News: February 2007 Archives

So you love the Mac but for easy and simplicity you work on the more widely adopted windows powered PC? It's a dilemma many of us have faced but have caved to the dominance of windows.

So today's announcement that Parallels has updated its Desktop for Mac software might peak your interest. Parallels enables users running Intel-powered Apple Macs to run Windows, Linux or any other operating system, at the same time as Mac OS X, without re-booting.

Anchored by a new feature coined Coherence, Parallels is able to run Windows applications on a Mac as if it was a native to the system. When you switch to Coherence mode, the Windows desktop disappears, leaving Windows applications, such as Outlook and Internet Explorer, running directly on the Mac desktop and from the Mac application dock.

Sony have announced the official specifications of the Playstation 3 for Europe, which (apparently) differ from the existing US/Japan specs.



The main difference here is the software. Most of it will be an amalgamation of firmware updates, but there seems to be the suggestion that backwards compatibility with PS2 games will be restricted in the European PS3. For the UK, it's £425 on March 27th.

The Photo Marketing Association's big trade event - PMA07 - is on the horizon (March 8th). As always, camera manufacturers have been treating us to a horde of new models ready for the show. Here is a rundown of some of those, with some specs and a release date.

Fujifilm FinePix S5700 - 10x zoom, 7.1 megapixel sensor, 2.5-inch display (March)
Fujifilm FinePix A820 and A900 - $180/200, 8mp/9mp, 2.5' LCD (March)
Canon PowerShot A570 and A560- 4x zooms, 7.1mp, 2.5' LCD, $230/$280 (March)
Canon PowerShot TX1 camcorder - 7.1mp stills, 720p (HD) video, $500 (unknown)
Canon SD750 and SD1000 Digital ELPH - 3x zoom, 7.1mp, 2.5' LCD, $300 (March)
Canon EOS-1D Mark III DSLR - 10.1mp, 10fps, 3' LCD, 5 and 10x zoom (unknown)
Pentax Optio W30 and A30 - 10mp (A30) or 7.1mp (W30), 2.5' LCD (unknown)
Pentax Hasselbladian 645 Digital (pictured) - 31.6mp, SD + CF slots (unknown)
Nikon S50c - 7mp, 3x zoom, WiFi with 2gb server space (unknown)
Sigma SD14 - 14.1mp with Foveon x3 sensor, 2.5' LCD, $2000+ (March)

BT has announced the Reveal it's latest SMS digital cordless phone with built-in answer machine.

The Reveal looking more like a sleek black box than a phone has been designed so that the handset when not in use slips into the base unit to create a shiny black wall, subtly lit by a blue downlight... until it rings and the caller ID appears across the front.

It packs all the functionality you would need for business or personal allowing a maximum of 5 additional handsets to be added, up to 255 name and number directory as well as hands free function, call transfer and conferencing, the ability to use polyphonic ringtones and a SIM card reader.

ROBERTS for many of us conjures an image of your nan's bedside alarm clock, so we were more than surprised with the rather suave Sound 23 DAB CD Digital Sound System in piano black.

The Sound 23 is a DAB CD Digital Sound System offering you the choice playing CDs or listening to the radio. Alternatively you can playback MP3 WMA files from your PC via CD, USB or SD card.

Sharp have had the tech heads down at their offices in all night trying to trim down a fat lady. Well actually it's just their latest Blu-ray recorder the BD-HP1 minus a couple of added extras they felt you didn't need.

So the BD-HP does exactly what it says on the tin it plays Blu-ray discs at a bargain price who can complain? Well, we can and are about to.

You take a pretty standard recipe and take out the TV tuner - this means that the BD-HP1 is reliant on the TV's tuner to record all your favourites such as Lost and Ugly Betty.

In the past the terms ‘gadget’ and ‘geek’ have been synonymous with one another – no more as a growing army of fashion crazed boys and gals demand the latest tech…

So we tried to fain shock and surprise but we just couldn’t when we heard about the latest slimmer than slim clam, shell mobile from Samsung designed by Miss Sixty, the Lily.

The white clamshell phone set against a purple background and has a floral motif which lights up when the phone rings – so definitely one for the gadget girls of the world.

Parrot is set to launch the Boombox - at this point you are thinking wasn’t this a craze in the 80s or something. Kids with crazy dance moves and portable stereos attached to their shoulders…blaring out 80s classics?

This latest offering from Parrot is not likely to spark any 80s revival, however it will allow you to stream audio around the home. The 60 watt speaker uses Bluetooth for streaming music from compatible sources such as including mobilephones, MP3 players and PCS.

Stylish and well-dressed the new Digital Photo Frames from Mustek really do make a lasting impression.

The PF-A700A (Bottom) with built-in speakers, an 8-inch displays not only your digital pictures but also plays audio (with two built-in speakers) as well as video files.

The wall-mountable or free standing photoframe features a built-in multi-format memory card reader so no faffing required because it isn't compatible with your memory card -- the damage to your wallet for this one will set you back a mere £80.

Canada's D-Wave Systems has announced 'the world's first 'commercially viable' quantum computer.

Quantum bits (qubits) are digits that can be either 'on', 'off' or 'both', due to strange quantum physics down at the atomic scale. This 16-qubit processor can solve simple problems such as Sudoku and create complex 'seating plans' - not exactly good compared to normal binary computers.

However, if quantum computers can be created that process calculations thousands of qubits, they could be used for tasks modern computers take decades to pursue, such as encryption.

Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works has been developing the QSST - or Quiet Super-Sonic Transport - for six years. This luxury private jet could be the first civilian supersonic plane approved for over-land use, thanks to aerodynamics designed to muffle its sonic boom.

Developed under a $25-million contract from Supersonic Aerospace International (SAI), the 12-passenger (+3 crew) QSST would fly at between 47,000 and 57,000 feet with a range of 4,600 miles (approx Chicago to Rome). Designed to fly between Mach 1.6 and 1.8 (which are 1,056 and 1,188 mph), the two-engine gull-wing aircraft would leave a sonic wake that amounts to only one-hundredth of that of the Mach 2–capable Concorde...

In a clash of the titans Blu-ray and HD DVD are fighting for the illustrious crown of DVDs next generation format, a war which will be won or lost on the high streets.

But if Sony are to be believed the war never really got started and nor is likely to based on some very solid numbers from the month January.

The figures from the Sony camp show that sale of Blu-ray discs are outstripping HD DVD discs by two to one. Interestingly though HD DVD players are actually marginally out selling their Blu-ray counterparts, although the Sony camp isn’t likely to be worried with the planned European launch of the PS3.

These (hypothetical) pen-like devices actually fold out to reveal a display projector, keyboard projector and surface keyboard sensor that form an entire PC that literally can fit in your pocket.

The design by a Japanese company could soon be the future of personal computing. What do you think?

Bang-Olufsen known for high quality audio-visual equipment has today announced its 2nd generation Hard disc recorder, the HDR 2.

The HDR2 with its 250Gb storage capacity gives you around 126 hours of Super VHS standard storage or alternatively 59 hours in DVD quality and packs some great functionality, the most noteable of which is the ‘intelligent house keeping’.

Remember the days when you lived at home, your room often looked like a bomb had hit it? Who would clean it up for you… probably your mum! Well the HDR 2 will clean up after you...

The LP40-TDR1 is the latest in the Humax range of HDTVs boasting a sleek new design, with integrated twin tuner digital television recorder and a massive 160GB hard disk drive.

Features include live pause and instant rewind; the ability to watch a channel or record at the same time as recording another programme as well as an 8-day Electronic Programme Guide.

Big news from the Vodaphone camp today, as they announced that its customers would soon be able to access and update their MySpace profile using your mobile phones.

MySpace said that this exclusive deal marks their first step into the European mobile marketplace.

Launching first in the UK, the partnership will enable Vodafone customers to access MySpace Mobile, allowing them to edit their own MySpace profiles, find and add friends, post photos and blogs and send and receive MySpace messages while on the move.

Sony Ericsson today finally unveiled to the world three new phones: its latest Walkman phone and two new Cybershot models.

Like a proud father Sony Ericsson showed off the W880 - the slimmest Walkman phone to date - at only 9.4mm thick. But its lack of size didn't mean an absence of features as the phone includes a 2megapixel camera, 1Gb Memory Stick Micro, Bluetooth audio streaming, picture blogging as well as full 3G services.

Sony Ericsson also had a notebale announcement in their Cybershot range - the K810 with its 3.2megapixel camera also includes improved functionality with Photo Fix for correcting images once taken and BestPic for shooting a number of images in succession and allowing you to pick the best one. The latest edition to the Cyber-shot family also includes a Xenon flash, auto focus and red eye reduction.

LG Mobile has announced the launch of a luxury version of its Chocolate phone series. The KE800, or Chocolate Platinum has an SD card memory slot, an upgraded 2 mega-pixel camera an FM radio and twice as much on-board memory as the original Chocolate handset (256MB rather than 128MB). It also has an upgraded MP3, MPEG-4 and AAC music and video player and stereo Bluetooth functionality.

LG Chocolate Platinum is sure to be a popular addition to the Chocolate range of handsets. The original phone – launched in Europe in May 2006 – has sold over three million handsets globally. No word yet on pricing or availability.

Having witnessed numerous new console launches over recent years a pre-order has become relatively common place if you expect to bag yourself one either on the big-day or their about….so the announcement by HMV of 5,000 pre-orders available for the Playstation 3 comes as no surprise.... what does is the bank balance required secure one.

The pre-order scheme works as follows. First you must dig deep behind your sofa and find £250 for a 4Gb Sony PSP with two games. This gets you the privilege of being added to the HMV priority list where you will then be allocated one of 5,000 PS3s HMV are expecting to get. Once they have stock to ship you will be expected to pay your £425 and your PS3 will turn up 5 days later.

Following suit from Sony's decision that the PS3 would keep its price tag for a while to come, Microsoft has dismissed claims that the Xbox 360 is going to undergo a price cut in the near future. It was widely expected that Microsoft would bring the price of their latest gaming console down to even further undercut its newest competitor in the PS3.

“There are no plans [for a cut]. We’re offering outstanding value and choice – especially when you compare us to our soon-to-be competitor,”

- Chris Lewis
Regional VP of Microsoft EMEA Home+Ents

Although the Xbox 360 is already £200 cheaper than the PS3, Microsoft has been forced to lower its sales estimates from 13/15 million units by June down to 'just' 12 million. At these kinds of differences, is a £20 discount really going to change things?

This news comes on the same day as Sony declare they are only shipping 220,000 PS3s to the UK - that is 30,000 less than their previous lowest estimate. Their excuse is that the UK market is about 22% of the 1 million PAL units they will sell. £425 on March 23rd.

Can’t wait till Tuesday 6th February to get your hands on the Sony Ericsson W880i? The fact that Sony has 5 to give away might just grab your interest

First of get those mice clicking and head over to iwantmyw880.com and register yourself. You will then receive a text message tomorrow morning informing you that that first clue has gone up online (it will be early so get an early night). Once you have solved all six clues only then will the secret location be revealed.

At this point it’s every person for them selves in a ‘Wacky Racers’ style dash for the finish line.

The media has been awash with stories over the past few months regarding who was rights to the ‘iPhone’ name is it Apple or is it Cisco.

In a snip Cisco has already launched a VoIP handset, so when Apple announced its iPhone Cisco were not best pleased. Over the past few months, both parties have been involved in ongoing talks and the threat of a lawsuit. Discussion appeared to be heading towards a stalemate which would see the lawyers decide the outcome.

But an announcement announcement from Cisco this morning stating that both parties had agreed to “extend the time for Apple to respond to the lawsuit” suggests that a comprise could be possible.

From a commercial point of view Cisco are likely to be negotiating for a slice of Apples pie…

What's this? Could it be the Sony Ericsson W88i?!

Well unless the guys over at Engadget sat up all night making a card board cut-out then we can safely assume that this is the real deal. These images would be the first look at the slim and stylish W88i and suggests that the hype surrounding the phone is well founded. Although as yet little is known about the specification, with Sony Ericsson remaining rather tight lipped until its launch.

With the launch proposed for the 6th February we haven't got much longer to wait.

Well it’s a been a busy few weeks for digital camera’s and theirs no sign of let up with Panasonic looking to bolster its range with no less than 10, yes 10 new digital cameras.

First out of the bag is the 7.2 megapixel DMC-FZ8 7.2 (Pictured right) and 12x optical zoom which Panasonic claims to offer a level of control close to that of an SLR, but without the need for interchangeable lenses.

Next on the table is the 6 megapixel DMC-TZ2 and the 7.2 megapixel DMC-TZ3, both cameras offering a 10x optical zoom. Both models include an LCD screen 2.5inch for the DMC-TZ2 and a 3-inch screen for the DMC-TZ3. A nifty little extra on the DMC-TZ3 lets you select and display thumbnails of nine sequential frames from a motion image.

Saving up for one of the most anticipated purchases of the year, but thinking you might leave it a few months for a price drop? Don't bother - Nobuyuki Oneda, Sony Computer Entertainment's Chief Financial Officer, has declared that the PS3's price would not be reduced for at least 2 or 3 years.

This is probably because SCE was the only division of Sony to lose money in the last Quarter's financial results. They already had to lower the price in Japan due to poor consumer feedback, and sales of the PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld console dropped by 72% over the past year.

Looks like we'll just have to shell out the £425 anyway. See you on March 23rd.