Home Media server from Apple [ December 29th, 2008 ] Posted in » Latest gadgets and Technology

9to5Mac reports that Apple has been working on a home media server to access your iTunes and other files anywhere you have internet access. The site compares it to HP’s just updated Media Smart Server which offers a centralized location for backup, storage and file delivery to your computers locally as well as remotely:

Your music, photos, videos and other media are part of your life — but they’re scattered over multiple computers, disk drives, CDs, DVDs, and MP3 players…. Macs and iPods too. The HP MediaSmart Server centralizes all your files, from all your home computers, in one place so you can grab them anywhere you have an internet connection and share how you want.

Apple’s take on the system would reportedly expand out Time Capsule’s functionality from being a single drive backup system into a more robust multi-drive backup server. In addition, tie ins would be made to Apple’s MobileMe services to deliver access to your files and media from anywhere on the internet.

9to5mac suggests that media could also be shared to your iPhone and iPod touch, providing full access to your media while mobile. The device could also serve media files to other computers at home as well as to your Apple TV.

Source: Macrumors.com

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New Xbox 360 Jasper

Xbox 360 Jasper revision offers more internal storage and lower wattage PSU
The holiday shopping season is in full swing and one of the most desired gifts on many lists is a new game console. Much like computers, the hardware inside the Xbox 360 goes through periodic revisions to make it perform better, fix bugs, and lower production costs.

In May of 2008, DailyTech first wrote about the Xbox 360 Jasper revision. The revision was expected in August of 2008 and would feature a new GPU among other things. Apparently, it took longer to get the Jasper revision consoles into the market, as they are just not showing up.

Xbox-scene has some images up on its site that shows the new Jasper revision motherboard out of an Xbox 360. Two Jasper boards have been shown on the site and both of them are Arcade machines. The power supply has been changed with a 25-watt reduction to 150W. The plug is different to prevent the new PSU from being connected to an older console.

The reduction in power is thanks to the more efficient hardware in the updated console. One change that was not expected with the Arcade console is the addition of a significantly larger onboard flash storage unit. Older Arcade machines had only 16MB of internal storage, not enough for the new Xbox Experience update to be applied to internal storage.

The new Jasper update has 256MB of flash onboard, plenty to apply the new update internally. Xbox-scene reports that the flash storage has 214MB left after required software for the console to operate is installed.

Reports have the newly revised machines are reportedly using two different types of RAM chips. Some boards use four RAM chips with two on top of the mainboard and two on the bottom. Some revisions of the boards use two higher density RAM chips and only have chips on the top of the board.

Source: DailyTech.com

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November 28th, 2008 | Leave a Comment

12 tips for shopping on eBay this Christmas

Looking to bag a bargain on that famous aunction site, but unsure where to start? Or are you a seasoned eBay buyer, but still tend to lose out on the items you really want?

Buying on eBay can be a fun, enjoyable experience, but it’s worth knowing a few of the top tips to help ensure your transaction goes smoothly, and that you get the deal you always wanted.

Here are 12 top tips to help make sure the auctions you get involved in go your way.

1. Read everything
Check the detail. This might be an obvious tip for many, but we can attest that some buyers sadly don’t read anything below the item title and price. Be sure to read the entire description, shipping and returns information to avoid complications, before parting with your hard-earned cash. Be wary of any seller who tries to take the sale off eBay, or bombards you with paragraphs of small print terms and conditions.

2. Get in touch with the seller
High Detailed Seller Rating stars (DSRs) and recent positive feedback are hallmarks of a good seller, but they’re not always foolproof indicators. It pays to be diligent: scour the seller’s feedback history and check for comments relating to the type of item you want to purchase. If in doubt, get in touch, and ask for the seller’s number. An honest seller will be happy to answer any queries.

3. Thinking of selling? Buy first
A great way to accumulate feedback, get comfortable with eBay, and get ideas for the types of items you could sell, is to buy. It’s lots of fun, but can be addictive, so know your budget, and stick to it. And if you’re doing last-minute shopping, search for Buy It Now items and check the seller has good ratings for delivery time.

4. Be Safe!
Are you the savvy buyer you think you are? Do you know the typical hallmarks of a phishing email? Thanks to eBay’s and PayPal’s investment in Trust and Safety, the majority won’t have a problem, but if something does go awry, acting quickly could save you time and money. eBay’s Safety Centre and GetSafeOnline are worth a read. Check any emails in My eBay to be sure they’re legitimate, and install the eBay toolbar, which will indicate if you’re on a spoof site, and has numerous benefits for buyers, too.

5. Use PayPal
If you’re new to eBay, one of the first things you should do is register for a PayPal account. PayPal is by far the most popular method of payment; secure, quick, and favoured by most buyers. Plus, you should benefit from Buyer Protection, whatever the amount. Most buyers prefer PayPal and you can fund your purchase by linking your credit or debit card, bank account, or PayPal balance.

6. Refine your searches
Can’t find exactly what you’re looking for? Sometimes the vast sea of listings can be simply too much to negotiate, so it’s worth spending a little time refining your searches. Once you’ve entered your search term, select the appropriate category, and then the click on Refine search and Preferences on the left column. It’s also worth looking at the Matching Shops box further down on the left.

7. Look at seller’s other items
When we first started using eBay, we once won a camera on auction. A day later, when browsing their shop, we saw the same camera listed $20 cheaper as a Buy It Now item. Ever since, we’ve been sure to double check that before we bid for an item from a business seller, they don’t have the same item listed cheaper in a different format elsewhere. It’s always good idea to have a scour around a seller’s shop, too, as you may chance upon an item that is more suitable.

8. Just starting out? Buy locally
I personally recommend that new buyers buy from local sellers where possible. The vast majority of international sellers are reliable and trustworthy, but there is more than can go wrong when buying that expensive porcelain tea set, or that rare LP, shipped from abroad. It’s a good idea to get comfortable with eBay and PayPal, and be fully aware of trust and safety risks, before making big purchases from overseas.

9. Scour Charity hub for interesting auctions
The new eBay for Charity hub features a host of interesting auctions, from high value money-can’t-buy experiences auctioned by big brands, to everyday auctions from community sellers donating some, or all, of their proceeds to charity. Look out for the charity ribbon, and bid in the knowledge that you’re supporting a good cause!

10. Check the Wholesale and Job Lots category
The Wholesale category is a great place to start if you’re looking for bulk purchases. It’s a potential goldmine of good deals from sellers who might be selling off their entire stock or don’t have the time to package each item. It’s a good place to start if you’re looking to sell, too. Buy in bulk, sell separately, and make a few sales, collect feedback and detailed seller ratings, and you’re be better positioned to compete with more established sellers.

11. Don’t bid too early
Bidding wars often mean you can end up spending more than you intended. It’s tempting to bid as soon as you see the auction but in doing so, you’ll like drive up the final price. If there’s a while to go before it ends, it’s worth sitting back and waiting as close to the end time as you can. Experienced bidders typically use Bid Sniping software, which bids on your behalf at the last minute. AuctionSniper is a popular choice.

12. Be wary of instant second chance offers
Be cautious if you receive a Second Chance Offer soon after the item has been bought. It may be legitimate, but check that it has come from a seller you have been dealing with for something you have previously bid on. Fraudsters use bogus Second Chance Offer to get people to send payments for items that do not exist, or as a way to get hold of personal data.

Source: Techradar.com

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November 28th, 2008 | Leave a Comment

3D Blu-ray coming to homes in 2010

Panasonic gets the three-dimensional ball rolling

It’s no secret that Panasonic has been prepping digital technology for the home. The company showcased its pre-production technology at this year’s CEATEC show in Japan.

Panasonic has made its bid for 3D supremacy official this week, however, by submitting a proposal to the BDA (Blu-ray Disc Association) for a new 3D Blu-ray standard.

What the company has proposed is for a standard to store 3D left/right-eye, two-channel Full HD imagery.

For the format to work, Panasonic has also put forward the idea of a new type of HDMI cable to play the three-dimensional images.

Another dimension

With Hollywood starting to embrace 3D has the future format of choice – James Cameron’s Avatar is released next year and Disney is currently adding another dimension to its Pixar output – Panasonic has done well to get in there first with a new standard.

The BDA is said to be working fast to get the proposal sanctioned, looking at starting formal discussions by the end of this year, with the 3D standard, according to Tech On, in place as soon as 2010.

Source: Techradar.com

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November 25th, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Holiday Gifts for Him

Source: Engadget

Hey, look. We know what it’s like trying to buy a gadget or some other related piece of technology for the man in your life. It’s scary, and weird, and you never know if you’re doing the right thing until it’s too late. But that’s where Engadget (and our Holiday Gift Guide) comes into play. We take all the guesswork out of this experience so you can sit back, kick your feet up, and let the thanks just roll on in.

Of course, if you’re simply trying to figure out what you want to beg, cry, and gently ask for this year, think of this chapter as a kind of cheat-sheet for the forthcoming festivities. Read on to get the scoop.

$0 - $100

Shure SE102MPA - What’s a better stocking stuffer (or nice thrifty gift) for the gadget geek we all know than a decent pair of new earbuds? Shure, a company widely respected for delivering pristine audio, has priced its SE102MPA headset kit at something approaching totally affordable. The pair is a bundle of the company’s SE102 buds and MPA phone adapter cable, which makes these great for PMP or smartphone duty, and they’re sound isolating — which is a big plus for train rides, gym visits, or just good, old-fashioned “me” time.
$99.99 - Buy from Shure

Logitech Harmony 510 Remote - We’re all looking for a little more control… right? If you know a gentleman who is constantly shuffling between remotes, the Logitech Harmony 510 might be just the thing for you. With a spacious, intelligent layout, LCD screen, Harmony controller software (which lets you program activities on your computer and upload them to the remote), and a copious quantity of buttons, it should be perfect for getting his digital world under control. And with this price tag, it won’t destroy your financial world, either.
$99.99 - Buy from Logitech

Microsoft Arc Mouse - If you’re trying to find something unique and cheap, Microsoft’s quirky Arc mouse might be just the ticket. The 2.4GHz wireless device sports a mighty 30-foot range, laser tracking, and can be easily folded up and slipped into the included carrying case. If the dude in your life isn’t somewhat stoked to have such an odd looking (yet useful) gift bestowed upon him, you’d better schedule a doctor’s appointment.
About $60 - Shop for Microsoft Arc mouse

$101 - $250

LaCie Neil Poulton eSATA drive - Perhaps you know someone who’s a perfect storm of incredible nerd and rampant minimalist? If said individual also happens to require a pile of storage for their collection of Herzog films and Harmonia bootlegs, the LaCie Neil Poulton eSATA hard drive should be just what the doctor ordered. The sleek black box is available in all sorts of capacities, but if you really want to show how you feel, nothing less than the 1TB version will do.
$199.99 - Buy from LaCie

BlackBerry Storm - Okay, as we said in our review, RIM’s new BlackBerry Storm isn’t for everyone — but there are whole bunch of guys you know who probably really, really want one. If the target of your gift giving this year is already a Verizon customer, there’s few handsets you could get him that pack in more features (or more cool). With a beautiful 3.25-inch touchscreen, GPS, EV-DO Rev. A, and that patented BlackBerry email / messaging on board, handing this over come holiday time should provide you with a whole year’s worth of thank-you’s.
$199.99 with 2-year contract - Buy from Verizon

Popcorn Hour A-110 - As any good geek will tell you, a media player can never handle too many formats. The Popcorn Hour A-110 streamer is a perfect cocktail of flexibility and affordability, allowing the guy you’re getting this for to watch or listen to just about any kind of file you can throw at it. Add in support for 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SATA drives, HDMI 1.3a (with DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD output), three USB ports, component outs, S/PDIF audio, and a heaping mess of server and web services, and you’ve got a veritable tech explosion on your hands. So, uh… watch where you point this thing.
$215 - Buy from Popcorn Hour

$251 - $500

Dell S2409W - Everyone knows it’s impossible to get anything done without three or four large LCDs to distribute IM and audio visualizer windows among, and Dell’s HD-friendly, 24-inch S2409W fits the bill nicely. The 1080p resolution and HDMI input make it perfect for doubling as a bedroom Blu-ray playback display or for plugging in his Xbox 360 — there are certainly higher quality 24-inch displays out there, but it’s hard to beat the price.
$349 - Buy from Dell

Mio Knight Rider GPS - It doesn’t matter if he has zero navigation devices or a dozen, he wants this. The Mio Knight Rider GPS does a particularly average job at being a useful navigator, and a particularly awesome job at using the iconic voice of KITT to gently guide you through turns. And yes, those lights flash when it talks.
$250 - Shop for MIO Knight Rider GPS

Sony Reader PRS-700 - While overshadowed by Amazon’s Kindle, Sony’s most recent e-book is packed with features that might appeal to his inner-nerd. Most notable of these is a touchscreen display for text entry and annotation, and an LED “reading light” for sneaking his Calvin and Hobbes comics under the covers sans flashlight and Superman cape.
$400 - Buy from Sony

$501 - $1000

Dell Inspiron Mini 12 - While most netbooks sport impossible small screen sizes to match their impossibly small price tags, Dell’s Inspiron Mini 12 boasts only the latter. The performance is hardly a boost over traditional netbooks, but he’ll get a lot more done on the 12-inch, 1280 x 800 display, and it’s still small enough to simplify a trip to the coffee shop — or act as a small projectile in a heated debate over that prime 9pm TiVo slot.
$549 - $649 - Buy from Dell

TiVo HD XL - Speaking of TiVo, the HD XL is really a gift for the whole family, since its gargantuan 1TB hard drive makes room for 150 hours of HD recording, and you can even add an external drive if you find that too limiting. Really, can you ever have too many stored episodes of Friends? We think no.
$599 - Buy from TiVo

Sanyo Xacti HD1010 - The budding YouTube auteur in him will love this incredibly portable HD video camera, especially once apprised of the 300 fps slow-motion video this thing is capable of. It shoots 1080i video, 4 megapixel stills, and while that might not be enough to help him crash Sundance next year, it should make watching his lipsync video to “Womanizer” a bit more bearable.
$600 - $800 - Shop for Sanyo Xacti HD1010

$1001+

Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch - He might gripe about the glossy display or the odd, buttonless trackpad on Apple’s latest, high-performance MacBook Pro, but that will only be in between bouts of insane productivity and unbridled creativity. Or World of Warcraft.
$1,999 - $2,499+ - Buy from Apple

Woody B Internal Combustion Guitar - If his Santana-esque guitar stylings have neighbors about one decibel away from a lynching, this guitar might save some sanity. It sends noise out to an amp and then back into the guitar, where a “coupling mechanism” feeds that sound back to the strings, allowing for low-volume (and relatively low-priced) sustain and feedback. Your battered eardrums offered to chip in.
$2,500 - Buy from Woody B

Mitsubishi LaserVue 65-inch HDTV - Sure, he’ll probably receive anything with “laser” in the name with great enthusiasm, but Mitsubishi’s brand new LaserVue TV technology is more than just a nerdy new way to build a boob tube — it’s resulted in a couple of the best televisions ever tested. The contrast and brightness are right in there with the best plasma has to offer, but LaserVue’s extensive color gamut just blows away other technologies — for a price, of course.
$6,999 - Shop for Mitsubishi LaserVue 65-inch

Jaeger LeCoultre AMVOX2 DBS Transponder - We know it can be hard at times to rid yourself of excess briefcases of cash, but maybe Jaeger LeCoultre can help. They’ve built this excessively expensive watch for the sole purpose of unlocking an Aston Martin DBS (he does have an Aston Martin DBS, right?) at a 10-meter range, and will be perfect for making those cigar club buddies of his incredibly jealous. If none of this sounds remotely affordable, perhaps he might go for a Bluetooth watch — he’ll still love you. Probably.
~$40,000 - Sign up at Jaeger LeCoultre

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November 24th, 2008 | Leave a Comment

iPhone firmware 2.2 review

Even the most committed Apple fan has to admit that while the iPhone is a wonderful bit of kit, it’s had a few problems. The good news is that the latest firmware update fixes them and adds a few handy new features too.

The bad news? There’s still no copy and paste. We’re starting to wonder whether we’ll have iPhones that plug directly into our brains before we can move bits from one email to another.

So what do you get? The biggie is better mapping, with Google Street View, walking directions and the ability to share your location over email. There’s just one teeny-tiny little problem.

While Street View is brilliant, it hasn’t launched worlwide yet – so if you want to play with it you’ll need to use US addresses until Google gets its act together. It doesn’t appear to take advantage of the iPhone’s motion sensing, either, so T-Mobile G1 owners can still retain some smugness.

Mail and Safari updates

The update also fixes two extremely annoying Mail issues: failing to fetch email at specified intervals – something that hasn’t affected everybody, but that has been slowly driving us daft – and Mail’s inability to display wide HTML messages properly. You’ll also find some new keyboard preferences in Settings, which enable you to turn auto-correction on or off.

Safari has been updated too, promising better reliability and performance, and you also get a bigger viewing area. That’s because the search and address bars have been pushed into a single line, with the boxes expanding when you use them. It’s a little tweak but it does make a difference. Post-upgrade our iPhone also seems to have more reliable wireless connectivity even when the signal quality isn’t brilliant, although that might just be coincidence.

Over-the-air podcasts

The 2.2 upgrade also addresses one of the most common complaints about iTunes: podcasts. Now there’s a dedicated podcast button that enables you to find and download audio and video podcasts without having to sync with your computer. Once downloaded, you’ll find your podcasts in the More > Podcasts section of the iPod app.

Last but not least, Apple has looked at the phone bit of the iPhone. You get better sound quality for voicemail – a fix for a problem that, to be honest, we hadn’t really noticed – and Apple also promises fewer failed and/or dropped calls. As you’d expect it’s too early to tell whether the update delivers on that promise, so please let us know whether it works for you.

Overall, then, 2.2 is a major upgrade and a welcome one, although it’s annoying to have Street View when there’s no data for it but US. However, it’s nice to see that instead of saving new things for the next hardware revision, Apple is committed to making existing iPhones better and better.

Source: Techradar.com

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November 21st, 2008 | Leave a Comment

iPhone 2.2 firmware update due out tomorrow

It seems that a new the new iPhone 2.2 firmware will be making its way to your iPhone tomorrow.

Here are some of the “unofficial” features:

- New look for the Safari with the Google search bar now occupying its own space on the title bar
- Toggle On / Off to disable the auto-correction
- 461 Japanese emoji icons
- Support for new languages.
- Line-in audio is activated and can be used through the headphone jack
- Google Street View, Google Transit information - Routes public transport, Walking directions, Location sharing.
- App Store: ‘Categories’ now shows the icons of the applications instead of the list, In each page of the application has been added by a button ‘Tell A Friend’ & ‘Report A Problem’, Added the possibility of scoring the application when the user chooses to delete from the device, Added the possibility for direct downloading of podcasts from the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store

I’ll keep you updated >

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November 20th, 2008 | 1 Comment

NXE hitting 360s with red ring, freezing and avatar issues?

If you wouldn’t mind looking up from that avatar creation screen for a second — yes, we’re aware of how much that t-shirt selection means about you as a person — you might notice that your Xbox 360 is dead. At least, a few hapless souls on the Xbox forums seem to think NXE is to blame for such atrocities. Numerous folks are reporting variously bad red ring configurations, random freezing and a huge pile of blockbuster titles that won’t just play themselves. The biggest problem is that Microsoft isn’t universally treating problems caused by NXE as an “oh, our bad” sort of situation, and at least from anecdotes we’re seeing has charged quite a few folks $100 to fix their freshly-out-warranty Xbox 360s — not to mention separating them for weeks from their precious murder simulators.

Source: Engadget.com

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November 20th, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Blackberry Storm review

Rumour has it that the BlackBerry Storm concept was first spawned after Vodafone lost out to O2 in the iPhone bragging rights. But can its purpose-built credentials amount to the first bona fide touchscreen challenger to the Apple’ device? Possibly.

‘ClickThrough’ touchscreen

RIM has traditionally held a rather dim view on touchscreen mobiles. It’s no surprise, then, that the company’s first outing into the world of touchy-feely handsets holds something completely different in store – a fully ‘clickable’ screen.

In effect, the whopping 3.25in screen is actually one giant button enabling users to genuinely feel the
screen move downwards when an icon or key is pressed. Put your finger gently on one of the tiled menu icons and it will flash blue, with a pop-up letting you know what action the key controls; press down fully and you activate the function.

When it comes to tapping out emails and texts, the Storm attempts to be all things to all men. Hold the handset in portrait mode and you’re presented with RIM’s compressed SureType keypad layout – or, if you prefer, switch to old-school
Multitap input; flip to landscape and the layout automatically switches to full QWERTY courtesy of an accelerometer.

The full keypad is fairly sizable, which limits the amount of message text you can see – but you can’t have your QWERTY cake and eat it. Unlike the iPhone, it does support copy and paste. Just click the beginning and end points of the text, press the Menu key and select Copy and repeat for Paste. Easy.

So, with a touchscreen handset living and dying by its finger-friendliness, how does the Storm measure up? Like anything, it’s a case of getting used to it. Spend a bit of quality time with the Storm and you’ll soon eradicate those emails that display the same grasp of spelling as your four-year-old nephew. But many – especially the less dextrous – will find there’s no substitute for old-fashioned buttons.

Responsiveness can also be a big issue, with the menu overly sluggish at times. More infuriating is the slowness of the accelerometer, and although the angle at which it is activated can be adjusted, the speed of response remains unchanged – a major hindrance to the handset’s ease of use.

Communication king

RIM may have given the Storm an alluring facelift, but communication is still at its core. Email is – as you would expect – dealt with adeptly. In addition to the usual outstanding Enterprise functionality it’s now even easier for the less business-inclined to set up personal accounts simply by entering a username and password. Inboxes can be kept separate, with push email instantly alerting you to new messages in each account.

Document viewing and editing is seamless using DataViz’s Documents To Go, so email attachments can be dealt with fluidly. There’s also RIM’s usual set of calendar and address book functions, which can be synced to your PC using the accompanying BlackBerry Desktop Software.

BlackBerry Application Centre

But RIM is determined to prove the Storm isn’t just for suits, and the inclusion of a raft of Instant Messaging apps for download as well as a Facebook and Flickr apps will add to its zeitgeist appeal. All of these are available to download free from the Vodafone-hosted Application Centre, which also offers apps like YouTube and Google Maps. These will be joined by many more next year when RIM launches its own Application Storefront in March.

Multimedia features

The Storm’s social networking apps are well integrated into the furniture of the handset. Once downloaded, you can upload your photos to Flickr or videos to YouTube at the click of a button. Geo-tagging is a notable absentee, despite the inclusion of GPS. As a nod to its business roots, companies will still have the ability to control what apps its employees download.

The camera itself is a capable 3.2-megapixel number offering auto focus, zoom and auto flash (well, LED light). There’s a small lag between focus and taking a picture, but images are still reasonably crisp – not quite up to Sony Ericsson’s Cyber-shot or Carl Zeiss imbued Nokias, but more than acceptable for the likes of Flickr and co.

The music player keeps things clean and functional but still supports cover art and the ability to create playlists on the device itself. The built-in speaker is surprisingly rich, and audio quality in general is above par. A 3.5mm jack is provided to connect your own headphones, and side buttons (real ones) act as volume controls.

Supported formats are extensive and include MP3, AAC and WMA. There’s also iTunes ’syncing’ with your PC, although not quite in the way your iPod does it. Essentially the BlackBerry Media Sync software allows you to see and import your iTunes library – but will not copy over any tracks downloaded from the iTunes Store due to that harbinger of doom, DRM.

Watching movies on the vivid 3.25in screen is also enjoyable. Fortunately storage isn’t an issue either, with 1GB of onboard memory supplemented by an expansion slot supporting microSD/SDHC cards up to 16GB.

Wi-Fi missing from the party

When it comes to connectivity, there’s good news and bad news. The good news first: HSDPA is included for faster mobile browsing, while USB and stereo Bluetooth are both present and correct. You can even use the handset as a tethered modem. The bad news is there’s no Wi-Fi.

It’s debatable as to how big a deal this is – for many though it could be a deal breaker. In reality, Vodafone has implemented a variety of ‘all-you-can-eat’ style internet and email tariffs, removing the worry of humungous mobile bills at the end of the month. Which just leaves the issue of speed. With no Wi-Fi you’re at the mercy of Vodafone’s 3G and HSDPA coverage, and while one of the best around in this respect, nobody’s perfect.

True rival or pretender to the crown?

Whether the Storm has done enough to topple the iPhone is very much in the balance. Performance is excellent: voice calls are clear, email is handled seamlessly and battery life is good for a push email HSDPA device. Add to that the potential of the upcoming Application Storefront and generally swish looks, and things appear rosy for RIM.

The real question is whether the innovative ClickThrough touchscreen will be welcomed with willing fingers, and whether issues over menu responsiveness and the accelerometer are dealt with swiftly. If not, frustration will win out, and the Storm may well blow over.

Looks: 8/10
Ease of use: 7/0
Features: 8/10
Call quality: 10/10
Value: 7/10

(Reviewed by Miriam Brent - Techradar.com )

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November 20th, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Microsof Xbox 360 NXE review

The Xbox 360 was the first mass-market hi-def entertainment system to hit the market, and now three years later it’s hit a price point truly accessible to every household - credit crunch or not.

A few months ago Microsoft reduced the price of its console’s three SKUs - Arcade, Pro and Elite.

Xbox 360 Elite, the 120GB beast complete with a slick black finish, is now on shelves for an impressive $399.99 - $50 cheaper and with more memory than the comparatively-lacklustre 20GB machine launched in 2005.

The HDD-less Arcade console meanwhile, which is packed with a 256MB memory card, wireless pad and five Xbox Live Arcade games, is in the shops for an incredible $199.99 - that’s almost a whole $200 cheaper than a PlayStation 3. Today, Xbox 360 is undoubtedly the best value HD games console on the market.

New Xbox Experience

“Accessible” seems to be the buzzword in the Xbox 360’s story up to 2009. From Wednesday 19th November the completely redesigned backend interface, the ‘New Xbox Experience’ begins streaming onto consoles worldwide as a free, mandatory update.

The new interface is smoother, slicker-looking and yes, makes accessing HD content a lot easier for the ever-lucrative expanded audience, a group which Microsoft’s has firmly in its sights this Christmas.

The redesign isn’t too dissimilar from Windows Media Player; boxes of content slide elegantly on a horizontal line, while indexes such as your Friends list and Video Marketplace - currently the only games console digital download service for movies in Europe - are selected on a vertical list.

As a whole, it’s far more well catered for hi-def displays than the original Xbox 360 backend. Menu boxes and the amount of information displayed by the console’s interface is expanded and spread out in higher resolutions , something that the old dashboard disappointingly lacked.

It looks and works wonderfully, and is certainly a world above the cluttered, sometime sluggish dashboard of the launch 360.

There’s also a ton of feature additions that improve the Xbox 360 as a whole; retail games can now be installed to the HDD for drastically shortened load times, and of course less noise coming from the fan vent on the side of the box.

The Xbox 360 Guide also seems to open faster and browsing through your movie and games collection in the iPod Cover View-style menu is effortless. Mii-like Avatars are also on hand to add personality to the animated backgrounds, which can be stunningly customised by new themes available on Xbox Live Marketplace.

Head to head

So it’s looking slicker and sporting an incredibly attractive new price point, but how does the Xbox 360 compare to the pricier, more technically plump PlayStation 3 after three years on the market? The answer is; very well.

The Xbox 360 may lack the built-in Wi-Fi and Blu-ray drive of Sony’s console (and in fact no HD disc playback at all with the ill-fated HD DVD add-on in the bin) but with currently the only games console movie download service in Europe, and now the ability to install games to hard disk, for gaming especially there’s little reason to feel stung by the Xbox’s lack of Blu’.

The mass of high-quality titles in the Xbox 360’s game library alone too - both on disc and digital - make it a real force to be reckoned with as far as gaming goes - and the 360 versions of many multi-format titles such as Fallout 3, which suffers graphical problems on Sony’s box, are still coming out on top.

But it’s often forgotten that Microsoft’s console is also an excellent media extender. You can share files from any PC running Windows XP or Vista, and Windows Media Player interchanges media files such as video and photos fluidly and with ease.

Every Xbox 360 model now also includes a built-in HDMI port, and the middle-ground Pro model has had an HDD memory bump to 60GB for no extra cost, making the box even more competitive with the PS3 where hardware and HD content is concerned.

Let’s also not forget Xbox Live, which boasts over 10 million subscribers and is hands-down the best online service on a games console.

Even after various component revisions, the actual hardware is admittedly still slightly noisy, and lacks the selection of full-1080p disc games boasted by the PlayStation 3.

But overall the Xbox 360 is a stunning HD games console at a price point that’s impossible for any gaming or movie enthusiast not to have underneath their television.

(Reviewed by Andy Robinson - TechRadar)

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November 18th, 2008 | 1 Comment

PlayStation 4 Secrets

This webpage provides information on the Sony PlayStation 4 console that will probably arrive sometime in 2011 the earliest. It will be updated regularly as more PS4 secrets are uncovered in the public, so visit often for the latest scoop. Please link to this webpage, rather than copy the contents. If you have a secret, you can leave a forum message at: PS4 Discussion Forum. Because the PS4 can run PS3 games (in High Definition, not Standard Definition mode like NTSC and PAL), you should visit the PS3 Secrets webpage for PS3 specific information.

Before going into the details, the following chart describes the evolution of PlayStation consoles. With this chart in mind, it is easier to understand the technology discussed many parts of this webpage.

PlayStation 4 Secrets

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November 16th, 2008 | 1 Comment
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