phone, making it a little more troublesome to press.

Continuing to the left side, all we see here is the micro-USB charging port amidst the chrome lining; nothing rests at the bottom besides the mic and the notch that opens the battery cover. Now we flip the Revolution to its backside, where racing down the middle is a strip of glass that not only houses logos, the 5 megapixel shooter, and LED flash, but doubles as a handy mirror. We found it difficult to scratch up the camera lens because it's recessed from the flat surface of the back; this design choice is wholeheartedly welcomed since it's usually so easy to scuff up your phone's camera when made flush (or worse, protruded) with the rest of the surface. Also present is a thin speaker grill that actually reminds us of one found on the top and bottom of the HTC Desire HD / Inspire 4G. Curiously, upon removing the battery cover we discovered only half of the grill is used for the speaker; the entire left portion is completely for decoration.

Keeping the battery cover off for a moment, we find an average-sized 1500mAh battery (we'll cover this in-depth later) keeping a SIM card and 16GB microSD company. The extra storage here, combined with another 16GB of internal space, will offer more than enough room for the average music or movie lover, though the microSD can be expanded up to 32GB if you have a hankering for more media.

Finally, the front of the phone is where we'll find the mammoth display with speaker grill on top snuggling up to a 1.3 megapixel front-facing, self-portrait machine. Sure, video chat is all the rage these days, but there's something to be said about taking your own pictures for your Facebook profile without having to get in front of a mirror to do it (or without having friends, for that matter). There are no physical buttons on the front, because the usual four Android navigation keys below the screen are touch-capacitive. One interesting design feature to note is the inclusion of a lip at the very bottom, which angles down until it meets the back to make it look like a slight chin. We're not sure if there's any purpose to the lip, but it keeps the bottom of the Revolution from getting squared off. The entire front of the device reminds us of the Optimus Black; one seamless piece of glass covers the entire display -- including the navigation buttons -- with only a millimeter or two open at the top to leave room for the speaker.

Display

The 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 resolution touchscreen display fits right in with the rest of the LTE crew, without much deviating from the main course. LG opted to throw in a standard TFT WVGA screen that still looks very sharp compared to lower resolutions, but isn't the top of the line. We sat the Revolution next to the Droid Charge and can't hold a candle to the contrast on the Samsung Super AMOLED Plus display. The Charge's colors were much deeper and more vibrant, and was easier to read in direct sunlight, whereas the LG was barely discernable. The TFT display turned out to be brighter than the Super AMOLED Plus, but at the cost of washed-out colors. In side-by-side comparisons, the Charge ultimately wins the battle with its gorgeous screen, but we still enjoyed the brightness of the Revolution.

Software

LG Revolution Screenshots

The Revolution comes with Android 2.2.2 installed, which was expected but still made us shake our heads in disbelief. Here we're looking at the latest 4G phone on Verizon's network, but accompanying that excellent piece of hardware is an outdated OS. We think seven months is plenty of time to get all the necessary pieces put together and make Gingerbread a reality.

Running through this particular device gives us flashbacks to last month's review of the LG Optimus Black, which sports a similar, if not identical, Android skin. We remained skeptical of the UI's effect on the Android experience; after all, the performance on the Black -- which uses a comparable TI processor and the same RAM -- was less than satisfactory, making even the most elementary tasks and animations seem as though the CPU was running out of breath constantly. Fortunately, we didn't experience the same concerns with the Revolution. The UI was incredibly smooth and we witnessed very little laggy or sluggish behavior in processor-heavy tasks this time around, which does give us pause to wonder what could make up such a large difference in performance.

LG offers two virtual keyboard options by default, and we were given the choice between Swype and an in-house option that is, once again, modeled very closely to the Black. The latter keyboard was very responsive, seldom mistyping letters or guessing the wrong words. In fact, we enjoyed the autocorrect features built into the Revolution a lot. The only frustration we experienced was the lack of popular symbols on the main board, such as the comma and question mark; the period was the only specialty key not pushed back into the symbols / numbers section.

Since this particular user interface isn't seen very often in the US, there are a few changes and adjustments worth noting. The largest difference is in the widgets menu; long-pressing the home screen will bring up a menu style that looks exactly like an app tray, complete with icons for each widget. On the bottom of the menu are tabs for the four usual categories (widgets, shortcuts, folders, and wallpapers) to allow for easy switching back and forth as you decide how to customize and organize your phone.

The navigation drawer is also slighty tweaked at the top to offer five easy on/off toggles for vibration mode, WiFi, Bluetooth, mobile data, and airplane mode; just underneath, a handy music player widget appears when a song is playing or paused. In fact, LG did a great job at integrating its media player into the UI altogether; for instance, a similar widget was built into the lock screen as a slide-down tab, so you wouldn't need to take more than one step to pause or change tunes.

As evidenced in this and other skins, a popular trend that offers more customization is now emerging which chops up the app tray into multiple categories, instead of one big section that lumps all of the apps together. While we're not kin to letting LG choose where the apps are placed, it's possible to add, delete, or rename these categories. So even though there isn't a default way to just get rid of all categories, you can at least delete them if you'd like; another option is to choose the list menu instead of grid, which disregards the categories altogether and automatically places every app in alphabetical order. LG also added the ability to uninstall unwanted or unused programs directly from the app tray, a welcome feature. It doesn't, however, get rid of the unnecessary (yet obligatory) bloatware that's littered all over the Revolution.

Adding to the pile of bloatware are the usual Verizon VCAST & Co. apps, plus a huge laundry list of other random programs: Let's Golf 2, Blockbuster, Rock Band, TuneWiki, Rhapsody, Slacker, and Netflix. We've been excited about the inclusion of Netflix ever since we first laid eyes on the Revolution at CES this year, because it meant the service was close to widespread availability on Android. We tested the app by playing scenes from multiple movies and TV shows while connected to 4G, 3G, and different WiFi connections, and with each test we noticed that playback was choppy, the video feed taking a nanosecond pause to catch up every few seconds. Thinking it was an issue with our device, we performed a hard reset and still experienced the same concern.

Of the Verizon LTE phones on the market, this is the first that received obvious love from Microsoft -- the Bing app and search widget were on the home screen when we first powered up the handset, and all web searches in the browser are done through Redmond's search engine. The search app can be removed from the home screen, but there is no Google widget to use as an alternative. Love or hate Bing Mobile, we aren't happy with being forced into a certain option. If carriers want to set up a default, go right ahead. All we ask is to be given the ability to change it if we so desire. There's at least one easy workaround to get your Google fix, though: head straight to the Android Market and find the official widget, or find a third-party browser that supports El Goog.

Camera

LG Revolution Sample Shots

If we were to go strictly by megapixel count, the Revolution shooter is the weakest of Verizon's LTE phone trilogy, sporting a fiver instead of eight. As we've learned, however, that number is often one of the most misleading, since sensors and optics play a large role in image quality. The images taken with this camera are highly detailed, although we did notice a contrast deficit at times; colors were slightly washed out in images taken in direct sunlight. Low-light pictures were mostly impressive, as long as we weren't trying to snap shots of the sunset -- in which case the background would go completely dark aside from the sun itself.

There are manual settings aplenty here -- focus, ISO, flash, zoom, and white balance, among others -- and we enjoyed seeing a dedicated mode for macro focus even though the automatic setting typically did the trick. We were disappointed that it's missing a dedicated shutter button, but LG created a cool trick in hopes of meeting us in the middle: holding down the shutter key will keep the autofocus locked until you're ready to actually take the picture, much like you can with 2-stage buttons on a regular camera.

As we have seen many similarities between the still camera on both phones, we were expecting to have the same thing happen to us when using the 720p HD video capture. Fortunately, it looks as though the camcorder on the Revolution has had some bugs worked out. Playing back the .3gp files on the computer did not change the aspect ratio as we had experienced on the Black. On the contrary, the videos cranked out a smooth and beautiful end result.

Performance and battery life

If all three LTE-equipped handsets have such similar specs, they must have roughly the same performance metrics, right? Maybe, in a perfect world; however, other factors come into play such as the type of processor used -- all three use a 1GHz single-core CPU, but the Droid Charge uses Samsung's signature Hummingbird while the others opt for a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8655 -- and the efficiency of the UI itself. The Revolution also has less RAM (512MB) than its counterparts, which could play a part in the difference. Here's how the three stack up against each other in a head-to-head matchup:

Benchmark	LG Revolution	HTC Thunderbolt	Samsung Droid Charge
Quadrant	1913	1886	943
Linpack	39.6	40.1	13.6
Nenamark	39.2	32.7	42.2
Nenamark2	13.3	12.7	21.4
Neocore	65.1	59.5	56.9
Sunspider	4591	6213	7905

And now it's time for the budding question everyone's begging to know about: as an LTE device, how does the battery hold up? When the Droid Charge came out, it looked like Samsung had figured out the magic solution to take care of all those crazy power drain issues associated with the new 4G technology. We figured the Revolution's 1500mAh battery would provide talk times somewhere in between its two siblings -- the Thunderbolt uses a 1400mAh battery, while the Charge carries a 1600mAh -- and it's true. Unfortunately, though, it's much closer to the former.

We managed just five and a half hours on one charge which included about 100 minutes of voice calls and then kept the phone idle (albeit with 4G connection instead of WiFi) until the battery died. To offer perspective, that's the amount of time we should be able to chat on the phone straight through, full to empty. In another instance, we left the phone on to receive only emails and texts, and the charge almost lasted the entire day. Don't leave your house without a car charger or external battery pack if you want the phone to last the entire day under moderate or heavy use.

Our LTE speedtests are still almost as blazing fast as they were when the Thunderbolt first came out, though we're not seeing as many of the occasional spikes of 20Mbps or more, possibly due to an increase in 4G subscribers. We were able to reach consistent speeds of 13Mbps down and 8Mbps up. There's a certain joy in taking advantage of a mobile hotspot, seeing our computers hit higher speeds via a phone than our own ISP. Some of our test results can be found below.

We did notice something curious with the Revolution when doing side-by-side tests with the other LTE phones. After conducting a couple dozen speed tests on all three LTE devices simultaneously, it was clear that the Revolution lagged behind the others on a consistent basis. In some cases, the Droid Charge and Thunderbolt would exceed it by as much as 3-4Mbps. It's difficult to draw definite conclusions based on just one series of tests, but it did throw up a red flag.

Finally, our calls came through loud and clear on the Revolution, with no difficulty hearing the other line and vice versa. We never experienced any dropped calls, even when chatting it up with friends in a basement and driving through a part of town that's infamous for losing reception. Zero complaints came from the other end of the call, and nobody had to ask us to repeat ourselves, though we usually do that without any prompting, anyway.

Wrap-up

With a name like Revolution, we immediately start visualizing a massive upheaval or shake up of the system, or perhaps a monumental transformation. It's hard to pick out exactly where LG's first brush with LTE does either of those things. While it's a good smartphone overall, it doesn't offer anything new to Verizon's 4G lineup that we haven't already seen, and certainly didn't revolutionize the reputation the network has with battery life. Aside from an optimistic product name, the Revolution has midrange specs that perform decently and offers great call quality. If the LTE logo wasn't on the handset, however, it would be just another Android phone, getting lost in the ether amongst other top-choice smartphones like the Droid X2 and Droid Incredible 2. Perhaps it wasn't the most successful "revolution" in the strictest sense of the term, but the 4G uprising is just getting started.

BlackBerry Bold 9900

2011-06-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

RIM's BlackBerry 9900 is the device that the BlackBerry diehards have been hoping, wishing, and waiting for since the original Bold launched way back in 2008. However, this time around the company has added in a capacitive touchscreen, swapped the trackball of yesteryear for an optical trackpad, and slimmed the whole thing down into a 10.5mm thick package. We were lucky enough to get a prototype device from our friends over at Negri Electronics, and have manhandled the thing till we were blue in the face. Head on past the break for an exclusive preview of the device RIM is praying will stalwart its competitors until the first round of QNX-equipped devices lands in 2012.

BlackBerry Bold 9900 preview!

The Bold 9900 bears a striking resemblance to the original "big Bold" 9000, and fans of that device's large but sturdy form factor will absolutely love the 9900. Gone is the faux-leather back cover, which has been replaced with a slick carbon fiber-esque flat battery door. Interestingly, whereas the entire back of the device could be removed and swapped on the 9000, only the part of the housing that covers the battery itself comes off on the 9900. The carbon fiber midsection is surrounded by soft touch black rubber finishes that taper the outer edge of the device slightly, resulting in a really nice overall form factor.

This Berry's front face is split between a 640 x 480-pixel capacitive touchscreen up top and a full-sized QWERTY keyboard down below. The screen size has been bumped to 2.8-inches from the 2.6-incher on the 9000. The display is bright and vibrant, and boasts superb viewing angles and clarity. As with the Torch 2, touch sensitivity also seems to be quite good, with the screen registering even slight touches on its nearly edge-to-edge surface. Overall, we're quite impressed with the screen on the 9900, as we were with the Torch 2's.

So far as we can tell, the keyboard is the same size as that of the OG Bold, though the buttons seem to be a bit more 'clicky.' It's kind of difficult to explain, but the keyboard feels more firm than mushy -- but that's not necessarily a bad thing. We also noticed that the four main navigation buttons for the BB OS (send, menu, back, end / power) are all flush with the device and backlit, rather than having splits between then. There's also the now ubiquitous trackpad located front and center, and it has a nice white backlighting that helps make it stand out against this BlackBerry's murdered-out facade. When the screen shuts off for standby mode, the trackpad glow rem for an extra few seconds before fading back into darkness.

On the inside, the 9900 boasts a 1.2GHz processor, which is bumped from the 624MHz of the 9780. In fact, we're pretty sure that the guts of the 9900 are identical to those of the Torch 2 -- just crammed into a thinner, non-sliding enclosure. We've known the specs on this bad boy for a while now, but after playing with one for day or so, we're impressed with the real world translation into performance. It's noticeably more snappy than current BlackBerry devices on the market, and the fading transitions of BlackBerry ~~6.1~~ OS 7 didn't seem to stutter in regular use. Of course, this is still BETA software -- and from what we've heard, our build is quite a bit older than what's currently on demo devices -- so performance is subject to change.

A five megapixel shooter is located on the backside of the device, but it's been relocated to the upper left corner as opposed to the centered position on the 9000. Again we're convinced that this camera is identical to the one in the Torch 2, which means it's capable of capturing 720p HD video. If you want to see some performance of this shooter, head back to our Torch 2 preview -- what you get on the 9900 isn't vastly different.

BlackBerry 7 OS screenshots

The 9900 will ship with BlackBerry 7 OS, and we won't bore you with the details of this marginal upgrade to the OS. (We went over many of them when we showed you the Torch 2). We will say that the performance improvements we noted on that device seem to have made their way to the 9900, and that many of the mundane tasks that used to bring up the dreaded hourglass of doom no longer do so.

Overall, the 9900 is definitely a sexy slab of circuitry, but we still can't skirt around the fact that RIM has been making the same device for years now. We're glad to see the improved specs and solid hardware, but it doesn't detract from the fact that the OS is virtually unchanged except for some visual flair and new APIs. We're hopeful that despite rumors to the contrary, RIM will be able to get this device out the door during its promised "summer" time frame, and we know it won't be good if it misses that self-imposed deadline. Still, the fact of the matter is that RIM desperately needs to get something radically new out the door as soon as humanly possible, or else users will continue flocking to other platforms. It hopes it has a winner on its hands with the 9900, and while we'll reserve judgment until the thing finally ships to end users, we do think it's yet another step in the right direction.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 now syncs with your Mac, updated Kies software to thank

2011-06-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

You heard right -- Samsung's slimmest slate yet is now on speaking terms with OS X, well over a month after the first ones slipped out to developers at Google I/O. Oddly enough, it looks as if Android File Transfer is still stuck in yesteryear, with Samsung itself pushing out a revised build of Kies to enable Tab-to-Mac relations. If this discussion is relevant to your interests, the source links below will be as well.

Fujitsu delays TH40/D release, puts slide-out tablet dreams on hold

2011-06-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

If you've been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the latest shape-shifting slate, it looks like you're just going to have to wait. Fujitsu's just announced that it will postpone the release of the convertible TH40/D tablet -- the Windows 7 slide-out was originally slated for a late June debut in Japan. Unfortunately, the outfit's being rather tight-lipped when it comes to details, saying simply that the holdup is due to "development delays." Of course, we'll keep you posted with details if / when Fujitsu decides to open up. posted with details if / when Fujitsu decides to open up.

Droid X2 review

2011-06-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

Would a Droid X by any other name smell as sweet? When we reviewed that phone last year we found it to be a solid performer in a solid chassis. In short: a very good phone. Now it's back with a new name, or a revised one at least, the Motorola Droid X2 offering the same basic design as its predecessor but packing a lot more heat on the inside -- a dual-core dose of Tegra 2, to be specific. Will it tickle your olfactory sensors just like the first X?

Motorola Droid X2

Hardware

Out of the box there's not a lot to differentiate the X2 from its postscript-free predecessor. In fact, little has changed from a design standpoint, so we won't be delving quite as deep here as we did with the first X. There's much the same sleek, slim design that's thin for most of the chassis, fattening up at the top to make room for what appears to be the same 8 megapixel sensor with dual-LED flash. This protrusion makes the whole thing a bit top-heavy and a stubborn occupant of your skinny jeans if you try to shove it in head-first, but that bit of extra junk is the only bit of flab on what is otherwise a trim handset.

At its thickest, the top, it's 9.99mm (0.39-inches). Its 65.5mm width and 127.5mm height (5- x 2.5-inches) make room for a big, bright 4.3-inch LCD up front that's moved up to qHD since the X -- an impressive 960 x 540 resolution. Viewing angles are extremely good as is contrast, making this one of the best displays we've yet seen on a handset. It doesn't quite have that look of the Super AMOLED Plus displays Samsung has been packing on phones like the Galaxy S II or the Infuse 4G, but its brightness, contrast, color reproduction, and most importantly resolution make it a very strong contender.

Situated beneath the bottom bezel are the same four physical buttons found on the original Droid X -- a nice touch but still a bit skinny and still a bit hard to press without really giving 'em a good squeeze. As on the original X that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's certainly an unfamiliar feel if you're used to accidentally dropping to your home screen with a wayward stroke from your thumb.

On the bottom of the left side a micro-USB and micro-HDMI port are nestled, the latter curiously situated a few fractions of a millimeter lower than the former. Details. Unfortunately a swapped orientation on these takes any hopes of compatibility with the Atrix dock and throws it out the window. Up top the 3.5mm headphone jack is offset to the left, and a shiny lock / power button is situated in the middle. The right side has only a chrome volume rocker while the bottom has, well, nothing -- just the slightest hint of a chin.

Like before, the battery cover is firmly held in place by an asymmetrical series of clasps that fit into an asymmetrical series of grooves. The 1,500mAh battery requires a good tug to extract from its cubby, showing the tight tolerances at play here. An 8GB microSD can then be slipped out, and if that seems a bit paltry in these days of the 32GB chips offered in phones like the Charge, well, it is. But, an additional 4GB of user-accessible storage lies within the phone, meaning you really have 12GB here to play with. Plus, there's roughly another 1.5GB in there for apps and such.

One thing you won't find under the back cover is a slot for a SIM card. That is, of course, because this is a strictly 3G phone in an increasingly LTE world.

Performance and battery life

The 2 in X2 of course stands for the second processor core that's been tucked away inside here, Tegra 2 running at 1GHz. As a pair those cores deliver solid performance, starting with a quick boot and extending all the way through every task you can throw at it in today's Android ecosystem. It's definitely a powerhouse, evidenced by its benchmark scores. Neocore delivered 54.6, Linpack 36.229 MFLOPS, Quadrant 2,509, and SunSpider completed in just a hair over 4,000ms. Impressive numbers.

Despite that performance the phone offers respectable battery life. It's not great, not matching the Droid Charge or the Infuse (which, admittedly, are packing bigger cells), but the lack of LTE here means this phone should get you through a full day of typical usage. We made it through one earthly revolution and well into a second of casual e-mail and surfing usage before running for an AC outlet, but if boot up Google Nav and get some Google Music streaming in the background and you'll quickly be reaching for that car charger, as with every Android handset.

GPS performance, however, is quite good. The phone locked on to our location in seconds and refused to let it go, and kept a solid wireless connection whenever such a connection was available. Oh, and how is it as a phone? Again quite good. The earpiece speaker is loud and clear, as is the speakerphone built into the back.

Camera

We're not seeing any major differences in the camera hardware here since the original Droid X, so much of what we saw before still applies here. Images are a bit under-exposed at times but overall quality is quite good, and the triple-mic setup delivers great audio for video shooting. Curiously, though, recording still tops out at 720p despite the considerably improved pixel-pushing hardware on offer, and Motorola sadly chose to do away with the two-stage dedicated camera button. A shame for shutter bugs.

Software

The Droid X2 ships with Android 2.2.2 installed, but it has of course been customized by Motorola. Frankly, though, we found most customizations to be good ones. There's no heavy Blur applied to the experience, and you won't have to log in separately as in previous Moto phones. The Swype keyboard is pre-installed, but the customized multi-touch keyboard is still quite good, offering reliable predictions of what you meant to type and what your next word might be as well.

Text selection is made easy with an iOS-style popup magnifying glass, while Moto provides plenty of attractive widgets for getting the forecast, enabling the phone's various radios, and controlling media playback.

There are of course a suite of applications pre-installed that you'll have whether you want them or not. Many apps are mostly unwanted, like the ubiquitous Lets Golf 2. Some apps will be wanted by some, like NFL Mobile and Best Buy, and some are actually quite useful, like Quickoffice and Verizon's Backup Assistant. Thankfully it's not quite the onslaught of crapware we've seen with devices like the Charge or more recently the Incredible 2, and we had no problem uninstalling most of them. That said, if you're feeling noncommittal you can use the customized applications list to create a group of the apps you actually use and set the phone to display only those, hiding the whole big mess. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Wrap-up

The $200 Droid X2 is definitely a worthy successor to the Droid X name. The design still cuts a striking profile and of course the new dual-core processor won't leave you wanting. However, the lack of LTE connectivity just might. Sure, Verizon hasn't exactly managed to get us locked in coast-to-coast with its flavor of 4G, but enough places are already online to make LTE compatibility a desirable feature. That the X2 doesn't have it has to be seen as a shortcoming.

Still, with the X2 you're getting a slim phone with good battery life and extremely good build quality. For now, it's the best Android handset on Verizon for those who aren't quite ready to commit to the fourth G

Capacitive and Resistive Touchscreen

2011-06-01T06:33:00.000-07:00

If you have been looking to buy a new mobile phone preferably a touchscreen mobile then you must have noticed that the screen options always shows either resistive or capacitive. If you are thinking that both are same or what matters then i think after reading this page the whole difference will get clear.
Touchscreen mobile phones are divided into two categories based on their touch sensitivity, to begin with Capacitive touchscreen phones have a low response time, for e.g. see Apple iPhone, it has a capacitive dual-layer screen along with ability to kinnect scroll.
Kinnect Scrolling surfs a longer area of a list with a single push, which means it is more sensitive and you won’t be punching your phone often.

On Technical Grounds

Resistive Touchscreen: It is made of two resistive layers opposing each other with a conducting transparent material call Indium tin oxide (ITO).
ITO has 100 – 500 ohm sensitivity per sq. m, they are cost effective and cheap. A hard press can easily damage it which is the reason why most resistive touchscreen mobile phones from Nokia demand high care.
Capacitive Touchscreen: It’s touchpad consists of two highly sensitive electrodes that are connected along with a mixed signal integrated circuit (IC) mounted on alternate sides of the pad.
When a finger is tapped on the screen, the capacitance of that place changes and a touch is registered, the change of capacitance is because human finger has different di-electric than air.
The best technical aspect of Capacitive touchscreen is that it transmits 90% of the light getting emitted from it therefore it gives better viewing experience.

In User-Experience terms

If you didn’t understand the technical aspects no problem, if your use is limited to just the user-experience then undoubtedly a capacitive on is better any day than a resistive one.
If you want hands-on experience use Nokia 5800 and Samsung Monte S5620 you will feel the lag time in Nokia. It is basically not manufacturers fault but since both need care, resistive screen are cheap.
If you accidentally broke a capacitive touchscreen, god! it will cost Rs. 3,500 or even more. Read more about Samsung Epic 4G touchscreen phone and yeah! it has the desired screen.
Anyways coming to User Experience, touch on C screen is faster, most list offer Kinnect Scrolling therefore it offers peace of mind, if you want a good capacitive touchscreen mobile phone under Rs. 10,000 then Samsung Monte S5620 is the best where in resistive ones you can choose Nokia 5233 or Samsung Corby Series etc.

The Final Conclusion

Both have pros and cons, resistive is cheaper, unstable and shock-prone where the latter is expensive, responsive and totally fergalicious.
Before purchasing any of the above mentioned phones, make sure you select the one that suits you and not which suits anyone else because you will be using the device.
If you purchased a new phone recently do tell us the user-experience, readers of Wizard Journal would be happy to read a mobile phone review.

Sony’s PlayStation Network will be fully restored by the end of the week after six weeks offline

2011-06-01T06:27:00.000-07:00

In April, Sony disclosed that hackers had broken into the PlayStation Network and stolen up to 100m gamers' personal details Photo: Getty Images

The PlayStation Network (PSN) has been down since the middle of April, when Sony discovered the service had been attacked by hackers who stole sensitive user data.

Since then the company has been working to ensure that the service is properly secured. The online gaming part of the service was restored two weeks ago but certain features, including the PlayStation Store remained offline.

In a blog post, the company said the remaining services would be back online before the end of the week for customers everywhere except Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea.

“We have been conducting additional testing and further security verification of our commerce functions in order to bring the PlayStation Network completely back online so that our fans can again enjoy the first class entertainment experience they have come to love,” said Kazuo Hirai, Sony’s executive deputy president. “We appreciate the patience and support shown during this time.”

When the PlayStation Store is back online, PSN users will be able to claim their Welcome Back package, which includes two free games, and 30-days of free membership to the premium PlayStation Plus service.

Acer to launch Ultrabook PC

2011-06-01T06:24:00.000-07:00

TAIPEI: Acer Inc, the world No 2 PC maker, will launch an Ultrabook super-light computer model in the fourth quarter, President Jim Wong said.

Ultrabooks, a new category of notebook launched by top chipmaker Intel Corp, will be lightweight but still pack high-performance processors.

Intel sees them accounting for 40 per cent of laptop sales to consumers by the end of next year.

Netbook pioneer and Acer rival Asustek showed its first Ultrabook, the UX series, on Monday at the Computex computer show in Taipei.

HTC Sensation

2011-05-31T07:05:00.000-07:00

A hotly anticipated smartphone with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a "Super" 4.3-inch screen, and a manufacturer-skinned version of Android 2.3 -- we must be talking about the Samsung Galaxy S II, right? Not on this occasion, squire. Today we're taking a gander at HTC's Sensation, a handset that's just begun shipping in Europe under a short-term Vodafone exclusive and which should be making its way to T-Mobile in the USA early next month. By beating its stablemate the EVO 3D and Moto's Droid X2 to the market, the Sensation becomes the world's first 4.3-inch smartphone with qHD resolution, while also serving as the debut phone for HTC's Watch movie streaming service and Sense 3.0 UI customizations. That leaves us with an abundance of newness to review, so what are we waiting for?

HTC Sensation unboxing and hands-on

Hardware

Before delving into the minutiae of the Sensation's construction, let's take a moment to address its most outstanding physical asset: it feels small. 4.3-inch smartphones, starting with HTC's own HD2, have always been impressive beasts, but beasts is what they were -- ungainly, crude, and occasionally harder to handle than an angry carp. Not so with the Sensation. This handset is only 6mm taller, a single millimeter wider, and -- at 11.3mm -- actually slightly thinner than the 4-inch HTC Incredible S. Putting aside the measuring tape and grappling with the pair confirms what those numbers suggest: the 4.3-inch Sensation is nigh indistinguishable from its more modest family mate.

That's been achieved with a shrinking of the top and bottom bezels framing the screen and few other changes. You'll still find an extra-large volume rocker on the Sensation's left side, as you would on the Incredible S, accompanied by a micro-USB input a little further down. The bottom of each phone is home to a microphone and a notch for opening up the back cover, the right sides are left barren, and the tops feature headphone jacks and power / lock buttons. Also functionally identical are the rear layouts, with an 8 megapixel autofocus camera sat next to a dual LED flash and a single loudspeaker grille. All these design similarities are hardly coincidental, HTC sees that arrangement and styling as a winning combination and we have to agree.

The Sensation is a simple and untainted joy in the hand. Its 148g (5.22 ounce) weight is perfectly balanced, the curvature that starts at the sides and rolls all the way through the back is spot on, and there are almost no issues of fit and finish. Almost. Our review handset had a small crevice in its lower left side that allowed the backlight intended for the capacitive Android keys to leak out. This is a problem that will only matter to you if you're actively looking for it, but it does detract from the phone's otherwise sterling build quality.

Praise is due for the aluminum frame that HTC has wrapped around the sides, back, and even a small portion of the Sensation's front. It's rigid, shaped from a single slab of metal, and makes this a sturdy and creak-free handset. A pair of soft-touch plastic inserts take up a third of the rear cover each, with the upper one protruding a little bit in front of the camera lens and LEDs, lending them an extra bit of protection. You should be mindful that that also creates a niche where dust and debris can snuggle up. Speaking of snuggling, the very design of the Sensation's wraparound enclosure makes it a bit of a pest to pry open. Nothing quite so maddening as what HTC served up with the Inspire 4G (then again, what is?), but this is definitely not the case for you if you're inclined to perform quick and dirty SIM swaps between your phones. A microSD card slot also lurks under the Sensation's skin, and it's filled by default with an 8GB unit, which augments the 1GB of onboard storage. It's accessible without removing the battery from its silo, though the SIM card slot is not.

We'd be remiss not to compare the Sensation against the most clear and present danger to its quest for smartphone supremacy: Samsung's Galaxy S II. The latter is clearly a stupendously thin device, whose admittedly plastic construction left us with few complaints. Still, when faced with the question of which phone we'd trust to last us the full 24 months of a typical contract, we have to hand it to the Sensation. It isn't flawless, but its aluminum shell is sturdier, and we found its curves more ergonomic and natural, which should help make accidental drops that extra bit less likely.

Battery life

As is true of all battery-powered devices, your time away from the wall plug with the Sensation will be determined by what you use the handset for. We found recording 1080p video to be particularly taxing, closely followed by shooting still photographs. An hour's walk through London intermixing the two ate up a third of the Sensation's 1520mAh charge. Angry Birds gaming sessions, on the other hand, are handled with no greater difficulty than casual web browsing -- neither caused any significant dent in our battery reserves. What really stands out about the Sensation is its energy frugality when left to idle. We left our Gmail and Twitter updates to push themselves to the phone as and when they were available, but in spite of that activity the Sensation barely uses any juice at all when not in our hands and doing awesome, futuristic things. This is a major asset that turns it into more than just a plaything for power users. Folks that don't care to recharge their phone every single night can buy the Sensation safe in the knowledge that it'll last for a good couple of days of casual use, while those who want to squeeze all the power out of it can do their thing as well, accepting the relevant diminution in endurance.

We'll get to the Sensation's performance further on in the review, but suffice it to say that what you're getting here is an extremely versatile handset. Neither the 4.3-inch screen size nor the dual-core processor pose challenges to using the Sensation as your daily phone, but they do expand on what you can do with it when the fancy strikes you. The Galaxy S II is again the obvious competitor here, and it too acquitted itself well in our battery tests. Our testing, however, showed the Sensation to be more efficient when not actively in use -- which, even for intensive smartphone users, tends to be the majority of the time -- granting it a higher ceiling for battery life. The Super LCD on board also seems to be consuming energy with restraint, making that frankly average 1520mAh cell look very good indeed. If battery life is an important consideration in your spec-for-spec comparison with the Galaxy S II, score this as a win for the Sensation.

Display

In our review of the Galaxy S II, we opined that though its display was of superlative quality, its pixel density left a little something to be desired. The Sensation gives us that extra flourish with a 960 x 540 resolution (35 percent more pixels than on Samsung's 800 x 480 panel) on a Super LCD screen that fails to match the vivid output or viewing angles of its Super AMOLED Plus competitor, but at least maintains a similarly hyperbolic naming scheme. There are two significant advantages to moving up to qHD resolution. The first and most tangible is that you get more of everything: Gmail displays more missives, the browser fits more of your favorite blog's content at a time, the calendar includes more agenda items, and you get to see more of your contacts without having to scroll (11 on the Sensation versus 9 on the WVGA Incredible S screen). Additionally, though the user interface sticks to the standard 16 grid slots for your icons and widgets, having them all in higher resolution lends an extra layer of visual polish, if nothing else. The camera and gallery apps benefit from having more dots to display your compositions and resulting images.

Video is where the second big advantage of qHD emerges. 960 x 540 pixels provide a native 16:9 screen ratio and thereby sends those pesky black bars off into oblivion. You'll be able to watch both content you've downloaded and recorded yourself in full screen without resorting to any compromises such as zooming the picture in and cutting off the widest portions. And if you're really a lover of the widescreen experience, there's an option in the camera app to let you shoot 16:9 as well. That'll help keep your content optimized for a vast range of desktop monitors and the great majority of HDTVs. Small considerations, perhaps, but good to have nonetheless.

In terms of the Sensation's output quality, it merits noting that in spite of its 4.3-inch display bearing the same branding as the 4- and 3.7-inch ones on the Incredible S and Desire S, it is not up to the same standard. Viewing angles are the first giveaway, as they're nowhere near as expansive on the Sensation. At 45 degrees away from center, the Sensation's picture washes out, whereas the Incredible S maintains color fidelity until laid almost flat. Additionally, the smaller handset is brighter and better saturated than its newcomer buddy. None of this is to say that HTC has installed a poor LCD on the Sensation, we'd just refrain from calling it a Super one. As to our running tally against the Galaxy S II, the Sensation wins out on resolution, but loses by a big margin when it comes to quality and the sheer feeling of luxury that the GSII provides.

Oh, we almost forgot to mention the peculiar contouring that HTC has applied to the edges of the glass screen. They're ever so slightly higher than the rest of display, with a tiny little slope lending the whole screen a subtle concavity. As a result, most of the glass never makes contact with surfaces when the phone is laid face down, adding a smidgen extra protection against scuffs and the like. Not that you're terribly likely to mar this expansive screen, which has been given the Gorilla Glass treatment just like the rest of HTC's recent line. Needless to say, that's a marked improvement from last year's Nexus One, which HTC had the gall to claim wasn't supposed to go into pockets.

Reception, earpiece and loudspeaker

Calls on the Sensation were for the most part clear and competently handled. HTC has an extra microphone on the back of the handset, whose job we presume is to analyze external noise and nullify its effects. In voice calls, the other party heard us even on a busy street where we had our own struggles keeping up with what they were saying to us. The earpiece is neither excellent nor poor, it just does the job. Its position at the very top of the phone means that you'll generally place the sound source up above (rather than next to) your ear when taking a call, but then it's not like HTC had a lot of flexibility as to where to put it. Guess this is just the price we have to pay for the aggressively thin bezels on this handset.

Moseying through our usual testing area revealed no aberrant behavior from the Sensation's 2G and 3G radios and reception was on par with what we would generally expect. This phone can actually reach HSPA+ speeds of 14.4Mbps down and 5.76Mbps up (hence why it'll be known as the Sensation 4G in the US), but we didn't have the requisite network to test it out. The Sensation's antenna is built into the plastic parts of its rear cover, a recurring trend in HTC's recent handsets.

As to aural performance, the loudspeaker on the back does a decent job and output to headphones is particularly pleasing. The solo speaker doesn't lose much when the Sensation is put down on a flat surface and though a stray finger pressed against its opening will muffle a large proportion of the sound, those aforementioned microphone holes help to leak it out of the case. Overall, it's an aspect of the phone that we consider simply satisfactory, it's not going to be the thing that sways your decision in either direction. HTC's bundled earphones are attractively styled, but generally disappointing. They were a poor fit for us, offered next to no sound isolation (an asset when trying to listen to music on the move), and their in-line remote control is the very definition of cheap plastic. The latter's also susceptible to recognizing accidental bumps as input, adding to our impression that you should keep the headset in its wrapping, just in case you decide to resell the handset down the line -- yes, the maintenance of resale value is the best thing we can say about these earphones.

If you plug in your own set of ear blasters, on the other hand, you'll be treated to some very nice output indeed. SRS virtual surround sound enhancements baked into the phone make a tangible difference by widening the sound stage and creating a more intimate feel to whatever you're listening to. For a smartphone that aspires to woo customers with top tier multimedia performance, getting audio right is a big deal and the Sensation thankfully delivers. Top marks on that, HTC, but if you can't bundle good headphones of your own, just don't bother next time. We'll take stickers instead.

Camera

HTC Sensation camera samples

The unnecessarily capitalized feature that HTC is introducing with the Sensation's camera software is a little something dubbed Instant Capture. It's not a setting that you can toggle; HTC rightly presumes that you'll always want to minimize lag between telling the phone to snap a photo and the actual capture, and it works almost quickly enough to justify its name. Low light conditions will slow you down some as the autofocus isn't as fast, plus the flash might need to pop on and do its job, but responsiveness on the whole is very impressive indeed. We thought the Galaxy S II was fast to shoot and reload, but the Sensation is at least as quick.

Also helpful is a little preview window in the bottom left corner (when the phone's held in landscape mode), which shows the last photograph taken. This isn't a novelty for Android, but it wasn't available on the recent Incredible S and Desire S and makes particularly good use of the increased visual detail afforded by the size and pixel density of the Sensation's display. You can obtain enough information about a captured image from it to disable full screen image review after snapping a shot, leaving the camera free and ready to record another masterpiece. A sweet shrinking animation transitions taken photos into the smaller window and gives a visual clue to newbies that they'll find their photographic archives by tapping on it.

Image quality, the meat and potatoes of camera work, is usually high on the Sensation, though some software irregularities do undermine the evident strength of the hardware on board. What you see above is a 100 percent crop from this image, exhibiting a great deal of sharpness given the full 8 megapixel size at which the Sensation records its images, but also an unsightly blotch of blurriness right in the middle of the flower. The latter is caused by HTC's penchant for applying noise-reducing blur -- essentially melting neighboring areas of like color into one so as to reduce graininess.

Even with the company's auto-enhance option turned off (our whole sample gallery was shot this way), the software will automatically choose where to blur things out to deliver more visually appealing imagery at lower resolutions. That's the key, really. Looking at the pictures in our sample gallery, you'll be hard pressed to pick out any softness, because they've been shrunken down to a mere 800 x 600 pixels in size, a situation that's mirrored when viewing pictures on the phone, so you can definitely see HTC's motivation for optimizing its software to make things look good at lower resolutions. It's just that photography purists (and just people who expect 8 megapixels to mean 8 megapixels) will scoff at the idea that full-size quality should be sacrified for improvements at lower resolution.

Another issue caused by the software is that it'll occassionally get its color balance pretty badly wrong. Perusing our gallery, you'll find London buses looking slightly pink and black fencing shading toward a dark (deep?) purple. Thankfully, there's a decent selection of tweaks you can play around with, including exposure, contrast, saturation, sharpness, and a set of white balance presets.

The predictably limited dynamic range of the Sensation's camera does mean that in high contrast situations you'll end up with either blown-out skies or overcast landscapes, depending on what you choose to focus on and how the camera meters the available light, but that needn't be a tragedy -- it can lead to more artsy and interesting imagery. Overall, we reckon the Sensation is equipped with a mighty fine imager that might require you to be just a little more hands-on in controlling its settings in order to obtain the best results.

We must commend HTC for the intelligently designed dual LED flash. It's bright enough to illuminate group portrait shots and yet subtle enough not to whitewash a subject that's placed immediately in front of the camera lens. The front-facing VGA camera, on the other hand, didn't impress us much. It produced murky and grainy results and continues to be a tool primarily intended for video calls.

Video recording on the Sensation is simply effortless. Thirty frames of glorious 1080p can be filled each second and it seems to be done with utter ease. The camcorder's ability to keep up with motion on screen is markedly superior to what we're used to as well. There's a fluidity to the Sensation's output that's rare to find. Make no mistake about it, folks, this is where your dual-core processor will run circles, squares, and trapezoids around the competition. Though performance is sublime, we must note that actual visual quality of the Sensation's video leaves some room for improvement. HTC again seems to be fiddling with the recording -- by blurring some parts and sharpening others for a more uniform look -- which can sometimes deliver unnatural-looking results.

Sound is recorded in stereo, another feather in the Sensation's multimedia hat, though we found the phone unusually prone to picking up wind noise. In our estimation, this is owing to the position of the microphone used for voice calls, which unfortunately gets exposed directly to oncoming wind when the phone's held horizontally to shoot movies. Aside from that, quality of sound recording was pretty much middle of the road; it's certainly a far cry from the tinny stuff the HTC Flyer recently treated us to. If the two vids above aren't enough for you, you'll find a couple more samples here and here.

Software

Many of you might gaze upon the HTC Sensation and see your ideal hacking phone -- tons of hardware potential, great ergonomics, and an almost spotless bill of physical health. All you need now is a nice community-built ROM for it and you'll be flying... but oh wait, that's right, HTC developed a weird allergy to custom Android ROM installations this year and has been locking down the bootloaders on its 2011 phones to prevent such chicanery. Company CEO Peter Chou announced yesterday that this unpopular policy will be done away with in the future -- a welcome decision that may be enacted with retroactive effect and lead to the full unleashing of the Sensation -- but as it stands today, this lovely new handset's only option is HTC's Sense-tweaked Android 2.3.3 install. You can polish it up by overlaying custom app launchers or UI skins from the Android Market, but customization purists will have to look elsewhere.

Sense 3.0

With such an introduction, you might surmise that HTC's latest version of Sense, 3.0, hasn't treated us quite the way it should and you'd be right. It isn't that the user experience suffers from any glaring flaws or omissions -- it is generally smooth, responsive and pleasing to the eye -- but we're left disappointed by the indolent pace of innovation that HTC has exhibited with this supposedly major new release. Unfortunately, the Sense 3.0 tweaks have proven to be mostly superficial and there's little in the way of added functionality over and above what you can obtain on a Gingerbread-sporting Incredible S.

HTC Sensation software

Let's start off with the bright spots. The overhauled lockscreen is by far and away the biggest and handiest improvement in the latest Sense. It now offers four customizable app shortcuts, which can be dragged into a so-called activation ring and thereby unlock the phone straight into the app. Above the shortcuts, you can have some spectacularly animated weather animations signifying the current weather, or stock updates, or a floating array of your pictures, which too can be dragged into that ring for a closer look. On the whole, it takes the previously dormant, borderline nuisance of a screen and it turns it into a much more dynamic and useful part of the user interface. We like the way that selecting an app shortcut creates an outline of it inside the activation ring, which in itself moves up from the bottom of the screen and closer to the app. These subtle visual clues, along with other hints and animations, help newcomers to smartphones find their way around with little difficulty.

There's no denying the fact that, superficially, Sense 3.0 is a clear step ahead of its predecessors. Navigation between homescreens is executed with a three-dimensional animation, implying a carousel arrangement, and there are tons of little visual tweaks suggesting depth in, around, and behind UI elements. Moving left of the left-most homescreen sends you to the right-most one, while skipping in a single direction too quickly pulls your view back, exposes the full carousel, and gives it a rapid spin in that direction. Unlocking the phone in the conventional way spins your first homescreen into view in a similar fashion. This is all well and good, and it certainly makes for a good exhibition of the underlying graphical prowess, but it's purely cosmetic. There's no utilitarian reason for why you'd want to send your homescreens into a washing machine cycle -- that actually takes control of the phone away from you, whereas we'd have thought the whole point of customizing Android was to improve and enhance it, not make it more unwieldy.

HTC's obsession with weather follows the same path. The Sensation comes with a set of splendid visuals for the common weather conditions, which are actually accompanied by fitting sound effects as well (yes, there are small audio recordings for sunny, windy, and rainy weather). Alas, those get annoying very quickly indeed and you'll soon find yourself trying to either turn them off or disposing with the offending widgets. HTC's weather widget will allow you to mute the sound, but the expansive animations aren't optional. For all its glitz and glamor, the weather app on the Sensation is actually rather dumb. It allows you to cycle through a number of cities while still on the homescreen, but it's pretty much a matter of luck whether tapping on your selected city will bring its weather up. Sometimes the app reloads itself and sends you to the correct metropolis, but on other occasions it just loads up the last city you were on. Ergo, tapping on Paris doesn't guarantee you won't get sent to Tokyo. Similarly, attempting to see weather for upcoming days by tapping on them on the home widget just brings you to conditions for the current day.

Overall, the new Sense UI is designed to make a great first impression, but scratch below the surface and you'll find little substance. We still aren't great fans of the onscreen keyboard, in spite of the extra room on this larger-display handset, and though HTC explicitly promised to improve its input prediction algorithms, we weren't struck by any great improvements there either. Precise text selection and cursor placements are also uniquely challenging on HTC devices, with the execution being arguably worse than on the default Android Gingerbread software. Finally, the move to a more graphically intensive UI does ocassionally take its toll on the phone's otherwise exemplary responsiveness, with detectable traces of lag cropping up here and there.

Having said that, let's also give an approving nod to HTC's integration of a Quick Settings menu in the drop-down Android menu (it sits alongside the usual Notifications area) and the nice app switcher that appears when you hold down the Home button. Moreover, the company does a good job of juggling resource use by background tasks, a valuable trait. The reason we're not more enthused about these items is that they're also present and accounted for in the company's other Gingerbread handsets, making the Sensation just another in a succession of phones rather than the singular and outstanding device that its former codename of Pyramid suggested.

Performance

We've danced around and hinted at the Sensation's performance long enough, now how about we address it head on? As already pointed out in the camera section, this handset's biggest struggle is in finding things that can challenge it. Dragging the camera icon into the unlocking ring on the lockscreen and taking your first snapshot is a spectacularly quick affair, certainly faster than on the 1.5GHz Flyer, HTC's only other Sense 3.0 device so far. Google Maps and the web browser are almost dripping with lubricant, they're so slick. Flash videos embedded online load up as quickly on the Sensation as we've seen on any other smartphone. The limits to this handset's abilities are found when trying to play back 1080p Flash video -- it turns into a slideshow -- but 720p is no problem at all.

HTC Watch, the company's newly launched online movie store / rental kiosk, is available on the Sensation, having made its debut on the Flyer. It works on a progressive download basis that's practically indiscernible from streaming, you just end up with the trailer, TV episode, or movie fully downloaded on your phone after you've watched it. There's a small buffering delay before you can start playback, but again, that's part for the streaming course. Although we aren't sure of the actual resolution at which movies are played on the Sensation, they look (and yes, we've been saving this adjective for just the right moment) sensational. That 16:9 screen ratio and the processing power within the phone pair up to deliver a supreme movie-watching experience. If you weren't convinced smartphones were big or good enough to make films enjoyable, you owe it to yourself to check out what HTC has to offer here.

App launching in general is nearly instantaneous. HTC claims opening apps is now twice as fast as on its previous handsets, but we ran a little side-by-side test with the Sensation and Incredible S and would argue that "twice" is an overly ambitious thing to say. The fact is that a number of recent Android phones, including those from HTC's own stable, have reached a very high level of responsiveness, so differentiating from them is hard. The Sensation definitely comes out ahead of all bar the Galaxy S II, just don't expect it to be a mindblowing improvement on the currently high standard.

Naturally, you'll be wanting some benchmarks to go with your serving of hands-on impressions. We ran the Sensation through the usual gauntlet, however our usual warning about screen resolution affecting scores must be reiterated here. Quadrant's 3D graphics tests are done at native resolution, which as we mentioned above is a 35 percent more intensive workload for the qHD Sensation than it is for, say, the WVGA Galaxy S II. Don't be shocked, therefore, to hear that the Sensation's scores coalesced around 2,000. Linpack typically gave us around 46MFLOPS, matching the Galaxy S II. Other graphical tests were hamstrung by a 60fps cap, giving us average scores of 58fps in Neocore and 42fps in Nenamark. Needless to say, the full power of that Adreno 220 GPU will need some nice and intensive new games to push it to its limits. It'll still be a good long while, however, before there's anything on Android capable of choking up the hardware inside the Sensation.

Wrap-up

The HTC Sensation is an extremely accomplished device, but there's no getting around the feeling that it underwhelms. While it is indeed a dual-core speed demon like the Samsung Galaxy S II, HTC's latest doesn't exhibit quite the same level of UI responsiveness and is furthermore saddled with a signed bootloader that prevents users from improving things themselves. Our biggest issue is with Sense, whose fancy new graphics and improved lockscreen utility can't hide the fact that the core UX hasn't materially changed from the days of the Hero.

In terms of design language, HTC is a monoglot and proud of it. The Sensation doesn't break with the company's established styling, yet its subtle physical refinements add up to make it a veritable pleasure to hold and to operate. Combining these excellent ergonomics with the phone's superior battery efficiency and generous qHD display resolution makes the Sensation a formidable foe for Samsung's celebrated new flagship. Given the choice between the two, we'd opt for the Galaxy S II for its brilliant display and snappier performance, but that's just a matter of preference. Ultimately, you'll have to decide what it is you value most in your Android superphone and pick the one that fits those needs best.

Samsung Infuse 4G

2011-05-23T21:57:00.000-07:00

We're just getting into the swing of spring, flowers blooming and skeeters biting, but already it's been a great year for Samsung -- if we ignore the whole lawsuit thing. Just a few weeks ago the company delivered to us our highest scoring Android phone yet, the Galaxy S II and, while that handset has not appeared on American shores, we were graced with the Droid Charge, which offers LTE speed, strong battery life, and an on-contract price that slightly exceeds its design.

Not so with the company's latest assault on American carriers. It's the Infuse 4G, it's $199 on-contract, and it has a decidedly high-end feel. It even looks a little like the S II -- if you squint. This is its own phone, though, a giant 4.5-inch screen setting it apart from its predecessors, and a giant battery inside giving it plenty of life. But is it really as good as it looks?

Samsung Infuse 4G

Hardware

We were about to pack up the Charge and ship it away when the Infuse 4G arrived in its little orange and white box. While these are very similar phones in a lot of ways they certainly don't feel at all related. The Charge has that pointy chin, cheeky physical buttons, and a little extra junk in the trunk that makes its thoroughly plastic construction feel a wee bit flimsy. The Infuse 4G definitely has a lot of the same DNA coursing through its chassis but in an exterior that's far more chiseled and free of excess anything. It's definitely been hitting the gym.

It's just 8.9mm (.35-inches) thin for the most part, swelling to 9.24mm (.36-inches) down at the bottom. This thinness helps to hide the phone's overall size, which is considerable. Its gorgeous 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display hasn't been saddled with much of a bezel, but a screen that large is only going to appear on a hunky phone, and that this is. Measuring 132mm tall and 71mm across (5.2 x 2.8-inches) it's a big, wide slice of Android 2.2, but at least at 131g (.29 pounds) it won't weigh your pants or purse down too heavily.

The phone is your typical, simple rectangle; bulge at the bottom the only bit of shapeliness not left behind on the stair-stepper. Otherwise the back is completely flat, livened up by some texturing that makes it a pleasure to hold. Yeah, it's just plastic, but it almost feels classy. Almost.

Stick a fingernail under it and that class peels away, containing a beefy 1,750mAh battery and a slot for a SIM card. Beneath the battery is a microSD card, a measly 2GB that certainly puts off any pretenses of this being a properly high-end device. But, that's not all the storage this has to offer. Internally the phone has a 2GB hunk for apps, a separate 13GB slice for... whatever, and then the microSD card as well, which gives you a grand total of right about 16GB in three partitions.

Infuse 4G vs. Droid Charge

Mount the phone to your computer and you'll see two shares, the larger internal bit of flash and your microSD card, meaning if you have a lot of tunes you'll likely have to split them manually. That's not the end of the world, and Google's Music app certainly doesn't care which share the files come from, but it's certainly not as clear as simply having a giant hunk of storage. Of course, there's nothing stopping you from throwing a 32GB card under the battery and using the internal flash memory just for your collection of Mystery Science Theater 3000 Gamera movies. Or, you know, whatever.

The speakerphone speaker is situated on the back, which is loud and clear, matching the overall call quality that we found to be quite good. Also on the back is the eight megapixel sensor paired with an LED flash, the same unit we've been getting quite familiar with lately in both the Charge and the Galaxy S II. Here it records video at a maximum of 720p and, like on the Charge, will auto-focus while recording. You can output that video over HDMI to your HDTV, but you'll need to rely on a dongle and the phone has to be plugged in to the wall while doing it. That's a bit of a bummer.

Display

Another smartphone from Samsung, another gorgeous Super AMOLED Plus display. This one steps things up a couple tenths of an inch to 4.5, but maintains the 800 x 480 resolution of its predecessors. This means pixel density is down ever so slightly, but what stands out here is the amazing brightness and contrast of this display. It looks as good as the company's other offerings, with deep blacks, searing whites, and infinite viewing angles.

Again the colors are a bit off when the brightness is lowered, and unfortunately Samsung didn't include the color tweaking tool that's found on the Galaxy S II. But, as with the Charge, we found if we kept the brightness up the colors were accurate, the whites bright, and the blacks still inky. That contrast is certainly the beauty of gooey organic LED displays, though there is another important advantage: power consumption.

Performance and battery life

We were very impressed by the battery life on the Droid Charge and we have to say we've been even more enamored here. The Infuse has a slightly larger, 1,750mAh battery pack nestled inside and it easily powered us through a day of demanding use. When managed more casually (as a typical user might) it got us through most of a second.

Of course, every phone will struggle to stay alive when being used as a mobile hotspot, and the Infuse is no exception. It can spew connectivity to up to five devices over WiFi, but you'd best have it plugged in to something if you want to do it for more than a few hours at a time.

The Infuse 4G is of course AT&T's first 21Mbps HSPA+ smartphone, its fastest yet, and when all the stars aligned perfectly we did see some impressive speeds. With full bars in San Francisco we managed an impressive 8.5Mbps down, but that was definitely a rarity. Most tests were in the 2 - 3Mbps range, with uploads at or below 1Mbps. In New York City we saw similar uploads but never broke the 3Mbps barrier going the other way.

Note, though, that these speeds were all over the place, seemingly fluctuating with some unidentified meteorological index and never offering the kind of consistently quick speeds we've seen on LTE. And, while the device did generally clock faster speeds than the Atrix when both were showing maximum signal, in general the Infuse seemed to be struggling a bit for bars comparatively, on average sitting about a notch lower. GPS locks were reasonably solid, taking a few minutes to figure out what state it was in but, after that, lining up the satellites quickly.

In terms of speed on the device, again we're talking a single-core phone, but at 1.2GHz it's a bit faster than the Droid Charge. We didn't really notice that in average browsing behavior, but the benchmarks don't lie. Quadrant scored 1,103, Linpack ran in 5.03 seconds and scored 16.657Mflops, while the Sunspider benchmark completed in 5,054ms. That's all on the order of 10 - 20 percent faster than the Charge, which goes to show that sometimes CPU cycles do count.

Camera

We're pretty sure the eight megapixel sensor slapped on the back here is the same one we've already seen in the Charge and the Galaxy S II so we won't blather on too much here, except to say that it's still very, very good. Pictures look sharp, colors look bright, and the 720p footage here is quite good -- if occasionally a bit soft.

Infuse 4G sample shots

The camera will auto-focus while you're filming without you having to tap on the screen, and the ever so subtle mechanical noise we heard on the Charge isn't noticeable here. Check it out for yourself in the video below, but only click play if you like dogs.

Wrap-up

The Infuse 4G is another solid offering from Samsung that we think those of you with wide pockets and big hands are going to fall in love with. It doesn't quite reach the blistering processor speeds of the Atrix, doesn't have a fancy composite back, and is completely bereft of laptop pretenses. It does, however, have a stunning screen that's big and the kind of battery life that could finally put your charge anxiety to rest. Maybe, just maybe, you could leave that second battery at home.